Hi allMy gp has informed that the medical council has decided the pain meds will be shortly be phased out as they can cause more harm long term .
Apparently gp said this will happen to all fibro sufferers.
Has anyone else had the same review with their gp?
Thanks
hello no I haven’t heard of this x
I suspect this is due to the NICE 2021 chronic pain guidelines - which only recommended anti depressants for treatment of fibro
Only saw my GP a couple of days ago. Didn’t say anything about this. Do you know what pain relief he was talking about?
It seems that all dr’s are trying to do this because of the opiate addiction in America. I have had 14 knee surgeries so far in the last 3 years and had an argument with my GP a few weeks ago. I had weaned myself off of MST and just take oromorph when the pain is bad as it works within 20 minutes whereas the slow release wasn’t working. But she gave me a long lecture on it and wanted me back in MST which I said no too.
If you have netflix there is a drama on it called painkiller and basically that’s why they are trying to get people off it. But if the give you no alternative what are you supposed to do?
I am under the pain clinic and was taking Oxycodone for over a year. They decided to stop this and change to Buprenorphine 20 micrograms pain patches because although these are Opiates they work in a different way to the Oxycodone.
I haven't been told that and I just had medication review, xxx
me too! He actually increased my Gabapentin dosage. But he must have been on Statin commission as he’s adamant I take these too now.😠
Hi Ferndale, although I’ve not heard this, I always suspected that the pain meds couldn’t be without side effects and when offered years ago I declined.
Of course living with, at times, with reduced quality of life pain has its own side effects.
I think the medical profit self should be pressing hard for new research into alternative pain relief, not just for fibromyalgia but all illnesses that feature intractable or recurrent pain.
I think they should not be withdrawing meds wholesale but have a plan for withdrawal and alternatives for patients.
Any drug I’ve needed to come off I have done so slowly and steadily decreasing the strength and dosage over several weeks if not longer, so my body has time to gently adjust.
I had a note attached to my script saying the same thing roughly stating due to the opoid epidemic in the UK the use of some medications forchronic pain are being stopped. I spoke to the surgery pharmacist as advised and had a medication review . I take cocodamol but only when I'm desperate not on a regular basis his advice was take 1 cocodamol and 1 panadol instead of 2 cocodamol not to just stop the cocodamol due to length of time I have been using them . Its going to be hard for some patient who rely on some of these medications just to survive another day . I use exercise in aqua classes to help me with pain control with no side effects and it has helped me immensely for the last 4 years . Most of the drugs they tried me on never worked but gave me some bad reactions and side effects going to aqua has helped my physical and mental health without those nasty side effects. I honestly have no idea how some patients are going to cope with the withdrawal symptoms when yhey start decreasing the doses and being without the meds they have relied on .
Do we have only a few options left then , buy on the street, don't know what you are buying, grow your own😬, risk prison , end your pain forever.I can't think of many more sadly.It does get rid of their problem though eventually.
I have now emailed my local MP, the medical council to ask if this is true statement for all nationwide or just my gp practice trying to cut costs because I'm in the top prescription users in the practice , bearing in mind it was the gp who precribed the meds in the first place I will post any response I get from any other sources
Thank you for your responses
No; I haven't heard this. I haven't had an appointment with my GP since I moved here three and a half years ago!
That's horrific news.
Cheers, Midori
Sorry if I’ve missed this but does it relate to fibromyalgia only or all chronic pain conditions do you know? I have hEDS as well as fibromyalgia and without cocodamol I won’t be able to manage my job… it keeps me going 4 days a week so I’m panicking at the thought of relying only on amitriptyline which I’ve built a tolerance to. Do we not suffer enough already!? 😩
Hi Unfortunately my GP has said its all chronic pain long-term conditions..
I'm struggling myself to think the NHS would turn their backs on thousands of people who have such conditions.
I have just recieved an email from my MP to contact paws at my local hospital which I will but not expecting any thing substantial..
Just not sure who I can contact to get a truthful answer
It’s a terrible worry isn’t it but I’m glad you flagged it. I see my GP in early Sept so will be asking her then. I’ll post any info that I she gives….
Thank you
Hi Ferndale (and others) - I rarely post but feel so strongly about this I felt compelled to. Which is not connected at all with the fact I’m recovering from a spinal fusion op yesterday pm and currently on self-administered oxycodone.
As Hazel_Angelstar says this is from the Nice guidelines of 21 - link here nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193/.... A more badly construed and interpreted piece of guidance I’ve rarely seen from NICE, however well-intentioned. Pl take a look at para 1.2.11 in the recommendations section and share with your GP (who it is aimed at). It is quite clear that withdrawal of medications already being used with benefit and without unacceptable side effects/abuse (not exact words - I’m being blunter) can only happy with patient’s agreement and after a joint discussion.
I’m not sure whether GPs really don’t know this or choose to ignore and hope that their patients won’t be aware (for whatever reason). But it appears your doctor might be in one of these categories. You need to go back to them. Once they see the unrealistically lengthy discussion they are suppose to have to reach this shared decision and review the distinct lack of other options touted in the guidance (often with very limited evidence re reducing pain as opposed to learning to live with it) my guess is that they will be a lot more mindful of your wants and needs.
I’ll stop there - I could write an essay or several on this guidance, but that’s not what you’ve asked for. And day 1 post-op might not be the best time! Good luck!
Yes like one member has already said because of the crisis in America I do read here sometimes from members posts that doctors are trying to wean people of certain meds x
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