In the past few years, there has been a spotlight on what is being called “The Opioid Crisis.” The escalating misuse and abuse of prescription pain medications on a national level has meant that people with chronic pain conditions are having an increasingly harder time accessing help to get their pain managed.
Last year, we spoke with Laurie, a chronic migraine sufferer, who reported that she was having a harder time getting enough meds to keep her pain managed. She recalled a time a pharmacist tore up her prescription in front of her because he thought she was “just an addict”.
While it is generally believed that using prescription pain medication on a long-term basis is not an ideal solution (because they are addictive, come with strong side effects, and can lead to overdose), they are sometimes the only option for those in pain and no one deserves to be made to feel as if they are doing something wrong when they are just trying to relieve pain. It can be a harsh journey going through chronic and debilitating pain and having to rely on medication to help you through the day.
We Asked, You Answered
We wanted to know how the “opioid crisis” was affecting people in our community, so we sent out a call looking for people living with chronic pain who are taking or have been prescribed opioid pain treatment who wanted to share their thoughts and opinions.
Everyone was welcome to participate in the survey – including care partners. We had MANY responses from people with a variety of health conditions.
Some of the most interesting results can be found below:
What do you think?
Recently, the FDA endorsed rewriting opioid drug labels to include a recommendation for prescription emergency treatment for many or all patients.
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I need that type of meds nothing else helps
Have you considered a pain pump? I have a Medtronic Synchromed ll pain pump, it helps .
Cronic pain is one of the worst health issues I’ve ever experienced not just the pain as if that’s not enough, but it’s everything that goes along with it that adds to a C.P.P misery.
We loose our freedom because we have to sign a contract that we have to call the Drs office if we leave home on a trip and if you do you have to be back in less than 30 day’s for your next Drs appointment or you don’t get the medication you depend on to control your pain, and on top of that you get extremely sick. You have to be on call ever day from at least 9 to 5 PM in case your Drs office calls for a pill count, most P.M. Drs allows 2 hrs to be there for a count, my Dr is an hour away, if by chance you miss your call for any reason guess what kicked out, no medication that you depend on, pure hell for a long time. Then urine test there always fun so many things can go wrong and make you look suspicious, then you have the providers to deal with that’s stressed from the State and federal agencies that’s got them under a microscope and there not able to treat you by there knowledge but by the governments afraid there one mistake from jail. So that makes a pleasant visit, then they take away the medication doses you’ve been on for year’s without any issues, just some quality of life. Then o yes the pharmacy could be another nightmare to deal with, because they are under the same stress as the Drs. Then the insurance company that doesn’t want to cover your medication or take what they want you to.
I’ve never had an issue with opioids itself but everything a person has to go through just because you have cronic pain and trying to live is enough to kill a person. It’s great to see someone asking cronic pain patients questions believe me there’s a lot to learn from it, instead of just making us to be all the problems of the opioid crisis.
Thanks. I have been suffering from pain as well as the states regulations.
I have been suffering with chronic pain for about 12 years after 3 botched knee replacements in 3 years that destroyed the nerves in my legs and besides the join pain I wound up with neuropathy in my right foot. I was on a steady diet of pain killers, 20mgs of Oxycodone, 3 times daily and 40mg of Oxycontin once a day. This intake lasted about 5 years with no adverse effects at all just made life easier for me. About 2 years ago I fell down a flight of stairs, fractured multiple vertibrae, cracked about 6 ribs, broke my shoulder, my foot, my nose and got a minor brain bleed, spent about a week in ICU and then therapy. So what do you think they did to help me, they took me off all my pain medication, just brilliant dont you think. My pain is now 10 times worse than it was and with no relief. In June I’m having neck surgery with the Hope’s of getting my balance back, the relief of shoulder and neck pain and maybe get some feeling back in both my hands. It’s a wonderful world isn’t it?
I love this question!!!
I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, benign hypermobility syndromes and I had knocked knees. At 11 I was told there is a 2% chance you would need surgery but it’s a growth disorder and you should grow out of it. Well I didn’t. At 20 or 21 I fell down my basement stairs and I went to a new orthopedic. He is the best is Putnam County NY.
He cut 18degree wedges out of my femur moved my legs over and up. I have a large plate, five pins that go through the bone onto the plate and a big bolt at the end. Never to come out. One leg at a time was done.
I have multiple concussions.
In 2012 I crashed my car at 70mph Into a cement wall. All my health issue and the four more that were added flares up. It took eight years to be myself again. Some spported my some didn’t I am disabled with many issues I have stories lol
Right now I am 43 and I was told there is nothing more to do. I don’t take narcotics, I am on lyrica. But no opioids. I use medical marijuana and I am doing more than I have in years. Be well and god bless. May your angels watch over you!!
I personally have had no issues with my opioids, I always take them only when needed and I’m blue color. I have chronic pain associated with back issues and fibromyalgia along with chronic migraines. If they were to take my meds away I would be completely screwed. The people who have used these medications and abused them are the reason they want to take them away from someone like me who doesn’t abuse them. The other factor we have to take in consideration is the fact that people on illegal drugs should not be lumped into the ones that need it. If all these numbers were considered different categories we wouldn’t have these huge numbers.
Frustrated in Illinois
Heather Gear
I have been suffering chronic pain for 2 years the last year with no meds duetting having to change drs. And I currently have a new injury with severe pain that they won’t give me pain meds for. It has destroyed a 23 year relationship and triggered my bipolar that has been stable for 8 years and my PCP does not care and won’t refer me to a pain specialist. I have been labeled as drug seeking not a chronic pain patient. So now I have that to deal with as I search for a new PCP that might understand I have pain daily not that I want drugs I just want the pain to go away so I can have a life again.
I was on oxycontin & methadone for many years, took myself off about 4 yrs ago. Now I cannot get any pain pills for my chronic pain. I’m on lyrica which helps a little. The people who use opioids to get high messed it up for the people who really need them!!
I have suffered for years. I even suffered myself. It’s the worst silent addiction because you are prescribed them I fortunately was able to go through the withdrawal on my own. Many of my friends have used illigal drugs to cope. Or have used other drugs because they no longer can get the opiods. I suffer daily with the urge and severe pain. The silent addiction.
I noted I wasn’t on any opioids but I am on gabapentin. I used to take Tramadol but went off of it because I was having so much pain I took too many, not realizing it and had hallucinations one weekend. What a horrible experience. I don’t ever want that happening again. I have to live with a lot of pain. The major back surgery I had in 2015 left me in pain and still in pain. The night after surgery a nurse came in and got me out of bed which it was posted I was a high fall risk and her phone rang and she let go of me and I fell to the floor on my knees and then had to have a knee replacement.
I have really wacky responses to opioids
had morphine for a hysterectomy in my 60s… stopped breathing. If my husband hadn’t been there I would have diedI was given hydrocodone for pain to go home with. hallucinations, so that went on my “allergies” list. Flash-forward to 2017…
I had a double heart bypass… cut my sternum down the middle, pulled veins out of my leg, chest tube. Quite painful! just out of the ICU, I was given dilaudid,
and within an hour I became totally psycho! I wasn’t supposed to get up, but I had to pee, and couldn’t find the bathroom(4 feet from my bed), so I peed in the waste basket. I was crying by this time, so my roommate tried to push her call button, finally succeeded. When the nurse finally got there, I was hysterical. I
was sure I was in our local auto shop, because of all the beeping diagnostic machines. I said I wanted to go home. They asked if I wanted them to call my husband, I denied having a husband.
I don’t know how long it took, but a lovely little nurse from Jamaica(with that musical accent) finally talked me down.
No more opioids fr me… EVER!
I have had 9 knee surgeries- currently have 1 artificial knee and 1 with graft.
Past Rotator Cuff Surgery.
Back and Elbow surgeries in the last few years.
reoccurring back and hip pains .
Never abused opioids- but at times I have needed more than Tylenol or Mobic
to ease the pain .
Understand that some people abuse opioids but they lump illicit drugs in with the epidemic and now pain meds are very hard to get for real need.
I have suffered from migraines my entire adult life. More recently I had shingles with long term residual pain in my lower back right side. At times it feels like someone is stabbing a pad of needles into my back. I have been prescribed gabapentin for the nerve pain which has also decreased the frequency of my migraines. Years ago I was taking Sumatriptan to treat the migraines which worked great until I had a stroke at age 53. Now my only treatment recourse is a massive dosages of OTC meds or 10 mg of vicodin. My doctor has been resistant to refilling my scrips so I can take 800 mg of ibuprofen plus 400 of naproxen plus 500 of asperin all at once and hope I don’t vomit it all up or use up the vicodin and then beg my doctor to refill my vicodin prescription. I hate the begging. Perhaps I should break into her office during a bad migraine and vomit all over her. This whole thing is infuriating.
I am so scared. I too live with much pain. Lately they decided to try surgery but whenthey found out on bestdays I o ly take one half of oxycodone twice a day, they refused to do any surgery saying nothing would help if I was on opiods regularly.
My pain doctor said to go to a teaching hospital. But the dr. Has to refer me
Not going to happen. So I am in such pain. Barely eatimg. Feel abandoned
I too worry that if they take away my pain med along with my Gabapentin my life would consist of being home bound. I am in so much pain, but like today I am home so I suffer and do not take my hydrocodone because I do not want to be addicted. But at 60 I’d rather be addicted than live in this pain. They give me a 16 day supply for a month. It’s tough getting through a day when I am home but I have to choose pain management so if I have plans and want to go, I save my meds for those days and then am down 2 days after. It’s crazy.
I’ve been living with chronic migraines my whole adult life. None of the preventative drugs have helped. I use to get scripts for 15 imitrex\sumtriptian a month plus a script for 30_firocet with codeine that I tried not to use as much. The firocet would last multiple months. The doctor told me she was fine prescribing it. Now she said she wasn’t comfortable prescribing it and now insurance will only allow 8 imitrex a month. Basically I stay home and have to debate whether to take one now or should I try to ride it out. I’ve been in the er so many times now. It just ridiculous. They need to treat chronic pain sufferers better.
Pain is horrible. Take tramodol 3@50 kg daily .. you have started to do yoga (I suck at it (BTW)but last 2 weeks my pain is not so bad I walk around block without my knee swelling up the size of a melon not everyone can do yoga but if u can p
Lease try it.. for at least a month … It works somewhat
I used to take opioids with no problem. Now I can’t even get them . I have fibromyalgia plus spine and major joint issues from osteoarthritis. I have already a shoulder replacement. I am used to some chronic pain but this is nuts. I am widowed and am living in a new town so I have no help. They just want to give me more steroid shots that have never worked. I am really battling depression from all of this pain.