DEA cuts opioid supply....again.

[PeppermintPatty]

I am being forcibly cut down from my beloved Xanax. Hasn't happened yet, but I was warned. The clinic I use has fired all their psychiatrists and replaced them with Nurse Practictioners to save money. I was informed by this new twerp they have been told by the state to cut these medications down. I am starting by slowly cutting myself down.

I may seek a psychiatrist for this drug in a few months and leave this f-ing clinic. Don't like young wise ass NPs, they piss me off. Have condescending attitudes. Having a telehealth meeting, the second one soon, with this newbie. I am considering telling her what I think of her.

Benzodiazepines are classified under dangerous drugs and aren’t to be taken daily. There’s proven evidence that taking these can cause early dementia.

I’m taking the cousin benzodiazepine which was prescribed only when needed but my nurse practitioner changed that to ‘take one or two’ a day. Taking this medication, I’m far too stoned to even drive, yet nobody is questioning or asking about that.

When I finally got an online nurse practitioner in this province, she helped change my prescription to , ‘take when needed only.’ Benzo’s are highly addictive and not to be mixed with other drugs or alcohol.

Any practitioner that prescribed these daily for an unlimited time should have their license revoked.

Quote; Taking Xanax regularly is rare since the medication acts on the brain so quickly. Those who frequently take Xanax may be misusing their prescription. People who misuse Xanax are at risk of developing an addiction to this drug or at least a physical dependence on it to regulate their brain chemistry. April 26, 2023
Xanax for Anxiety: Is it a Long-Term Treatment Solution? | River Oaks

 

[Murrmurr]

Interesting read, but I'm struggling to see how it relates to this thread topic?

As for the DEA cutting opiods into the country - it's saying something when you can't get legitimately prescribed medication even if you have private coverage. Kind of punches a hole right through the entire concept of healthcare that relies on experts to help you out.

We got side-tracked.

Totally allowed on my threads.

 

[Jules]

I’m in a snit about drug use. In this province there’s a trial run for street drug users. They can use anywhere - so they won’t be stigmatized. Cities objected so a new law prohibiting use in city parks, etc was to come into effect in January and the bleeding hearts took it to court and got that delayed. It seems it’s easier to be a drug user than an average citizen who needs medicine.

 

[AnnieA]

Benzodiazepines are classified under dangerous drugs and aren’t to be taken daily. There’s proven evidence that taking these can cause early dementia.

I’m taking the cousin benzodiazepine which was prescribed only when needed but my nurse practitioner changed that to ‘take one or two’ a day. Taking this medication, I’m far too stoned to even drive, yet nobody is questioning or asking about that.

When I finally got an online nurse practitioner in this province, she helped change my prescription to , ‘take when needed only.’ Benzo’s are highly addictive and not to be mixed with other drugs or alcohol.

Any practitioner that prescribed these daily for an unlimited time should have their license revoked.

Quote; Taking Xanax regularly is rare since the medication acts on the brain so quickly. Those who frequently take Xanax may be misusing their prescription. People who misuse Xanax are at risk of developing an addiction to this drug or at least a physical dependence on it to regulate their brain chemistry. April 26, 2023
Xanax for Anxiety: Is it a Long-Term Treatment Solution? | River Oaks

There's risk benefit for every individual. The analysis of whether benefit outweighs risk is a decision made by a person's doctor.

I have taken low dose xanax for 30+ years, sometimes daily for awhile, sometimes I skip periods of days. At one point needed higher doses daily for a nearly a year and transitioned back to lower with no problems. Have had no issues with addiction, nor does it 'stone' me like it does you. When I don't need it for cycles of insomnia, breakthrough anxiety or times I know I'll be in highly sensory environments, I feel no adverse effects doing without it.

 

[Murrmurr]

I am being forcibly cut down from my beloved Xanax. Hasn't happened yet, but I was warned. The clinic I use has fired all their psychiatrists and replaced them with Nurse Practictioners to save money. I was informed by this new twerp they have been told by the state to cut these medications down. I am starting by slowly cutting myself down.

I may seek a psychiatrist for this drug in a few months and leave this f-ing clinic. Don't like young wise ass NPs, they piss me off. Have condescending attitudes. Having a telehealth meeting, the second one soon, with this newbie. I am considering telling her what I think of her.

I stopped going to medical clinics and medical groups that are run by insurance companies. My doctor's office belongs to a university. I'm always seen by my doctor. I don't know if her office even has NPs. I've never seen one there. Never seen a MA either.

The clinic I used to go to belonged to Blue Shield, and about 10 years ago they started gradually replacing all their doctors with NPs and MAs until only one actual doctor was available 1 day a week for just a few hours. The doctor saw 3 or 4 patients for 5 or 10 minutes each, and spent the rest of the time sitting in an office doing stuff on a computer.

Now Blue Shield clinics are under Anthem Blue Shield, and the standards of care are even lower.

 

[Murrmurr]

It really sounds like a drug infested place to live.

The apartment was nice.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

There's risk benefit for every individual. The analysis of whether benefit outweighs risk is a decision made by a person's doctor.

I have taken low dose xanax for 30+ years, sometimes daily, sometimes I skip periods of days. At one point needed higher doses daily for a nearly a year and transitioned back to lower with no problems. Have had no issues with addiction, nor does it 'stone' me like it does you. When I don't need it for cycles of insomnia, breakthrough anxiety or times I know I'll be in highly sensory environments, I feel no adverse effects doing without it.

Absolutely! I’m just mentioning what I did because it’s standard procedure to NOT have patients on it long term

A relative of mine was given so many drugs including benzos for 15 plus years that she got her drivers licence taken from her. She couldn’t drive for months. Half her medications were cancelled.

Here in Canada our doctors are paid for by the government. They do get fringe benefits from the big pharmaceutical companions.
They are often bribed with vacations, cars, etc

My last doctor of 12 years had me on 7 different medicines. He had part of his license revoked for writing up too many narcotic drug prescriptions. Then he retired and never told a soul, leaving most of his patients with no prescription(s).

Not all doctors are in it to help patients. Some doctors are there strictly for the money and finge benefits.

 

[Murrmurr]

Frank, I take Gaba for RLS and it works like a charm. 100mg. in the A.M. and 200mg. at bedtime. At first the doctor tried a higher dose, which puzzled me, as most begin with the lowest. Well, that made my head feel as though it would blow apart, and I discontinued it until I spoke with him. From that point on, I control all my own dosages for pain, RLS, and the like.

With my severe arthritis and peripheral neuropathy, I control my Vicodin intake. I keep it on the lowest dosage side, as it is sufficient with a couple of aspirin.

The DEA notified me over a year ago that I was within the correct dosages permitted legally. Well, thanks a lot. Who asked you? My doctor also received this. We are offended by such notifications. Who are these people to judge? Very annoying to say the least.

I've never had a problem until last year when the DEA made the second cut. This year is the 3rd time, and the cut keeps getting deeper.

I finally got a low-dose Oxycontin and 300mg Gabapentin.

300mg is way too much, so I take the capsules apart and dump out about 50% of the powder (I ordered some empty capsules to dump it into). 300mg makes me feel like I drank a quart of whiskey. And it looks like I did, too....I weave and stumble and slur my words, I won't drive and can't be intimate with my wife.

Taking both the Gabapentin and the Oxy, I don't have the RLS symptoms. But they don't work quite as well on my pain as the Norco did.

 

[Murrmurr]

I’m in a snit about drug use. In this province there’s a trial run for street drug users. They can use anywhere - so they won’t be stigmatized. Cities objected so a new law prohibiting use in city parks, etc was to come into effect in January and the bleeding hearts took it to court and got that delayed. It seems it’s easier to be a drug user than an average citizen who needs medicine.

Yeah, it's a strange society when government officials who are protected from living near or coming into contact with drug addicts prohibit everyone from stigmatizing drug addicts.

 

[VaughanJB]

I’m in a snit about drug use. In this province there’s a trial run for street drug users. They can use anywhere - so they won’t be stigmatized. Cities objected so a new law prohibiting use in city parks, etc was to come into effect in January and the bleeding hearts took it to court and got that delayed. It seems it’s easier to be a drug user than an average citizen who needs medicine.

It's a very difficult issue. The drugs, and addicts, are already there on the streets. What can you do about it? Law enforcement officers on the front line have been dealing with it in forever, and it's never been able to make it go away entirely. If they do manage to move it, it just goes somewhere else.

So they look for alternate ways to deal with it. But then came the upsurge in more powerful drugs that don't just get people high, but utterly destroys them. So then there was a concern about what these people were doing to their bodies. They need a way to get treatment to them (yes, they're addicts, but they're also fellow human beings). You can only really do that if you stop front line enforcement, at least for so called "personal use". Otherwise, the people needing medical help are effectively in hiding (there are those who would say - it's their choice, let them suffer, but fortunately others are more humane.)

So you end up with "safe places" where people can shoot up. While these laws have good intentions, they miss any attempt at actually solving the root cause - drug use. These safe areas are great, but only if you're also funding rehabs in the area, stationing a medical facility there, and giving mental health assistance. Without that you're simply drawing lines on a map to no great effect. I don't know why they're not coordinating all this.

In the mean time, if you live in the area all this is happening, the only sure cure is to move somewhere else, at least in the near future. The drugs never stop coming, and more and more people are using them, it seems. Given their potency, it's a nightmare spiral of misery for all.

 

[VaughanJB]

There's risk benefit for every individual. The analysis of whether benefit outweighs risk is a decision made by a person's doctor.

I have taken low dose xanax for 30+ years, sometimes daily for awhile, sometimes I skip periods of days. At one point needed higher doses daily for a nearly a year and transitioned back to lower with no problems. Have had no issues with addiction, nor does it 'stone' me like it does you. When I don't need it for cycles of insomnia, breakthrough anxiety or times I know I'll be in highly sensory environments, I feel no adverse effects doing without it.

This is an important topic. If you take some of the worse street drugs, such as fentanyl, it's important we remember that it has legitimate uses. I took Codeine for a few years for pain, but eventually it was doing nothing. So I just stopped taking it. No ill effect whatsoever. It's this ridiculous idea that the drug is bad, blaming the drug. Crazy.

 

[ElCastor]

Maybe it would be better if the street drug addicts just had access to clean drugs from a doctor. They’re using anyway and dying from the stuff laced with Fentanyl.

Oh those poor poor street drug addicts! Keep in mind that when those pitiful creatures die it‘s probably one less car window smashed, one less store robbed, one less turd on the sidewalk, and one less purse stolen, etc. At onetime I lived and worked in San Francisco. Now there are many parts of the city where I would never park a car, or even set foot.

 

[Murrmurr]

You can only really do that if you stop front line enforcement, at least for so called "personal use".

No, you don't stop front-line enforcement because habitual drug use is directly associated with crimes like theft, larceny, muggings, home invasions, and burglaries.

"Personal use" should be limited, by law, to the user's home, whether they're having a party or just kicking back on the couch. Don't have a home? Sorry, you can't use your drugs; make getting a home your first priority.

That's my opinion, anyway.

 

[VaughanJB]

No, you don't stop front-line enforcement because habitual drug use is directly associated with crimes like theft, larceny, muggings, home invasions, and burglaries.

"Personal use" should be limited, by law, to the user's home, whether they're having a party or just kicking back on the couch. Don't have a home? Sorry, you can't use your drugs; make getting a home your first priority.

That's my opinion, anyway.

And of course, you're entitled to that opinion. If this was all a choice, your idea might be feasible, but I don't think it is. Illegal drug use happens on street corners, down dark alleys. We have hundreds and thousands of people living on the street, whether they're on drugs or not. Front line enforcement has not worked. Arresting people and putting them in jail hasn't worked (and costs anyway).

Given the number of homeless addicted these days, if we arrested them all we'd need more jails. But then they'd have to build the jail near people......

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I stopped going to medical clinics and medical groups that are run by insurance companies. My doctor's office belongs to a university. I'm always seen by my doctor. I don't know if her office even has NPs. I've never seen one there. Never seen a MA either.

The clinic I used to go to belonged to Blue Shield, and about 10 years ago they started gradually replacing all their doctors with NPs and MAs until only one actual doctor was available 1 day a week for just a few hours. The doctor saw 3 or 4 patients for 5 or 10 minutes each, and spent the rest of the time sitting in an office doing stuff on a computer.

Now Blue Shield clinics are under Anthem Blue Shield, and the standards of care are even lower.

I’m not sure what an MA is even but have had treatment and counselling from a good hospital in the GTA area.

Working students at the hospital were often affiliated with the university and getting extra credit for working. Dentists do this as well as chiropractors. Im not sure if the students get paid or not since it’s all part of their course but I don’t think so.

In the US it might be a bit different.
Where I live now I’ve gotten better treatment from the nurse practitioners who work strictly online so one doesn’t even have to leave the house. I know I really appreciate that.

These nurse practitioners talked me out of taking clonazepam daily. They say once your body gets used to them it takes more for it to be as effective but they also say that withdrawal symptoms …. High anxiety, body chills, panic attacks can closely mimic the very symptoms you are trying to eliminate by taking them. This turns into an endless cycle which often causes serious addiction.

I really depend on these drugs to do their thing when I really need one. These nurse practitioners really cared about my mental well being.

 

[Murrmurr]

And of course, you're entitled to that opinion. If this was all a choice, your idea might be feasible, but I don't think it is. Illegal drug use happens on street corners, down dark alleys. We have hundreds and thousands of people living on the street, whether they're on drugs or not. Front line enforcement has not worked. Arresting people and putting them in jail hasn't worked (and costs anyway).

Given the number of homeless addicted these days, if we arrested them all we'd need more jails. But then they'd have to build the jail near people......

They don't belong in jail, they belong in rehabilitation centers. Why our government doesn't use our tax dollars to build well staffed rehabilitation centers is beyond me. We've asked them to, and we keep asking.

The places the gov't labels "rehab centers" are BS. They lack professional staff, they lack mentors, actual psychologists, job-skills trainers, and job placement assistants.

Tax-funded rehab centers are a joke. And they don't work. So we just hand out methadone and syringes and call it good. Which solves nothing.

 

[VaughanJB]

They don't belong in jail, they belong in rehabilitation centers. Why our government doesn't use our tax dollars to build well staffed rehabilitation centers is beyond me. We've asked them to, and we keep asking.

The places the gov't labels "rehab centers" are BS. They lack professional staff, they lack mentors, actual psychologists, job-skills trainers, and job placement assistants.

Tax-funded rehab centers are a joke. And they don't work. So we just hand out methadone and syringes and call it good. Which solves nothing.

Yes, which what I referenced earlier in the thread. There's no great win in designating safe areas if you're not going to follow through in doing all you can to get people off drugs entirely. The trouble with these laws is they're trying to piecemeal a solution, and it's achieving nothing.

Why isn't the problem treated more urgently? I don't know. Because healthcare can't figure out how to make sufficient profit from it perhaps? I just don't know. These half-assed "solutions" will improve nothing, sadly. Just about 1500 drug addicts died on the street of Phili in 2022 - goodness knows what 2023 numbers will bring. This is happening all over, but we're no closer treating it seriously.

I also think this should be funded federally.

 

[Murrmurr]

I’m not sure what an MA is even but have had treatment and counselling from a good hospital in the GTA area.

Working students at the hospital were often affiliated with the university and getting extra credit for working. Dentists do this as well as chiropractors. Im not sure if the students get paid or not since it’s all part of their course but I don’t think so.

In the US it might be a bit different.
Where I live now I’ve gotten better treatment from the nurse practitioners who work strictly online so one doesn’t even have to leave the house. I know I really appreciate that.

These nurse practitioners talked me out of taking clonazepam daily. They say once your body gets used to them it takes more for it to be as effective but they also say that withdrawal symptoms …. High anxiety, body chills, panic attacks can closely mimic the very symptoms you are trying to eliminate by taking them. This turns into an endless cycle which often causes serious addiction.

I really depend on these drugs to do their thing when I really need one. These nurse practitioners really cared about my mental well being.

The thing a PA can't tell you is what causes anxiety. Your doctor can't either, because the actual cause isn't understood.

While medical scientists spend years fighting to get enough funding to investigate the causes of things like anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, etc, major pharmaceutical companies have no problem whatsoever getting plenty of financial backing to create chemical treatments for disorders that no one actually understands.

Maybe it's just me, but I think that's totally ass-backwards. And very dangerous.

 

[Murrmurr]

Yes, which what I referenced earlier in the thread. There's no great win in designating safe areas if you're not going to follow through in doing all you can to get people off drugs entirely. The trouble with these laws is they're trying to piecemeal a solution, and it's achieving nothing.

Why isn't the problem treated more urgently? I don't know. Because healthcare can't figure out how to make sufficient profit from it perhaps? I just don't know. These half-assed "solutions" will improve nothing, sadly. Just about 1500 drug addicts died on the street of Phili in 2022 - goodness knows what 2023 numbers will bring. This is happening all over, but we're no closer treating it seriously.

I also think this should be funded federally.

A drug addict should be able to walk into a full-service rehabilitation center a useless drain on society, and walk out clear-headed and employable. Maybe 6 months later. Maybe a year. Doesn't matter. Worth it.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

.

I am being forcibly cut down from my beloved Xanax. Hasn't happened yet, but I was warned. The clinic I use has fired all their psychiatrists and replaced them with Nurse Practictioners to save money. I was informed by this new twerp they have been told by the state to cut these medications down. I am starting by slowly cutting myself down.

I may seek a psychiatrist for this drug in a few months and leave this f-ing clinic. Don't like young wise ass NPs, they piss me off. Have condescending attitudes. Having a telehealth meeting, the second one soon, with this newbie. I am considering telling her what I think of her.

I apologize for offering my unsolicited opinion.
I’m merely projecting my own fears onto you.
Hopefully you get this resolved. Annie is right. Everyone is different. My in-law took benzos for 15 years straight.

I’m sorry Pepper.
I’m realizing I’m not a very nice person

 

[Pepper]

.I’m sorry Pepper.
I’m realizing I’m not a very nice person

You are a wonderful person and I love you! Kookie at times, but aren't we all?!!!!!!!

 

[PeppermintPatty]

You are a wonderful person and I love you! Kookie at times, but aren't we all?!!!!!!!

I am mega kookie
I’d rather it be mega Cookie though
Thank you.