Today I marked one year free of opioid painkillers.
I was seeing a pain management practice that prescribed them routinely and probably still does— there are still lots of these places out there.
It is wonderful no longer counting pills, running out early, white knuckling it to refill day, thinking about them obsessively.
I blame the entire system from the manufacturers to the physicians to the patients like me.

It must be very humbling for doctors to see how their profession could be so easily gamed by a greedy company. I hope they are the first ones to clamor for more stringed fda oversight.

Trust me, none of you know even 5% of the true story on the sacklers and the opioid epidemic in the US until you've read this:

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/25/938801514/critics-want-sacklers-to-face-criminal-charges-for-role-in-opioid-crisis

They reveal how the Sacklers appeared to exert close control over the firm, pressuring staff to boost sales during the period when much of the illegal activity occurred.

In one 2010 email cited by DOJ, Richard Sackler scolded company executives for not setting higher sales quotas for Oxycontin.

"I'm disappointed and don't agree with you. This is a matter that the board will have to take up and give you a settled direction," Sackler wrote.

A consultant who helped develop the company's aggressive sales tactics claimed in a 2013 memo that family members were the only decision-makers in the room during a key meeting.

In another email from 2017 cited by the Justice Department, a top Purdue Pharma executive describes the Sacklers acting as the "de-facto CEO" of their drug company.

How are they responsible? The doctors who prescribe it and those that take it are. The doctors could have said no.

You're just being obtuse at this point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finally - a bit of justice

I'll believe it when I see it. They were perfectly happy raking in the billions while people died by the tens of thousands. They were paying physicians to prescribe the painkillers, right?

All of a sudden we're supposed to believe a leopard can change its spots?

I hope these animals get cancer and die after a long, slow, painful, living hell.

How are they responsible? The doctors who prescribe it and those that take it are. The doctors could have said no.

Anonymous wrote:Finally - a bit of justice

I'll believe it when I see it. They were perfectly happy raking in the billions while people died by the tens of thousands. They were paying physicians to prescribe the painkillers, right?

All of a sudden we're supposed to believe a leopard can change its spots?

I hope these animals get cancer and die after a long, slow, painful, living hell.

Finally - a bit of justice

PS didn’t eat anything but crackers for 2 weeks.

Answering what was withdrawal like:
PP here: I have to correct myself. The surgery and aftermath would have been unbearable without pain meds. When they wore off it was terrible and luckily I had an adequate supply of various pain meds. Unfortunately the whole ordeal lasted a long time prior to this. So I became addicted/ dependent.

Withdrawal. YIKES. Awful. I had brain zaps from the combo SSRI/painkiller, severe constipation alternating with diarrhea (don’t ask me how). The constipation was very painful especially straining after major surgery. I had hot and cold flashes day and night. Ringing in the ears. Non stop non stop nausea. I tapered off and took a small dose to sleep at night. I guess it was like having the flu although I have never had the flu. It went on for 14 days. All I could do was lie in bed and groan and trek back and forth to the bathroom. Now on TV when they take the addict off to rehab I feel very sorry for them.
Still it was better than the pain which was unbearable. Tough situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can simply go back the next day if you need stronger meds. The days of immediately giving everyone opioids need to stop.
One hundred dead Americans every day is too many, don’t you think?

This is for 11:15.

America doesn't really need more opioid addicts.

Just wait until you or a loved on has terminal cancer and you have to fight tooth and nail to get pain meds for them while you are also trying to take care of them, manage the doctors, insurance companies and other care oh and making the last bits of time count all because all these other fools couldn't manage their meds.

Been through this and it is why I have no sympathy for the addicts.

I know it makes me out to be heartless but I think it’s heartless to watch a dying person suffer in terrible pain. Watch a loved one beg to be out of their misery and you’ll change your mind. Trust me. I did.

My mom died of lung cancer last year and was able to have literally any drug she wanted and be as conscious or semi conscious as she chose. She tried different ones and wanted to stay as conscious as possible, but they would have given her anything and told us so. The “rules” don’t apply to terminally ill.

My stepfather died of cancer four years ago, and he, too, could have any drug he wanted, so long as he could wait 16 hours in writhing pain for the pharmacy, insurance company, and doctor to confer on whether a refill should be authorized. Hospice wasn’t any better until we got him into a center. From diagnosis to death was 25 days.

Anonymous wrote:I recently had a chronic pain situation Followed by a very painful surgery. I had been taking opioids for the pain which was severe. During the recovery period which was 8 weeks long I took oxy. The pharmacy started getting very antsy about renewing and the doc was like ok stop taking it. I was addicted to it by that time. Withdrawal was pure hell (worse than the surgery) and nothing like the “discomfort” the doctor described. I could easily see how a person could turn to street drugs in desperation. Scary situation. Fortunately for me the surgery cured the pain but I feel for anyone in chronic pain. Or going through withdrawal. Signed middle class woman who never took pills before this.

What was withdraw like? Did you know you were addicted before they were stopped? I have addiction in the family and I thankfully have not had chronic pain that would require continued medication but the few surgeries and broken bones I have suffered I refused anything more than Tylenol 3. I’m too scared to even go down that road.

I recently had a chronic pain situation Followed by a very painful surgery. I had been taking opioids for the pain which was severe. During the recovery period which was 8 weeks long I took oxy. The pharmacy started getting very antsy about renewing and the doc was like ok stop taking it. I was addicted to it by that time. Withdrawal was pure hell (worse than the surgery) and nothing like the “discomfort” the doctor described. I could easily see how a person could turn to street drugs in desperation. Scary situation. Fortunately for me the surgery cured the pain but I feel for anyone in chronic pain. Or going through withdrawal. Signed middle class woman who never took pills before this.

Life choices have consequences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should we not have drugs that help cancer pain?

You are f*ing gaslighting the situation.

These people are responsible for untold deaths around the globe, and this is the best you can come up with?

OF COURSE we need drugs to help cancer patients. If they're terminal,does it matter if they get addicted?

That's not the issue here.

So what is your solution?

Wear a mask. Oh, wait. Sorry. Confused.