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It bothers me. It's like they are punishing the innocent because a few had issues. Wouldn't it be better to find a way to better monitor those using opioids?
I have an older relative who has severe arthritis of the spine and bone spurs. She is in pain and takes something everyday. She can take up to two pills, but usually only takes one. Her pain is never going to go away. The idea of her having to go out every week to the doctor to get a prescription to refill is just nuts. Then again, she does mail order. As it is now, she has to see the doctor every three months for a refill. That is annoying, but seems reasonable considering how addictive opioids can be.
Maybe CVS is more for people like me (the article says, "certain conditions"). I recently broke my arm and had surgery to fix it. They gave me a prescription for Percocet. When I think of it, if I had taken the maximum dose, the doctor only prescribed a five day supply. I only took half of the pills and only took the maximum dose the first day after surgery when I hurt the most. By day three, I was taking Advil for pain with just a half dose of the Percocet before bed. Like I said, I still have a lot left over. So a seven day supply for those with temporary pain seems very reasonable.
Maybe there needs to be a distinction.
I have severe osteoarthritis and 800 mg of ibuprofen works every bit as well as a single vicodin tablet. Heating pads also work wonders for arthritis pain. Prescribing opioids for a broken arm is entirely appropriate but filling prescriptions of 100 or 120 vicodin or norcos a month for arthritis for several years isn't doing the patient a favor.
I have severe osteoarthritis and 800 mg of ibuprofen works every bit as well as a single vicodin tablet. Heating pads also work wonders for arthritis pain. Prescribing opioids for a broken arm is entirely appropriate but filling prescriptions of 100 or 120 vicodin or norcos a month for arthritis for several years isn't doing the patient a favor.
I'm happy that ibuprofen works so well for you, but for many others, it doesn't. Or they can't take it because they have kidney disease, or a life-threatening reaction called angioedema, or some other problem with it. Prescribing narcotics to relieve intractable pain when NSAID's, heating pads, and dozens of other treatments have failed is doing a great favor for those patients.
I have severe osteoarthritis and 800 mg of ibuprofen works every bit as well as a single vicodin tablet. Heating pads also work wonders for arthritis pain. Prescribing opioids for a broken arm is entirely appropriate but filling prescriptions of 100 or 120 vicodin or norcos a month for arthritis for several years isn't doing the patient a favor.
What about filling them for degenerative spine disease with severe osteoarthritis, crushed discs and pinched nerves? You really shouldn't be comparing your own good outcome with NSAID's to people who cannot even take ibuprofen because of allergies to it or ulcers caused by it.
Dr. Drew is on radio here every day and this has been a major issue and talking about CVS limiting 7 days of Vicodin now....the doctors are in favor and I've had to take narc drugs for hip replacement and then staph infection in knee and I"m so GLAD to be off them and work with bodywide OA in other ways...I live with some pain and that's just the way it is.
A dear one in my life spent 13 months in rehab for "V" addiction.
All these drugs can lead to major memory loss, dementia etc. Why mess with that possibility.
I have a dear friend who is way worse off than me with OA and due to years of pain meds years back, she lost her hearing, and now takes nothing...sucks it up and she knows pain but her mind is GOOD and she's 90. She'll take some ibuprofen and/or arthritis tylenol but still has a desire to think on her own.
I'm happy that ibuprofen works so well for you, but for many others, it doesn't. Or they can't take it because they have kidney disease, or a life-threatening reaction called angioedema, or some other problem with it. Prescribing narcotics to relieve intractable pain when NSAID's, heating pads, and dozens of other treatments have failed is doing a great favor for those patients.
It's not feasible to spend decades taking opioids, you develop a tolerance so you either get an increased dose or you suffer more than you probably would without it and you get to the point where if you don't have it you have to suffer through withdrawals.
I have no issue with people with chronic pain taking opioids on occasion but 3 -5 times a day, every day for decades just doesn't make sense to me.
What about filling them for degenerative spine disease with severe osteoarthritis, crushed discs and pinched nerves? You really shouldn't be comparing your own good outcome with NSAID's to people who cannot even take ibuprofen because of allergies to it or ulcers caused by it.
I prefer not to share my medical history online but let it suffice to say, I have severe joint problems with my neck, lumbar spine and both wrists, I've had three surgeries and am probably going to have a bilateral knee replacement within the next year or two, but I don't take opioids. What really helped me was biofeedback, it teaches you to compartmentalize the pain so that it's not always on your mind. Even if you are taking opioids I strongly suggest that anyone with chronic pain at least look into biofeedback. And caffeine helps with pain too. https://www.disabled-world.com/health/pain/caffeine.php
I prefer not to share my medical history online but let it suffice to say, I have severe joint problems with my neck, lumbar spine and both wrists, I've had three surgeries and am probably going to have a bilateral knee replacement within the next year or two, but I don't take opioids. What really helped me was biofeedback, it teaches you to compartmentalize the pain so that it's not always on your mind. Even if you are taking opioids I strongly suggest that anyone with chronic pain at least look into biofeedback. And caffeine helps with pain too. https://www.disabled-world.com/health/pain/caffeine.php
So many people miss the peripheral point of this thread: opioids are always a last resort. They should only be used when all other therapies have been tried and failed, the person can't take giant doses of NSAID's every day because of liver, kidney failure, ulcers, allergic reactions, etc. and they are in such pain that they are bedbound unable even to get out of bed and go to the bathroom. In these cases opioids are their only means of getting some sort of semblance of meaningful life, and tens of thousands of people have testified that opioids are the only thing that controls their pain and gives them some kind of meaningful life.
The problem is that the FDA/DEA doesn't care if a patient has tried everything and nothing has worked except opioids. The FDA/DEA is taking a sledgehammer approach cutting EVERYONE off from opioids, the ones who don't need them which is a good thing AND the ones who do need them which is extremely bad, wouldn't you agree?
So many people miss the peripheral point of this thread: opioids are always a last resort. They should only be used when all other therapies have been tried and failed, the person can't take giant doses of NSAID's every day because of liver, kidney failure, ulcers, allergic reactions, etc. and they are in such pain that they are bedbound unable even to get out of bed and go to the bathroom. In these cases opioids are their only means of getting some sort of semblance of meaningful life, and tens of thousands of people have testified that opioids are the only thing that controls their pain and gives them some kind of meaningful life.
The problem is that the FDA/DEA doesn't care if a patient has tried everything and nothing has worked except opioids. The FDA/DEA is taking a sledgehammer approach cutting EVERYONE off from opioids, the ones who don't need them which is a good thing AND the ones who do need them which is extremely bad, wouldn't you agree?
I absolutely agree and I also think that all drugs should be decriminalized and that people should be able to take all the opioids they want, for as long as they want just so they don't drive impaired. My personal opinion is that they should be a last resort but for years physicians have been prescribing them without even pursuing other therapies.
It's really naive to think patients just jump right into opioids for control of chronic pain. Many have already tried NSAID's and every other non-opioid analgesic, PT, heat/cold therapy, ultrasound, cold laser, Estim, TENS, osteopathic manipulation, biofeedback, massage, acupuncture, hypnosis, steroid injections, epidurals, PMR, surgery, more surgery, and a boatload of other things under the care of a pain management specialist for months or years, until there is nothing else left except long-term narcotics. And patients with legitimate chronic pain don't want to take narcotics because the side effects suck, but to get out of bed in the morning, or to stand up long enough to fix lunch, or walk to their mailbox, they have no ****ing choice.
It's really naive to think patients just jump right into opioids for control of chronic pain. Many have already tried NSAID's and every other non-opioid analgesic, PT, heat/cold therapy, ultrasound, cold laser, Estim, TENS, osteopathic manipulation, biofeedback, massage, acupuncture, hypnosis, steroid injections, epidurals, PMR, surgery, more surgery, and a boatload of other things under the care of a pain management specialist for months or years, until there is nothing else left except long-term narcotics. And patients with legitimate chronic pain don't want to take narcotics because the side effects suck, but to get out of bed in the morning, or to stand up long enough to fix lunch, or walk to their mailbox, they have no ****ing choice.
Perhaps that's true now but it certainly wasn't in the past, every doctor I went to wanted to give me prescriptions for large quantities of opioids. Most of the Doctors who treated me didn't even understand alternative therapies, I had to do the research on my own.
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You really shouldn't be comparing your own good outcome with NSAID's to people who cannot even take ibuprofen because of allergies to it or ulcers caused by it.
