Those looking for help with med

[sunniwon]

My suggestion is to Ask Everyone including strangers for a recommendation for a doctor, FNP, PA, or pain clinic that helps patients with opioid meds. In my search for help I was only finding Suboxone doctors but suboxone doesn't help me.  At one point I became so desperate for help I was considering contacting my local DEA to lead me to a doctor that is still prescribing opioid meds. So, after asking everyone I met about a doctor someone told me about one that did help.  Of course, there's no guarantee this help will always continue but at least I have help for now. I also suggest looking at reviews for the doctors that are recommended. There are telling signs to fake reviews versus real ones. The current situation for pain patients has only become worse with the opioid med shortages, and there seems to be no concern for us from our political representatives despite all of the suffering, deaths, and suicides. The same political representatives are still blaming us and our doctors for the drug overdose deaths even though the true facts have been revealed it's been illicit drugs including illicit fentanyl as the cause all along. I have read that pain patients are going to other sources and even other countries for pain medication because they have no other access. Some pain patients are fighting back in the courts. It's uphill battle and an expensive one but definitely a possible one to win with all of us getting into the fight together.

[backhurtz]

There are ways to manage and prolong the effectiveness of using long term opiates/opioids AND keeping doses low - part is knowing long term chronic pain, reasonable expectations in managing the pain and effective medication management.
I’ve lived with long term chronic pain for well over 25 years. Been on high doses of opiates, low doses and everything in between. Been on most of the meds out there for managing pain- from fentanyl to tramadol and almost everything in between. Non opiates like lyrics,  gabapentin and the rest for the Neuro pain involved from nerve damage as well.
Ridden the rollercoaster of effective , non effective and great relief to none.
Living with chronic pain is NOT for the faint of heart.
In my own experience - there is a constant baseline level of pain I live in- all day - every day. Then there are the flares- those days when I push too hard or do something beyond my limits and wind up in pain levels that far surpass my normal . Over the years I’ve learbed where and when I can push and when I simply can’t- and try to stay within what my body says it’s capable of on any given day.
I also have ridden that rollercoaster of ever increasing doses - better relief for what seemed short time frames then another upward adjustment in dosage to try to compensate- only to find that same cycle repeating again and again.
For me- the best solution has been to change the meds that I am taking to another opiate for a few months- typically I can do that at an equally effective but lower dose then several months later go back to the old opiate at the lower but renewed effective dose I was at previously. Doing this has allowed me to get off and stay away from escalating doses of a once effective med having to be increased bc it’s no longer working as well as it once did. I also only use my breakthrough med on those days when the pain is spiraling- and always at half of the allotted dose first. Then I sit/lay down, use heat/ice/topical pain creams to try to ease the pain. Typically it works enough to get me near my normal all day every day levels. If not- after an hour I will take the other half of that dose of breakthrough med to relieve the pain spike.
For me it works- rotating meds when the current ones seems to be losing effectiveness and using breakthroughs rarely seems to be key. My doctor works with me in regards to changing meds as I need to and for the last 10 years or so it’s been an effective method of keeping my doses at levels both myself and my Dr are comfortable with.

[Hoosier_Carry]

ABSOLUTELY!!

[GuitarRox]

I certainly understand what you are saying and no judgement for me.  Pain is horrible to live with and it's hard when something alleviates it and we are told not to take it.  I think that eventually they all pull the plug. The ones that don't are usually pill mill doctors and the feds pull the plug for them.   The nature of the med is that so many, almost all, have to take increasingly higher doses to get the same effect. That's just truth.  The overdose rate is real. Yes, the rate of death is even worse once someone has to keep trying to get the high elsewhere with street bought alternatives. But just to have the same effect, you can't get around the tolerance that develops for MOST people who take oxy.  It makes using them chronically quite tricky.  There is no doubt a genuine need for pain relief.  What I do think is absolutely wrong is for anyone to tell a doctor what they can and can't do (barring pill mill doctors that just prescribe with little care. These are the guys that have prescriptions flowing for hours all day with lines of patients- they usually just want cash). I have mixed feelings on it. I see a need but regret that the med was ever started for those who develop an addiction and then are stuck.  What alternatives are out there?  Our family friend was in a debilitating car accident and is trying to recover after being paralyzed. They hope he can regain some movement but he can't really get into rehab because he has an awful wound infection that has be raging on an off for 5 months and is currently in the bone. He has a dislocated shoulder that he can still feel.  They started him on oxycontin.  He's now fully addicted. Begging for it non stop.  I wish they hadn't given it to him, you know?  Now the family has to figure out how to manage this new problem. His wound IS healing (he's had a flap and surgery several times) and he's ready to start physical therapy.  But the addiction issue that is new puts a monkey wrench into it. It's just really hard. I have chronic pain myself.  Not to that level though. I've wondered what I'd do if it got worse.  Right? Risk to benefit has to come into play.  But the regardless, working to find pain management solutions that keep patients safe while providing relief are so needed.  I don't know what the answer is.  Twenty years ago, they made people sign contracts at pain clinics.  It's gotten more and more.  Balancing it all with relief is hard.  That's all I can say.  I hate to think of anyone hurting.

[Hoosier_Carry]

Yep, you have to weigh it out. When you all use the term "addiction" it makes me wonder how exactly how you are using that term. We are all addicted to food and water. Do you also see that as horrible? If I don't take my Oxy everyday, I'm pretty much usesless. If I don't eat or drink water everyday, I'm also pretty much useless. So the word "addiction" is thrown around like a person totally controlled by some EVIL substance ending in a horrible death or illness. The exact opposite is true for me. I would want to end my life without it because I don't want to live in the 24/7 pain cycle. I don't want to stop eating or drinking water cuz I'd be too weak to go on living. So the more correct term to use imo, is "dependent." Pain patients who "choose" an opioid treament for their pain are continuously getting villified by people who are supposed to "understand" about their issues (fellow pain patients). So opioid treatments are just another option for fellow pain patients. Why would someone who understands this want to be apart of taking that option away? God knows opioids are already under attack by the governemnet and their media full force while hiding real stories of success for what Oxycodone has done for so many. The exact same thing with gun ownership. So they don't need the help of other pain patients reducing further the amount of legit presription oxycodone in America which the DEA brags about every year. Sheeesh.