I have had terrible neck pain and sciatica for several months now, and finally went to see a physician just the other day.
He offered physical therapy, muscle relaxers and painkillers, and asked what I wanted to do. When I said I would start with muscle relaxers and painkillers and go to therapy if it didn’t improve in a week or two, he asked what kinds of painkillers I had taken with no problem in the past.
When I said I have taken Oxycodone with no problem, he kind of sat up and stammered “Umm...that is way more than I would be allowed to give you, it is...”
I had to interrupt him and say “I didn’t say “OXYCONTIN”, I said “OXYCODONE”!”
He relaxed and prescribed it for me. The point is, his reaction is typical in the organized medical field. If you are in a hospital setting, the mere concept of overprescribing opiates of ANY kind and subscribing to sensible and safe dosing is hammered into them through mandatory education and enforced via observation of prescribing habits.
I am sure there are quack doctors out there who over pre-scribe for kickbacks...I don’t doubt they exist.
But people who rail against opiates as primarily some kind of money making scheme between “Big Pharm” and Hospitals have no idea what they are talking about. None whatsoever.
And they piss me off because the idiots want to drive pharmaceutical companies into bankruptcy-they are all for it.
Then, when they have something bad that NEEDS real pain relief, they will whine that what is prescribed for them is too expensive and doesn’t kill their pain.
I am just sick to death of it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your post. You said it all.
NP: some smart people still here on FR!