Opioid Crisis?? Well that didnt take long

[theDoctorisIn]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

Yeah... that's not true. There are certain issues that you can have that will leave you in constant pain no matter what. Take for example a back injury and spinal stenosis. Not everyone has the time to take off from life to have surgery, and even with surgery there is only a 33% chance pain will be relieved by the procedure. The fact the back pain is actually occurring can be proven through nerve conduction tests.

You're not understanding what I'm saying.

I'm not doubting the reality of chronic pain. But if you take 60-100 mg of Oxycontin every day for years, you will become addicted to it. It's a physical response of the human body - and will happen, whether or not you're actually in pain.

 

[Lewdog]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

Yeah... that's not true. There are certain issues that you can have that will leave you in constant pain no matter what. Take for example a back injury and spinal stenosis. Not everyone has the time to take off from life to have surgery, and even with surgery there is only a 33% chance pain will be relieved by the procedure. The fact the back pain is actually occurring can be proven through nerve conduction tests.

You're not understanding what I'm saying.

I'm not doubting the reality of chronic pain. But if you take 60-100 mg of Oxycontin every day for years, you will become addicted to it. It's a physical response of the human body - and will happen, whether or not you're actually in pain.

I don't know who you hang out with, but I haven't heard of anyone, short of those with terminal cancer, that get 60-100 mg Oxycontin anymore. Of course that's not counting the pill mills in states like Florida that aren't legit and keep getting busted and shut down. The way things are set up now, with the new drug tracking system (KASPER in Kentucky), people just don't get powerful opioids anymore. When I broke my leg, they gave me 5 mg Oxycodone three times per day, and when I left the hospital they gave me a week supply.

Now for comparison sake, when I first messed up my back in an accident back in 2003, I was given 30 mg morphine ER 2 times per day. Now my back is worse than it was back then, and I get 7.5 mg Oxycodone 3 times per day.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

Yeah... that's not true. There are certain issues that you can have that will leave you in constant pain no matter what. Take for example a back injury and spinal stenosis. Not everyone has the time to take off from life to have surgery, and even with surgery there is only a 33% chance pain will be relieved by the procedure. The fact the back pain is actually occurring can be proven through nerve conduction tests.

You're not understanding what I'm saying.

I'm not doubting the reality of chronic pain. But if you take 60-100 mg of Oxycontin every day for years, you will become addicted to it. It's a physical response of the human body - and will happen, whether or not you're actually in pain.

I don't know who you hang out with, but I haven't heard of anyone, short of those with terminal cancer, that get 60-100 mg Oxycontin anymore. Of course that's not counting the pill mills in states like Florida that aren't legit and keep getting busted and shut down. The way things are set up now, with the new drug tracking system (KASPER in Kentucky), people just don't get powerful opioids anymore. When I broke my leg, they gave me 5 mg Oxycodone three times per day, and when I left the hospital they gave me a week supply.

Now for comparison sake, when I first messed up my back in an accident back in 2003, I was given 30 mg morphine ER 2 times per day. Now my back is worse than it was back then, and I get 7.5 mg Oxycodone 3 times per day.

Perhaps things have changed significantly in the last decade or so, but such high doses of Oxycontin used to be given out on a fairly consistent basis. Hell, I knew I guy who was prescribed 3 50s a day for back pain.

In general, my point is two-fold. The first part of it is that opiates are physically addictive. It's an undeniable fact - the longer you take an opiate, the less it will work, and the more your body will rely on it. For it to be effective, you'll have to keep upping the dose.

The second part is that being addicted to opiates - or anything else - isn't a moral failing. It's biology - even an addiction to gambling, or sex is about brain chemistry. Addiction isn't about low moral fiber, or a failure of "self-control".

 

[Lewdog]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

Yeah... that's not true. There are certain issues that you can have that will leave you in constant pain no matter what. Take for example a back injury and spinal stenosis. Not everyone has the time to take off from life to have surgery, and even with surgery there is only a 33% chance pain will be relieved by the procedure. The fact the back pain is actually occurring can be proven through nerve conduction tests.

You're not understanding what I'm saying.

I'm not doubting the reality of chronic pain. But if you take 60-100 mg of Oxycontin every day for years, you will become addicted to it. It's a physical response of the human body - and will happen, whether or not you're actually in pain.

I don't know who you hang out with, but I haven't heard of anyone, short of those with terminal cancer, that get 60-100 mg Oxycontin anymore. Of course that's not counting the pill mills in states like Florida that aren't legit and keep getting busted and shut down. The way things are set up now, with the new drug tracking system (KASPER in Kentucky), people just don't get powerful opioids anymore. When I broke my leg, they gave me 5 mg Oxycodone three times per day, and when I left the hospital they gave me a week supply.

Now for comparison sake, when I first messed up my back in an accident back in 2003, I was given 30 mg morphine ER 2 times per day. Now my back is worse than it was back then, and I get 7.5 mg Oxycodone 3 times per day.

Perhaps things have changed significantly in the last decade or so, but such high doses of Oxycontin used to be given out on a fairly consistent basis. Hell, I knew I guy who was prescribed 3 50s a day for back pain.

In general, my point is two-fold. The first part of it is that opiates are physically addictive. It's an undeniable fact - the longer you take an opiate, the less it will work, and the more your body will rely on it. For it to be effective, you'll have to keep upping the dose.

The second part is that being addicted to opiates - or anything else - isn't a moral failing. It's biology - even an addiction to gambling, or sex is about brain chemistry. Addiction isn't about low moral fiber, or a failure of "self-control".

Well that's why most doctors will tell you to only take the meds when you feel pain, so that it actually works. Now my current doctor hasn't done it, but doctors in the past have switched up what pain meds they gave me, because they said it not only helped with avoiding addiction issues, but it helped confuse the body, so that the level of the meds would still work and not need to be raised.

 

[Votto]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

And what if you need the pain medication long term? Would you rather him suffer?

Sometimes people need the medication even though they become addicted.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

And what if you need the pain medication long term? Would you rather him suffer?

Sometimes people need the medication even though they become addicted.

I don't disagree with you.

But I think every effort should be made to find alternative treatments for the pain - to reduce the need for people to have to choose between chronic pain and chronic opiate addiction.

 

[TNHarley]

You know, CBD oils are legal, even in places like TX. And, I know from personal experience from watching my roomie that they work.

Ever thought about trying them?

My friend takes the liquid. She loves it. Tastes terrible but helps

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

Yeah... that's not true. There are certain issues that you can have that will leave you in constant pain no matter what. Take for example a back injury and spinal stenosis. Not everyone has the time to take off from life to have surgery, and even with surgery there is only a 33% chance pain will be relieved by the procedure. The fact the back pain is actually occurring can be proven through nerve conduction tests.

You're not understanding what I'm saying.

I'm not doubting the reality of chronic pain. But if you take 60-100 mg of Oxycontin every day for years, you will become addicted to it. It's a physical response of the human body - and will happen, whether or not you're actually in pain.

I don't know who you hang out with, but I haven't heard of anyone, short of those with terminal cancer, that get 60-100 mg Oxycontin anymore. Of course that's not counting the pill mills in states like Florida that aren't legit and keep getting busted and shut down. The way things are set up now, with the new drug tracking system (KASPER in Kentucky), people just don't get powerful opioids anymore. When I broke my leg, they gave me 5 mg Oxycodone three times per day, and when I left the hospital they gave me a week supply.

Now for comparison sake, when I first messed up my back in an accident back in 2003, I was given 30 mg morphine ER 2 times per day. Now my back is worse than it was back then, and I get 7.5 mg Oxycodone 3 times per day.

Perhaps things have changed significantly in the last decade or so, but such high doses of Oxycontin used to be given out on a fairly consistent basis. Hell, I knew I guy who was prescribed 3 50s a day for back pain.

In general, my point is two-fold. The first part of it is that opiates are physically addictive. It's an undeniable fact - the longer you take an opiate, the less it will work, and the more your body will rely on it. For it to be effective, you'll have to keep upping the dose.

The second part is that being addicted to opiates - or anything else - isn't a moral failing. It's biology - even an addiction to gambling, or sex is about brain chemistry. Addiction isn't about low moral fiber, or a failure of "self-control".

Well that's why most doctors will tell you to only take the meds when you feel pain, so that it actually works. Now my current doctor hasn't done it, but doctors in the past have switched up what pain meds they gave me, because they said it not only helped with avoiding addiction issues, but it helped confuse the body, so that the level of the meds would still work and not need to be raised.

Switching between different opiates can help mitigate the addictive effects - but only to an extent. All opiates essentially use the same mechanism, chemically, to alleviate pain. Switching between the nearly endless list of synthetic opiates will only delay the inevitable, if you're on a long-term pain maintenance program.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Predicted this and its already on the way. I am not in chronic pain but have had some recent experience being denied needed pain meds. Injured my hand at work which required two surgeries to fix, partly because they didn't do an immediate MRI and were working off just an x-ray. Forget the generic of what I was given, was oxy something, fake Percocet. After three days was rdy to rip cast off because I couldn't stand it anymore. Called ortho told em I need the real thing and got a series of lies, one was a med they had prescribed with the pain meds boosted the pain med and was I taking it. Problem is it doesn't say that anywhere except their take home instructions because I always check my meds out. When I informed her of this she got nasty and hung up. Dr then tried the there are so many formulations of it he cant waste time trying to personalize it to me. Go and ask the friendly pharmacist how many there were, 3.....
'We're treated like drug addicts': As America fights opioid addiction, the healthcare system is failing people who live with chronic pain
'We're treated like drug addicts': As America fights opioid addiction, the healthcare system is failing people who live with chronic pain

Last year I had surgery on the bones and nerves of my right foot. I was not prescribed any medication at all. The pain was phenomenal. It was the worst I experienced since my baby was delivered only this went on for days. Out of all my doctors, not a single one would prescribe anything at all. I begged. I am alone, if I have to go anywhere, including to the doctor, I have to drive. This wasn't chronic pain. This was short term pain. I asked for some pain medication as long as the surgical wound was still open. Nope. All I could do was lay in bed and wait for time to pass. It took 7 months because I needed additional corrective surgeries.

Now that It is over, and my foot is just deformed a bit, I told my doctors, all of them, that I could not forget or forgive the way I was treated. It is something I will never get beyond. Especially since there was never any reason for denying me relief. It was just no. The State won't like it.

I guess I'm not unique after all.

Thats malpractice......I'd have talked to a lawyer or gone after his license ..

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

Yeah... that's not true. There are certain issues that you can have that will leave you in constant pain no matter what. Take for example a back injury and spinal stenosis. Not everyone has the time to take off from life to have surgery, and even with surgery there is only a 33% chance pain will be relieved by the procedure. The fact the back pain is actually occurring can be proven through nerve conduction tests.

You're not understanding what I'm saying.

I'm not doubting the reality of chronic pain. But if you take 60-100 mg of Oxycontin every day for years, you will become addicted to it. It's a physical response of the human body - and will happen, whether or not you're actually in pain.

I don't know who you hang out with, but I haven't heard of anyone, short of those with terminal cancer, that get 60-100 mg Oxycontin anymore. Of course that's not counting the pill mills in states like Florida that aren't legit and keep getting busted and shut down. The way things are set up now, with the new drug tracking system (KASPER in Kentucky), people just don't get powerful opioids anymore. When I broke my leg, they gave me 5 mg Oxycodone three times per day, and when I left the hospital they gave me a week supply.

Now for comparison sake, when I first messed up my back in an accident back in 2003, I was given 30 mg morphine ER 2 times per day. Now my back is worse than it was back then, and I get 7.5 mg Oxycodone 3 times per day.

Perhaps things have changed significantly in the last decade or so, but such high doses of Oxycontin used to be given out on a fairly consistent basis. Hell, I knew I guy who was prescribed 3 50s a day for back pain.

In general, my point is two-fold. The first part of it is that opiates are physically addictive. It's an undeniable fact - the longer you take an opiate, the less it will work, and the more your body will rely on it. For it to be effective, you'll have to keep upping the dose.

The second part is that being addicted to opiates - or anything else - isn't a moral failing. It's biology - even an addiction to gambling, or sex is about brain chemistry. Addiction isn't about low moral fiber, or a failure of "self-control".

Actually it's not a physical addiction at all, but it is about brain chemistry.


Dr's told me that all pain meds don't actually fix the pain, but they block the neurotransmitters to the brain that the pain is happening. The pain is still there, but your brain isn't getting the signals to react.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Here's the thing - if you're taking Percocet or Oxys long-term for "chronic pain", you ARE a drug addict.

This is a matter of chemistry, not morals.

Yeah... that's not true. There are certain issues that you can have that will leave you in constant pain no matter what. Take for example a back injury and spinal stenosis. Not everyone has the time to take off from life to have surgery, and even with surgery there is only a 33% chance pain will be relieved by the procedure. The fact the back pain is actually occurring can be proven through nerve conduction tests.

You're not understanding what I'm saying.

I'm not doubting the reality of chronic pain. But if you take 60-100 mg of Oxycontin every day for years, you will become addicted to it. It's a physical response of the human body - and will happen, whether or not you're actually in pain.

I don't know who you hang out with, but I haven't heard of anyone, short of those with terminal cancer, that get 60-100 mg Oxycontin anymore. Of course that's not counting the pill mills in states like Florida that aren't legit and keep getting busted and shut down. The way things are set up now, with the new drug tracking system (KASPER in Kentucky), people just don't get powerful opioids anymore. When I broke my leg, they gave me 5 mg Oxycodone three times per day, and when I left the hospital they gave me a week supply.

Now for comparison sake, when I first messed up my back in an accident back in 2003, I was given 30 mg morphine ER 2 times per day. Now my back is worse than it was back then, and I get 7.5 mg Oxycodone 3 times per day.

Perhaps things have changed significantly in the last decade or so, but such high doses of Oxycontin used to be given out on a fairly consistent basis. Hell, I knew I guy who was prescribed 3 50s a day for back pain.

In general, my point is two-fold. The first part of it is that opiates are physically addictive. It's an undeniable fact - the longer you take an opiate, the less it will work, and the more your body will rely on it. For it to be effective, you'll have to keep upping the dose.

The second part is that being addicted to opiates - or anything else - isn't a moral failing. It's biology - even an addiction to gambling, or sex is about brain chemistry. Addiction isn't about low moral fiber, or a failure of "self-control".

Actually it's not a physical addiction at all, but it is about brain chemistry.


Dr's told me that all pain meds don't actually fix the pain, but they block the neurotransmitters to the brain that the pain is happening. The pain is still there, but your brain isn't getting the signals to react.

That is essentially how it works, yes.

But it most certainly is physically addictive. After long-term exposure to those signal-blockers, your body forgets how to block those signals without the chemical help - and then pain becomes the normal condition of the brain.

 

[badger2]

Curiously, Tizanidine has differences when switching from gel cap to tablet. The attached chlorine is standing up there nice and proud, on a mostly planar molecule.

 

[Lewdog]

Curiously, Tizanidine has differences when switching from gel cap to tablet. The attached chlorine is standing up there nice and proud, on a mostly planar molecule.

All I care about it is, it helps my go to sleep at night.

 

[Harry Dresden]

I think spinal fusion has a better success rate than the rod & pins I was offered and I denied. I've done better on my own than any of the Dr's I've seen over the past 2 years. Any of the pain meds prescribed didn't touch it, including Oxycodone.

My back is fucked and it sucks. I used to be a scratch golfer and had to quit playing. I used to get REALLY strong meds but now with the new laws and all the people that abuse drugs I only get 7.5's, 800 mg Gabapentin, Ibuprofen, and Tizanadine. the Tizanadine probably helps the most, especially in helping go to sleep at night... but when I wake up every morning I feel like I've been kicked in the back by a mule.

yeah, mine is too. L2 thru S1. Arthritis & Degeneration causing a slight curve and nerve roots, amongst other things. I have been given Oxycodone, Tramadol, Diclofenac?, Toradol injections and several others. The only things that did work were the Toradol injections......if the right nurse gave it in the right spot. Sometimes it helped & other times it didn't. Is supposed to work for 24-36 hours but usually lasted between 10-12 hours.

Also plain old fashioned aspirin......but taking 2 at a time, 4-6 times a day was putting my liver at risk and thinned my blood to water, so I alternated it with Tylenol. That is until I got hives several times and I quit the aspirin all together and trying a more natural approach. It's been a slow and painful process and I still have pain, and some days are better than others, but I haven't taken anything since November.

Thing is, my pain isn't so much in my back itself as it is in the hip area and down the left leg and it changes often (location, type & degree of pain, muscles/nerves, etc) so this leads me to believe there is more going on than just my back.........but several Dr's, including an Orthopedist & a Neurologist say otherwise.

Yeah that's called sciatica. I have the same thing. Last month I just finished my latest round of three injections. They only helped a short period of time and not long enough to continue doing them again. I've had 10+ injections.

i had a pretty bad case of sciatica....doctors did shit....went to a Chiropractor and it was gone after 3 adjustments....

 

[badger2]

Always interested in chronic fluorine/chlorine ingestion.

 

[Manonthestreet]

 

[Tresha91203]

My mother is in her 70's now and has had 3 back surgeries, a spinal stimulator implant, countless injections, prolotherapy, accupuncture, etc. She finally got the right mix of meds (avinza & roxycodone), and has been stable for years. Now they are torturing her with the reductions. She's a geriatric with a crumbling spine. It's just cruel.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

My mother is in her 70's now and has had 3 back surgeries, a spinal stimulator implant, countless injections, prolotherapy, accupuncture, etc. She finally got the right mix of meds (avinza & roxycodone), and has been stable for years. Now they are torturing her with the reductions. She's a geriatric with a crumbling spine. It's just cruel.

As far as I'm concerned at that age with no chance of recovery they should keep em medicated if thats what they want.

 

[Tresha91203]

In case it helps anyone: she has 2 tens units that help a lot. They cost about $30 and are worth it.

 

[dblack]

Predicted this and its already on the way. I am not in chronic pain but have had some recent experience being denied needed pain meds. Injured my hand at work which required two surgeries to fix, partly because they didn't do an immediate MRI and were working off just an x-ray. Forget the generic of what I was given, was oxy something, fake Percocet. After three days was rdy to rip cast off because I couldn't stand it anymore. Called ortho told em I need the real thing and got a series of lies, one was a med they had prescribed with the pain meds boosted the pain med and was I taking it. Problem is it doesn't say that anywhere except their take home instructions because I always check my meds out. When I informed her of this she got nasty and hung up. Dr then tried the there are so many formulations of it he cant waste time trying to personalize it to me. Go and ask the friendly pharmacist how many there were, 3.....
'We're treated like drug addicts': As America fights opioid addiction, the healthcare system is failing people who live with chronic pain
'We're treated like drug addicts': As America fights opioid addiction, the healthcare system is failing people who live with chronic pain

Are you okay? You're typing.... are you on an opioid binge right now?

Sounds like classic denial to me.