We must be more involved to allow open dialogue to discuss facts that share truths about the positives and negatives of pain medicine. I have heard all I am willing to take in regard to this “epidemic”. Using this term is reckless and irresponsible. When the government gets involved in a public issue, they always take extreme measures and create unforeseen consequences. They cannot see past their own personal agendas. It is becoming difficult to continue reading articles that speak to only one side of a two sided issue. I urge caution from a relentless onslaught from the media when they portray prescription medicine in such a negative manner.
Since the beginning of time, humankind has sought out ways to alter their perception of reality. They accomplished this by using what we now know as drugs. Every civilization in society has a history of some form of drug consumption.
The Opioid Epidemic, influenced by the U.S. Government, is the DEA’s and other law enforcement agencie’s attempt to stop drug abuse in America. Stringent and restrictive prescribing practices of pain medicine will not change the fact that people abuse drugs. What will occur is a diffusion of abuse to other substances that are not prescription related or the consumption of dangerous homemade drugs.
This increased scrutiny has made it difficult for drug abusers to get prescription medicine. Another result of a hard line stance against prescribing pain-medicine is a consequence that is unlawful, unjust, and unwarranted. It is an attack on an innocent group of people. This group, the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic pain. These innocent patients have been left behind.
What you failed to realize, this bias scrutiny, has made it difficult for the millions of patients who are responsible and take their prescription pain medicine as directed. These patients do the right thing and by taking their medicine, it increases their quality of life by helping to alleviate pain. I think a voice for chronic pain sufferers should be at a minimum just as loud and important as those who have an ulterior motive to change or influence patient care.
Very seldom are the unintended consequences considered when a decision is made. True understanding of the entire situation needs to be addressed before knee-jerk reactions create consequences for the innocent.
Doctors and healthcare providers are the gatekeepers to a written prescription, which can assist in a diagnosed illness. All treatment options come with risk and reward. When a treatment option is available, great care and consideration must be given before treatment is considered. In addition, it is up to the patient/doctor dynamic to decide what that is, not the Federal Government or an outraged populous of citizens who give in to the hype of the term epidemic.
When people think of a profession that is at the pinnacle of intelligence, critical thinking, and cognitive reasoning every other field falls short of what doctors represent. So why are the medical professionals allowing their patients to be abused and left behind by this new war on drugs? Did history not produce unintended consequences from our last initiative of a war on drugs? Our prison system and society are currently recovering from the 1980’s and the pursuit to eliminate drugs by being reactive. What will happen when this half truth continues to influence public opinion?
Doctors are so frightened of scrutiny by prying eyes they have removed pain-medicine as an option. How lazy of answer is that and why would the government punish those who wish to increase a person’s quality of life? By not treating and not helping patients who suffer from pain you are willfully denying medical care and allowing your patients to suffer. With this stance, America’s health care professionals and the U.S. Government are essentially saying people with chronic pain are not worth their time or the extra steps to allow continued treatment.
I understand the scrutiny to protect doctors, as to prevent unnecessary deaths form overdoes. This can also aid and may prevent patients from abusing, selling, or doing any other unlawful activities with a prescription of pain medicine. However, I cannot comprehend how we can allow the federal government and others to influence medical care. This behavior turns away patients who actually need and depend on medicine to help alleviate pain.
This option creates one truth, which is the conscious decision to allow patients to suffer continuously from pain. We have more compassion for individuals who are being sentence to death by capital punishment and allow them to feel no pain as their punishment is carried out. Those who are terminal are extended the opportunity to be free from pain by prescribing medicine to assist with quality of life. These decisions allow those who are dying to have relief from pain but in contrast allows the living to suffer. What is the behind these decisions?
All drugs are deadly when a toxic threshold is met. Prescription pain medicine is no different and will have adverse consequences when used inappropriately. How does society create such a public one sided propaganda driven epidemic but chooses ignorance for one that more dangerous by a substantial proportion?
Let us examine a drug that is arguably the most dangerous in the world. Alcohol is the most widely consumed and accepted drug in society. It is the most abused drug as well. Alcohol also is a drug that causes more problems than any other drugs combined. So much so the negative stats of prescription drugs pale in comparison to the destruction alcohol causes.
Yet we let it became a staple at out dinner table. Why? It serves no medicinal purpose. I assume that most enjoy the high, which alcohol produces. When people see a person vomiting because they ingested too much alcohol most laugh and probably can cite a specific event in their own life that resembles it. They may refer to it as the good ole days. However, people pass judgement for those asking for a relief from pain. Imagine the outrage if the drinking age would go up to 50 or if the government made it illegal all together.
Chronic pain sufferers ask for relief repeatedly yet it fails and falls on deaf ears. When this happens they stop. They stop fighting for themselves. Where are the healthcare professionals who stand up and fight for their patient’s rights? Where are the journalistic news agencies that preach balanced and fair coverage? Chronic pain sufferers are becoming disheartened, as no one listens or takes their concerns seriously.
Certain healthcare professionals cite studies that do not exist or exist but only acknowledge half truths. This creates a barrier between themselves and patients. Doctors close this dialogue by dismissing and deflecting concerns of a request to talk about pain medicine. The CDC and HHS both acknowledge that significant studies do not exist which show long term pain medicine can cause serious adverse side effects. They also caution and advise doctors to treat the individual and not the number. Furthermore, addiction is less likely than most are willing to admit. When a patient follows the prescribed guidelines and takes their prescription as directed, drug abuse will not happen. Drug abuse and addiction occur when medicine is used inappropriately. Dependency and addiction are two totally different terms, yet leaders are misleading us to believe quite the opposite.
This is concerning, as our leaders continue to mislead and are throwing all prescription medication usage or abuse into the same category. Hydrocodone is very different than any form of Feytanal. Yet those in power do not differentiate between the two. They also do not organize opioid deaths by type, instead heroin is thrown into the same category as pain medicine. What is more alarming is the fact in all cases involved in overdose deaths, the deceased was abusing the prescription or using a drug that is illegal all together. Both are results from inappropriate usage. These are facts that the media and our government choose to leave out.
A patient does not die by taking his medicine as directed, especially a dosage that reflects a doctors recommendation. These falsehoods, add to the catalyst of the OPIOID crisis but the issues are two different conditions. Of course, I concede there is an addiction problem but that is a separate issue and not a representation of the landscape for patients in it’s entirety. There is a way to do things without alienating one side, but we refuse to believe that, and look to a one-solution generalization for all.
Why then, do doctors continue to misinform patients and remove this option to treat chronic pain? The truth, doctors still have the authority to prescribe pain medicine. It is proven to help alleviate pain. Until the CDC and HHS both recognize studies that prove long-term pain medicine causes more harm than good, all should refuse anything to the contrary.
Let us work together and do two things. First, prevent unnecessary deaths from drug overdoses. Addiction is very difficult and needs to be addressed to aid those who are fighting such a difficult battle. When people seek out a drug for enjoyment it is an impulse rather than addiction. Great care must be given to differentiate the two.
Second, allow those who depend on pain medicine to continue to have those resources at their disposal. If a patient has a tool that has the ability to increase their quality of life and assist in combating chronic pain, why would we remove that option altogether?
These two issues are related and can be managed together. It will take understanding and compromise but is well worth the extra work. We can help the victims, the addicted, and those who use pain medicine to manage chronic pain.
In addition, if this bothers you or you are offended, take a deep breath, as this is not my intent. All sides and positions must have compassion for competing views. Please do not forget the innocent group who bear the burden of unintended consequences.
With all respect and best wishes to you all,
Love,
One of the millions who suffer daily with chronic pain.
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