I'm really tired of this war on painkillers.

K

Kaya

Senior Member
Location
Northern Cali
So, those who abuse pain killers ruin it for those truly IN PAIN? What about those of us who have chronic pain? We are to be punished for those who use it for kicks? Are we to suffer now that this war has gotten to where we have to struggle just to get to the docs only to be told they can only give so many, see ya next month? No, we can't give you a refill because you might ABUSE the drug? Have to take a pee test every month to make sure we are not od'ing on something we rely on to be able to MOVE our bodies? To ask for more because the pain is getting worse but we do as perscribed only to be told "no, you might get addicted"? This is stupid. Totally stupid. I take ONE norco...ONE...at night. My mother passed on her high tolerance for pain gene, thank goodness. Its the only thing she passed on worth anything since she was a lousy mother. But I am thankful for it. However, suffering all day and gritting my teeth (I have rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, colitis, breast cancer survivor), I look forward to my ONE norco when I go to bed. At least I can sleep semi pain free. And I have to fight the docs just for that!!!

What do you folks think of this war on opioids? And what can be done for those of us who don't abuse them but are stuck between a rock and hard place?
 

I have to fight tooth and nail for two lousy Tramadols a day. They're not even opiods! Some few days I only need one, like you. It's getting out of hand, but I think the docs take responsible seniors more seriously. Since my regular GP retired I had to deal with a new one and I had to almost argue with her, but she finally agreed. They're scared, is what it is.

I am allergic to NSAIDS like ibuprofen and had to have intestinal surgery due to those things. But that's what they want to fill us with.

What else can we do but argue? I don't know but I'm as angry as you are about this.
 
I can't take NSAIDS either, and I miss my Advils. Due to the IBS, colitis and diverticulwhateveritscalled, it wrecks havoc on my innards.
So I asked my doc if I could have 1 & 1/2 norcos per night. Half of one around 11pm. Other half around 1am. Last half IF NEEDED at 3am. Which means 45 pills in a month supply. She had a cow. Said "but you might get addicted". I said "but I have been doing this for EIGHT EFFING YEARS!!!! I think if I was going to be addicted, would I not already be???" and she finally relented. But I still have to take a pee test every month. Sheesh.

I also reminded her that I am 65 years old and know what the heck I am doing, and that I suffer PAIN from the RA. Hello?? You know, doc? PAIN? Stupid people. Arrrrggggg.
 

When was the last time anyone saw a 70 year old arthritis drug addict going for the thrill seeking of being loaded instead of wanting a sigh of relief? Enough already. Go after the druggies and let us oldies live the remaining years pain free. Jeez.
 
I’ve just had surgery last Friday and while in the hospital I was given panadol ,however , The panadol Just wasn’t working ,the nurses kept asking if I had pain and wanted something stronger ..I kept saying no because I only. take meds if I really have to ,The pain was like having a bad toothache throbbing so I gave in and they game me Oxy ?? don’t remember what the other name was but apparently it was a narcotic of some sort that can be addictive ..I only had one but it took the pain away
I had a prolapse not real bad but the drs said if I left it ,it would possibly get worse
 
On the other side of the spectrum.....my husband had a VATS surgery last month, he had to stay in the hospital to make sure there were no complications due to the surgery. When he came home, his ‘pain meds’ was Tylenol!!! He was fine, but we were surprised to have a surgery such as he had and no meds, even for the first day home.
I do agree those in severe pain and who are not abusers are punished because of all the addicts.
 
This is nuts. When I had gall bladder surgery thirty years ago I had a big bottle of Percocet that I could refill as needed. I'd gotten a refill the day before the doc removed the staples. This was in the old days when they sliced you from breast bone to navel. Once the stitches were out, I never took another one.

10% of the population is heroin immune which means that they can't become addicted. In fact, heroin was developed as a nonaddictive alternative to morphine. People who are heroin immune should be able to buy it easily.

I wonder if the marijuana lobby is behind it.
 
It's sad for people that are really in pain. I'm even embarrassed to ask for a few when I really hurt. I wish they had a national registry for the "doctor shoppers" as an advisory for the docs. But of course , that would cost time and money to operate *sigh*
 
Big Horn said:
This is nuts. When I had gall bladder surgery thirty years ago I had a big bottle of Percocet that I could refill as needed. I'd gotten a refill the day before the doc removed the staples. This was in the old days when they sliced you from breast bone to navel. Once the stitches were out, I never took another one.

10% of the population is heroin immune which means that they can't become addicted. In fact, heroin was developed as a nonaddictive alternative to morphine. People who are heroin immune should be able to buy it easily.

I wonder if the marijuana lobby is behind it.
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In canada, the difficulties with being prescribed pain killers are directly related to the street opioid epidemic, ie fentanyl etc.
 
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I strongly agree with all the above; I believe it is inhumane to deny adequate pain relief to those really suffering because of others who abuse these drugs, and it makes me mad as hell. Clearly, those who are imposing these drastic restrictions on suffering people should suffer some serious intractable pain themselves and see how they then feel about this "opioid crisis."
 
The opioid crisis is real. Most states now mandate that doctors and pharmacies track who gets how many pills by using a state database. So, there is a bit of a scare on these people's backs at this time. We all know that doctor and hospital shopping is still going on, but before a prescription can be issued, the provider must first check the patient's usage in the database that the state has on file.

There is a difference between turning patients into addicts and having them become dependent on the drug. This depends on the person's constitution and what they can tolerate before the drug "owns" them. In other words, some people, not all, but some people can become dependent on the drug in a relative short amount of time while others may not become dependent for months. The sad part is that no one can tell what a patient's tolerance is until they have been taking the drug for a period of time. This puts the doctors at a great disadvantage.

I am almost certain that doctors do not withhold medication to be mean. But, they do have someone to answer to, so this is what makes them cautious. I do know that some doctors are held less accountable than others. For example; Oncologists treating a patient with Stage 4 liver, pancreas and other cancers are permitted to be more liberal. It's a shame that it has come to this and I really do understand the pain that some people have, but until there is a way to gauge a person's tolerance to narcotics, this is what we are stuck with. I certainly don't have the answer.

I wasn't going to add this, but there are many of these opiates available on he street for purchase. I highly recommend not getting involved with these people. There is just so much that can and does go wrong. Beginning with the pills themselves. I have seen people take pills that were less than pure or were laced with other narcotics. It's a very scary world out there. The peddlers of these pills will gladly sell the user whatever they want, but there is no guarantee that they will get what they pay for. I answered a call for a 15 year old male that had supposedly overdosed. I spoke with his friend that was with him and I told him straight out that I really need to know what drug he had taken. He told me that his friend had only taken 4 Oxys. His friend died and the toxicology report showed that what he had taken was 100% pure morphine. I am not sure how much was found in his system, but when I was told what he had taken, I was shocked. It doesn't matter how many times we are involved with a child death that was caused by pills, it is always a shock.
 
The opioid street trade is benefiting and growing in response to the tightening of the opioid prescribing and handling rules.

It certainly wouldn't be advisable to turn to that market to obtain meds to fill the gap in legitimate supply....but it's understandable.


<off topic> before mankind even considers a manned mission to Mars, they should at least develop a decent pain med that isn't addictive, and doesn't destroy your organs.

NSAIDs can cause heart attack, stroke, all kinds of gastrointestinal damage.


...anyone care for a Tylenol? It doesn't do anything for pain, but the only organ it destroys is just the liver....
 
I've got a metal plate in my back. It is held in place by 3 inch long screws embedded in my spine. My deformity shows up on X rays and MRIs. It shows up on every kind of neurological test. So, I'm not some addict looking for a fix. For me, I have two options. #1, continue to use opiates, or #2 commit suicide.
 
It might come down to a bunch of pain riddled old folks looking for the local drug dealer. It has crossed my mind, myself.
 
911 said:
The opioid crisis is real. Most states now mandate that doctors and pharmacies track who gets how many pills by using a state database. So, there is a bit of a scare on these people's backs at this time. We all know that doctor and hospital shopping is still going on, but before a prescription can be issued, the provider must first check the patient's usage in the database that the state has on file.

There is a difference between turning patients into addicts and having them become dependent on the drug. This depends on the person's constitution and what they can tolerate before the drug "owns" them. In other words, some people, not all, but some people can become dependent on the drug in a relative short amount of time while others may not become dependent for months. The sad part is that no one can tell what a patient's tolerance is until they have been taking the drug for a period of time. This puts the doctors at a great disadvantage.

I am almost certain that doctors do not withhold medication to be mean. But, they do have someone to answer to, so this is what makes them cautious. I do know that some doctors are held less accountable than others. For example; Oncologists treating a patient with Stage 4 liver, pancreas and other cancers are permitted to be more liberal. It's a shame that it has come to this and I really do understand the pain that some people have, but until there is a way to gauge a person's tolerance to narcotics, this is what we are stuck with. I certainly don't have the answer.

I wasn't going to add this, but there are many of these opiates available on he street for purchase. I highly recommend not getting involved with these people. There is just so much that can and does go wrong. Beginning with the pills themselves. I have seen people take pills that were less than pure or were laced with other narcotics. It's a very scary world out there. The peddlers of these pills will gladly sell the user whatever they want, but there is no guarantee that they will get what they pay for. I answered a call for a 15 year old male that had supposedly overdosed. I spoke with his friend that was with him and I told him straight out that I really need to know what drug he had taken. He told me that his friend had only taken 4 Oxys. His friend died and the toxicology report showed that what he had taken was 100% pure morphine. I am not sure how much was found in his system, but when I was told what he had taken, I was shocked. It doesn't matter how many times we are involved with a child death that was caused by pills, it is always a shock.
Click to expand...

I am not denying the existence of the opioid crisis. What I AM saying is that is, in my opinion, wrong to deny pain relief to people who need it because others abuse the drug. A case in point, when my niece was dying of colon cancer, one of our pharmacists got her panties all in a twist because of the prescribed (by niece's oncologist) pain relievers she was taken. "She'll become addicted." ??? She was in the later stages of Stage 4 colon cancer, formally diagnosed as terminal, with no further meaningful treatment left. So WHAT if she becomes addicted?? So -- she should writhe in pain in her final weeks/months/days so as to prevent going to her grave addicted??? She should be robbed of any time to interact with her family in her last days so she won't become addicted?? Gimme a break!

We finally got the matter straightened out (much to the chagrin of the 20-something pissed off self-righteous pharmacist), but just thinking about it and the logic used by people who would deny her any relief from pain in her remaining time on the planet just makes my blood boil. The whole thing makes me mad as a wet hen -- medical decisions as to what help a patient needs should be left up to physicians -- not to a bunch of self-serving bureaucrats in Washington.

Excuse my anger -- watching someone suffer and moan and scream all night when they don't have to does that to me.
 
Kaya said:
It might come down to a bunch of pain riddled old folks looking for the local drug dealer. It has crossed my mind, myself.
Click to expand...

In the bad old days I used to buy weed on the streets of NYC. At first I was a babe in the forest, but over time I learned to stick with one or two dealers.

Back then, when you bought weed you got ... weed. That was it. That was all you got. It might have been a bit "skunkier" - lower grade - than what you thought you were getting, or perhaps you'd be shorted a few grams, but that was it.

Now? Now I'd never buy weed on the street. These jerks cut it with all sorts of junk. Why? I don't know. To get a bigger bang for your buck? No thanks.

I can only imagine how much of a gamble it would be to get a few pain pills on the street now. As 911 said, you just don't know what you're getting unless you have an analytical lab in your basement.

But I can sympathize with the pain issues. Ever since I had my toe removed my foot has given me varying amounts of pain. When they first removed it in the hospital they put me on a morphine drip. THAT worked pretty well. I was a happy fella for a while.

But then they started backing off on the morphine and started me on some BS pain pills that did nothing to curb the pain.

Today - almost a year later - I'm still struggling to get something useful, like the Lyrica my roommate used to give me from her own prescription. That stuff works for me.

But when I told the docs? No, no, Philly, we have to start you off on 100 mg. of Gabapentin. We'll see how you tolerate it in the next 3 months, then maybe we'll increase the dosage a little bit.

Are you kidding me, Doc? I already know what works - why don't you just give me what experiece has taught me I can tolerate?

I look forward to when PA finally implements the MMJ system.
 
Butterfly said:
I am not denying the existence of the opioid crisis. What I AM saying is that is, in my opinion, wrong to deny pain relief to people who need it because others abuse the drug. A case in point, when my niece was dying of colon cancer, one of our pharmacists got her panties all in a twist because of the prescribed (by niece's oncologist) pain relievers she was taken. "She'll become addicted." ??? She was in the later stages of Stage 4 colon cancer, formally diagnosed as terminal, with no further meaningful treatment left. So WHAT if she becomes addicted?? So -- she should writhe in pain in her final weeks/months/days so as to prevent going to her grave addicted??? She should be robbed of any time to interact with her family in her last days so she won't become addicted?? Gimme a break!

We finally got the matter straightened out (much to the chagrin of the 20-something pissed off self-righteous pharmacist), but just thinking about it and the logic used by people who would deny her any relief from pain in her remaining time on the planet just makes my blood boil. The whole thing makes me mad as a wet hen -- medical decisions as to what help a patient needs should be left up to physicians -- not to a bunch of self-serving bureaucrats in Washington.

Excuse my anger -- watching someone suffer and moan and scream all night when they don't have to does that to me.
Click to expand...

i couldn’t agree with you more concerning a terminal person becoming ‘addicted’.
 
I hear you, I have leg pain and nothing helps it any more. They won't give me anything that would help. I had some steroids but then the pain came back.
 
"Oxy" seems to be the primary pain drug prescribed in recent years. 3 years ago, when I went to the doctor for some hip arthritis, they gave me a bottle of Oxy. Last year, I had a kidney stone...more Oxy. Earlier this year, I had a root canal...and, more Oxy. I took a couple of those things right after the arthritis diagnosis, and they made me feel a bit loopy. I got about 150 pills during these episodes, and probably have 125 left...I take one every now and then if I've done some strenuous work around the house/yard...so I can get a good nights sleep. I also keep a bottle of generic Aleve, and take one of those maybe once or twice a week. I've found that just rubbing the hip, and upper leg with some BenGay works just as well, or better than getting doped up on pills.

It almost seems like doctors are "investing" in the Oxy business...given the number of prescriptions they write for this stuff, anymore.
 
First, it's strange the opioid epidemic happened at exactly the same time addiction treatment was added to Medicare. I'm quite sure it's merely coincidence. And it's mere coincidence that when statistics get mixed up. Like saying, the opioid crisis is at an all time high. Then give the number of ALL drug overdoses, which include any drug, legal or illegal. OMG!!! IT"S A CRISIS!!!! There is a hysteria about pain medication, as well as true addiction. But it is the 1920s Prohibition, all over again. This time instead of alcohol, it's pain medication. Pain medication is bad, anyone, who takes it will live a life of horrible addiction. We have to do all kinds of idiotic, untested, irresponsible things to stop this horrid addiction. And those people on chronic pain medication don't need it, they are just addicts. I heard aroma therapy cures them. And if you get pain medication, how do we know you won't turn into being a despicable addict? Well, the next time you are in excruciating pain, we won't give you any pain medication. We'll nip that pain medication addiction in no time.
 

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