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These drugs have destroyed many lives. I have a family member with disc problems who lives in constant pain. She is so desperate for pain pills that she raids the medicine cabinet of everybody she visits. When she comes over our house, my wife and I have to hide everything, including what is in the liquor cabinet. It's a sad spectacle. One time she took all my wife's percosets (that she had been taking for an operation she recently had) and left just one pill in the bottle - as if we wouldn't notice.

I am very fortunate in that I have had a relatively pain-free life and only had one prescription in my life - antibiotics for a sinus infection about 10 years ago. It's hard for me to understand people what people with chronic pain have to deal with for that reason. I'm sure Rush's addiction made him do things he now regrets also. I hope that Rush (and my family member) can somehow beat this addiction while also finding a way to deal with the chronic pain.

"It's hard for me to understand people what people with chronic pain have to deal with for that reason."

Go stick both hands into the flame of the cook stove burners, when you get that sudden urge to remove them, then you will have an inkling of severe chronic pain. I have had three major back surgeries. The last one ten months ago involved surgical relief for pinched nerves and the fusing of four lumbar vertebrate, which necessitated two 9 mm titanium rods and eight large screws to hold things together. The operation was to correct the previous failed back surgeries. It didn't, neuropathy resulting from the pinched nerves was too far advanced.

I have constant back and leg pain, then just for good measure, I have periodic spasms in the large muscles of the back. When it occurs, the muscles bunch and knot up into contorted balls, by this time I am literally screaming and writhing on the floor in pain.

Without medication I am afraid to sneeze, or even cough when the muscles are irritated for fear of triggering the spasms. I am currently on the Duragisic patch and three other pain meds. Addiction is the least of my worries or concerns at this time, I am struggling to just function and achieve something of a life even close to normality.

I'm a former drug addict and dealer, many years past now. But it wasn't prescription drugs I was into. I only pray that Rush will draw closer to the Lord through this process. IMO, after having seen MANY cases of addiction cured, Jesus Christ is the only One who can really fix the problem at it's source.

I don't usually preach on FR, (in fact I usually just make wiseguy cracks about liberals), but this is an area of personal, intimate experience for me, in my own life and in helping others.

And for you folks dealing with chronic pain, He can heal your body too. I trying not to sound like so many 'religious' posters sound, but it's the only truth I can completely depend on after many years of testing it and living it. I pray and hope that Rush will get his edge back in all this.

there is now a tendency for doctors to prescribe adequate pain killers to patients with pain. YOur relative should go to a pain clinic and be evaluated for pain. There is too much pressure on doctors not to prescribe adequate pain relief by the drug police, but nowadays there is a new emphasis on allowing us to prescribe adequate pain relief.

http://painaid.painfoundation.org/

For chonic pain, if we have to use narcotics, we do a "drug contract" and most people (except for cancer patients, whose pain increases) stay on the same dose for years. We tend to use long acting low dose stuff like Oxycontin, since lortab causes a "high" then a "low" both in pain relief and in euphoria. (scrappleface's satire that Rush should be oxycontin's spokesman because he could work using this drug was actually true)(Druggies don't take oxycontin. They crush it and snort/inject it to get high, i.e. the 12 hours dose all at once).

However, some people get used to the euphoria when they hurt continue using drugs. (Johnny Carson joked that he was given Percodan for a broken arm. When the arm healed, he was tempted to break the other arm to get more percodan).

THe difference is that they stay on it for the euphoria after the acute problem heals, or they use it for pain and then keep increasing the drug to get the euphoria effect. This seems to be Rush's problem.

People in pain will go out and sell their soul for pain relief. But I have less sympathy for Rush, who seems to have increased his drug use after his surgery. He mumbles about addiction, but actually for cancer and pain patients, it's fairly easy to detox them once the pain goes, or to keep them on the same dosage for years: for those with the psychological problem of addiction, the problem is to teach them new life skills, so they don't reach for a drug because they like the euphoria whenever things get rough...

Many people who do this already have used other drugs, usually alcohol, marijuana or street drugs, in the past, and get a compulsion to use pills or potions for their non pain problems. Since Rush was married three times, I suspect that he had problems long before he started pain pills, but I'd only be guessing...

however, non pushers rarely get drug time: They get rehab instead, even heavy users. IF Rush is arrested, he will get probation. Only if he breaks parole like Robert Downey, will he go to jail.

I am no fan of Rush, but have remembered him in my prayers. If he kicks the habit, he may develop humility, a trait he is lacking...not humility as in groveling, but the humility/reverence that puts life into proper perspective...