Has anyone had issues recently with doctors in the USA (specifically Michigan) not wanting to prescribe opiods, narcotics, benzos. Had my pregabalin (narcotic) refilled and had to sign a ridiculous drug contract stating (and these are only a few) I would reframe from alcohol and cannabis. Cannot receive any other drugs from any other doctor even after major surgery or visit to ER. I am subject to random drugs tests and if any drugs including alcohol are in my system, I will no longer be able to be treated by my doctor. My doctor said the government (DEA) is shutting down medical offices who prescribe too many opioids, narcotics, benzos. According to a scale given to doctors by the government I have 280 points and anyone over 200 points is a problem. I take hydrocodone for migraines and pregabalin for RLS. This is so disturbing to me. I am 69 years old and I have never abused any drugs in any way. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this.
Opioids, narcotics, benzos: Has anyone... - Restless Legs Syn...
Opioids, narcotics, benzos
Unfortunately you and many other legitimate users are caught up in the response to the US opioid crisis and prescription drug epidemic, e.g. on opioids: "Without urgent intervention, 1.2 million people in the U.S. and Canada will die from opioid overdoses by the end of the decade, in addition to the more than 600,000 who have died since 1999, according to a February 2 (2022) report from the Stanford-Lancet Commission on the North American Opioid Crisis".
drugabusestatistics.org/opi...
Hopefully some of the US members of this forum can offer further information and advice
So sad that the "good" people who don't abuse the drugs pay for the consequences of others.
If your doctor thinks that pregabalin is a narcotic, then your doctor is a quack.
In the US, pregabalin is a Schedule V controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.[8] It is a Class C controlled substance in the UK.[28]
That doesn't mean that it's a narcotic. Doctors are supposed to know the difference.
You can die or get sick from abusing almost any medicine!
Opioids when used as directed are helpful and safe. It's a shame that those who abuse medicine make it difficult for doctors and for patients to live healthy happy lives.
I think we all agree with this. As far as pregabalin and gabapentin are concerned, here in the UK they were reclassified as class C controlled substances in 2019 - after experts highlighted rising numbers of fatalities linked to the drugs. The change meant it is illegal to possess pregabalin and gabapentin without a prescription and illegal to supply or sell them to others. It has not been easy to get a lot of doctors to prescribe them for RLS due to outdated NHS guidelines.
I'm confused. Pregabalin is not a narcotic. It is a controlled substance. It is also a controlled substance in Virginia but I have no problems getting it.
My doctor didn't care that I was on pregabalin as long as I signed the contract. He did say that it is a narcotic.
I hate to say this but he is ignorant. It is definitely not a narcotic. Google it.
I googled pregabalin, and like you said it's not a narcotic. Now I'm even more mad that I had to sign a contract for it.
In the US, pregabalin is a Schedule V controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.[8] It is a Class C controlled substance in the UK.[28]
If your doctor is on board you could order pregabalin from Canada and then your pharmacy would not know you were on it; also benzodiazepines.
I doubt he would do that!
That's really annoying. The pregabalin can boost some of the effects of the hydrocodone but is not a narcotic. I would see if your insurance company or doctors office has a patient advocate that you can vent to without fear of being cut off.
Pain medication contracts are somewhat common but the one you describe is ridiculous.
I've signed a medication contract before for the hydrocodone, but never one like this one...seriously, the government is telling me I can't have a glass of wine because I take pregabalin...I don't think so!!!
Hi Charlie.....that's some crazy chit there brother! I'm in Manchester Michigan. My doctor, Dr. Kosteva is in Clinton Mi. with Trinity Heath. I am prescribed pregabalin, oxycodone, and lorazempam. I didn't sign anything other than the little box at the pharmacy for the oxy. If I have it delivered from express scripts to the house (which I do now) I have to sign something that the mail lady has (an electronic screen that I just scribble on). Don't even know what it is.....could have signed the house away for all I know.
I know they've been cracking down on opioids but I also heard they had recently relaxed some of the regs so what the??? Honest people that legitimately need the medicine have to fight for it but you can just wade across the southern border with your backpack full of fentanyl! Maybe you need to start looking for a new doc?
Hang in there!
Thank you for responding especially since you live in Michigan! I'm not sure if it's a northern Michigan thing regarding these contracts or if it will eventually catch up to all doctors' offices. I too thought they were relaxing some of the regulations, but I guess not.
Hi Charlie, I don’t think this is a Michigan thing. I think it’s a US issuE due to all of the opioid deaths. I had to sign a contract with my neurologist in Michigan. Then I was prescribed different opioids from a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic who also required me to sign an agreement. This trend scars the crap out of me because opioid medication has helped me so much. If the government won’t allow doctors to prescribe, then this country will experience a substantial increase in suicides among RLS sufferers.
I went to the emergeny room and was given a prescription for 10 Morphine tablets. I didn't need them so I gave the prescription to my daughter. When I went to see my pain doctor, he fired me. Not supposed to get pills from other doctors
That's ridiculous !
Myself, like many other RLS patients have experienced the negative consequences of the prior CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines as we find physicians and pharmacists unwilling to prescribe or supply the only medications that bring us relief. Without explicit mention of RLS in the new guidelines, I fear that federal and state agencies will use the revised guidelines to continue to deny us treatment. It’s beyond frustrating. I urge anyone who has issues getting their opioid prescriptions ordered by doctors or filled by pharmacies to please complete this survey from the RLS Association. They will use our collective voices to get RLS added into the Opioid Prescribing Guidelines that were just updated in the last month. Please share your experience: surveymonkey.com/r/OPIOID-A...
I was hoping someone would mention the new CDC guidelines and about time .
If the benefit out-ways the risk then opioids should be prescribed .
They just push people to the black market to buy from people who steal from pharmacies. That is what is happening in Australia.
Our capital city Canberra recently announced that they have lost the war on opioids and other drugs and decriminalised drugs in personal use quantities.
People who suffer addiction are more inclined to seek help if they can be open about there problem with the health services.
Dopermine Agonists are harder to wean off than opioids and they don’t care about that when they keep increasing the dose.
Just wondering if you have done a post calling all opioid / Buprenorphine / methadone etc uses to fill in survey .
Also - I work in the health care risk management, analytics and compliance world. I can assure you it is not a Michigan thing. With the release of the updated CDC guidelines, insurers are anticipating that a lot of providers will return to writing opioid prescriptions more freely. This is all in anticipation of an uptick in adverse outcomes and potential litigation…CYA.
The Drug War causes much more suffering than it alleviates. Until the country realizes this, the Drug War will continue.
Yes, absolutely! It is everywhere! I believe that there are 2 primary causes:1) for years doctors and dentists over prescribing narcotics and 2) the massive black market of all kinds of addictive drugs.
In North Carolina my neurologist is only allowed to prescribe one tablet of tramadol every other day for RLS!! So he sent me to a pain clinic where my doc there prescribed 2 oxycodone 5/325 tablets every day.
Do the 10 mg relieve your symptoms?
For me butting in on this question I say emphatically YES! They are a Godsend to ALL RLS patients as long as you can tolerate! It is highly documented by many RLS doctors. Unfortunately the government doesn’t get it!!! Even though they know the mistake they’ve made when changing the max dosage. The doctors know they changed the ruling but are now afraid to prescribe more or even any at all. Here in NJ it is very hard to find a PM dr to prescribe the medication! So if you have a Dr that does, regardless if you are or aren’t being treated properly you are stuck with him/her!! It really is shameful for these doctors to disregard those new rules now at the expense of true RLS patient’s suffering from this dreadful disease that doubles its impact when you have true chronic pain on top of it!! Add to the mix your age! The older you get the harder it is to fight it etc
Yes but I also have to stay on a low histamine diet. Foods moderate or high in histamines make the RLS severe.
I had to sign same document with my Dr about 5 years ago. Ky
it's like pulling teeth in Wisconsin. I went to four different doctors before I found one to give me Tramadol (he was in a sleep clinic), good luck.
My doctor just pulled me off of Lortab that was given with pramipexol for severe rls augmentation. Cold turkey.. 2 weeks of hell anytime I even sat down. Because of those more intense regulations. I had been on it for 10 years. No consideration for my suffering. It felt like being possessed. Slamming up and down off the bed when I couldn't keep moving.
WOW so sad and irritating!
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