Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Why dont the Drs tell us?

Why dont Dr,s tell you , warn you, put you on a schedule when prescribing opiates like Hydrocodone? I took them from Jan16- March 30. Had surgey on March 26 and shortly after my body started to reject the hydro.Now Im having the worst time of my life trying to recover from Cervical Spinal surgery and go through withdrawals and keep my **** together so my 3 yr old doesnt hink daddy is whack job! Im day 3 and feeling tired, nervous, blood pressure meds arent working well my sweating is less than desirable and stomach is cramping, im drpressed and trying to not cry and no matter what i do i cant get more that 4 hours of sleep!!!!!

Had i known prior to taking these drugs that this is what will happen i would have never taken them!!
Dr's need to take the drugs before prescribing what they do.
I was given 180 pills a month of Hydrocodone. Yes my pain was bad but was there an alternative? why is there no education before we undergo such trauma?

I hope this will be over soon, i feel like im missing out on my childrens lives cuz I feel like a junkie!
So much for medical Marijuana like i asked for " oh we dont belive in that" they said. ******** you dont get kickbacks for it !!
54 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
480448 tn?1426948538
I'm glad you came back to update us!  I thought maybe we scared you off with our ramblings, lol.  It's good to see that you're taking stock of the situation, and are realizing that when it comes to addictive meds, you have to be extra careful, especially if you have a history of addiction or addictive tendencies.

I'm reposting your own words because they're wise!......



Ive learned some things through this though and would like to share.
Never go on blind trust with ur DR. always follow w research.

I may have an addictive gene in me and will always share w my drs.so we can avoid this again in the future.

never let my dr delay any treatment w drugs, next time straight to surgery.

know your limits w meds, never take more than prescribed and question your dr when he/she puts you on a long term schedule of drugs.

get a second opinion always.

take responsibility for your own health and well being!
Helpful - 0
1926359 tn?1331588139
This thread was super fascinating to me.  It also makes me feel pretty happy to be Canadian.  We may have longer wait lists for surgeries, specialists, etc but our medical care is universal.  I only blame myself for not researching the medications that I was put on for my terrible crohn's disease and severe endometriosis.  And then I don't beat myself up because I was in pain and sick and scared.  I did the best I could.  I learned lots of valuable lessons.  And mainly, I learned to be my own advocate...And when I'm too sick and in too much pain I have a loved one do it for me.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
So here we are now day 4.5 and still sleeping is tough. however my brain is coming back and my doc gave me some clonidin for my bp. On wed my bp was 178/119 and that was with 40mg of benicar. the clonidin is helping and too slowly im getting better. hope im ok for tomorrows bday party. all i want is about 7 hours of solid sleep, too much to ask?

I must say i never thought my first post would bring about such convo on this but im glad to seee im not alone and there is a bunch of really good info here from all of you, im impressed!

my wife has never experienced anything like this, in fact she never has even inhaled anything other than her inhaler. she asked what its like i told its a milder version of that one scen in Less than zero, lol.

Ive learned some things through this though and would like to share.
Never go on blind trust with ur DR. always follow w research.

I may have an addictive gene in me and will always share w my drs.so we can avoid this again in the future.

never let my dr delay any treatment w drugs, next time straight to surgery.

know your limits w meds, never take more than prescribed and question your dr when he/she puts you on a long term schedule of drugs.

get a second opinion always.

take responsibility for your own health and well being!

thanks all for reading and offering your input , it surely has helped!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I never used it recreationally...i had vicodin twice for a surgery and wisdom teeth. turns i was allergic. however neverhad any withdrawals. using the hydrocodone this time was the first time in about 5 yrs i have taken pain meds especially for this long. in my 20s i used coc and weed and acid bit thats ove 15 yrs ago. sorry if  i wasnt clear.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Wow, what an interesting thread, the insurance companies are worse than I imagined. NurseGirl, I am going back to college this fall at the ripe age of 47 for a health administration degree(I currently hold a B.S.. in biology), I want to use this degree to help run nursing homes. I feel a duty to help protect our elderly. What you said about the nursing home was very interesting to me.

I also wanted to give another take on kickbacks from my personal experience. Even though I live in a small community, we have a large hospital that serves a very large geographical radius. We have one five star restaurant that I have worked for over eight years. We had a private room just used by pharmaceutical reps to give lectures. As the lead server I was usually the girl to work these dinners. It was great compensation!! The doctors were treated to $100 bottles of wine, which I would often pour a dozen during dinner and the lecture. The average bill for one of these dinners was $2500 (approx 10-15 doctors and the rep) that equated to a 400-500 dollar tip for me!!! It was definitely in excess...just a little food for thought for everyone!!  Of course our restaurant and myself benefited from these lecturers, and I never really thought of the moral ramifications until I needed a script...lol, the many lessons we continue to learn in life. God speed all....Michelle
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, but it's written in a language that only one group of people speak, a minority at that. Legal ease should be required study in public school, for example, I went to the tax assessors office. They read me the law, Cali property tax is 1% of last purchase price and set by current market value. I said my taxes are almost 2% and my house has never been marketable at that price. He said, "That's not how the law is written." They change the meaning of words too, just like me. I think he meant amended though, not written, see, even he gets his words mixed up. He said it wasn't written the way he just read it. Writen means something different, so does market value, its a wild blend or rhetoric and invented meanings.  Lawyerknees has been the language of pharm, gov's, and corps from it's uprising. This level of not enforcing laws is improving, but the corruption keeps moving, like drug patent laws that prevent bath salts from being a drug or removed from the market in a timely manor. They are regulating certain drugs today and new ones will be out every tomorrow. You can bank on it. They want us ignorant, no doubt in my mind, a smart consumer would avoid most things for sale.
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Even better!!!!  HA!  I was lol at how ironic that "typo" was.....

You're a funny guy!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
No, I make up more appropriate words Sometimes. Legal ease sounds....easy. Lawyerknees gives a better image to me.
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
lawyerknees????

Was that an autocorrect???  LOL!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for spelling out the insurance/pharm/gov connection. I read the rhetoric in the laws and amendments, it's written in lawyerknees. I see the pattern and progression, the loopholes are the reality, thanks for sharing.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Lol -- I will be more than happy to get you some pens... Private message me and we will figure out how to get it done..
Helpful - 0
4522800 tn?1470325834
WOW Great info here!!!!
I heard one time that in a certain country if the Dr can not cure you or find what is going on and try to fix it then he/she is not a good Dr.
That is a big one here..The Drs sometimes just do not really know what is going on until it is too late. They just give you a pill for this & a pill for that.
Plus look at the Meds that they do come out with and advertise. If you take this med for just ONE thing it may have 10000 side effects..Now come on here..AND lets not forget about all the Law Suits now..Look at the TV and a lot of Attorneys ( got on the band wagon)and are suing the Med companies on this med or that med that might have killed some or damage someone in some way. $$$$ It all about money anymore on most parts here. Where is the HEART of it all. Find out whats wrong and do not charge a arm & a leg to do this. Just like my Dad, if they would of done a cat-scan (or anything other then..) many years ago they could of found the cancer, but they just gave him some breathing meds and never said any thing about his stomach pain. (He had cancer there too). I am not trying to Blame the Drs, but it's seem like they should try to Heal instead of Pill..lol
I guess it is our choice who we pick..We could go all natural and go to a Dr who deals in this.
Bless
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Wow, loads of great info!!!  Thanks for sharing all of that!  

I could spend a whole day commiserating with you about the topics you mentioned above.  UGH.  Working in a nursing home was a bureaucratic nightmare from you know where!!  

FIRST thing we did after admitting a patient was to wait for our dispensing pharmacy to send us the "amended" physician's orders which included all kinds of fun "therapeutic substitutions"....in other words, CHEAP versions of meds (and a lot of times a totally different MED)  to take the place of the medications these dear souls had been on for 50-60+ years.  Everything from bp meds, diabetic meds, antibiotics, supplements, everything and anything.  The pharmacy costs were by FAR the biggest operating expense for these facilities, and in order for them to "contain costs" (ie....keep or increase their profit margin), this was standard practice.  

Now, sometimes there were no ill effects, but a lot of other times, oh boy.  Patients, who had been well maintained on a certain med for decades now found themselves with un-managed, exacerbated conditions.  Sure, we could always revert back to the initial Rx, but at that point, they were a mess, and they suffered to some extent.  I could tell stories that would make people's skin crawl, as could any person in the medical field.  I'd like to consider myself an undying optimist sometimes, but there were days where I just wanted to throw the towel in.  

I cannot count how many HOURS of my life I spent fighting with the pharmacy, the doctors, the insurance companies.  WE (we, the caretakers) were the ones left having to advocate for the patient, especially in (the many) circumstances where these people HAD no family or support to speak of, and many of them couldn't communicate their issues and needs any longer.  

I was the one that had to look at that person day in and day out, while meanwhile, someone sitting at a desk, looking at a pc screen only saw dollar signs, and wanted to dictate the care.  That's back to the "all or nothing" thing I was talking about before.  The one GOOD thing that came out of my mouth (lol) was that at the one facility I worked at, they changed the process so that the patient, families, and nursing staff could be more involved in the process of choosing "therapeutic substitutions" to try.  Did that result in costs being higher?  Sure.  But, the patients were better cared for, and their conditions better managed.  I never understood how it really worked in the end anyway.  You save X amount of bucks with the new (cheaper) med, yet spend how much money on the extra week they need to be admitted to fix the medical mess we've made them?  I guess taking into consideration the patients that did NOT have issues with the substitutions, it all came out in the wash in the end.  It's a VERY tough spot to be in when you're expected to care for people in the best way you were trained to do, but yet at the same time, expected to be part of a process you KNOW is money driven and KNOW directly affected patients negatively.  UGH.

ANYWAY...I digress.  Oh!  AND, I want the pens!!!!  Give me the pens!!!  LOL  So many of the reps (as we would get to know them) were so good to me, with extra pens, and extra cookies.  ;0)  

Oh crap, that doesn't make me much better than some does it?  So I don't have a yacht, but I DO have a drawer full of cool pens, AND an extra large "cheek" thanks to the cookies.  LOL  The reps knew I didn't listen to their presentation half the time anyway.  ;0)  They SO knew I was only there for the treats.  HA!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Weaver - I sat in many meetings with the major insurance companies and I have to respectfully say you are wrong.. Insurance companies demand a rebate from pharma companies.. The high markup are to defend against that.. Yes there are marketing costs that branded drugs have that are worked into the price but the insurance company doesn't care and they just want a rebate.. I sat in a meeting with a major national carrier and they said they didn't care what we charged for a pill they just said we want a 60% rebate check at the end of the year.. If we did it we are on formulary but a 60% rebate,would have put!us in the red no matter how much was written so they told us to take a walk! That's why pharma companies have to mark up.. When you see a MSRP for a branded drug nobody is ever paying that unless it's not covered and you have to go out of pocket and that rarely happens.. So your perception of what is really happening is exactly what the payers want you to think but behind the scenes it's a who different story.. The insurance business basically works like this.. They take all the drugs on a their formulary and put the rebates given to them by all the drug companies in the middle.. They divide that number by the number of lives they cover to create the premiums that you and I pay.. Then they collect our premiums to,cover themselves so they are NEVER losing money they are ONLY making money hand over fist.. Oh, I forgot to add if you go over that number then they kick you off or just raise your premium or cut the HCP rates or just go back to the Pharma company and say they need a bigger rebate or they will knock their drug off the formulary so everyone has something to lose BUT the insurance company.. It's crazy.. Anyway, that is what I have seen in my experience but if you ever want to do something interesting google any of the state politicians and you will find that most of them have ties to a major insurance company in one way shape or form.. It's very interesting..  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Btw NG I have bags and bags of pens left over if you ever need (LOL)..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
FYI -- I've worked in Pharma for over 12 years... I was a rep, and manager of a sales force as well as in the manage markets division (dealing with the payers/insurance companies).. The company I worked for didn't deal in pain meds but the HCPs did.. currently I am in a startup company in the medical field but it's not related to the Rx business.. Everything you are saying is very true and accurate.. Things have changed and for the better (thank G-D)... As we both stated there are rules and regulation in place now that prevent any sort of Kickbacks anywhere near the level it was at.. Btw, gift cards are a huge no no.. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) must be of a modest nature wrapped around a scientific discussion in a venue that is conducive to the latter.. Meaning you can't hold a dinner at a club, arena, or stadium.. This is all from the sunshine act and HCPs and Pharma will (if they are not already) will have to document what type of $$$'s are spent on these "scientific discussions" and it will have public access via the web.. Basically a person can and will be able to go online and view what their HCP has accepted from various pharma companies.. That probably explains why a lot of HCPs do not accept an offer from a company.. Keeping that in mind the pharma companies have to fill out and document an exorbitant amount of paperwork for each of the scientific discussions so they don't bother as much either.. To be honest as long as it's an equal playing field Pharma welcomes these changes as they are saving billions on T&E.. Like I said in an earlier post the FDA is all over this and is just waiting for HCPs and Pharma to mess up so they can bang some heads around.. Now that's all well and good but the major hole is all of this is that while the FDA is cracking down on HCPs and Pharma they are doing nothing to come down on the insurance companies.. You see they keep raking in the dough no matter what.. They raise their premiums to us and cut there rates to the HCPs and live off the rebates they MAKE every pharma company pay to get their drug on formulary -- that is where the problem is.. Let me take it back to pain pills now, an insurance company is making their money no matter what happens to the doc, patient or pharm company.. They put the stuff on formulary dictate the patient access and the rest of the system adjusts to that.. If it's covered a HCP will write it.. I'm saying a HCP will write an inferior drug (in most cases they will not) but if it is a drug like pain pills and there is no insurance push back they WILL write it.. If there is insurance push back then they will not write it because at the end of they day for something like pain pills they do not want to with the insurance paper trail that a carrier doesn't have on formulary or puts it on a tier 3.. The latter takes up the time of staff members and the doc that they just do not want to deal with.. I guess my only point is that we point fingures at the HCPs and Pharma and they are no doubt part of the problem but in reality they have the most to lose if they engage in any shady tactics.. That's what we read about in the paper but when you pull that layer back you see that insurance companies and the gov are always there watching.. I mean where is the insurance company when a HCP is prescribing pills at an unusual rate.. They are there collecting the money why don't they Red flag it? They will send a HCP a letter right away if there are writing to much of a branded blood pressure med and tell them to prescibe the generic counterpart so they are there and know what their providers are doing so it not a matter of not being able to see it.. Well, I definately babbled on as well and I guess it,comes down to the fact that I am an addict and that this stuff can get us all and I just don't want to see my children or anyone's children go,through the pain I have because of these pills.. Thank you for letting me vent and I think this discussion has been awesome and informative.. All the best and I wish everyone a clean and sober day!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I always say that if I chop my leg off, I don't want chamomile tea to help me relax, I want the morphine drip. In shock, losing blood, about to die if I don't calm down, I want the drugs. There is a time and place for everything, just very few situations would warrant me using an opiate again.

In a country that pays over 60% of our income in some form of tax or gov mandate expenss, we sure fear socialist medicine. If they loss control of the patent office, big Pharms couldn't compete. Pharms drive up insurance, there are thousands of percent mark up on all items. Medicine is priced by insurance, insurance price is driven by the Pharms. Medicine is put in the hands of respected people, the Hippocratic/Hypocratic Oath, however you spell it. Sheep in wolves clothing, heard them called that. It's unfortunate, because true scientists and researchers are tied down as we are. I know people who study herbs and chemistry, truly wanting to find cheap cures for the masses, they get no reward for their effort, nor funding or recognition when they find something. I support those grass roots researchers who are where I had to get most my info. If I went with my doctor's opinion, I'd still be on subs at least another few months, minimum 2 years. So, I don't want the medical pro's out there who really do care to know I appreciate you more than I can say. I rag on the med system and philosophy a lot, it is the moral fiber that matters and has been destroyed. Even if I don't agree with your medicine, if it is genuine and your opinion, I appreciate that. I will not stop thinking that the majority of the industry is corrupt, but I want to stop and appreciate any shining star in that darkness. This is likely one of the more complex issues in Global Economics, they been trying to sell booze and not have any drunks for 1000's of years, opiates too. This is some deep ancient corruption, no one person understands it all, nobody.

I always love you view NG, reason is not so common  nowaday, all or nothing seems to be the pendulum paralyzed.
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Interesting information, thanks for sharing it!

My opinion about the kickbacks is similar to what you said...that docs are offered certain incentives for prescribing, but that applies to the new drugs on the market.  There's no need at this point to market for medications like Vicodin, Percocet, etc.  So, I don't believe that docs have any financial incentive to Rx those.  From talking to docs about this through the years, I've gotten similar responses, that while there may be some incentive to Rx a newer drug, it's not like they're buying a new jag with the money, or a yacht.  At least, that's what they've said. ;0)

I know that most docs aren't going to come out and tell everyone if they were getting rich off of Rx'ing these meds.  It's kind of a sensitive topic, and I'm sure they don't want to be under the gun.  I also do think that the financial incentives have changed a lot in the past decade.  I know a couple people who are in Pharm sales, and they've all consistently told me that the "perks" have drastically decreased over the years, including silly things like the free pens (ashamed to say I LOVE the free pens, they're always very cool looking!  LOL).  

My cousin's husband has been in pharm sales for a long time, and he told me that most of the "perks" for docs these days involve more things like a free lunch, or a gift card to a restaurant.  He also told me that most people would be shocked at how many docs flat out refuse to meet with the sales reps.  That I liked to hear (not for him, as I understand that's his livelihood)..it was good to know that a lot of docs didn't want to deal with that.  I would much rather my doc recommend a med for me or my loved one based on info he has read, or learned in a medical conference, versus info he's gotten over a free lunch with a sales rep.

As for your cousin's decision to forego the narcotics for her post-op period, that's certainly her prerogative, and it's good that she's knowledgeable enough to be cautious.  I do think, however that being "fearful" of these medications when prescribed short term, being used how they were intended, is unnecessary.  The medications themselves are not inherently bad.  And actually, when it comes to actual MEDICAL risks (like reactions, etc), the opioid medications, like hydrocodone, oxycodone, are actually some of the safest Rx meds out there, when taken as prescribed, and when taken as designed, to treat short term periods of acute pain.

That's the one unfortunate consequence I see in this whole medication debacle, is that people (like the example with your cousin) end up being fearful of a medication itself, rather than understanding that there is little risk involved in taking a medication as prescribed, and as needed.  I would hate to think that people make themselves suffer needlessly, because they're afraid of taking these medications in ANY capacity.  I don't think it needs to be an "all or nothing" scenario.

It's not the actual medications that are the problem, it's the abuse and diversion of those meds, along with a lack of knowledge going INTO it as to the risks (tolerance, dependency) versus the benefits.  

I will say too, that over the last two decades, I've noticed a HUGE change in the willy nilly nature in which narcotics are Rx'ed (not just professionally...personally also).  When I was in my 20's, just coming out of nursing school, it was nothing (like you said) for a dentist to Rx someone 30 Vicodin for a toothache, or for someone to go to the ER for an injury and again, be Rxed a month's worth of an opiate.  

NOW, across the board, I see a HUGE improvement at the level of responsibility when it comes to Rx'ing these.  If you go to the ER for an injury, you will more than likely get a few day's worth of a pain med, because the IDEA is that you're supposed to f/u with your own doc anyway.  That's a win-win because not only are they cutting down on the excessive meds, but they're making people have to be accountable and f/u with their doc if it's a legit issue).  

Same with dentists.  NO longer am I seeing that narcotics are given out so freely.  I've had a LOT of pretty involved, painful dental work done and NEVER has my dentist Rx'ed me an opiate, nor have I needed one.  I used to absolutely equate dental work with narcotics.  And actually, when I DID have my first fairly painful procedure, I have to admit I was a bit irritated at my dentist's unwillingness to Rx me a pain pill.  I kept saying, "but what if I need it?"  I just didn't BUY that an OTC med would be sufficient, and guess what?  It was!  

Surprisingly, Rx strength Motrin works wonders for dental pain.  It's hard because of those kinds of preconceived notions (ie.."dental pain requires narcotics").  The only time I was Rx'ed a pain pill for dental work was after an oral surgeon had to extract multiple teeth in one visit, and even then, the amount was very limited.  I think he wrote for like 10 or 15, and I fully expected to need them.  I think I took like 5 of them, I preferred the Motrin, it actually worked better!  The vicodin only made me sleepy, and then when the pain returned, it did so with a vengeance!  I didn't get those extreme ups and downs with the Motrin.  

Anyways, I'm babbling (for a change, lol), but you get the point.  There's definitely a lot more accountability when it comes to Rx'ing narcotics these days as compared to 20 years ago even.  Of course, that's not saying it's perfect, or that EVERY doc/ER is responsible, but it's a lot better than it used to be.  I think the way it is makes sense.  Medical professionals have to treat someone's pain, but they don't have to hand out pain pills like candy to accomplish that.  They're helping to minimize the amount of drugs that may end up in the wrong hands, but they're also allowing for a limited number to be Rx'ed, to treat pain that some legitimately have!  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi all, I feel like I need to jump in on this thread for a moment. Without saying too much I will just say that my cousin, who is like a sister to me,  is a big wig in the research (for lack of a better word) department at Astrazeneca.  She recently had a major surgery and refused any pain meds, going with Motrin instead...she did fine in her recovery. She has told me the pain meds are the devil, and most in big pharm are well aware of this fact. She also told me that big pharm absolutely gives "kickbacks", especially with new drugs on the market. I won't go into more detail except to say that she's been a huge influence in my recovery. If she was not making a quarter mil a year, supporting her family and extended family, I know she would leave her job. At fifty years old, she feels a little stuck. IF the woman who is helping develop these pain killers refuses to take them, that should be a lesson to us all.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Great points by all and I love this topic because it is so important... The interesting thing about all of this is that the insurance companies do have simple measures that could go a long way into stopping the abuse of Rx meds.. For years they have had a cost control measure in place called a "Step Edit" which simply prevents a specific drug from being covered by an particular plan until certain conditions are met.. This is mostly used to prevent the more expensive branded drugs from being prescribed at a high level so their generic counterpart is prescribed 1st  but it also could be used to prevent the misuse and abuse of Rx meds.. Being that the most of the pain meds are generic and the out of pocket cost is still manageable for most..  the criteria could be changed meaning one must fail on non addictive pain medication before they can be prescribed a narcotic for certain ailments.. Now, I'm not being naive because the FDA, insurance companies and Pharma all know about the step edit and it is used mostly as a cost cutting measure but recently it has been used for general public safety -- take a look at the acne medication Acutane (sp).. The FDA has put in huge checks and balances in order for a patient to receive Acutane.. The reason is that it can cause birth defects and has been associated with suicide in teen patients.. This is an Acne medications and there is like a three day waiting period for a patient to get it!!! Meanwhile that same kid can have a tooth ache and get a 30 day supply of Hydros.. Amazing!!! The bottom line is that the there are solutions to this problem but the FDA, big pharma, and insurance companies have to choose to do it and unfortunately that will not be done until they have to.. So for now we just need to fight the fight, educate our children and hope that one day the powers to be wake up and do what needs to be done to control this epidemic..  
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
All good points.

That's another thing, there isn't NEARLY enough research required prior to the release of new meds to the market.  The facts are, the FDA, and other entities know very little about the meds they're putting out there, especially when it comes to long term effects and consequences.  It's actually unnerving to read through the requirements of releasing a new med to the market.  

Take the SSRI antidepressants for example, they're still really considered "babies" as far as meds on the market go (they made their debut in the late 80's).  Only now is data STARTING to be formulated about long term effects, and other considerations.  And, I myself am on Zoloft and it's helping me a lot, but it just goes to show you that a lot of it is a **** shoot.  Heck, for the longest time, docs denied that there was a w/d associated with discontinuation of SSRIs.  It wasn't until there was consistent (and plentiful) data coming in that indeed patients across the board were experiencing issues upon d/c of these meds).  Craziness.

Add to that the intense marketing that goes on with Rx meds, and it's no wonder meds end up being over Rx'ed, and then people start reporting issues.  I think it's an abomination that there are commercials about Rx meds.  Ugh.  I GET that the pharmaceutical industry is out to make a profit, and I don't begrudge them that, but it's awfully hard to maintain ethics when profit is involved, you know?

Patients being educated and being their OWN advocate is the very best thing anyone could do.  Questions need to be asked, research needs done (individually), and people really need to weigh all of their options.  

Back to the SSRIs again, they very clearly help a lot of people, but they're very much over Rx'ed, it's a knee jerk reaction for docs to prescribe a medication.  For someone new to symptoms of depression or anxiety, there are a whole lot of other, non med options that can (and should IMO) be attempted first.  A lot of that comes from the huge issue of people wanting an immediate fix...just like everything else in our lives, instant gratification.  Doc, I've felt depressed for two weeks, give me a pill!!

Good discussion!

(Thanks btw vic...I was feeling badly for kind of throwing the *bleep* at the fan, lol)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The checks and balances are in place, accountability and regulation are in place, nobody is willing to battle the pharms and enforce those though. That is changing slowly, probably giving doctors a chance for a new way by the time they are forced to enforce their own laws. Nobody wants to take on the Biggest companies in the world, nobody ever really wins against them, not even the government. It is up to us to stand up and fight this. I wish this was a consipiracy theory, it's just bad business as usual. I think the drugs are used as much for mind control as they are medicine. They up my psych meds when i feel fine, then I go zombie and they say, that's about right. Damage control, from methadone and suboxone to prozac and lithium, it's all about us complying to the rules by allowing the pharms to ignore their own advice and research. We lost control of our representative gov, we lost control of our medicine, our nation is out of control in every way. We send drones on towns in AFrica that have never been in war before that, but have been ever since. This is about money and power, righteousness and helping is not the primary goal of the business, though a few doctors and scientist do care, they can't do anything about it. Suing Johnson and Johnson to change their policy is like suing the Federal Government, nobody has more money or power and a team of the toughest lawyers in the world than they do.
Helpful - 0
7808984 tn?1406680965
honestly vic when i took adderral i would fall asleep within 30 min everytime a friend would say this itll help us party i would say NO u dont want me 2 take this ill be sleeping  they say theres no way......so being a addict i would forget everyother time i took it and take it again.....low and behold it would work exactly like i remembered and i would be sleeping 2 others dismay within a hr.. and that was fighting it for 30 min at best!!!  although cocaine shouldnt did the same thing it didint....it always made me feel all balled up and kinda yuck feeling but up up up...but when i mixed it with opies   it "make me feel diffeent"  everyone that i was friends with that didnt know about my opiate addiction would ask how i always seem so non chalant and sober i feel it was the mix of the both.....now i see it wasnt a good mix but it surely felt like medication at the time!!!
Helpful - 0
4522800 tn?1470325834
Yes I had me Cocaine and Crank days. I did tried a speedball but I did not like it BUT Weaver says when I was taking my Methadone with illegal Adderral it was like that..So I guess I can understand. I do not have ADHD so you can imagine what the Adderral was like. I did not know anything about this med either..This is why I Pray that people will do there homework..I feel for ALL the Kids, but we can not save them all..As we did this too! BUT like I said..there is so much more info out here then in our days..lol
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community

Top Addiction Answerers
495284 tn?1333894042
City of Dominatrix, MN
Avatar universal
phoenix, AZ
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.