Is it difficult in the UK to obtain prescription pain medication?
Here in the U.S. doctors send you to a Pain Management doctor upon which you are given a very minimal amount (if any). They first evaluate you and make their own conclusions as to whether THEY feel you need it. God forbid you are having a good day when you go because you will get nothing! The first "Pain Management" doctor I went to gave me sleeping pills and declined any medical help. I tried them and they gave me the opposite effect (kept me awake and climbing walls all night long and in pain). So I tried another doctor who prescribed me MORPHINE (which for some reason) makes me VERY sick in any dose and causes me SEVERE headaches. He wouldn't give me anything else other than CBD Oil and Medical Marijuana (it's VERY expensive here (our insurance will not pay for it at all), and it really didn't help me at all with pain (tried every single type too, from gummies to vapes, to capsules) just makes me very dizzy, forgetful (left my stove on), foggy (forgot to pick up my child from school)! I found also, that I couldn't drive while using it because it made me so groggy, that I nearly dozed off, and well, dangerously just "out of it" in any dose. Thereafter, I requested "specifically" (Lortabs..U.S. drug of Acetaminphin with Hydrocodone). I took this in the past and it wasn't as strong and didn't give me side effects. I was then accused of being an "addict" and sent to "rehab"! Geez, my Rheumy was prescribing this to me for over 10 years (after trial and error with pain relief options and 10 years of suffering from RA pain). We knew what "kinda" worked. As of about 8 years now, no doctors are allowed to prescribe pain medication except "specialist" Pain Mgmt or surgeons. I always had Lortab on hand for many years and took it when needed, also, it gave me the least amount of dangerous side effects. I think everyone here knows that NOTHING takes away the pain completely BUT I get sort of an "edge off" relief. I would be very curious to know if the UK has the same amount of restrictions and "specialized doctors"?
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patrickd
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Doctors have been told to cut back on pain killers. They say that over the long term they lose their potency, the painkillers not the doctors! It seems in UK doctors have already lost their potency, if you are ever lucky enough to see one.
You are funny! Gave me a good chuckle thank you! I DO agree with cutting back and being WAY more cautious. What I do NOT agree with is how people with serious chronic pain are also being made to suffer. The opioid epidemic is really bad here in the US BUT doctors are the ones who made it that way (period)! Over-prescribing pain killers to pretty much anyone who asked and yeah, of course, an addiction will set in, overdoses, and now, due to it being so difficult to get pain medication, people turn to "street" drugs. I strongly believe that the ones overdosing are nearly always the ones who don't really NEED the medication..they want that "high"! Sadly, WE "lifers" suffer. The ones who have legitimate chronic pain and inflammation. I also believe it's a bunch of BS that doctors had NO IDEA these "opioids" were addictive (as they are claiming). Anyone with any medical background would KNOW it would or could become a problem!
There was a good programme on TV about Louisville and opioids. In some ways I feel sorry for Sacklers. They have been disowned by the Tate Gallery in London.
Hi, Clinics and Hospitals are being very cautious right now because there are quite a few lawsuits going on targeting opioids. West Virginia seems to be on the frontline with a large lawsuit coming this month and a rather large settlement against drug manufacturers in 2021.
I am sure doctors were just doing their job BUT at the same time, there was one point where everyone I knew who had the "slightest" complaint of pain was given addictive pain medication thus resulting in overdoses. It is a good thing that things have changed! Finally, science seems to be taking a serious look into the treatment options for these painful, chronic diseases. Today, I certainly don't blame doctors for not wanting to prescribe pain medications, especially given ALL the lawsuits that go along with that! I do though STRONGLY feel that a doctor who "specializes" in a certain disease area (Rheumatology, Lupus, Cancer, etc.) knows best what would work to help relieve that pain from that specific disease. When I go to "pain management" I feel they do NOT understand the pain I am experiencing with RA & PMR as it is so exclusive compared to say a sprained ankle or slipped back disc, or arthritis (many with arthritis insist they have Rheumatoid Arthritis and THERE IS a difference). I saw one Pain Management "Specialist" who actually told me I looked wonderful so I didn't need ANY pain prescription medication BUT did prescribe me sleeping pills! Sleeping pills??..for a person with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and is constantly fatigued? WHAT?At one point of my "journey" I too preferred steroids as pain relief until (as time went on, 3 months to be exact to be fair on a very high dose of rotating 80mgs & 60mgs), the side effects appeared. Boy oh, boy did they appear and it seemed all at once. Cataracts (I was 42) in both eyes, diabetes resulting in (Metformin and horrible for me), very high blood pressure resulting in another medication, high cholesterol (another script) large/bloated stomach (people asking when my baby was due resulted in another script), crazy hallucinations (was it a dream or did it actually happen sort of episodes), inability to sleep for more than 3 hours at a time, a strange sort of round looking face appearance, constant crying, anxiety (another script for that) and just so, so angry most the time. My entire family (a sister, a brother, nieces & nephews) abandoned me due to my actions (I honestly couldn't help it but they didn't want to hear any of it and still will not speak to me or my kids). Now I am weaning down with hopes to completely stop and am currently at 3 mg. I am taking prescription pain medication that gives me NO horrible side effects (actually gives me energy which is nice from that constant fatigue). My diabetes is cured, cholesterol is in the normal range, I no longer have high blood pressure (no more meds to treat any of those ailments), I lost over 40lbs (without even trying), I sleep 7 hours a night, no more hallucinations (that I am aware of ha ha). At the same time, I have to say steroids really are a miracle drug for inflammation BUT for ME it's in the short-term (months NOT years), and (FOR ME) HIGH doses are NOT my friend. There are some in fact MANY people who do just fine on steroids, in fact, I think most people are fine!
I am with you as far as a long journey of trial and error! That is wonderful you were able to taper off the Pred! How are you doing on Actemra? Are you once a week or every other week? Are you shots or infusions??Actemra is (right now) my miracle drug! I've tried them ALL (those available 8 years ago thru 3 years) and it is the only one I can tolerate. Humira and Enbrel were the first 2 biologics I tried and for me they were HORRIBLE! It wasn't so much the "side effects" but the shot itself. It would burn my skin so horribly!! I had welts all over my body from each of those two. Every time I was due for the shot I would cringe because it felt like a cigarette burn!! So we tried Orencia, Cimzia than these pills (can't remember the name), twice a day then once a day, and ALL I just did not tolerate and didn't improve my RA. Actemra gives me "occasional" sinus headaches, some minor mouth sores (I gargle with Peroxide and it's gone the next day), and well, sinus congestion and headaches are the most common complaint but manageable. We did try Actemra as once a week injection BUT again, I couldn't tolerate it...caused me horrible anxiety and the inability to sleep. Everyone I know who takes Actemra tells me they have NO side effects at all! I am also on a maintenance dose of Methylprednisolone (was 4mgs but I've dropped down to 3mgs) and I am weaning down to be off of it completely "going slow and low". I question the dosing of Actemra though. I mean, how is it a "one size fits all"? I have a male friend who takes it every other week who weighs 300lbs and takes the same dose as myself who weighs 118lbs? How is that possible? I also know Actemra is available as a once-a-month infusion that works better? Not sure why they say better (probably more tailored and direct). I was given that option but I prefer to give myself a shot rather than go in for that infusion. Here in the US you go to this "room" full of other infusion people for around 2-3 hours and I HATE it. No privacy! Also, here in the US Actemra is being used (effectively) as a treatment for Covid-19.
When I flare up on occasions we do a Steroid temporary boost to knock out the inflammation and it works every time. We double my dose (8mgs for 3 days, then 6mgs for 3 days, then back to the original 4 mg). Knocks out the inflammation quickly (for now). I haven't had to do that in probably a year now! YAY!!!
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