War On Chronic Pain Patients

Thanks to all you drug abusers there has been an ongoing war on us legit chronic pain patients. Thanks to all who abuse pills and alcohol, because of you they wage war on us. Street drugs are cheaper so why do you all have to mess with the pills and make life difficult for us chronic pain sufferers? Are you stupid or just self centered? Britain uses our military to protect Afghan poppy for people like you, so quit trying to cook up the pills. We legit chronic pain patients would really appreciate it, not that you care, but maybe when you stop acting so self centered, people will actually begin to care about you. You reap what you sow.

To stem cell labs worldwide: We need you to cure degenerative discs and herniations for those that want to be cured instead of on pain meds. Make yourselves known. We need options. We know you have the cure. We need the FDA to help make up for lost time.

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REPORT

I appreciate your frustration, and moreover, your agony. But please bear in mind that many of the people who are addicted to pills started out as pain patients, improperly educated by doctors who will just flip off a prescription without giving the patient a decent rundown on the risks of their medications. It starts out just taking a little extra, finishing your scrip just a little early, and then tolerance creeps in, and it takes more and more to achieve the needed relief, and pretty soon, they're exploring ways to maximize the potential of their meds, doing things they never imagined they would. Desperate needs lead to desperate measures. Eventually abnormal behavior becomes normal. And for the people who have that genetic predisposition to addictive behavior but dont know anything about addiction, it's even worse. Here you are a nice suburban housewife with kids and a job, competence and self-respect,and a chronic pain condition, and one day you realize you've become this degenerate freak, squirreled away in the bathroom with your medications or obsessively scrumming the internet for information that will help you...and all the while cursing all those recreational drug users who have brought down the changes in law that make it so very difficult to get the help you need, which by now probably also includes detox and rehab and god-knows-what-all. It's not black and white, us vs. them necessarily. I know. I'm us. And I'm them. And I live in shame and desperation with a soul-killing secret, and still, for all that, I continue to endure the constant, bone-crushing pain. I dont know which is worse. My most recent suicide attempt was last October because I cant stand who Ive become. Them.

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Give me a break! This is ridiculous. I have recurring pain, not all the time but enough that I need to have my pain meds just in case. I was told the meds don't help pain patients with quality of life by a resident that looked like she was about 16. If I had not had the help of this medication, I would not be a thriving business owner. I would be at home on disability. How would that be for quality of life. If you can do without your pills and you aren't taking them for severe pain, I feel bad for you and yes you need rehab but what about someone that only has to take them, maybe 3 or 4 times a month, half at a time, no problem not taking them when I don't need them. Not everyone that has to take these pills is an addict!

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Exactly. Thank you so much for pointing the needle users out. They do it to feel high. Pain management for us is to function somewhat normally to hold on to life.

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Re: Aeiou (# 1)

Desperate needs come from prejudicial uncaring in medical clinics. They use cheap unreliable drug tests (that destroy the 4th & 5th amendment protections)......that give false positive readings and it is well documented that those cheap tests are unreliable and when they get false positives those cheapskate clinics just quit doing anything for those patients and don't even wean them off b4 they stop taking care of those patients...... Run a search on medschat for "false positives for suboxone"..... This forces these patients into the streets & black market getting illegal tainted drugs that are causing overdoses..... imo, the clinic is responsible for those deaths.

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Re: Aeiou (# 1)

Please. I am not an pill seeker or inject a poison in my arm. I am a legitimate pain patient. I have to have mri's, drug tests once a month and meet all criteria for my meds. I want to live a pain free and productive life. Please do not put all pain med patients into a basket with drug seeking fakers and heroin addicts who destroy themselves for a high.

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Re: Goatc (# 5)

I agree with you I am also a legitimate pain management person who has to go through MRIS Chiropractic Care, physical therapy, monthly drug screens, drug Seekers and those who abuse it as well as IV drug users have made it so difficult for those who use it under a doctor's care as directed to get help. They're making it very difficult for us to get our prescriptions. To get our assistance to our doctors. They don't stop to consider other people and their situations when it comes to legitimate pain. They're selfish actions have made it hard and difficult for all those other people and it's ridiculous.

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Re: Poohsy (# 6)

Those of us who have followed all the rules should save the attacks for the Federal and State government who are making up the rules. They are using the addicts as scapegoats for the government's inability to win the war on illegal drugs. Think very hard before blaming an addict. When the doctor refuses to write the perscription or insurance, Medicare or Medicaid refuse to approve, when you can't get out of bed because your knees or hips won't hold you or you can't work because you can't turn your head, what are you going to do? Are you going to lay in bed, go on public assistance while writhing in pain?

If you're wealthy, a member of Congress or high enough up in State government you'll have a doctor on call because the rules don't apply to you. However, if you're a regular citizen of the Country you love, seriously, what will you do?

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I totally agree with you. What will happen to all of us chronic pain suffers suppose to do.

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Re: Aeiou (# 1)

Hi. Actually, most studies show that people become addicted by buying narcotics off the streets. Most of the drugs come in from other countries. The prescription crisis is purely a fabrication. If we were so worried about self-inflicted deaths in this country, we would be attacking obesity, tobacco and alcohol which are legal.

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Re: Aeiou (# 1)

Many legitimate studies have proved your theory to be false. People with true intractable chronic pain do not become addicted nor do they abuse their medication.
Please do some research on the web re: this fact. Most people become addicted to pain meds due to abuse of prescriptions, prior alcohol abuse and street drugs. I was on what would be called today a large dosage of morphine and Norcos. I put myself through two universities, worked as a legal researcher, gardened, did all my own housework and repairs, rode horses etc. Once I was taken off my pain meds I began to deteriorate. Now I am wheelchair bound, due to my diseases and pain. I struggle with whether or not I want to keep going daily. If some people want to abuse drugs, they will. You can't legislate morality.

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Re: Poohsy (# 6)

Poohsy, ALL true. Selfishness at times seems to be the order of the day! For some reason, it appears the abusers somehow missed that part of their development as well as developing healthy coping mechanisms. They seem to be very unhappy in their own skin, so they seek a high, to not feel. Well, I am not happy in my own skin, but for physical, not psychological reasons. I am by nature an amiable sort, very level temperment. But in my golden years have needs, just like so many other heathy, psychologically healthy people out there. We don't need head help. We need body help. Abusers need head help, so they can stop stealing our meds, stop abusing meds meant to relieve suffering. Not facilitate fun times.

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Re: Poohsy (# 6)

Poohsy.... I thought Aeiou's post was written straight from her heart, shining a light on a class of CP patients that were pushed into doing something they would NOT normally do.

Instead of being so judgmental and accusatory, why not try understanding her post a little better? There are THOUSANDS, if not tens of thousands of LEGITIMATE chronic pain patients, who have done NO WRONG, being dropped from pain mgmt. for NO REASON OTHER than the clinic either stops prescribing meds altogether, or they want to get their "prescribing numbers" down. I know because I am one such patient!! I complied with all rules, took my meds as prescribed, never failed a u/a or run short early. I did no wrong but was STILL dropped on the street with no taper of meds I took for 23 years! Three hundred other patients were dropped from my pain mgmt. clinic at the same time.

You may very well be next. I treated at that pain mgmt. clinic for 8 years. I thought my doc cared about me. What an eye opening experience it was. I went in for my regular appt. to be handed a letter from a nurse saying I was dismissed. When I asked her why, she stated the doc was no longer prescribing opiods. The clinic was turning to injections, stimulator or pump ONLY.

I cannot even begin to describe the agony of withdrawal I had to go through. Before you even THINK addict, NO!! I was NOT addicted but simply physically DEPENDENT. Who wouldn't be dependent on meds taken over 23 years...same dose..never raised.?

Now, since I was dismissed from that PM clinic, I can NOT find another pain mgmt. clinic that will touch me with a ten foot pole. My family doc just looked at me like a dear in the headlights when I asked her what I could do. No help from her AT ALL.

I went from a productive member of society to being recliner/housebound, unable to even care for myself. I have sat on a heating pad, desperate for ANY kind of relief, until I have burned the skin and tissue of my back all the way to the bone. Every single minute of every day, I am in such AGONY I can't even THINK straight!

I'm sorry, but right now, I CAN'T begin to "think of other people". I desperately need help and NO ONE will help. The pain is so unbearable that I don't know how much longer I will be on this planet.

What would you do if your pain mgmt. practice dropped YOU? No taper, no refferal to another doc/clinic, no notice? You might want to think about it...it is coming!

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Re: Barbara (# 7)

AWESOME post Barbara!! You said it better than I could. Us CP patients NEED to use what little energy we have to STOP THIS WAR ON CP PATIENTS!!!

The DEA, CDC and FDA are punishing us, right along with addicts. We don't need to start attacking others as addicts, especially since we CP patients fight that prejudice ourselves at every appointment.

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Re: Sissy (# 12)

Sissy, I am very moved by your struggles. A crime was committed against you, and others as well of course, but 23 years and you get the drop, with no taper, no help with withdrawal. And I assume the 300 others dropped received the same awful treatment. Funny for 23 years your meds were justified. Now...NOT?? YOU and those like you are victims of malpractice, which of course you well know. If any of us think, boy I'm so lucky, I get my monthly meds. Well those that are feeling so lucky may just end up on heating pads burning their butts next month. Doctors are terrified. As one told a poster, if it's comes down to you or my kids, it's my kids. Really??? This is what it has all come down to. You, the CPP, or their liscence. I have greater sympathy for the patient hung out to dry, or die. Doctor will be fine, he'll continue to practice, make loads of money, make sure HIS or HER family gets whatever they need medically. This travesty MUST be corrected at governmental level. Nothing we say to our doctors will fix this. We can plead, cry, exhaust ourselves, and they will always choose their hard earned liscence over their CPP's. Always. They are pressured, they cave, we suffer. Politician affect policies, create causes such as the "opioid crisis", and it will be politicians that have the means to correct this injustice.

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JMJ (# 14) & Sissy (# 13) --

I know I will be facing the same situation. 10+ years on same meds with same dosage. Insurance refused to pay for meds. I had to get an advocate for out of state review. The decision was made in my favor. Next time I see my pain management doctor he is recommending that I check into a rehab center so I can detox with supervision and CBT. I said “my insurance won’t pay for that; they didn’t want to pay for my prescriptions”. He said he would look into it. Why is my doctor who prescribed the medication in the first place now trying to put me in a facility with what I describe as “street addicts”? I don’t want to leave my house for 30 days to live with people who are real drug abusers. I asked his plan for after the rehab and he said “you may not need anything, I think the meds are no longer effective because you have been on them too long”. Well why did he continue to prescribe monthly? I guess he is being pressured to reduce the number of scripts he writes. Well maybe he should have stayed an orthopedic doctor rather than focusing on pain management looking for bigger paychecks and he wouldn’t be in this situation. I have tried other medications but nothing has worked for me. Without the medication I would have to stop working. Chronic pain due to fibromyalgia and arthritis would keep me bedridden most days. The CP patients are being punished for illicit/illegal drug users. It has to stop. I feel for both of you and anyone else that had prescriptions stopped without any alternatives offered or found pain management clinics shut down. My life may be headed in that direction and it scares me to death.

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Well said zan zen ,they are treating people with medically documented disease and I jury's like addicts this has to stop my wife's doctor will not even follow the surgeons recommendations for addition pain meds prior to surgery to lower blood pressure and pain on a previous shoulder surgery that was botched and a 30day delay so far, in getting her into pain management,because of his d.e.a fears my wife is in terrible pain and blood pressure threw the roof and all we can do is wait they have cancelled her surgery so she sits here in fear and pain and possible death because he's afraid to write his prescription and taking their time getting their into pain management we don't know if she'll make it through this this craziness has to stop please write your Congressman you state senators advised him of this Insanity than jD

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Yes so true I myself suffer from arthritis in my spine and degenerated disc disease it isn’t easy and I do need pain medication I will never be able to afford to get stem cell research because it cost so much and in America our Medicare system won’t pay it or help me.but they will give housing and free medical help to these people from other country’s I worked 42 years in a steel mill now I have cancer and COPD and can’t Afford to even think about getting surgery so I will have to live with what I have until I die.

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Re: Ricky (# 17)

Fricking pillbillies causing us to suffer. I have RSD after 12 surgeries on a broken ankle.The pain is horrible but my Neuro will only prescribe 5 mg of Norco every 6 hours. I am afraid to complain because he may not prescribe anything. Uggg life sucks I am so tired of hurting.

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Hi, Zen Zen
I, for one am a former drug addict who was once addicted to pain medication. That was almost 15 yrs ago. I haven't to taken a pain pill in 15 yrs. I, honestly don't think you are going to see any positive results calling drug addicts names. You must give respect to get respect no matter who we talking about and yes, that includes drug addicts. Try a different approach, use kind words, show a little respect and I promise you, you will get better results. Noone is going to want to help you with that kind of attitude. This applies to anything & everything. Good day!

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Wow! Well done! Perhaps forwarding this through the proper channels, maybe one person will read it and sit up and pay attention-if we are lucky. In the meantime, I guess write you local governments, state and the federal, we have to make our voices heard!

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Re: TnJack175 (# 111)

Btw, as far as taking other meds along with the buprenorphine 8mg, I take 800mg gabapentin x3, cymbalta, and buspar, and flexaril x 3..wow that's alot of meds, and I probably left one out, due to brain fog, it's late. Lol..the cymbalta I just started about 4 months ago 90mg, and it definitely has helped with my pain,. I read mixed reviews as always some like it, while others don't. So far I'm good.

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Re: Jack175 (# 116)

Yes, I heard of belbuca when it first came out in 2015. I'm wracking my brain thinking about the doctor's name who I email about for information on it,. He wasn't a local doctor but I watched his presentation on the topic..I was interested in it... at the time I told him I was on buprenorphine 8mg x 3,..he told me I was better off with what I was already on because he said mine was stronger??....at the time I felt like I would go in and. Out of withdrawal symptoms do I was interested in a change...I had come to find out that at that time I just was on a different generic that just didn't agree with me so since then I have switched to the generic I'm on now and since have not any problems....now dont quote me on if mine is stronger or not because I don't know..I'm just quoting what the man told me to stay where I'm at now...However it seems whenever they come out with a new buprenorphine product I google it for some knowledge about it, since I have been taking it so long, I don't like the idea that I could possibly be taken this medicine to the day I die...it upsets me because back in 2005 when I started it several pharmacy's and doctors told me, don't worry it's not addictive and now several years later I find out it is very addictive and I wished I never started taking it..however good luck to you and I hope you do well on it..it's a shame what is going on to the pain patients and having such a hard time getting medicine for pain..nice talking with you..

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Re: Charlene (# 114)

Hey Charlene, This med is called BELBUCA, and it's sorta knew. The main ingredient is buprenorphine, but the Pharmacology breakdown changes it in too many ways to try and explain. Belbuca is designed as as Pain Killer, as a mild opiate Antagonist.. I hope this helps

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Re: Charlene (# 113)

Hey Charlene, Oh Yes, keep me informed about this.. Thanks
J.

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Re: TnJack175 (# 111)

Sorry one more thing is just a month ago I hurt myself I believe it is a SCIATICA I have googled it trying to diagnose myself, so even on my dose of buprenorphine 8mg x 3, I don't want to say it doesn't work for pain....it's hard to tell, because it definitely dose work for pain because after my first dose in the am I'm able to walk around throughout the day but to say oh wow I have no pain,. I could not say that....however I have asked my doctor about your medacine and was told by many doctors that what I'm on the subutex...........

Buprenorphine is way better for pain relief..so I have never tried it...I really would suggest that other post I told you to look for because the guy goozer is good and he takes it for pain...he is honest and knowledgeable, kind and will never guide us in the wrong direction..keep a look out i will find his post and the correct name for you

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Re: TnJack175 (# 111)

The buprenorphine film is called suboxone, however along with a lot of other people the naloxone in it is had to tolerate, at least that is what I have read, now in my case I take plain buprenorphine 8mg, x 3 daily..and when I started taking this medication back in 2005 they started you out on subutex 8mg x 4 daily for 6 days, 7th day on they would switch to suboxone 8/2, x 4 daily..it was prescribed much different than it is today, now the very 1st day on suboxone8/2, I noticed it was different.....so different that I called the doctor to ask why and did I get something that might have been a wrong medication?....they said that I'm on the right one...so I decided to look further into the medicine..back then not much was really known about it and very few doctors prescribed it or even knew about it..all I could find out is that only two groups of people were prescribed (subutex). If you were pregnant or could not tolerate the naloxone....not only was the subutex way cheaper but it also works better..so I decided to make my doctors appointment and get the subutex instead of suboxone...it was hard he wouldn't budge much but after several attempts saying I had allergic reactions to naloxone I finally got my way....

I'm still on the (subutex) 8mg x 3....I remember back then even telling a doctor that I don't even get headaches or any aches and pains..he just smiled and great..back then it most definitely was not even thought of to be a pain pill like today.....now I'm on it because I was on pain medication and I live here in southwest Florida, pain management doctors and pharmacies connected together giving patients all the pain medication they wanted with no problem at all..well I got it but not like a lot of other people who had guts to just come out and ask for whatever they wanted with me I just accepted whatever...it's really a long sad story I have, and have paid the price of addiction....I also cannot get off this medicine for nothing. tried and tried, the only thing I haven't done yet is admit myself into a 28 day stay...I'm 59 and I don't think my body can handle another withdrawal.

My last attempt was June of last year...I went to the same pain management doctor that used to give me some of the pain medication from back in the day. My prescribed detox medication was percocet 10s, x 4 daily alongside a few other comfort medications...after 9 days I was so I'll and lost a lot of weight that my husband had to carry me into his office before his office opened is what the doctor told me to do on a Sunday evening when I spoke to him last....and since he only prescribed suboxone I accepted it until I could get back into my other doctor for the subutex..oh I don't like the suboxone at all..at least with subutex for me it an energy-intensive on top of it being way cheaper..I have insurance they will pay for either....buprenorphine 8mg, just came out with another new generic guess who puts it out? Of all companies Purdue,....its called Rhodes 8mg, and it's the best ever..there's only one other company we have is hikma 8mg, the rest are not so great, you should look for the medschat group a guy named goozer wrote it and he is the go to guy for information, he's very knowledgeable about medication and this new Rhodes that came out in Oct 2017.....sorry I got carried away with this topic but I like to guide anyone who asked me about it to be able to guide anyone to the good buprenorphine out there.

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Re: Ty Dollar Sign (# 106)

and a friend's mother was at the end of life stages with cancer, and still didn't receive adequate pain medication. She died in her daughter's arms in a private jet headed to Mexico to get pain relief. All the money in the world didn't help her. in this day and age?

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Charlene (# 104) --

Hey there, is the buprenorphine film called Belbuca? If so what dosage are you on? I'm on 600 mcg, and I'm pretty good on this dosage. It doesn't get to my back as much as I'd like, but it beats having to constantly take pills.. Is that the only med you're on now? I hope it's working for you..

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Re: Sissy (# 12)

My heart breaks for you.
What route did you take? Did you find another doctor?

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Re: Ty Dollar Sign (# 108)

I agree, My doc prescribes 5mg of Norco 4 times a day for RSD, severe back problems and extreme pain from a botched broken ankle surgeries (12 in all) but he is afraid to prescribe any more for fear of prosecution. I don't want to get out of bed most days and am very depressed that things are not going to get any better.

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