Medical doctors do not have the hands on knowledge to deal with addiction
Posted , 2 users are following.
I have 41 years of opiate addiction, certification in addiction counseling from UCLA, and state certified in Drug and Alcohol counseling. I don't hesitate when I say there is not a doctor that has more knowledge that has more knowledge than myself, when it comes to the psychological State of Mind concerning a patient that has become an addict through pain management. The key is to get that patient to respect the medication they are prescribed. Someone who has suffered a life long painful injury, will become addicted to the pain medicine that he or she is prescribed. This is where doctors start to question themselves. Stop prescribing or trust the patient to be responsible with there medication. If you stop prescribing, the patient goes to the street and medicates himself. If he is new to addiction he has not seen or experienced the depths of hell the drug can take you. If you keep prescribing, there should be a liaison in every pain management doctors office. This person should conduct a monthly class to educate patients on addiction. Also it would be a time for patients to ask questions about there growing dependency on there pain medication. The liaison should provide the doctor with their opinion on the mental and physical state of the doctor's patients concerning distribution of medication. Bottom line is someone that has a lifetime of hands on education can see the patients reflect their intentions by verbal and physical actions.
0 likes, 9 replies
Guest timothy71898
Posted
Good post Timothy & I totally agree with you.
I was addicted to Oxycontin for 6yrs. My actual prescribed dose from my GP was 800mgs per day, much much more than I should ever have been prescribed.
At the end of my addiction I was actually taking almost double that amount.
I had so many doors slammed in my face when I asked for help to get off this drug, mainly because I believe, like you said, no one knew how to treat the addiction.
I tapered down to 320mgs fine, but when I got to that level, that's when the hell kicked in. Severe depression, suicidal etc.
I've now been few of Oxycontin for a year this month. I'm on methadone to stop the withdrawals. Originally 115mils per day, I'm now currently on 45mils per day as I'm determined to get off methadone.
My big problem is my original problem with my back which means I'm in pain almost 24/7. That's my problem, I don't want to go down the route I was on before with pain relief, even though I know Oxy is highly addictive & I won't go on it again, it did relieve my pain.
Catch 22
Regards
Ritchie
timothy71898 Guest
Posted
I also turned to methadone as a last resort. It has been the most pleasant experience concerning handling my pain and my addiction. My methadone clinic. Is sympathetic, and never looked down on me. I go every morning and they seem to get addiction.
Guest timothy71898
Posted
That's really good that they know what they're doing!
I thought you were being sarcastic at first, as everyone I've ever spoken to in a similar situation has always said they were treated like scum etc.
I did find that I was treated like the lowest of the low, even though I didn't know what an opiate was till I had issues with the Oxy, never touched drugs, worked all my life since 14yrs old etc etc.
Are you in the UK Timothy or the USA mate?
timothy71898 Guest
Posted
I am in the US. Just moved from California to North Carolina. I had a rude awakening when I transferreI my pain management. from a so called liberal state to a anal Republican State. As soon as I walked into my new pain management office in Raleigh, N.C., I was given the third degree about how North Carolina was not California, and how things were done different in the south. I had been on pain management in California for 3 years prior, with a unblemish in drug urine testing. The P.A. was about 25 years old who looked like she hadn't had a drink in her innocent appearing life. It didn't help that in the last couple of years I have let my hair grow long. I knew from the get go she had labeled me as a drug seeker, and she was going to make it her mission to make me fail at my medication. The first two months she gave me urinalysis and always asked me how I was doing. I have been honest from the start about my pain management to my doctors, so I told the P.A. that I ran out about a day early both months. It was not until the second month she told me I had two strikes for running out of my medication a day early. Then on the third month, the day I was to renew my prescription, I came up 2 pills short. , so I just said I am resigning from your pain management program, and will look for another program. While looking, I had to go to the streets. to get my medication. I almost got lost in my addiction, but finally. took a chance on methodine, and it has become a blessing. Basicly what I am trying to say is the doctor's that have a pain management program . Doctors need to understand they are playing with a patients life with the way they make discussions. on behalf of a patients medication. As you have seen recently in the news, when a patient has a doctor that doesn't work with he or she, it has resulted in overdoses, deadly assaults on doctors, and mass quantities of opiates on the street.
timothy71898
Posted
I failed to mention that the pain clinic in N.C. cut my medication in half from what I had been taking for the past three years in my very first appointment. Also I brought all of my medical records and they never looked at them. I am going to divulge the name of the clinic, Wake Spine and Pain, Raleigh, N.C. I feel this information might save someone's life.
Guest timothy71898
Posted
Wow!! That is so very wrong to treat you that way & to halve your medication, who gave them the right to play God!!!!! This is where the lack of knowledge comes in & assuming you're a junkie! Very wrong.
Obviously the laws are very different over here in the UK compared to the States.
Its obvious if they do that you're gonna look elsewhere, i.e the streets etc, what do they think you will do? Go into withdrawals from halving your medication & just accept it!! No way, I've been there a few times & you want to just die! I remember actually smelling my fingers & could actually smell the chemicals coming out of my skin! Horrible!!
Running out a day before your script is due? That's just ridiculous that you were treated that way & they were allowed to get away with it.
At the time I realised I had a massive problem with the Oxycontin, not many in this country had even heard of the drug.
Even though it was later on that I went to pain management & had injections in my back etc, it was through my GP that I was put on the drug. It was the Pain Clinic that said I needed to reduce it & why had a Dr put me on such a very high dose in the first place!
The GP at the time even said that I was costing more than any other patient in prescriptions (£3k) per month.
The other GP's had arguments with her saying she should never have put me on such a high dose!
The thing that got me was, it wasn't until probably 5yrs after being on it & telling the same GP that put me on it that I had a problem with it, she said: "I thought you would have a problem as it is very addictive. Not over here but, in the States it's a massive problem!!
We only usually give that drug to cancer patients with not long left to live as it doesn't really matter if they get addicted does it" WHAT!!!!!!
I couldn't believe what she was saying! Why was I not told this 5yrs earlier, especially after refusing to try morphine as the name of it scared me thinking it was too strong! Only to find out Oxy was 2.5 x the strength of morphine!!
I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry!!
After everything she was now telling me, I thought I'd better look into exactly what she is giving me!
After googling & spending many hours online, finding out it's called "Hillbilly Heroin" in the states & has wiped out a generation in Kentucky & that Pharmacies were actually being robbed for the drug, reading that Purdue Pharma have now been fined over $640 Million for manufacturing a drug & claiming it was non addictive with their sales reps getting bonuses of $250k for basically selling heroin!
I picked up 56 x 2 of 80mg & 56 x 2 of 120mg every month from the pharmacy. It was selling for $1 per mg on the streets in the States at the time. $120 for 1 tablet, incredible!!
What gets me also is that not one family or person who this drug has had their lives destroyed by, received a single cent for all the suffering. I wonder where all that money actually went.
Sorry for going on & on.
How are you doing now?
Ritchie
timothy71898 Guest
Posted
I'm doing great, thanks for asking. I just want to get the word out about these pain management doctors to people, so something terrible does not happen to there lives that there doctor is at fault. Where do you live in the U.K.?
Guest timothy71898
Posted
I live in a very small town called Ashbourne in the county of Derbyshire. Its world famous for an ancient game called "Shrovetide football" that is played yearly every Ash Tuesday & Ash Wednesday 😊
That's great to hear that you're now doing good!
I know exactly what you're saying & your reasons behind it!
I always said that once I was better I wanted to do something to help others who found themselves in a similar situation to where I was, no help & not knowing where to turn for help, getting door after door slammed shut in my face.
One "Addiction Psychiatrist" that I went to see for help, actually told me that they only treat heroin addicts & not opiate addicts through prescription medication addiction.
I said so; what you're telling me then is, in order for you to actually help me & put me on methadone to get me off Oxycontin is to go away, get addicted to illegal heroin & not the legal heroin I'm on now & come back. Then you will treat me? After a silence, he said well, I'm not saying you go do that. I said that's exactly what you're telling me to do!!
Obviously I didn't do that but, I couldn't believe that the same NHS that is treating me now, refused to treat me then, unless I was a heroin addict, incredible eh!!
If it wasn't for a drug charity I found by accident in London called "Release" I would probably not be here right now as I was severely depressed & suicidal. I just couldn't see a way out of it at all.
The other reason I want to help people because of the very little help that I could find out there, is as I mentioned earlier. How you get stereotyped & treated.
A year before this, I was an Operations Manager for a big company where i worked for 26yrs having worked my way up the ladder to senior management level. A great salary, lovely sporty new Lexus on my drive. Now I have nothing & worrying how I'm gonna pay my next gas & electric bill.
I just hope one day I am in a position to be able to help others so they don't have to go through what I did, or worse!!
I'd love to visit the States one day. The closest I've been was flying into Mineapoliss (sorry about spelling) on my way to Canada about 20yrs ago. We went to stay with a friends relatives for a few days in Edmonton Alberta before hiring a camper & touring the Rockies for 2weeks, Banff & Jasper etc. Gods country! I didn't want to come back. I loved it.
Guest timothy71898
Posted
Sorry, my reply is waiting to be modded yet again, though God knows what I've said now that's so wrong!!???