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Pain Clinic Urine Tests Indicates Tramadol 17 days from Last Dose

Posted , 5 users are following.

Grrrr
Grrrr

Help!

Last Friday I was abruptly discharged from my pain clinic because they said I had an unauthorized drug (Tramadol) in my system, in addition to one other complication which I will explain later.  The ONLY way the test finding could be possible is if the drug is still showing up in my blood over 17 days post surgery and discontinuance of the drug at the hospital. I need to know if this is possible.  In the meantime, let me explain,

On Thursday, March 3, 2016, I was hospitalized due to cellulitis and an ankle joint abscess secondary to having broken my ankle on February 18th. On Saturday, March 5th, I underwent surgery to drain the abscess.  The hospital staff gave me, among other pain meds, Tramadol, which they discontinued three days later because they said it was extremely hard on my kidneys.  To be clear, I did not receive a prescription for the drug upon discharge nor did I have any other way, much less desire, to obtain the drug otherwise.  I flatly did NOT take this drug after it was discontinued in the hospital.

I go to the pain clinic because I suffer from a failed back surgery which includes a broken titanium screw that has not been repaired for various reasons.  I take Percocet 10-325's for the pain.  This medication is prescribed by the clinic staff, indicating one 10-325 tablet, four times daily.  However, I have previous to being with the clinic been prescribed two 10-325's every 4 hours (not four times daily) for pain, therefore I know from experience it is safe for me to take that amount.  Unfortunately, that caused me to be eight tablets short when I went to the clinic for my follow up to which the nurse stated it was a violation of my pain contract and was the second reason I was being discharged.  

I know that Tramadol can show up in a urine test for  3-4 days after stopping it.  But is there any documented evidence that it can show up so far out from the last dose?  Swearing to God, there is absolutely NO WAY I took any since the hospital gave it to me.  I need to rebut their lab test so I need concrete published testing evidence to refer to in my letter protesting my discharge.

Please help me!!!

-J

Help, PLEASE!!

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • sueisobel
    sueisobel Grrrr

    Posted

    Your best bet is to go back to the original medical team that prescribed Tramadol and ask them to write a letter, alternatively your doctor should also have been kept in the loop, so they would know what you have taken and when.  To be honest with you, do you really need to go to the pain clinic???? My first thought is how dare they. What if you had been told to take them.  It does take a hell of a long time for drugs to leave your system, even the anaesthetic from your operation can take up to a month.  You have no reason to lie, so I would speak to your doctor and lodge a complaint via him/her.  They would know you better than the pain clinic. Jobsworth people can be rather holier than thou, have you tried another person, perhaps higher up the food chain? There is not a lot that you can do as it is their adaptation of the contract against you. You may win the argument, but where would it leave you.

    Hope you get something sorted out soon

    What is the reason they cant repair the screw in your back, is there a danger involved if they do. Have you tried alternative therapy for the pain,

    • Grrrr
      Grrrr sueisobel

      Posted

      Ah, excellent idea about the hospital!.  In fact, I see the surgeon this afternoon in follow up.  I think speaking to him about this very thing is a fantastic idea.  Depending on his response, I’ll make the decision about whether to pursue the fight.  Honestly, I have no desire to go back to this sketchy place, but there are less fortunate people that go there that really have no choice and aren’t being treated professionally, much less kindly.  For those people, I feel like their voices will never be heard.  I can fight my battle, but who will help them?

       

      When the titanium screw broke, I also had developed an new herniated disc. Having long ago ditched my original surgeon as being utterly worthless,  I met a wonderful neurosurgeon who cautioned me that because the screw was at bottom end of the old surgical site and the herniated disc was at the top, that they would have to reopen and expand the entire scar.  The scar itself is not at issue.  The issue is the recovery.  At my original surgery in 2010, the surgeon told me, repeatedly, that it was entirely likely that after four days of recovery in the hospital, I could very well walk out and go home.  Imagine my utter horror to wake up  and find myself in a nursing home with an LPN immediately outside my door screaming her head off at a poor CNA!  In any event, being entirely confused at the time, I asked the new neurosurgeon exactly what he would do and clued him in on my previously poor surgical experience.  Interestingly, he said to do,“nothing!”  He said he couldn’t make any reasonable assurances much less guarantees, so the risks are simply just too great.  I like his thinking though.  Frankly, it's the best surgical advice I've ever received on the topic and until something drastic happens, I think I’ll following this advice to the letter.

    • sueisobel
      sueisobel Grrrr

      Posted

      Wow, I thought I had it bad..... Limbs one can cope with, but spine. I am not sure how I would handle it.  I have a friend in New Zealand who has similar issues as yours, but he wont have pins put in, so lives on painkillers, but, saying that he runs 2 shops and goes deep sea fishing in his spare time.  So I guess we all treat our wounds in different ways. But I agree with you, if I went through what you have, I too would be having doubts.  It is nice when you meet a surgeon who can honestly talk WITH you.  Do you need to wear a brace??

      It is very noble of you to want to speak up on behalf of others, but have you gone down the ombudsman route or something like the board of medical excellence (if that exists). That way they can go down avenues that you can't.  Well you can, but only so far and will only end up frustrated and angry.

      If you are going to see your surgeon, have a good chat, but he may not be able to actually prescribe painkillers (he may suggest what you can take/do), but it will be down to your doctor to write the prescriptions.

      You know, at the end of the day, if you are taking prescription drugs for pain, the pain management team should actually be on your side, and if they are unhappy with what you are taking, suggest drugs that are better.  We could go round and round in circles and go nowhere.

      I hope you get something sorted out soon

      Good luck x

  • thebird55
    thebird55 Grrrr

    Posted

    Okay, despite what you know is safe for you, you must play by their rules. You may have taken that much (or even more) oxycodone before without problems, but that isn't the point. You are rationalizing, to get what you want (what recovering addicts might call "stinkin' thinkin'"). As you've discovered, pain clinics play be a different, and very strict, set of rules.

    Okay, enough lecture. Let's try to straighten this out. cheesygrin

    If your kidney function was impared during your recent event, it may still be sub par. That could possibly account for the positive drug test. When you go back to talk to those providers, be sure to bring this up. And try to have your kidneys examined again.

    And then there is the very real possibility of a false positive. BTDT. I once was looking at going to jail over a false positive. I was on probation, and failed a test at my counseling appointment. I knew that information would be sent to my probation officer, so when I left counselling I went straight to the hospital and got a complete urinalysis done. Clean  On my next report to probation, as I walked in my PO was shuffling through the paperwork to send me to jail, and I then handed her my test results. She only reluctantly accepted that she had done that paperwork for nothing. And on the other side of that coin, I've also passed a drug test that I should definitely have failed. eek

    • thebird55
      thebird55

      Posted

      I didn't put that first smiley up there in my last post, it was just a coincidence of punctuation that produced it. rolleyes
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