Scared of the FDA ruling

Am I the only one panicked by the FDA's proposal to eliminate prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Percocet? I'm sure this includes all prescription pain medications that contain Acetaminophen (Tylenol) -- all drugs marked APAP -- and almost all of them contain Acetaminophen. Will this mean that no pain pills can be given after surgeries and dental procedures? It's not likely we'll walk away from the hospital or dentist with a prescription for Morphine or Demerol, fer gosh sakes.

I just had a horribly painful back surgery and probably would have died of a blood pressure rise had I not had pain medications -- my blood pressure rises to a life-threatening level when I'm having lots of pain. On an ongoing basis, I suffer from chronic nerve pain due to spinal problems and related nerve damage, and take prescription pain pills every day. I have tried stronger drugs but they make me sick, so I take the hydrocodone types similar to Vicodin. I am truly panicked about these FDA proposals. What can be done to stop this nonsense?

It looks like the FDA is reacting not to the opiates, but to acetaminophen. All it really means is that those drugs are going to have the acetaminophen replaced with something else, or nothing.

I seriously doubt it means we won't have good painkillers.

It makes you wonder if the Percocet and Vicodin is such a concern for the government why is it the first drug all doctors start handing out. We are patients and we are looking to the medical profession to supply us with something to help with our pain, they set the limits, they raise them and lower them at will, never once has any doctor I have ever had said to me to lower the amount of pills due to possible liver damage, now of course I have a brain so I know what all the possible side effects are, but lets face it the people who are taking excessive amounts are more than likely addicted to the substance and will continue to do so even if the FDA steps in to regulate it. The only ones who will suffer from this is us, It is just getting crazy, if they dont try and take all you money fro scripts they want to try and take them away.
Smoochie

Niacin? But the body can get too much niacin, too. Geesh.

PaLady

Gretchen,
I don't know. It's like other vitamins and minerals; we can get too much of a good thing. I know it was a problem for me many years ago when I was drinking these soy protein shakes everyday that had all the vitamins and stuff in them. I loved them, but later learned that the phytoestrogens in many of those drinks are sometimes more than we should have. And when I started to get I think some kind of rashes I think it was my GYN that said it might be too much niacin. But it's not bad for you; I just know you can get too much. So if they add that to the oxycodone they're going to have to educate us on that!!

It never ends!

PaLady

Oxycodone is a schedule II narcotic  and  is marketed either alone as controlled release (OxyContin^®) and immediate release formulations (OxyIR^®, OxyFast^®), or in combination with other nonnarcotic analgesics such as aspirin (Percodan^®) or acetaminophen (Percocet^®). Many medications have formulations with aspirin like Ultram,  Endodan or Roxiprin, or we with tylenol , like Vicodin, Ultraset, Endocet, Roxicet, and Tylox.  The problem arises when people do not realize their pain medication contains a dose of extra strength tylenol and then they go ahead and add a second dose of  tylenol or a cold medicine with tylenol, like NyQuil or Theraflu.  Patients taking these huge double or even triple doses of tylenol are at risk for liver damage and then, if they have a drink on top of that - they blow their livers out.  I am not sure people realize just how many medications are combination drugs - and main drug with a tylenol or aspirin kicker added to it.  My husband is highly allergic to aspirin and goes into respiratory arrest with even the smallest dose - so we have to read every medication to make sure there is no aspirin.  You would be shocked to see how many common medications are combination drugs.

I am sure they will be able to compound the main ingredient in most pain medication without the additional tylenol.

This oxycodone with niacin med is called Acurox®. They're thinking that this will help stop abuse of the medication, but like I said before, they always seem to find a way around it. I have 2 friends that took it before, one friend got it from a co-worker at her work that was a huge vitamin health freak and told her that it will make her feel better, so she took it and ended up in the hospital as her heart was going crazy and she passed out several times, and my other friend took it as she heard it helps clean out the system and she literally turned grey, I didnt know a person could turn to a shade of grey, but she did.... I know they have so many meds that they're doing trials on, but I think with the economy, most of those trials just dont have funds anymore. They had a oxycodone and morphine mixed with naloxone/naltrexone to help stop tolerence and abuse, hydrocodone extendid release, buprenorphine patches, and a few others I cant think of right now. But it seems like we wont be seeing these too soon, but I sure hope that they replace hydro/oxy meds some how. Even though I dont care what they do with hydro, I really hate that med, just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach. But I sure hope they dont make plaine hydro as that would just be a dug abusers best friend and make life even harder for a CPP.

-hellokitty

Sheeesh.  This is all so complicated.  I follow all these threads and I learn so much.

PAlady,

I spin all the time! LOL.  I have chronic vertigo.  But yes, this does make my head spin.

mrsm123 I agree with you that they should be looking at the OTC meds first before hitting on the pain meds we need.

Laurie