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Opioid Crisis
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 2018-03-13 11:29 AM |
Champion  10157    Alabama |  Subject: Opioid CrisisI keep hearing about the opioid "crisis" and am trying to figure out when/how/why drug abuse became a national crisis? I did a few searches and found out 115 people a day die overdose on opioids. If that number is even close to accurate, that is astounding. Compare that to the number of deaths per day by AR-15s! But I digress. I guess the big pharmaceutical companies deserve some of the blame and do heroin pushers and doctors. I've taken opioids after back surgery and I think knee surgery too but frankly, they did nothing for the pain; they felt good but didn't really stop the pain. So I took them more for the 'recreation' than for pain until they ran out. I never got refills and I can't imagine my doctor would have authorized a refill anyway. I've heard people talk about some doctors that will prescribe anything you want as often as you want....just so long as you come in for a visit so they can bill your insurance company for the visit. Not my doctor! I had a 13 hr flight to Nepal that I was dreading and asked my doctor if she would prescribe some Valium for the long trip and back. She prescribed 2 pills! 2 pills!!! One for the trip over and one for the trip back! They worked great too as I was able to relax and get some sleep during the flight. She is not known as a Dr. Feelgood. I think the people who can have the biggest influence on the opioid crisis are doctors. Just quit prescribing narcotics for every discomfort! Tell them to "Take two aspirin and HTFU". Maybe have the FDA monitor the number of opioid prescriptions a doctor writes? Not really knowable about the issues to make any real solutions.....I had to chuckle at Trump's suggestion of death penalty for drug pushers. In certain circumstances - like those providing heroine to teenagers - I can get on board. But no one forces adults to buy drugs so must drug dealers are simply supplying the demand. |
| 2018-03-13 12:09 PM in reply to: 0 |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis The DEA is raining hell on Drs. who over prescribe, and the Docs themselves are doing a better job of policing their ranks, but for years it was completely out of control. Most of today's heroin users started out with prescription meds......when they couldn't get them anymore, or it became to expensive, it was a very easy shift to heroin, cheap and readily available. In fact, that's STILL the best route to heroin addiction. I lost both of my parents in December to overdose.....after a decades long battle with prescription pain meds. One day, if I don't write a book about my experiences with the drug business, both legal and illicit, I'll make a post or two about how that happens in adulthood. Unfortunately, I can't say, "I don't know how that happens"......I do. The other point from your post about the 115 peoeple dying a day from opioid overdoses....sorry, that's WAY low. The stigma attached to those deaths leaves many unreported as such......especially in the elderly. Edited by Left Brain 2018-03-13 12:10 PM |
| 2018-03-14 8:07 AM in reply to: Left Brain |
Pro 6838 Tejas | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis They're no longer handing it out like candy in Texas. Last year I fell from 6 feet onto concrete, landing on my head and neck, splitting my head open. I was given one vicodin at the ER. Sent home with a scrip for ten Tylenol 3s. Follow up visit, I tell staff my pain level is around 7-8 and they give me a scrip for 10 muscle relaxers. After an MRI showed all kinds of efckuked up spinal issues I was finally referred to pain mgmt. I came pretty close to taking a flight to Denver... |
| 2018-03-14 8:40 AM in reply to: Left Brain |
Champion 10157 Alabama | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis Originally posted by Left Brain The DEA is raining hell on Drs. who over prescribe, and the Docs themselves are doing a better job of policing their ranks, but for years it was completely out of control. Most of today's heroin users started out with prescription meds......when they couldn't get them anymore, or it became to expensive, it was a very easy shift to heroin, cheap and readily available. In fact, that's STILL the best route to heroin addiction. I lost both of my parents in December to overdose.....after a decades long battle with prescription pain meds. One day, if I don't write a book about my experiences with the drug business, both legal and illicit, I'll make a post or two about how that happens in adulthood. Unfortunately, I can't say, "I don't know how that happens"......I do. The other point from your post about the 115 peoeple dying a day from opioid overdoses....sorry, that's WAY low. The stigma attached to those deaths leaves many unreported as such......especially in the elderly. Sorry to hear about you parents. That is a tragic way to go. Our bodies are wired to become addicted. We can become addicted to drug or alcohol or to running, biking, swimming or to TV or video games or FB. I ran for 10 years and I suppose I was addicted. It was a good addiction. I didn't think about running, I just ran almost every day. It was kind of like brushing your teeth or smoking a cig or having a drink. You don't think about it, you just do it because that is what you do. I can see drug addiction in a similar was. You just take the pills and don't really think about it or try to fight the urge unless you are actively trying to break the addiction. In addition to addictions, I think some people have a tendency towards excess. If one drink is good, two will be better. If one pill makes me feel good then 2 will make me feel 2x as good. It running a 5k was fun, running a marathon will be awesome. If a sprint was fun and IM will be incredible. If a slice of pizza make your feel good then eating the whole pizza will be 8 times better. I think we all have different degrees of OCD and levels of addiction and tendencies towards excess. Some people can be 'heavy drinkers' and never become alcoholics. Some people can smoke and never become addicted. It takes a lifetime to learn our bodies any the stuff that is wired into us. I've never done any hard drugs so can't really speak to that. I have done painkillers and can see how they can easily become addictive....especially if they actually help the pain or you have chronic pain. My wife said she tried cocaine in college but only once. When I asked her why only once she said 'because I liked it too much and knew I could easily become addictive so I never did it again'. Very wise woman! |
| 2018-03-14 12:27 PM in reply to: mdg2003 |
Expert 2373 Floriduh | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis Originally posted by mdg2003 They're no longer handing it out like candy in Texas. Last year I fell from 6 feet onto concrete, landing on my head and neck, splitting my head open. I was given one vicodin at the ER. Sent home with a scrip for ten Tylenol 3s. Follow up visit, I tell staff my pain level is around 7-8 and they give me a scrip for 10 muscle relaxers. After an MRI showed all kinds of efckuked up spinal issues I was finally referred to pain mgmt. I came pretty close to taking a flight to Denver... I'm going to Oregon for vacation.  |
| 2018-03-14 3:03 PM in reply to: Oysterboy |
Champion 10157 Alabama | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis Originally posted by Oysterboy Originally posted by mdg2003 They're no longer handing it out like candy in Texas. Last year I fell from 6 feet onto concrete, landing on my head and neck, splitting my head open. I was given one vicodin at the ER. Sent home with a scrip for ten Tylenol 3s. Follow up visit, I tell staff my pain level is around 7-8 and they give me a scrip for 10 muscle relaxers. After an MRI showed all kinds of efckuked up spinal issues I was finally referred to pain mgmt. I came pretty close to taking a flight to Denver... I'm going to Oregon for vacation. Judas Priest! I hang out with a bunch of dope heads!! (that's what my daddy always called pot smokers - I haven't smoked in over 30 years (it's a firing offence with my clearance) |
| 2018-03-14 5:44 PM in reply to: mdg2003 |
Expert 2373 Floriduh | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis Originally posted by mdg2003 They're no longer handing it out like candy in Texas. Last year I fell from 6 feet onto concrete, landing on my head and neck, splitting my head open. I was given one vicodin at the ER. Sent home with a scrip for ten Tylenol 3s. Follow up visit, I tell staff my pain level is around 7-8 and they give me a scrip for 10 muscle relaxers. After an MRI showed all kinds of efckuked up spinal issues I was finally referred to pain mgmt. I came pretty close to taking a flight to Denver... Couple of years ago I dislocated my sacroiliac (SI) joint as a slow rolling effect of a difficult race and some less than stellar stretching and flexibility attention on my part. Anyway, could hardly walk, went to the orthopod and he sees that the joint is not right. He then gives me a script for prednisone, which did zero. Wasn't until I was in a meeting with a friend (and MD) and the pain I was in was so obvious that he finally wrote me a script for Oxy. That stuff is friggin' nasty (the opiod-induced constipation is real SAD!), but it was in my mind that I had to be cool so I didn't end up hooked. Only took for a week or so, it did help me sleep. |
| 2018-03-14 7:00 PM in reply to: Rogillio |
Pro 6838 Tejas | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis Originally posted by Rogillio Originally posted by Oysterboy Originally posted by mdg2003 They're no longer handing it out like candy in Texas. Last year I fell from 6 feet onto concrete, landing on my head and neck, splitting my head open. I was given one vicodin at the ER. Sent home with a scrip for ten Tylenol 3s. Follow up visit, I tell staff my pain level is around 7-8 and they give me a scrip for 10 muscle relaxers. After an MRI showed all kinds of efckuked up spinal issues I was finally referred to pain mgmt. I came pretty close to taking a flight to Denver... I'm going to Oregon for vacation. Judas Priest! I hang out with a bunch of dope heads!! (that's what my daddy always called pot smokers - I haven't smoked in over 30 years (it's a firing offence with my clearance) I'm subject to random ua too. But hey, I was out on OJI. Could have gotten away with it short term. Not sure how to explain to wife and kids though. |
| 2018-03-15 12:51 PM in reply to: mdg2003 |
| 249 | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis To Left Brain: Just want to say very sorry about your parents and the experiences you had witnessing addiction. |
| 2018-03-16 1:09 PM in reply to: Burchib |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: Opioid Crisis Originally posted by Burchib To Left Brain: Just want to say very sorry about your parents and the experiences you had witnessing addiction. I appreciate that......still trying to find a category for it in my brain. I basically lost my parents 10 years ago..... andthey were already a good 10 years into addiction by then. At some point you either decide to go down the road with them, or kick them out of the car and make them walk. I did the latter so any mourning that I needed to do was done years ago. Still, I do feel a sense of relief after dreading that call for so long. They were fabulous parents to 3 kids who all grew to be responsible adults. I suppose it's the same way great kids get addicted and their lives go down the drain....it's just weird when it's your folks.... it's a helluva thing to watch, no matter who it is, if you love them. |
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