As many of you know , federal and state governments in the US have severely clamped down on the prescribing of any drug in the opiate family at the same time the alcohol industry flourishes, and the medical and recreational marijuana industry is on the rise and set to financially explode in the next 2 years.
The only exception to the ban on OPIATES is for the terminally ill or those with cancer, and those in hospice care or long term care facilities.
It can still be prescribed, but in very small quantities at a time , and if the doctor agrees to continue prescribing, patient and doctor must sign a 3 mo. contract subjecting pt, to urine drug screenings which immediately creates a sense of distrust between doctor and patient.
My GP who had routinely prescribed me Tramadol for pain (for 18 years ) caused by chronic severe scoliosis, arthritis, disk problems, stenosis, neuropathy , just to name a few.
One or two years ago, he came under investigation in general by the Drug Enforcement Authorities, as did many others physicians, (some even losing their licenses).
I had been taking NON STEROIDAL ANTI INFLAMMATORIES, for my back pain with good success for about 10 years. In about 1993, I developed a spontaneous mysterious severe skin blistering condition on my hands and feet later determined that I had acquired an allergy to the NSAIDSs. In addition, I had 2 trips to the ER for gastritis from the naproxyn as well. Until then, the Naproxyn had worked well for the pain. That year coincidentally, tramadol was first released as Ultram onto the market, and my doctor specifically said it was NOT ADDICTING and would be a good alternative for me.
Between 1996 and 2014, 18 years!, I along with many others, took it daily, unsuspecting that we would become physiologically dependent ; Tramadol in the US is a schedule 4 drug, the lowest level of abuse potential as is paracetmol with codeine or Tylenol with codeine (which can be purchased over the counter in France). This means that drugs like methadone, oxycontin, percocet, etc. are much more worrisome to US public health authorities as they are classified as schedule 2 drugs.
However, GP's and other doctors have just cut off patients from tramadol which is downright dangerous to the patient, for fear of losing their licenses and their livlihoods. In the years, I took tramadol, I successfully practiced law, traveled, did heavy duty exercising, tried cases wiithout problems or side effects. I had no inkling the gov't. were including tramadol in their banning drug rampage due to the so-called opioid crisis.
So it seems now the only option is to go to a Dr. certified to prescribe Suboxone which is a schedule 2 drug containing a very strong opiate, but inheritantly mediated by the drug used to reverse overdoses.. This forces people to change from a Schedule 4, and inexpensive, pain killer , to a Schedule 2 drug to ease withdrawal, and much more costly,
Everyone is an individual, and people taking prescribed medicine as directed should not be lumped into the same category as street addicts winding up in ER's with overdoses from mixing any drug they can get , whether they know what it is or not. I am sure the organized crime families are very happy that the opiate-related pharmaceutical industry has been handed over to them by the US govt.
Is the same thing happening in the UK? Are any of you on prescribed opiate meds in addition to prednisone, MTX, Rituxamab, etc. and how do your doctors react if the usual treatment is not sufficient to adequately relieve your pain?
Americans on line are literally threatening suicide saying they will not,be able to work or function and support their families without their painkillers.How suicide will help makes no sense, but it is an expression of the desperation hard working people who suffer from chronic severe pain.
I know from experience that when you take tramadol for a true pain condition as prescribed, you do not get high or buzzed at all. You can get some degree of relief and comfort, not total, but better.
I guess what I would like to know how those of you with various forms of vasculitis who are in chronic pain ,which the usual vasculitis meds do not help sufficiently, or have other pain conditions not due to vasculitis ,are managing? Are your GPs and specialists willing to prescribe a med in the opiate family to you? Vasculitis can be an extremely painful disease; and if you are unlucky and have another chronic pain condition unrelated to the vasculitis, it is a double whammy. No one wants to be dependent on a drug or see a loved one in that situation., but:
Politicians making medical decisions for people they do not know anything about, have no medical training, makes no sense, and is a direct interference in the doctor-pt. relationship. Any comments or thoughts?
If I did not have vasculitis and felt stronger, I would start.a protest.
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Christophene47
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Hello I am usually on the PMR/GCA site, but read the Vasculitis page, when something familiar pops up. I must disagree with you about Tramadol. I was prescribed it, many years ago, for leg ulcer pain. After just 1 tablet, I was walking on the ceiling! I decided to persevere and took another. I felt weird, to put it mildly. Stopped it and told DR, no more.
As far as I know, in the UK, there doesn't seem to be a problem getting med from the GP. Quite the opposite. Actemra has just been approved by NICE... a bit too late for some of us...and, due to the expense, I think, only for a year. Sadly, a lot is down to politics, these days. Hope you get relief and soon.
Thanks for your comment. All I can say is that all of us have different brains, and what might not be good for one, can be good for another. I have never heard of Actemra. Will study up. Best..
You start with 'As most of you know....' well actually, on this 'Forum' anyway, we don't. The majority of us here are British, or European, and are not aware of the Drug Regimes of The Americas. Thank you for enlightening us Christophene. I have to say that stopping Tramadol is probably not a bad idea, I found it increased my Constipation- which is often bad anyway- to an extent were I have to be prescribed laxatives.
By the way, on a completely unconnected note- I just love your name. We don't use it, in England, though we do have Christine, Christina- often abbreviated to Chris- and sometime Christiene, or similar.
I hope that you DO get the drugs, you require, all our thoughts are with you.
Hi Andrew, I would love to stop Tramadol, but being on it for so long, stopping can cause seizures and then there is the issue of opiate withdrawal; not something I would want to go through while destabilized by vasculitis as it is. These situations are, in my opinion, caused by the US government FDA which did not warn anyone of the addictive nature of tramadol until 18 years on the market. The relationships between the FDA and big Pharma is scandalous. Don't get me started.
As for my real name, it is the female counterpart of your name, Andrea. Had I been born a boy, I would have been Andrew. Christophene , my user name, has 2 meanings for me; having spent 25 years going back and forth to the French Carribean island of St. Martin, I found it to be a popular Creole recipe made from the vegetable called Christophene.
The other is that Christophene is a character in the novel, "The Wide Sargasso Sea," by Jean Rhys which was written as a prequel to the British novel "Jane Eyre," by Charlotte Bronte, and later made into a good movie.
If you have a taste for English literature, I highly recommend both the book and the movie, which is more appreciated if you have read Jane Eyre.
Thanks for your response. It's amazing "what's in a name."
I'm sorry I had, completely forgotten, how addictive/habit forming Tramadol is. Obviously I wasn't taking it, long enough, to become 'hooked'. Clearly I'm NOT suggesting that you just stop, this drug dead, It's just that I remember how Miserable it made me (or more correctly, my tummy!).
Thank you, so much, for sharing the lovely stories about your 'Name' however, and as an Englishman I AM guilty, but......I don't now the works of The Bronte's, anywhere near, as well as I should. (I need to present myself, to the nearest Upper School/ College- for a severe Spanking, don't I?)
I'm not familiar, with the dish, that you describe but I do know some West Indian foods. I have had Jamaican Chicken, Yams, Ox Tail and Sugar Cane (yes a real piece). Regrettably I have now lost contact with my all Jamaican friends/colleagues.
I now live in a 'Supported Living' environment. In my case this means that I have Someone 'On Call', at all times, and if I want to go out I have People available to 'assist' me. I don't require assistance with Personal Care though, I am aware, that others who live here do.
Once again, thank you for sharing, the origin, of your lovely 'Name'.
This tramadol issue has made me angry; it doesn't completely alleviate my lower back pain due to severe scoliosis and a number of disk problems, but, with it, I worked full time, went to school, exercised a lot, was able to do everything, and could live with the back pain. I started it in 1996 when skin allergy and gastritis warranting 2 visits to emergency dept stopped me from taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories which were causing those problems.
Tramadol was first known as Ultram before it went generic; my family doctor saw that as the only solution, and specifically represented to me, as I am sure drug salesmen represented to him, that it was not addictive.
Between 1996 and 2014, it was not a controlled substance, and no one said a word. It was prescribed freely and in 90 day supplies at a time. The only solution now is to go through withdrawal, not a good idea when you have a vascular disease, or to find a doctor who prescribes an even stronger opiate in it, but contains naltroxone which prevent overdose.
It is a low level drug, an opiate agonist, which means it tickles your brain to make more of its own endorphins, natural painkillers produced by the brain. Many athletes talk about how jogging hard gives them an endorphin "high".
But in the minds of some politicians, over cigars and cocktails, it's the same as heroin.( I have my theories why these manufactured crises happen). I , and am sure many others like me, got caught in this deceptive trap. And now we are physiologically dependent through no fault of our own. And, believe me, I do not get high from it. It just allows me to function. It did not help my vasculitis pain; that crashed right through it
Doctors have lost their licenses for prescribing it along with codeine, oxycodone, methadone and anything else that can be considered an "opiate." which has had a chilling effect on physicians, interfering with the sanctity of pt.-dr. confidentiality and trust.
The American Medical Association and other groups have pushed back enough on these new laws that the Food and Drug Administration has re-opened the issue for public comment (and I will be commenting) until the end of September after which there will be an open hearing, and a re-visit to the new regulations with hopeful revisions.
Let's hope smarter and cooler heads prevail in the end. All this is doing is making the underground street drug business flourish where buyers have no idea what is in the drug they are buying. One day, this will be looked back upon as we now look back at prohibition of alcohol. It is useless because there will always be supply when there is a demand.
And what is wrong with feeling good anyway as long as you don't hurt someone else? What happened to the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; how can one be happy in pain?
Thank you for your 'Soapbox Rant', it has made your position much easier, for Non US citizens, to understand your position. I do hope, that your FDA (is that right), has a Sensible Review otherwise, as you say, the Black Market will be 'Flooded' with- well Heavens knows what!
In our Country (England) such decisions come from 'NICE' (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) a Semi-autonomous Quango. Mind you, their 'Brief' is far wider, asides from deciding which Drugs (Drug Therapies) can be afforded they also decide/adjudicate on many other procedures.
I really hope that your Drug regime is soon 'sorted out' Christophene, please do keep us 'In The Loop', will you?
In the mean time, I know, all our Prayers are with you.
Thanks so much for understanding and prayers. At least chronic pain sufferers will have a chance to be heard; it remains yet to be seen whether these laws Will be modified , or the government is going through the motions to seem fair with no intention of making any changes. I have put my 2 cents in via internet, but also plan a formal letter , deadline Sept. 10.
I can see a lot of people are in pain and now very stressed and angry . That only makes pain worse.
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Seeking clarity of doctors' roles since diagnosed with vasculitis.
More than fed up.
An update on where and what Vasculitis UK are about at the moment...
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