The Opiate crackdown and me

[cali]

I take opiates. I jump through hoops. I feel like a criminal. Last week I had to take two urine tests. I have tried everything from spinal nerve blocks to lyrica to various strains of pot.

Exercise helps. Meditation helps. Opiates help.

I just got a kitchen burn. Not too bad though it raised blisters. But it hurts. My first thought: no worse than my foot. That's pretty much the lower level of the pain I live with. Sometimes it's like when your feet or hands get almost frostbitten and start to warm up. Sometimes it's like being bitten by a swarm of horseflies or those green head flies that plague Plum Island on the North Shore of Massachusetts. And that's from the CRPS; the nerve damage resulting from the severe trauma to my leg. It also resulted in other permanent damage and traumatic arthritis in my ankle.

I'm not saying this to garner sympathy. I don't need it. I'm actually kind of amazed at how I've adapted to this. But I am saying I think a lot of people will suffer from this aversion to prescribe that is now rampant in the medical community.

Pendulums frequently swing too radically.


Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition most often affecting one of the limbs (arms, legs, hands, or feet), usually after an injury or trauma to that limb. CRPS is believed to be caused by damage to, or malfunction of, the peripheral and central nervous systems. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system involves nerve signaling from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. CRPS is characterized by prolonged or excessive pain and mild or dramatic changes in skin color, temperature, and/or swelling in the affected area.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy/detail_reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy.htm
http://uscenterforsportsmedicine.com/what-you-should-know-about-post-traumatic-arthritis/

[kpete]

1. cali

Take care of yourself
only YOU know what that means,

peace to you and yours,
kp

[Bonobo]

2. My sister has chronic pain. I understand

She was struck by lightning years and years ago.

I understand and I wish you relief.

[libdem4life]

3. I got caught in that havoc, too. Mine is for chronic insomnia, brought on by

a serious head injury/car accident years ago which damaged the sleep center. We tried every possibility in the pharmacy, but only the opiate worked enough to give me some real sleep and a couple others to extend it to an entire night.

When I took in my regular prescription to my regular pharmacy, I was told it wasn't covered and I'd have to pay $4 a pill.

After a week of panic, trying useless "new" prescriptions, luckily found out that they approve a lower dose. So we were able to up the dose of one of the others, and even though I sleep, it's not as deep and I wake up a lot. Also, the upped one makes my mouth so dry that I wake up with my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

In any case, I can go back to sleep after I remedy it. So, those in chronic pain, I understand well. Like yours, mine is never going to get better, so I have had to accept the fact that I am addicted (prescription level only) because there is no life without sleep. At least it hasn't had any other ill effects.

[Texasgal]

5. Yup. Sleep aids.

I have to take a urine test and sign a waiver stating the ambien is only being used by me.

It's ridiculous to be treated like a drug seeker for fucking sleeping pills! GAH!

[libdem4life]

6. That's the one. I used to have to show my ID and sign for it in California.

Now, they just need to see my ID...which is appropriate. Damn though, I never had to take a urine test.

ETA: I had to go from the 12.5 ER to 5 mg...that my insurance would pay for.

[Texasgal]

9. Since Ambien is a class C

drug and my lovely state of Texas decided to "crack down" on this opiate thing ambien users get stuck in the middle. :rollseyes:

I have to take 5.5 which means that 90 days worth is really 45 because of insurance crap too. UGH. I just wanna sleep! I don't wanna get high fer cryin' out loud! Plus, who the hell parties on ambien?

[libdem4life]

11. I'd better do some checking. I was so "euphoric" that they paid for the 5 mg

I forgot to check if it's for 90 days only. They mentioned that with the other dosage, and I complained that I guess people only need to sleep 90 days a year.

As for the parties...it is both entertaining and horrifying...it apparently can lead to being highly oversexed. The husbands/wives liked that part of it.

I always am in bed, with a book, ready to go to sleep when I take my pills. I used to take my laptop, but after a couple of ill-advised emails, I stopped that practice.

If something interrupts that...my family learned early on...I'm known to do/say some pretty bizarre things...and not remember them. Then it becomes a high and I can't come down. Once it shifts, you're up for 24 hours.

[Texasgal]

12. I know it affects people

different ways. But for me I get into bed with my book. Take my pill and about thirty minutes later I am asleep and rarely wake up during the night. I get up refreshed the next day.

I have horrible insomnia! I have had it since I was a child. I've tried everything. Yoga, no caffeine, acupuncture, excersize OTC meds.. nothing works for me as well as the ambien. I cannot imagine trying to much of anything much less sex after I've taken it!

[libdem4life]

13. Same here. But it never kept me asleep more than 4 hours.

Boom you're down and....boom you're up. So they added some enabling drowsy pills to help when I wake up...always, at least once a night. And I felt great in the morning. I've never heard of it as a child.

Now I'm taking more of the other group with the lower Ambien dosage, I feel like crap in the morning. Guess I still need to make adjustments.

For those who don't have these issues, they have no idea how your entire life is in some way or other, affected. If I pack to go anywhere...guess what goes first.

Twice the clinic didn't have my perscription ready and I'd had two bad nights without them. Needless to say I was distraught. They wrote me a letter asking me not to return. So I had to change clinics/doctors.

[Mariana]

7. I don't think dependence on opiates is inherently a bad thing.

I took them for about a year and a half - fortunately for me, my condition did improve and I haven't needed them for several years now. I was addicted, in the sense that I experienced withdrawal whenever we reduced the dose. Those weren't fun but it would go away after a few days. My doc told me that the narcotics aren't destructive to the body or the brain, not like, say, alcohol is, unless of course you overdose. He also assured me that sudden withdrawal even from a high dose is not deadly or dangerous, it's just extremely unpleasant.

You should be able to get whatever drugs you need to make your quality of life as good as it can possibly be. There are lots of alcoholics, and they cause many problems for themselves, their families, and society, but still any adult can go buy alcohol. Painkillers should be no different. Other people's addiction problems should not be affecting your access in any way.

[libdem4life]

10. Well said. During this latest trial period, I did not feel any withdrawal

symptoms, other than I could not sleep well. I've read all the horror/some kind of funny about Ambien users and their night adventures.

Actually, one night I did get up and make mac and cheese. I even cleaned up after myself. The only hint was the splash of cheese sauce on the cabinet and the empty box in the trash. I'd done that a couple of times before Ambien, though, when I wasn't eating enough. Then we called it Sleepcooking and Sleepeating. LOL.

I am glad to hear what your doctor told you, though. I'd only read/heard the negative possibilities. And about alcohol...absolutely. I had friends tell me to try pot...as I lived in CA at the time. My psychologist suggested it, too, as we were trying to find the right combo. But two tokes, and it burned my lungs (ex-smoker) so nixed that one.

[jwirr]

4. My son-in-law has used opiates for many years because of

back pain and now through 3 back surgeries. They are not adequate in dealing with the pain. Plus we are seeing lapses in this thinking process the longer he takes them.

He is trying to get approved for legal use here in MN but so far it has not been given. He would like to use the pot in conjunction with the opiate so that he can cut down on the opiate. Hopefully he can find a way to deal with the pain.

As to being able to get them without jumping through the hoops - he is dealing with VA and they are the ones who prescribed them and mail them to him. So he has no problem with that.

On the other hand my grandson has been addicted to opiates for decades also having had his hip broke in 7 places and needed them. He is trying to get off them but it is not that easy. Hopefully he will someday be able to before Hep 3 (not sure I have the right name) kills him.

As for me I have arthritis in most of my joints and would rather suffer than get surgery. So I may someday end up on opiates. Hope not.

[Turin_C3PO]

8. I'm sorry for what you have to go through cali

Md dad has severe pain in both his hips from arthritis and a hip replacement that was faulty and necrotized his leg muscle. He has to take opiates to function.

He's treated like a fucking criminal from doctors and pharmacy. The pharmacy always say they're "out of medication' and make him wait 4-7 days in severe pain. He has a good pain doc now but before that every doctor was rude and professional, treating him like a junkie. It's pathetic and humiliating.

Frankly, I think it's better that a few addicts get illegitimate prescriptions rather than suspecting everyone and denying people in legitimate pain any relief. It's like, "oh my God, someone somewhere is getting euphoria, we must deny all patients quality of life!!!"

Policy needs to change and DEA needs to back the fuck up.

[Tsiyu]

14. We love to kick people when they're down in the US

Last edited Sun May 15, 2016, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

I remember one of only two times when I received prescription opioids. I got 15 pills both times and had some left over. The first time was when I had a terribly abscessed tooth with my whole face swollen so badly I wrapped my face in a scarf so no one could see. I was in so much pain I wanted to gouge the tooth out with a spoon or knife.

Get to the Fred's pharmacy at 9am and no pharmacist. I'm sitting there looking at all of the warning signs in the waiting area. It resembled the waiting areas in jails (yes, I am one of those horrible atheists who actually visits people who are incarcerated) with the harsh wording and threats.

When you feel the worst, infection ravaging the body, in intense pain, you have to sit there and wonder how you ended up in a place where they assume you are a criminal. It is completely demoralizing, and there's nothing warm or encouraging in the waiting area--only threats.

The pharmacist never showed in 30 minutes so we drove to CVS, where the pharmacist took one look at me and had that prescription ready in just a few minutes as I waited in a bright waiting area. Not an advert for CVS, as I'm sure they have shitty pharmacists in other places, but the difference in experiences was notable. Both of these pharmacies have been robbed at gunpoint, so my heart goes out to them for having that reality, but you don't take it out on the patients and make your waiting room a dismal, dark place

I can't imagine what it's like for people with chronic pain.

The question I have is this: if we are going to demonize, scrutinize and demoralize people who use prescription, legal pharmaceuticals, why doesn't society view the pharmaceutical companies the same way? They make so much money spewing out pills with little scrutiny or oversight, but the lowly patient is treated like a criminal for using them.

Opioid addiction can only be treated with compassionate, medically-supervised recovery programs. Incarcerating addicts and guilt-tripping people in pain is the response by our INJUSTICE SYSTEM because our INJUSTICE SYSTEM is hell-bent on UNSCIENTIFIC draconian punishments and kicking people when they are at their lowest point.

We might as well be 12th century Europe for the way we treat the sick and the weak.

[First Speaker]

15. You know, maybe--just maybe--the United States will grow up someday...

...but I'm not holding my breath. Take care of yourself, Cali.

[gollygee]

16. I have chronic severe migraines

I am not currently using opiates for them, but there have been times in my life when that was all that helped me. Right now, I take a daily medication that reduces the number of migraines, and I use Imitrex, but if those stop working I might need to use opiates again.

I don't think people who have not had severe and chronic pain always understand how big a deal it is.

[Major Nikon]

17. Just more victims of the drug war

People in pain tell doctors the truth to get drugs they do need. People lie to doctors to get drugs they don't need.

There's simply no way you can prevent illicit use of prescription drugs without adversely affecting those in need. Then you remember this whole exercise is just the government trying to prevent people from doing what they want with their own bag of meat.

[sweetapogee]

18. about five years ago

I suffered a tib/fib fracture and had plates and screws put in place. Honestly the use of opiates made things worse. The lower GI slowdown and eventual restart was worse than the pain and I really don't want to ever experience that again.... ever.

[libodem]

19. Much Empathy

Sounds like my life. Seriously.

[TheFrenchRazor]

20. yep; have to beg, feel like a criminal, appointments every month even IF they will give you the meds

it's BS. i have serious chronic pain that greatly reduces my quality of life, but i don't have the energy to jump through the hoops they want you to to get pain meds, plus my self-respect makes it really hard to beg on a monthly basis for something that shouldn't be anybody's business but my own.

[Maru Kitteh]

21. Cali I'm sorry this is how it is for you. We suck at pain control. There are few options

And none of them are really good. But you already know that.

The whole nervous system is one tricky bitch, especially the brain. I've had a couple patients who had some success with using hypnosis as an adjunct to opioid therapy. Mostly so they could take short breaks or reduction in their dose which actually improved their pain levels long term. Of course like everything else, it doesn't work for everyone.

I hope we someday find a way to do better for you, and so many others - present company included.