Posted on 12/27/2016 7:44:49 AM PST by Mariner
“Use these drugs as needed for ACUTE pain only”
Now, you wrote this dictate. So, who is going to decide if opiates can be used for chronic pain? If you’re just talking about yourself fine, but nobody really cares about your personal medical history when it comes to public policy and the decisions of millions of pain sufferers in the US.
Are you Mariner, most esteemed pain management expert to decide for all of us now?
Pain management physician societies and state medical boards do actually have standards of care and have published guidelines for the use of opiates in the chronic pain patient. I do believe that there is a role for government oversight at the state level, but it has to be well considered with input from pain physicians, the public and pain patients.
The problem today is that government regulatory agencies are proposing new rules that make opiates quasi prohibited for chronic pain patients. Do you like that? Or would you like that patients and doctors to have more freedom in making these important health care decisions?
The drug companies can put out any spin on clinical information, just as long as they don’t knowingly put out any false information (unlike the CDC did with respect to autism and vaccine safety). Would you like patients and physicians to sort this out or would you like more government censorship and control?
I did this. Lower discs, facets. Took a few months to completely die off but it helped IMMENSELY.
I’ve already responded to you and several others: The government has no role in this.
For some reason you keep going back to that.
THANK YOU gas_dr !! Mariner is quite the Crusader against pain relief and without doubt has an opinion on almost every aspect of the subject.
I do appreciate his concern (bad past experience ??) but I thank you for keeping the facts out front !
Snoot ;o)
The nurses only gave me tylenol after my c-section. When the doctor found out, he had a freaking fit in the hallway.
I was put in pain management 11 years ago and took between 30-50g hydrocodone a day for 9 straight years.
I lost 50 pounds, was able to complete physical therapy, and completely regained my quality of life. I never once ‘cheated’ or took more than prescribed.
Two years ago I took myself off. My main problem is that I couldn’t find a PCM who would take a chronic pain patient in my town. None of them. If you’re being treated for pain, you can’t be treated for bronchitis or get a well-woman check up.
I’ve regained all the weight - plus some - and have no quality of life. I believe that the sedentary lifestyle has take years off my life-expectancy.
People don’t understand that pain can be so bad that it forces you to stop. It robs you of your sleep. It breaks you down mentally.
Chronic pain is a horror show and disabling.
Opiates can push that back and help get a person moving again. That leads to a whole host of other health benefits.
This ‘war on pain patients’ is heart breaking for me.
My family deserves a better wife/mom/grandmother than me.
Great. Glad that people like you get to decide how much pain I’m in.
Thanks, jerk.
“Thanks, jerk.”
You obviously didn’t read my postings. I didn’t advocate for anyone to control anything.
Except you.
Be careful, those drugs will impair your judgement.
I know several people who relate an experience that only happened in their dreams. It’s called Narcosis.
I have degenerative disc disease and have had six different surgeries since 2002 on various places on my spine. I have nerve damage resulting in excruciating pain in my lower back and both legs. Even have numbness in both legs down into my feet. I also have a spinal cord stimulator implanted to help. I still have severe pain. The painkillers allow me to function and sleep. I don’t take heavy doses. My doctors have rotated the different painkillers so that they don’t become ineffective. Never have taken oxycontin. Refuse to take it after I saw a friend become “crazy” and “paranoid” taking it, eventually taking his own life. When opioids are administered correctly and supervised, and the patient is not taking for a high, they can be effective. They have helped me function with the severe pain I still deal with daily.
It was one of my fears with my dad. I would look at the gelled water in bottles and the store and shudder. He was going all the way with Alzheimer’s, instead of dying from something else, he was too healthy otherwise. But he was able to drink and swallow until the last few days, at which time hospice said he didn’t need anything, just moistened lips. Being unable to swallow would be ghastly.
Only “highly addictive” if you take them in a manner not prescribed. It's just like firearms, they can be deadly if not handled properly. It's called moderation.
We can agree to disagree. Hey...have a blessed New Year and God's richest for you and yours in 2017. We've got allot to look forward to.
“My family deserves a better wife/mom/grandmother than me.”
I think you’re wonderful. Always have
Actually, they are addictive even when you do take them as prescribed.
That being said, I don't see the big deal. (Which admittedly is easy for me as the stuff has never once made me feel "high") I was on oxy for several years as my hip joints deteriorated to the point of non-existence. When I finally got them replaced I could not sleep once I ran out of oxy. Doctor gave me a hundred pill script and I weened myself off with less than twenty five pills.
I will always believe it's a great drug to have around the house for emergencies.
Interestingly enough, I had to get another doctor to switch me to oxy for a short time after a pericardial puncture because morphine had zero effect on me.
The original conversation was referring to Norco, Vicoprofin at 5.0-7.5mg strength. Much more effective in controlling pain than Naproxen sodium and or Ibuprofen discussed in the original thread.
Oxycontin is pretty strong stuff. Even if one gets addicted because they need to take it for an extended period...so what? There are medication to help folks off of it. It's not the end of the world.
Tell ya what, If I'm in pain...give me some damn pain meds. To hell with Ibuprofen. I've seen my dad and FnL suffer from extended pain and it will turn a strong man into a whimpering heap longing for it to stop...even if it means the big harry carry.
I agree completely.
Furthermore, it's cheaper than DIRT!
I'll take care of myself, thank you. I don't need someone else telling me what I "should and should not" be doing.
Typical Victorian era response to such a situation. It’s like the one kid in class who’s a screw up and the teacher makes the whole class suffer.
Not every person who takes a drink or uses a medication for pain at one time or another becomes an addict.
I agree because I’ve taken Oxycontin after I had a tooth extraction. It made me jittery and unable to sleep. That was after about 12 hours. So I said “to hell with this” and just toughed it out. That’s MY experience and I’ve never said that is the only outcome anyone ever has. Medicines just aren’t “one-size fits all” but I knew enough to know it wasn’t worth the risks. At least for me.
Read the book “Dreamland”. It chronicles the advent of oxy and its follow on black tar heroin. Good read.
Peace and God Bless to you.
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