I Suffer From Chronic Pain

I've gotten myself into a dilemma regarding my chronic pain management. I made a choice to taper down from my primary pain medication while I was awaiting a referral to the neurosurgeon. I was expecting surgery to be an option, it was not. Now I've got my primary care physician on a mission to finish the job and take me off this medication. Unfortunately, it's still a necessary evil. I've got another appointment coming up and I'm going to need to put up a fight. Pain management is so misunderstood, all the doctors care about is reducing the amount of these medications so as to no longer prescribe them. Meanwhile, I've been tapered so low that I can't function for a full day. My doctor doesn't care about anything but his bottom line. I'd be on board if only there was some resolution but there is not.

I already know I'm in for a speech about opioid-induced respiratory depression. I've heard it before from other doctors who simply didn't want to cooperate. This is something that happens when you overdose. I've managed to find alternative medications that help, but still need a dose of less than one third the amount I started in with this particular doctor. I need him to accept the progress we've made but put the pain meds back to exactly one-third of what I used to take. He's hell-bent on eliminating them. I don't have the luxury of changing doctors just yet.

Any ideas such as supplementary medications to combat OIRD? I know it's entirely not necessary, but I've got to counter his argument well and get my life back. From my experience, you can't get a doctor to listen to you and they're going to do what they want regardless. I've read of medications used for COPD that could effectively lessen the risk of OIRD. Naloxone is out of the question unless it is in a compounded formula with another opioid and doesn't have any effect on the analgesic properties. Thanks in advance for any recommendations.