Re: I this normal protocol today?

lolakimono · ‎03-29-2012

RE D.O. vs M.D.- it has to do with their philosophies/approaches to medicine and patient care.

Image result for d.o. vs. md

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

DH is in such chronic pain that he supplements opioids with MJ in the evenings so he can get reasonable sleep. He has a medical MJ card.

bathina · ‎03-14-2010

Thank you for all the information. It sounds like there is a new push to remove people from the pain med treatment. I'm going to check with my neighbor tomorrow and ask her a few more questions and pass along the info I got here.

Part of me feels they should just leave this poor woman alone and another part of me feels like it may be a good thing- lose weight, get stronger, reduce the pain naturally. She may be 75, but she is sharp and witty and kind. I would hate to see her incapacitated with pain and depression. Although she has started taking the anti-depressant meds given to her by the pain clinic doctor.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

@spent2much wrote:
Unfortunately, chronic pain patients are suffering terribly today because of the "opioid crisis." From what I've read, however, the majority of overdoses/deaths occur when people have mixed street drugs with opioids, or have bought opioids from unscrupulous dealers. Chronic pain patients have a DEPENDANCE on opioids to ease their pain. They are the ones suffering because of the actions of people who are misusing drugs... to get high, not to ease pain.

(bolding for emphasis)

It’s a slippery slope.

Addiction doesn’t have a particular demographic.

The mental aspect of habit to obtain that dopamine hit is still the same.

If the chronic pain patients were given an opportunity to

ease their pain, to the point eliminating all pain & removing

all pain medication.....they still wouldn’t accept it.

That’s a sign of addiction.

GraceLady · ‎01-03-2013

@bathina wrote:
My 75 year old neighbor has been taking Vicodin for 5 years for severe arthritis in her ankles. She walks with a walker and is in pain, even after taking the Vicodin.
Long story short, she had her annual exam with her primary care doc and he told her he would no longer prescribe the Vicodin. He sent her to a pain clinic for an evaluation and they sent her home with an antidepressant. That was last week. She has been off the Vicodin now for 3 days and she is in agony. She called me this morning and asked if I would help her put a turkey in her oven for company she is having this afternoon.
I cannot believe the doctor would cut this woman off without a plan to manage her pain. She is clearly in withdrawal- heart racing, nausea, diarrhea. Coupled with the pain in her ankles and her inability to walk, I am very concerned.
I understand there is an opiate epidemic, but is the protocol now to remove that option for people who have been successfully taking an opiate for pain? Does anyone have experience with this?

I love that you are concerned for your neighbor. She does need help to manage her pain, and an advocate like you to help her understand what her providers are telling her. She may be inclined to hear things differently right now because she is in distress.

If her arthritis is so bad, she needs to see a rheumatologist. There are so many things that can be done for arthritis that don't involve pain meds. You don't say what type of arthritis she has, but that does make a difference. The problem with "weaning her off" opiates is that she has access to them. She has a dependence/addiction. The pain will get the better of her and she would most likely take her usual dose at some point.

Her doctor, in fact any doctor, would be irresponsible to continue prescribing pain meds to her. Addiction to opiates can happen in a less than a week. Once you have built up a tolerance to opiates, that is irreversible. Should she need surgery in the future, pain control could be compromised. Urge your neighbor to see a rheumatologist to see what treatment options she has. Should the rheumy decide she needs to continue on pain meds instead of the newer treatments available, a pain clinic will be better equiped to handle her pain.

Again, she is lucky to have you caring so much for her. Best of luck to you both.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@cherry wrote:
I don't know. They cut my bil off his ,and sent him to PT. We have a pain management clinic at out local hospital

I would suggest people try medical marijuana. I have never used any, of recreational drugs, but ,if I were in severe pain, I would try M.M.

@cherry. My friend tried marijuana and said it did help some and was okay if you didn't mind being in a fog all the time. I wouldn't want that.

@bathina. The doctor probably sent your friend to the pain clinic with the thought that they would assist her withdrawal from the Vicodin. They probably didn't want to bother with a little old lady. She needs an advocate who would speak up on her behalf.

I wonder if she could take a NSAID? This opioid addiction business has turned political and has been badly bungled. I had to discontinue my NSAID due to reduced kidney function after being on it over 25 years for arthritis. Doctor gave me scripts for first one, then another controlled pain killer. You should see the hoops you have to jump through. Doctors are being closely monitored. As it turned out, both of the pain meds made me sick and I could take neither. I'm now taking a half dose of my NSAID and am doing okay.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

BalletBabe · ‎03-05-2011

@bathina This is happening, because the Government is trying to get opiods not prescibed as often. The insurance companies are also fighting it. I think it is terrible to do this to the elderly and it is not going to solve the opiod abuse in this country.

I have heard so many people complaining about this. I think Dr.'s prescribed this stuff way toooooooo often and now the patients will be the ones that suffer.

I get so irritated when I hear they want to push anti depressants on people. Seriously anti depressants are addicting, and cause some to get more depressed. If you are in pain what the heck is a anti depressant going to do???

When my husband died almost 3 years ago and I went in for a 6 month follow up, he tried to put me on one because I was crying telling him how I found him dead in the morning. It had only been 2 months. He mentioned about giving me an anti depressant, and I looked at him and said seriously???? If I wasn't depressed, that would not be normal. These Dr's irritate me so bad.

I said NoThank You! Time is what I need, not a anti depressant.

Tadaki · ‎03-10-2010

@BalletBabe wrote:
@bathina This is happening, because the Government is trying to get opiods not prescibed as often. The insurance companies are also fighting it. I think it is terrible to do this to the elderly and it is not going to solve the opiod abuse in this country.

I have heard so many people complaining about this. I think Dr.'s prescribed this stuff way toooooooo often and now the patients will be the ones that suffer.

I get so irritated when I hear they want to push anti depressants on people. Seriously anti depressants are addicting, and cause some to get more depressed. If you are in pain what the heck is a anti depressant going to do???

When my husband died almost 3 years ago and I went in for a 6 month follow up, he tried to put me on one because I was crying telling him how I found him dead in the morning. It had only been 2 months. He mentioned about giving me an anti depressant, and I looked at him and said seriously???? If I wasn't depressed, that would not be normal. These Dr's irritate me so bad.

I said NoThank You! Time is what I need, not a anti depressant.

I agree! This is another thing they seem to prescribe without thought. The doctor suggested this to my aunt and she went to another doctor. And I might add, she has been quite well for all the years since then.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

Vicodin is not a drug that is used to treat arthritis. Whomever put her on that drug and prescribed it for years is criminal.

Right now this poor woman is having withdraw symptoms. She should be in a hospital to wean her off and get her clean. Take her to the ER.

She should also be going to a doctor who specializes in treating arthritis. They will give her the proper meds to treat as well as releive her daily pain. There are many new drugs on the market that made for this purpose.

She should also drop her primary doctor. What was he thinking? He is a jerk for doing this to her and leaving her to suffer.

Thank you you for being a good neighbor.

IMW · ‎06-15-2014

At my Hematologist/Oncologist apppointment for ferritin infusions I heard a nurse calling 3 different

pharmacies to fill an OxyContin rx for a very, very sick and in pain elderly cancer patient. None had the rx in stock.

In this country we use a sledgehammer to fix a problem instead of selectively using a mallet.

Same approach was used for the mentally ill. Years ago they were locked up sometimes for years. Today we can’t hospitalize them except for a very, very short period of time, hence the homeless problem exponentially increased.