The Opioid Crisis Is a Tragedy, but America’s Response Created a Second One | NYT Opinion 

We need real leadership in this country.

God Bless! This woman!❤

What needs to be done is to file a class action civil rights lawsuit but no lawyers are willing.

The Health should Not Treat Honest People in Real Pain 24/7 Stop being put into the Druggie Box i have been on then for 20 years Plus with Not Mishaps in that time Write to your Member on the Government .Please.

It's easier to just go buy herion than deal with these stupid doctors that don't want to give you anything for pain!!

Exactly! It's a mess, and I KNEW it would be a mess in the 1990s when suddenly doctors were handing out opioids too carelessly. I hope and pray you can get help -- and please never give up, I was bedridden for months and I felt like such a burden to my family and friends, but I finally found a good doctor who listens to me and a good pharmacy who listens to my doctor. Btw your dog is awesome! Dogs have been such a loving comfort ❤

🙏

I couldn't agree more. People that end up on heroin are going to bc that's their choice. I'm tired of them blaming a prescription of Norco from the dentist! I've been taking Norco for 11 years and NEVER considered sticking a needle in my arm. Although I believe I'm still being under-medicated bc of the fascist policies on opioids, I'm still thankful that there's something that improves my quality of life and helps me through each day. These shortages are going to force people to risk fentanyl laced street drugs or just choose to end their lives. It makes me furious and afraid at the same time. It should NOT be taboo to feel good. If a person is in pain and there's a pill that eases that pain, it should be a fundamental right to have unimpeded access to that medicine. I hope this madness ends for all of our sake.

Walmart kept telling me they didn’t have my medication because it was written for 120. Later I learned they were limiting prescriptions to one week supply and only new prescriptions. I switched pharmacies and it’s been (mostly) trouble free. The only time I have issues is when my doctor is away and one of her colleagues has to authorize the refill.

@@grumpyoldlady_rants My mother and I have been having the same problem over the past 2 months. Pharmacies don't have it in stock and wondering if we're going to find it anywhere. It feels like there's no one fighting for us...only judgemental, self-righteous people that haven't yet had to live with chronic pain. I spent 10 days in the hospital with 2nd and 3rd degree burns. At first, I was on the edge of going into shock. They gave me Dilaudid and 10 minutes later I was watching TV and laughing. I couldn't believe there was a medication that could take away that pain. My point is this...after I left the hospital, I didn't start hunting Dilaudid. I've been satisfied with Norco for my back pain. They are wrong to punish responsible pain patients bc of other's bad decisions.

Yes. Opioids are a gift from the gods I believe.

I agree. I don't know if my doctor retired, decided not to renew his license, got fired, got barred from practicing... Kind of hope he got fired tbh. He always had something to say to get under my skin. With my last visit being the topping on the cake, making a personal insult... Anyways... I called in April to schedule my quarterly visit and the receptionist told me he no longer worked there and I should be receiving something in the mail in a day or two. No referral, sort of just a "Sorry, good luck!" type of deal. In Feb and March my therapy was being out in the yard for an hour or so at a time chopping down honeysuckle with lopping shears, removing vines, and pulling light brush around. I work as a caregiver for my mom. They give me 3 hours per day, but I'm usually there for 8. No health insurance, but it's something. She has several debilitating health issues and is in so much pain every day, it's all I can do. And my remaining time I spend trying to keep up with things at my house. Now I'm having a difficult time with all of it. Just mostly sitting around feeling useless, because doing dishes for 15 minutes causes pain in my lower back, traveling up the right side of my spine and starts burning. Severe shoulder pain after driving for 15-20 mins. Many issues after being hit as a pedestrian a decade ago, 2 years to find a lawyer that would take my case, only then being referred to crackpot physical therapy doctors and chiropracters, not being well informed that I could see any doctor I wanted to and send the bill to my lawyer. It was a mess, and I got royally screwed. Financially and health-wise. Though I do often forget that I am very lucky to still be alive. And that more damage wasn't done. They want to refuse me medicine that significantly increases my quality of life, that's fine. I'm young enough to research legal (but still very questionable, unregulated, and not very well researched) alternatives. I will NEVER resort to heroin or fentanyl. But to sit and watch my mom suffer immensely day in and day out after several surgeries she didn't recover well from, with several crushed vertibrae, bad knees, and her other issues... With no form of pain relief. Even so far as a pain management doctor labeling her on paper as a drug-seeking opioid addict... That is very difficult for me. I really hope with the new 2022 legislation things start to change for legitimate pain patients, cancer patients, and veterans. But as of now, the future looks bleak. I advise everyone to look up Richard Lawhern. Specifically the Mystery Wire interview, and share it with as many people as possible.

As a chronic pain sufferer, my spine was damaged and I have that burning, muscle spasms and I think that the CDC laws have gone too far and the suffering won’t be reversed. I’m just thrilled that MSM is FINALLY addressing our side of the situation!

I went through this with Walmart. They started telling me they were “out”. Then I saw a news article about Walmart deciding to not fill opioid prescriptions if the amount was for more than one week. I switched pharmacies after that.

Where are you from NYC won’t give them like if the cdc said it’s band but it’s not

It's difficult because many people are fentanyl addicts......when you talk about back-breaking work many workers of the coal mines in Appalacia used to say they use to have a sore back and rather than prescribing Ibrophen ( that would have worked for them) it was Fentanyl.......Then they got hooked on the drug......The question is is was the pain unbearable that led to their suicide or the desperate feeling because they couldn't get their addictive drug anymore......Fentanyl is meant to be way more addictive that heroine, pot or anything else out there.

There are other therapies for pain management which do not include opioids. This is purely in defense of the Sacklers who should rot in evil as far as I am concerned. They ruined lives period. The blood of many will remain on them and their children's children for many generations. May the Lord destroy that family in every way possible. Amen

@@karenmbbaxter In my community, any problems, can be traced back to one single NP. She arrested in a DEA raid, and also molested several children, including myself. She as giving patients HIGH doses first. She killed several people, and almost killed me, by placing me on medication for Diabetes, which I don’t have 🤦‍♀️ In my region though, it’s farm labor. You start YOUNG. Around 8 or 9, and you are out in the fields, picking weeds, for a few bucks a day. None of these guys were addicts though. They were taken off after the raid, spurred another investigation. Apparently, according to one of the doctors, the DEA’s new “pain calculators” deemed these men to have no pain. They were removed, and wouldn’t be tapered. They all shot themselves. One after the other, hearing about these people you know 🤦‍♀️ I’ve know addicts in my community, my sister, god rest her soul, had addictions, but these guys, no.

We live in horrible times!

How can you say they did "back breaking" work. They could of taken tylenol/ibuprofen for their "sore back". I could be wrong but if you are doing "back breaking" work, your back problem isn't just "sore". Pain is so hard to describe for a lot of people. And it is hard to understand just how much pain someone else is in especially if you cannot physically see the source of the pain. (I hope my comment makes sene lol) opioids should not always be the first option for every kind of pain but they can be so beneficial for many. All it takes is 1 incident, accident, injury or illness from needing opioids. Last thing, you don't want to take too much Tylenol and motrin dues to liver and stomach issues. There are risks and benefits with every singal medication and we are all so unique. That's why individualized treatment is so very important.

I feel for you. Your situation is definitely worse- the fda/dea is also doing this to those with adhd (also impacted by the reaction to opioid crisis). The head of the fda is an arrogant cardiologist who doesn’t care about patients and instead judges them.

May I ask what state you live in? As a chronic pain patient who became in need of treatment, right as this was all coming to a head (around 2008) I've lived in 3 states since then, & the care was drastically different depending on where I was living. The data seems to show red states, & the SE where the pill mills were primarily based (looking at you FL) have the tightest restrictions & the fewest doctors still treating chronic pain.

You should try cannabis for the pain. My fiancé is a disabled vet who got off all pills and uses cannabis for pain now, his life is completely different now.

Sounds like you honestly just need Tylenol or ibuprofen if you’re taking that small a dose anyways

@@drinkswatereIt depends on the reason for the pain. I have some pain that responds to aspirin better than oxycodone, because it’s inflammatory in origin.

That's terrible, I feel so sorry for you. My mom suffers from spontaneous fractures on a spine and on her pubic bone due to osteoporosis and she was crying from pain. I'm not in the US, and they did prescribed her opioids at the higher dosage but even that did little to help her and she was in terrible pain for months. She could barely walk or do anything.I was so scared that one day I would go back home and find her dead because she couldn't handle the pain anymore. Now she's slowly recovering and I'm so grateful but still scared for the future. Knowing that there are people like her who aren't even given pain medication is insane and enraging. I wonder how some doctors can still call themselves doctors.

I do worry you keep getting put under the knife as a money making scheme to be honest! Back surgery has become a very rare thing these days, with most surgeons finding the success rates too low to risk in most cases, so I'm hoping these surgeries are an ongoing treatment & aren't repairing past mistakes? You mentioned another woman having spontaneous spinal fractures, so perhaps that's what you're suffering with? That would make sense. You said you've also had injections so it seems clear you're not conflating the two. You could actually have a malpractice suit here, if you could find a lawyer with a heart, & can tell this story thru your medical records. If your condition is not improving & you're taken off pain medication or lowered to an ineffective dose, you could have a case depending on where you live. That's if you even want to deal with the pain of a lawsuit, which can be taxing. There are also some class action suits being formed over people that have been undermedicated, & I believe there's even a team going after the gov. Give it a good Goggling.

I have recurring spinal stenosis. I was in a wheelchair, but I can walk again after last surgery.

​@@xxcnd83xxyes, it's inhumane. Prayers for your mom.... 🌹

@@xxcnd83xx I wrote a reply about my bone disease and my previous addiction to heroin in younger years due to ptsd. I withdrew from drugs that masked the trauma and pain of my bone disease. You may help your mum with pain management more and a good top up for any pain relief management by taking her to an exercise pool, walking and slow movement help a lot, diet change especially sugary things with can be inflammatory and fresh food over packaged for same reasons. I get an opioid for my pain, I cut it significantly by doing these things.. try to incorporate good anti inflammatory spices like turmeric for one, sprinkle on veg, buy a drinking kind, not turmeric pills but the actual spice. I find this has greatly reduced the time I have spent unwell to being able to move more freely and have less attacks from one of my bone and bone fibre tissue. Try to get cannabis oil with some thc, my doctor also prescribes this as I would rather that than daily opioid meds, having been once addicted I look for the best I can and no sugar I fast packaged foods makes more difference than most know. I hope your mum feels better. Good luck from oz.

I feel you! I spent therapy sessions just crying over how my doctor was treating me and how trapped I felt. I waited years to change doctors out of fear that it would look like I was doctor shopping!

Tylenol and ibuprofen (in my opinion and in scientific fact) are more dangerous and potentially more detrimental to ones health than opioid pain medication. Ibuprofen can cause liver and even kidney issues, gastrointestinal bleeding (had that once), increased heart attack and stroke risk, and on and on when taken for more than a week or two. Stuff is nasty! Tylenol only provides sufficient pain relief at maximum dosage. And that stuff can cause liver issues, and gastrointestinal issues. Says right on the back of the bottle - do not take for more than 10 days.

It happened to me to until I luckily tried kratom!!!

People dying from cancer may need them but not non terminal patients.

​@@santiagowechsler Pray that you stay pain free. Judgement is God's right and not ours.

@@santiagowechslerYou’ve obviously never truly suffered from a chronic health condition/problem that’s impossible to remedy or fix with the current options available. Which are insanely expensive, too. Don’t get sick, and best of luck with that. Your life will be a living nightmare if you do. ✌️

I hear that I used to hate opioids I only smoke Marijuana for my pain but I 2012 that all change when Marijuana, stop working after that.I've been on oxycodones ever since And now in two 2024 The pain is much greater then it ever has

@@santiagowechsler it is literally that attitude that is causing so many people to die. You don’t get to say who needs what!

Yes, thanks to the “opioid crisis” Medicare can deny paying for the prescription and if it’s over a certain amount of milligrams which is just another way of making more money!

Not even advil, paracetamol or sublingual k

it has not been fixed and won`t be !

❤

Don’t give up. Consider cortisone epidural Injection, also up the acetaminophen. I have had oxycodone but was taken off after 3 years and now take morphine when badly needed. Disc degeneration is a problem as pain management is so hard. Loads of Acetaminophen. Very hard bed is necessary, I slept on the floor for 15 years.

So true. And like you the only reason I keep going are my grandchildren.

My grandchildren are my life. Because I have no other life.

There are great back injury treatments nowadays keep the hope faith courage Humanity managed without pain medication for hundreds of thousands of years

It does not work

It works if the individual is a white man.

What has oddly helped me is that I have a family member who has the same doctor as me. Every once in a while I would bring her in and he would ask if she noticed anything odd about my behavior, or if medication was missing etc. And yes, I did the same for her from time to time. My pain doc also worked with my other docs, like my rheumatologist

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BwsQ1BatJ68.html

Addicts are probably getting counterfeit pills, made with fentanyl in them, and not "real" medication. Either way it's not fair to us who are close to suicide that we can't get some relief 😡

the people who need them, become the ADDICTS when they can’t obtain them Through pharmacies. They are forced to Turn to black markets.

You said it!

Yes. I’ve been in the doctor’s exam room while my elderly father asked for pain management and was told “no.” Ok. There is a flip-side problem wherein the elderly are “drugged into being less difficult,” and that’s happening less. (I really think that’s become more of an ‘olden-times problem…) Ok. Insurance-monitoring people and government medicine-monitoring people aren’t physicians though. I haven’t met many bad doctors. A couple, sure. But that number is almost insignificant when compared with how many good doctors I’ve come across. And I’m just one guy.

They’re literally the same person. The addict is just a person who legitimately needed pain medication and was forced to switch to Heroin / Fentanyl after their doctor cut them off.

Please go to pain specialist and let them evaluate you if you haven't already. Multidimensional medication may help you.

My brother in law is a top biochemist for big pharma. He says opioids do not work long term, body becomes tolerant or whatever the word is dont remember, thus the need to increment dosage until is useless, but the brain and neurological system gets zapped in the meantime. Its for short term people dying like any other hard opioid like morphine padges or iv morphine. So let go of it. Find something better that at least keep it manageable. Do not loose the hope, faith, courage, discernment.

There’s a ton of science that says otherwise. There are many people who remain at an effective disease for years without having to increase the dose.l, and it remains effective. If their condition deteriorates, then they may have to increase. I have been on a level that was effective and didn’t have to be increased. I actually decreased myself when I didn’t need as high a dose. But, it was getting to the effective dose that was the issue. There are people who are bedbound due to pain. You would rather see them lie in a bed suffering than for them to have opiates that treat their pain and make them able to function? That’s really sick. Maybe your relative has their own biases against opiates. Yes, your body becomes tolerant but that doesn’t mean you will endlessly have to increase your dose. People can be on a stabilized dose for years and years before they have to be increased, and usually they aren’t increased because they’ve become tolerant. Usually it’s because their condition has deteriorated. I truly hope they find something that works better for pain than opiates. The sad thing is if this is such a crisis, why isn’t the govt treating it like it is and throwing all of its resources into finding meds that work for pain??? I’ll tell you why. It’s because they want people on suboxone and drugs like it. Those drugs are impossible to get off of and make pharma major money. Also, if your relative is in pharma, I don’t trust a word he says🤷‍♀️ He probably works for the company making suboxone.

You better hope you never need chronic pain relief cause you will you will be begging for a pain pill@@peaceandlove544

And the booster shots for the plandemic @@sheilahunt7390

That sure would be an interesting election. According to statistics, that would basically be 20-40 million votes in the bag. But, with prescription opioid propaganda of the last 6 years and others affected by street opiates, that would be a lot of negative votes too 🤔

It's not denial of pain relief. It's denial of opioids. Do you realize that opioids don't work forever unless you up the dose? Do you know that if you up the dose you will eventually become an opioid addict? I promise you the pain you feel now pales in comparison to the pain you'll feel once you're an addict.

Are you suffering from chronic pain?? if so why don't you tell us what your solution is I take a half of a 7.5 mg as needed to be able to do small walks yard work house work i live alone im 62 i was a heavy equipment mechanic for 20 years for the FD Ive had Two fusions I do not get a buz but i get enough relief to get some things done@@snowshoes5942

​@@snowshoes5942that is BS. I have been on a stable dose for over 15 years.

@@snowshoes5942 Opioids are the only drugs that relieve pain and allow you to remain awake and functional, without causing severe organ damage. Depending upon the cause of pain not prescribing opioids may be "denial of pain relief." The tolerance that develops may happen much more slowly than the fear-mongers might want you to believe. Perhaps some people develop a tolerance faster than others, I have no way of knowing, but personally I was able to manage on the same monthly dose for 20 years. To be fair, this may be because while some people have constant pain all day and all night, my pain level varied from hour to hour, so there were times when I could go for 4 to 12 hours taking less opioids per hour, or taking no opioids for 4 to 12 hours, and other times when my pain acted up, and I needed more. That's why I found extended-release formulations to be unsuitable for me. I tend to think these increase the development of a tolerance. It is better to use immediate release formulations if you can. If you take a dose, and 4 hours later you find your pain has either not come back or is at a bearable level, you don't have to take another dose. With ER formulations, you can't skip a dose like that.

⁠@@snowshoes5942 It’s easy to say this and undermine their situation when you dont experience this persons pain. You can toss around the word addict all you’d like but the word dependent is more fitting, people who grow “addicted” to legal opiods arent going to overdose nor will they be on the streets. So I ask, what exactly is the problem and what is YOUR problem with it?

I have MS too, I also am crippled with scoliosis and occipital neuropathy which has plagued me for years. After my doctor dumped me I lost my quality of life, ability to walk, and exist in days of constant agony. I'm waiting to die now. I once had a very full life and all of that is gone now. If people would understand that we didn't ask for painful medical conditions! This is a period in American history that will be remembered as the darkest days of despair.

lot of us feel the same way@@LauraJohnson-yw2xk

I have MS with severe pain. I completely understand where she's coming from!

I am not addicted. I work full-time. I am in constant pain. There’s no help for me. The doctors I said in the end additional procedures I’ve had six spine surgeries. Many of them are for recurrent spinal stenosis, so I am walking again, but none of them offer any pain control if they don’t get profit, they don’t help you.!

Also probably take the ‘opinion’ label off because this is just reporting facts.

Fentanyl is addicting. Opioids in contrast, if properly monitored by a physician is safe and can help patients live their lives.

I’ve loved people who were both addicts and chronic pain patients. One of my close friends because addicted and it was awful…but she couldn’t get treatment because she had chronic pain. She was beginning to turn her life around when a blood clot killed her. She was 22.

@@graciephilFentanyl is an opioid. I used to be on it for chronic pain. Any opioid used long term can cause dependence even in people who are not psychologically addicted.

So the question is why I guess. Are doctors to busy to notice, are insurance companies trying to keep costs down or is the CDC to wrapped up in COVID to really get the word out? Or something else entirely?

Alcohol works on GABBA recptors not endorphins receptors so most likely opioids were just masking the pain. Instead of booze try a drug like GABBAPENTIN. Opioids don’t help all types of pain.

Gabapentin didn’t help my muscular pain or my neuropathy. Just because it’s being hailed as an alternative to pain medicine it doesn’t mean that it actually works. Just an overprescribed alternative nowadays.

@@sarcasticallyrearranged It can also mess with our brain and cause depression, aggression, and rapid mood swings among the many side effects.

@@starchaserz yes, I've seen some people have terrible side/after effects from that medication.

I had to stop taking gabbapentin it was giving me brain zaps at night I was only taking 300mg at night to help me sleep@@Italocanadese81

Why would you say stuff like that but the u have the devil's num but then you want to talk about having common sense🤡🤡

@@Bossbaby09595 😈

kinda hard to do if youre given 15 min per patient encounter

@@gaiac1979 I get that, it's sad to see genuine people in pain.

@@Bossbaby09595wha

My mom is 90 and told me thats how they used to treat chronic pain when she was younger with lots of alcohol.I believe lots still do cause it also numbs the mind

They lie to you about your age. It’s just another way of manipulating you. If you’re healthy, you can take medication. I just want to make money off of you and multiple interactions with these doctors. It’s always the same thing. How much money can I make off of you they don’t care about the pain they don’t care about your ability to live, they are the monsters I went to medical school to prevent from practicing I failed because I had a major car accident, and my voice was taken away from me

Kratom can help with some pain

I am so sorry for your treatment. I had a gallbladder removed and when leaving the hospital I was given no pain meds! I called the doctor and said it felt like you stabbed me 4x and give me nothing. My husband after I screamed in pain all night finally got the doctor to write me 10 pills. It is unfair the treatment we receive. I have you in my prayers.

My friend was a medic in Vietnam. While a medical amputation is different than a war injury, loosing a leg is loosing a leg. The first thing they did was pull out the morphine. I am so sorry you were abused like that. (It is abuse, can't be treatment, they didn't do anything).

They can they only give out 5 to 7 days supply it’s in the regulations now plus the dr said it they can’t give more a month it’s the drs that won’t follow the new cdc guidelines to prescribe they can prescribe that amount but still won’t I only had some after surgery but I have pain in my disk it’s not right

Palliative care isn’t suicide…

I'm happy for you that you have a doctor who cares about you! I'm realizing that I will die from this and it won't happen soon enough!

@@LauraJohnson-yw2xk - I’m so sorry. Is cannabis legal where you live?

My grand mother died in 1968. As a young woman she had a colostomy. I remember as a child her regularly taking Paragoric. I believe she took it most of her life. It started as a patent medicine, then became prescription only but her doctor kept writing for her. She was fully functional until her final illness and never showed signs of being on any drug but also she was not having pain and gastrointestinal distress. What would they do to her now? If they can keep addicts on methadone why can't they keep pain patients on their drugs?. You can't fake a disintegrating spine, any fool could tell they'd be in pain.

Doctors are such overrated people.

Failed implani

Failed implant

What kind of implant do you have?

It's called a spinal cord stimulator, like a TENS machine but implanted on my spinal cord

@@emilybrailsford6914 So glad it worked for you, sometimes it doesn't.

Actually they do get their interview techniques from the police, the DEA.

Yes the cdc said yes but dr are still acting like they said no so we have to write to cdc telling them drs won’t give it up chronic pain patients

@@magicalindigoadult3838 ok. Thank you!!

It is technically part of the care. That's basically the management part of pain management. Anyone taking a regular dose of opioid medication needs to be titrated off it; that's literally in the manual lol, & if they're not, that's technically malpractice. However, some people have a latent addiction triggered, or maybe even ptsd after an accident that an opioid helps manage consequentially, & they need to be looked over and monitored & given guidance, & I doubt that will ever happen because the insurance companies will say it's too expensive.

This part! And it’s never a taper down or titration always cold turkey. That can be lethal but do they care? No.

Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to realize that gradually reduced dosage and close monitoring can greatly reduce withdrawal symptoms and decrease the chances of a patients' need to visit urgent care, return to the hospital, or wind up as one of the statistics they've got their panties in a bunch about. There are even a few alternate medications available to help them. But, y'know. Opioids are the devil and all that jazz.

1:1000 has the misread on a gene that could bc addicted! So, we suffer 999 people for 1? No, we must do better. PROP advised wrongly. (Physicians for Appropriate Opiate Prescribing.) Docs don't prescribe Heroin. We have an illicit Street drug posening crisis, and a pain patient refugee crisis. ( can't find docs to prescribe) All bc the CDC DIRECTOR Thomas Frieden said doctors caused opiate epidemic by over prescribing. Not the case bc scripts are down and overdoses n suicides are way, way up.

The medical profession as a group treats older people like they should hurry up and get out of the way, especially if they're women but men too.

UPDATE: The clinics where I have been receiving treatment for chronic pain (considered the worst type of pain rating 42/50 on the McGill Pain Scale) advised that their goal is to take all patients with chronic pain down to 20 mme/day 😱🤬🤯😲🫠. The AMA worked very hard with CDC and the DEA to get a revision written for their opioid guidelines specifically criticizing forced reductions of meds where chronic pain is still a problem and lives are compromised -- their focus was on doctors, clinics, and pharmacies asking them to stop mandatory reductions! I wonder if the AMA reviews for compliance!?!

Too bad litigation is so difficult. A doctor like that should be sued until his insurance premiums are as high as the national debt and your poor brother should own the hospital. I once suffered from migraines, used to loose vision, really scary and no one gets it. I'm glad the cabbie was kind.

A neighbor of mine went to the hospital because she was suicidal. She had a horrible childhood and suffered from PTSD and depression. They kicked her out after just a few days. At the out processing they had no support groups or programs to refer her to. She told me at the same time across the room the addicts were being sent to this and that program. She had actually seen some of these addicts before and said they just came to the hospital when they ran out of money and did a rinse and repeat. She said a counselor told her they make lots of money off the addiction programs because they always wind up coming back.

As someone with both PTSD and chronic pain…both conditions can be agonizing. Addicts are not our enemies. The insurance companies that won’t cover actual treatment are.

And the insurance industry.

100% agree. And a whole bunch of 3 letter organizations.

I agree; but why should the pain treatment tool box have DEATH as one of our treatment options? I'm sorry, but we ARE talking about the u.s., right, LOL.. they'll legalize marijuana, to make us all dumber, but NOT the very thing that would help us get back to work and be the "productive society member" (ahem, taxpayer) that the govt wants us to be.

I feel badly such a young person felt there was no other choice then death. I think we can do better. I had a bad car accident last year, I had one stable compression fracture and four fractures of transvers process. I was pushed across five lanes of highway traffic into a cement divider. Thankfully they did not feel the need for surgery. Because I was extremely disappointed in the protocols for my back treatment. I believe your doctor about the rate of spine damage. I started body building in my 20's and learned how to lift weight and move to protect my back and for 50 years I have watched people do things that could hurt their back. Anyway I was lucky to have no nerve damage but it was the surgeon who fixed my broken hip who commented on my lack of osteoporosis and strong muscles.

Straight up!!

Yeah, it's real easy to get on that soapbox when it's not your name on that bottle. I've developed and run a Suboxone treatment program, and I also have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It's not a problem with an easy solution, and the threat of the federal government is ever-present. The root of the problem is that physicians and nurses should he in charge of controlled substance regulation/enforcement. Instead, for several decades, the DEA, a law enforcement agency, calls the shots. The culture in the US is very paranoid. Patients labeled as addicts. Clinicians treated like drug dealers. It is all disgusting.

@@isocarboxazid Doctors spend a lot of time and money to get to be doctors so I get why they get scared off. But you are right about the DEA and the paranoia. What I would love to see and never will is a society where masses of people don't turn to drugs in the first place, doctors understand the potential for good and bad of what they prescribe and the system is not so fragmented and overburdened that those that do get hooked are not lost for years.

If there is a steroid in that epidural, they just might literally epidural their patients to death, & what is the point of an epidural if there isn't a steroid amirite? They never did much for me anyway so I quit taking them early in the process.

There is a BLACK BOX WARNING on ESIs!! Straight from the FDA's mouth. Do NOT allow steps anywhere near your vertebrae - it will eat away the bone. Find an article and take THAT to your "doctor" for when they suggest a steroid injection!

Glad it works for you! I've gone through 4 tens units and never got any relief from the pain.