Posted on 05/08/2008 7:14:22 PM PDT by DBCJR
SAMHSA announced in March 2008 that Oklahoma topped the nation in prescription painkiller addiction. Effective law enforcement strategies by the DEA and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs have abruptly shut down many of the online pharmacies, loose physician prescription practices, and multiple doctor sourcing. The result is a dramatic reduction in supply. The huge growth in painkiller addiction fueled by cheap and easy supply is being faced with a shutdown in supply. The result will be a sudden overwhelming number of sick and desperate people. Before we become too judgmental of such people, let us not forget that Rush Limbaugh walked among them. Their desperation will have serious ramifications rippling through the criminal justice system, social services, behavioral health and health care involving major expenditures of tax dollars - unless communities respond with early detection and intervention strategies that divert sick people into recovery BEFORE these serious ramifications evolve.
People are taking little pills and it’s making them feel good!!!
Oh my God, it’s a crisis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Addiction is not a left or right issue. It cuts across politics ans socio-economic strata.
A young man (at that time)that I had gone to high school with, having an excellent reputation and National Honor Society (when it really counted) student, was drafted into the military during the Viet Nam War.
I was unaware of his status but he was frightfully injured and spent months in various hospitals being treated for wounds that would leave him not only with a partial disability but also chronic pain to boot.
I learned later that he had been sucessfully weaned off pain killers before being released from his hospitalization and honorably discharged. Unfortunately, his pain never ceased and thus sought further medical treatment.
The end of my story is the tale his mom told me after I read in our local newspaper, that he had been shot and killed by a pharmacist (whom I also knew) after he attacked him attempting to get drugs without a prescription.
His mom said that after returning home to live with her, that he was never without pain. She said one of the new doctors he was seeing at the local VA would give him some drugs for a short time, then he'd return for an exam, see another doctor who felt he "no longer needed medication" and that went on for over 2 years.
Finally out of desperation, she said that he returned to the local pharmacy asking for some of the drug he had been given just months before and the rest of the story was him attacking the druggist and being shot and killed.
Being currently treated at a local pain clinic myself for treatment for nerve damage, I can understand one's desperation - not his actions but his desperation.
pain pills....even simple Lortabs....can be very addictive.....one of these days we’ll treat pain differantly....
I had an uncle who had severe back and neck pain, but he wasn’t able to get enough pain medication from doctors or specialists to control it. The last 6 months of his life were hell for him, and it wasn’t until the last few days of his life, when he was hospitalized for congestive heart failure that they finally gave him the level of pain medications he needed.
Mark
BTW, I was on the opoids for about 2 1/2 to 3 years and I just stopped taking them and never had a problem. Either I'm just a strange person who doesn't get addicted to opoids or it's because I'm too lazy to take medicines I don't need or maybe it's because I never experienced a high from them. I considered myself lucky all that medicine took even a slight edge off the pain I was in.
The doctor does a radio frequency (really like a microwave) to lull the nerves to "sleep" for a period of time.
After having the first set in late November/December, I have had relief. I'm looking forward to having some also in the upper neck area.
What I have is not operable in the general sense of the word. It will remain as it is now for the future but these treatments have given me some relief from the 24/7 pain that prevents me from getting a night's sleep.
I, as you, have never experienced any kind of dependency on any of the meds I have been given, though I was never given the infamous "oxycontin." I have been given some pretty strong pain killers but either they merely masked some of the pain or made me so sick to my stomach, I gave up taking them.
The good Lord has blessed me by not ever having a dependency issue.
I never condemn anyone who has had serious pain for developing dependency issues as every time I am prescribed something, I am warned that is one of the bad side effects.
The truth is, when one has extreme pain, whether temporary or ongoing, one will do or take anything for relief.
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