Rush Limbaugh Statement on Prescription Pain Medication Stories

PRNewswire (Yahoo) ^ | Friday October 10, 2:55 pm ET | Rush Limbaugh

[ThePythonicCow]

Press Release

Source: Premiere Radio

Rush Limbaugh Statement on Prescription Pain Medication Stories
Friday October 10, 2:55 pm ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Rush Limbaugh today issued the following statement on his radio program:

"You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life. So I need to tell you today that part of what you have heard and read is correct. I am addicted to prescription pain medication.

"I first started taking prescription painkillers some years ago when my doctor prescribed them to treat post surgical pain following spinal surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was unsuccessful and I continued to have severe pain in my lower back and also in my neck due to herniated discs. I am still experiencing that pain. Rather than opt for additional surgery for these conditions, I chose to treat the pain with prescribed medication. This medication turned out to be highly addictive.

"Over the past several years I have tried to break my dependence on pain pills and, in fact, twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so. I have recently agreed with my physician about the next steps.

"Immediately following this broadcast, I am checking myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me. The show will continue during this time, of course, with an array of guest hosts you have come to know and respect.

"I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons. They are said to be great role models and examples for others. Well, I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes. They are the role models. I am no victim and do not portray myself as such. I take full responsibility for my problem.

"At the present time, the authorities are conducting an investigation, and I have been asked to limit my public comments until this investigation is complete. So I will only say that the stories you have read and heard contain inaccuracies and distortions, which I will clear up when I am free to speak about them.

"I deeply appreciate all your support over this last tumultuous week. It has sustained me. I ask now for your prayers. I look forward to resuming our excursion into broadcast excellence together."

For audio/video clip(s) of Rush Limbaugh's on-air statement, please go to

www.rushlimbaugh.com and/or www.premieretalk.com.

---

Source: Premiere Radio

[cwb]

I take prescribed Oxycontin and have for a couple years now. In fact, I'm on my way to my doctors appointment in about 15 minutes. If this drug is not taken as prescribed it is very dangerous. It is time-released and many users crush open the pill and release the narcotic ingredient at once. They come in 10mg, 20mg, 40mg, 80mg and a discontinued 160mg for obvious reasons. If you crush an 80mg tablet you are releasing the equivalent of 16 standard strength percocets. This is the problem.

[joesnuffy]

He's right about the discs...and the pain...and the inability to no longer do the things you used to love doing....sucks...big time...

And if "you are what you do"....then the lack of doing is hard to take..makes you feel less of a productive person for Rush this would be especially hard to take

If pain killers allow you some of that activity back...it would be easy to become addicted

Question is...during his treatment he will have withdrawel and his back pain to deal with...

And even after 'he kicks' the back pain will be debillitating..most likely to the point of such distraction...his usual high level of function will be most limited...

Hope he can deal with this..

God bless you Rush...you've done a lot for America so far...more than 100% of the leftists whose attempts to destroy us and even 99% of those on the conservative side...

If you had to quit today...you ran a fine race..

[Joe Republc]

"I wonder who will be the first poster here to suggest we "pray" for Rush Limbaugh."

I may not have been the first, but, yeah, I posted that we pray for Rush.

And is there a problem with that?
-- Joe

[JohnGalt]

I see, synthetic heroin is moral, the real stuff immoral?

[sinkspur]

He used to savage Marion Barry, and if some liberal would try to start programs for junkies, would go into that pompous whining voice of his while mocking problems.

Marion Berry was also a crook, in addition to being a crackhead.

Drugs were the least of his problems.

[LIBERTARIAN JOE]

I think that Rush should be subject to the same fate that he advocates for WOsD victims... his life should be destroyed, he should face financial ruin & should be thrown into the general prison population with murderers, rapists, etc, to face possible prison rape with all the sexually-transmitted diseases that come with that horrible fate.

Harsh you say? I say no harsher a fate than millions of non-violent drug-war victims have suffered. He's not been convicted you say? Neither were numerous victims of no-knock raids and other gestapo-like WOsD tactics.

Hell, a single corrupt Texas cop put half a town in jail on fictitious drug charges a while back. If we can sacrifice half a Texas town to the insanity of the drug war, surely we can sacrifice our tarnished, hypocritical "conservative" voice.

[familyofman]

"...at this point, I feel like taking all my conservative pundit books to the curb. I've got Limbaugh's stuff, was a Limbaugh letter subscriber, bought all of Bennett's material, etc..."

I'm so glad I don't buy the books of any pundit - conservative, liberal, whatever - my feeling is they know there is a willing audience & "use" them just for the $$$$ I prefer to think for myself so I don't need to be reinforced by their tailored writings.
I too suffer from lower back pain (have for over 2 years) and tried one of those pain killers, didn't like what it did & swore off them ever since. Pain is tolerable if you are strong enough to "make it go away" through positive thoughts.
I wish Rush the best - he will need it. Hopefully he will come out of this a bit less judgemental of others.

[zacyak]

When referring to ILLEGAL drugs, not prescription (LEGAL) drugs.

Black market oxycontin is just as illegal as crack cocaine. But go ahead and defend the hypocrite if you want.

[hchutch]

There is a difference between Rush's criticism of Marion Berry and his current situation. Marion Berry was busted for cocaine, IIRC. Cocaine's been illegal for decades, and everyon knows it's easy to get hooked. Marion Berry was also in public office when he got busted.

Rush's drugs were prescribed by a doctor, and as such, they were legal. The doctor has some responsibility in all this as well - when prescribing the painkillers, he ought to do his darndest to make sure that the patient does not get hooked on `em. In Rush's case, there was a failure on that part.

[SONbrad]

Excuse me but he is addicted to pain killers. They are not illegal the last I checked. We haven't heard of him being charged with illegally procuring them, have we?

[Zevonismymuse]

WASN'T KITTY DUKAKIS ADDICTED TO PRESCRIPTION PILLS? AND SHE WASN'T RIPPED BY THE PRESS!

No, she was addicted to alcohol and drugs and had several relapses, including one where she was hospitalized after drinking aftershave.

[MamaB]

Prayers being said.

[Amore]

"Anyone ever take an oxy on this board? or a number of them?"

"I have, following the amputation of my right foot. Was on a morphine pump while in the hospital as well. I was rather disappointed that I didn't see 'all the pretty colors'. Couldn't understand why people would be addicted to these things, but my doctor explained that if you really need them you won't get addicted to them."

I'm sorry about your foot, but thank you for saying this. Your experience has been exactly the same as mine. I'm really not good at being in pain and I REALLY wanted those pain killers I was prescribed after various surgeries. But like you, I never got anything out of them, other than that they stopped the pain! Every time, as soon as the pain started getting significantly less, I quit taking them. Usually didn't even finish the bottle. No problem. Couldn't figure out what folks were tallking about.

But if I had constant, unrelenting pain, I don't know what I'd do. I'd probably do the same thing Rush did. Not only is pain "painful," but it affects the rest of your health when your body is under constant stress from the pain.

[ArcLight]

It's easy to do the right thing once you get caught. That said, I'm glad he got caught because it'll help him do the right thing.

I'm pulling for Rush, and will add him to my prayer list.

[onyx]

It always comes down to mind over matter -- to choice --- there is no easy route to recovery and sustained sobriety.

[Tempest]

"I will say this - at this point, I feel like taking all my conservative pundit books to the curb. I've got Limbaugh's stuff, was a Limbaugh letter subscriber, bought all of Bennett's material, etc. I've got one nice autobiography of Weinberger, some Horowitz and a Barbara Olson I want to keep, but the rest can hit the can."

Why would you feel so harsh about this? Personally I don't see what the big deal is. The man has a problem and he's going to deal with it. Addiction is usually bigger than we are, I guess that's why it's called addiction. I've never been a Rush fan, but I do admire someone who will face down the liberal media and fess up to his own shortcomings.

[JohnGalt]

Of course its his choice, but junkies always say that.

Again, Rush was a perfectly functioning drug addict who built a great business, participated in one of the great populist uprising of our time in Impeachment; if he decided this past week that he personally has hit rock bottom and can't stand it anymore, great, but the timing is a little bit odd for me to believe that.

[Huck]

Great day for liberals.

[pgyanke]

OMG he said something about these allegations!!!!!

No one said he wouldn't comment until there were charges (no one I saw anyway), we all said he would respect the advice of his council. His council has now cleared him to make this statement. You got a problem with that, you pompous schmuck?

[Registered]

http://www.pedisurg.com/PtEduc/Pilonidal_Cyst.htm

I thought the cyst was the reason he wasn't drafted? Am I thinking this stuff up? LOL. Never knew about any other surgeries.