Drs responsiblity for addiction

[house2]

Im a 52 year old male and believe we should take responsibility for our actions,but I have been feed pain killers like candy for three knee surgerys and two back surgerys.After the knee surgerys no problem getting off the stuff but after years of dealing with chronic back pain and two back surgerys I've learned to love em.My question is,do Drs believe these drugs are always temporal and only losers like us on this form get hooked on em.They load you up with vics until they think your fixed and then cut em off so they can't be accused of being Dr. Robert(thats an old Beatle song)or have to deal with you anymore.Seems ignorant considering all the rehab centers and drug problems we have have in this country.Is this a valid point or am I just looking for a scapegoat?

[house2]

Well I'd say we've heard both sides of the debate.Whitie if your doing the whole month in a week,thats compulsive no way a DR's fault.A pain managment plan between you and your DR can work but you have to keep your end of the bargin, these narcatics are the only thing out there for chronic pain but it comes with a price,a dependance not only for easing physical pain but now after time a mental dependance to to feel normal.I guess there comes a time when you just have had enough of it and are willing to suffer and be done with it,that time is different for everyone.I do 60 ea 7.5 vics a month and every refill time I want to say no but always end up filling it.KB can't buy the conspiracy theory

[Kevin_Bacon]

It's not you.

For all the hype we hear about the U.S. "War on Drugs," for some strange reason, BigPharma, the biggest pusher in the world, doesn't even get a mention ...

I guess you can be a dealer if you pay your corporate taxes ...

[whitie]

most dr, I have seen were not willing to give out anything, but non narcotic muscle relaxers. which were horrible feeling for me. I avoided taking them for many years even with two fused vertibre and a cracked vertibre in my neck. over the years, bone spurs and other problems messed up my walking ability, and a few times I was in monsterous pain. I finally was prescribed some 750's which were alright, but was not enough. then I got 60 norcs. well they worked better for me. but thats all he would ever give me, never anymore, each month.


my addiction to them was totally my fault from over indulgence, and  never once did I let him know that I was pounding the script in less than 10 days. he did nothing wrong but try and help some one out of enormous pain, and never gave me anymore than 60 per month.


as for the other dr.s that supposedly give out too much to people, I highly doubt that they would have if, the patients we honest with them about pain levels and what they were doing with them.

[house2]

Thank you for your concern,I hope your surgery goes well,(it will)-can make you nervous knowing its coming up soon.My knee problems,they fixed me,no more drugs,my back continues and thats when I got into trouble.Two decompression surgerys a couple epidurals and still ache and numb leg.My Dr has me on 2 vics a day and I do well but have real issues when I dont take them,mentally and physically.This forum is great to talk with people that know what its like and offer support-take care-John

[10356]

This is understandable.. I think we all look for a share of responsibility but unfortunately until they come up with pain management that will not suck the life out of the addict.. it is our responsibility.. I hope you are well today.. My husband has had many knee surgery's and the one you had is tough.. He had his knee replaced and is doing much better.. I myself go in for shoulder replacement the 17th.. My Surgeon knows I'm a addict as I told her.. They can not let me suffer.. so I will take responsibility but this time and for the first time.. I will not be in control of my meds.. I hope you are doing well now..

[house2]

Good discussion and thanks for your input.I have had some great Drs and am thankful for what they have done for me.My knee would pop out and swell,had an ACL repair and its stronger than ever.I can remember the point when I started to be dependant on meds so yes that was my responsibility,but I arrived there because of the compassion of the Drs.My choice was lay around and ease my aching back or take the pills and keep going.Don't take this post the wrong way,sometimes I just feel so useless because of my addiction and say how did I get here

[10356]

My Humble take on this.. I thank goodness for my Dr. although he wrote me a prescription every month he did not know I was running another.. Did he know I was a drug addict yes.. I was in pain.. He also knew I was hooked.. was he concerned.. yes but he also stuck with me and did not drop me... He knew my past and he also knew that I would have looked for pain relief in other places if he did not.. He warned me if I went to pain management they would give me harder drugs.. He knows it is up to the addict to stop.. He waited for me to stop as he knew I was at the bottom.. Is he supportive now.. yes. will he write me short term opiate for pain if I needed them yes.. Once again he and I recognize it is up to me to stop as he can not do it for me... lesa

[ChronicPain1]

You're looking for a scapegoat, it's truly your responsibility to understand it. Sorry.

[NautyOne]

No, man........Narc's are just a double-edged sword for the patient and the Dr.  I wasn't sure in the beginning and hated my doctor, but what's he suppose to do when I tell him I am in pain...."sorry bout your luck, nauty"  now that wouldn't make me happy with him either........as much as i hated him for prescribing them too me.  

Doctors need to educate the patients, esp. chronic pain patients.......

I hope i made sense.......Yoink!

Luv
Nauty..........

[LateAugust]

I have no idea of how chronic pain is treated,  so I won't even offer my simple opinion.....   my ex-husband is a cardio-thoracic-vasc surgeon....  all he does is open- heart surgeries, a pretty painful operation and process for patients.  Having your chest bone sawed open is not an easy wound, nor having your stomach or leg veins stripped to be used as replacements for by-pass....   I normally don't respond to these posts, because of my relationship,  but there seems to be so many  "the doc was bad"  lately....   all I can tell you is my personal experience....  over "dinner talk" of how our days at work had gone , my husband shared more concern about  his patients wanting to get more pain meds,  rather than the hearts he held in is hand that day......
He went to school for 16 years, post high school graduation, the malpractice insurance we had to pay  was obscene.   Perhaps he is not the "norm",  but I will say he and the other docs I know   would never intentionally hurt any of their patients and were very much aware of pain med addiction, altho that was a minimal portion  of their medical training.          
I don't think most doc's want to hurt their patient.....  they didn't go thru all the training and sacrifice to throw it away  trying to create an addict.   For 99.9% of docs they have dedicated  their life to helping others.......   if it were not such a sacrifice to pursue a medical degree, more so for a speciality , I am sure we all would have our shingle hanging on our front porch.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

I feel that its a flat out medical hump.....only a few percent of people treated with narcotic pain pills develop this sort of problem.....but the Docs should attempt to be more aware. Unfortunately this all boils down to face to face time with the Doc.....and very few patients see the doc for more than five minutes. And the Doc has not got the time to fully read a medical file before each patient. And a strong bottom line is that narcotic pain pills should not be used for extended lengths of time.......but we dont have a decent answer for chronic pain right now - so the Docs try.......and they try with what they have available.

[house2]

yeah kind of like the westerns when you take a hit a whiskey and then they pull the bullit out.I guess my complaint is after care,they start to treat you like you got a problem when they are the ones who created it.You said "I never told my Dr I was becoming addicted"Seems like any Dr perscribing pain meds for an extended period of time is going know you'll become addicted.

[GA Guy]

The fact of the matter is that Doctors would actually be more at fault if they DIDN'T treat the pain than if they do. The addicted mind always looks for someone else to blame. I did it too. But, I never told my doctor I was becoming addicted and wanted help. I never refused a script. I always inflated my pain levels. Pain is a symptom that is difficult to verify through tangible tests. So, doctors have to take our words that the pain is there and that we're taking the meds responsibly.