the opiate conspiracy, not really a question

[freddbear]

With so may people becoming addicted to pain medication and after i suffered the same fate and fell in to the addicted community I became amazed, through discussions with others, of the rampant prevalence of this addiction in our society. The most amazing thing is the ease of being able to obtain pain medication, the apparent naivete of so many doctors when it comes to the potential for addition and the ease of addiction is confounding.  I have a hard time believing that doctors are able to find so much satisfaction in the monetary profit in the overpresciption of a drug, and that someone so educted could be so low in moral character as to  sacrafice their carrer and soul to enslave their patients for the sake of a buck.  I guess I was naive myself.  I've heard of doctors selling pain med presciptions outside of their homes and clinics. Granted some of these physicians have fallen victim to opiate addictions and are no longer in controlbut others seem to have become consumed with greed arrogant as to see themselves as above the eventual prospect of prosecution.  Not to label myself as a conspiracy theorist, I haven't become that paroniod yet.  Why is no one questioning the drug companies with any veracity about the addictive nature of these pills.  Sure they made oxycontin so strong that it made front page headlines when seemingling well adusted housewives started robbing pharmacies at gunpoint.  What of the milder formulas - oxycontin and vocidin etc. that enslave people in a subtler and more long term desructive way.  I''ve talked to so may people and and heard countless stories of people broken and enslaved  to prescription opiates.  I'm amazed at the epidemic proporations of addiction of these of drugs and destructiveness caused by them in relation to lack of public awarness.  I guess in reality I'm not amazed, it takes time for truth to come out when the decks of awareness are manipulated by the powers that be such as the all powerful drug companies.  These drugs have caused many to become shells of their former selves.  These medications can and do destroy the essence of one's self.  Because this is a prescribed mediction (medication) many people don't even admit they have a problem.  Every generation seems to have it's pill of salvation, amphetimines, vallium, barbituates, qualluudes even LSD were all accepted at one time as an answer and a cure.  How much did docors make for prescribing those medications.      Not to dismiss the positive effects these mediations when properly adimistered  they do provide necessary relief and can be beneficial.  I've suffered much at result of my addiction.  I blame no one but myself for my pain.  It's just that I've suffered many pains in my life and for this particular pain feel  the medical profession and public news has a responsibility, which their not living up to to, bring more light to the detrimental effects, addictive and destructive nature of these overprescribed medications.  

[ginger328]

I hear you loud and clear. Been dealing with this for 15 yrs, you see my husband is addicted to pain pills. Has lost his nursing license. Buddied up with an ex-patient. When he couldn't get percocets/loratabs/oxy he tricked doctors into giving him lomotil for his stomach! Yeah right! Lomotil is morphine based and you get high! He has all the tricks.Has spent thousands of dollars charged up credit cards, stolen mine(from surgerys') taken daughters ADD meds and even told family dr he was ADD. The story goes on and on. He is a good man and this is the hardest thing for me but I have filed for divorce, reluctantly. I just don't feel he's done. As you say he is a shell of who he could be I don't even know when I am actually talking(more like bitching) to the real person. I really dont get the doctors! Even gambled away thousands and I know nothing for sure but I bet it was to "hit the jackpot" to keep his supply and pay bills. I am scared to death. He is now running scared and getting angry that I won't drop the divorce but I have made it too easy for him and I would have loved to "be with my husband" rather then this thing he has become. He did this before I married him and I didnt find out until the first time he took too much xanax and had to go to hospital.

[freddbear]

That's the uniqueness of the drug some people can function forever on it without detect.  I've suffered with depression since high school and have battled through it taking one anti-depressant after another with little affect. meditation, accupunture with needles in my ears,nose , aromatheapy,  hard core excersing, all of that ****, but unfortunatley the opiates make me feel more human in a way.  They make me feel even more at peace. more tempered and more inspired to be more social, outgoing and motivated.  The problem with the opiates is their inherint destrutive nature. For some this cactches up with them in a matter of months others it can be years as with your husband.  I've people that last years and years or even their  whole life in a symbiotic state with prescription medication or alcolohol  is there anything wrong with that as long as it makes you happy and you can function and lead a relative normal  lfunctional ife.  I don't know.  I've known functional acloholics that go through their daily lives  -work every day and survive in their own way married and with kids.  I myself deep down know that I'll never be at peace with myself until I live life unencombered as you with your husband.  In summary, if you still in love with him, confront him and if he admits to a problem and you have the gusto help him...or not - be well

[grievingwidow]

When anybody starts talking conspiracy, I automatically think they have a few screws loose.  Maybe you do or maybe you don't, but I don't think you can take the actions of a few physicians and start assuming every doctor in America is just out to make a buck and could care less about their patients.  I have worked for doctors all of my entire adult life plus had a husband who spent the better part of the last 20 years of his life in the hospital.  I have never once encountered a doctor as you describe.  Even with all of my husband's health issues, he was only given the hard core narcotics at the end when they knew there was nothing else they could do for him.  I guess I could blame my current problems with addiction on the doctor who prescribed them for me, but I believe he did so out of compassion for my situation and knowing if anyone had a  reason to have severe tension headaches, it was me.  I also know there is nobody but me to blame for the mess I am in.

[JuneSunflower]

I understand what you are saying.  The pharmacutical companies support the senators and doctors get a lot of kickbacks also.  Pharmacutical reps take drs to dinner all the time, nice expensive restraunts.  It's crazy.  I don't think doctors realize how brainwashed they become in med school.  They are suppose to do no harm, isn't that their oath?, but yet medical mistakes are in the top 3 reasons of deaths in America, not other countries, but here in America, CRAZY!  Even though my husband od, I warned the doctors  of his past abuse with other drugs, he had not experienced opiates, until he woke up in the hospital and they were shooting him up with one of the strongest, dillaudid, he loved it... so of course, when they litterally just cut him off his pain meds, even though he was still injured and couldn't go back to work and nurses out to the house everyday...he went loooking on the street and took too much methadone, which he had no experience with at all.  Most doctors don't know what they are doing, his dr sent him to pain management and they were like, you are still the other dr's patient and still hurt, we can't see you until he releases you.  But his dr just took him off dilaudid(pill form after came home from hospital).  He told me the wds were bad, now I know what he was going through, I didn't then, I only did opiates here and there, but after I lost him, it was the only thing that could get me back together mentally.  And yes, I realize I have a lot of emotional stuff to deal with yet, because I've just prolonged it.  Sorry, for rambling, but I agree with you totally.
June

[Chi_Chi_Lover]

I agree with grievingwidow, you can't really blame the doctors you can only blame yourself for doing what you know is wrong. There are some bad doctors in the world but for the most they are good and have your best intrest at heart.
If we didn't have pain medication what would a person suffering with cancer or that had been in a horrible accident do? We have to have strong pain medication for people that need it. It's not the fault of the doctors if we choose to abuse them and the pill or other medication.
That would be like saying some people drive drunk so no one should have a drivers license.
We have to take responsibilty for ourselves and not put the blame on the doctors.

[paul300]

Good point, I am thinking along the same lines. Just from personal observation, discussions with friends and the forum. I think pain management still has much room for improvement. Many that get dependent on these drugs, including yours truly, do so because there is no other option. The first time I asked my orthopod (what doc's call orthopedic surgeons) for lortab he denied my request and gave me a professional lecture about the issues of hydrocodone. However, after a period of time, my pain increase, he prescribed the hydro. I was able to get lortab just about any time--just call it in. Beyond that, it was my decision to increase the doses beyond twice a day. My doing.

All that said, withdrawals from normal doses seem to be reported much worse than whats noted on the instructions or info regarding the drug.

A deep subject for verbal discussion. But thanks for noting that. :-)
david

[duckandcover]

My wife was put through the ringer by our family doctor.  He meant well but he was out of his league when it came to her problems.  She has chronic hip pain that is inoperable.  After she had a siezure we finally got her to a "Board Certified" and well respected pain management specialist.  

Anyway.  Long story short, I asked the specialist why are family dortors and every med school MD allowed to prescribe these massive amounts of very addictive and dangerous drugs when it is NOT in their area of expertise.  His answer kind of shocked me.

He said that there are about 50 million people in this country in daily state of moderate to severe pain and there are around 1,800 board certified pain management specialists.

That a ratio of 2777 people in pain to pain doctors.  

He looked at me matter of factly and said "how else are they going to get treatment?  One specialist can't possibly treat that many patients responsibly."  So yeah it's falls on the patients to educate and regulate themselves because the "system" can't possibly keep up.

It's really a total system failure and a really awful law enforcement overreaction.

[kittykat58]

most doctors are very reluctant to prescribe opiates. isn't it more typical that addicts put enormous pressure on docs to get opiates? I work in the medical field, I have a license to prescribe controlled substances, and I have NEVER abused this privilege. I have NEVER written for controlled substances for myself (except one time when I was traveling and forgot my meds -- I wrote for =3 tablets= of each of my meds, to cover my trip) -- and I have NEVER written casually for a patient.

I HAVE been at the receiving end of addicts' manipulations, fabricated or exaggerated pain stories, tears, and relentless pressure to get pain meds, but I have never been tempted to prescribe for wrong reasons, push meds on patients, or sell narcs to make $$. I usually end up having pretty good conversations with addicted patients and point them in a general direction of recovery. I think only once have I folded under a pt's pressure and prescribed requested narcs (small supply) just to get them off my back. and then the patient was told, and it went in the chart -- "DO NOT PRESCRIBE NARCS FOR THIS PATIENT -- DRUG SEEKER". if they come back in two days (the dog ate them, I dropped them in the sink, etc), they are turned away.

isn't it funny how no one ever goes to the doctor telling them the dog ate their allergy meds??  :)

there are (very few) docs who criminally abuse their controlled substance privileges, but they are usually caught and prosecuted...and lose their licenses, forever.

the pharmaceutical companies, in my opinion, are making a hekuva lot more $$ on antidepressants, cardiac meds, high blood pressure meds, and cholesterol meds -- pain medication is so out of patent that no one makes money on them anymore.

doctors are usually very reluctant to prescribe narcs b/c word travels and they end up with every addict in town (and three towns over) on their doorstep, trying to cop.

conspiracy is the least likely explanation for widespread abuse of narcs and other meds. humans are hard-wired to want to feel good, and in america (IMHO), we expect to feel extra good all the time b/c as a society, we are rich and spoiled. that's a more likely explanation for drug abuse, in my opinion -- too much of a sense of entitlement.

[kittykat58]

PS I =do= prescribe narcs for legitimate pain -- I am not a complete hard *ss.   :)

I work in surgery, and yes, there is post-op pain, and yes it is appropriate to prescribe narcs for this, and yes, most people don't abuse them. I am always amazed by pts who come back for their post-op checks and hey say, "well, I really didn't use the prescription you gave me b/c I really didn't have any pain".

for some people it's just not an issue, lucky souls.

[J_friend]

Hmmmm .. do I hear the Christian Coalition here?  Low moral character?  Sacrificing their souls?   Get rid of ALL drugs and punish the doctors who prescribe them?  Spooky stuff, folks - sounds like the Nazi regime to me.  The pain medication you're talking about is hailed as a "miracle drug" by millions who legitimately need them.  For every great drug that comes out, there's a backlash - and people often abuse it.  Yes, people abuse pain meds all the time - no doubt about it.  But, what about the personal responsibility of the people who are using these drugs?  Why do we have to make the doctors and drug companies part of the axis of evil?  Someone fakes excruciating pain and goes to the ER (or the doctor's office) - what's a doctor to do?  As I've said before, these doctors are walking a FINE line.  If they refuse to give people pain medication, they're heartless and have NO compassion.  However, if they believe a patient and prescribe effective pain medication, then they are negligent and have "sold their souls" as you say.

If people want to escape through drug use, they WILL do it, my friend.  I believe people need to look a bit deeper in themselves and see WHY they want to escape. Same with me - I've currently relapsed, and there's only ONE person who's responsible for it - and that's ME.  I'm not pointing my finger at the drug companies, the doctors, etc. - the finger should be pointed at ME because I don't currently have the courage to go through the REAL pain of living my life without pills.  Let's keep our eye on the ball here - let's put the blame where it belongs.  

[LIZZIE LOU]

i cannot believe that there is a person on here that didnt know that pain pills were addictive when they started taking them.  from what i have seen here also...a large majority of ppl had a drug problem of some sort or another "before" the pain pills...whether it be cocaine...heroin...etc.  these are the ppl that really knew better than to start abusing pain pills...but what better way to justify another addiction...blame it on the doctors.

[lucyred68]

well, i am one of those people who did'nt know that methadone was addictive when i took it for pain.  i even asked my dr if it was, and he said, and i quote, "very slightly".  i sure found out otherwise when i no longer needed it for the pain and went through the worst wds you can have.  my pain has returned and i am seeing a dr for pain management who is very careful, like most drs are nowadays, about prescribing pain meds.  some of us just believe the dr's.  i check into it now for myself before i take a new med.  too bad i had to learn it the hard way.

Lucy

[franco1470]

I think that very few doctors overprescribe these days. They receive requests for pain meds on a daily basis, most legit and some not.  Although I want to stop taking pain meds they have allowed me to live a fairly normal life, work, time with family, etc.  
I spend as much time now on the pain forum as it sometimes bothers me to hear of addicts obtaining huge amounts of painkillers on black market when legitimate pain patients are having such trouble obtaining their meds.
Of course I realize that legitimate pain patients become dependent and some become addicts

[wishforchange]

There are a lot of drug seekers it seems, maybe a lot of manipulative people, people who deal with their emotional problems with narcotics and benzpdiazepams, thrill seekers, dealers, all the 'baddies' you cynically label.  So when you get a patient with real pain which is yet to be diagnosed you pile them on the above heap and do not help them.  I have had 'drugseeker' put on my notes.  I have had physicians suggesting I was fabricating symptoms and manipulating them for drugs.  I have had my character assasinated and my clinical needs ignored, all because of stereotypes of doctors.  Now and again I get a doctor who is not so brainwashed, who sees that I am in pain and I need help.  So I take all the naughty drugs, morphine, hydrocodone, tramadol, valium, codeine, in daily quantities that would kill most people.  I get no mental high from them at all, just a relief from severe pain.  Who is any doctor to judge another's suffering?  I am so grateful every time I get a prescription filled, while devastated at my physical need for these meds.  My kidneys are slowly deteriorating, and my whole world just one of pain, pills, pain, anxiety about pills, pain, hatred of the prescription pad holders, pain, self hatred in starting to believe all that is said about me.  Leave us people in pain alone!  Just because we ask for controlled drugs does not make us automatically bad people, or manipulative.  Yes, show responsibility towards those who have become addicted, but support those of us who's needs are different.  Treating me as an addict is useless.  To come off my pills is to revert to agony.  Every support agency is for support of addicts, there is no support for people like me.  Just pushed into a box that I don't fit.  If you care about your patients as you claim, stop treating all drug seeking patients as fraudulent, you may find there are less of us than you assume.  Addiction is a part of some people's personalities.  I am medically dependant, but not with an addictive personality, and yet I take drugs by the handful.  Make of this what you will.

[kittykat58]

if you read my post(s) you will see that I do prescribe for legitimate pain. I think I know both sides of the situation quite well, and am very effective as a result. you can't really judge what docs go through if you haven't walked in their shoes.

you are reacting to a few words in my post that maybe have been attributed to you by others. in many situations that I deal with, those characterizations are quite accurate. I don't know you, but you don't know me either, so again I say...don't judge. try to extend some of the understanding to others that you want for yourself.

[mc79]

Well said Freddy!  I'm not sure the blame should be shouldered entirely by the drug companies and "corrupt" doctors.  What about us?  Does anyone cram a 1/5 of Vodka down our throats?  We all know the score when we get involved with painkillers; nobody is stupid enough to not know the consequences of taking a drug that makes us feel soooo good!  I think the real problem is the tolerance vs. pain relief dilemma.  The unfortunate sadness is that it relieves peoples pain (which is the reason why WE seek out doctors), but at the cost of an ever-increasing tolerance that ultimately spirals out of control.

[bubbaganoosh]

Alot of GP's here have Opia Phobia too rather put all pain patients on methadone than perscribe them morphine etc.

[Sajonna]

I have to tell you I really was one of those people who never realized the pills I was taking were that addictive.  I was able to stop them after about 2 refills after every surgery I had.  And I am one of those who have trouble taking anti-inflammatory & aspirin meds too because of severe stomach upset.  So with my chronic pain my doc prescribed Norco meds.  I only took 6-8 a day and questioned him every checkup about taking these.  He said you are not addicted unless you are taking like a ton of them a day and he knew the pain I was in was really bad.  Now I just convinced him to try and find a med that won't hurt my stomach and is not addictive. I am tapering right now...and doing pretty good too.  Tomorrow I only take 2 pills.--But I am hurting like hell (painwise).

I don't WANT to take these.  I can understand those of you who would...I compare it to smoking. I LOVED to smoke..but I had to stop because I was wheezing way too much and had trouble breathing. Plus my doc kept telling me my pain would improve if I quit smoking.  So I thought why not quit. I got such a buzz from smoking..especially the first one of the day.  But I figured quitting these pills would be no harder or easier than quitting the smokes.  I am 2 years smoke free this May 30th.

So pleaase Lizzie Lou, don't criticize people who cannot take certain meds.  I have friends..all my friends, cannot take the Norcos!!  But they can take those anti-inflammory meds.  

[ginger328]

omg THIS is where I know what I'm talking about! I DO NOT think ALL DOCTORS are out to make the almighty buck! I also know some(not many) especially the older generation of doctors are naive. However when a man is slurring his words and the wife on the other line begging doctor to not call in any more RX's and he does anyway and slurring man on phone is not fresh out of surgery and not in physical pain and still gets scrip! I have worked for doctors that have said "yep call it in don't want my phone ringing this weekend". And slurring man is gambleing his *** off(lottery) to keep cash flow for pain meds! And disappointed wife has called and asked please no more! Yes slurring man has said these pills are the only thing that make him feel HUMAN, but has lost everything and everyone because of these HAPPY pills dont you think it's time to figure out something else to fix your WIRING in your head?????????Then to self medicate and it goes on from there.....stealing childs ADD med and giving her salt pills, it doesnt help the doctors dont have to look into our home..out of sight-out of mind! I wouldnt go so far as say it's a conspiracy but believe me.......Most know the devastation it can cause and jus dont give a ****..........................................It leads to chasing the DRAGON, bigger and better HIGH!

[LIZZIE LOU]

huh?  i have no idea what you are talking about.  there is no criticism of ppl who cannot take certain meds...???????  this is a discussion about doctors over-prescribing medications vs. responsibility on the pts. part.  

[kittykat58]

you are describing something that rarely (in my experience) happens. most docs on call for a weekend, if they think a pt should not have more pain meds, will simply say "no" to that weekend call for more. the pt does not usually call back but usually ends up going to the ED for more, either b/c they are an addict and won't take no for an answer or b/c they really have pain and need to. pain is not something that can be responsibly prescribed for over the phone (without a physical exam) unless you know the pt very well, and so most mds will not prescribe over the phone b/c it simply is not the responsible thing to do.

believe me, it is crystal clear which pts are drug seekers, and those that truly have pain problems. I actually had a weekend call from a pt for percocet b/c a pt had "itchy feet". the pt was so out of it he coudln't even explain what he meant. and I've had pts nodding out in the office while I was (patiently) trying to elicit their history to deterimine if they had real pain issues, and falling asleep in mid-sentence. ridiculous.

opiates are one of the best and most effective pain medicines available, they are extremely useful for real pain and are very cheap, but the built-in drawbacks are 1) the risk of addiction and 2) the fact of tolerance over long-term use. no responsible md (most of them) will willingly addict a pt or buy into an addict's pressures to feed an addiction when pain is not the key element of a pt's problem. and no responsible md will regularly prescribe just to get pts off their back. "no" is a very effective tool for dealing with the pressures of an addict -- if an addict knows they will not get meds from a particular md, they will move on. none of them want to subject themselves to the frustration and humiliation of begging and pleading for meds if it's not going to get them what they want. but try to understand, that drs are only human and you can fool some of the people some of the time, so it possible that people who should not be continuing to be on pain meds will usually find some way or someone who will keep the ball rolling.

lizzie lou, I do agree with you that the point of this discussion is doctors over-prescribing vs pt responsibility. the pt's responsibility cannot be ignored, and addicts claiming to be victims in a vast conspiracy of greedy, avaricious doctors just doesn't fly.

[girlybuff]

Just like if you're arrested for something and you claim you didn't know the law, ignorance is not innocence.  With all the information out there on the world wide web, I feel people are responsible for doing their own research on any medications they take along with possibly having a conversation with your pharmacist.
Docotors are human and although they do take that oath to not cause harm they aren't robots.  Human errors account for many deaths all over the world because no one is perfect, not even doctors.  We expect tham to be God when we need something and then blame them for our own ignorance???
Anyone suffering from this conspiracy theory attitude is not anywhere near being sober (not just clean) because to be sober to to be accountable.... plain and simple.      

[Sarah231]

My doctor wrote vicodin scripts for me for over 10 years. 720 every 3 months.
For headaches.

I ct'ed on April 2nd. I could still get the refills, but got really sick of the pills running my life.

It's been over a month and I'm still in w'd. Not sleeping well.
Restless legs, restless arms, general anxiety.

I'm so hoping it goes away soon.
I'm getting so tired of feeling like this.

[wishforchange]

Just to respond to your comments regarding not being judgemental and extending understanding to others.  I entirely agree.  It's just a shame so much of the medical profession thinks they have the right to be judgemental, and then bemoan about what a complex job they have and how they are beseiged by frauds and the like and so can project their own assumptions onto anyone who walks through their door.  As you can spot a drug seeker immediately, what are you basing it on, other than being judgemental?  If your patient seems desparate for drugs, they probably are, and it is not for you to assume why without good clinical evidence.  Drug addicts behave strangely and desparately, as do people in severe pain.  I just like to know how you tell the difference.  Either way, isn't it better to give any patient what they need, rather than them resorting to street drugs?  There are ways of dealing with drug seekers, addicts or pain sufferers, which do not humiliate and harm them.  If they are asking for drugs for medical reasons, all you need to do is request they bring evidence of previous prescriptions and their medical problem.  If they cannot, then refer them on to specialist clinics, but let them leave with a full prescription.  They will just go somewhere else if you don't.  Yes your job is difficult, but it seems to me doctors make their own lives harder than they need by their superior attitude of suspecting the motives of patients and assuming they are always correct in their judgements.  The rest of us in the adult world have learnt to grow out of such egocentric thinking.  I have worked with the public, with homeless and mentally ill, in hospitals, and incidently without a doctor's salary.  There are many people with jobs even more difficult than your own.  And you know what, treat any person with respect and they will find it pretty hard to manipulate you.  It sometimes seems to me that with so many years of training in the one culture of medicine so many doctors become institutionalized into the stereotypes and contemptuous thinking of their teachers.  Medicine needs to grow up, especially now you have patients who may know more medically than yourselves.  I have not walked in your shoes, but I have been stamped on by the shoes of your peers, and the only reason was because like you, they took one look at a patient and decided they were fraudulent.  Maybe you should all do a course module in developmental psychology, and study the section where the child first learns that their version of the world and people is often wrong.  Get through that stage in your development, and you may be better practitioners.  And I wonder if you're reading this and wondering how dare I be so judgemental...hurts doesn't it?

[kittykat58]

everyone has to use their judgement to make decisions. isn't one of the hallmarks of maturity "having good judgement"? that's not the same as being judgemental.

I think you are not reading my posts very carefully and have your own prejudices against doctors, so it is fruitless to argue. I do my job and do it well, and I prefer not to be bullied into a point of view that I don't agree with or support.

[wishforchange]

Keep doing your job well, and hold on to your convictions.  Any patient who disagrees with you is just a bully.  You poor souls.  Maturity is as you say, about having good judgement.  I have always personally had the principle that without evidence there cannot be a good judgement.  All I'm saying is give patients the benefit of the doubt.  I once witnessed a hospital patient post surgery denied morphine while they were in terrible pain, because there was a note written about them that they abused drugs.  If I had a license to prescribe I would have given it myself.  Good judgement is about taking in the whole situation, and I have seen again and again that doctors do not do this.  Maybe it's just as well I'm not a doctor, I would give any patient the benefit of the doubt and let the worry they have manipulated me not be such an issue.  Please don't get so defensive about my confronting you on this.  Maybe I am guilty of prejudice, but then do you have all the evidence to substantiate this?  I don't expect you to get my point,  you have probably over a decade of conditioning into a way of thinking and to change it would be very traumatic.  Wish there was some deconditioning center for those who have fallen into the cult of medicine.  You could be so useful to society with your intelligence and training if you sorted your minds out. Not having a personal jibe at you, you just pushed a few buttons here and suddenly here's me thinking if I can change one doctor I've done a good deed.  As if.

[dominosarah]

this seems to be quite the controversary.  All i know is I became a brilliant actress to get what i needed.........or so i thought.

[flmagi]

I don't think doctors are to blame. But I also think alot of people who start pain meds for legitamate pain are not to blame either.  The concept of  "addiction" has very little meaning to most who are not addicted. The doctor may say these pills are addictive or you may read it on the pamplet given by the pharmacy, but unless you've been an addict or dealt very closely with an addict, alot of people don't really understand what being addicted means. These pamplets don't say at what point you'lll get addicted, or the signs to look for or the hell you will go thru if you abuse the drug.
I think if a person is going to be perscribed a pain killer for more than a month, there should be some kind of required education on addiction. We're required to study a book and take a test to get a drivers liecence and they used to make you watch a film to get birth control. More in depth information on what addiction is, needs to be given to people who are prescribed pain meds for any length of time.
We can't doubt that most people don't understand what addiction means, just by the way non-addicts react to us addicts. Most non-addicts think " well, just quit !".
So, No, I don't think the doctors are to blame, there's no conspiracy. Its a lack of education on "addiction".

[ginger328]

I have calmed down(what a difference a day makes). I am not angry at the doctors I was just reliving one instance. I have been judged as well. When my husband took my 5mg vicodin(for scar tissue and hernia pain) I didnt want to tell dr they were taken from me, needed more towork  felt like guts coming out,was too afraid to ask, afraid of being judged.
    I know the rule to "keep them(patients)  from pain-no need to have it this day and age.Just devastated how it ruined our lives(those pills). He functioned (appeared) normally to others. What no one saw was the lack of motivation to get out of house, bed. Work, play........Even gaveup intimatcy.........knew that would happen. The money spent and the lies were(are) the worst part. I do not blame the doctors and I am reading from his subtle statements some dont buy his BS anymore and have cut off his xanax/Lomotil.

[LIZZIE LOU]

at what point do you (anyone) admit that you took the pills for the buzz...how it made you feel...the energy?  when you are prescribed 4 a day for pain...but you took 8...because it "made you feel good"...is this the doctor's fault?  when 8 no longer gave you that "buzz" and you upped your dose yourself to 15... 20 a day...is this when the doctor is to blame?  when you make that appt at the doctor's office...go in greatly exaggerating your pain...so that you can get that "buzz"...so that you can have enough energy to clean your house, go to work, deal with your kids...can you blame the doctor for that?

i feel that pain pills are something that are definitely needed...there are plenty of legitimate reasons that someone would actually need them.  but at what point do you accept responsibility for "medicating" yourself for the feeling...no longer the pain?

now...before you respond that you had legitimate pain...you were in a horrible car wreck...that you have a herniated disc...whatever the reason...i do understand that most ppl ARE prescribed pain pills because they needed them.  i just believe...and maybe i am wrong...that when you started taking them because of the way they made you feel...that "that" is the point you should accept responsibility and not put the blame on the doctor.

[avisg]

...The pharmaceutical company is not responsible for my addiction  .
The doctor is not responsible for it .  Me myself and I .I am also responsible for my recovery .

[LIZZIE LOU]

and that, my friend, is WHY you just celebrated 8 months clean from drugs.  kudos to you girlie :)

[bubbaganoosh]

alot of GP's here have opia phobia, i dont think it's as freely perscribed as one thinks but of course there are proffesional drug dealers out there in a suit, and there clinics are there dens... where they hide behind no different than a drug dealer on a corner, unfortunately they exist.... Methadone is one opiod that makes big bucks... and My GP was one of them dealers, and he had a reputation,  I wasnt really into opiods yet he insisted it be the thing for me..(methadone) did it work well kinda if i had known it was such a ***** to come off i wouldn't have touched it.but yes in some ways it did help me i guess he's not fully responsible but there where other options im sure that could have been explored oh well hyensite is a good thing ...just my 2 cents.

[Marce4]

I find the BIGGEST problem with today's society is the blame game. No one wants to take responsibility for their actions.  I took pills for two reason....legitimate pain AND I enjoyed the buzz I got.  I (and I would bet most) walked into this with their eyes wide open! Just an opinion!  I do believe there are many who can take pain meds responsibly and we just don't hear about them because they have no need of this forum!!!!  Most of us that come here are addicts, plain and simple. I was just as guilty as many of justifying why I was taking more and more of the meds but deep down inside I knew exactly what I was doing to myself!

[fedup4now]

I am definately responsible for my addictions, I take the extra pills, I lie to get more,and I do not let my Dr. know how many I am taking.  That is all me.
My frustration with my Dr started when I had come clean to her - told her about my opiod addiction, my love of pain pills - I had just started AA, and was trying to get, and stay clean from Alcohol and pain meds.
She then told me to try Tramacet - non addictive, not in the same catagory as the others I had taken.  I knew the instant I took them that she was wrong, as soon as that calmness hit, that feeling of well being - but my addictive mind - thought - well you have 300 -( yes, in Canada it is a fairly new drug (1995), and no one really knows anything about it, I'm sure my Dr. just read the distributors information pamphlet - so it is prescribed very freely and in large amounts )- so I figured I would just use up that prescription, and then be done with it.  
So now I am struggling with tramadol addiction - I know I should have thrown them away the moment I felt the first one kick in, again - I have no one to blame but myself for my behaviours - but I can't help but wonder what might be different if my Dr. had known a little bit more about the drug, and not prescribed it to me.    

[joann1975]

My 2 cents....Lizzie, Avis & Marce4 you are right!

People do need to quit the blame game.

However, I do want to tell you an experience I had w/my old GP he started me on lortabs for pain (legit) he wrote me a script w/2 refills in march...continued to refill them w/2 refills each time until the following january then decided I needed to make an appt before he refilled any more (after he gave me the script refill w/2 more refills). That seems a little irresponsible on his part BUT I do take responsibility that at that point I was taking them for the buzz.

[kittykat58]

I tip my hat to all who take the kind of responsibility posted here. of course there are difficult pain cases, but the main fact that has to be dealt with (I have to deal with it too, and it's why I am posting here!) is that opioids usually are abused (at worst) and very tough to get off of (at best) because they make you feel =really good=. as soon as that basic fact is accepted and embraced, and responsibility is taken, a foundation for recovery is created.

I do have to say that I was very surprised at how easily I was given pain meds (because 25 years ago, when I abused them, I usually couldn't) -- maybe the difference was that I am known and have a real clinical pain condition that has an end point in sight; and maybe docs saw ME standing out like a sore thumb 25 years ago, when I was drug seeking....but the basis of some of posts here is that I have been at both ends of the pressure and sometimes outright abuse that pts can put on docs for narcs...that is the stuff that is usually very recognizable and not accommodated or catered to.

I think sometimes ppl who are deep in addiction don't realize how they come off to others, and that combined with a victim mentality can result in some pretty harsh behavior. I think I can understand how "the guy with the rx pad" can look like the enemy -- either b/c they are perceived as overprescribing or too stingy with meds (or both!!!) -- but I appreciate those who make an effort to understand both sides of the issue.