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Are doctors UNDER prescribing pain killers

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posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 10:36 AM
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We all know that there is a massive amount of people here in North America who are addicted to pharmaceutical painkillers such as OxyContin. There are doctors who overprescribe carelessly to patients and there are people who have legitimate prescriptions and end up selling their pills when they have no more need for them.

These circumstances has caused alot of pain, addictions and sometimes deaths due to overdoses.

We here about these issues alot and doctors are becoming more aware of the problems due to prescribing pain killers and and not monitoring the results very well. The only time I here about pain killers in the mass media is when they are connected to abuse and addiction.

The problem I have is that there are alot of people in genuine chronic and sometimes severe physical pain who are being denied pain killers because of other people's addiction issues. Here in Canada it takes on average 5 years on a waiting list to get inside of a pain clinic. I myself have chronic pain issues and have never veen prescribed anything to help alleviate my pain. Some doctors refuse to prescribe pain killers because they don't want to be accused of prescribing medications that can lead to addiction. They are in a sense protecting their own reputations.

But what about the people who are being left in ongoing and continuous pain because of the changing tide concerning opiodes. Pain killers are just that, pain killers, that is what they were made for but the medical establishment sometimes has an archaic attitude to dealing with people who are suffering and seem to sometimes think that you just have to suck it up and deal with it. Unless people have experienced it , they have no idea what it's like to be in continuous pain. It effects everything.

There was a female doctor who wrote a book here in Canada, I can't remember the name of it, it was a library book but she told about the experience she had when she was on-call for the outpatients clinic at the hospital. A man came in who was in severe pain, he was in the end stages of bone cancer. His doctor had prescribed Tylenol for him to deal with the pain. Tylenol for end stage bone cancer. The female doctor gave him a shot of morphine and the tears started to fall down his face. They were tears of sheer relief. To feel the pain he was in alleviate was something he hadn't felt. The female doctor prescribed him morphine. The next time she was on-call the same man came in. His own doctor had cancelled her prescription and put him bask on tylenol and he was again in severe pain. She confronted his doctor and he wouldn't budge in his attitude so she reported him to the ethics committee. This doctor says in her book that this kind of incidsent is not as unusual as people may think.

My situation is no where near as extreme as those like this man's situation but there are many people in long term chronic pain who are having to wait years to get access to any kind of pain relief, and that is if you get it at all.

In the meantime all that people like me hear about in the media are about prescription drug addicts and how these drugs are being abused. I find it very frustrating for myself, personally. And I'm sure there are many more like me out there. It makes me want to scream sometimes.



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 10:50 AM
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its possible to get addicted to practically anything. it just happens painkillers are enjoyable for many.
i believe general addiction itself is the problem that needs to be dealt with.



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 10:57 AM
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[color=dodgerblue]The actions of the few are, once again, ruining it for the many.

I went to the hospital a few years ago with a kidney stone. I was 8 months pregnant and had recurring kidney stones for most of the pregnancy. Being that I was pregnant, there wasn't much they could do beyond managing the pain and starting an IV in hopes that it would pass on it's own.

Anyway...

I arrived at the hospital and was never offered anything for the pain. I was crying, sweating, couldn't sit still, holding my side, etc. I was made to submit to a drug test before they would give me anything. I passed a 4mm stone before the results of the drug test came back. After that, they kept me for 12 hours and refused to let me eat or let me get up, or let me go home. I wasn't happy.

I have since suffered from pain in my side/back/hip continually. I have been to 2 general practitioners, a nurse practitioner, 3 urologists, a nephrologist, chiropractor, the ER, etc. I had a cystoscopy and left ureteroscopy. I even had an exploratory laparoscopy. I have 2 ct scans one of which revealed a stone but it was gone by the second scan. What did they find? Absolutely nothing. Since they can't diagnose the problem, they do nothing for the pain. So I have just learned to live with it.

I have searched the far reaches of the internet to find any possible ideas. And nothing.

I think the drug addicts/abusers are most definitely ruining it for the rest of us who have actual pain. We get to suffer because people are pill poppers. Nice..
edit on 10-12-2011 by daryllyn because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 10:59 AM
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Each doctor has their personal stance on what pain really is. Some doctors don't really understand it and so they under prescribe patients because they don't see it as a big deal. On the other hand some doctors don't hand out pain medications because, like you said, they think it will lead to addiction. But then there are doctors that will prescribe just about anything to anyone.

If I didn't think my doctor was giving me what I needed, I'd just go to a different doctor.

EDIT: The way the doctor handled the cancer patient was just plain negligence.
edit on 10-12-2011 by satron because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 10:59 AM
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It so unfortunate that the ones in real need are denied because of the abuse or addiction by others.

I'm sure many who became addicted had no intention of doing so as well.. but were prescribed something that was addictive.

I'm happy to hear that doctor reported the mans doctor..final stages of bone cancer can't be pretty..and even if he does get addicted..he is in the final stages of his life.. and it can only help him through that serious stage.

It can't be easy for doctors as well..considering some will lie to get meds.. but in this case.. the guy obviously needed them...and the doctor knew this mans stage of cancer.

Sometimes makes you wonder if some doctors have some kind of sadistic streak in them.. or they just hold personal grudges against their patients. Wouldn't surprise me at all..they are human after all.. and some have a real God and power complex...and they feel entitled to play the game the way they see fit.

Now if only this man could just choose to be happy.. and realize this is heaven
(sarcasm)



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 11:04 AM
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In Canada doctors hand out oxys like its candy.

Everyone and their uncle Is hooked on it here. A Toronto judge came to our city recently and declared it the oxy capitol of Canada because he couldn't believe how many cases he seen go through the court in one day.

Pharmacies were robbed so often here you can only get oxys here on special order now. The pharmacies no longer carry them. Yet they still act like pot is the boogyman



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 11:33 AM
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At one point in time I would have agreed with you. A few years ago I badly injured my arm and was in constant pain. I had a legitimate need for prescription pain killers and yet I was unable to obtain them consistently through legal means. I just wanted not to be in pain and thinking about it every second of the day. I did some physical therapy and stretching and eventually the pain somewhat subsided. Had I had a flow of pain killers, I may be hooked on them to this day. For many, it is a band-aid solution, but a very dangerous one. No one wants to hurt, we all want to be better yesterday, not tomorrow, but unfortunately that is not how the body works.
More recently, an ex-girlfriend of mine was in a very serious car wreck (not her fault) in which one person died and the side of the car in which she was riding folded in, the metal crushing her leg. They almost had to amputate. She was, for a year and maybe more, given a steady supply of narcotic pain killers to deal with the pain. This was coupled with physical therapy and additional surgeries where they inserted metal pins into her leg. She couldn't walk at all at first and used to tell me that she had wished they had just taken her leg off so she wouldn't have to deal with the agony she was in. Sure enough, she got very addicted to her painkillers. She didn't abuse them at first, but then as she tried to cope with her condition she ended up using them in less-than-standard ways. Suddenly, despite having a rather large amount prescribed to her every month, she was almost always out before she could get refills. Even as her injuries slowly healed, she didn't stop abusing the pills. I know that it is hardly the case that everyone who is prescribed pain killers abuses them, but my point is that it is a slippery slope. It got so bad that when one of her friends died, she didn't go to the funeral because she didn't want to show up all messed up. It became a condition unto itself.
Doctors know that well-intentioned people can rather easily get hooked on these drugs. People from all walks of life have had it happen to them, and every time someone is prescribed pain killers, it is rolling the dice. You just never know. This doesn't even take into consideration the fact that with every prescription there are more pills available to those who seek to experiment and/or abuse. Had I gotten the prescriptions I wanted, when I wanted them, I may have ended up a life-long addict. That chance is there for all of us, whether we choose to believe it or not. I agree that there are people who need narcotics that are denied them, but I think it is good practice to pursue other solutions before doling out drugs that can have such extreme consequences. Just my 2¢.
edit on 12/10/11 by MentalPriapism because: add



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 11:40 AM
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I am a veteren and I do my doctoring at my local VA hospital. My dr. has no problem perscribing pain killers for my chronic pain.



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 11:42 AM
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I understand doctors need to be careful but just the same it is frustrating. A neighbor of mine has serious medical issues he is dealing with, heart problems, sciatica nerve problems, he is going to be having major surgery soon. He has major pain issues but when he went to his doctor she would't prescribe him any pain killers. He got angry at her because there is another patient of hers that is a major drug addict, everyone knows it, he was been in and out of rehab more times than you could count. And yet she prescribed him with pain killers, he can talk a real good game and is very convincing. So the honest one in genuine pain went without.

I understand that some people get addicted by being prescribed medication for genuine pain but that is where doctors should get clued in during the follow-up appointments. I know doctors are busy but it is the cavalier attitude towards pain that unnerves me as a previous poster alluded to. Too have ongoing pain and no proof of it is also extremely frustrating.

To have to live with it from the time you get up until the time you go to bed is no laughing matter, and then you can't sleep because you are in pain so your tired all the time. There are people like me who's physical problems are documented on cat scans and x-rays and are things that will never be corrected by surgery and will only get worse over time. Yet they still don't want to give you anything for the pain because, I don't know, you may become addicted. But I am an adult, not a child. They don't teach doctors hardly anything at all in medical school about pain management. I, myself do not want to become an addict so I would be very careful about it. I just want something for the pain when it becomes too much. At those times I will rely on a few bottles of Smirnoff Ice, it helps, but I feel I shouldn't have to rely on alcohol, whose to say peolple in chronic or severe pain who are denied pain killers won't become alcoholics because it's the only legal pain killer htey have access to. The medications in the pharmacies sold over the counter do not do a damn thing to alleviate many people's pain. Where will this all lead to, people in genuine pain thinking about buying pain killers from drug addicts?? When they should be entitled to them anyway? And many in pain would never do that. I know I wouldn't.

The mass media ticks me off to no end as well because they NEVER talk about this issue. They ONLY talk about the problems with drug addictions and prescription drug abuse addicts and do not bring up the issue of very real human beings in very genuine pain who need pain killers to relieve there day to day suffering. It is not balanced reporting on the issue. I feel for drug addicts but they are ruining it for people in genuine need. I know they are in genuine need too and there is a much more need for really good longterm rehabs in this country. What they are doing is not working, but people in physical pain should not be left to suffer because of it.



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 11:58 AM
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I suffered from a very painful and debilitating illness for over 15 years. I fought for the first 4 years to stay off pain meds. I spent the next 7 years taking them. During that time, I was infuriated by the way the abuse of such drugs impacts those who take them as prescribed based on medical advice.

Having said that, the best thing I ever did is decide to get them out of my life forever, despite the continuing pain. It took another two years of difficult and slow reduction in the meds before I was pharma free. I just celebrated my first anniversary off all pharma altogether. Oh yeah, and I have since found alternative ways of healing that have now got me back up to about 95% health.

Looking back on the whole process - was I better off having taken them? I don't know. I do know that health is not gained by masking symptoms in the long run. Both short-term and long-term pain relief is sometimes an absolute necessity. Our culture has responded to this need with pharmaceuticals. I think as a culture we can and should demand a better way.

Oh, by the way, the $2500 a month I had to spend on pain medications during all those years probably wasn't much of an incentive for the medical and pharmaceutical communities to find a better approach.

For those who are taking pain medications for long-term chronic illnesses, don't let anyone tell you that you can't find other options. I can and did.


edit on 12/10/2011 by Open2Truth because: grammar malfunction



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 12:38 PM
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I am glad that you have found alternative methods that have worked well for you and gotten you off the pharmaceuticals. I know what goes on in the pharma industry and how they have a monopoly over doctors and it's a muti-billion dollar profit making infrastructure.

At the same time I have tried many alternative methods of dealing with my pain. Some have helped with certain issues but none of them have worked to alleviate the main causes of the pain I am in. There are some types of medical issues ie. skeletal issues for example that just are not helped by alternative methods and sometimes the only thing that will really help are stronger medications provided by the pharma industry. Each and every person is different and what helps for one may not help for another. Money is not an issue in my case because these medications are covered through our MSI universal health care system in Canada. It can actually be the alternative methods of healing that can end up costing quite a bit of money here because it is not generally covered, though that is starting to slowly change.

I just want whatever works, I and many like me are in pain so why can't we get access to painkillers and see how
it works and be treated like adults because we generally as people want the best for ourselves and want to be well and to be able to have a life worth living. The problem is the tide is turning against people having access to appropriate medical prescriptions because many doctors are underprescribing pain management prescriptions largely due to the drug abuse issue. The people making these decisons from an intellectual standpoint often do not know what it's like to suffer daily.



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 12:43 PM
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reply to post by Open2Truth
 


What other options have you had success with? I am willing to try other methods to pain management than just popping pills.



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 12:57 PM
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reply to post by batgirl
 


I can completely relate to the problems you are describing. During my years on pain meds I made a cross country move, from a major metropolitan area to one more rural. I literally could not find a single doctor who was even willing to give me a physical in the new area I lived in. They were sympathetic, but not a single doctor would even see me to give me a referral to the local pain clinic - and only the pain clinic would prescribe the medications I was on. And all this despite the fact that I had medical records available going back many years showing not only the need for the medications, but also the fact that the doctor in my previous state was nationally recognized as a leader in his specialty. The local pain clinic (the only one available within a 100 mile radius) accepted only cash patients, and it cost me $250 just to walk in the door. In between appointments at this clinic, I was required to come in "on demand" and show them how much of my medication remained to prove that the medication was being taken as recommended - something required of all their patients. Based on these, and countless other encounters, if I had been on ATS back then, I very well might have written a very similar thread.

I wish you all the best in finding the pain relief you need now, and better health in the future.



posted on Dec, 10 2011 @ 01:44 PM
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Thanks, I appreciate that, I really do. I live in a rural area and it's near impossible to switch doctors. Actually there are hundreds of people here who don't have a doctor at all because there are too few of them. The local pain clinic is a 2 hour drive away and it is a 5 year waiting list. I've been waiting over 5 years already.
Anyways, thanks for understanding.



posted on Dec, 12 2011 @ 02:05 PM
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reply to post by lcbjr1979
 


One of the challenges in seeking alternatives to traditional pain medications is that one size rarely fits all. While traditional western medicine frequently lumps all types of pain together, the most promising alternative therapies and options can differ substantially in effectiveness, depending on the cause and physiology of the pain's underlying condition.

I started off my quest for other options by doing a lot of reading and research on options available that centered on my most challenging health symptoms. As I learned a bit about various approaches and options, I was able to focus on those which seemed suited to my particular health issues and tried a number of them. I stuck with those that seemed beneficial, forgot about those that weren't and kept searching. While it can take a lot of time and effort to take this approach, I have personally found the results to be worth every moment spent.

I wish you the very best of luck in your particular journey towards freedom from pain and ill health, and if I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to u2u me.



posted on Jan, 23 2012 @ 07:48 PM
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reply to post by batgirl
 


Batgirl, if you have proof, then you definitely deserve pain medication. There's no reason anyone should have to kill their pain with alcohol, just because the doctor is too uneducated (or evil, or cowardly) to do the right thing by his or her patient.

As far as 'addiction' goes, there's a difference between addiction and 'dependence' on a medication. Don't worry about it, if you finally do get the right doctor who will prescribe for you. Many years ago, the DEA wrote a report titled "Addiction vs. Dependence" and they strongly supported the right to pain relief for true chronic pain patients. The DEA, of all people!

Hang in there, I know it's rough. There is far too little compassion in the world today.




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