Lessons from last Dr. appt: drug testing for kratom and a Suboxone issue

[TeddiJ]

Hi, All. I went to a new doctor last week and she did a blood test which gave immediate results. Posters have mentioned being worried about kratom and drug testing…but she said there is no test for kratom...just wanted to pass that along. The Delta 8 gummies showed up, as did Suboxone.

I learned another key lesson: don’t mention kratom at all during an appt. unless you must. This was an awful appt. and she said she would not prescribe Suboxone unless I went to a full detox center first! Her colleague had prescribed it to me before with no problem, but he has since retired (of course!). I was going to post about it and get your support, as I felt like crying for 2 days after the appt. (Actually, that is not new for me when it comes to any RLS appt.) This doctor immediately started treating me like an addict, as have most of the others, and suggested that the only way to get suboxone is to show up at a clinic every week AFTER I medically detoxed from kratom. I kept telling her that I had been using suboxone for 10 days straight at that point (I had been traveling and it is easier), so what was the issue?!

She is also the 3rd doctor who would not switch me over to Subutex and said the naloxone is actually helpful and does not affect surgery, although Shumbah says not true.

She also was able to look at the pharmacy and see that I hadn’t used nearly enough of the original Suboxone prescription, so therefore I must be using a lot of kratom. I said it was because of the teeth issue, the surgery issue, the way I am treated, wanting to find my rls baseline, and also hating how I feel on opioids. Also-I was instructed to take 1/2 of the film-so each film would be TWO doses, which she didn't know.

Another lesson: fill your prescriptions on time, even if you aren’t going to use them in the near future! I still hadn’t filled her colleague’s suboxone prescription…if I had filled it, she wouldn’t have been so wound up about the kratom. She did soften up somewhat the next day and said something about seeing her every 2 months to get a prescription for Suboxone.

Anyway-just a few lessons that might help some of you!

[LanaCSR]

What a nightmare!! I am so sorry you had to endure that. Ugh! But at least it sounds like she came around the next day and IS going to prescribe you the suboxone even though she initially said she wouldn't without detox. And to only have to see her once every 2 months to get an opioid prescription is awesome!! When I was taking oxycodone, I was required to be seen once a month and get a drug screen every month! Ridiculous doctors...

[TeddiJ in reply to LanaCSR]

Thank you very much, Lana! Crazy you had to do that every month-talk about making us feel like addicts-ugh. A true RLS physician would never do that.

[LanaCSR in reply to TeddiJ]

Amen to that!!

[TheDoDahMan in reply to LanaCSR]

Lana, may I ask what state you live in that requires seeing a doctor every month for an opioid prescription? Or are you in the UK? I'm in NV and only have to be seen every 6 months.

[Joolsg]

Oh Teddi,How awful. That is so worrying. I'm glad she has now agreed to continue your suboxone prescription.

The opioid study at Massachussetts General has a question about being treated like a drug addict by physicians, so it must happen often.

I just wish doctors would learn about opioids and RLS!

[TeddiJ in reply to Joolsg]

Thanks!