Opiod Abuse

[longknife]

I'm surprised there are not more threads on this subject here.

How many of us experience pain to the point where we need something strong to ease it?

Up to this point in my life, I was able to get away with a couple of Tylenol now and then.

But age and weight have caught up with me. Six months or so ago, I went out to the emergency room at the Air Force base hospital. They did some x-rays and told me I had a torn ligament in my left knee. The doctor gave me oxycodone and told me to get an appointment with my regular doc.

Being real macho, I ordered a knee brace online and did my best to tough it out with Tylenol, using the oxy only when the pain got too much.

I finally gave up, saw my primary doc who sent me for an MRI and then to the orthopedic clinic. I was told that, in addition to the torn ligament, I had lost most of the cartilage in both knees. Not to the point of replacement but in need of a stronger knee brace.

That helped some. After six months, I had 20 or so oxy pills left but asked my doctor to give me something stronger. She gave me something that is a third oxy and two-thirds Acetaminophen. Again, I did my best to avoid using it.

I recently saw a new doctor that replaced my old one and we talked about a refill of the part-oxo pills. I was surprised, and quite pleased, when we went through a very detailed discussion of opiods and their use. He even had a contract for me to sign! Basically that I would only go to him for refills and no other source and I would only obtain them from the hospital pharmcy.

It appears that the military has become very serious about opiods.

The doctor also gave me an order for a wheelchair. Wow is it difficult to get one through Medicare! What a rigarole. One company approved me but said it would take 10 days to get one I could use. I'm currently waiting for another company that has one in stock to go through some garbage with the base hospital.

I guess you're really getting old when it comes down to needing a wheelchair to get around.

 

[BULLDOG]

I'm surprised there are not more threads on this subject here.

How many of us experience pain to the point where we need something strong to ease it?

Up to this point in my life, I was able to get away with a couple of Tylenol now and then.

But age and weight have caught up with me. Six months or so ago, I went out to the emergency room at the Air Force base hospital. They did some x-rays and told me I had a torn ligament in my left knee. The doctor gave me oxycodone and told me to get an appointment with my regular doc.

Being real macho, I ordered a knee brace online and did my best to tough it out with Tylenol, using the oxy only when the pain got too much.

I finally gave up, saw my primary doc who sent me for an MRI and then to the orthopedic clinic. I was told that, in addition to the torn ligament, I had lost most of the cartilage in both knees. Not to the point of replacement but in need of a stronger knee brace.

That helped some. After six months, I had 20 or so oxy pills left but asked my doctor to give me something stronger. She gave me something that is a third oxy and two-thirds Acetaminophen. Again, I did my best to avoid using it.

I recently saw a new doctor that replaced my old one and we talked about a refill of the part-oxo pills. I was surprised, and quite pleased, when we went through a very detailed discussion of opiods and their use. He even had a contract for me to sign! Basically that I would only go to him for refills and no other source and I would only obtain them from the hospital pharmcy.

It appears that the military has become very serious about opiods.

The doctor also gave me an order for a wheelchair. Wow is it difficult to get one through Medicare! What a rigarole. One company approved me but said it would take 10 days to get one I could use. I'm currently waiting for another company that has one in stock to go through some garbage with the base hospital.

I guess you're really getting old when it comes down to needing a wheelchair to get around.

It's hell to be worn out.

 

[Muhammed]

I'm surprised there are not more threads on this subject here.

How many of us experience pain to the point where we need something strong to ease it?

Up to this point in my life, I was able to get away with a couple of Tylenol now and then.

But age and weight have caught up with me. Six months or so ago, I went out to the emergency room at the Air Force base hospital. They did some x-rays and told me I had a torn ligament in my left knee. The doctor gave me oxycodone and told me to get an appointment with my regular doc.

Being real macho, I ordered a knee brace online and did my best to tough it out with Tylenol, using the oxy only when the pain got too much.

I finally gave up, saw my primary doc who sent me for an MRI and then to the orthopedic clinic. I was told that, in addition to the torn ligament, I had lost most of the cartilage in both knees. Not to the point of replacement but in need of a stronger knee brace.

That helped some. After six months, I had 20 or so oxy pills left but asked my doctor to give me something stronger. She gave me something that is a third oxy and two-thirds Acetaminophen. Again, I did my best to avoid using it.

I recently saw a new doctor that replaced my old one and we talked about a refill of the part-oxo pills. I was surprised, and quite pleased, when we went through a very detailed discussion of opiods and their use. He even had a contract for me to sign! Basically that I would only go to him for refills and no other source and I would only obtain them from the hospital pharmcy.

It appears that the military has become very serious about opiods.

The doctor also gave me an order for a wheelchair. Wow is it difficult to get one through Medicare! What a rigarole. One company approved me but said it would take 10 days to get one I could use. I'm currently waiting for another company that has one in stock to go through some garbage with the base hospital.

I guess you're really getting old when it comes down to needing a wheelchair to get around.

If your doctor requires you to sign a contract in order to get the medicine you require, then it proves that he does not trust you.

Trust is the keystone to an effective doctor/patient relationship.

My advice is to fire him. And don't forget to mention that you will be consulting a lawyer to look over that contract.

 

[Dan Stubbs]

I'm surprised there are not more threads on this subject here.

How many of us experience pain to the point where we need something strong to ease it?

Up to this point in my life, I was able to get away with a couple of Tylenol now and then.

But age and weight have caught up with me. Six months or so ago, I went out to the emergency room at the Air Force base hospital. They did some x-rays and told me I had a torn ligament in my left knee. The doctor gave me oxycodone and told me to get an appointment with my regular doc.

Being real macho, I ordered a knee brace online and did my best to tough it out with Tylenol, using the oxy only when the pain got too much.

I finally gave up, saw my primary doc who sent me for an MRI and then to the orthopedic clinic. I was told that, in addition to the torn ligament, I had lost most of the cartilage in both knees. Not to the point of replacement but in need of a stronger knee brace.

That helped some. After six months, I had 20 or so oxy pills left but asked my doctor to give me something stronger. She gave me something that is a third oxy and two-thirds Acetaminophen. Again, I did my best to avoid using it.

I recently saw a new doctor that replaced my old one and we talked about a refill of the part-oxo pills. I was surprised, and quite pleased, when we went through a very detailed discussion of opiods and their use. He even had a contract for me to sign! Basically that I would only go to him for refills and no other source and I would only obtain them from the hospital pharmcy.

It appears that the military has become very serious about opiods.

The doctor also gave me an order for a wheelchair. Wow is it difficult to get one through Medicare! What a rigarole. One company approved me but said it would take 10 days to get one I could use. I'm currently waiting for another company that has one in stock to go through some garbage with the base hospital.

I guess you're really getting old when it comes down to needing a wheelchair to get around.

I will give some advise Acetaminophen will cause liver damage if take over aperiod of time. I am in your same shoes so far the Senator from Alabama has sent me a letter stating that there some new laws that will ease the meds for chronic paint control. Don't hold your breath for that one. Call your Senator and pitch a bitch they will listen. Good luck.

 

[longknife]

I'm surprised there are not more threads on this subject here.

How many of us experience pain to the point where we need something strong to ease it?

Up to this point in my life, I was able to get away with a couple of Tylenol now and then.

But age and weight have caught up with me. Six months or so ago, I went out to the emergency room at the Air Force base hospital. They did some x-rays and told me I had a torn ligament in my left knee. The doctor gave me oxycodone and told me to get an appointment with my regular doc.

Being real macho, I ordered a knee brace online and did my best to tough it out with Tylenol, using the oxy only when the pain got too much.

I finally gave up, saw my primary doc who sent me for an MRI and then to the orthopedic clinic. I was told that, in addition to the torn ligament, I had lost most of the cartilage in both knees. Not to the point of replacement but in need of a stronger knee brace.

That helped some. After six months, I had 20 or so oxy pills left but asked my doctor to give me something stronger. She gave me something that is a third oxy and two-thirds Acetaminophen. Again, I did my best to avoid using it.

I recently saw a new doctor that replaced my old one and we talked about a refill of the part-oxo pills. I was surprised, and quite pleased, when we went through a very detailed discussion of opiods and their use. He even had a contract for me to sign! Basically that I would only go to him for refills and no other source and I would only obtain them from the hospital pharmcy.

It appears that the military has become very serious about opiods.

The doctor also gave me an order for a wheelchair. Wow is it difficult to get one through Medicare! What a rigarole. One company approved me but said it would take 10 days to get one I could use. I'm currently waiting for another company that has one in stock to go through some garbage with the base hospital.

I guess you're really getting old when it comes down to needing a wheelchair to get around.

If your doctor requires you to sign a contract in order to get the medicine you require, then it proves that he does not trust you.

Trust is the keystone to an effective doctor/patient relationship.

My advice is to fire him. And don't forget to mention that you will be consulting a lawyer to look over that contract.

It's not a matter of trust. DOD has decided to crack down on prescriptions of opiods for all branches. My doctor, an Air Force captain MD, is simply following the new regulations.

I am glad the military is getting tough and hope the VA is doing the same.

I actually like this new guy as he really checked out my records before we met and listened to what I had to say.

 

[longknife]

I know this is going to sound weird but I wonder if we weren't better off in the old days when we used Opium and Heroin in their natural forms.

Now what we are dealing with are artificial pain killers and nobody knows the real long-term effects.