2016 Cdc Guidelines For Prescribing Opioids For Chronic Pain (Page 2)
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Hey all fellow patients out there, did you know the CDC has published a list of their proposed 2016 guidelines for doctors who prescribe opioids for chronic pain? That includes oxycodone, lortab, percocet, hydrocodone, opana, suboxone, morphine, and any other drug that has an opiate ingredient in it that so many of us count on to lead normal lives!

This affects all of us and the comment period ends on January 13 2016! That's about a week from now! You know the doctors are going to have to follow whatever federal rules pass so if you are worried that you might not get the care you need please go to the gov web site for the office of the Federal Register and submit your comments to them before it's too late!

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the opening of a docket to obtain public comment on the draft CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain (Guideline). The Guideline provides recommendations regarding initiation or continuation of opioids for chronic pain; opioid selection, dosage, duration, follow-up, and discontinuation; and assessment of risk and addressing harms of opioid use. The Guideline is intended to be used by primary care providers (e.g., family physicians or internists) who are treating patients with chronic pain (i.e., pain lasting longer than 3 months or past the time of normal tissue healing) in outpatient settings."

https:/­/­federalregister.gov/­a/­2015-31375

Editor's note: Please note that the above statement "You know the doctors are going to have to follow whatever federal rules pass" is technically correct but may be misleading in this case because the CDC draft says that it is "not a federal regulation" and that "adherence to the Guideline will be voluntary."

Editor's note # 2: The title for this discussion thread has been updated to reflect the topic most effectively.

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BL yes patients should study the laws that affect them. We also should be knowledgeable regarding our medication, side effects, proper dosages etc, etc.. Unfortunately I have found that No, most pain docs don't know the laws and when we inform them, they get pissed, we get dismissed and it's back to the Yelliw Pages for us. Pain Doctors know the signs and symptoms of addiction more than knowing how opiates are metabolized, what they metabolize into, side effects, what groups of people should not be given long acting/abuse proof opiates or that they are even detrimental to certain groups of patients and once you inform them; they get that 'deer in the headlights glaze' and reply "it's our standard procedure". They aren't familiar with individualized titration and lump everyone the same. Sorry but that's what I've learned by listening to them repeatedly lying to me regarding laws, guidelines and possible consequences. When I called the TBI (TN bureau of investigation) and DEA and Medical Board they all said the same thing. Pain Doctors can prescribe how much they see fit! What attracts attention are stupid errors like 'forgetting to sign prescriptions, incorrect diagnostic codes, or leaving them out, all of their patients on high doses, and so forth.

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Keizer...heart turned to be placement of electrodes...back on an impossibly low dose of Oxy so blood pressure is down but not where it should be. Lack of sleep is biggest problem now and of course minor withdrawal everyday via PAWS. The way folks are trying to get cannabis legal is the way I feel about Opioids! Thanks for the concern Keikee

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Kim (#165) --

I went thru same thing after failed spinal fusion a year ago since surgery. They decided to taper me completely off of oral meds to fentanyl. People die from fentanyl so I refused after a month on it. However I was extremely skeptical of Kratom till I tried it. It truly works. I use green Malay for pain when it's a 5. The green Malay works for hours at least six and I only use 1 tsp=5 grams. You get moderate euphoric effects with great pain relief. I use red indo when my pain is an 8 but that one is sedating. The white maeng da is great for stimulation properties but not good on pain. Plus it's inexpensive, I get an oz of each for 12$ each so I pay $36 for almost 2 weeks of relief.

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Is anyone else out there suffering over the new CDC guidelines? My doc is arbitrarily reducing my pain medication too low to help the pain. Anyone??

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I keep getting sent to hospitals now that my PPO ins was taken away. Hospitals wont even bother to take blood test they said what do u expect me to do your heart is strong now but it wont stay that way. 17 months no pain med.I think we all know its nto withdrawl anymore its the damage done when i was left for 31/2 years with apedicitis then still left in hospital bed after apedix turned to gangreens n was left there to die. Well i flat lined 5 times they finally came in my room, half ass surgery sent me home with gangreene, mrsa, and refused to follow up until my father took me back to hospital. When i was too stiff to move from infection they left in me and he said "What do u mean u don't do follow up? I have a whole pack of matches b****. See all those oxygen tanks? You are killing my daughter again. U can call the police but I bet all you murderers will be blown up before police get here."

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Echocardiogram I meant. Ekg is electrocardiogram. Duh.

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Electrocardiogram perhaps, Spyz? I don't see how you AREN'T still experiencing withdrawals. Your chest pain, high blood pressure & shortness of breath while doing the most basic movements is very concerning to say the least. Please don't spend time alone. Women(can)have a very different set of symptoms when experiencing heart attack & you don't want to find yourself alone with those symptoms. My mother was 63 when she her heart attack. I can remember a few of the symptoms; back pain, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, nausea & belly pain. She did not complain of pain &/or numbness in the left arm & chest pain. Please be careful!

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Cynthia besides my rheumatoid/fibro/osteo conditions which warrant the use of opiates, my heakth otherwise was fine. I weaned off the fentanyl patch due to the opiate induced adrenal insufficiacy and hypothyroidism it caused. Of course to avoid withdrawal I overtook my breakthrough pills since basically I was only doin one patch every two weeks. Of course I got my discharge letter two days after my last orfice visit. Since then my blood pressure has doubled! My ekg's are abnormal and I need elec...something...like a heart sonogram. I keep telling everyone that it's withdrawal but since im not cramping; noticeably, or vomiting or have any of the regular withdrawal symptoms, they just roll their eyes and ignore me....im having chest pains, trouble walking (bones feel as if they are spliting as I walk), and cant catch my breath during any movement....funny thing is...all these people getting were discharged (myself included) for showing addictive behaviors right? addiction: craving or use of a substance in spite of negative effects or to the detriment of the user. Most pain patients used more and their lives IMPROVED, not got worse!

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Keikee, drs know what the laws are and aren't, they have to. Few patients take the time to actually look up state and federal laws and read things like the CDC Guidelines. It is very important for those tha suffer chronic pain to read and know for themselves exactly what laws, guidelines and recommendations say. It won't change what a dr is going to do but at least you know what might be coming up in the future.

As long as drs go by the laws and guidelines and don't over prescribe, they won't get into trouble.

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Keikei what really sucks is that doctors could be our biggest allies against the fearmongering DEA CDC and little Timmy's parents who blame doc for kid misusing his opies. all the pain doctors could band together helping our voice be loud enough to not ignored or blown off when we complain of inadequate pain relief. Thanks to all our coward doctors for continuing to 'do us harm'.

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Thanks for straightening me out on that BL. I should clarify that the Drs working at the clinics weren't arrested or literally "run" out of town at gun point with DEA agents hot on their tails. What I mean to convey is that those drs left town in fear of losing their prescribing privileges since (according to what I've read on this website written by chronic pain sufferers suddenly facing the complete loss of or a major reduction of their pain medicines) practically every physician who was a prescriber of narcotics has either lied to their patients or really believe the guidelines are in fact LAWS preventing them from being able to continue prescribing for said patients.

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The CDC released their Guidelines for 2016 on March 18, 2016 and they are at the link below.

CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain — United States, 2016-
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6501e1.htm

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Keikee, if the pain clinincs were shut down and the drs lost their medical licenses it is because they weren't prescribing according to federal and state laws. If the drs weren't prescribing responsibly, the chances are much greater that the patients getting prescriptions were abusing or diverting them.

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Whoa Jenny, that's a LOT of suicides in Tenn. or sounds like a lot. It could be the same or worse in Ohio or SC for all I know....It's interesting the majority took their lives by gunshot and not overdose of narcotic pain medicine. Actually, I do remember reading in the local paper in NE Ohio that opiate deaths are an epidemic the past 2 years. Funny those dumb a** don't see the reason for that. Two major pain clinics were shut down and the Dr's run out of town making it pretty much impossible for people to get their pain medicine. Hmmm. I'm not a brilliant DEA or FDA agent or Governor of the state and I figured that one out.

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Jenny, there is nothing that says anything about pain meds or pain meds being taken away or those committing suicide being chronic pain patients. The article says two thirds of the suicides in Tenn involve firearms. Is there another link that I am missing?

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Wanted to pass this article on. Felt important and sadly more related than they will admit. Look at the date of the study and categories:

local8now.com/content/news/Study-addresses-Tennessees-suicide-rate-370734981.html

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Sounds like your doctor gIves you 3 advance scripts a visit and dated them all same day instead of post dating them.. new doctor not aa kind and didn't research it.

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Robert Raper, sorry I forgot to add this. If you had done without the pain meds for three months, it was obvious that you didn't need them. Drs don't want patients stocking up on meds.

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Robert R., you really have no way of knowing what has been said to her, if anything. She may or may not have had something said to her. Drs frequently blame the DEA, state or federal laws, etc for things that they choose to do. It could also be a situation of her learning from the mistakes that another dr has made. Drs have a professional responsibility to put accurate info in the medical records about patient history. If you haven't had marijuana since the 70's and you didn't want anyone to know, you shouldn't have told her. Combining marijuana with opiates can be dangerous.

Many years ago, there was something that I wasn't going to share with our family dr. It was personal and had nothing to do with my health, his treatment or any future treatment. I told him this and I asked him how could we do it. He told me to come in and talk to him in his office after the office had closed. I did this and we talked for a while. What I said to him never appeared in my medical records.

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BL the prescription is active for 6 months. It makes me mad when a person with a degree can't do simple math to count to 6 correctly that said what I did in the 70s has Nothing To Do with Now. The DEA got on Her Not Me. I've had 4 lower back 2 neck surgeries so I Have Proof Of Spinal Problems I Have a stash of Opiates enough to make it in a deal more pain than I like. But Till I Figure it out I'll make it there Are Ways To Go Around if you know what I mean. I'm into self Reliance I Don't Trust Many Humans anymore I'm not a sheep can't Be.

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