As I mentioned in another thread I suffer from chronic pain,.. and for the most part it is manageable.. but falling to sleep is difficult if not impossible at times. last night it was around 4;30 am..
when I took an occasional Darvon or hydro-codeine this wasn't as much of a problem..
I am seeing a new doctor this month so I am doing some research so I will understand what she is recommending and not end up hooked on some drug with awful side effects.
I see a VA doctor for pain management and she is helpful but can't prescribe what she feels would help.. (darvon or hydro codeine
I take a combination of pills to help, and four or five days a week it does help.. ( that combination is taking 4 to 7 off label prescription drugs)..
right now I am prescribed 23 pills per day.. down from 27 I was taking a few months back..
one pill could replace 11 of them,, but it is a schedule 11 drug.
I know of a few guys locally who turned to Heroin for pain relief.. I was shocked when I found out.. but not completely surprised..
one has cancer...
another was out of work for awhile for chronic pain and with the help of heroin and methadone he is now working again..
the third was hit by a drunk driver and is in chronic pain.. he has at least three or four surgeries scheduled over the next few years..
like myself they can't get vicodone or similar pain medications out of fear we might get addicted..
they turned to cheap easily available heroin... I prefer to suffer in hopes that the doctors find a better treatment plan..
so here is the deal... a guy with chronic pain can suffer..
or he can go buy an easily available illegal drug,.. and then get a pain management drug paid for that treats the abuse and the pain...
http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/mat-opiate-50-state-table-medicaid.aspx
scary isn't it... virtually ban a drugs use for fear of addiction, yet offer another worse drug as a treatment...
ironically the other treatments for heroin addiction also are being used for pain management.
Transdermal buprenorphine and Naltrexone are now being used and the focus of further studies in the management of persistent/chronic pain.
and they are covered in most states for heroin abuse treatment..
I can be prescribed methadone right now just for pain management as it has been offered for the treatment of chronic pain..
and the VA covers buprenorphine
http://www.suboxforum.com/suboxone-and-the-t3656.html
http://www.va.gov/MS/Veterans/complementary_and_alternative_medicine/Spotlight_on_Low_Dose_Naltrexone_LDN.asp
drug abuse in this country is a huge problem..
it is a problem the government is making worse by the day..
I can NOT be prescribed Vicodin for chronic pain
yet I can get Subutex, Methadone, Naltrexone, and even medical marijuana prescribed and three out of the four would be covered by the VA and my health insurance.
recreational drugs are being legalized and decriminalized, compounding the abuse..
yet legitimate pain medication is being put under lock and key by the government..
and now thanks to Obamacare... pain sufferers are encouraged to use heroin to get chronic pain treatment..
my heart goes out to OT and his daughter.. drug addition takes its toll on many great families.
One thing I have found over the years.. that many turn to drugs for pain... emotional and physical pain.. and some do it for recreational reasons and now suffer the emotional damage..
we should do everything we can to stop children from getting illegal drugs..
but we should also look at why adults are turning to drugs in huge numbers as well..
Rush Limbaugh is a great example of the damage pain medications can cause.. but the solution shouldn't be to lead chronic pain suffers to illegal drug use..
when I took an occasional Darvon or hydro-codeine this wasn't as much of a problem..
I am seeing a new doctor this month so I am doing some research so I will understand what she is recommending and not end up hooked on some drug with awful side effects.
I see a VA doctor for pain management and she is helpful but can't prescribe what she feels would help.. (darvon or hydro codeine
I take a combination of pills to help, and four or five days a week it does help.. ( that combination is taking 4 to 7 off label prescription drugs)..
right now I am prescribed 23 pills per day.. down from 27 I was taking a few months back..
one pill could replace 11 of them,, but it is a schedule 11 drug.
I know of a few guys locally who turned to Heroin for pain relief.. I was shocked when I found out.. but not completely surprised..
one has cancer...
another was out of work for awhile for chronic pain and with the help of heroin and methadone he is now working again..
the third was hit by a drunk driver and is in chronic pain.. he has at least three or four surgeries scheduled over the next few years..
like myself they can't get vicodone or similar pain medications out of fear we might get addicted..
they turned to cheap easily available heroin... I prefer to suffer in hopes that the doctors find a better treatment plan..
so here is the deal... a guy with chronic pain can suffer..
or he can go buy an easily available illegal drug,.. and then get a pain management drug paid for that treats the abuse and the pain...
http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/mat-opiate-50-state-table-medicaid.aspx
scary isn't it... virtually ban a drugs use for fear of addiction, yet offer another worse drug as a treatment...
When used for the treatment of pain, methadone may be prescribed by any provider registered to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances.5 Over the past 20 years there has been renewed interest in using methadone as an analgesic. In fact, from 1999 to 2002 sales of methadone in the United States increased 70.7% .6 This increase was largely a result of methadone’s use outside of narcotic treatment programs. Methadone has become increasingly popular for the treatment of pain,
ironically the other treatments for heroin addiction also are being used for pain management.
Transdermal buprenorphine and Naltrexone are now being used and the focus of further studies in the management of persistent/chronic pain.
and they are covered in most states for heroin abuse treatment..
I can be prescribed methadone right now just for pain management as it has been offered for the treatment of chronic pain..
and the VA covers buprenorphine
http://www.suboxforum.com/suboxone-and-the-t3656.html
http://www.va.gov/MS/Veterans/complementary_and_alternative_medicine/Spotlight_on_Low_Dose_Naltrexone_LDN.asp
drug abuse in this country is a huge problem..
it is a problem the government is making worse by the day..
I can NOT be prescribed Vicodin for chronic pain
yet I can get Subutex, Methadone, Naltrexone, and even medical marijuana prescribed and three out of the four would be covered by the VA and my health insurance.
recreational drugs are being legalized and decriminalized, compounding the abuse..
yet legitimate pain medication is being put under lock and key by the government..
and now thanks to Obamacare... pain sufferers are encouraged to use heroin to get chronic pain treatment..
my heart goes out to OT and his daughter.. drug addition takes its toll on many great families.
One thing I have found over the years.. that many turn to drugs for pain... emotional and physical pain.. and some do it for recreational reasons and now suffer the emotional damage..
we should do everything we can to stop children from getting illegal drugs..
but we should also look at why adults are turning to drugs in huge numbers as well..
Rush Limbaugh is a great example of the damage pain medications can cause.. but the solution shouldn't be to lead chronic pain suffers to illegal drug use..