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

[ThePythonicCow]

Yes, I've heard reports of such before. Of course, I don't know the real cause of Rush's hearing loss. My hunch is that it was the painkillers, despite public evidence to the contrary. But I'm not putting any money on that hunch.

[L.N. Smithee]

Do you see the problem in your thinking? The "bug" aspect of this is what we call a non sequitur.

You can believe that if you wish. I'm not the only one here who feels like I do about what you wrote.

[My Favorite Headache]

Too many doctors are willing to write scripts for hardcore drugs so the pharmacutecal companies can be in their pockets. I literally had a script written for me for both 60 Oxy's and 60 Vicodin's in the same office visit. Not to mention Celebrex as well.

[My Favorite Headache]

If you recall when the initial story came out he was linked to Oxycodene as well as Oxycontin. Both are always hot drugs on the market. I honestly believe him when he says he was overly addicted to them. I said it before..I found myself looking forward more and more to each pill and I had never taken them before in my life let alone never done an illegal drug before.

The doc's just kept writing me scripts.

[185JHP]

I've read that 70% of back problems come from stress. The back muscles are strong, ad when they get riled up... If there are legal and honorable ways to reduce the stress in your life...

[L.N. Smithee]

My father had an accident and walked around for a week unaware that he had damaged a disc. He had surgery, and was on his back for three months. He is able to walk with a cane now.

Throughout the whole ordeal, he refused to take the Vicodin that was prescribed him. He had heard the horror stories, and didn't want any part of the stuff. If he had listened to me, he would have taken it, because I remember the tearful agony he was in when I drove him to a back specialist. Now, I know he made the wise choice.

[185JHP]

"Stripes that wound scour away evil, and strokes reach the innermost parts."

[SauronOfMordor]

I wonder who will be the first poster here to say, "OK, I was wrong last week when I said the media was lying -- so he IS addicted to painkillers."

The problem is that, with so many media lies, the best approach is to assume they're lying until all the evidence is in.

The problem with prescription painkillers for chronic pain, is that docs get a lot of grief from the DEA if they prescribe a lot of them, so it's hard to get prescriptions even if you're in chronic pain

[sakic]

So, I guess what the *mainstream* Freeper thinks does not matter much to you.

Who decides who the *mainstream* Freepers are? Is there some sort of list?

[Captiva]

Read Dr. John E. Sarno, Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine @ NYU School of Medicine:

http://library.med.nyu.edu/cgi-bin/facbib-bio.pl?AU=sarnoj01&RP=N&CP=Y

[mass55th]

ICGAFFWUT!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Thank you. And a prayer bump for Rush who is probably having a really hard day today, and will be for quite a few days knowing what he is facing.

[cwb]

Well, that I can agree on...and the fact that it sounds like you had an ignorant doctor. While both Vicodin and Oxycontin are pain killers, the combination of taking Hydrocodone (Vicodin) and Oxycodone at the same time is stupid. One is a long acting opioid that would generally cancel out the effectivenss of the other if taken within close intervals. It sounds like your doctor is incompetent...and dangerous.

There are too many doctors who prescribe Oxycontin for minor pain because some think that Oxycontin is nothing more than low-dose Percocet. Oxycontin is intended for long term severe chronic pain. We've had MS CONTIN and other Morphine derivatives on the market for years and we've never seen the kinds of stories about abuse and even death as we do with Oxy. One of the reasons why is because most doctors realize the potency and danger of these (Morphine derivative) drugs and are more descriminate about prescribing them. The other problem is that users intentionally break the time-release barrier (Oxy) and release the narcotic all it once, increasing the potency and chance for abuse/addiction.

I have no problem with doctors being more descriminat in their prescribing, but at the same time, all these stories and fear about this drug are preventing legitmate patients from acquiring it. I must live in the wrong part of town because when I was first injured I couldn't get the lower-potency Hydrocodne combinations prescribed, let alone Oxycodone. I finally found a pain-clinic to aggressively treat pain, but before I could even take the medication I had to jump through a battery of other therapies which I had already done for years. This not only adds frustation for the patient, it cost thousands of dollars.

From your following post:

"If you recall when the initial story came out he was linked to Oxycodene as well as Oxycontin. Both are always hot drugs on the market."

Both are the same drugs. Oxycodone is the active narcotic (generic) ingredient in Oxycontin. Oxycontin is just the Oxycodone without any additional ingredients...vs. say Percocet, which is Oxycodone plus Acetiminophen. I saw another report that said Rush was taking 3 different drugs: Hydrocodone, Lorcet and Oxycontin. Hydorcodone and Lorcet are the same drug in the same manner that Oxycontin and Oxycodone are.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Remember, my experience was with the PATIENTS who were the back injury patients. My Doctor was first an MD, then a surgeon then a Physiatrist. That is a doctor who is very specialized in nerves. We treated stroke patients, severe head injuries. Nerve damage. Pain patients. Things like what Rush is going through. Since that time I have known people very close to me addicted to substance. But not in my professional area, other than our patients and I'll explain more as I go on.

I know that in our practice we used to make up a "pain coctail" and that peoples tolerance built up quite a bit. We would change their medicines as their tolerance built up. We had patients on long term treatments for pain management, or until surgery, if surgery was indicated. (This was before there were Pain Clinics).

As to that many pills, I have no idea. But I do know that people DO build up an amazing tolerance. They can appear to function amazingly well on them too. But they really aren't.

I would imagine that Rush won't feel he was thinking very clear at all when he cleans up. It will be interesting to hear what he thinks of this time frame or even the last few years, if he wants to share them.

As to the exact quantity..I would be guessing. I'd love to hear from Rush as to the actual quantity. I think we could be really shocked. People in pain, keep feeling they need more and more. Like I said, the kind of pain Rush is going through is an isidious pain, and hard to control.

My gut feelings are, he was probably using A LOT, and he is probably lucky to be alive.

I'll put it this way, when I broke my back in the late 80's after working in this field, all I could think was "Oh no.. Oh NO!!! Not a back injury!" I had seen first hand the agony of what those patients went through and how they had no relief. I watched it age them..and It broke my heart.

I remember them calling me and begging me for more pain meds. I would go tell my Physician and he would instruct me to tell them "NO" and of course why. So I'd go explain and tell them that "when we gave them the pain meds they were instructed to take them exactly as prescribed. NOT TO EXCEED the dosage, because if they ran out, THEY WOULD NOT GET MORE"

They would be so upset..and tell me .. "but it isn't working, I'm still in pain.. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't stand, I couldn't sit"

It is a horrible pain. You can tell it when you work with these patients. They AGE right before your eyes.

I just wish we could find a way to help them more so things like this didn't happen to so many people.

When I was in college taking philosophy.. I believe it was Neiche that said explained "The absence of pain is pleasure".

[My Favorite Headache]

Maybe I should make it a bit more clear. My doctor prescribed all of those after each one was not effective enough. Not all at the same time. He is a pretty good doctor and didn't want to put the bash on him. Just was saying that he was very quick to write out scripts for every little thing I felt. I just can tell he is one of those doctors who lies in bed with the drug companies in a big way.

[cwb]

I don't want to get into an arguement, but first you made it sound as if your Dr. was overmedicating you by saying:

"Too many doctors are willing to write scripts for hardcore drugs so the pharmacutecal companies can be in their pockets. I literally had a script written for me for both 60 Oxy's and 60 Vicodin's in the same office visit. Not to mention Celebrex as well."

When I agreed and condemned him for prescribing you two narcotics at what I thought was the same visit, you then say this:

"Maybe I should make it a bit more clear. My doctor prescribed all of those after each one was not effective enough. Not all at the same time. He is a pretty good doctor and didn't want to put the bash on him. Just was saying that he was very quick to write out scripts for every little thing I felt. I just can tell he is one of those doctors who lies in bed with the drug companies in a big way."

I'm sorry...but "you" told your doctor that the Vicodon wasn't working...so he gave you something stronger. Yet, when he did, you accuse of being in bed with the pharmaceutical companies? Maybe I'm missing something, but could it be that he was trying to help you based on the information "you" gave him? I'm a little sensitive to this issue since I've been dealing with severe pain for over a decade now...and have not found the type of Dr. that I would call, compassionate, as you did. But instead of being thankful for having a doctor who treated you based on "your" complaints, you accuse him of collaboration.

Now, I have no doubt that there are doctors who do this...and make it worse for everybody. At the same time, it's attitudes like yours that make it harder for real pain patients to find relief. Could it be that you were not in as severe pain as "you" told him and were surprised that he gave them to you? Because, to be honest...people in severe pain don't complain about a compassionate doctor who's willing to treat their pain...they generally praise it.

While we do have corrupt doctors as with any profession...we also have corrupt patients, who lie. And I'm not saying that you did this, but others do and they are as much apart of the problem as the doctors. If Vicodin (which is, in itself strong) wasn't strong enough for you, the most logical step up was an Oxycodone/combination, since it is still considered less powerful than the morphine combo's. I don't neccessarily see the collaboration that you do, but rather a doctor being responsive to your needs.

At some point, the patient has just as much a responsibility as the doctor...including following the prescribed dosaging and cautions. This is something personal for me so forgive me for the harsh tone, but these medications have been Godsends for many of us...and statements like "legalized heorin" only add to the misconception and ignorance that surrounds the issue.

[My Favorite Headache]

I am leaving to go out the door right now but an FYI for you...it was a pulmonary embolism. Is that enough "real pain" for you?

[zook]

Not yet, but we should make one. And we should make a list of people who turn on their own when they hit rough times.

[cwb]

Yeah, so what exactly is your problem, again? From your previous post you said:

"he was very quick to write out scripts for every little thing I felt."

I would consider a pulmonry embolism a serious thing and not a "little thing"...but you left that little detail out, just as you amended your office visits. Don't blame me for not being able to follow the story line. I still don't understand your objection to getting something "you" asked for since the other stuff wasn't working. You don't exactly have a lot of choices once you go above the Hydrocodone barrier...and Morphine is generally reserved for the most severe pain. Collaboration or not, your choices in this situation are limited.

[Shethink13]

LOL! Touchy, aren't we? Must have hit a nerve.