Breaking Doctors of the Habit of Prescribing Opioids

By CARLA K. JOHNSON | June 19, 2017

  • June 19, 2017 at 5:44 pm
    JIM WRIGHT says:
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    Just a note for Ms Jones. I am 74 years old. I own a construction company with two other folks. I work everyday. I have had six back surgeries. I have had rods and pins installed in my back. My knees have been operated on and brother art has decided to start effecting my hands. I take a 1/2 of hydrocodone 7.5 about every other day to take the edge off of the pain. I do take a celebrex pill for my hands once a day. It does nothing for my back.
    Your comment that the opioids do nothing for pain is wrong. There are days that I get out of bed and can hardly move for the back pain. I have been to pain management – i have been to physical therapy – have you heard of epidurals – check and see how many of those are given at pain management offices. I can take a 1/2 pill when I need it and it lets me function so i can do my job. I do not say that there are people who abuse pain pills but do not dump all of us into the same basket. I plan to work until I am unable to do my job. I see these people on disability that is 35 – 45 – and I do not judge them but it would be easy for me to set on my keester and draw my pennies but I have no desire to do that. Think twice when you are in these doctors offices and trying to get them to quit prescribing pain meds. We are not all pill heads, but a 1/2 of one for me three times a week sure does help. It lets me work and it lets me cut my grass – fish – go to Sunday School and Church on Sunday. Jim Wright

  • June 20, 2017 at 12:02 pm
    Stush says:
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    I had this discussion with my doctor: the new paradigm for healthcare says I should be involved in how my healthcare dollars are spent. When he sent me to a pain specialist, I went to physical therapy which only made me sore and I spent some $125.00 per session and he wanted me to do that for 6 months. The cost of a prescription is $4.00 a month. You can guess what the most cost effective option is. I take 5 Blood pressure meds a day, no one is concerned about that but they don’t want me to “like” the pain meds so they are no longer prescribed. What about my sciatica and stenosis? Surgery is about 50/50 chance of success and that costs about $250,000 all told with docs and nurses and hospital stay and after care. And I am supposed to be OK with this as long as it is covered by insurance? NOT ME. But now I have to find a source on the street…so good folks are forced in with the bad, huh?



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