Pain Medicine Problem

I know people that have been on opiate medication for 20+ years. Some take it "PRN" while others take it on a scheduled basis. Either way, if someone is suffering terrible pain, I see no reason why they should not be permitted to purchase it at will. Most of the Hydrocodone (Vicodin) or Oxycodone (Percocet) is prescribed with Acetaminophen. And like I have also written, Acetaminophen is another worry all of its own. Any doctor or other medical professional will you not to take more than 4 grams per day of this chemical because it is known to cause issues with a person's liver. When a person receives a script for Hydrocodone (Vicodin), it may read 10/500. This would mean that each pill contains 10 milligrams of Hydrocodone and 500 milligrams of Acetaminophen. At this rate, the user should take no more than 8 pills per day to stay within the 4 grams recommended dosage of Acetaminophen.

People with severe back issues and cancer patients can and do take multitudes of opiates just to have some quality of life. I think going to a pain management doctor is a good idea, if a person needs to be on any opiate for extended periods of time. Pain Management physicians can and do switch or alternate opiates with non opiate pain pills. A lot of over-the-counter meds do not have enough strength to kill the pain for those that have very severe pain, like an 8 or above. I have taken Toradol as a pain reliever even though it is a NSAID. Tramadol helps better, but I prefer to avoid narcotics, if at all possible.
 

I just have to tolerate my back pain, percoset doesn't help, and I can't take more than 2 a day because of the severe constipation. So I spend way too much time sitting as the pain is worst after a couple of minutes standing. Our BC government is making it very hard for most people to get any pain medications. What do they care if we seniors get addicted. Do our last years have to be an agony? Fortunately I am not ready for the alternative but I have a very dear friend that is threatening suicide.
 
If you are having issues with taking opiates and constipation you have what doctors have named OIC or Opiate Induced Constipation and of course, there is a pill for that also. Movantik is one that I can name off-hand. BTW, you are not alone. Constipation is the number one side effect of taking opiates to reduce pain. I am 6'4" tall and I was a pilot for United for almost 34 years. In the mid 90's, I suffered tremendously with sciatic pain until I had my surgery. After that, I had difficulties taking opiates and going to the bathroom. So, I had to make a choice, which I did. I couldn't fly and take opiates. No one in their right mind would even think about doing that. I used Fentanyl patches until the pain subsided and then some therapy. It took me almost 6 months until I was able to go back to work. I have to admit, the Fentanyl patches worked better for me than did the pills that I took and believe me, I took a lot of pills and different types of opiate pills, as well.

Because I was off work for so long and was on opiates, I had to go through hell to get my certification back. The FAA does not play any games once a pilot or anyone in the airline business has used opiates (or has been to a substance abuse center, including alcohol).
 

fuzzybuddy said:
I'm a 70 year old guy. I have a severe spinal problem. I have a 20+ year history of surgery, MRIs, and every scan you can think of. The pain is debilitating. I've been on narcotics because of the pain. For years, I've been on the exact same dosage from the same doctor. Yet, I keep having problems getting my RXs filled. They just happen to be out of my meds. The problem is that I cannot function without those meds. I understand there's an narcotic addiction problem, but I don't think some pharmacist, whom I've never met, nor has met me, should be person to decide if I'm an addict. And if you do go to another pharmacy, you're "shopping", so you must be in a drug cartel. Are any others bother with obtaining legitimate narcotic prescriptions?
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What is the problem with getting your RXs filled? I would think to call your doctor.
 
oldman said:
If you are having issues with taking opiates and constipation you have what doctors have named OIC or Opiate Induced Constipation and of course, there is a pill for that also. Movantik is one that I can name off-hand. BTW, you are not alone. Constipation is the number one side effect of taking opiates to reduce pain. I am 6'4" tall and I was a pilot for United for almost 34 years. In the mid 90's, I suffered tremendously with sciatic pain until I had my surgery. After that, I had difficulties taking opiates and going to the bathroom. So, I had to make a choice, which I did. I couldn't fly and take opiates. No one in their right mind would even think about doing that. I used Fentanyl patches until the pain subsided and then some therapy. It took me almost 6 months until I was able to go back to work. I have to admit, the Fentanyl patches worked better for me than did the pills that I took and believe me, I took a lot of pills and different types of opiate pills, as well.
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The reason the government is cracking down on all pain meds is because of the Fentanyl deaths here in BC, in fact the Federal government is also getting after doctors about prescribing pain pills. Our 55 year old son asked his new doctor for some assistance with his pain, he asked for Tylenol 3 or percoset, the dr told him "we only give those to dying patients" our son pretended mock shock and said "Oh my god , my parents are dying?".
 
Pookie said:
What is the problem with getting your RXs filled? I would think to call your doctor.
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We had the same problem when my niece was dying of colon cancer. Some jerk pharmacist LOVED to give lectures about opiate addiction and then about how a person shouldn't take more than so much and her prescription was inappropriate and refused to fill it a time or two.

I asked our niece's oncologist to call said jerk and straighten her out about intractable terminal pain in cancer patients. She happily did, and at the same time straightened out said jerk about who was the prescribing physician and what the pharmacist's role was. The doctor also called the head of the pharmacy and the store manager, and I believe also the regional manager and made the same points.

No more problems at that pharmacy.
 
Butterfly said:
We had the same problem when my niece was dying of colon cancer. Some jerk pharmacist LOVED to give lectures about opiate addiction and then about how a person shouldn't take more than so much and her prescription was inappropriate and refused to fill it a time or two.

I asked our niece's oncologist to call said jerk and straighten her out about intractable terminal pain in cancer patients. She happily did, and at the same time straightened out said jerk about who was the prescribing physician and what the pharmacist's role was. The doctor also called the head of the pharmacy and the store manager, and I believe also the regional manager and made the same points.

No more problems at that pharmacy.
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Oh mercy, that's awful. I'm so sorry.
 
What ever happened to giving Cancer patients morphine as needed? Yes, I know it speeds their deaths, but when their every moment is in screaming pain they want to die. My father and aunt both died of colon cancer. I watched at a nurse turned my father in his bed he was literally out of it with morphine and he still felt the severe pain, he groaned several times during the movement. I told his doctor don't let him feel pain, and my father died a few days later! My aunt stayed at home until her death, and she was out of it too, thankfully!
 
Once you are in hospice, you allegedly get what you need to control your pain. The problems we had with my niece's meds occurred while she was still trying to cope at home and spend time with family. Her pain was bad throughout her last illness. She was barely 40 when she died in hospice.
 
Butterfly said:
We had the same problem when my niece was dying of colon cancer. Some jerk pharmacist LOVED to give lectures about opiate addiction and then about how a person shouldn't take more than so much and her prescription was inappropriate and refused to fill it a time or two.

I asked our niece's oncologist to call said jerk and straighten her out about intractable terminal pain in cancer patients. She happily did, and at the same time straightened out said jerk about who was the prescribing physician and what the pharmacist's role was. The doctor also called the head of the pharmacy and the store manager, and I believe also the regional manager and made the same points.

No more problems at that pharmacy.
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With all due respect to your situation ----- the rest of the story,
from having sit on medical review boards, and unlimited access to West Law

the dispensing pharmacist is the authority since his name his on the dispensing rx. The store manager and regional manager if not pharmacists have no say.
if the store manager was smart or had many years of experience he would give the customer some free steaks or something and apologize, since the customer accepts this as compensation the story ends
if the store manager or regional is an idiot he will write the pharm. up.
at this time the pharmacist will write a letter to the various state lic. departments telling them he was being reprimanded for following the law, store wanting him to perform illegal acts.
state will call a meritorious meeting.
if pharmacist found at fault would be reprimanded , (not likely as this implies negligence) most of them are really good at CYA job doesn't pay enough to take risks
if pharmacist found with merit. store is deep kaka. pharmacists lawyer who is probably sitting at the table already has the law suit already drawn up and hands it to the chains representative.
chain settles there for an undisclosed amt.with the stipulation from the pharm. lawyer that any later action taken by the store/chain will be regarded as revenge etc.


the doctor will be lucking if they are not included in the suit, if the pharmacist documents the events on say the back of the rx or keep a note book it will be admissible. if the doc. has any duckies out of line #of dosage units, instructions etc. if anything happens to the pat. in the mean time their will be another lay suit besides the pharmacists

see how that government regulation works both ways.
 
Pain centers are different set up than retail pharmacies. They have patient lists and the prescriber is usually on site makes rounds and a lot have a clinical pharmacist that attends.
diversion is not a problem and the amount given is for shorter time periods.
 
I just wonder if what the government is doing will create more addiction than it will prevent. Only time will tell. As far as not letting terminal patients suffer more pain than they can take, there's no doubt in my mind. The patient should have choices in that, or the family.
 
as far as drugs in general go, in terms of side effects and adverse reactions on human physiology, opiates are pretty mild. This country was built on laudanum.
 
from an addiction stand point white refined sugar is far worse. the laws promote a subculture, and black market. should be no worky no drugs
 
My husband has the same problem. I understand that there are people who abuse these types of medications; but I don't think pharmacists should pick and choose who they assume to be a drug addict. There are procedures that can be taken to verify a order for a prescription. It is so frustrating having people judge you because you take pain medication. Honestly, I think the doctors should be the ones to judge not the pharmacists.
 
For the past 10 years, the VA, unable to relieve my pain surgically, has prescribed to me 4- Vicodin 10's/day. Being so very afraid of addiction, I have never fully exhausted a monthly prescription once in those 10 years. I've refused their increases to OxyContin and worse, adjusting my day to day activities to minimize what causes the grief. I refuse to drive on them because I couldn't live with myself if I did and killed someone. So I wait the 4.5hrs that the dr said would eliminate the driving danger..... such is the life of an abused body.... sucks....
 

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