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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".