Rush's Dilemma: The Truth about Oxycontin

Patriot Paradox ^

[sonsofliberty2000]

Rush is not alone. Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh came out in what had to be a hard and very painful statement to tell his audience that :

Over the past several years I've tried to break my dependence on pain pills and in fact I've twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so. But I recently agreed with my doctor about the next steps. So. Immediately following this broadcast, I will check myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold that this highly-addictive medication has on me.

Highly-addicted is an understatement. Oxycontin is an agonist opioid. According to HowStuffWorks.com:

Opioid agonists are some of the most effective pain relievers available. Unlike other analgesics, opioid agonists have an increasing analgesic effect with increased doses. Meaning that the more you take, the better you feel. Other analgesics, like aspirin or acetaminophen, have a threshold to their effectiveness. You can see why, particularly for people who suffer chronic pain, a medication like OxyContin can be so beneficial: It can potentially provide up to four times the relief of a non-opioid analgesic, so even the most severe degree of pain can be managed.

So the more you take the better you feel. And why is it so addictive:

Rather than ingesting the pill as indicated, people who abuse OxyContin use other methods of administering the drug. To avoid the controlled-release mechanism, they either chew, snort or inject the medication to get an instant and intense "high." Frequent and repeated use of the drug can cause the user to develop a tolerance to its effects, so larger doses are required to elicit the desired sensation and the abuser gets increasingly addicted to the drug.

What can come about from oxycontin abuse. Death for one. Look at this info from the National Drug Intelligence Center:

Several deaths have resulted specifically from the abuse of OxyContin in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Pike County, Kentucky, Coroner reported 19 OxyContin-related deaths during calendar year 2000. In December 2000, seven OxyContin overdose deaths were reported in Southeastern Kentucky by two Kentucky State Police posts. The Logan Daily News reported in October 2000 that four Hocking County, Ohio, residents overdosed on OxyContin over an 18-day period. Two of the four died. There have been at least four OxyContin overdose deaths in Pulaski, Virginia, since 1998. In July 2000, The Williamson Daily reported five OxyContin-related overdose deaths in southwestern West Virginia since May 2000.

I want to talk a little more about the last bit there about southwestern West Virginia. Gilbert, WV in paticular. Why? I grew up and visit there often and I want to tell you that it is depressing. Oxycontin is the number one drug in that area, and the hell it has caused can be seen and is on the lips of everyone you talk to. Stores have closed because owners abused the drug, and lives are ruined.

One article at HealingWell.com has a blurb from Gilbert:

And Gilbert, W.V., police call the drug the worst they've ever dealt with, according to the National Drug Intelligence Center, which last month issued an advisory on the drug and similar products.

and the Media Awareness Project has an article from the Charleston Gazette about the epidemic in Gilbert:

The 41-year-old hairdresser says she has been around at least one person on OxyContin.

"It's like people under the influence are really intoxicated - highly intoxicated," says Vicki Stanley, who lives in the unlikely drug cradle of Gilbert. "Then when they're trying to come off, it's like they have the flu - - muscle cramps, body aches, sick at their stomachs.

"And that's just the physical addiction. The mental addiction is worse."

For the last couple of months, Stanley and other residents of this Mingo County town have been grappling with what they say is a narcotic epidemic.

According to families and friends, a good percentage of the town's population of 456 has developed an appetite for OxyContin, a potent opiate used to treat pain.

...

Palmer keeps abreast of the Gilbert group's activities. He said residents report people selling the pills at Gilbert High football games. Parents of students have entered the school, attempting to peddle the drug, he said.

How bad is it when parents of students are peddling this stuff? In a letter to Tommy Thompson, Congressman Frank Wolf laid out the issues better then most:

Several pharmacies in my congressional District have been robbed at gun point in recent months for OxyContin. No money was taken; the robbers only demanded the drug. Earlier this month, a prominent defense lawyer in northern Virginia who twice served as a local prosecutor in Prince William County pleaded guilty to federal drug charges linked to a large-scale investigation into the illegal distribution of OxyContin and other painkillers.

Communities where the illegal drug has taken hold are being completely destroyed. I am told there is one county in southwest Virginia where no one isn’t either using the drug, knows someone using the drug or been the victim of a crime by someone needing the drug.

When a professional baseball player recently died after taking the dietary supplement ephedra, your agency immediately issued fact sheets regarding potential serious risks of dietary supplements containing ephedra. You were even quoted as cautioning all Americans about using dietary supplements that contain ephedra.

According to fact sheets produced by the FDA, two deaths, four heart attacks, nine strokes and five psychiatric cases involving ephedra have been reported. More than 240 people have died from the abuse of OxyContin and countless numbers of families and communities have been torn apart by this drug.

What should be done? I don't know. Stricter regulations won't do anything, education might, but the hold of this drug is hard to break. Ask Rush. Ask anyone in Gilbert, "where no one isn’t either using the drug, knows someone using the drug or been the victim of a crime by someone needing the drug". Yeah, my birthplace, a place where I still have family I love, a family that if I asked about this drug would be able to tell me many stories of its horrible reign, was the county Wold mentioned. In a way it was a good thing that happened to Rush. I'm thankful he was given a wake-up call. Should he be ashamed? No, he should be thankful. Maybe Rush will put a human face on this epidemic. If left up to the media, however, it will probably be all about the smear campaign.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

The "powers" of OxyContin are being exaggerated now, and the "addiction disease potential" of patients is also.

I look at all info in this regard.

[Dane]

In the days prior to prescription pain medication, people who had herniated disks and constat pain akin to a red-hot poker being twisted around in their backs went down to the local general store and bought some off-the-shelf opium, or laid in bed writhing in pain while their spouse or neighbor got the opium for them.

There were no drug prohibitions until the early 20th century

Typical cookie cutter Libertarian answer. Do a google search with the words "the opium wars" and read about the devastation opium did to 19th century China.

But you probably won't. You got that all important Libertarian agenda to promote.

[grimalkin]

One codeine pill later, the pain disappeared within 15 minutes and I was out like a light for 8 hours of sleep.

Yep. Codeine is extremely effective. I had all four of my wisdon teeth extracted when I was 12 years old. They would have ruined my dental work had they been allowed to fully grow in. After some nasty surgery, my docs prescribed them to me. I could still feel some of the pain, but they worked so well I didn't even care. I slept most of the time.

The second time I had excruciating pain was from a very deep ear infection a few years ago. I decided to forego the painkillers and just take the super-strong antibiotics. The pain was as if my head, jaw and neck were on fire from the inside. I can't really find the words for it since it was so bad. Anyhow, it literally made me feel like I was losing my mind. Your whole existence is PAIN... nothing else matters. It was such a relief when the infection went away. I cannot imagine having to live with pain of that magnitude for a lengthy period of time.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Isn't that his advertising during the "profit centers"?

[Mo1]

YOU obviously don't live with severe and chronic pain.

Please read my other posts

I am not saying it should be banned or that people should not take them

I just think, because of studies, that doctors should monitor their patients to make sure they don't become so additict that they destroy their lives

And yes, I do think this can be done without the politicains putting their stupid ideas into the issue

[wardaddy]

Yes...it was a sleeping pill essentially...a hypnotic but idiosyncratically, it actually made folks loose and a bit energetic...blurred energetic, not speedy.

And as I said before, the relaxing of sexual inhibitions properties were legendary.

It was dangerous insofar as abuse and driving etc.

And a lot of later lamented sexual activity was engaged in. It was a wild time...I would not wish it on my teenaged daughters....not by a long shot.

[I still care]

Either that or they just died young.

[Two_Sheds]

It is a documented fact that doctors tend to underprescribe pain med instead of overprescribe.

Yep. The narcs at the DEA are constantly giving anal exams to physicians who prescribe too much. Some of them are running scams, others are legitimately treating pain.

I think I heard that the makers of Oxy are developing a way to make it impossible to change the pharmacokinetics of the drug by breaking it up. That would go a long way to helping the situation.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

I agree with all you said.

I love Rush for his ideas and his dedication to a cause.

I find myself disillusioned with both the anti Rush position and also his necessary defense and commentary about this.

Everyone has a bias in this and is bullshitting.

I am going to ignore it for a while!!

[NittanyLion]

Patients are obtaining the meds through channels other than their doctors. Rush apparently used his maid to get pills - his doctor isn't at fault here. Most of these cases are similar; doctors aren't simply prescribing as many pills as their patients request.

[ChemistCat]

I agree with you about the monitoring. I'm sorry if I misunderstood you. I can be very protective about "my people"--the disabled and those in chronic pain.

My mom has been given huge quantities of pain meds. So far she's policing her own use of them well. It's no thanks to her doctors. I've SEEN the ENORMOUS bottles of oxycontin she has been given. She has enough to supply an entire cult with the means to suicide. She doesn't like the side effects, so she hasn't followed Rush. If Rush had a doctor like my Mom's, it sure explains how he got hooked.

I remember the first time a dentist gave me nitrous oxide. If I could buy cans of that at Walgreen's, I'd have fried my brains by now. A doctor told me that marijuana would be better for me than any prescription pain med he could prescribe. But it's illegal, and I just don't wanna get to know the kind of people who supply that stuff.

I just don't think it's the government's business what we put into our body as long as we're not hurting anyone else. The FDA is unconstitutional. (The IRS should be, since that amendment was never properly approved!) Our drug use should be between us and our doctors and pharmacists--and clergy.

[Let's Roll]

"Doctors in the NY area have largely stopped prescribing OC for patients, except in the most extreme cases. "

Maybe that is the place to start - if someone has terminal cancer and less than a year to live - they should have whatever it takes to manage the pain - if that's oxycontin or some other addicting pain killer so what.

But if they aren't terminal that's where it gets pretty gray. Is it possible to alternate types of pain killers? Would this slow down or eliminate the tendency to addiction? There must be some way to manage pain without making their lives not worth living anyway.

[Dane]

Yes...it(qualude) was a sleeping pill essentially...a hypnotic but idiosyncratically, it actually made folks loose and a bit energetic...blurred energetic, not speedy.

Also the fact that qualudes had the number 714 on every pill(the same number as Joe Friday's, of Dragnet fame, badge) gave it a "hip" cache within the leftist/Libertarian drug culture world in the 70's.

[NittanyLion]

This thread is about Oxycontin. If you'd prefer to discuss libertarians, why don't you go find a thread on that topic?

Thanks in advance.

[wardaddy]

You know...I never thought of that till you just mentioned it.

Just the facts sir!

[Stew Padasso]

"Yes, it is quite obvious here that the "problem" is the drug, not those who abuse it."

Let me clarify. Those who abuse it.

[Lurker]

I've been taking Vicodin since a car accident in July, and it's rapidly becoming less and less effective.

I don't want to take anything stronger, but the pain in my back and legs is sometimes so bad I can barely stand it.

Fortunately, I have a doctor who believes in aggressive pain management. They have a pretty good idea of what's causing the pain. It's something called Lumbar Radiculopathy which I wouldn't wish on almost anyone.

Chronic pain is a real bitch to live with. It's a damn shame that a few idiots are going to cause some really beneficial medications to become very difficult to get for legitimate reasons.

Regards,

L

[DumpsterDiver]

This stuff can be a godsend when someone can't take 30 or fourty Vicodins per day. Properly used, there's nothing wrong with opiod pain medication.

I agree with you.

This may sound heartless to some but I don't want to see OxyContin restricted just because some junkies are dying from overdoses. I have read articles in the past where the autopsies showed that OxyContin was just one of the drugs found in the bodies of the deceased.

I'd hate to see what a doctor can prescribe be hindered because of the deaths of some addicts.

[Jim Noble]

I just think that some need to watch their patients better

What exactly does this mean?

Apart from interval visits (at which you can learn nothing useful from a drug addict), what sort of "watching" do you think should be done?

If you were Rush Limbaugh's doctor, how would you "watch him better"? I mean, specifically, what yould you recommend that a doctor could actually do?

Pill addicts are a nightmare in your practice. They are expert liars and decievers, whose entire day is structured around scoring off of you in a fifteen minute encounter, which for you is one of twenty to forty such encounters-one right after the other.

"Watching them closer" is for television. We, unfortunately, work in reality.

[Dane]

This thread is about Oxycontin. If you'd prefer to discuss libertarians, why don't you go find a thread on that topic?

Uh NL, wardaddy brought up the issue of qualudes. I was just reporting a historical fact about the 70's leftist/Libertarian drug culture with my reply #73.

Looks like your beef is with wardaddy for bringing up the subject of qualudes, not me.