OxyContin and other addictions...

[Jim Naseum]

Sounds like most would have people suffer chronic pain regardless of how chronic pain can destroy people, just to keep them off "drugs". What BS. I have no words for people that enjoy having people suffer from medical conditions just to preserve your precious War on Drugs. Those that believe that would support any type of tyranny to harm people to justify their moral beliefs. 

I have an incurable disease and take opiates, daily. Those that would rather me suffer and die just to continue the government's war on drugs can kiss my ***. Your taxpayer money would be supporting me instead of me supporting myself if I had no pain relief in order to keep working. I am lucky in that I can't take much opiates without huge waves of nausea, so all I can take is just enough to dull the pain somewhat. I have a hard time understanding the cruelty of those that would deny pain relief to those that are suffering. How inhuman that is. 

I take injections ever week that affect me a whole lot worse than opiates do. I end up with wasted days due to pain. I can't take enough opiates to kill the pain since I would be zonked out and still couldn't function well. Cannabis would help immensely, but it is illegal in Arkansas. 

I really, really get upset with all the self-righteous people that think they should be running other peoples lives for them. Talk about Bullshit!

This post may get me banned, but try to have a little compassion for those that NEED pain relief. I watched my mother die a very slow death and thinking that she must be exaggerating her pain levels since her illness wasn't externally visible for a couple of decades. With an inherited disease, I now know she wasn't and I was not compassionate enough to help her through those times. 

This is not aimed at anyone in particular, but at society at large. I can get off my soapbox now.

Bravo!!! Lol much better said then what I could say!!!!

[Jim Naseum]

Addiction and dependence are two very diffrent conditions friend s. Not many people get so-called addicted to opiates. Get up to date on the medical issues b4 jumping to conclusions... Lol!! Press says everyone is addicted... This is false. Dependence is not same as addiction...

[ZEUS121996]

I think you missed the point of some people.

 

The idea behind regulation is to prevent addiction.  Some people go in to the doctor's office, for example, with a cracked rib that will heal fine in 4 weeks.  The doctor prescribes Vicodin.  The patient, having never taken the stuff before, becomes an addict for the rest of his/her life.  (The rib healed completely 30 years ago.)  Get the idea?  This happens over and over.  Some people are genetically not well-suited for prescription painkillers.  That's just the way they are wired.  It's not a whole lot different than alcohol.  Some people can take it or leave it.  Others can't, and they become hooked easily.

Having taken most pain killers (Oxy, Norco, and combinations of) I still take them on almost a daily basis. What most people don't realize is that if you are actually in pain, you don't get high, it doesn't make the pain go away completely, but makes it tolerable. The people who get high are taking them for that exact reason, they want the high

You would think I'm an addict after 20+ years but I can stop taking them at any time and usually do. I run in a cycle where I won't take them for a couple weeks, my body hurts but I deal with it. Taking them on a regular basis builds a tolerance just like drinking does. That's why I cycle with them.

NEVERMIND, I could continue but unless you have chronic pain, you just won't understand.

 

Mark

[derrickdj1]

Addiction and dependence are two very diffrent conditions friend s. Not many people get so-called addicted to opiates. Get up to date on the medical issues b4 jumping to conclusions... Lol!! Press says everyone is addicted... This is false. Dependence is not same as addiction...

 

You need to realize these terms overlap in the real world.  It is all on the same slippery slope, just at a different point on the line.  I don't think public opinion should drive government regulation.  It should be left to health professionals to give monitor the drugs.

[Jeff Matthews]

 

I think you missed the point of some people.

 

The idea behind regulation is to prevent addiction.  Some people go in to the doctor's office, for example, with a cracked rib that will heal fine in 4 weeks.  The doctor prescribes Vicodin.  The patient, having never taken the stuff before, becomes an addict for the rest of his/her life.  (The rib healed completely 30 years ago.)  Get the idea?  This happens over and over.  Some people are genetically not well-suited for prescription painkillers.  That's just the way they are wired.  It's not a whole lot different than alcohol.  Some people can take it or leave it.  Others can't, and they become hooked easily.

Having taken most pain killers (Oxy, Norco, and combinations of) I still take them on almost a daily basis. What most people don't realize is that if you are actually in pain, you don't get high, it doesn't make the pain go away completely, but makes it tolerable. The people who get high are taking them for that exact reason, they want the high

You would think I'm an addict after 20+ years but I can stop taking them at any time and usually do. I run in a cycle where I won't take them for a couple weeks, my body hurts but I deal with it. Taking them on a regular basis builds a tolerance just like drinking does. That's why I cycle with them.

NEVERMIND, I could continue but unless you have chronic pain, you just won't understand.

 

Mark

 

 

I do understand.  I have taken some (very few) painkillers before.  I got the high feeling, but myeh... I could take them or leave them.  Actually, I just leave them.  My guess is that there must be a certain genetic design that appears in only a substantial number of (but not even most) people.  People with the design are easily addicted to a particular substance through some kind of receptor (or receptor variance) in their systems.  For me, that would be cigarettes.  I quit after 30 years of smoking and have not smoked in 2.5 years (I vaped for the first year of that).  Now, I'm done with cigarettes... finally.  But if I smoked even a part of one, I'd be right back into the habit.  However, most people could smoke a cigarette maybe once to five times a year just for the heck of it but go, "Myeh... I can take or leave it."  So, I do realize some people can take stuff for reasons other than addiction.

 

How about nasal spray?  Anyone seen any people who became addicted to it?  It's a little known fact that the stuff is very addictive.

[Jim Naseum]

 

Addiction and dependence are two very diffrent conditions friend s. Not many people get so-called addicted to opiates. Get up to date on the medical issues b4 jumping to conclusions... Lol!! Press says everyone is addicted... This is false. Dependence is not same as addiction...

 

You need to realize these terms overlap in the real world.  It is all on the same slippery slope, just at a different point on the line.  I don't think public opinion should drive government regulation.  It should be left to health professionals to give monitor the drugs.

 

no, not a slippery slope. Consult a doctor to explain diffrence betwween addiction and dependence. These are NOT items on a slippery slop!! addiction is a behavior and has nothing to do wqith drug dependence.

[Jim Naseum]

NEVERMIND, I could continue but unless you have chronic pain, you just won't understand.

YES!!

 

this is the problem. people with no cronic disease are always dictating policies for sick people. makes me sick. walk a mile in the shoes of people with chronic pain before pretending to be such experts on pain killer!! lol.

 

opiates make pain tolerable, and make life liveable for people with many painfilled diseases. don't confuse that with what criminals are doing with opiates.

 

know what? it's just like the gun argum,ent.  criminals misuse guns too,. but we dopn't make guns illegal!! lol....criminals should not be the force behind laws!

 

clue: examine all the drugs that the govementr wants to regulate the most. Compare them to alcohol...the preferred govement drug...see what you can determine!! lol...see what ways the regulated drugs differ!! there's your clue to what is happening.LOL!!!!!!!!!!

[Jim Naseum]

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/teaching-packets/neurobiology-drug-addiction/section-iii-action-heroin-morphine/10-addiction-vs-dependence

 

http://www.naabt.org/addiction_physical-dependence.cfm

 

oh well.....LOL...slipping slopes!! riiiiight.//// doctor! doctor!

[joessportster]

 

I think you missed the point of some people.

 

The idea behind regulation is to prevent addiction.  Some people go in to the doctor's office, for example, with a cracked rib that will heal fine in 4 weeks.  The doctor prescribes Vicodin.  The patient, having never taken the stuff before, becomes an addict for the rest of his/her life.  (The rib healed completely 30 years ago.)  Get the idea?  This happens over and over.  Some people are genetically not well-suited for prescription painkillers.  That's just the way they are wired.  It's not a whole lot different than alcohol.  Some people can take it or leave it.  Others can't, and they become hooked easily.

Having taken most pain killers (Oxy, Norco, and combinations of) I still take them on almost a daily basis. What most people don't realize is that if you are actually in pain, you don't get high, it doesn't make the pain go away completely, but makes it tolerable. The people who get high are taking them for that exact reason, they want the high

You would think I'm an addict after 20+ years but I can stop taking them at any time and usually do. I run in a cycle where I won't take them for a couple weeks, my body hurts but I deal with it. Taking them on a regular basis builds a tolerance just like drinking does. That's why I cycle with them.

NEVERMIND, I could continue but unless you have chronic pain, you just won't understand.

 

Mark

 

very well stated mark, I was searching for a way to say that the pain meds help but dont cure, Pity most dont realize how chronic pain works, It is never gone its always there the meds just help with the degree of it being there

 

My first Pain Mgmt clinic was always trying to sell me on the Gabapentin type drugs and spine injections, I finally told them I wont take those meds or shots and that I choose to mediate my pain naturally by movement etc... as best I can I am now on only 2 meds apposed to 4+

 

Those spinal injections are Barbaric practice started back in the 50's with little to no change since started and it is a proven fact they work 50% of the time at best it is a temporary relief for a permanent problem, they use steroids which come with there own LIST of issues, My biggest issue is if you are lucky enough to have the shot work and numb your pain, you are now walking around with an injury and no pain receptors to tell you if you are further injuring yourself through some action

[jason str]

 

Addiction and dependence are two very diffrent conditions friend s. Not many people get so-called addicted to opiates. Get up to date on the medical issues b4 jumping to conclusions... Lol!! Press says everyone is addicted... This is false. Dependence is not same as addiction...

 

You need to realize these terms overlap in the real world.  It is all on the same slippery slope, just at a different point on the line.  I don't think public opinion should drive government regulation.  It should be left to health professionals to give monitor the drugs.

 

 

 

Health professionals receive kickbacks from drug company's sales, not a good combination.

 

Government is supposed to work for us therefore they should give the people a voice.

 

I deal with pain myself. Nerve damage, Arthritis plus worn joints among other things and opiates do help but i choose not to use very much anymore.

 

I take Gabapentin for nerve pain and smoke some weedies sometimes to mask the pain, no withdrawal problems for me anymore.

[Travis In Austin]

Sounds like most would have people suffer chronic pain regardless of how chronic pain can destroy people, just to keep them off "drugs". What BS. I have no words for people that enjoy having people suffer from medical conditions just to preserve your precious War on Drugs. Those that believe that would support any type of tyranny to harm people to justify their moral beliefs.

I have an incurable disease and take opiates, daily. Those that would rather me suffer and die just to continue the government's war on drugs can kiss my ***. Your taxpayer money would be supporting me instead of me supporting myself if I had no pain relief in order to keep working. I am lucky in that I can't take much opiates without huge waves of nausea, so all I can take is just enough to dull the pain somewhat. I have a hard time understanding the cruelty of those that would deny pain relief to those that are suffering. How inhuman that is.

I take injections ever week that affect me a whole lot worse than opiates do. I end up with wasted days due to pain. I can't take enough opiates to kill the pain since I would be zonked out and still couldn't function well. Cannabis would help immensely, but it is illegal in Arkansas.

I really, really get upset with all the self-righteous people that think they should be running other peoples lives for them. Talk about Bullshit!

This post may get me banned, but try to have a little compassion for those that NEED pain relief. I watched my mother die a very slow death and thinking that she must be exaggerating her pain levels since her illness wasn't externally visible for a couple of decades. With an inherited disease, I now know she wasn't and I was not compassionate enough to help her through those times.

This is not aimed at anyone in particular, but at society at large. I can get off my soapbox now.

I think you have stated a valid position in a great way. Why would you be banned?

Should pain medication be available without a prescription? Should the people who make them be regulated to insure that they contain what they say contain, the proper dosage?

[Guest thesloth]

The injections scare me too. I couldn't agree more that how will I know when to rest of not move a certain way to cause more damage and inflammation if the shot completely numbs that area. Steroids? Yuck! I studied both and opiates are basically harmless to the human body.

 

I can tell the people on here that have chronic pain, they have then same thoughts I have. One is that I don't even get high from the opiates, they give me relief. As stated they dont' even make the pain completely go away, they just make it tolerable. This is key because normally when you feel your spirit has been broken and that you can't take the pain anymore one little pill makes me live my life. I play guitar and when I have a gig or even practice I can't be distracted with how bad my spine hurts or how much throbbing is shooting down my leg, I need to concentrate on the music and opiates help me do that.

 

I will echo the one comment about once I see that my usual dose doesn't quite cut it I stop for a couple weeks too even though the pain is there. In that video in the first post some of those people they are interviewing are people who fit their profile for their agenda. I like to look at it like yin and yang. Something couldn't be good if there was no bad to compare too, everything would be the same. Opiates for pain is the only thing that works period, but such a powerful substance needs to be used correctly because tolerance can be built somewhat quickly. By quickly I mean for me my usual dose will work for about a month or so then I will take a week off and suffer. The pain helps me remember I am alive and pills help me remember there is a god.

 

 

I remember one time I payed big bucks to go on a vacation and see a concert. I flew across the country and was so excited. I had a beer before hand and some weedies and felt pretty good, I was in concert mode and ready to rock. About a half an hour in my pain was so unbearable I had to sit (I had floor/general admission and there are no seats). I didn't take any pain meds because I wanted to have a couple beers. Thank god I was at the MGM Garden Arena and they allow re-entry. I went back to my room and ate 60mg of morphine with a sprite, 20 minutes later I walked back into the show and felt amazing. I went the whole show with a smile on my face and had a great time. My whole vacation would have been ruined if it wasn't for opiates.

 

 

I think the government has brainwashed the public so much about certain drugs they just think anyone on an opiate is a herion addict. My mother god bless her always says 'you don't need those pills just go to a chiropracter" as she smokes her cigarette she wishes so much to quit.

 

I would like to echo addiction and dependance are two different things. Long term opiate use can lead to dependance which is why I don't let myself build a tolerance. People can be addicted to anything so yes opiates can be addictive, just like eating rocks

[Jim Naseum]

now that guverment makes opiates almost impossible...doctors are pushing patients onto......CYMBALTA!! anti-drepression drug! Geee, wonder why? Hmmmm? why wopuld that be???

Cymablta---more expense AND is highly addictive! soooey-cide anyone???

 

paste: Abusing Cymbalta can result in the classic cycle of addiction including depression, anxiety, abstinence, increased use or substance abuse. The cycle can last years before some type of intervention stops the prescription pill addiction.

 

all that without releiving pain! BUT, of course, goverment knows best!!! LOL

 

Or, they wanty you on Gabapentin!! a nice suicide med!! Ever take 900mg of gabapentin as recommended in place of opiates???? tell you this....don't try driving a car!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!

 

opiates are easy on liver and kidney - not like NSAIDS....cause no sooy-cide thoughts. they are cheap. THEY WORK FOR PAIN!!!!!! but no, lwet's put everyone on psychotropics instead!!!!!!!!!!!

lets get the presss to tell everyone that oxycontin drug addicts are an epidemic threatening the world!!!!!!! whose going to bother looking into the facts? no one! LOL

[Guest thesloth]

I know more people on anti anxiety and anti depression pills then anything. Come to think about the actual drug names I am not too sure. The ones I hear a lot of are xanax, ativan,  and cymbalta. I am lucky enough to where I never had a doctor push any "head meds". He gave me cyclobenzaprine for my back and I don't even like how that makes my head feel. Anyway I have always thought that the governement does a poor job of educating it's citizens in so many regards. People just take medication and don't know what it is or what it does. I do not like to have my brain chemistry messed with unless I okay the substance through research. I have eaten mind altering substances like hallucinogens but would think twice about taking any "head meds" a doctor would prescribe. Then again I am sane as sane can be (evil scientist look on my face).

Edited July 19, 2015 by thesloth

[Taz]

Having suffered from migraines for over 30 years, and having worked in the medical profession I have some opinions regarding pain medications.

 

1.  Not all pain meds work well for all types of pain.  Ibuprofen is the best med I have found for hemorrhoid pain.  Better then hydrocodone/Tylenol  combination.  Better then percocet.

 

2.  Oxycodone/Tylenol (percocet) does not work for my headaches.  It does work better then Lortab for broken ribs.

 

3.  Hydrocodone/Tylenol (Lortab, vicodin, norco) allows me to function.  I still have a headache.  I am also very aware that this combo can be addicting.  But nothing like Oxycodone which I have not taken.

     I do from time to time take Medication Holidays from my pain medications to monitor for cravings and check for rebound headaches.

     Every time I get a new Dr. I'm afraid they will change my medications.  It sucks when a Dr. says he does things different then what my retiring Dr. did, and then takes away all my pain meds and has me try new meds.  Some of which I've tried before.

 

4.  I am allowed up to 16 shots a day in attempts to give myself nerve blocks.  I hate giving myself shots.

 

5.  Having worked on a substance abuse unit I have still had to manage patients pain, often with the same medications they have been abusing.  Just because they have a drug abuse problem does not mean they should be in unbearable pain.  If I recall it seems like 30% of the time substance abuse treatment is effective.  Which means 70% relapse.  Maybe they will get it right the next time through.

 

6.  I have called a Dr. with a request to increase the IV medication for a Lady who was dieing.  Could not get an order to cover her pain.  She died later that day.  What would it have hurt to have her die a comfortable death?

 

 

The path of chronic pain is not a fun one.  But proper use of the proper medications can help with living a useful and productive life.  Now the powers that be are trying to play Dr. and they have no medical training.  That makes as much sense as a non pilot like me teaching someone to fly a Helicopter.

[derrickdj1]

Health professionals receive kickbacks from drug company's sales, not a good combination. Government is supposed to work for us therefore they should give the people a voice.

 

This practice was made illegal along time ago.  Drug companies do support some educational activites.  Yes, the government is suppose to work for us but, 99% of congress and the white just don't have the background or knowledge in pharmacology to be put at the steering wheel.

 

Making decision in the political arena has never been a great thing IMHO.

Edited July 20, 2015 by derrickdj1

[Deang]

Cymbalta is a SNRI, though primarily used to treat Depression. It has off label use for long term muscle and bone pain. So. It works very well for thiose dealing with fibromyalgia and other autoimmune type diseases. Deb has a form of RA that had her pretty much incapacitated, and after watching me dance with the devil since 2012, she wanted no part of opiate based pain relief. After talking to my friend Scott, who has had a VERY rough way to go, said to suggest Cymbalta to her doctor, he said it had been a miracle drug for him. The big hurtle was getting her to try it. For the first time in two years, she is up and around doing things, without having me to watch her cry because of the pain she's in.

I was put on Vicodin/Norco after my surgery before starting chemo and radiation. Since the primary site of malignancy was unknown, they hit me from the bottom of my neck up to my sinuses. After the radiation, I developed Transverse Myelitis, and then after that, the lower back problems, which really seemed to come out of nowhere - degenerative in nature - protruding discs just started to bulge even more with the accompanying inflammation. A later MRI also showed arthritis developing in my upper back. So, I was on Vicodin/Norco from 2012 to 2014, and was then moved to OxyContin after being referred to A Pain Management Clinic. OxyContin is an extended release form of oxycodone, and I take 15mg every 8 hours. I was prepared to do surgery, but all of the doctors agree that success would be 50%, and I could actually end up worse. So, I do injections, PT and medication.

Injections: they work by reducing inflammation and reducing downtime if you tweak your back by doing something stupid. Protocol at my clinic is one per week for three weeks, to be repeated 5-6 months later. Definitely effective at reducing downtime after hurting yourself, inflammation goes down much faster.

PT doesn't do much for me, and I have to be careful because some of the exercises actually make me worse, I just need to go slow and be careful. I go in twice a week, where they stretch me out, which I really enjoy, even though it hurts like hell. The stretching helps with the terrible cramping I'm prone to.

Okay, let's talk about opiates.

New guidelines by the DEA do not allow General Practitioners to prescribe opiates. Implemented for three reasons,1) They don't believe GPs have the necessary level of education for dealing with pain management, 2) they are trying to get a handle on the amount of illegal medication that finding its way to the streets, and 3) reduce the number of overdoses -- which has reached epidemic levels.

I have a friend at work that came in to work a couple of months ago and had to tell everyone that his fiancée had unexpectedly passed away, but he wouldn't tell anyone what happened. I recently found out that she was found on the floor of a department store restroom - having overdosed on her pain medication. I knew Courtney, and thinking of her dying like that made me sick.

There is a higher level of control and accountability with pain clinics, and I think the new policies are a good idea. Easy for me to say I suppose since I'm getting what I need and they don't treat me like a piece a dirt, but a patient who's hurting and needs treatment. I know that for every good clinic there are three lousy ones - at least, that's how many I walked out of before finding a good one. There is nothing pleasant about being treated like "a problem" by those who are supposed to be helping you. It's transmitted by their tone and the ridiculous questions they ask you, while they stare you down while trying to figure out if you're lying or not. I asked one doctor, "Wouldn't this be easier if you just used a lie detector." He was visibly embarrassed.

They say that some are codependent and some are addicted. I don't know how that works. You can't take them without feeling some of the euphoria (I suppose if you were miserable enough you might not), and if you've been on them for any length of time, you are going to go through withdrawal and experience PAWS. So, you are dealing with your pain, and everyone I have spoken to who take these these things invariably take more than they are supposed to because of the tolerance issue - I've lost count of how many times I've run out and had to do a week of feeling like hell and not sleeping. I have good months and I have bad months. Am I an addict? Some say yes, some say no. My daughter Jessica, who is a NA Sponsor, says "no", that I'm too "high functioning" and "in control". I said, "well, couldn't I just be a high functioning and in control addict"? I look at it like this: if you yank these pills from me, I'm going to be in VERY BAD shape, so you make the call.

My ENT asked me if I was in back alleys, slobbering on myself and trying to sell my grandmother's silver. If it only were that easy.

If you're hurting and the medication works (it's not like there's much out there in the form of real options), I don't see what the big deal is, addicted or not. It is what it is. NSAIDS like Celebrex are far worse long term. I stay away from all NSAIDS.

"I'm an opiate addict. AMA."

[Jim Naseum]

Please do the research people.. Addiction is about behavior... Dependence is about biology. Addictive behavior causes crime, abuse, lying, stealing, and other destructive acts. Dependence cause withdrawal symptoms and discomfort. Not heard to understand difference!! Lol...

Addiction is a personality disorder, and those people can get addicted to many different things... To get more they will engage in destructive behaviors.

People suffer withdrawal and do NOT COMMIT CRIMES!! so hard to understand???? Opiates can easily cause biologic dependence.... That's not aCRIME!!!! that's biology! People with cryonic pain are tired of being criminalized!!

Good doctors know that the feds are interfering where they don't belong. Idiot doctors follow authority like robots because they fear for their MONEY stream being interrupted!!!

[Jim Naseum]

Compare effects of alcohol to opiates. Then wonder how government can declare war on opiates!!

Alcohol and cigarettes are the most destructive chemicals in commerce... Thousands and thousands of lives lost and destroyed... Billions an billions of wasted dollars on excess health care caused by alcohol and ciugs....but "opiates are epidemic" lol!!!! Alcohol is encouraged by billions in ads!!!! Let's destroy each other... It's fun!!!! And sexy!!! Feds have no problem with Budweiser Bullshit!!! Kill each other in cars!!!

Can you spot the game???? Lol. The government BS??????

[Jim Naseum]

NSAIDS are worst pain relievers. Kill your liver, kill your kidney with nsaids. Oxycontin far far easier on internal organs. If you have long term pain Nsaids are dumbest way to handle it, but people cop a superior attitude by saying, I don't take narcotics! But kill they organsorgans with nsaids!!! Lol

Government try to reduce nsaids???? Nope!!! Chew away folks!!

Learn to spot bullshit. War on opiate is part of war on passivity causing drugs. All of them. Eg. Ecstacy. Aggression drugs are fine like booze. Feds live alcohol!!! Love aggression!