Medicine availability in South Florida

First, the background. I ghave 3 levels of disc herniations, 2 levels of spinal stenosis, facet hypertrophy and a whole mess more of problems with my back and spine. For the last few years, I have been able to be a productive member of society thanks to the meds that help relieve my pain...100 ugh Fentanyl Patch changed 72 hours and 30 mg of Roxycodone for BT. 2 months agom there was some rumblings of an Oxy shortage. I called my pharmacy and they were out. My Doctor called a pharmacy near him and they had it in stock. The nxt month, my regular pharmacy did have it and I was told that this would be the last month for the Roxy as the Dr. was getting scripts returned because of the lack of availability. Last Thursday, I went to my appointment expecting to change meds and sure enough, I was back on morphine for the first time in years. I went to my pharmacy and was stunned when they said that MSIR had not been in stock for 2 weeks! But, they did have the oxy. So, I drove back to the Doctor and exchanged the MSIR script for the Roxy and we decided that we woud call ahead before each months appointment and he would write for whatever was in stock.

What is going on here? Us Cp'ers are the lowest form of life on this planet, apparently. It is not our fault that others ruin it for us by abusing narcotics. What do you think would happen if this was insulin instead of pain meds? Where is our outrage? We need to contact the proper governmental authorities and be heard from for once in our lives. All we are trying to do is to be productive members of society and through no fault of our own, we have chronic pain. I truly appreciate the way my Doctor understood the situation-many would not have.

The problem is that the average American says "Wow, thse guys are on narcotics...they are lucky." Lucky? Being in pain 24/7 is lucky? These people don't understand the stares, the comments, the looks we get from health care people and the average joe on the street when they hear what meds we take.And then there are the S.O's who think that withdrawal symptoms mean addiction. Withdrawal is a physical situation that means that meds that we are dependent on were stopped abruptly...it has nothing to do wirh addiction. Addiction is a psychological event. Withdrawal happens with steroids, bp meds, etc, Addiction is when you Dr. shop, fail to follow directions, buy more on the street. Here is a simple test. If a person cannot function with the meds, addiction is a possibility. If a person functions because of the meds, addiction is unlikely.

Anyway, let me hear some stories from you guys on what is happening with these meds acrooss the USA.

I know for most of us this is one of the scariest times.  I just got accepted as a patient in a PM clinic.  I was on 10/650 hydrocodone 4 times a day.  For my first new script he did one change.  He changed it to Percocet 10/325 says they match gram for gram but seems to at stonger on his patents.

WIth being new at the PM clinic he says this is just the first step of evaulation.  The next appt he will adjust as nessesary.  Hopefully up, meds now don't cut it.  I don't want to be pain free thats wishful thinking I just want to be able to feel some relief.  I just hope all these doctors are being well read on the issues with the shortages.  For all our sakes.

I have heard from one person at work (who doesn't know I have CP) his opinion was "Well I guess people who get hurt have to  take stronger replacement drugs"  if you can believe it he laughed.  I'm sitting in the background thinking this boy is so ignorant!  I don't want stronger drugs I need to work, clean my house, drive and be a mother and wife.  He seemed to feel like its a way to get a free high.

This issues can drive most of us CP'er to the breaking point.

wolftrades said...

Here is a simple test. If a person cannot function with the meds, addiction is a possibility. If a person functions because of the meds, addiction is unlikely.

I take medications, but get no 'high' at all. I get side effects that cause me to lose balance, coordination and memory, and cause me to have dizziness, confusion and several other things that I would classify as 'not being able to function'. Give me a day, and I can do all of it; require it in a work environment and I am now totally lost. (I use backspace for about every 20 characters I type unless I slow to 30 chars/minute or less, and I was a programmer who relied on typing abilities.) And I haven't even gotten to the side effects from the main medications and opioids that I take.

It concerns me that I am a candidate for addiction. The problem is, if I don't take those medications I am a screaming meemie who curls into a ball and screams all day because of the pain, and is even less likely able to be any kind of productive.

Just to be clear, I take Lyrica and Cymbalta which I *believe*, and my Pain Dr stated last week, are most likely to be cause the majority of the side effects. The opioids I take are methadone and morphine, from which I get ZERO 'high'. I even 'overdosed' on accident a few weeks ago, taking 3 doses of each, and all I got was very sick and very sleepy with a POUNDING headache. My PM dr's response when I told her was "It's a good thing you are so resistant to opioids; you're lucky you aren't dead".

I guess my point is, I would actually rather be addicted to these drugs that run out of them and be left without anything but pain.

As I think is what many here are left with if they can't get THEIR meds.
I wonder how many would prefer lifetime addiction to lifetime pain?


.

Wolftrades,
That really not how addiction is defined. I say this with some professional background, as I'm sure fatherjohn would also. It's more complex. And there are categories of addiction. The medical diagnosis needs to be assessed by someone trained to do so.

What most of us are is physically dependent. Only a small percent of pain patients become addicts and one of the strongest factors may be genetics, which none of us can control for. So if you have a family history of addiction to substances - alcohol, legal or illegal drugs, etc. - you may be more likely to move from physical dependence into addiction. Still, not everyone will do so. It needs to be discussed and monitored with a doctor who knows about both pain and addiction. If you're closely monitored by your PM, and take your meds as prescribed, even with an addiction history you may be able to treat your pain. But Tony what you are describing is not addiction.

PaLady

Wolftrades,
I just believe it is dangerous for us to throw out quick ways to assess addiction. For those of us with CP, that is already too often done - and incorrectly. So I strongly believe we should only support knowledgeable assessments of what defines addiction, as distinct from dependence. There's already too much ignorance out there, and even as Tony's response illustrated, your "quick and dirty way" is inaccurate in itself, IMHO.

PaLady

You don't need to stand on your soap box. I have had CP for decades so there is no reason to preach. And I have had
all the same things thrown in my face that have been thrown in yours. Me thinks you should save your energy to fight those that we need to fight.

Is that for me, wolf?

Yes, I am on your side. No, we don't need to quibble.

In my defense, I really am on the outside edge 24/7 with the meds I am taking. Quite confused much of the time, between moments of complete normalcy. And yes, I 've told the doctors (both pain and primary). But then they just tell me maybe a head doctor might be able to help/change things.

Basically, what they told me plain up was the plain truth. Increase in meds when the pain gets worse is my option when it presents itself.