Big Pharma's Lockdown On Legitimate Chronic Pain Patients (Page 75)
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Is narcotic pain medicine becoming a thing of the past?

Why are doctors across America phasing out the practice of prescribing effective pain medication?

Will big pharmaceutical companies ever truly understand what it's like to face the other side of the coin?

Lately there's been a musty scent in the air surrounding the use of prescribed narcotic pain medication. Many doctors appear to be running scared as the DEA scours through fields of medical records, inspecting prescribing pads like a mouse scavenges for food in a dimly lit cellar.

Should the day come when doctors recommend Ibuprofen to a feeble man who's been involved in a terrible car accident (breaking several bones / requiring extensive surgery), is this doctor at risk of malpractice when there are more effective options available that they choose not to pick, out of fear? Fear of what? Doing the right thing? No, I don't think this is the reason... Somewhere along the line, in the not too distant past, doctors were loosely prescribing narcotic pain medication as if it would never go out of style. Nowadays, the harsh penalty of potentially losing their license for writing any unknown number of opiate prescriptions over so many calendar days or some other form of strict criteria, has been enough to prevent many physicians from taking even subtle "risks" with patients who are expressing obvious signs of pain and discomfort.

The unfortunately unique problem with pain is that it's not a physical object and in order for others to detect it, they'd have to rely solely on the backbone of our body language using their intuition - something that's gone missing in western practice. If more doctors took the time and really got to know their patients front to back, then they will be their own best judge of deciding what the right thing to do is, regardless of what the DEA thinks about their decision or what their drug representative wants out of the deal. Sadly, until patients are put before profits, the foundation of America's healthcare system remains in jeopardy like an iceberg affected by global warming.

While I believe that the vast majority of human beings in their right mind would choose to do the right thing, we must all work together to become the change we wish to see within every aspect of our lives; and knowing that by doing so, it will shine light on those crossing our path that need it most.

In the meantime, some patients may have to find another way to manage their pain without putting their life or health at risk. Others are turning to natural alternatives such as kratom, cannabis, turmeric and/or implementing various lifestyle changes into their daily regime... But the key is to never give up hope.

What will you do?

Warm regards to all who face life's challenges head on.

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Re: Roro (# 64)

The petition to sign for a Schedule 2 Narcotics Card to be instituted by the Government can be found on change.org. We must band together and sign all petitions that can help us get our message across and our needs met without discrimination.

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Re: Paul (# 65)

I just got a text from President Trump on his tax reform. I said you need to reel in your FDA for not following up on complaints about Rhodes Pharmaceuticals and their generic medicine. I said it's making ppl sick because they are adding toxic fillers and using less mg to save money. I said if you want to keep my support you need to talk with Scott Gottlieb head of the FFA for sitting on his hands and not acting on complaints about Rhodes Pharmaceuticals before someone dies. I'll call him Monday because I'm so sick I can't get out of bed from taking this trash Rhodes Pharmaceuticals is putting out to sell to the American people.

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Re: Tommy (# 59)

Hi Tommy thanks for your reply and your information. I was sure you were right. Luckily for me it was for short term and I am not feeling any pain as far a my teeth go. At least not yet. I don't even bother with the pills and won't if I get pain in my abscessed tooth. . But I know from my other problems that they were not worth a ****. You are right. Cheap is better for profiting companies. And I think you are right about it not changing because of us "DRUG SEEKERS".....It's enough to drive you mad and madder. I just wish people would pay more attention the links I put up there. That might be the only help we can get. It was good hearing from you again. Paul

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Re: BJ (# 61)

there are multiple pages at after comments there is a page tab.....
claude i to have tried to get a petition going and tried to link it here and after 6 months it had 13 signers very disappointing ......
goat c ...... that would be a good thing but not sure if it will work with out some sort of verivacation ...... mayne/hopefully the dr has a way to verify ... you are be n couragious good for you

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I see so many questions on pain management nowadays and the DEA has absolutely taken over and we let them! There's no sense in having drug panels and especially for tramadol! If everyone doesn't start getting together they're going to end up making everyone's life hell. What I don't get is how they drop people without notice! Doesn't that say there's nothing wrong with you and everything you were told was just a big lie! I mean I get it people abuse things but they have made everyone think opiates don't work and you're addicted. I took a class in college once that said people take years to become truly addicted especially if they're in pain. It's dependence, and you depend on them as much as diabetics and high BP meds to have a good quality of life. They're lying to everyone and under-medicating! I think soon lawyers will start finding a way to sue over this. I mean if you've been given the same drug for years it's going to need to be adjusted! Taking one extra a day for pain isn't abusing it. Think about it... you're given the same drug for years and suddenly at any given moment a dr panics and can drop you! I mean doesn't that just say he's basically stupid and diagnosed you wrong? Example - john has several herniated disc, neuropathy, and doing his best on the pain meds given and has been fully compliant at every visit, ok. Say the next month john takes one extra a day because he's been on the same dose for years and having new pain or just a bad flare up. John decides he will for first time discuss this with his dr because he's been running out and feels it's time he addresses it. The next day John gets a call stating he's no longer compliant and dropped. So what happened to all his injuries? Did they go away? No! This is just so wrong! And I've read so many stories like that from people who have good drug panels, no ER visits and doing their best to work! This is against our constitutional rights and they're pushing dangerous drugs to try. That's why big pharmaceutical companies haven't stood up. I see people sweat it every appointment they have and drs know this! I guarantee the family members have opioids in their homes! We are all being treated bad and if we don't stand up and sign every petition and ask attorneys what can be done this will only get worse.

America is supposed to be free and oh yeah more than half the overdoses are from illicit drugs! I feel for all of you and didn't realize how bad it has gotten until I got lupus and other stuff. It makes me sick we are dictated to! A man in my area killed himself for severe cancer pain Bc they cut his dose! He was 61. This is an outrage and that tramadol btw is easier on your stomach and heart and they know it! Hydrocodone 5mg was up once on the Senate to be sold otc. There's a lot they won't say and if everyone stood up and stopped this we could have our drs back and they could be drs! Some so-called pill mills were actually good drs who wanted to help their patients, not all were bad. I'm sorry I'm jumping from subject to subject, it's just an outrage how things have gotten! Also, a lot of things cause false readings. I worked in a lab for a very long time and you can request a drug confirmation (that's usually sent off and breaks it down to a simple vitamin you took) if you were ever dismissed for something you didn't take. Also, tell them to take a hair sample if they want to be technical! Don't let them scare you into being held hostage for pain control. Also, it may be a good idea to start videotaping each visit in case you end up having to sue for a dr giving you drugs to help then cutting you off. Not everyone is drug seeking. They need to go back and learn more about that, and how can you tell them the truth about dose adjustments if they are just going to drop you?! It shouldn't be that way! So please people think about standing up so there's no more forums about people in true pain and being cut off. We deserve better! Again sorry I'm ranting and I wish all of you to be well and I hate it so bad the posts I read about people being cut back or cut off. NOBODY should live in that fear whenever there's enough bad things going on! If enough people in each town stand up at these places and write and call senators and congressmen, things can change. These dr's wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for our hard working money. They need to actually be standing with the patients!

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Just filled out a complaint form for the FDA about Rhodes Pharmaceuticals and their generic Percocet 10 325 that are making my stomach sick and causing headaches and it's not the strength it says it is. I said all I ask is take a random pill of this medication and send it to your lab before someone dies from what's in it and what's not in it, like the right mg of the active ingredient or pain medication. You should too if you're having problems with this medication or that's all you're going to get at every pharmacy because it's half the price of other generics according to my pharmacist. Why would this medication cost half of what the other generics do? That should be a RED FLAG right there.

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Re: Claude (# 51)

I'm with you Claude but I can't locate post #9. I don't remember what you said but I agree we need to do something. Living with pain hard enough but taking our medication away seems excessively cruel to me. I wish I didn't need medication but it keeps me going. I'm able to function better with it. People who take it for reasons other than pain will always find something to use and people who profit from it by selling it will find other means to make a living. I've heard of people who are terminally ill, in severe pain, whose caretakers are afraid to give them too much pain medication because of the fear of addiction. Go figure! When someone reaches the point of no return, I say keep them comfortable and let them go in peace. Google "Pill Farms in Florida" and get an idea of how this opiate epidemic came about. Interesting!

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Re: Roro (# 50)

I want to. I know the pain management clinic they are using. That is a good place to start. I haven't thus far because one of them is family and i didn't want this person to go to jail just wanted her supply to be cut off. I will call her dr.

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Re: Paul (# 54)

I went as far as talking to my pharmacist about this. I told him that the generic Percocet RP 10s were not helping and weak. I said hope u aren't going to be using these for a long period of time. He said yes I signed a contract with Rhodes Pharmaceuticals for a year because I get these at such a cheap price I can pass it on to my customers. So it's a money thing to the independent drugstore to stay in business even if the RPs are pretty much useless. I emailed Rhodes Pharmaceuticals about their generic drugs and they seem to be a small 20 person family run company out of Utah running and making every generic pain meds u can think of, Google Rhodes Pharmaceuticals and you can see for yourself. I was trying to get the ingredients in a RP generic Percocet but I doubt they would give out how much opioids they are using in their generics. Probably 50% less if I had to guess. Who is going to look over this company to make sure they aren't using less to save money to make more pills & in turn more money? If you say something you're going to sound like a druggie. I'll try a new drugstore but I guarantee you that we are going to see these RPs at all drugstores because it's all about money. Maybe I'll turn them into the BBB. If enough ppl did this maybe it would get their attention. But living in this time of "you're a bad person if you take painkillers", ppl don't care if a company uses 50% less active ingredients in their medicine. It's an American problem that ppl don't care about til they get hurt and have to deal with companies doing this. I'm 64 years old and not after a buzz, but I would like to get the amount I'm prescribed. I read ppl putting down what's wrong with themselves and why they need these meds but I don't do that because it sounds like they are wanting sympathy, I don't mean any harm but you shouldn't have to explain ur medical situation. That's my opinion but if you want me to it's going to be a very long read.

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Re: Tommy (# 48)

Yes Tommy, I believe you are right about the generics and we are being screwed. My Endodontist Prescribed me Perc 10's. I took 4 almost at a time. They were U17's and they did absolutely nothing for me. So I do believe what you all say in here. I think they are getting them abroad and it passing right through the FDA . Maybe some payola is involved. I don't know. I don't even bother taking them any more.

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Willette

Sorry to hear about the blockage but at least you know now and can do the things they tell you to keep it in check. I'm happy to hear that you will be getting your meds back:) I'll keep you in my prayers, please keep in contact and I'll do the same.

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Re: Peanutsmom07 (# 43)

Hello,just wanted to update you on my Ultra Sound....I had 65 % blockage on the rt side that hurt so bad. They are just going to keep an eye on it for now. But the Good News is I went too see my PCP & she is doing everything too get me with someone too help with this pain. She herself do not prescribe herself but is sending me too a Dr that does. She gave me a couple of scripts too help until I see the Dr. I almost gave up but everytime I can't see away God always come threw. Thank You & take care. I will keep you updated on my journey!!& journey it is...Be Blessed

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Re: Goat c (# 52)

those are the ones screwing it up for everyone that needs their meds ... why is it you did not report them threw crimestoppers or some other way ...... those that know and keep silent are also creating the problems for those truly in need ........ i hope you get the courage to do the right thing

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Re: Claude (# 51)

Hi Claude, I put plenty of links up here and can put many more if medschat will let me. But you are absolutely right. No one here gives a flying ****. It seems as though the only thing they worry about is their non-potent generics. Except a very few who did answer my reply but don't know if they went as far as signing the petitions. Pretty soon they won't have even any generics to complain about.

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Re: Tommy (# 48)

The same thing happen to me! I talked to the pharmacist & told him that was the 2nd time they changed my meds & they only helped for about an hr & the pain was back. He blamed it on the suppliers which I knew was a lie. So I picked up my meds earlier in the day on one refill but I guess as they fill they put it in an automated call system to let you know your script is ready. Well they called me a couple of times so I called to see if I had missed something, and they had a new tech in there working so I asked what the meds were because I had already picked up all my refills. She said let me check....she said it's your Tylenol 3 & your blood pressure meds, the same meds I had picked up earlier. My point being, instead of my Norco 10/325 I got tylenol. The script I turned in said Norco 10/325. I don't know for sure who was responsible, the Dr or the Pharmacist!!!

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Re: Big b (# 49)

I know people who are selling their scripts and it makes me so angry. We need our med to relieve our pain and these people are profiting by it. The feds will never stop it and these people are the ones who make it difficult for us to get ours. I wish i could turn them in.

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I have been a chronic pain pt for the last 15 yrs. I have all the same issues as everyone else has with dosage reductions and repeated inj's. that have never worked but are insisted upon anyway to cover my pain management doctor's ass with the Federal Govt. What I don't understand is we all complain but no one offers a solution! Back on Aug. 30th I proposed on this forum a solution and NOT one person supported or even commented on it. So are we just a bunch of whiners or do we really want a solution? If this time there is no discussion I will assume you don't want to put in the effort that it will take to effect change! See post #9.

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Re: Buck Shot (# 46)

Absolutely do a medschat search on "suboxone false positives"... I know someone that had that actually happen to them and the pain clinic refused further treatments and did nothing about withdrawal issues.... These clinics need to be held to higher standards and forced to use quality diagnostics or stop breaking the 4th & 5th amendments of the constitution and stop giving drug panels completely.

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I know people who have pain problems that are heading to the Methadone clinics. There will always be people hooked on a much stronger medication. So the street dealers will always be in business. So sad.

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Re: Paul (# 44)

Just want to add this about us that are getting meds we are getting screwed too. I'm noticing the generic meds I'm getting from the drugstore keep changing and getting a weaker strength med. I've read there is a tolerance of 20% on generic meds. So even if you are getting medicine you're getting screwed too. I get percocet 10 and this month I got one I've never seen before. Has RP on one side & 10 325 on the other. Took one and it was like my fking drugstore ripped me off like a drug dealer might. Can't carry um back but ppl better ask before they get it filled. You don't want RP's What I'm getting at is either way it's looking bad when your drugstore rips you off. $$$$$$$

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