Big Pharma's Lockdown On Legitimate Chronic Pain Patients (Page 60)
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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 (# 361)

RE: pain meds being take away

WELL WRITTEN AND SPOT-ON

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Re: w john (# 361)

Here's a real kicker. I try to avoid political issues in general. The $$$$$$. On the news tonight. Not mentioning his name, it begins with B though. Total 180 degree switch from his previous stance on the marijuana. He's pro cannabis now. Anyone want to take a risk as to why he's done this? It is now a sound investment, because of the $$$$ involved, don't get me wrong about our great country. Capitalism is part and parcel of this land of ours. You work hard enough to make something more of yourself & create a better life for you & yours. I'm trying not to keep repeating what I've posted previously on this site. It is good to be able share, commiserate? We need to be able vent, or go insane. I'm just over 90 days out from my most recent surgery. Won't try to get into the get into particulars. 2nd time around for my shoulder, initial installation 10 years ago. Right down to the week. For the first time, in regard to my off the chart pain, had to have 18 year old son take me to the ER for some relief. My bike wreck was old news by the time he was born so he's lived with my condition all his life. He really helped me through those hours. 4 out the 5 hours we were there. Right around the 5th hour was when I finally got some meds. Found out today from my primary care doc they actually CALLED him at home to see if I was for real, I've been lucky enough to have been with him for over 20 years now. We were both former service members, even though he was an officer, I never held that against him. We, my wife and I consider him a friend, no backyard barbecues though. Still have to maintain proper decorum in our doctor patient relationship. My orthopedic surgeon was almost as disappointed with the results as I, new doc to me, not the one from 10 years ago. My previous pain management doc made a statement that POPS into my head every so often
"You've been very compliant". In other words thanks for letting me & my cohorts give our permission to your newest doc to prescribe meds for your pain. Thank goodness I was compliant!!! Battery running low. Plenty more to go on about, but my battery has just saved you all from it. Whew. All my best to all of you. Good Luck!

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Sissy (# 363) --

Thank you for your response. I tried to consider this from every angle.

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Re: w john (# 361)

Awesome post w john!! You cut the whole problem down from EVERY ANGLE!!

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Re: Mark (# 360)

I totally agree & it's proven that a real Pain patient doesn't get truly addicted. I learned that in college. There's so many that have stigmatized medications without walking in your shoes. A person gets dependent as one who needs caffeine to get up or there's psychological addiction which is why the placebo group is used. I never had any pain patients overdose but I had plenty of Tylenol and alcohol poisoning I'd draw blood from. It will be fixed in time but you need someone now so hopefully someone can direct you because whenever your in pain it's hard to focus on the political stuff. Look on the national pain coalition. Their fighting for EVERYONE pain patient or not ones life can change in seconds! But as I was saying that website has several numbers and links for help & advice. It wouldn't hurt to tell them what's happening & see if they have any answers. You might have to go to the ER, I'm no longer in nursing but my family & friends are & some people have had to be admitted because their in so much pain & some drs are compassionate enough to try the route to give you some relief. The people in office aren't addressing this issue correctly & don't care it's extremely dangerous to pull real pain patients off their medication. It's like taking a diabetics insulin. Yes the alcohol flows as it kills an entire family in seconds by making poor choices. Post back & let us know how you're doing and what help you received!!

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Re: w john (# 361)

This was a very good explanation. Addressed to Mark, but we all benefit. Thank you. If politicians desire to create a black market for opioids, they are going about it the right way. If opioids are banned for your worthy CP patient, I guarantee customers will be lining up in dark alleyways and will buy their meds off of shady dealers. Upstanding citizens, side by side with the addicts. Prisons will have to build whole new structures to hold this new genre of "criminals".

Sound like exaggeration? Maybe, but I don't think so. Hospitals will be treating more drug poisonings, and not just addicts. Suicides will double, and depressed, sick and disabled will be our newest demographic. Self-inflicted injuries, for the chance to obtain meds for chronic conditions, will be common...this too will be made a crime. Desperate times, desperate measures. Look...banning alcohol, an unnecessary, but desirable, enjoyable accent to life for many, required detectives, squads, law enforcement personnel in great numbers, just to curtail consumption and sales.

Pain medicine is an integral ingredient for many, to ensure mental as well as physical productivity. Take it away, hurting employees will not be able to make it to work. A forty hour week may be too much for the untreated, suffering masses. Again....sound like exaggeration? Hardly. It's not just old retired people hurting, with very serious conditions. The young laborers, those that make a living doing physically demanding jobs....take their med away and see how much they get done. Oh, they will try to stay on the job, try not to risk their freedom, their reputations, their family's reputation, but out of desperation, they may end up in jail for "seeking" the med they've been deprived of. Yep, a slippery slope, an easy slide...from Joe upright citizen...to jailbird.

I am now seeing a possible scenario that scares the begeebers out of me. Heck, it's in the works now. Well, no kidding many on pain med are abusers, no kidding meds are falling into the wrong hands, heck yeah we have addicts looking for their fix. That is nothing new. Always have been, always will be. What will be the new criminals? Moms, dads, grandpa, grandma, coaches, caregivers, librarians, etc. Your friends and neighbors. Gee, where will we put them all? Just think of the revenue raised by first offenders who are fined. No, I see no good end here. Follow through with this war on pain medications and the repercussions will be impossible to estimate. There has to be a better way than this. It's sheer madness, for the sake of curbing abuse. Yes, abuse should be addressed. Better regulations could be made. That does not mean stricter, just a more functional common sense approach. WHICH DOES NOT INVOLVE DEPRIVING CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS!

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Re: Mark (# 360)

All right, Mark here we go. As for the alcohol issue you have addressed part of the issue. The government, BOTH State and Federal, collect huge taxes on it. Ever heard of the "sin taxes"? That is tax that the government can easily raise whenever they feel they want to. Why? Because the main populace is fine with it and there is no political repercussions from raising taxes on these things. Remember, the Federal Government attempted to completely BAN ALL ALCOHOL for several years and how did that work out for them? Their "ban" just created a large black market for sales of alcohol and "speakeasys" in many locations for onsite consumption. They repealed the ban because everybody was profiting from alcohol sales but the State and Federal Governments. That brings us to the so called "opioid crisis". The political climate now makes it easy to attack pain medications. This can easily be done because the politicians are making huge political hay from going after "Big Pharma". The "problem", as they see it, is that the manufacturers pushed pain medications on the Doctors as being no problem and non addictive. The obvious answer to the "problem" is to stop pushing pain medications on Doctors and desist from making unproven claims--like pain medications are not addictive or, at the least, creates dependency ON LONG TERM PAIN MEDICATION USERS. They could pay a fine and change their business model and move forward. But NO! The manufacturers are trying to change the molecular structure of opioids and have thereby created a substance that is as effective as Tylenol or Aleeve.

They get away with this because the long term chronic pain medication users are no big deal to the politicians and they are just collateral damage to them. I am not certain where this is headed but I am certain that it will lead to no good. The only hope is that, like the so called "alcohol" problem it will eventually be straightened out. This leaves us with cigarettes and other tobacco products. Tobacco products are a proven carcinogen. They cause cancer and other issues yet the government still allows the production of these products. Unlike alcohol, which can be consumed responsibly, there is no known proven "safe consumption" of tobacco products. Even light use will create negative results. There is just no excuse for the use of tobacco but the governments, farmers, and manufacturers benefit financially so it is allowed. Also the politicians benefit because if they were to go after a complete ban on tobacco products they would be vilified by users and non users alike. The users would rebel because of their addiction and MANY (not ALL) non users would rebel at the loss of a "freedom of choice" option. We have none of these protections for opioid based pain medications because it is now popular to attack ALL users both legal and illegal. This is just pure insanity on stilts because there are many chronic pain sufferers that have a medical NEED for these substances but no one cares. This is my take on where we are currently.

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The thing that really upset the s*** out of me is that it is totally fine that over 1.5 million people dye from alcohol and that's not a problem. Did the system get out of control with opiates? Yes, but still to this day alcohol is still by far the number 1 killer of all drugs, and it's everywhere u go there is alcohol. Why is that ok? U never ever hear about this in the news, why? We all know why, cause our great government has and gets a lot money from these big alcohol companies. Man this pisses me off.

I fell 30 feet through a skylight at a job site. I have had 38 operations n I have another one coming up cause the f*****g *****s that made the plastic cup where the ball fits into made it out of some kind of chemicals that should never go into a human body. So now I have this disease called "Lysis" which is what happens your body is trying to fight off the plastic partials that fall off. Instead it can't fight it off and does a reverse and still is eating my bones away. U should see my leg bone, it's so eaten up. They have to take the whole hip out including the anchor, the stem, the hammer in my leg. Do u know what kind of pain I'm in? Omg, and I fall all the time cause my hip is so lose. It took me 7 different drs until I found one to agree to do it. Cause that's not enough I also got a staph mrsa infection a long time ago and everytime they open me up it comes back. Last time it almost killed me but so far my pain specialist has taken care of me.

I just went on disability 2 years ago. They kept trying to get me to go on it but I kept refusing until I just could not handle the pain and I put too much stress on my artificial hips. They both are filled with a stress fracture so it was either stop working or be in a wheelchair and my family dr. Just got busted by the dea. Now wtf am I supposed to do for my librium and all my other meds? I never been to a dr that got in trouble, thank god. He wasn't giving me my pain meds please tell me why it's ok for all the alcoholics in this world but god forbid if u take a pill and have chronic pain. If I don't get my meds I'm going to drink again. Hugs and kisses.

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Re: JMJ (# 318)

I agree. We must all speak up. Start a foundation or movement. I think this forum is a excellent way to get as many voices together to possibly come to a consensus. Every little bit helps towards the end goal. I wish you luck as well as everyone else that is being targeted by these insane laws and/or regulations...or guidelines?

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JMJ (# 353) --

Our stories are very similar. I too am a Mother of 4 (3 girls and 1 boy), and Maw Maw to my precious granddaughter Isabel. When my husband died at 39 of sudden cardiac death, I finished raising our teens alone....in pain both physical and mental. My children were too young to remember what I was like pain free. Oh the energy and joy I felt before the accident!

Then, on 2/10/1995 at 7:30 a.m., on my way to work, an older man hit me from behind doing 60 mph. They had to cut me out of the car.

I didn't ask for that.... I was doing nothing wrong. My life changed forever. My children only remember me writhing in pain.

15 years at Duke and 8 years here in Arkansas, I have been on opioid pain meds. My life was as productive as it could be while I had the meds.

Now, like many others I'm confined to the recliner and the house. I've sat on a heating pad, desperate for relief, until I have burned the soft tissue to the bone.

After being abruptly dropped from pain mgmt., I went cold turkey off of Fentanyl Patches, hydromorphone and 2400 mg. of Gabapentin. No help, NO support, NO medications to ease the withdrawal. I did NOT deserve that!!

So I took matters into my own hands and much happier for it. I, Me, and no one else get to control how much relief I get!! No more dealing with Drs., staff or pharmacists. No condescending looks or abuse.

My hope still remains that we find a way to fix this before others lose hope and give up.

I'm so glad my post brought you at least a little hope and understanding. You made my day. Thank you.

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Re: Ktb (# 355)

Thank you ktb, very kind, and consoling. Would be nice to meet up, but probably won't happen. In truth, there are those all around us with need for encouragement. Mi. is just one of many states with people bereft of hope and encouragement. Just keep doing what you do. Keep calling us on and reiterate the fact that we are people of value, just like anyone else. If we breathe and have life, we still have value. At least in THIS life ; ) And maybe the next....who knows?

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JMJ (# 353) --

I wish some of us lived near each other to go somewhere & remind ourselves we are worth everything. You need a girls night pain free! Heck we all need a night pain free! You are beautiful and still young. I can tell by your posts you have a lot to offer. Sadly enough I get you. Family ignores or friends do until they walk in your shoes. Trust me, at some point they will get a taste of how this feels if they get cancer, have a car wreck, lupus, endo, ect... you hang in there and rant here everyday! Big hugs to you from Ga!!!

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JMJ (# 339) --

Rant all you want !!! And nothing you say is useless!! It just helps me remember I'm not alone !!! And everyone else !!!??

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Sissy (# 350) --

Dear Sissy,

Your kindness has opened floodgates I've refused for all my adult life. My adult life has been so very marred by physical pain and total lack of understanding by physicians throughout. My husband always believed in me because I've never given him reason to doubt. I've raised, homeschooled, 6 children and spent my life's energy on them, my family. I've tried ever so hard to walk the walk I've talked. I've never sunk so low as to use alcohol or any other chemical for much wanted relief. But here I am. Using a crutch, because I am so very tired.

Tired of brother ass. Tired of being confronted at EVERY turn with the limits of my endurance. Oh, if I could only rely on the efficacy of my med I would not need Svedka. How did I make it to this point in my life? I am no longer young, vibrant and Beautiful. I am mother, wife, and grandmother. Hardly noticed anymore for beauty and vitality. Most would just walk on by, and I hold no grudge. It is what it is. But....I have much to pass on. Much that I've learned, and so little energy to do so. Yep. I'm tired. Tired of hurting, tired of wanting to do more, just plain tired. Started with fibro, enhanced by rheumatoid, with the finishing touches of trigeminal neuralgia and other who cares ailments. Never asked to be visited by such nefarious do no gooders. I will NEVER do an act against the ten commandments, NEVER. At least, not on purpose. Too much respect for the higher authority in my life. But for those that do not know my God, I hope they do nothing in contradiction to His most sacred edicts. Never been one to proseletize, I will say no more.

So, Sissy, just know, you have touched the nerve to my heart. If I could find solace in your most natural treatment for chronic pain, I would take advantage, but the effects of a large stroke prohibit that. Sad to say. JMJ, Thank you.

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Sissy (# 350) --

Sissy big hugs to you ! You do what it takes to live a better quality of life!!!

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Sandie Veazey (# 348) --

Sandie...it doesn't surprise me one bit that that SOB said that to you.

The government is waging war on us and it's all about MONEY!!! They want to reduce health care costs, Medicare and Social Security costs at OUR EXPENSE. We are paying with our suffering and sometimes our very lives.

Keep in mind 76 Million....yes Million people in the USA suffer from some form of chronic pain!!

There are so many issues wrapped up in this, that it's almost impossible to figure out what and where to start to be heard.

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JMJ (# 348) --

I am so sorry you are having to go through this!! If nothing else, ALL the posts on this forum should let you know YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!

There is only so much pain a person can bear! I am right there with you. I have also been left with no options for pain relief. I can't stomach alcohol because of severe GERD and Barrets esophagus.

However, here is MY confession and the haters can sit and spin: I have turned to (let's just say "natural plants" for my relief. I DID NOT WANT to do this either, but 6 months of pure AGONY was about to do me in. I will confess... thoughts of ending it all crossed my mind every day! However, as a Christian, I believe suicide is a cardinal sin not forgiven. Besides that, I couldn't bear to bring my family such pain. My children lost their father to sudden cardiac death (I performed CPR on him for 25 minutes) when they were 13. So, I continue on in my broken body EVERY day, praying every night for relief.

I'm sorry I don't have any answers for you. I wish to God I did. I REALLY worry about all the CP patients out there who lose all hope!! People are being FORCED to do whatever they can to get their own relief WITHOUT medical treatment and it's pure genocide!

I will bet my LIFE suicide rates this year MAY be the wake up call to our government that they have gone too far. Suicide and new heroin users and overdoses are gonna go up!! I wonder how they will spin the fact that suicides and overdoses this year will be much higher than the supposed 33,000 overdoses they were trying to stop to begin with!!

I feel like the government has declared war on us CP patients. If we commit suicide or turn to heroin and overdose...we are doing the job of wiping out how many (?) from collecting disability benefits! Like another poster stated "we CP patients ARE the budget cut this year". We are the collateral, expendable damage in this "War on Drugs"...period.

I pray you keep hope alive, do whatever you have to to get relief, and NEVER GIVE UP!!

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Sissy (# 338) --

This is not really addressed to only you, Sissy, though I do enjoy your well spoken posts.

Since this is such an anonymous forum, and prideful as I am, that's important to me.....I want to confess something that is my own fault, I acknowlege, but is contributed to by the reduced efficacy of my pain meds. Reduced, I suppose, to reduce misuse. Though I do not misuse the meds, up to this point I have been prescribed by my GP, and PA, I wanted to say if we are not properly treated, others, like myself, will look for comfort in other ways.

My old meds were stronger, though not by stated mg, and I KNEW they were working. Now, it seems, they are so weak, that I can hardly tell if they are or not. Truly, they are still containing the oxycodone, but the potency is neglegible. The only thing they are really good for is extending the dependence my body has for this drug. They probably prohibit withdrawl, I freely admit. But effectiveness is sorely diminished. And yet, each month I hope for relief, so I continue on.

Now...for my CONFESSION!!!! I know ya'll are hooked and dying to know what I could possibly have to confess, lol! VODKA!!!! There, I've said it! VODKA!!!! I've said it again. Yes, having gone through 39 years married to a man later determined to be 100% disabled PTSD, after a Rollercoaster life, a life of stress for breakfast, lunch and dinner, having no desire to assuage my sufferings with alcohol, I am now using alcohol to anesthetize me from the betralys of my now broke down body. I have to say, in all truth and sincerity, I would not have turned in this direction for the last 10 months, had my meds worked properly.

Go ahead, bring it on...of course I know better. I am a well educated person. I know way too much to fall to such a low. But...I may have never visited Svedka, had my meds worked for me. Thank you Big Pharma for contributing to the delinquency of this handicapper. Again, I say, if I had had at the very least, the expected comfort for this sorry body of mine, I believe I would have never gotten to know my new nemesis and friend. JMJ : ( Yep, feet of clay, I have.

PS Hubby was 62, 11 years older than me, before diagnosed by VA. He is finally functioning as my best friend and advocate. At least my golden years are spent with a lovely, loving companion, despite brother ass (my body). Thank God for that. Sincerely.

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Sissy (# 346) --

This is really sad, what the hell are we all going to do?? I changed pain Drs back in Dec because the Dr I was seeing was becoming in my opinion mentally unstable. I asked him 10 months ago what these government agency's were going to do when cp patients that are suffering from being taken down so far or taken off their meds when they start committing suicide or overdose n die from street drugs and this sob said the government won't care or do anything, it will just save them a lot of money. I was in shock.

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w john (# 345) --

Believe me John, I was a Paralegal for 15 years, and I understand the attorneys very well. There are enough people impacted in Arkansas to start a class action. But, like I said in my post, attorneys won't touch even a class action over this issue because of society's prejudice that we are all addicts!!

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