I had an abdominal myomectomy several years ago. Tylenol did squat for the pain for the initial week after surgery and I had to take some Percocet, of which I had a one-time prescription. I stopped the minute the pain became manageable with OTC meds but I was glad for the relief the Perfocet provided when I needed it. Prescription painkillers also constipate you terribly, so I can't imagine taking them long term.

Anonymous wrote:This will make people turn to street drugs. I’ve seen it in my own family. People who have a legitimate need for pain meds will turn to street drugs for relief. They were easily controlled on Vicodin but it’s a whole different thing when they start doing street drugs that might be cut. Or even pot

Oh, the horrors!

Anonymous wrote:This will make people turn to street drugs. I’ve seen it in my own family. People who have a legitimate need for pain meds will turn to street drugs for relief. They were easily controlled on Vicodin but it’s a whole different thing when they start doing street drugs that might be cut. Or even pot

Ppnhere- and I agree with this!

There’s also a large school of thought that untreated pain is a factor in opioid abuse. Treat difficult pain swiftly with the appropriate amount of painkiller, people will be less likely to use painkillers as a crutch.

This will make people turn to street drugs. I’ve seen it in my own family. People who have a legitimate need for pain meds will turn to street drugs for relief. They were easily controlled on Vicodin but it’s a whole different thing when they start doing street drugs that might be cut. Or even pot

Anonymous wrote:My parent is on long term low dose of opioids for a back injury. They never take more than prescribed. When the prescription runs out, they are unable to move and are in a level of pain that was similar to when I gave birth. They've tried physical therapy, surgery, you name it.

They have to visit a pain management clinic monthly for their prescription which rules their life. You have to plan vacations around it. They've missed my kid's births. Additionally, pharmacies already treat people like my parents like crap. The pharmacy will wait until 5 minutes before closing to fill the prescription, even if it's placed at 8am. You can't pharmacy shop because that looks like drug seeking behavior.

I'm not sure what you'd do for people like my parent if opioids were outlawed. Every few years their insurance makes them try other drugs like Vicodin or pain patches. They basically have to lay in bed in pain and itch because those don't work and they can't walk.

Btw, no one has any idea about my parent's back issues. They're a highly functioning member of society who is creative, caring and intelligent. They travel often.

There's no way you can know this. Pain is so subjective. Also, were you medicated when you gave birth? I wasn't and there's a big difference. Your parent sounds like an addict.

All this will do is cause doctors to become more wary of prescribing them to people in legitimate need. Granted I've seen many chronic pain patients who are obviously abusing the system. But I've also seen quite a few who have legitimate need for narcotics and have exhausted just about everything else. And some people can't afford to exhaust all the options

Yes. When you start peddling for the pharmaceutical companies instead of focusing on what is the best interest of the patient, you deserve to be prosecuted.

Some of them are.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/fourteen-individuals-charged-operating-pill-mills-and-illegally-prescribing-drugs

In LA, the coroner started sending a letter to every doctor whose name was on a bottle of opioids found at the scene of an overdose death. Apparently many doctors were not really aware of the impact of their prescriptions, and it made a big impression. Doctors are generally caring people and don't want to be responsible for deaths and suffering.

My parent is on long term low dose of opioids for a back injury. They never take more than prescribed. When the prescription runs out, they are unable to move and are in a level of pain that was similar to when I gave birth. They've tried physical therapy, surgery, you name it.

They have to visit a pain management clinic monthly for their prescription which rules their life. You have to plan vacations around it. They've missed my kid's births. Additionally, pharmacies already treat people like my parents like crap. The pharmacy will wait until 5 minutes before closing to fill the prescription, even if it's placed at 8am. You can't pharmacy shop because that looks like drug seeking behavior.

I'm not sure what you'd do for people like my parent if opioids were outlawed. Every few years their insurance makes them try other drugs like Vicodin or pain patches. They basically have to lay in bed in pain and itch because those don't work and they can't walk.

Btw, no one has any idea about my parent's back issues. They're a highly functioning member of society who is creative, caring and intelligent. They travel often.

I'm puzzled by the significance of "pain." Leaving terminal illnesses aside (for which opioids were always a possibility), just how prevalent is a type of pain that would require such strong medications, with all the risks and side-effects they carry? And why so prevalent in our society?

And yes, physicians' prescription history and habits should absolutely be scrutinized...

Yes. Opioids should not be prescribed until all other options and therapies are exhausted, and then there should be a need for a second opinion. This will not be a problem for the patients who are in serious pain, it may slow things down for those with general complaints.

I wouldn't want a doctor to face criminal charges for overprescribing to a patient in legitimate pain. That's a medical licensing issue. But doctors who will write prescriptions for anyone, knowing that they aren't medically justified, are just drug dealers in white coats, and they should be prosecuted. And some doctors running pill mills have been charged.

I know some doctors have lost their license over this, but do you think some of the most egregious behavior should warrant more?