Big Pharma's Lockdown On Legitimate Chronic Pain Patients (Page 4) (Top voted first)

Is narcotic pain medicine becoming a thing of the past?

Why are doctors across America phasing out the practice of prescribing effective pain medication?

Will big pharmaceutical companies ever truly understand what it's like to face the other side of the coin?

Lately there's been a musty scent in the air surrounding the use of prescribed narcotic pain medication. Many doctors appear to be running scared as the DEA scours through fields of medical records, inspecting prescribing pads like a mouse scavenges for food in a dimly lit cellar.

Should the day come when doctors recommend Ibuprofen to a feeble man who's been involved in a terrible car accident (breaking several bones / requiring extensive surgery), is this doctor at risk of malpractice when there are more effective options available that they choose not to pick, out of fear? Fear of what? Doing the right thing? No, I don't think this is the reason... Somewhere along the line, in the not too distant past, doctors were loosely prescribing narcotic pain medication as if it would never go out of style. Nowadays, the harsh penalty of potentially losing their license for writing any unknown number of opiate prescriptions over so many calendar days or some other form of strict criteria, has been enough to prevent many physicians from taking even subtle "risks" with patients who are expressing obvious signs of pain and discomfort.

The unfortunately unique problem with pain is that it's not a physical object and in order for others to detect it, they'd have to rely solely on the backbone of our body language using their intuition - something that's gone missing in western practice. If more doctors took the time and really got to know their patients front to back, then they will be their own best judge of deciding what the right thing to do is, regardless of what the DEA thinks about their decision or what their drug representative wants out of the deal. Sadly, until patients are put before profits, the foundation of America's healthcare system remains in jeopardy like an iceberg affected by global warming.

While I believe that the vast majority of human beings in their right mind would choose to do the right thing, we must all work together to become the change we wish to see within every aspect of our lives; and knowing that by doing so, it will shine light on those crossing our path that need it most.

In the meantime, some patients may have to find another way to manage their pain without putting their life or health at risk. Others are turning to natural alternatives such as kratom, cannabis, turmeric and/or implementing various lifestyle changes into their daily regime... But the key is to never give up hope.

What will you do?

Warm regards to all who face life's challenges head on.

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Re: w john (# 612)

I agree with you 100% w john. When I saw my p. m. P. A. 2 months ago, I asked her to cut down my dosage & quantities of the various opioids I have been on for 27 years. She was a little surprised & worked with me a little in adjusting most of them. I must admit that the 1st couple of weeks sucked & I wished I never made that request! But things seem to get better as time goes by. As I explained to her, I see that 'train' of no more pain meds coming some day. So I am kinda easing myself off before no more hits me like a ton off bricks! You must be mentally prepared, as well as physically ready when trying to get off of 27 years of use. So the DEA, FBI, FDA, Pharmacy companies: you all win! Hope y'all happy. Now, as I stated before, pharmacy robberies, suicides, stolen drugs and use of street drugs all will increase!! But it's ok to smoke & drink, which kill far more people than the made up opioid deaths stats ever will!

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"Let me introduce you to Dr. Debbie Nickels Heck from Muncie, Indiana. She was a woman who went to medical school in her 30’s, is a mother of three, a grandmother to seven and a woman with some very strong opinions about the environment in which chronic pain patients are being treated.

The alternatives for patients are truly few when opioids are PART of their treatment plan and obtaining them has become so difficult due to legislative actions made by those who have reacted to media hysteria without medical justification and doctors afraid DEA agents will be knocking on their doors taking away their licenses to practice with accusations they are “writing too many opioids in dosages that are too high” without any background on individual patient needs. HOW can medicine be practiced in such an environment? And you want to know what alternatives PATIENTS have? What alternatives do DOCTORS have when fearing prosecution for having done nothing wrong?"

Source: "Meet a Doctor Who is a Grandma and a Fighter for Chronic Pain Patients", nationalpainreport.com. Web. June 13th, 2018

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Re: MacTurk (# 1)

Just suddenly cutting you off from pain meds was dangerous also. You should have been taken off slowly.

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There is hope due to the fact Canada was following suit right behind the United States. And because Canada was woken up by patients and doctors they reversed the laws they had recently changed limiting opiates due to the facts they were hurting Chronic Pain Patients. Canada saw the need that Pain Patients needed their meds!

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Re: W john (# 828)

Anyone who knows anything about anything would know Obama in 2010 started the pharmaceutical opioid war on drugs! I watched the speech Obama gave that was televised stating his intentions on how his administration was going after this horrible public epidemic afflicting millions of Americans!

All of these people suffering with TDS aka Trump Derangement Syndrome and can't see the forest for the trees. Has caused people on the left to become so severely mentally impaired that facts and truths mean nothing any longer... Just like Obama started the government's FAKE opioid crisis=Fact!

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This is Dumb to be arguing over Political parties because BOTH agree on Robbing Drs and cutting pain patients OFF. It's the ONLY thing they do Agree on? This pain care Problem started a decade ago. NOW it's out of Control and people are killing their selves from Untreated or undertreated Pain. Let's stop in house arguing and UNITE to Fight Back AGAINST this Torture. The public needs to Get LOUDER. All the facts we Need to be spreading is found on U-Tube by George Knapp at I-Team News channel 8 News Now. He's gathered all the FACTS.

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I keep reading about petitions for chronic pain patients but have no idea how to find any. I like many others am suffering. My "pain management" doctor only gives me small doses of Morphine. The dose is totally inadequate but better than nothing at all. Doctors are no longer managing pain; rather a cheap imitation and still collecting high fees. I fear the future. I am 66, disabled nurse who had proper pain control until 2017. Then the bottom fell. Haven't had proper pain control for 18 months. I have no quality of life and can't even enjoy time with my little grandson. He is almost 5 and sadly sees me suffering and worries about "Nana's" pain. A child that young shouldn't have to worry about any adult. His awareness of my pain breaks my heart. Whoever started this "opioid" crisis bull should have to suffer like we all do or watch a loved one suffer. Anyway, any info on petitions will be appreciated. May God help us all deal with our pain without losing our minds or ending up on the street seeking relief.

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Re: Tommy (# 5)

Yes its a problem ,everything is on computer these days,surely it cant be that hard to see if someone is dr shopping ,why not have somewhere where people can pick up there pain meds ,then have it put on computer that they have picked up what they need ,otherwise the illegal street scene is going to be out of control.also what do drs an politicians do for pain managment ?just put up with the agony and pain !i really dont think so.

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Re: Valerie (# 1107)

Oh please valerie, don't let anyone chase you away from a group or anything in life..you have rights to, opinions likes everyone else..that is how you let them win..now reconsider and jump back on and help fight this battle..which really nobody here can do. It's just free speech. Unless someone here we dont know about with connections and they dont..or they would fix it not complain

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Belladonna (# 1112) --

Thank you for giving Valerie some encouragement. Criticism belongs to men who caused it, never her! I hope she reads it and returns, and just ignore the garbage thrown at her.

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Doctors must have special licensing for prescribing opioids, Trumps fake news that there is an epidemic of illegal pain control medications have been parroted by republican state attorney generals,.The real fact is the only way one can get opioids is to steal them from a family member, doctor feel goods,AND THE CHAIN PHARMACIES SELLING TO MD's OFF THE BOOKS AS Walgreens was busted for by the DEA in 2013 , it turns out majority of chain pharmacies did this which is why 99.9% of them changed policies in dispensing these meds.Google Walgreens busted by DEA 2013 walgreens distribution center Jupiter Florida, IT EXPLAINS THE WHOLE ISSUE, ALSO CHECK ON WALGREENS "GOODFAITH POLICY" THAT THEY PUT IN PLACE TO RID THEMSELVES OF PAIN PATIENTS and to satify the DEA that they were doing something about it. a few hundred of walgreens pharmacists quit before they stooped to this low walgreens pulled on pain patients even knowing all the other chain pharmacies were not taking new pqain patients due to the fact they were all doing the same illegalities.The "GOOD FAITH PROGRAM WAS IN SHORT THE PHARMACISTS WERE TOLD TO LIE TO THE PAIN PATIENTS BY TELLING THEM THEIR SUPPLY HAS NOT YET ARRIVED, THIS WENT ON LONG ENOUGH TO FORCE THE PATIENTS TO SEEK OTHER PHARMACIES TO FILL THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS WHEN HERE IN FLORIDA WHERE THE DEA RAIDED WALGREENS DISTRIBUTION CENTER OTHER PHARMACIES WOULD NOT TAKE ON NEW PAIN PATIENTS, IT CAUSED SEVERAL SUICIDES IN FLORIDA FOR MANY ELDERLY WHO COULD NOT FIND RE LEAF FROM THEIR PAIN ADD THE LIES OF OR CHIEF MORON AND HABITUAL LIAR IN CHIEF Trump, i refuse to call him president due to his incompetence, and mental instability

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Re: Rootsgal (# 1363)

National Pain Report is advocating for us LEGITIMATE LONG TERM CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS. I’m right there with all of you, we have been forgotten & literally tortured by the opiod crisis that we had nothing to do with. Unfortunately, we are suffering due to know faults of our own. We just want to live a semi-productive life with our hidden life long disease.

FDA identifies harm reported from sudden discontinuation of opioid pain medicines and requires label changes to guide prescribers on gradual, individualized tapering

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Re: MacTurk (# 1)

I to am 60 and on disability due to back problems which are duly authorized. Was in a wheelchair over 3 years in 2006. Epidural shots spinal stimulator installed in back surgeries and then a long time to come to a process of trial and error to find the right combination of meds that work to make life easier. I took a 12 hr time released then percocet 10 for break thru 3 times a day.
Boom last August cut completely off. Like u said became almost bed bound. To this day still have not found another Dr. Now back to surgeon and him to give 60 norco for a month was like pulling teeth. What are we to do? Cannabis is not legal in Ga. Im trying CMD oil but to no avail yet. Hope to try kratom, almost anything for relief. Worked my whole life now I just don't know what it's coming to. How decent people can be treated as we are. Just a Country Lady in pain. Prayers for you.

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I am so tired of hearing that Trump is going to shut down Big Pharma. However I am in favor of these big companies overcharging us (the little or Medicare/medicaid/low income consumer) but I think he is fighting for the wrong reason. As I see and read it, he wants to shut it all down. Why can't he put his energy in the right direction? Just think of it. You won't be able to get the meds you need to survive nor get chronic pain meds. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that is his goal who all depend on the meds they need as he thinks we don't need them. As someone wrote about a police officer that got shot. Could he need pain meds? How about out our brave men overseas fighting hard and getting wounded badly. What are their views on that? No pain meds...just suffer and you'll be ok because it's not me.

I don't think so Mr. Trump. I think you are barking up the wrong tree. Or the DEA too. Your job as a DEA employee is to stop the illegal drug infiltrating out borders..So you proceed anyway without the cause. Street drugs are exactly what they are. Why do you persist to stop legal prescribed drugs just because they become of street usage? So you say you save a life doing that. But did it start out as a street drug? If so, I was prescribed street drugs by a very legitimate doctor for at least 30 years. If you continue to make pharmaceutical drugs illegal then you will try to abolish all drugs that people depend on and you will make the people who get prescription drugs go into the street to get chronic pain sufferers relief yet making criminals out of them. How about the flow of drugs coming from the cartel's So you can't keep them from the borders so go for the legal drugs that help US citizens. How about your DEA agents? Do they get shot or hurt on the job? What if they don't have drugs to relieve their pain. If they don't get injured which probably rarely happens, what will help them? Maybe they are not, doing their job for taxpayers. And for Mr. Trump, have you ever had any illnesses? Right now you may feel healthy and young, but believe me, your time is coming because no one lives forever and you will get old too. My 94 yr. old father has to take between 10 to 15 medications a day to keep him alive. So you can blame yourselves when there is nothing available to take away your ailments at your twilight years.

Then you all can blame your ignorance for things to come. As for the people now that are suffering, what do you care if it is not you. For every king pin you arrest, there will always be someone to fill their shoes. Just as history has repeated itself over and over, yet it seems like nothing was learned. The wheel keeps spinning and the ignorant keep getting flats. If you want to stop or at least curb the drug problem, you are going about it the wrong way because it is not working. When somebody has lost their loved one because of an overdose, all you can think about is getting rid of all the drugs and not the real problem that caused it. Can you people actually realize what is happening? I don't believe it could be explained to you because it's probably above your level of intelligence. So keep the wheel in progress.

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I am really dumbfounded & tick off about the good FDA. After 27+ years of taking opioids safely and responsibly for chronic pain, my PM. doc as taken away 2 out 4 of my meds that I depend on. I am 60 & would like to spend my last years relatively pain free. Cigs kill thousands every year as we know & are advertised all over. Same thing with alcohol , right? Yet they allow a certain whiskey TV commercial to air which shows a group of men climbing a mountain & then drinking whiskey by a camp fire on the top at night. Boy, the cig & alcohol lobbyists sure have their way , don't they? Truly amazing!! I think my doc, who has been practicing for over 30 years knows what he's doing. Why don't the 'powers that be' let him for full his oath that he took? He wants to, but the good old DEA has him scared to death for doing his job. This madness has to end!! On one of the previous posts was spot on about pharmacy's lying about certain meds not being available for a week. .

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I can relate.... My meds have been cut over 80% maybe 90%.... I have been taking opioids since 6/2000 with never having a life-threatening event .... Why you ask.... Because I followed the dosage directions & understood pain meds were never supposed to make you pain free... Just make you functionable to the best level possible.... B4 they cut my meds they finally got me to a high functioning (for someone that the orth. Dr asked how they got from the parking lot to their office since I only had a cane & was by myself. He could not believe I walked into his office. He looked at & said no according to your mri you should not be able to walk... My response... I dont see how I couldnt (this was around 2005)..... N e way I digress.... N e way I was on around 360mg equivalent to morphine a day they now have me cut back to 50mg a day... Its like they are trying to make it so I actually cant walk (unrelated drs in dif states) so as ya can guess I dont go out hardly ever n e more I go to dr every 60 days & 2 the store maybe every 2 to 3 week at most.... I have been working on something that needs fixed before the med cuts it prob woulda took prob 3-4 days if took to shop prob take 5 hours (I am def way above average at b n mechanically inclined guessing top 75%) I am now on the 3rd month of working on this item.... Why didnt I take to shop you ask igot parts for about $100 shop woulda been $400 for parts + $100 an hour... This would be $1000 at least... Wish I could afford that but not on disability...

On a good day I get maybe 3 one hour sessions of working on daily duties.... Average maybe 2 sometimes 1 & a lot of days none especially if I had a good day the day b4... Its a shame the govts way to fight illegal activity is to make more laws that punish law biding & responsible people... Yes its a bad thing that some people screw up their life... But they do so fully knowing the possibilities of the consequences of their actions (oh yea but I am different, I wont get addicted... Them fooling themselves) like I said their downfall is a terrible thing put I no longer have sympathy for them... I hope they can figure out how to recover but their problem is on them not the dr nor the medication they chose to take more than they were supposed to & the govt gets on tv & radio saying that heroin gives the same effects as scripted opioid pain meds... Almost like they are advertising a product to use instead of... The govt does this right after the military announces the securing & controlling of the afkan poppy fields (the major heroin poppy supply area in the world the govt used that statement to keep troops in Afghanistan years earlier) .....Do you think it is a coincidence the "Opioid epidemic" was all the sudden an emergency? (By the way there is no opioid epidemic... Look up the definition of epidemic). Are they trying to change the definition of epidemic for political reasons to open up the govts options?

Did the govt start these opioid/heroin infomercials to increase heroin use as the safer medicinal grade opioids are being drastically reduced??? Is the cia smuggling heroin into the country to finance black (off book) missions? I dont know but it would not be the first time the cia smuggled drugs for this reason!!! Research mensa arkansas airport & teen train murders in arkansas... This was just prior to the oliver north iran contra investigation... They were bringing cocaine into the usa thru mensa airport it is documented.... There is a documentary movie about it its named the conspiracy therories - cia & drugs (or something like that) I watched it on amazon prime... How often do you hear.... I dont believe in coincidences!!! Well I blew off some steam agian most of this I said elsewhere & on threads here as well I am not condemning anyone everyone makes mistakes but the govt needs to stop punishing the wrong people ... Those that break the law will not change their behavior because the govt passed another law. But law-abiding ""Chronic pain"" sufferers may become heroin users thus criminals or even worse be pushed too take their own life because they cant handle the cruel& unusual punishment of being forced to suffer unnecessarily in the allegedly most medically advanced country in the world that does have a medical treatment to reduce that suffering but the govt is withholding that treatment (is it to sell govt heroin? I dont know - Coincidence... Maybe).

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Re: BobbyC (# 1381)

So true. Same here in Australia or getting that way. It's different if you are 18-20 yrs old but I think by the time we reach 60 we shud know what we need. I've discovered I have a pinched nerve (c5, c6) and have been told for years I have tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, ect., by drs who can't get it right. They play god. I'd like to know what a lot of doctors prescribe for themselves for pain.

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Re: Dee (# 1400)

Please use and share this tool to email your reps. It's easy. Put your Zip Code in and the letter is there. Add to your story if you like. It asks the reps to take a vote on new guidelines:

cqrcengage.com/uspainfoundation/app/onestep-write-a-letter

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Re: LauraThe pain docto (# 1414)

Amen... I am getting my Medical Marijuana Card soon. It will be amazing after all these years to finally have at least that much goings-on in our state. However, it is by no means a replacement for the Lorcet I used to be prescribed for over 2 decades for Chronic Acute Pain, and Some for Insomnla with muscle spasms, # 30, one each night at bedtime. In the first place, being on SS, the cost is not really feasible. The dispensaries, from what I heard, is more expensive than black market. At least I will have the card to keeo from being made a festival for trying to find alternatives our doctors, big pharmaceuticals, and our government take EVERYTHING AWAY FROM yUS, COLD TURKIED THEIR PATIENTS OFF THEIR PAIN MEDS. NO Subpoena, Subtext and Methadone to "help" users quit lthe illegal recreational drug abusers/users thru humanely detoxing them. Where was our "help" for the legal pain patients? No where... we got thrown under the bus to 'protect', ourselves from the issue with opioids and druggies!!! For Shame Legitimate Doctors... you Don't write scrips from guidelines even... easier to stay off government's radar as care properly for the sma patients in the same way you always have... but you still get the same amount of money by doing so, so why care. "I Will Do No Harm... etc... remember that pledge... you are NOT practicing that. Stand up for yourselves and your patients... if you still really care about us!!!

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Re: cliff j (# 1426)

Having been associated with the medical community for way too long, I can tell you that the oath of ethical professional behavior, as outlined under the Hippocratic Oath, has become diluted, distorted and disemboweled! As I witness an acquiescence to the gods of bureaucracy and political expediency, it makes me sick!

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