Big Pharma's Lockdown On Legitimate Chronic Pain Patients (Page 71)

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: 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: Frank (# 1394)

Praying for all of us legitimate long term chronic pain patients who’s lives have been turned upside down at no fault to us. Until there is a solution & we are recognized we are stuck.

I researched holistic pain alternatives & ways to take away the withdrawel symtoms that are the result of our being tapered &/or being suddenly abandoned with no meds at all w/no quality of life.

Research poppy seed tea. It’s a miracle! God bless us all.

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I've had spinal arthritis for several years. The most effective medication I've ever used was Tramadol. It does work amazingly well, at least for my condition. A few years ago it was available as an OTC medication, available from any variety of foreign sources. But then... it became a scheduled medication, and is much more difficult to obtain. What's interesting here, though, is that it has almost no psychoactive aspects, it certainly isn't a "recreational" drug. Why they had to schedule this particular med makes no sense.

Technically, it is an opioid derivative, but as just stated here, it's not a recreational drug by any stretch of the imagination. I know, the opioid addiction phenomena is a serious issue, so it's politically relevant to ban or make more difficult to obtain any form of opioid derivative, no matter how minimal it's psychoactive properties might be.

This is really ridiculous... like swatting a fly with a sledge hammer. We are now confined to much smaller dosages, bordering on being noneffective for chronic pain. When it comes to Oxycontin and similar meds leading to hardcore heroin addiction, OK, I get it, that makes sense. But Tramadol, or Ultram (Tramadol combined with Tylenol)? Seriously???

A little bit more care in choosing which pain meds should be restricted would be greatly appreciated.

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Re: BL (# 1398)

I stated that I was blackmailed by the doctor that is affiliated with the pain center. He was fired by the other doctor that sedates me for spine injections and whatever medicines helps stop the degenerating spine, AS, and disc. degeneration. It was strictly a chest thumping, ego revengeful, illegal action that now he has violated many legislative bills, and the Oath, Thou shall cause no harm? Kindly go to another individual with your kindly advise.

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Re: Goat c (# 3)

Well, it could be the government's way of controlling the population, ever think of that? I don't understand why so many people were prescribed narcotics in the first place. I see on other sites where young people talk about getting cut off and I am wondering to myself why in the hell would a 20 year old be in so much pain that it requires narcotics? These aren't people who've been in terrible accidents or anything these are people who complain of backache or that fibromyalgia. I'm sorry, but if someone requires major narcotics they better have an MRI or an Xray to back it up. There is no way, if I were a doctor would I rx such young people pain meds, it's just not normal for someone that young to have serious pain w/o a serious reason. It was every Tom, Dick, and Harry getting prescribed and of course they all became addicted and most are too weak to stop and seek treatment, they don't want to stop, they like the euphoric feeling, they like doing nothing - not contributing to society. These are the types the government wants to get rid of, IMO of course.

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Re: Chonano (# 1403)

Thank you your post.Until people have unending bone pain(both knees) there will be no understanding of what a person lives with 24/7.I have Tramadol 25 mg. Which I do not abuse.These people are painting everyone with a broad paint brush.

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All I can say is I've had severe chronic pain for the last 21 years! I have a 3ft, stack of medical records to prove it. I'm not a pill popper but I desperately need something to help with the pain as was stated Drs are backing off from giving out pain meds to those who legitimately need it. I do NOT abuse it I only take it when the pain gets so bad and nothing else works!! I've tried ibuprofen but it helped not at all. I didn't ask for the things that happened to me that causes this pain to happen but there's nothing I can do about it. I just feel it's NOT right for the people that TRUELY and legitimately need it not to be able to get it from our Drs when they also know how desperately that I need it, it's not our fault that ppl go get it and abuse it!!!

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Re: "...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..."

I suggest that day has arrived: It was a few years ago that I sustained a fall resulting in 5 (five) contiguous rib fractures and the consequential pain of such an event. I was offered the good advice of entering the Surg ICU for observation, which I declined (fearful of nosocomial infection).

My Internest 'attending' recommended Acetaminophen, saying directly to me, an elderly retired Anesthesiologist, that, and I quote: "I only give narcotics to patients who are dying of cancer ".

Yes, an astonishing, inappropriate, and unethical decision on his part.

So, to answer you, "yes, that time came, years ago, and not limited to my own case."

Beyond unethical, I decided that his act was, in fact, criminal... criminal negligence...

Opinions are welcome...

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I've found a loophole and it is called Suboxone. I won't go into my chronic pain conditions but I am 70 years old and have several conditions that in the past any one of them would have qualified for prescription pain medication. And my doctor is ok with me spending the time I have left suffering every day because it hurts just to move. I remember when quality of life used to be something doctors were concerned with but now the fear of losing their license comes before that. Anyway, Suboxone (I take generic) is wonderful for pain and I feel my life has been handed back to me and I'm so grateful. I was ready to pretend to be a heroin addict if I had to but I found a psychiatrist who is so compassionate that I didn't have to pretend and am getting it for pain and not addiction. And with this drug a little goes a long way and more isn't necessarily better. I take 2 milligrams twice a day and 90% of my pain is gone but the best part is the chronic diarrhea I have due to two bowel re-section surgeries is completely gone and I have normal bowel movements for the first time in over 20 years. That condition was truly debilitating as I had to not eat for 24 hours if I had to leave the house for an appointment or even to grocery shop.

So as you can see this is a wonder drug for me and I like it much better than any pain medication mostly because of the long half-life I don't feel like I'm on anything because when it's time to take the next dose it hasn't worn off yet so there is no ups and downs which I love. While I am truly sorry for the people dying of overdose I feel it is ridiculous to make people (especially seniors) with legitimate needs for pain medication suffer. Luckily this drug has been overlooked and while I don't particularly want to bring attention to this, I feel I should try to help others in my situation.

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Hi
After I lost my thyroid to cancer and inability of endocrinologist to properly medicate my hormone issue I developed Psoriatic Arthritis in my joints and tendons on both legs so at the ripe old age of 49 which is really 99 because that's how old I feel and how bad my pains are I actually walk with a cane ... the real sadness is prior to my thyroidectomy I was fit and healthy, now I'm crippled and fat and Doctors are too stupid to help. I don't want heavy pain meds. I want doctors to think outside the box ...each persons health needs don't fall into a pretty little package.

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Re: C (# 1401)

I went to the site and signed, then I shared. Thanks!

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Re: Dee (# 1400)

If she is off of narcotics there is no way that they are going to start her up again. My pain management doctor who I have been seeing for 11 years I am very afraid that when I see him the end of May that he is going to take away everything that he has given me and I am dreading the day that I go there. another doctor within the same practice did that to my son and I mean literally totally dropped him took away all his meds and he had to go through three weeks of withdrawal here at home while I took care of him it is not fun is hard to do and if the doctors knew what they were doing they would be so ashamed of themselves and unfortunately I know this is bad but I do wish that they would be in the same position as myself and my son.

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I AM IN THE SAME BOAT. I have never abused any drug and out of no where I get oh we can not give you any help. I ended up in the hospital because of the withdrawal symptoms, they did nothing to help me through it(the doctors that were giving me them) the hospital put me back on everything and could not believe how cold these doctors are. All I keep hearing is we can't. This article was an eye opener. My husband found a family doctor that gives him what he needs. I have serious health problems and will have them the rest of my life. I have heart disease and the pain is either going to cause me to have a heart attack or stroke. The pain doctors want the heart doctor to do something about my serious high blood pressure caused by pain, he can't. No one wants to help and boy every doctor I have seen has been out right rude. I see others getting help so I knew it was just the doctors having no balls. They say no one can help. Yes I have gained weight also, all I can do is lay in bed. Today I seen a neurosurgeon because the pain management doctor said I needed surgery, the doctor asked me how I felt before (when I was on the pain management drugs) and did I ever think about surgery. No was my answer and he agreed and said we need to send you to a better pain management place, surgery should always be a last resort for spine problems because he said you will have to have other surgeries in the future so we need to delay that until I can not take it anymore. He is sending me somewhere else but only time will tell. My pain is extreme everyday I miss having a life. These doctor's would never suffer like this, maybe they need to. I knew they could help me but as the article said they just do not want to deal with the dea. Now I have to spend a lot of money to get some relief. I am on ssi very low income. Street drugs are going to skyrocket and screw the medical marijuana I have always hated it.

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Re: Goat c (# 3)

Boy do I ever agree with the black market stuff, if the feds think they are doing something good WAIT a lot of bad is coming. Because people are going to get desperate, pain will either kill you sooner, cause you to be bed bound and all that follows. People will get desperate and go to lengths they have never done before. I have seen elderly people who live good Christian life's do exactly that. I heard someone on the news say that even going to the dentist is very painful these days and the feds need to look at us who do not abuse drugs not lump us all into the same group.

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Re: Wanda (# 1407)

I hear you & mutually feel your pain. I, too, after exhausting every single surgery/procedure following a near-fatal car accident, finally diagnosed with “Failed back/neck Syndrome, spinal stenosis, Arachnoiditis (crawling scar tissue thru spine attacking nerve endings, Fibromyalgia...” etc, too much to list I was wheelchaired until referred by top doc professionals to the world of Managed Opiate Pain Mgmt 25 yrs ago. A full blown miracle...out of the wheelchair, managed tolerable pain ie; A LIFELINE! Now at no fault to us, our lifeline is being taken away. They are neglecting to understand why & how the opiate is prescribed LEGALLY LEGITIMATELY! Good news is we are finally being recognized! Let’s hope we don’t have to suffer much longer. Google research the NIH & the NATIONAL PAIN REPORT; Ed Coughlan!

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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: LauraThe pain docto (# 1414)

I altered the pain that is constant 24/7... oh yeah makes it so much easier to care for my 86 yr old Mom at 62. I have to live for her and myself, and take care of her like an autistic child. She has at least 50 lbs on me... and though I have height, my weight is not anywhere near what it should be. Can't even wear a size 00. And not by choice. I was at least 115 consistently when I was taking my good prescription for pain... even worked the floors an associate at Goodwill in Gainesville, FL while baking orbit pain. After the husband and I separated in 2008, pain pills started going away... life is not even hardly a little fun anymore because it hurts too much. Pain level generally around a 5 on GOOD days... please back off the legitimate opioid pain patients... Listen to us... PLEASE!

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Re: Jon Andeerson MD (# 1408)

WOW the pain management doctor I am going to(we really should not call these people pain management) said to me "Well you do not have cancer". So he won't help me. I wondered if I could do anything about that? Does anyone know?

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Re: LauraThe pain docto (# 1418)

There is hope for us!! The Pain Management Task Force is working on our behalf. FED HHS (Dr. Singh) is addressing Congress & CDC. Thanks to our advocate Ed Coughlan (National Pain Report) read his update via link below...

http:/­/­nationalpainreport.com/­pain-task-force-report-is-out-hhs-working-to-give-it-oxygen-8839970.html

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OK all of you pain people, now is your time to shine. Time to list your aliments: Here is a copy paste on the FDA drug safety risk management to give your input on.

UPDATED MEETING TIME AND OPEN PUBLIC HEARING TIME: June 11-12, 2019 Joint Meeting of the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee

UPDATED INFORMATION (as of June 6, 2019):

The meeting time has been changed for the June 11-12, 2019 joint meeting of the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee. On June 12, 2019, the meeting time has changed from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Additionally, the Open Public Hearing time has changed from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. All other information remains the same.

PLEASE READ THIS BECAUSE IT WILL DETERMINE HOW LITTLE OR BIG THE OPIATES ARE PRESCRIBED.. HERE IS THE LINK BECAUSE THE AGENDA IS PROBABLY TOO LONG TO ENTER IN THIS MESSAGE. IF THE LINK DOESN'T HIGHLIGHT, PLEASE TRY TO COPY IT INTO THE ADDRESS BOX. I MIGHT TRY TO FIT THE AGENDA IN THIS POST. BUT FIRST HERE IS THE LINK:

https:/­/­www.fda.gov/­advisory-committees/­advisory-committee-calendar/­june-11-12-2019-joint-meeting-drug-safety-and-risk-management-advisory-committee-and-anesthetic-and#event-information

HERE IS THE AGENDA AS FOLLOWS:

FDA is seeking public input on the clinical utility and safety concerns associated with the higher range of opioid analgesic dosing (both in terms of higher strength products and higher daily doses) in the outpatient setting. FDA is interested in better understanding current clinical use and situations that may warrant use of higher doses of opioid analgesics. We are also interested in discussing the magnitude and frequency of harms associated with higher doses of opioid analgesics relative to lower doses, as well as optimal strategies for managing these risks while ensuring access to appropriate pain management for patients.

FDA frequently hears from patients and healthcare providers that higher dose opioid analgesics continue to be a unique and necessary part of effective pain management for some patients. FDA is also cognizant of serious safety concerns associated with both higher strengths and higher daily doses of opioid analgesics, both in patients and in others who may access these drugs. Higher strength products may be more harmful in cases of accidental exposure and overdose and may also be more sought out for misuse and abuse. Along with a number of other factors, a higher daily opioid dose is associated with greater risk of overdose. Concerns have also been raised that higher dose opioid regimens may carry a higher risk of addiction, although robust evidence for a causal relationship is lacking. There is a strong association between higher opioid dose and duration/persistence of opioid analgesic therapy and assessing temporal relationships and independent effects of opioid dose and duration on the risks of both addiction and overdose is challenging. In addition, FDA acknowledges the complex and evolving landscape of the opioid epidemic, with myriad Federal, State, local, and payer efforts to encourage more judicious prescribing of opioid analgesics, and the growing threat of highly lethal illicit opioids.

To better understand both the clinical utility and harms of higher dose opioid analgesics in the current environment, and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various potential risk management strategies, FDA brings these issues to an advisory committee to seek input and advice from the clinical, patient, public health, and research communities.

In particular, FDA seeks to discuss: (1) The current clinical use and situations that may warrant pain management with opioid analgesics at higher product strengths and daily doses, factors influencing prescribing practices, and specific patient populations for whom there may be utility in prescribing these medications at higher doses; (2) the magnitude and frequency of harms associated with opioid analgesics at higher product strengths and daily doses, relative to lower strengths and daily doses, including the role of opioid dose in adverse health outcomes in both patients and in others who may access the drugs (e.g., risk for developing addiction, fatal overdose), the relevance of therapy duration and physical opioid dependence, and risks in different subpopulations (e.g., patients with chronic non-cancer pain, young children, adolescents); and (3) possible FDA interventions and their expected impact on patients and public health more broadly, including, for example, potential effects on prescribing and pain management practices, patient experience and behaviors, and adverse outcomes such as addiction and overdose.

HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ELECTRONICALLY...PLEASE READ

Electronic Submissions
Submit electronic comments in the following way:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone else’s Social Security number, or confidential business information, such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in the body of your comments, that information will be posted on www.regulations.gov.

IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO COMMENT ELECTRONICALLY READ BELOW BUT THERE ARE MORE INSTRUCTIONS. PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE LINK FROM ABOVE .

If you want to submit a comment with confidential information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner detailed (see "Written/Paper Submissions" and "Instructions").

PLEASE GET ON THERE AND VOICE YOUR OPINION. YOU WANT OPIATES?

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