Community Chat

[winamac1]

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@glorybe wrote:

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@winamac1 wrote:

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@LilacTree wrote:

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@Still Raining wrote:

After my last surgery I realized that I was way, way too happy to take the next pill.  The thought made me smile.  At least I had the presence of mind to empty the bottle down the disposal and out of temptation.  For the first time I understood how someone can get addicted. 

My daughter still laughs about how she came over and saw me looking at the TV and when she asked if I wanted her to turn it on I just thought for a while and said no I was fine watching it when it was off.  Scary stuff.

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Many years ago I was in the hospital for one of my diverticulitis attacks and they gave me a pain killer.  I don't know what it is but when I woke up I felt as though I was in a coffin.  I rang for the nurse and asked her what they had given me and I still can't remember what it was (dilaudid?).  I told her never to give me any medW like that again and to make sure she put that on my chart.

Her response was, "really?  most people like it."

As you said . . . "scary stuff."

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dilaudid is a narcotic--hydromorphone

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@winamac1, I know that you have the background for understanding drugs and what is appropriate. There is a need for proper medication for specific conditions. It feels like the DEA is now on a witch hunt and putting the legitimate chronic pain patients in the same group as people using them to get high and are addicted, not dependent on them for chronic intractible pain. Your thoughts?

ETA that I am just now reading this tonight and now realize this has been discussed previously. Sorry.

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Hi glorybe--no worries--I do think that many people who have legitimate pain concerns are not being treated appropriately.  As I stated, it truly varies from state to state and from physician to physician.  I had horrible headaches a few months ago, and ibuprofen (4 tabs at a time) was not cutting the pain.  My physician would give me nothing.  He knows I don't abuse narcotics and he still told me to tough it out.   I didn't press him, but I could have probably gotten 5 pain pills if I really tried.  I just let it go and finally the headaches went away after a few days. 

I do think that the pendulum is swinging the other direction in some cases.  You have to find another physician if the one you have is not treating pain in a responsible manner.  It's just that so many are fearful of losing their license due to all the inappropriate prescribing that has gone on in the past.  The few "bad " physicians with egregious behavior has contributed to this crack down--as well (of course) with patients abusing meds due to addictions.

Some pain physicians with legitimate practices will treat pain appropriately.    One just has to find them.

[Snoopp]

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@winamac1 wrote:

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@glorybe wrote:

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@winamac1 wrote:

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@LilacTree wrote:

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@Still Raining wrote:

After my last surgery I realized that I was way, way too happy to take the next pill.  The thought made me smile.  At least I had the presence of mind to empty the bottle down the disposal and out of temptation.  For the first time I understood how someone can get addicted. 

My daughter still laughs about how she came over and saw me looking at the TV and when she asked if I wanted her to turn it on I just thought for a while and said no I was fine watching it when it was off.  Scary stuff.

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Many years ago I was in the hospital for one of my diverticulitis attacks and they gave me a pain killer.  I don't know what it is but when I woke up I felt as though I was in a coffin.  I rang for the nurse and asked her what they had given me and I still can't remember what it was (dilaudid?).  I told her never to give me any medW like that again and to make sure she put that on my chart.

Her response was, "really?  most people like it."

As you said . . . "scary stuff."

---

dilaudid is a narcotic--hydromorphone

---

@winamac1, I know that you have the background for understanding drugs and what is appropriate. There is a need for proper medication for specific conditions. It feels like the DEA is now on a witch hunt and putting the legitimate chronic pain patients in the same group as people using them to get high and are addicted, not dependent on them for chronic intractible pain. Your thoughts?

ETA that I am just now reading this tonight and now realize this has been discussed previously. Sorry.

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Hi glorybe--no worries--I do think that many people who have legitimate pain concerns are not being treated appropriately.  As I stated, it truly varies from state to state and from physician to physician.  I had horrible headaches a few months ago, and ibuprofen (4 tabs at a time) was not cutting the pain.  My physician would give me nothing.  He knows I don't abuse narcotics and he still told me to tough it out.   I didn't press him, but I could have probably gotten 5 pain pills if I really tried.  I just let it go and finally the headaches went away after a few days. 

I do think that the pendulum is swinging the other direction in some cases.  You have to find another physician if the one you have is not treating pain in a responsible manner.  It's just that so many are fearful of losing their license due to all the inappropriate prescribing that has gone on in the past.  The few "bad " physicians with egregious behavior has contributed to this crack down--as well (of course) with patients abusing meds due to addictions.

Some pain physicians with legitimate practices will treat pain appropriately.    One just has to find them.

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He told you to tough it out?  What an a..    I guess he thought 3 or 4 pain pills would create an addiction?

[scotnovel]

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@momtochloe wrote:

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@LilacTree wrote:

It will start at 9 PM, a live town hall type with Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(I'll have to record "Empire") which is on at the same time.

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Thank you for this @LilacTree, I didn't realize this was on.  I hope as many people as possible watch this as it is brutal what the pharmaceutical companies have done to this nation and their health.

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People are responsible for their own situations.  When someone can't afford to pay their house payment, we blame the realtor or the banker rather than the person who bought a house they couldn't afford or didn't make any effort to plan for a rainy day.  When someone is addicted, we blame the drug companies.  I know some drug companies lied about how addictive their drugs were so, of course, they bear some responsibility, but in the end it comes down to the individual.  I've had strong pain killers prescribed a few times over the years following surgery or injury and I've never even taken one full prescription let alone gotten refill after refill. There are some folks who seriously need pain killers on a full time basis, but the vast majority don't, yet they still continue to  take them, to doctor shop to get them, and make no effort to get off of them.  

[LilacTree]

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@winamac1 wrote:

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@LilacTree wrote:

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@Still Raining wrote:

After my last surgery I realized that I was way, way too happy to take the next pill.  The thought made me smile.  At least I had the presence of mind to empty the bottle down the disposal and out of temptation.  For the first time I understood how someone can get addicted. 

My daughter still laughs about how she came over and saw me looking at the TV and when she asked if I wanted her to turn it on I just thought for a while and said no I was fine watching it when it was off.  Scary stuff.

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Many years ago I was in the hospital for one of my diverticulitis attacks and they gave me a pain killer.  I don't know what it is but when I woke up I felt as though I was in a coffin.  I rang for the nurse and asked her what they had given me and I still can't remember what it was (dilaudid?).  I told her never to give me any med like that again and to make sure she put that on my chart.

Her response was, "really?  most people like it."

As you said . . . "scary stuff."

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dilaudid is a narcotic--hydromorphone

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Yes, and also an opioid analgesic.

[LilacTree]

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I know of no one who pays $1,000 per dose.  Most of the injections do run about $3,000 per month, but no one pays.  Commercial patients get it for free (copay cards) and Medicare who bring in up to 500% of the Federal Poverty Level get it for free.  500% of the FPL for a family of one is almost $60,000 and for a family of 2....it's $80,000 per year.  Not many on Social Security benefits--or those with SS benefits and pensions are bringing in that much money as income.  Therefore, most patients get these drugs for free.  They are also $3.00 per month or free for Medicaid.  I know this for a fact as I message this daily.

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I've heard that . . . yes.  That doesn't make it any more likely that I will ever take these meds.  I'm 78, and have many severe autoimmune issues.  I am very susceptible to side effects of any med I take.  Fortunately, I have a very high pain threshold.

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I never stated you should take one of these meds. I simply was stating a fact that most patients get these very expensive biologics for free.

I wouldn't take them either if I had an autoimmune disease and was susceptible to infections.   Yes, they can cause infections.  It's in the labeling.

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I'll never understand how they can push meds for which the first lethal side effect is "infections" to an individual who has autoimmune diseases and can't fight infections. 

[NAES1]

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@?glorybe wrote:

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@sassenach1 wrote:

Yes, there is much abuse for opioids.  It is awful. 

From another perspective, what about the ones who are truly in horrible pain and need relief?  My mother had nine spine surgeries, the last leaving her with severe pain for the remainder of her life.  She tried every, single thing out there, from biofeedback, PT, steroid epidurals and more.  She was under Pain Clinic management, which was under heavy scrutiny from the DEA. 

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@sassenach1, thank you for bringing this up. There are two sides to this story. I belong to a chronic pain group and the stories of suffering are heartbreaking! Stories of phantom limb pain, failed back surgeries, RSD which is extreme nerve pain (ever have a tooth ache? imagine that continuous pain that is constant). I myself have chronic nerve pain from Cerebral Palsy which has damaged my spine causing it to curve and rotate, along with other medical conditions that cause pain. I have been through shots in my spine, physical therapy, nerve burning in my SI joints, chiropractic early on, but nothing really relieves the pain. I cannot take NSAIDS which I did for years which helped me the most but damaged my kidneys to Stage 3 kidney failure with cysts. I have to deal with Tylenol Arthritis for pain which is a joke, and no I have never been on Opiods myself.

There are many more like me who suffer, some have been on Opioids for years for their pain and are already having them taken away. They are bed bound again and many teeter on the brink of suicide of because their only help for their severe pain was the prescribed Opiods. The DEA is going after the wrong people! Go after the on

es who are stealing other people's medicine, feeding their drug habit for a high!

@sassenach1@.   And @glorybe 

Being a medical professional, ....believe I have seen what pain in the raw, really is.

Saw the show. Did not agree with either doctor, completely. BUT! Understand the epidemic. 

For those who are in legit CHRONIC pain, this abuse has become a frightening future for those who rely on several medications to have some quality of life.

If in chronic pain, I have yet been witness to Tylenol or its equal to pronto relief.

Worse drugs that I would seriously think to be tracking, killing so many! Tobacco. Alcohol.

How does anyone so young receive [ said whatevers] ...your guess is as good as mine!{?}......

I would love to know of a society never in pain or in need of medications. Thus far, that has not been to my knowledge.

Interesting post. I have known about the use of abuse for non- prescribed toxins for many years. Surprised that the country is just, now, addressing _this. Very surprised!

Hopefully this will be a reconciliation of better pain management, soon.

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