America’s Crisis with Opioids: Confronting the Crisis

NORCO is the most commonly prescribed opioid, at 5 mg or 7.5 mg following surgery, NO REFILLS even if you have to go through painful Rehab. My experience is sleepiness at most, a slight reduction of pain, biggest side effect is CONSTIPATION, NO HIGH. Since the FDA forced the reduction of Tylenol in them they are basically worthless unless you take 500 mg of Tylenol with them. Had hand surgery, 6 weeks in cast, started REHAB, PAIN IS WORSE THAN POST SURGERY PAIN, and I’ve 5 Medicare approved sessions left, and am sitting here typing with 1 finger, as my dominate Right hand is in a ICE PACK FOR PAIN reduction. It will take all 3 six week sessions Medicare allows + more to rehab my hand. A neglected right rotator to small to repair tear, compounds the rehab that wearing a cast that pinched wrist nerves caused, and pulled on the Rotator cuff tear. Might be 6 months to a year of painful rehab. ICE PACK ONLY PAIN RELIEF OFFERED.

The OD’S ARE JUNKIES ON ILLEGAL DRUGS, now what about all those other ADDICTIVE drugs no one is talking about, Lyrica, Neurotin, Xanax, and quite a few others that are over prescribed, yet it is opioids they concentrate on. There are 1.33 million INTRACTABLE PAIN patients many bed ridden that have no hope of cures to their painful diseases. Chronic pain goes away eventually. What about all those drugs that cause thoughts of suicide and cause depression, whole host of drugs that do that.

Chronic pain goes away eventually.

That is not the case. I broke my arm in 2007. It still causes me pain. I also have back problems, which cause pain as well.

I do not take drugs for the pain. Once in a while, I might take ibuprofen, but that's it. I try to keep the joints strong through mild exercise, which helps.

Unfortunately OA drugs ruined my GI track 20 yrs ago. I can’t even take a baby aspirin. I use K2 Complex as my blood thinner. And the PPI’s did more damage to the GI track and my bones. Tylenol and ice packs are all I have left, heat when it will work. Sunday was spent with hand in ice packs. PT today and Wed, MORE ICE PACKS. Not much progress either. And I do all my home PT assigned. Most would have seen improvement, but there is just to much nerve damage at wrist and OA along with the Rotator cuff tear. So instead of just a hand to rehab there is an entire arm.

Best pain killer is a shot of Scotch and water works for about 4 hrs. But shoots my blood sugar up to high and messes with my GI track.

I have a OA drug RUINED GI Track. Not even a baby aspirin is allowed. PPI’s destroyed my spine with OP. With Gastropresis a opioid is not feasible. Tylenol is all I’m can take, and it works like crap.

I’ve dealt with this torn rotator cuff 8 yrs. Then blew the base thumb joint, tore the ligaments, and had trigger lock so bad it had to be pushed back up. Now there are 2 screws in a frozen joint, wrist nerve damage, a stiff first joint on the thumb that will always be stiff. A ruined dominate hand and arm. Nerve damage and nothing for the pain. OA had set in by the time I was in my 40’s. I’m now 67. 24/7/365 level 10 pain is no fun.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.