2014 New Pain Medication Laws Dictating To Doctors That They Cannot Prescribe Anything Equivalent 120 Mg Of Morphine Or Higher A Day Per Patient (Page 2) (Top voted first)

I was told Friday by my Pain Management Doctor at my monthly appointment that the DEA was implementing a new law dictating to doctors on how much pain medication they could prescribe per patient per day. It could be equal to no more than 120 mg of Morphine per day per patient and they had to comply within 3 months for all of their patients. I am trying to find out as much information on this as possible. I don't know if my Pain Management Doctor is stating fact or if he is just running scared and if he is stating fact, I don't know if this is federal or state (Alabama) mandated. I spoke directly with the Southeastern division of the DEA in Atlanta this morning and they are not aware of any law of this nature coming into effect and I also contacted another pain clinic locally that has never heard of it either. So I have been trying to reach my Pain Management Clinic and get a copy of the law itself so I will know if it's federal or state and if it is an actual law or just a state regulation and if it's even true but so far no one has called me back so I thought I'd try my luck here and see if anyone has heard of this. This really has me bothered. It looks like either way, true or not, to get adequate pain care I am at least going to have to move out of state if not the entire country. I will ask my questions about that in a different post. But if this is in any way true, and it seems my pain doctor is going to be going by these guidelines whether it is or is not true, it is going to cut my pain meds by almost half. I am on 120 mg of Oxycodone and 8 mg of Dilaudid per day which I was told equals 212 mg of Morphine per day. And before someone decides to tell me that I don't need that much pain medication, I will go ahead and say to you, you don't know me, you don't know what conditions I have that cause me Daily Severe Chronic Pain and other Daily Severe Pain to warrant that much medication, you don't know my tolerance for pain meds, I do NOT take any pain medication to feel high, I ONLY take pain medication to relieve some of the pain as what I am on doesn't even relieve all of my pain, I do NOT drink, I do NOT do street drugs, I see my doctor every 28 days just as I am supposed to, I take my medication as prescribed and the way I am supposed to take it except when I had extreme oral surgery a month ago and I did have to break up my tablets for about a week but they were put on my tongue and NOT up my nose and they were IR tablets so I was fine doing that as I had checked with my pharmacist prior, and you don't feel what I feel or see me lying in bed 24/7 crying from the pain because it is so excruciating and unrelenting so please before anyone starts telling me that I don't need that much pain medicine just stop now before you even start. Those of you that have to live with daily pain will surely understand where I am coming from being this defensive as I'm sure you know you are treated as a drug addict by most doctors even. Thanks in advance for any help with my question.

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REPORT

I urge all to log onto petition2congress.com and lodge a complaint. Also complain to Jim Arnold of DEA repeatedly to start with. Litigation, picketing, they started it and we'll finish it!

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Bart.....there supposedly is no such law but, in Minnesota, the doctors are cutting people down and off meds left and right using this 120mg Morphine Equivalent as a reason!!!! It does not matter why the person is on the meds! This is pure bs and this is not going to resolve a drug war. If nothing else, it will create more criminals than you have ever seen!!!!! NO ONE has the right.....and I mean NO ONE.....to tell someone else that they are on too much pain medication. Everyones tolerance is different.....you don't have to be on narcs for years to have a low pain and high narc tolerance. People who are saying this kind of crap know nothing about human physiology! Pain....especially long term, chronic pain can cause strokes and heart attacks. Of course I am talking about pain that is not controlled to some degree. The DEA, FDA, Government, etc has no business in the relationship of a doctor and their patient. Of course, if the doctor has someone on a ridiculous amount of medications that are proven lethal or dangerous...then, by alll means....BUT, to tell a doctor they cannot treat their patients pain? Total BS!!!!! I have worked in healthcare for almost 30 years and I remember when a doctor was able to treat his/her patient as they saw they needed.....that doesn't exist anymore. Even the dam medical insurance companies are dictating what and how much a doctor can prescribe.Some how and some way we need to fight "city hall." I believe in pain control!!!!!!

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Jenny, I'm not finished reading your post but I'm stopping at the part about not being allowed to take Adderall & narcotics. Is that per the insurance Co, the Dr or the new rules set by the DEA? I'm really not a hateful person at all but I can honestly say I think the DEA and our government in general are the most evil, power hungry, arrogant, freaks from hell. Ok, I'm going back to your post.

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Great response . Its a shame that a bunch of people with no real experience are dictating the treatment of ALL patients.
I live in Florida and the situation was awful a few years ago. We were the capital of pill mills and about 50-100 people were dying of OD every day. It was destroying florida. So the state decided to do something about it. The DA got the pill mills shut down . There are 98% gone now. There is also a statewide opiate register and ever prescription was put in the computer. Its a law now and that has destroyed the doctor shoppers and has helped get a handle on the problems. The state of FL recognized the advantages of subutex/suboxone and it was not attacked like the state of TN.

Thank God that craziness of that attachment / link is NOT a DEA paper. Its a bunch of bullying Doctors and insurance people that DO NOT care for patients and just want to save money. Is like when the insurance company started to get people to wear seat belts. Do you think they were doing to help save peoples lives etc? NO , it was just to save money they were paying out on claims.

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Dude I looked it up per your link. I don't know if you are attempting to show how smart u are or how stupid. That sir is an insurance guideline and even it doesn't limit you to 120med. It simply says the 120med guideline calls for a closer look.. I have called Dea myself and they also say there is no such law. It is indeed a pain in the ass, due to people like u adding to it calling it a federal law, there is not such law. Let me repeat a insurance guideline isn't law. We as pain suffers have to band together and fight the discrimination against us. We have to fight ignorance such as yours. Please don't post something unless u read and understand. Thank u.

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A Pharmacist Cannot Change a Prescription Without A Physicians Authorization. A Pharmacist Can Refuse To Fill A Prescription. President Obama has nothing to do with this. It is a matter of liability.

"The responsibility for the proper prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances is upon the prescribing practitioner, but a corresponding responsibility rests with the pharmacist who fills the prescription."

Purpose of issue of prescription:
deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/cfr/1306/1306_04.htm

Role of Authorized Agents in Communicating Controlled Substance Prescriptions to Pharmacies:
deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2010/fr1006.htm

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Who are these people to judge how much pain medication I need. Put your feet in my shoes and tell me I don't need more than 120 mg. They're self righteous ignorant a**holes that think they know it all. God is watching them and remember, what goes around comes around. 7 fold.

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Isn't apparent Fellow Suffers, that WE ARE NOT WANTED! Not in AMERICA... Then where?! We are just Numbers & Statistics to ALL Those who Keep Tightening the "Noose of the Daily Undeserving Agony that's ALREADY Wrapped Tightly around the Millions of Necks of Decent & Honest Citizens for "Reasons" The "Rule Makers" use that We KNOW are Simply "EXCUSES" for their Actions. Also, So Many blame "The Pills" as the Killers of their Children, But Who Was Responsible for Teaching the Dangers of Drugs,..and for Knowing more, and Watching Over the Young Angels, When they Chose To Take OUR Pills? May God Bless All Our Lost Loved Ones,
If I could Bring Back even One Single Beautiful, promising Young Daughter Or Son, I would probably Give Up My Remaining Years for One. I've Lived 60 yrs..and the Remainder Might Be too Painful, at The Rate things are going. All I ask, And People who "HURT" from Sunrise to Sundown, is Please, Please Don't Make ALL of PAY Or SUFFER, BY FORCING US TO LIVE Our Lives IN PAIN, For What YOU, Others Or BigPharma May have Forgotten to Say.... And NOW you are out to Ban All Pain killers? Why Hurt Millions of People who don't even know You?! Why Not make a BETTER DIFFERENCE!? TELL YOUR STORY! Just Warn Teens and Adults that They Should Never, Ever Take another Person's Meds, Or Take More than Prescribed, etc.BECOME A TEACHER, MAKE SPEECHES at SCHOOLS UNIVERSITIES!! There will ALWAYS BE ANOTHER DRUG TO ABUSE. Campaigning to Rid the Country of ONE, is CounterProductive! Do you really want to change things in the name of your Daughter/Son who is now Passed from An OPIATE?!? Then TEACH, TRAIN , OTHER CHILDREN, ... IN HER/HIS NAME, JUST EDUCATE ... SO OTHERS LIKE THEM WILL SAY "NO" To ALL DRUGS! Just Like I did, Growing Up. I was Told & Educated about the Dangers of Them ALL.. and said "No" if they weren't mine!
We Only get One Chance at Life, it's ONE Time around...Please don't take the Medications away That Simply Give US NO 'HIGH'.. But, Quality of Life, till the Day
When God Chooses Us to Die

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Thx keikee for reading and the only thing that i was trying to get across was that yes it's a fact that the whole meds topic has gotten way political and a whole lot of patients are feeling it due to docs that are in their profession for the entirely WRONG reason when they took their oath..fortunately for me due to one doc of mine who was feeling the pressure i was able to get with the right guy who takes his profession literally to heart and is going to bat for his patients that he knows really needs the help..Ive been doing this since my accident 23 years ago n have been lucky enough to be with a few gr8 docs, and all these years l8er to have a doc willing to take me on knowing what hehas to face just goes to show that there are some out there who KNOW WHAT THEIR JOB IS..again thx for reading my post

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So this goes out to anyone who really gets IT..how much pain can be endured mentally n physically before we feel guilty about making others in our lives harder cuz they have to deal with someone who is physically not able to do much n mentally fed up..Sometimes it just feels hopeless..i dunno even if this makes sense..Good day to all

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B L & posters- the CDC guidelines for the 120 mg limit apply to pain patients EXCEPT for those with cancer, palliative, or end of life care. This is written in the guidelines- therefore if your pain Dr. Dx's your treatment as palliative the guidelines do not apply
T his exemption has not really been understood by allot of our drs, I believe , mostly due to the same fear of the DEA that keeps drs from treating us as they should. Our chronic pain which is considered palliative should have no limits upon it, thus your dr. Should have no problem treating you under this exemption.
Of course the DEA has overstepped their boundaries in many instances without retribution thus there may be justifiable fear from our drs. Even tho the guidelines have this exemption clearly stated the crooked DEA will do whatever they wish. In my opinion with no controls being enforced upon this gov created group of vigilantes we have no hope of things being corrected, unless someone has the power& knowledge to override their actions.

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Most of the push for the new laws have come from the Obama Administration not just Republicans. Watch the last 3 President Obama press conferences on drug overdoses. He even has a new special this week on reducing prescription abuse with the singer Macklemore from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. YES there are Republicans from the House and Senate pushing laws, but most of it has come from Dems. I was able too walk a few times a week before the opioid law, now I'm back to being bed ridden and lost 13 pounds. These new laws will in all likelihood kill me. They want to look strong preventing opioid overdoses and addiction, but they are killing the actual patients who didn't abuse. They made it so it sounds like just a recommendation, not a law, but doctors are scared to get on The DEA Radar and risk having their license taken away. I've had 5 doctors quit in the last year. I hope everyone can survive the politicians games.

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Spyz, I spent 6 good years of my life in severe pain and my world had grown to the size of my bedroom and bathroom. No Dr. could "see" what was wrong with me, so there was nothing wrong with me, other than being a bored housewife wanting opiates. With the exception of tooth surgery I had not been on any opiate in 42 years. I was carrying back library books in a huge stack and did not know there was a speed bump. I went down and so went down hard. Went to ER, nothing on x-ray, Cscan, or MRI. Here are 9 Vicodin and see your regular dr. In the middle of changing health ins, no primary Dr. I grinned and bared it. My life included screaming into a pillow so the neighbors wouldn't hear. Couldn't, work, drive and though friends hung in there there's just so much good times talking over a bed table. We had a family vacation coming up booked a year in advance and partially paid. We opted to go. The places we were going to were about 500 mile round trip. On that "vacation" we were riding cable cars to get to our destination. I got a real workout, with no possibility of getting off until the trip ended. I was in so much pain. This place was based on an old western town. Nothing but hard wood benches everywhere. I did do one morbidly entertaining thing while there, they had a coffin standing upright, stuffed with whatever and sewn with pink silk. Looked like the most comfortable place I'd find, I got in crossed my arms and let anybody who wanted to, to take a picture, long as I could remain in there. That did not go over good with the management. My husband ended the vacation and we headed to the biggest hospital around, Vanderbilt in Nashville. I could not have arrived at a better time, a fellow neurosurgeon was visiting. They ask if I would be a volunteer patient, comping the bill if they could show how they ruled out problems. Told him never diagnosed never helped. Since my last bunch of evaluations, I had the entire L5/S1 spine bulging all the way out, with two more to follow. I told him that was horrible but it was the burning, 3rd degree pain of my right leg leaving me in worse pain. I had run into, by accident, on vacation one of the few Dr.'s seriously studying Reflex sympathetic dystrophy. One of the first things he did was evaluate the the nerves in that upper right leg. My diagnostic results came out looking like a roller coaster. The Dr said after numerous studies, RSD was like a 3rd degree burn and the only thing that can help that kind of pain is opiates. I know I had been told 120 that's it, but because of my excellent Dr.'s notes and diagnostics on file, I don't want to say where but I am over 2 1/4 x the 120 dose mg. I don't know if they have done any nerve evaluation on you, but without them, I would still be sitting up in my room in my bed. I did attempt to have my back repaired, 4 surgeries, and a titanium cage. I would advise anyone to try everything first! My back is a mess. I did have to go to a specialist for opiates, but in some cases, with good notes apparently you can go over the limit. At the same time, I watched as the police escorted two people away for Dr shopping because they said, "Florida is the only state that does not have an internal system to inform other pharmacist that they have just been to their store. The whole thing will turn out bad, there will be OD's, new illicit drug users, and suicides. I think it's one of the most poorly thought out idea in years!! And yes I could of been one of the three mentioned above.

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I too am a victim of the pain management attack on AMERICAN CITIZENS. I'm interested the group you mentioned. Will you please let me know how to get involved?

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BL - îf you insist upon giving your uncaring, un qualified advice then you need to present more info about yourself.
Exactly what makes you any type of authority (educated or experienced) so you are even qualified to spew your be-littling attitude towards us.
This forum is for those of us in need of help and empathetic guidance. You offer statistics which are given with superiority of self. Please take yourself down a notch and let us know who you are, where you are coming from.
None of us needs an unknown with cruel intentions and false information.

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I was told on Monday by my Pain management doctor that it could be no more than 90mg of morphine per day per person . I am in a pickle to since I have been with my pain management doctor for over 15 years and now I have been on Morphine sulfate 200mg in the am and 200mg in the Pm. for 8 years , after all he is the person that put me on the meds and increased then time after time. I am not going to be cut 100mg per month , so not looking forward to this . I think maybe our doctors have got into some trouble or something. IDK and for anyone who says anything about my pain meds I have RA ,Lupus, you do not know what someone else is going through until you have walked in their shoes. To the person I an replying to please keep me updated on what you find out.

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The way things are going that's what we are going to have to do. I think this is only the first the limit of 120 mg of morphine, they will continue to reduce the s $a@amount of pain medication until it is banned all together. Legitimate pain patients are being punished for the misuse if pain meds by addicts. They should improve and expand treatment for addicts and leave chronic pain patients alone. We already suffer enough from the injuries aND diseases we havd. -!!! Some days I wake up and I just don't to live one more day with this pain.

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If u can get a 120 a day consider urself lucky. But laws are changing this year 2022, due to DOUBLE OVERDOSES, since they reduced opiods in 2016. The deaths were a large percentage of CHRONIC PAIN patients, going on streets to buy... So FDA, realizes they wrote HALF the PRESCRIPTIONS, but deaths went up!

They just closed the comment on it from public opinion, and Dr opinion. Its important to post ur issues. I check FDA website monthly. So if the public had enough people, submitted there issues, hopefully law changes end of this year. I'm a chronic pain patient. The older I get the more they take away, as my bones are weaker, and my health is poor, mostly because my pain is NOT UNDER CONTROL.

FDA HAS A CHART CALLED A MML. If ur at 90%, that's HIGH. If ur ABOVE 90, 4 PEOPLE QUALIFIES, CANCER, END OF LIFE, people at home, that can't function daily. There's a name 4 it but can't remember. Anyway all pain meds are different MML POINTS. LIKE NORCO 1 POINT, MORPHINE 1 POINT. The rest are higher. I take 5 norco, and 2- 15mg MORPHINE. I'm at 80. I used to be on double plus oxycodone. Now I can only sit. But the MG u take times by how many PER DAY. so I take 5-10/325 norco that equals 50. Then I take 2-15 MG, MORPHINE, thats 30. Equals 80.

BUT HOPEFULLY, this will change end of year. People who are not in CHRONIC PAIN, will not get more. But all CHRONIC pain peeps, will get more pain meds. I know personally. They are expensive, but what are we supposed 2 do? I just pray it passes, and u can find MML chart on line. Google MML CHART MEDICATION. I seen the proposed MML chart if law passes, which it will. Its much better.

My son has leukemia, has to take CHEMO PILLS DAILY, they make him feel like he has the worst flu times 10. He works 16 hrs a day. And they give him 6 pills norcos. That's 60MML. He should be over 90. Its like WTF? He just moved to ft worth Texas, got his cancer doctor, and he sent him 2 pain mgmt. When I went to pain mgmt, they try 2 take away your meds. Not help relive ur pain. The system is just so MESSED UP.

Some people NEED PAIN MEDS. But, the ones that screwed everything up, was the people who DIDN'T have PAIN, and ABUSED PAIN MEDS. Now, us CHRONIC pain people suffer. New rule tho, break ur arm, DEFINITELY NOT opioids. TOOTH ACHE, NOPE. If u never had any, u won't get any. Thank lord, that was a huge problem. Anyways, if anyone does know of a good pain mgmt in FT WORTH, TEXAS, please let me know. I'm not double checking my note so hope its ok! Good luck! At if ur not getting ur MML ur QUALIFIED FOR, SAY SOMETHING TO UR DOCTOR. ITS THE LAW. Night.

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Re: Grace C. (# 5)

Both parties are ignoring the issue because no one understands it. The MSM does more harm. Insurance saves money - now billions. If we were Transgender we wouldn’t have a problem.

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My apologies again! I'm a 20+ year Chronic Pain Patient, and as you've probably noticed I'm starting to ramble in my disgust of this "War on Chronic Pain Patients!" You cannot make me believe that all of my Doctors over the past 30 years are wrong! I had been doing great on my opioid regimen of pain medications, until they were suddenly taken away: no need for breakthrough meds, 80% pain free, a positive outlook for my future, and now all of that is gone!

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