Anonymous wrote:I have neuropathy as well as a chronic pain condition and am treated with Gabapentin for the neuropathy and opiates for the chronic pain condition. Other posters are absolutely right. If you have straight-up neuropathy with no other conditions, then you should be treated with Gabapentin or Lyrica as a first-step remedy.

Additionally, OP, I respect your concern about addiction and opiates; I have had the same fear and have discussed it with multiple physicians, especially since my mom was addicted to benzos and alcohol.

However, if opiates truly ARE the best way to treat a condition (and I agree that they're not for neuropathy), then you CAN take them, even long-term, without addiction. To be sure, you need to work with a doctor to wean off of the medication if/when you're able to come off (some conditions really do end up requiring years of dosing, especially if you're not able to use a pain pump or a spinal cord stimulator). Dependence and addiction are two different issues and are managed entirely differently.

I'm posting this because I am among those suffering from long-term chronic pain or cancer whose ability to have a reasonable quality of life can be compromised by the restrictive approach to opiates. We absolutely need better regulation -- there is no question about that -- but there is also a danger in making access nearly impossible for some patients. I'm lucky because I have an excellent pain management team, but not everyone is in this position.

One note: typically, pain management physicians will not prescribe both medical marijuana and opiates and I am presuming Gabapentin/Lyrica -- it's a 'one or the other.'

Anonymous wrote:Cannabidiol and opium can treat different types of pains: weed is better for chronic and bone pains, meanwhile opium is appropriate for hard pains for dying cancer patients .. but I am sure we will witness legalize soon, as medical marijuana is being approved at more and more states, and cannabis oil is available almost everywhere (mostly online, but it is still a fact).