Posted on 10/05/2018 4:57:42 AM PDT by GailA
STREET JUNKIES DREAM BILL
“We’ve seen the rise of powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl that have the potential to make an already terrible problem worse. Exposure to miniscule amounts can have deadly consequences for users as well as first responders. That’s why this bill takes a broad-spectrum approach to meet the opioid crisis head on.”
“The bill reauthorizes critical substance abuse prevention programs, expands access to treatment and provides law enforcement with tools to stop the trafficking of illicit substances.”
The bill certainly gives more attention to treatment of addiction – creating a grant program to comprehensive recovery centers that include housing and job training and would also increase access to “medication-assisted” treatment to help people with substance abuse disorders wean themselves.
But it is silent on the chronic pain issue and the patients who use opioids to manage their pain—again pointing out the lack of attention that elected officials are giving to the 100 million Americans who have chronic pain.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalpainreport.com ...
Chronic pain is the WRONG WORD. Intractable pain, also known as Intractable Pain Disease or IP, is a severe, constant pain that is not curable by any known means and which causes a bed or house-bound state and early death if not adequately treated, usually with opioids and/or interventional procedures.
This is a STREET JUNKIES DREAM BILL, we as taxpayers are going to be paying for. as patients will commit Suicide as there is no other alternative but prescription opioids to treat their conditions. Younger Veterans from the 2 wars we are still in are now committing Suicide in higher numbers.
7,000 rare disease will not be studied many existing ones are not profitable to research, they all come with a eleven and four letter words UNRELENTING PAIN.
I’m a physician. There are many many pain meds out there for the terminally ill patient with pain. What I’m seeing is the use of opioids for the treatment of chronic muscle-skeletal pain. People are taking 3 to 4 Percocet, or other opioids per day, so they can go to work....
Excuse me, but if you need to take 4 pain pills per day, to go to work, you’re not fit for work.
Secondly, some good studies out there showing that Tylenol is AS EFFECTIVE in controlling chronic pain, (and acute pain in ED) as the opioids.
There’s a prescription and abuse problem out there. I was blind to it, not anymore.
This is a lie.
“Excuse me, but if you need to take 4 pain pills per day, to go to work, you’re not fit for work.”
Maybe you don’t want to lose your house to the bank and end up homeless.
My brother brings up this topic (he’s almost fifty). In his rural region, he estimates that 40-percent of guys with no college background, have chronic muscle pain by age 35 to 40. Those who played high school football? Probably 20-percent of them at the same age....wandering over to opioids. He works with a guy whose daughter around age 25 got into a serious car accident....got onto opioids, never getting off. Serious liver issues within five years....dead eight years after the accident.
You are correct, all of this effort is about getting the four pain pills a day. It deadens the pain enough to walk and function. Thinking, logic and coordination? About fifty-percent at best. You can refer to them as zombie-like in functionality.
I’m very allergic to acetaminophen aka tylenol. I guess if I ever get into an accident or need pain meds, I’m screwed.
Ping to self
Motrin does not have acetaminophen in it. It ibuprofen.
Opioid use HAS NO PURPOSE IN HANDLING CHRONIC PAIN. Unless you are near the end of life, opioids used for long term pain is just producing addicts. Yes it may work, sort of. But its not working by getting rid of pain. It works by getting rid of your ability to care about pain. If you use opioids for chronic pain you are a junkie. Maybe you are a high functioning junkie, but a junkie none the less and you will have an early end.
Yeah, I’ve heard that before... “I’ve got to eats, Doc...I’ve got to eats.”
I don’t know if you employ people, but if you do, you should know that these people, the ones on chronic opioids, put themselves and their fellow employees at risk.
These people are sick, and need help. They should not stop the meds cold turkey, but do so in a medically sound way.
Are you on pain meds, or know someone who is?
100 million in chronic pain? Color me skeptical. How is this bill a junkie’s dream? It seems to me the bill tries to restrict access of illegal opioids and expand treatment.
As far as vet suicides, I’m not an expert on the subject but a good portion of those would have to be a caused by something other than physical pain, psychological damage as an example.
As far as access at pharmacies, that would seem to be a problem, a legal one as well as one of access.
Actually, they develop a tolerance, and secondly when the pills wear off, they ARE MORE SENSITIVE TO PAIN, SO THEY NEED THAT NEXT PILL.
But in addition, I’m seeing a few, actually more than a few, who will fill the prescriptions from their docs monthly on the button, but may or may not take many or any of the pills. These people, usually unemployed, are selling the meds for 15-20 bucks per pill.
Oh, and yes, they’re getting the meds from the pain center, who does the drug test when they come in each month, and so they simply get on the meds the day or two before to test positive on the drug test, proving use.
It’s a big game. Pain centers...esp.
Don’t really understand what you’re saying. Ever hear of Tramadol? Prescription Strength Ibuprofen? NOthing wrong with short term narcotics.
This opioid crack down is a crock. People who responsibly use Norco are being cut off because of morons who abuse drugs. Years of construction or fire fighting can take a toll on your body and when you get older you need something that can take the edge off of pain. A Norco once or twice a week is not opioid addiction. I think once you hit 60 years old there should be no pain drug restrictions, especially if you can show you do not abuse them.
You may be a physician, but you apparently either don't know (rather unlikely) or choose to ignore the fact that there is a limit to the pain levels that acetaminophen and nsaids are able to control. I have a kid who is a surgeon, and she flat out states that post operative pain for major surgery cannot be controlled by anything other than opioids. And going from personal experience Tylenol and advil didn't touch the pain I felt for the first couple of days post operatively (two operation for separate things) Just to get the records straight I dislike taking opioids, but for some sorts of pain there is no alternative.
I had chronic pain. Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, et al did nothing to help. When I was able to get some narcotics it did help a bit. I was not able to receive the meds on a regular basis and many days I could barely function within my house.
I am very concerned that this bill will do more harm than help.
“I’m very allergic to acetaminophen aka tylenol. I guess if I ever get into an accident or need pain meds, I’m screwed.”
Aspirin.
I don’t take pain medicine I don’t have chronic ,I’m ealthy. However, if I have an operation or get into an accident and have broken bones and you give me a motrin? Lol..yeah I’m gonna punch you in your face.
You all want these laws but all they do is punish honest people or non addicts, Addictswill just find a way to get their pills. Or better yet they’ll turn to heroin that’s a lot cheaper.
I agree mostly. Not sure of the numbers but people who have severe pain can not be expcted to take tylenol. It is absurd and cruel. Opiods work much better regardless of what a few studies that push the anti-opioid agenda say.
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