hi, the horror stories you heard are probably true, unfortunately. i can only suggest being straight forward with your dr and to be honest about your pain. some people HAVE found commpassionate drs., unfortunately, for me, the first pain clinic i went to put me on high dosages of pain meds and from some of my research about them( they started me on 150mg fentanyl patch and 180 mg oxycontin 2x daily)..i was out of pain, but i was so not myself, i felt like a zombie and all i did was sleep most of the time, wiith haviing 4 kiddos and being a very active mom, in mostly THIER lives (they all played at least 4 sports and school activities and i coached soccer for 10 years and worked part time when my youngest entered kinddergarten)...my life was far from what i was used to...so i went off the oxycontin, myself, cold turkey (DON"T do this with any drug!!), i thought i was going to get a pat on the back for NOT wanting to be on so many drugs, instead, they decreased my fentanyl dosage from 150 mg. to 50 mg!! because AND had to go thru injections, i had already went thru (with no help from the pain) ..punishment??? because i didn't follow protocol..i think so, but they wouldn't prescribe ANY pain meds unless i followed thier "orders"...i cried everyday and night and did nothing but lay in bed for months because they wouldn't give me anything for the breakthru pain, i would have been happy to be on the 50 mg. of fentanyl, if only they would give me something for b/t...they didn't, and after months of feeling like i jsut wanted to die, because of the pain, my husband and i set up an appt. with them (pain clinic) explained what was going on, of course my husband was a bit disgusted and upset with them, but never got irate.. a few days later, i got a phone call from administration of the pain clinic and they told me because of my husbands behaviour (unbelievable, my husband is a very passive man..I AM the mouth in the family :)..but because of my husbands behaviour and because i was OVERMEDICATING ,(NEVER DID, i took MYSELF OFF meds) they no longer wanted us to come to thier pain clinic!!!! which, was actually fine with me, i hated the way they looked at me, like i was "drugseeking" and i went back to my g/p who actually faxxed them twice to ask them to HELP me with the b/t pain, but now he is presscribing my pain meds, he is a very commpassionate dr. and BELIEVES my pain!!! unfortunately, tho that is all he can do...what i want is my back fixed(!) and my life back!!!...so, i guess, what i am trying to say if first you don't find a dr. that believes your apin, you have to keep trying until you do!! some poor people on here have searched for years and had to drive for hours (which i have to do, because i live in a small town) before they finally found a dr. that suited them AND believed in thier pain...hopefully, you will not have to do this, but like i said, if you don't feel comfortable w/ your dr., you are going to have to search for one that you are comfortable with...best of luck!!!! cindi