Hello my Health Unlocked family!! I've been a part of this community for years. I read a lot and I post because I know you will offer me knowledge and support.
I realize in the USA we are having an opioid epidemic. Terrible. I was diagnosed with CLL and stage 4 lymphoma in February 2010. My lymph nodes were so big one doctor thought I had the largest breast lump in history.
I went head first into FCR. I didn't know when it it hit me. I was sick! I knew I was a younger person with CLL but now it wad cruel and scary.
When I finished chemo I waited to get back to normal but I was told I had a "new normal". Almost 10 years later I agree. I never got back to old normal. I was sick all of the time, strep throat, to streppicocal pneumonia, a common cold or bacterial pneumonia.
I'd been sick plenty but I'm talking pain pills at this point and it's getting me putt of bed now. Shingles moved my already painful neuropathy along. I was in ICU 5 or 6 times in 2017 once intubated and with strep and tonsils the size of Alaskan. IT HURT! Through it all I had a new low functioning life, no energy, 2 small children along with a healthy fear of leaving them. Finally, after living 8 years taking narcotic pain medicine to function in life during my "new normal".
The US has its largest health epidemic in history, opiates!
People were dying with illicit use daily. Patients, many of them, died "accidentally" in their sleep. US reaction. Stop all opiates in doctors offices, crack down at a street level and stop the crazy death pill. I've not asked for my prescription early. I've never asked for additional pill or needed emergency pills.
So my doctor takes my oxy first. This was the only thing that could get me to my kids games and back to bed. Movie and back to bed. Christmas morning and back to bed. I relied on those pills for nine years and one day, "We have a new policy on opiates... As in we don't use those anymore. After getting cut down more than half I called today and said I can't stand the pain. I miss everything because I'm sick. This illness is consuming me,
What do I do?
Written by
Kimsome
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It's horrible and where US goes the UK pretty much follow. No more opiates or very little.
Research has shown though, and this isn't a recent revalation, that long term use of stron prescription drugs have no effect on chronic pain. Taking more and or stronger makes no difference.
They were 'invented' for cancer patients to alleviate pain at end of life. In other words short term. It was decided they could help pain but studies into their lon term use were never researched.
So where does that leave those with chronic pain? You will have the same pain with or without them but you won't be pumping your body full of toxins.
CBD is the way most in the UK are going. Sadly not on prescription and expensive to buy. A good one not just your local high street store. I do know that in many US states, if not all, medicinal cannabis has been legalized. After years of not listening...England is at last listening and it is now being used in very exceptional cases with strong likelihood of more patients being prescribed. ( Scotland is devolved and likely to go ahead much quicker)
Not a lot of help but we are all in the same boat.
I agree with Bananas5, these drugs were not meant for the type of pain they are now being used for, and in some cases they actually cause pain, they don't take it away.
But that does leave a lot of people who have chronic pain in a very bad place. If they are taking pain meds away, they should be investing in pain clinics. I don't know about the US but we have more and more pain clinics being set up in the UK.
I hope you can find one where you are or at least get some relief by using something like this online:
Hi kimsome, I don’t have advice sorry But surely they only have to look at your medical history to realize that you need them . Hope you get it sorted x
Thank you so much. I appreciate it! Merry Christmas.
I wish I had an answer for you. They took mine away last year, went into withdrawal, so I went to a Suboxone outpatient, for DRUG ADDICTS, so I could get through this. Now, they are telling everyone they will soon need to get off their Suboxone. I am scared to death. I can no longer make the required bi-weekly, hours long each way bus trips. So I guess the 2 weeks of this is all I'll ever get. I have several diagnoses and my grown autistic daughter and I live together, but we have no one to help us.
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