Government and opiate "crisis"

[JAT]

Hi everyone. I haven't posted in years mainly because my pain was under control with fentanyl (Duragesic) patches, Norco, Xanax, vicoprofen, and a muscle relaxer (cannot recall the name at the moment). Anyway, the government feels that there is an opiate "crisis", an agency accessed my doctor's offices, went through charts, and our doctor (hubby has same) is cutting back his pain meds. The company that did best for me as far as the fentanyl was Activa which was sold out twice to other companies. The one that I'm stuck with now barely works, or my pain has increased - I'm not sure which. I'm in excruciating pain, taking more Norco and vicoprofen than prescribed, and I'm mortified of asking my doctor to increase my fentanyl from 50 mcg to 75. Prior to the company that manufactured the fentanyl that worked for me, every once in a while the pharmacy would run out and send me this garbage, hence, my uncertainty as to what is going on.

Does anyone have any comments about the opiate "crisis" and the government's interference?

Any thoughts on how to approach a doctor who is terrified of losing his license due to the government?

I pray for all who are in pain and hoping that you are getting the relief that you need.

Thank you,
Tanya

[janetm2]

Tanya,
Oh yeah, I definitely sympathize with you! My doctor sent a message in December about cutting my oxycodone pills by half the amount of pills twice so I would be off in 2-3 months. She did the first cut before my appointment during the super cold we had. It was Xmas week and I had an agonizing week. The note had all these specialists I should see to help me with the pain. At the appointment she said we could negotiate and I got enough to ensure part of the month I could take two pills a day. I am still seeing all the doctors, getting MRIs, etc. The thing that really burns me is I had cut back since I started seeing her, but it was an across-the-board to all patients and no doubt due to the "crisis". Then the main Doctor that owns the practice rewrote the contract for controlled substances and now they need three days to write a prescription. I wish I had some good ideas for dealing with this but we are at their mercy. My doctor closed the book for now on any more changes once she had checked with me to see if I was still okay with the last pills change and the rheumatologist said he was okay with my current medication. It seems hard enough to get the meds let alone get a second doctor to agree but that may been my saving Grace for now. Wishing you the best and sorry we are caught up in the crisis that should not apply to us.
Janet

[Patty]

Don't even get me started with this. I don't take any opioids for my PN but I should have used them in the beginning (5 years and counting) because now my brain cannot stop the pain. But pain patients being made to suffer due to this opiod hysteria is just not right. There is a lot of discussions on Twitter in regard to this.

[stephanies]

It is my opinion that we chronic pain patients represent a second “opioid crisis”. Our crisis begins with denial of treatment and pain relieving medications. Unfortunately, we don’t fit with the narratives the media is pushing, which is “opioids are bad, looked how they have ruined people’s lives!” I have written to the health editor at my local newspaper requesting a story on chronic pain patients being denied medications due to the new guidelines and got no response. I wrote to my Senators and my Congressmen, the President, People magazine. I offered to be interviewed, to write a piece myself. No one is interested. I read a story not too long ago that a significant portion of the opiates being sold on the street are coming in from China. It was back page news, because again, doesn’t fit with what they want people to think. Sorry for the rant, I have strong feelings that government agencies, doctors, and now even pharmacies can make decisions about our lives and we can be treated without compassion and basic decency with regard to our pain and suffering.

[JAT]

All I can say to all of you is that the "crisis" is the individuals that are using the drugs to get high. I'm so flippin' mad I could scream. I haven't written nor contacted as many individuals as you have Stephanies, I did however write the president. He or someone responded and didn't even broach the subject matter in my letter. All it was, was the crisis this, the crisis that. WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN PAIN AND TRULY NEED HELP?!? People don't realize what we're going through. They all feel that we're drug addicts. Thing is, I don't get high, I never have. The pain meds in an odd way "eat" the pain. I can't discuss this anymore. I wish some people that have influence would experience what we go through. Sad and a horrible thing to say but that is how I feel. You don't know until you've been in my shoes.

-Tanya

[Violet M]

I agree with all of you and I feel really sad for all of you who are affected by this opioid crises. First, let me say what I think the best solution might be. I think your best bet is to search for alternative types of pain relief -- such as trying the DRG neurostimulator as Kit did, ketamine transfusions like nyt, or the intrathecal pain pump as Lottanerve did, or some other type of pain relief other than opioids that is discussed on this website or other pain websites.

As someone in healthcare, I am aware of both sides of the story and actually just attended a mandatory training on substance abuse recently. I can explain why the hysteria -- because what we learned in this training is that fentanyl is the leading drug causing accidental overdose deaths right now. However, as sad as I feel for the people who OD and die from accidental fentanyl overdose because they were irresponsible, I feel even worse for the responsible citizens who have to suffer in pain as a result of what irresponsible people are doing.

I don't blame the docs for this because when you are in healthcare you constantly have the threat of a lawsuit over your head, and the threat of losing your license. The docs are really between a rock and a hard place but I honestly don't understand why docs are allowed to have this kind of power over people. Why should one person have the power to deny another person pain relief?

So, what to do about it. Vote and campaign for candidates who share your viewpoint. But I think we all know how frustrating that is because the trend right now is for government to take away more and more of the freedoms of responsible citizens. So I doubt that there is going to be a political solution to this anytime soon. It would take a massive movement of chronic pain patients and I just don't see that happening. Unfortunately, if your physician is under review for over-prescribing, I doubt there is anything you can say that will change your physician's mind. In that case you would have to look for another doctor, but then you can run into being accused of "doctor-shopping." The other option would be to try to get the drugs through other than legal means, but I would strongly recommend against that because you don't know the purity or the safety of the drug that way. So, again, I think your best bet is to search for alternative types of pain relief -- such as trying the DRG neurostimulator as Kit did, ketamine transfusions, like nyt did, or the intrathecal pain pump as Lottanerve did.

Violet

[Spinner]

Note: There is recent news on this tope in another recent post !

http://www.pudendalhope.info/forum/view ... =11&t=8809

[jaxi123]

Can't wait to take my last breath and rest in peace!

[JAT]

It is my opinion that we chronic pain patients represent a second “opioid crisis”. Our crisis begins with denial of treatment and pain relieving medications. Unfortunately, we don’t fit with the narratives the media is pushing, which is “opioids are bad, looked how they have ruined people’s lives!” I have written to the health editor at my local newspaper requesting a story on chronic pain patients being denied medications due to the new guidelines and got no response. I wrote to my Senators and my Congressmen, the President, People magazine. I offered to be interviewed, to write a piece myself. No one is interested. I read a story not too long ago that a significant portion of the opiates being sold on the street are coming in from China. It was back page news, because again, doesn’t fit with what they want people to think. Sorry for the rant, I have strong feelings that government agencies, doctors, and now even pharmacies can make decisions about our lives and we can be treated without compassion and basic decency with regard to our pain and suffering.

Stephanies, I am in total agreement with you. My doctor or soon to be former doctor (he's retiring at the end of the year) is the same as my husband's. The doc cut my husband's back and not me, of which I'm on a great deal more. I've been on the same meds for nearly 20 years and have never taken more than prescribed. My doctor won't even talk to me. All he cares about is the fact that he was audited and doesn't give a damn about his patient's who need his care. So much for that. Sorry for ranting a bit. I just heard some of this from my husband today and am sick to my stomach. I don't know what to do, feel helpless, frustrated, angry, and fed up.
-Tanya