Opiods

[DannyW]

This morning we were awakened by the sound of an EMS unit, a firetruck, and several police cars coming down our street. They settled in on the house two doors down.

Apparently, a 22 year old woman, someone who was pursuing her dream of an advanced degree at the University of Tennessee, had overdosed on opioids.

I saw her...and she in no way looked like a "drug addict". Indeed, she was a beautiful young woman, and seemed to have her whole life ahead of her.

Someone who is reading this is an an abuser of oxycontin...define as someone who is taking more than is prescribed, or as someone who is buying on the street...I just hope this makes you stop and think.

A very close family member of mine is an abuser, and I hope every day they see the danger.

 

[DannyW]

To clarify...opioid drugs have a place and purpose...I took them myself after my heart bypass surgery and when I broke my upper leg and hip.

But to use them to get high, over and above the prescription of one every 4-6 hours, and especially washing them down with a few Bud Lights, is DANGEROUS.

 

[mattech]

One of the worst problems of our country right now. It's so bad, this is the first time in 50 years that our life expectancy has dropped.

 

[mark-7mag]

There is a good chance that everyone that reads thread this knows someone with an opioid addiction. They just may not know that they have one. I have watched my best friend and his wife throw their lives away because of pill addictions. Both had good careers. Now they are both on disability and just lay up popping pills all day. They are on the verge of losing everything they have.

 

[notnksnemor]

There is a good chance that everyone that reads thread this knows someone with an opioid addiction. They just may not know that they have one. I have watched my best friend and his wife throw their lives away because of pill addictions. Both had good careers. Now they are both on disability and just lay up popping pills all day. They are on the verge of losing everything they have.

This is a very sensitive subject for many people.
There are people that need relief from chronic pain just to move around during the day. Arthritis is the biggest contributor.
I know some, and yes, they are addicted, but would kill themselves from the pain without the medication.
They take as prescribed and don't mix with other substances.
They are technically drug addicts.
I don't know anyone that gets it on the streets to get high.
They are also drug addicts.
Is there a way to distinguish between the 2 groups?
I don't know.
I'll fight tooth and nail to keep the medication to those that need it.
I'll also fight tooth and nail to take it away from those that don't.
It's a very confusing fight.

 

[chase870]

My wife has a broken back, 3 different places and it wont heal due to severe osteoporosis. She has a valid reason to have pain meds, however all the dope heads in this country have just about made it to where you can't even get your prescriptions filled. She can't fill it early not even 24 hours, can't fill it anywhere but where you live, and she can't have another doctor write a prescription if she is out of town and runs out of her meds.
The solution to this problem in our country would work one of two ways. one way legalize all drugs and let nature take its course, or start with 15 years to the door no parole or probation for drug offenses.

 

[mark-7mag]

This is a very sensitive subject for many people.
There are people that need relief from chronic pain just to move around during the day. Arthritis is the biggest contributor.
I know some, and yes, they are addicted, but would kill themselves from the pain without the medication.
They take as prescribed and don't mix with other substances.
They are technically drug addicts.
I don't know anyone that gets it on the streets to get high.
They are also drug addicts.
Is there a way to distinguish between the 2 groups?
I don't know.
I'll fight tooth and nail to keep the medication to those that need it.
I'll also fight tooth and nail to take it away from those that don't.
It's a very confusing fight.

I agree... My friend started innocently but it spiraled down pretty quick. Originally it was for an injury but after that he would come up with any reason he could to get some kind of pill. He has self diagnosed himself with about every kind of physical and mental condition he could find on the internet.

 

[Swamprat]

My wifes ex husband has 1-2 scheduled surgeries a year for either back, neck, etc issues.

We have a 99.9% feeling it is just so he can legally get pain meds even though he might have really not needed the surgery. Sad.

Big pharma was peddling all of this to doctors, hospitals, etc and they were dispensing them like Skittles. Now the problem that was never discussed in the beginning thru denial of it being addictive has reared it's ugly head for a long time to come.

 

[mark-7mag]

Big pharma was peddling all of this to doctors, hospitals, etc and they were dispensing them like Skittles. Now the problem that was never discussed in the beginning thru denial of it being addictive has reared it's ugly head for a long time to come.

Yep....Have you ever been in the waiting room at the Drs office and see a nice looking chic with a skirt come in and walk past everyone at the desk saying hello to everyone there? That’s the pill peddler. They’re usually driving $80,000 sedans

 

[Ruger#3]

Look up paralytical ileus, imagine the death that comes with that. Even if you don’t OD that’s what long term opioid use does, so sad.

 

[greg_n_clayton]

To clarify...opiod drugs have a place and purpose...I took them myself after my heart bypass surgery and when I broke my upper leg and hip.

But to use them to get high, over and above the prescription of one every 4-6 hours, and especially washing them down with a few Bud Lights, is DANGEROUS.

They do have a purpose !! To see people calling those that are dependent addicts is disturbing to me !! If my Dad is an addict because he is dependent on them to have a quality of life suffering from his cancer among other things, I just don't see that to be fair calling my Dad a addict !! I do think there is a difference !! I also hope that those saying such never have to see a loved one suffer, and never have to help them when they can't bathe or go to the toilet and etc alone !! But then there are those that would just stick them in a nursing home somewhere and forget about them until the time comes when you are standing at the head of coffin thanking everybody that comes by for coming !!

 

[DannyW]

Look up paralytical ileus, imagine the death that comes with that. Even if you don’t OD that’s what long term opioid use does, so sad.

It frustrates me that it's so easy to get LEGAL prescriptions for the medication. For example...and I saw this with my own eyes...the abuser in my family got two 90 day prescriptions of Oxycontin filled just 6 days apart. I saw the bottles with the fill dates. That's right...TWO 90 DAY prescriptions filled within the same week...by different doctors of course.

My family member has a network of doctors and pain clinics that they see every month or two who give them refills on the Oxycontin. I'm sure they have no idea that my family member just got a refill on Oxycontin from another doctor earlier in the week.

I am against big brother as much as anyone but I would not object if a national register was put in place that required pharmicists to check to make sure that this type of medication was not being dispensed to a person too frequently.

 

[Mexican Squealer]

L-E-G-A-L-I-Z-E It

 

[Paleo]

L-E-G-A-L-I-Z-E It

Absolutely. Make it available otc with appropriate warnings.

The stuff was legal until 1914 or so and making it illegal, or heavily restricted seems to have only made the problem worse.

 

[JackSprat]

I am against big brother as much as anyone but I would not object if a national register was put in place that required pharmicists to check to make sure that this type of medication was not being dispensed to a person too frequently.

There is supposed to be one in place.

 

[jigman29]

A lot of my family is addicted and it scares me to death. Some had a legitimate need and ended up being hooked same as the others. I have bulging disks and degenerative disks in my back and the doc is constantly trying to get me to take pills. I refuse every time out of the fear that I will become an addict like so many others. I have days I can barely tie my shoes and days I can hardly breathe without unreal pain. I keep fighting and hoping I can make it a few more years without them.I personally believe the big pharma companies are getting the doctors to push these far more than needed and until they ae stopped we wont see a change.

 

[DannyW]

There is supposed to be one in place.

First I have heard of this. But if there is such a thing, it's not working. My family member got one 90 day prescription from a Publix pharmacy, and another from Walgreens 6 days later.

 

[DannyW]

Absolutely. Make it available otc with appropriate warnings.

The stuff was legal until 1914 or so and making it illegal, or heavily restricted seems to have only made the problem worse.

I hope this is a joke. Your solution is to make Oxycontin as available and easy to buy as Alka-Seltzer?

 

[1gr8bldr]

You don't have to worry about me. I don't know why, but pain meds must effect me differently than others. They do not give me a feeling that I would want to repeat. Most meds make me sick, nauseated to the point that I had rather hurt. However, recently during a broken back recovery, I would take 1 half pill a day, after working to help cope with the pain. It made me wonder, do people get hooked on the feeling, or hooked on the want to be pain free?

 

[JackSprat]

First I have heard of this. But if there is such a thing, it's not working. My family member got one 90 day prescription from a Publix pharmacy, and another from Walgreens 6 days later.

It's new

https://dph.georgia.gov/pdmp

I worked around this for 20 years, and IMO it's criminal for the Dr. to give a 90 day supply and for the pharmacy to sell that many at one time.