Tolerance - sustained another injury

[Herbal Remedy]

swim has been on 3 x 5mg oxycodone hcl and 2 x 15 mg MS contin a day, for an injury he sustained a few years ago (a drunk driver ran over his right ankle). Swim has done pretty well with being responsible with his meds for some time, but recently he has sustained another injury to the same foot. He broke his foot and has to get surgery on it in a week.

The first problem arrived at the ER, where swim came up positive for Marijuana and his pain management doctor found out. It has been over a week since his injury and swim has had trouble getting in touch with his doctor. He is using the same meds from his previous injury for his new injury. The problem is the pain is much more severe and Swim is having to choose between relief now and pain later. He could take more of his script than prescribed but then he runs the risk of running out early AND getting fired by his pain mgmt doctor (taking more than prescribed at a time is a violation of his opioid contract).

Swim is worried that his doctor will hold his positive drug test against him and not prescribe him more meds for the MORE severe pain. Also swim is nervous about surgery because the recovery time will require more meds and again his doctor might not budge. Swim is having the surgery done by a different doctor and he is not sure how he should play his hand.

Swim could purposely tell his doctor he has been taking more meds than prescribed for the pain and run the risk of being fired (the doctor will give him a ween off script). He then could just have the surgeon prescribe him meds for post op, but then the surgeon would not know about his tolerance and need for higher dose.

As you can see this is a tricky (and unfortunate) situation for swim, as he is in legitamite pain and being persecuted for using marijuana to increase his quality of life. any advice would be a great help as swim pretty much has the weekend to figure out his gameplan (its sad that people have to think like this, swim is a descent person, he is just in a lot of pain).

Perhaps, in the end, honesty is the best answer. swim is just worried that his dose/meds are not going to be raised and he will find himself in terrible pain. A broken foot really hurts, swim just wants relief.

[desertimplant]

Just out of curiosity. did this ER have some kind of automatic urine\blood test for Marijuana\THC? It is strange they would do a test like this when the problem is a broken bone. Just doesn't make sense as a pal of mine has been to the ER many times for a chronic post-op problem and never has heard of any ER testing for this unless it was specific to the problem\reason he was in an ER in the first place. It makes sense to do blood type etc and\or any specific test related to the reason for being in the ER.

Even more troubling is why the ER would even inform the doctor unless the doc has previously made a request to have this test done if any of his\her patients showed up at the ER for some problem

Is this a new policy in that area?

[mike-law]

have you previously claimed compensation for personal injury