"Pain specialist appointment"

I am a woman and I suffer from chronic severe pain (mostly pelvic/abdominal), caused by a progressive, incurable, whole body inflammatory disease. As I am allergic to almost all forms of non opioid analgesia, I rely almost entirely on opioids to manage my pain. Due to changes to prescribing regulations for opioid analgesics, my GP was required to refer me to a specialist pain medicine physician for review before they could prescribe my regular pain relief.

I recall the very first thing that the doctor said was that all women with pelvic pain are drug seekers, followed immediately by people who rely on opioid analgesics are a burden to the community. And the doctor said this to me knowing that I am a woman, with pelvic pain, who relies on opioids for pain management. This same doctor then prescribed even more opioids after I had surgery which exacerbated my pain. I was then admitted to hospital for pain management, where I believe this same doctor uncharted all my pain relief, including Panadol, in the middle of the night when none of the hospital doctors or nurses were around. When I experienced a pain crisis, the doctor refused to represcribe me any analgesia and subsequently told my GP to not prescribe me any further analgesia - then discharged me from their care without any tapering of my opioid pain relief, which was over 200mg OMEDD. It seemed the doctor also refused to provide any continuity of care. I was expected to stop taking opioids with no tapering whatsoever and to experience withdrawal seizures.

In my opinion, they have an incorrect understanding of central sensitisation which has lead to a refusal of any and all treatments for pain. I hold out hope that one day the doctor will attend training on the actual causes - and implications - of central sensitisation, as well as reach a more personal understanding of medical misogyny and how I believe this doctor perpetuates it in their practice.