I can't imagine what its like to suffer from chronic pain. Its got to be miserable. However, it is also miserable having a close family member who misuses heavy pain medication. You constantly worry about their physical and mental health.

Good thing I posted my 10,000 page medical history,,,,, I didn't srsly. you don't know my problems (4 herniated disks) 3 thoracic not operable I'm told, maybe that's just my insurance company talking.

So I take 10 different pills a day. three of which are for pain. Not that two experts can agree how to measure pain.

P.S. my insurance also tell me what doctors I can see, Workers Comp.

Oh my goodness! You sound like my mother. She has herniated disks in her lumbar region. She also has several non union fractures, and both of her rotator cuffs are screwed up. Thats not even mentioning the other issues she suffers from caused by her chronic illnesses. I've been watching her pop pills since I was 2 years old. By the time I was 5, I could recite the names of WAY too many pain medications. Percocet, Vicodin, Pentazocine, cyclobenzaprine, Darvocet, Oxycontin, Demerol, Tramadol, Morphine, Dilaudid........I'm sure you get the point.

I know she's in constant pain, but it worries me when she takes SO many pills. Her kidneys are not functioning as they should and the doctors say its from all of the medications. She refuses to even try other means of treatment which is my concern. She just keeps increasing the amount she takes, she mixes, and she makes a joke about it getting her "high". She even admitted to being addicted to pain pills in the past. I feel as though my hands are tied....I mean the doctors just keep writing the prescriptions.....I have even tried to discuss my concern with the doctors to no avail. She just insists that she's in pain, which I'm sure she is, but there has GOT to be some type of other treatments. What can I do but sit back and watch her pill pop? :(

Wrong attachment , sorry

HazCats, if you are in chronic pain, you need to see a specialist. My PCP was worried her license to prescribe pain meds would be taken away because of my needs. She sent me to UPMC's Pain Management Center. That was 11 years ago. I don't get "high" from my meds, am a productive member of society and will be as long as my body holds out. Don't torture yourself.

I can't agree with you more..

The VA game me morphine for a leg wound suffered more than 20 yrs ago, and honestly at this point, it's not about anything but pain, with the drug I can walk pain free...I am not 'high'

Another sad fact for most of the country is while it IS damn near impossible to get most doctors to prescribe adequate pain control (because of fear of liability/retribution, while the VA doctors are shoving them down soldier's throats at the first sight of a strained muscle...

go figure and I wish you well

Jake: Yes, I have used UPMC when hubby was still working & we had medical insurance. Now, I'm counting down the months until I hit Medicare & believe me, the 1st. month of my 65th. birthday will be spent at pain clinics/orthopedists/rheumatologists full time. I don't trust what might/may happen to Medicare & I'm gonna get "mine" just like my parents, in-laws, & aunts & uncles did. Damn it; I worked for it too, just like they did. I'm NOT worth less than they are/were.

IT IS ONE OF THE BEST MEDICAL CENTERS IN THE U.S.

(Uni. Pittsburgh Med. Cntr.)

@Grottoblot - Yeah, the VA had me on 150 percs a month. What for? I've got a little chronic pain but nothing I couldn't deal with with other meds. I put a stop to that; they think opoids cure the flu.

i understand, ive got 24/7 pain. i found a pain center that ramped me up to a high enough level to keep me from screeming until id black out. then my ins changed and i had to use a different doc, fortunately ive got a good gp who kept me at this level and even bumped me up a couple of times.

where u located? im in s fl, we seem to have more pain centers here that arent afraid to prescribe.

i wish u the best of luck, and ur right when the time comes the last option is a handfull (ive already got them saved up and hidden).

I feel you HazCats. Fusions at cervical and lumbar (multiple levels at each), a botched surgery which led to reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the leg, and a chronic form of muscular dystrophy have left me crippled with pain in my 30's. I try to work through it, but its brutal.

Thankfully I found a competent and compassionate pain management doctor. He subjects me to regular urine tests, pill counts, psychological counseling, as well as physical therapy. It is so worth it though because he always knows where I am, and where I need to be. If I come to him in more pain than usual then he understands why through collaborating with other doctors in his clinic and making adjustments up or down as needed with my medication. If I say I need more there is not much questioning, just a short attempt at a different dosage or even an additional med like a muscle relaxant to help "push" my normal medication as needed. He trusts me. I trust him. That is where the system is lacking. The problem is that others who use pain management abuse it by getting meds from multiple doctors, going to the ER, begging pills off friends and family, stealing, diverting, etc. That is where it makes the rest of us look bad.

Frankly, I think that those who do that are reprehensible, and it should in no way impact YOUR treatment or mine. I play by the rules. My doctor plays by the rules. Just because there are bad apples then they need to add more levels of ridiculousness to the process? Come on. Many people are alcoholics or chain smokers. Does that mean that they need more regulation on those things? I bet alcohol kills more people than pain pills and it can be had by anybody with cash over age 21. Yet life saving and life quality medications like oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and so on have been demonized now just in the same way marijuana was in the early 1900's. It seems to be heading down the same path and eventually those of us in pain will all be put in the crazy house or put on suicide watch because we are needing pain relief. No, I am not advocating for marijuana legalization, that is another groups fight entirely. I am just drawing a parallel between what happened to it, and what is happening to legitimate pharmaceutical pain relief drugs.

I wish you nothing but luck and I truly do feel your pain.

Well put, G.R. And you know more about pain than I do as a retired nurse.

I commented on my pain management process above. I agree. Hopefully HazCats can find a doc like mine. Unfortunately he is one of 2 (count them 2) doctors in this entire state that run their clinic in this highly regulated and responsible manner. States like California don't even cross check when you're getting multiple pain medications, so the doctors there have a difficult time.

I hate the fact that my state feels it needs to check up on me and counts how much medication I am taking...but on the flipside I've never had a problem. Medication has always been filled on time without delay. If I were to abuse the system my pain management doctor would be notified immediately. Perhaps that is what it takes. It is a mess, but it is better than the alternative (no treatment at all). So we all deal with it, and the doctor makes it work. I am scheduled every 28 days without fail and my medicine is scheduled out to get me through that time. If I am in more pain and don't think I can make it with the amount of medication I am given then I see my doctor THAT DAY (he makes time) and we adjust as needed. That has only happened once, so we build trust and a relationship. Thank goodness I had a family doctor who was wise enough to send me on to pain management with this doctor who has literally saved my life.

If your doctor isn't working out then FIRE THEM. It's your right. Find somebody who gets it and will help you.

Oh please! Never ever?!!!!! No exceptions?!!!!! Are you an expert?

Drugs are often approved for one use, and then used for others. As with life, few things in medicine follow hard and fast rules.

(an MD)

Don't you know all Americans, especially lawyers are experts in everything. God tells them I guess.

Medicine must be based on the individual, not Washington committees.

As a pharmacist, I have seen a few cases where physicians have over or inappropriately prescribed opiates. However, the vast majority of the time they are prescribed responsibly.

I heartily disagree with your statement. I'm a nurse and have seen numerous cases where people were on narcotics for years for chronic pain. Without appropriate pain control, these individuals have zero quality of life. There are some people who scam the system to get prescriptions or buy on the street, but the vast majority of people who use long term narcotics need them.

Oh please. I have been on Oxycontin for almost 11 years. Yeah they ruined my stomach. But as long as you don't abuse them they do the job. I know about rebound pain. I know about all kinds of pain. Do you think I went to a Doctor yesterday and they immediately prescribed narcotic pain meds? I started on this journey almost 24 years ago. Surgery, therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, nerve blocks, epidural caudal injections, hypnotism, meditation and even masturbation. I have chronic, intractable pain. My fault, I blame no one but myself. When the Doctor told me after my last racing accident that my back was broken and I better get it treated, I remember I was young, invincible and he was wrong. But he was right. Should take me out back and shoot me but somewhere along the line that has become illegal. Nothing else works but treating the symptoms coming from the fact that the nerves in my spine are not protected by anything worth mentioning. Don't preach to me about Oxycontin. Or to my Doctor who is the first person I have met on this journey that actually cares about my quality of life.

Knee pain doesn't compare to people with "chronic" conditions like cancer. Sorry, but you lose credibility with your comments. Anybody who is "old school" enough to believe and say that opioids can't be used long-term is a fool. There have been studies upon studies that show not only can they be used long term, but that they are much safer and create less havoc on the livers, kidneys, and other organs than over the counter medications like ibuprofen and naproxen.

Do your research.

Just don't blame the addicts! I never got any high off these drugs, just a lowering of my pain.

People shoot themselves, you want to get rid of guns.

People drive drunk you want probation back.

People jump off of cliffs you want to ban cliffs.

So whats the common here? ****** maybe, we could ban them?

r taylor-

You need to be aware that virtually all opiate pain meds are off patent and the small number that are not substitutable (like Embeda) are not big enough sellers that the manufacturer could afford to pump massive amounts of money into congressional campaigns. While drug manufacturers sometimes do some pretty questionable stuff, in this instance I don't think they're to blame.

I'm sorry to hear about your son but I don't think it's the drug manufacturers or the governments fault.

How about controlling your son......You would have people that really need the pain meds go without due to your, and I will say it, Stupid son. FIVE TIMES.....WOW

Blame the government of Florida for not requiring checks and balances in the pain management clinics. Some states (such as Utah) require valid ID and limit the amount of medication you can get. If you get more than you have agreed to with pain management (like by getting some from a dentist) then the state notifies your pain management doctor IMMEDIATELY via phone call and letter that is sent to the physician's home. The physician calls the patient in, informs them of the situation. Typically does a pill count, and if things are off then the patient is given a 30 day supply and told to wean off over that period of time and are "released". At that point if they still need medication they can go to a free clinic that gives them a daily liquid dosage of methadone which has to be taken on the spot. Then they come back each morning to get their meds.

It works pretty well and limits diversion. Methadone lasts in the system for a full 24 hours and prevents the cravings from kicking in and the people can function, work, and typically even are safe to drive. It is a good system for a bad situation. Perhaps the lawmakers of Florida should do that, rather than the freewheeling system they have now with entire streets full of "pain clinics" that don't require any documentation, urine tests, signing of a user agreement, regular psychological visits, or assurances that pills are not diverted in any fashion. That's on Florida... NOT on the drugs or the people who use them responsibly. Sorry about your son. It sounds like he needs help desperately. Should his poor decisions prevent somebody like me with a destroyed body from receiving the medical help I need? I follow the rules.

@rtaylor - it's thinking like that that's gotten our country in the mess it's in. We don't need, nor want, any more friggin' regulation in our lives and I would prefer a hell of a lot less. It's called personal responsibility, something that apparently a few of the people in this nation rely on government for. How bloody stupid.

This was a hard thing for me understand - as my doc started me on chronic pain management and doses rapidly grew with me now on 60mg codiene dose as needed, I thought I wouldn't be able to function but she explained that the brain recognizes severe pain and uses the narcotic for that and you don't feel the "buzz" - thank good for that as I have to work to support a family -

This is why we need TRUE health care reform. And not the kind our wonderful government setteled on for us this year.

If there is a Medical School in your area with a teaching hospital, they usually work with low income / charity cases. Ask to see their Chronic Pain Clinic. They are the experts on managing chronic pain conditions. Good luck.

This is a disgusting example of what I mean, FPK, jeez, I never thought I'd say this and I recommend continuing to try the medical route but if at the end of it, if you're in that much pain and can't get help,....(god help me) get it illictly if possible..better than a life of extreme pain,

and remember, the only people who think that would be wrong in this case are usually people with no pain issues at all...

Good luck

"Fluffy" If you do find a doc to write the scripts the pharmaceutical companies will give you free meds if your not working and uninsured as you say. just google patient assistance programs.

My pain management Doctor gives me a drug test every six months. I can't take any other narcotic other then what my Doc has prescribed. Also they test for illicit drugs and will drop me from the program if THC or g-d forbid, I try to treat the pain myself with "street" drugs and they show up. She says I am not addicted but dependant. I tell her she's wrong, I'm both. We go back and forth on this every visit, which is at least once a month or when it gets so bad that I have to visit the ER and have my meds mixed with muscle relaxers in IV form. My scoliosis at times twists me like a pretzel just short of breaking bones. Ain't life grand?

I'm so sorry, Kitten, that sounds horrible. Like Wizard said, there are ways to get your meds for free through patient assistance programs. It's ridiculous that anyone in sever pain be told to take ibuprofen.

Isn't that calling you guilty without cause? Find a real Doctor. If you truly have chronic pain you will not get addicted to the drugs. Your body will be dependent due to the prolong use but it is not an addiction.

I call them narcaphobics. They are afraid of losing their license more than treating you. I had a dentist pulled 4 really broken and bad teeth said he would only give me tic tacs and antibiotics! Talk about paranoid. Another FDA crackdown wont help either.

It's our damn government who is causing the problems. England doesn't have this "rabid" fear of people with chronic pain becoming addicted. I can buy OTC pain meds. with codeine in Australia. (Used to here also esp. cough syrup.)

I really HATE to say this, but find a "Dr. Feelgood." They are around through word-of-mouth & although they give a whole new meaning to the saying: "graduating at the bottom of one's class," it is a better option than buying street drugs or through the Internet; THAT scares the hell outta me.

You know your own body after years of chronic pain & what does & doesn't work. All you are doing is using the Dr. to get WHAT YOU NEED. And no, I don't get "high" on reasonable dosages of pain meds. But I DO try different treatment modalities to add to my pain regimen; i.e. heating pads, whirlpool, etc. Combinations of things often work much better than adding more pain meds. Everyone is different, so work out your own plan.

If you are any kind of a doctor you will know the phony ones. If you stub your toe you do not need a major pain med.. If you have an illness such as cancer or side affects of the cancer there should be little doubt the person needs the meds. A little common sense goes a long way. The little bit of a life I have now would end if the meds were taken away. Pain would rule my life.

Helping hand: So sorry to hear of your Dxes. I've done home health & cross-over Hospice, so I know that you need your meds. & to suggest that a terminal patient MIGHT get addicted to pain meds. is truly a "DUH!" moment. Just try to keep the side-effects to a minimum-constipation ( MY worst symptom even at low doses ), dizziness getting up or moving about, slow heart beat, etc.

GOD BLESS!

I will only have insurance for 6 more years or till I can't work anymore. I work for insurance if that makes sense? Thank god for my girl friend because I can't afford rent, food or anything after all my co-pays are met. My company doesn't give me insurance, I buy it from them.

Sorry the reality can hurt. I still feel I take too much and I do need them. I too have gone through withdrawl. 3 times. It was worse then heroin and not to be taken lightly. The last time I had to be hospitalized. I could have (and would have) died. My body was shutting down. It wasn't just pain meds they gave me when I arrived.

Morgan's auto, I too suffer from chronic pain. I think it is awful that there are medications out there that can improve a person's quality of life & yet they make them so difficult to obtain! It is such a simple solution - chronic pain should = reasonable medications at a resonable cost (plain & simple!) But I guess that would be too easy/simple. I feel so bad when I hear/read stories such as yours because there is absolutly no need for this to be going on! You are so right to suggest that people think outside the box, imagine if all these people that criticize were to suddenly be stricken w/ some sort of chronic pain (heaven forbid because I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy!) I just wonder how long it would take them to ask for what they so easily refer to as those "evil addicting pan medications" I belive thier attitude would change very quickly, don't you? People just don't realize how life changing chronic pain can be, not just physically but emotionally, physchologically, etc. My heart goes out to you because (not to be too cliche) I feel your pain! You hang in there, go online & look for a support group, there are sooo many out there, realize you're not in this alone & that there are so many out there (unfortunatly) that do understand & care, some can even give you info on certain types of assistance that are offered. Just know this, that you're not alone & there is help & understanding out there! Best of luck to you!!

Callie, I started with Lortab. Now you wouldn't believe what I take. Total of 7 different meds. Over 420 mg's of Oxycodone per day plus the supporting players. Pills to help me sleep. Pills to help me poop. Pills to control the high blood pressure that can happen when you take so many other pills. All this just to get out of bed in the morning to go to the job that I work so I can supply myself with insurance. I have said it before and I will say it again, ain't life grand.