Big Pharma's Lockdown On Legitimate Chronic Pain Patients (Page 8)

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: Maria (# 139)

I agree with your dad,each night before going to bed I set all my meds up for the next day. Before my pain management dr just stopped my meds with what he thougt was enough too ween off (2 weeks or maybe 2-3 days more) I would have that med on my night stand & would wake up 20 minutes in advance too take it because it would take at least that long to start too work. Then I could get out of bed & start my day. Now adays it is so hard too get out of bed. My pain is so bad sometime I just want too scream!!! I pray all day. This is not living!!I just exist. 2 time Cancer survivor. Blessed...but miserable!!!

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Re: Claude (# 9)

I could not find this petition, which one is it listed as?

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Re: Sandie (# 142)

Go to the search and type in chronic pain card and this plus many other petitions concerning this issue will come up. Thank you for caring!

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Re: Claude (# 143)

Oh great, I have been seeing the same pain Dr for 11 years and he is cutting us off time release and/or downing it and I am so pissed, I have talked to the dea in Phx, AZ. and the Cdc and the dea has nothing to do with this s***, only if there are patient complaints or pharmacy complaints and the Cdc wrote the suggested new guidelines for primary care physicians not pain doctors. Oh and I live by Kingman, Arizona.

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Re: Sandie (# 142)

There's a lot to sign if you type in petitions for pain patients. I signed a few again today! We are being heard and it just takes a second! Thank you and God Bless!

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Re: Maria (# 140)

Hopefully, they will use their common sense they learned in college and realize there are so many diseases without cures like lupus, endometriosis, pancreatitis, fibromyalgia, I can go on and on. Lupus and other forms like it are horrible without pain therapy. I have lupus which has all I mentioned above along with it. The drugs for lupus I had to stop because of the stomach bleeding. The petitions that are signed by enough people-hopefully explains to the DEA and others to rethink their approach and work in the real problems facing our world and acknowledge that it's an illicit drug epidemic and most of ALL overdoses were mixed with non prescribed drugs. They got two types of people and we definitely don't need to be labeled as we are whenever. Everyone at some point in their lives may have a serious non curable disease or disorder; or their family members will. It's horrible. And the millions we gave dr's and pharmacists just to have some stand down and tip toe around the DEA!

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Re: Ktb (# 146)

I really feel like it should be between a patient and their doctor to decide if the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to receiving C2 pain meds. The doctor should have the patient sign a drug contact and require that they be seen every 3 months for follow-up appointments, make them only be able to use 1 pharmacy each and every time they get their meds filled and make sure the doctor and pharmacist check the drug database to be sure the patient isn’t doctor shopping or getting the meds at different pharmacies. And I really don’t think the pharmacist should be the judge of what and how much pain meds the person is taking since they have no idea what kind of pain the person is in and if the doctor is writing the meds for them, then they obviously feel like this is the best course for their patients. I’ve seen a pharmacist call a patients doctor and tell him that the dose is too high for the patient and the doctor lowered the strength. Patients should also sign something that says they understand the risks of these meds and if they overdose no one(like family members) can sue the doctor or pharmacy since they are always worried that they will lose their jobs if they keep dealing with these meds. It’s just so scary to think that the CDC and the government could some day make it so no one can get these meds anymore. Both my husband and I have conditions that cause us to live with chronic pain each and every day. I can barely walk or move until my pain meds start to work and I really don’t know what we will do if they have their way and take them all away from us! SUPER TERRIFYING!!

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Besides signing petitions, we need to keep the information in the public eye. Legitimate opioid patients should not be treated so terribly. We're just trying to live our lives as best we can.

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Re: Maria (# 147)

Aww I know and I went to fill mine and was sent to another pharmacy because they were out of stock and that worried me to death but I saw their computers were connected and the pharmacist didn't need my records. I go to small mom & pop pharmacies. I also agree with you on contracts. Allow us to sign and agree to never allow anyone to sue if we take drugs irresponsibly and overdose. The pharmacist has no right to even question a drs judgment on the dosage unless it's something they think is a mistake. It's a shame & like we are communist country! They have me so screwed up on my dosage and my disease is lupus and some other stuff and I was fine before they started messing around with it. Now I can't do things I want unless it's a day where I have no flares. Also, they constantly contradict themselves!!! They lie! They won't admit what's going on and it also makes all that time drs spent in college look like they went for nothing! How do you keep patients on meds 3yrs or more then all of a sudden without proof say they don't need or cut their dose down! It's so wrong! Just think of everyone so sick right now in beds and can't enjoy life as us!! Nobody understands unless they're in your shoes & half the ones that never admitted to needing an Advil are starting to get off their high horse and be affected by this! I just wish they would stop with opiates and called it an illicit drug epidemic! I know some drs are good as well as pharmacists. They just need to understand we are NOT the ones who should pay! Look at the millions they made off us!!! It's like there's something more behind this. Pharmaceutical companies usually want to promote their drugs and take our money. Maybe it's like I heard they want more money and trying to push drugs more dangerous like lyrica. I hate that you and your husband are suffering! I can only hope things get better soon and we can all live productive lives. Have a wonderful day. Big hugs to you and all of you who suffer!

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Re: Maria (# 139)

The 7 day limit is suppose to be on prescriptions for Acute Pain. And those written to patients that have never been prescribed opiates before.

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Re: Sandie (# 144)

That happened to me ! After saying it's easier on my stomach they now say it's dangerous . It's crazy and the rapid release makes me sick at times . You also gotta take every 4-6 hours on bad days and then you run out early because they don't give the recommended dose ! I'm on lowest dose possible and one pain medicine . It seems all that research they did was a lie !! The extended release was easier and ti keep patients on it and decide it dangerous lol I mean they should no some do great ! I tell you what I read these forums daily to stay updated and I've never seen such inhuman things going on !! Good luck to you ! I'm not sure what to tell you except we all are in it with you and maybe this all will end soon !

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Re: Isabella (# 148)

Thats All!! Trying too live the best life we can,but its like we are doing something sooo wrong, even after seeing the Dr's as required. What do they want???

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I do agree that your primary Dr or your pain MGMT doc should take the time to get to know you.. Once they do that, they can trust that you will not abuse your pain meds and he/she will also know that some of us are really in need of them.. I've been on my pain meds for years and I don't know how I would even be able to walk without taking my meds..my primary doc is the only Dr that I will allow to prescribe me pain meds and if any of my other Drs put me on a medication, my primary is told right away by me. I use the same drug store no matter what bcuz they should know if one med does not go well with something else I'm on..I do have several Drs bcuz I am not a healthy person at all physically or mentally and I do see my primary care Dr once monthly.. So instead of Drs bring scared to rights a script for pain meds...GET TO KNOW YOUR PATIENTS..

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Re: MacTurk (# 1)

Gosh I'm so sorry and everyone has these similar stories . I know if you look online in my area channel 3 Chattanooga there's a story that aired yesterday about a patient speaking up for patients keeping their meds . She has lupus and other stuff ! I don't live in Tennessee but I'm able to get their local news but what I'm really getting at is for the media to interview someone in our shoes .... It tells me theres someone listening! I also seen many threads on nurse forums speaking up for pain patients in the ER once they were in our shoes and seen what it's doing ! . So I'm hoping as one dr stated that we are put in a separate group and they go after the illicit drug users ! The segment with the pain patient aired twice in my area so that has to be a good sign !!! We just got to keep telling our stories and getting media attention . Again look at WRCB channel 3 Chattanooga , Tennessee for that clip !!! I hope you and everyone else has a wonderful day !!! Your not alone !!!

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Re: Red (# 152)

They want the people to not be able to move around the country.... Thus you have to depend on the media to tell you whats going on in the rest of the country... Thus they just tell you what tell want you to know..... Such as the shooting at the church in texas a week or so ago.... How often did your news air the story? Ok, now how many times did they include the fact that the man that shot the shooter had the same style rifle as the shooter that attacked the church.... Thus you can see they want to tell you only what they want you to know.

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If I start a new petition, what can I say in the main part of it that would explain our current problems with our necessary pain meds. I've signed plenty of petitions for various issues, but never for this. Any helpful advice would be appreciated.

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Isabella (# 155) --

Yeah Isabella. I've signed them too. Anybody, by anybody I mean an actual human, get back to you? I'll take a wild guess, I'm being a smart-aleck because you've Got a better chance of seeing God Almighty Himself than anyone having the decency to get back to you. I've pretty much given up on these useless things, unfortunate but there it is. I've left voicemails with both my states attorney General and senator in relation to our side of the opioid topic, not that any of my past attempts have gotten positive results. I don't have any political connections, General Omar Bradley been dead for a long time now. I'm referencing him because I'm a vet dealing with the VA as well. They had lots of actual paperwork, in quadripicate carbon copies back then and the old timers I managed to chat with before they passed said system was actually more efficient back then, the services are still "notorious" (in a good way)" that they even keep actual paperwork still. Wow, huh? Surprising being As we are now entering almost 2nd decade of war with terrorism, along with all my maimed comrades in arms coming home to this horror show of VA incompetence & ineptness in caring for our wounded warriors. Sorry about going off on that ramble, but being a disabled vet from my service during the "100 hour war", Desert Shield & Desert Storm. Get with as many of the political hacks that you/we can. Anyone out there with any type of those connections should use them and their supposed to represent us after all, rriigghhtt???

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I have a relative that was prescribed by his family doctor 9 of the 80 mg Oxycontin a day! That doctor should have had his license taken away. My uncle was on this regimen for at least 6 to 10 years then the doctor took ALL of the meds away and had him go thru withdrawal for no reason. I know the dosage I am saying he was prescribed is true cuz I saw his bottle. That's how much doctors care about their patients. I myself am going to be weaned down after taking my meds as directed for over 10 years. I'm mad as hell cuz I did nothing to be treated this way and I know I'll also go thru withdrawal for no reason other than the doctor is afraid. Good luck to all the pain warriors on here, hopefully no one else will have to go thru any more changes in dosage but I doubt it. I wish we could do something more than sign petitions but what??? I'm open to any suggestions cuz I don't want to go thru withdrawal cuz I don't deserve it and neither do any of us.

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Peanutsmom07 (# 156) --

Well your uncle should have filed malpractice suit against that dr. You can go to a pain management clinic they would be more likely to script pain meds... when i moved the new pain clinic had a new mri taken and have not had any issues so far... one important thing to remember is dont be panicky nor hard to deal with... but be firm and have your medical records with you that show the issue that you need the medication for.

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I live in Canada; I've been prescribed opioids for more than 10 years, after exhausting every other therapy through 2 different Pain Clinics, and 2 Neurologists, as well as an ENT Oncologist. My GP has been decreasing my dosage for years: 7 years ago, I was on 37mcg Fentanyl Patch, now I am on 15mg OxyContin CR twice daily, with 10mg Oxycodone IR twice daily. I've always worked with my Doc to limit my requirements, as I know my pain is intractable, and I want to have a high ceiling so that in the future my meds can be increased. I have Trigeminal Neuralgia, dubbed "The Suicide Pain", as a result of more than 80 surgeries on my ear. Being informed all of a sudden that I was going to be "weaned off" opioids left me in tears for a week. Opioids were the Last Resort for me! I don't like the side effects of tiredness, apathy and withdrawal. My current dosage is not adequate to control the constant hot poker pain, so I supplement with cannabis and alcohol. Not ideal. I don't understand why I am being punished for being a "compliant" patient, and made to feel criminal. I am 56. My pharmacist is appalled. She has spent a lot of time on the phone with my dr trying to explain why it is completely inappropriate to take me off opioids. I cannot imagine enduring without. THIS IS WHAT MALPRACTICE LOOKS LIKE.

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