Warrants: Limbaugh Was 'Doctor Shopping'

My Way.Com ^ | 12/4/03 | Jill Barton

[Lucky2]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Investigators raided the offices of Rush Limbaugh's doctor Thursday, saying in search warrants that the conservative radio commentator engaged in illegal drug use and "doctor shopping" for prescription painkillers.

The warrants show investigators were looking for records including prescription disbursements, appointment schedules, receipts and a medical questionnaire.

"Mr. Limbaugh's actions violate the letter, and spirit" of the law that relates to "doctor shopping," stated one of warrants, signed by Asim Brown, a law enforcement agent assigned to the state attorney's office anti-money laundering task force. Doctor shopping refers to looking for a doctor willing to prescribe drugs illegally.

Limbaugh denied any wrongdoing to listeners on his radio show earlier Thursday and accused prosecutors in Palm Beach County of going on a "fishing expedition."

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Uncle Hal, I agree with you.

Folks, we are missing the big picture which is the way chronic pain is handled in this country. Frankly, it isn't.

Like it or not, there is a difference in recreational drug addiction and the addiction that grows out of the need to control pain. And not everyone, not even a majority of those people who "doctor shop" because of pain control issues are addicts.

People have different pain thresholds. I can stand just about anything. However, I started having severe pain in the area of my gallbladder about 20 years ago. I cannot describe it to this day. Imagine having the very worst labor pain for a period of 4-5 hours with no periods of relief.

Test after test after test came up negative. "Go home", they told me. "Try to relax". Yeah, right.

The only thing that would relieve the pain was codiene. Of course, when I mentioned that, most eyebrows would go up. Ah-Ha! Busted! She just wants codiene.

At first, these episodes came maybe once or twice a year, then more frequently. You bet I doctor shopped. I would go see anyone to give me codiene. Yet the only time I ever took it was when the pain would reappear. And I guarded it like I would the Baby Jesus....it was that precious to me.

Fast forward 20 years. Every night I would pace the floor in the most agognizing pain. I weighed 104 pounds. The very act of eating was enough to start the pain. Every test came back negative.

The pain controlled my life, if you could call it a life. If I could find a doctor to prescribe any codiene, it would only be enough to get me through 2 or maybe three days of the pain.

I finally found a doctor who did not stop looking when the tests came back negative. My bile ducts were almost completely closed from scar tissue cause by the episodes I had over the years. The original problem had to do with bile ducts that were somehow mishaped and misrouted.

Before my surgery, I was taking 3 Tylenol #3's every 1 1/2 hours. My doctor would give me ninety at a time. He thought I would have problems giving them up after the surgery, but guess what? When all was said & done, after the surgery, I only needed the usual post-op course of pain meds.

BTW--when they cut me open, they were all shocked...I had nastiest gall bladder anyone had ever seen. I am a conference case now and my guts are shown in the local med school every year.

The only difference between me and Rush is that he had the money and the resources make what I was doing easier. If I had his resources, I would have had less suffering throughout those 20 years.

What makes some addicts (Rush) and some (me) not? It is probably the luck of the genetic draw. Looking back, if I knew I could be a codiene junkie, I will tell you this..I would rather be an addict than live in constant intractable pain. No question.

Many have let Rush's enemies zero in on a small part of the problem. It must be redefined. Do not give Rush a pass because of who he is. BUT, redefine the problem accurately.

There is an agenda on the left to destroy Rush. If it is allowed to happen, the left will not only bring him down, but make a very real problem, pain control, in this country, worse. Cancer patients will almost have to beg for pain relief. Doctors are already afraid to aggressively treat pain. Imagine what will happen when Rush becomes the poster child for trial lawyers looking for doctors to sue.

[timydnuc]

What we need, at this time, is the politics of the trial District Attorney. It would be very interesting if he was a RAT.

A reason, from a power stand point, to persecute a private citizen with power...violating the constitutional law as he goes.

This is in store for all of us. If we are found out to be FReepers, or dittoheads we will be prosecuted by leftists in power for our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

This is not going to be a short revolution, nor is it going to be 'nice', it's going to get nasty. The left wants it's power back, and it wants it NOW! It's the second American Revolution! In the first revolution, one third of the American people were Torys (supporting the King), one third were independant (didn't want to have much to do with the cause). Only one third of the American people stood to make a new country, and fought for that cause. A minority, to be sure, but a minority that won Liberty for this country, and carved a Republic of freedom out of this land to shine for the enslaved to come to for their dreams to be fulfilled.

Maybe it's time for the second American Revolution. Try it at the polls, as is still our Consitiutional right, or keep your powder dry for the looming fight. One way or the other, the majority will take this country back to the Republic of Liberty that is has always meant to be.

[k2blader]

Lots of folks not-exactly-on-Rush's-side seem to know as much if not more than the investigators themselves! :-)

[hapc]

The DA is a 'Rat Clintonista, that has already been confirmed.

And I'm not saying that everything Rush did was right, it's just that if we let this pass and let El Rushbo go down without a fight then the Rats will have won.

[lawdude]

"Going to multiple doctors is illegal???"

In this case it would be highly suspect. That said, he WILL NOT BE CHARGED unless there is either more to this than we know (very unlikely) or he is being subjected to a witch hunt (100% likely).

I do know from personal experience as a defense attorney, I have never heard of or seen anyone charged under this fact pattern!

End of story, no matter how the naysayers want to spin.

[John H K]

I will tell you this..I would rather be an addict than live in constant intractable pain. No question.

In many cases, painkiller addiction CAUSES the pain to continue; once your brain is addicted, you stop the painkillers at all, and it will create pain to get you to keep taking the opiates. But once you're clean and off the painkillers for a few months, the pain magically goes away.

[rwfromkansas]

proof, lefty?

[ImpBill]

Yep I now understand what the term means. Too quick to post. But as I now understand the law it is to arrest the illegal resale of legal drugs on the street, isn't that correct?

[Walkin Man]

Rush ADMITTED that he was an ADDICT!

How do you think he got his drug of choice???

Did the pills of joy just fall out of the sky???

The only way Rush could have fed the monkey on his back was through illegal means! The Church of Limbaugh acts like Rush is innocent because he has done no jail-time and wasn't dragged out of his bed in the middle of the night like any other junkie in America would have had happen to him. Does that make Rush innocent??

LOL, no but it sure as *ell makes him filthy stinkin rich with friends in high places!

[greasepaint]

IMO, a law making illegal...
-->having<-- multiple 'sripts for schedule two
drugs, at the same time... is reasonable.
With the amount of money that Lim. supposedly
pumped into the criminal economy, I don't consider it
unreasonable that Lim.'s supposed actions would attract
the attention of criminal prosecutors.
It is posible that more 'facts' will be made public, over time.
I seem to remember that Lim. made two public statements,
just before he went into rehab.
That he would cooperate with authorities, and, He is
holding nothing back.
In the light of those two statements, it would be
helpful, for my opinion of Lim., if he made a
straightforward, non-Clintonesque statement of
the facts of his actions (I assume he is aware of what he did).
In no way, is he legaly prohibited from making a statement
concerning his past actions.

[ladyinred]

Where did you hear that? I guess it might be possible in some rare cases, for instance if taking them gives you headaches or something. Otherwise, that doesn't sound right to me. Not that I know it all, but I have been forced to do a lot of educating of myself on this subject.

[Libertina]

Disgusting liberal witch hunt. The so called "stars" in Hollywierd get nothing but praise and ribbon cutting ceremonies for having drug addictions.

[Walkin Man]

You are sticking up for the lyin hypocrite junkie and I'm a lefty?

LOL, thats a good one.

What did you say about Clinton's "but I didn't inhale" BS, Mr Conservative???

At least I'm consistence. I don't change my standards and beliefs just because an actor/junkie/cult leader falls off his pedestal unlike you Church of Limbaugh kool-aid drinkers!

[proust]

Oh c'mon, EVERYBODY KNOWS Rush was set up by the Clintons. They forced him to become a hard core drug addict for serveral years. I don't know how they did it, but I know it's Clinton's fault. Anyone who says different is a lefty. /sarcasm

[hapc]

I'm not a 'Church of Limbaugh-Kool Aide Drinker' --I just believe that everyone sins in the eyes of the Lord.

Rush would do well to address this issue on the air to us once the case legalities have been resolved.

[ladyinred]

Oh I see, you are making the maid thing and then the shopping for doctors two different things. I get it now.

Do you know for sure he really did these things though? Yes, he admitted that he is addicted, but he says what we have heard is not all true. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I don't pretend to know to answer to that. I do know you detest Rush, and that is your right.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I can only speak from my experience. The only solution for my chronic pain was surgery and until I had a doctor willing to roll his sleeves up & do some hard work, uncontollable pain ruled my life. Until then, I could only hope to control the pain and for that I needed codiene.

Most pain has a physical cause, some easier to control than others. I still stand by my statement. If I knew I would become an addict (which I did not) I would still rather be an addict than live with the pain I endured because of a physical problem correctable only by surgery.

[judywillow]

"Doctor Shopping"?

That probably would be illegal under a communist system of government; sounds like a demmy prosecutor is either getting ahead of himself a bit or engaging in wishful thinking. Here's hoping it blows up in his or her face.

[ladyinred]

I am so sorry for what you went through. This is the hard part of all of this. Those who really need the meds are deprived of them, making some go to the street, because of those who go to the streets. It is a catch 22.
The good news is that doctor's are learning more and realizing that they can and should stop pain for those who need it.

[judywillow]

One other thing to notice here: a hundred and thirty years ago in America, there were no drug laws and there were no meaningful drug problems. Nobody should need the world's highest IQ to figure that one out...