Opioids Still Overprescribed After Surgery: Study

[rangerrebew]

Opioids Still Overprescribed After Surgery: Study

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors continue to prescribe far too many opioid painkillers to patients following surgery, a new study indicates.

In fact, one of every three patients prescribed an opioid, such as Oxycontin, didn't take a single pill during their recuperation, said lead researcher Elizabeth Habermann. She is scientific director for surgical outcomes at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

https://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/news/20180419/opioids-still-overprescribed-after-surgery-study#1

[Victoria33]

@rangerrebew

Opioids again.  One of the problems here, is, every individual is just that, individual.  Each person reacts to pain and levels of pain, differently.  Many years ago, I had pancreatitis but at the time didn't know why I was in horrible pain; the pain was so bad, I told my son to go next door and have them call an ambulance - I was incapable of doing that due to the pain.  Inside the ambulance, the guy asked what I took.  He thought I was trying to kill myself.  I told him I took nothing.  I couldn't see due to the pain and as far as death was concerned, I surely wanted to die right then to stop it.

Once inside the hospital, I was in such pain, I was begging for something to stop it.  The doc was considering an operation to determine why I was out of my mind with pain.  I remember a nurse telling him to give me something since the pain was so bad. He did that and I wasn't awake for three days after that; they kept me sedated. He did one more test before operating and found my amalace (sp) count was off the chart meaning I had pancreatitis.  He started antibiotics and I was kept out for those three days.  After all that, he said Pancreatitis was the worst pain anyone could have and my pain threshold would never be the same; that I could bear more pain now than I could before I had this.

He was right, in that from then on, any pain I had, I immediately compared it to Pancreatitis pain, and the new pain was nothing compared to that one.   

The moral of that story, is, each person reacts to levels of pain differently.  No research of pain can come up with a "chart" that is reliable.  I can stand more pain than the average person due to my experience of Pancreatitis, so the average person would need a pain killer before I would.  It has to be up to the individual doctor of the individual patient to determine whether a pain pill is required or not.  I guess I need to go to capital hill and explain pain to congressmen/women and explain it to researchers who are trying to pin down who needs pain pills and who doesn't.

My doctor knows my history and we talk pain every time I am there since I have pain pills.  He can only give me enough pills for three months, then I have to go back for another three month's worth.  He hates the paperwork we have to go through to get pain pills.  Starting in January, when Trump cuts off most pain pills for patients, or one can only get seven pills at a time, I will run for president to stop this nonsense.

[Right_in_Virginia]

@rangerrebew

My doctor knows my history and we talk pain every time I am there since I have pain pills.  He can only give me enough pills for three months, then I have to go back for another three month's worth.  He hates the paperwork we have to go through to get pain pills.  Starting in January, when Trump cuts off most pain pills for patients, or one can only get seven pills at a time, I will run for president to stop this nonsense. 

You speak (eloquently) of your high tolerance for pain, but don't say whether you take the opioids daily, or on a rare, as needed basis.   If it's on a rare basis, how long would the 7 day prescription last for you?

[Slip18]

@Victoria33

Dittos, with the exception of Pancreatitis.  I was burned from my shoulder to my knees by hot water and oil at the age of two.  I also have a high tolerance.  I know of what you speak. Getting sunburned took away 99% of the scarring.

I can tell people this little factoid about the "new" synthetic drug you are allowed to use because of the ban on opiods: It is highly addictive!

It is called Tramadol.  Stay away from it if you can. 

I am now going through acupuncture.  It is working.  No back pain after just three visits. But getting off the Tramadol is a killer.  I never took the four pills a day as suggested.  I took two.  Now I have cut the two into halves, and I am down to one.  I have never been this addicted to any drug before.

The "horrible" opiod I was prescribed for about eight years never bothered me when I stopped taking them.  That was Hydrocodone. And I took half the dosage of those, too.

So, beware!

I plan on writing a letter to President Trump and the First Lady about my experience. 

[Cyber Liberty]

You speak (eloquently) of your high tolerance for pain, but don't say whether you take the opioids daily, or on a rare, as needed basis.   If it's on a rare basis, how long would the 7 day prescription last for you?

My guess would be seven days.

I would add, that Doctor will be under heavy pressure by the State (threat of his License to Practice) if he renewed that seven days more than a couple of times. 

Trump and his bureaucrats are doing a horrible, horrible thing here by getting between Doctors and their patients.

[Sanguine]

Apparently, the abuse of someone else's left over prescription meds is a miniscule part of the "opioid epidemic", but I guess it's easier to blame docs than it is to address the real reasons for the abuse.

[Slip18]

You speak (eloquently) of your high tolerance for pain, but don't say whether you take the opioids daily, or on a rare, as needed basis.   If it's on a rare basis, how long would the 7 day prescription last for you?

A prescription for seven days of Hydrocortisone and/or Tramadol would have lasted me for 14 days.  I took half the amount recommended.

I have been a "stasher" of medications since California.  In Earthquakeville you had to have an extra supply of all medications for two weeks at a minimum.  If you did not, you were one big ole dummy.

I also had extra dog food, water, you name it.  Medications were a very big part in the Earthquake Kit.  You just never know.

[Cyber Liberty]

The "horrible" opiod I was prescribed for about eight years never bothered me when I stopped taking them.  That was Hydrocodone. And I took half the dosage of those, too.

We also logged each and every pill you took (and showed the log to the Doc), to ensure you never started increasing the frequency of the doses.  We even logged them during the time you had to increase those doses when you were recovering from your shoulder replacement.  We learned to do that back during my hip replacements.

That AVN we shared was a whole different level of pain, though not as severe as @Victoria33's Pancreatitis.

[Slip18]

We also logged each and every pill you took (and showed the log to the Doc), to ensure you never started increasing the frequency of the doses.  We even logged them during the time you had to increase those doses when you were recovering from your shoulder replacement.  We learned to do that back during my hip replacements.

That AVN we shared was a whole different level of pain, though not as severe as @Victoria33's Pancreatitis.

Oh, yeah.  Ouch!

But that pain went away after a few months, and we knew that would happen.

 

[Slip18]

Apparently, the abuse of someone else's left over prescription meds is a miniscule part of the "opioid epidemic", but I guess it's easier to blame docs than it is to address the real reasons for the abuse.

You are so correct on that, Sanguine!  As always the people who are careful get hung out to dry with the not so careful ones.

 

[Victoria33]

You speak (eloquently) of your high tolerance for pain, but don't say whether you take the opioids daily, or on a rare, as needed basis.   If it's on a rare basis, how long would the 7 day prescription last for you?

To make this clear, I take three a day, two in the morning and one late afternoon.
This is the lowest dose of hydrocodone in each pill.

[Victoria33]

You are so correct on that, Sanguine!  As always the people who are careful get hung out to dry with the not so careful ones.

 

@Slip18

My doc said one problem is people getting the pills, then selling them on the street.  He is a smart guy and knows his patients so he wouldn't be one of those docs who hand them out willy nilly to anyone.

[Slip18]

@Slip18

My doc said one problem is people getting the pills, then selling them on the street.  He is a smart guy and knows his patients so he wouldn't be one of those docs who hand them out willy nilly to anyone.

The people who do that are a whole 'nother story.  I could not sell water to a dying man in the dessert.  Just not me. LOL!

My rheumatologist knows me.  There was another person with him the last time I saw him.  I should have asked who that person was.  But I did not because of our mutual trust.  It was probably another doc associated with the DEA.  Who knows?

Odd thing, though, is that to get the Hydro, I had to see this doc once a month.  To get the Tramadol, there was a prescription for three months.  I just don't get it.

I always had more than I needed, so I would make my appointments every six weeks. My doc knew I had stashed some away in case of an emergency.  In fact, I still have them.  I won't take them unless I have some sort of excruciating pain that I can identify.

I am careful. LOL!

[Cyber Liberty]

The people who do that are a whole 'nother story.  I could not sell water to a dying man in the dessert.  Just not me. LOL!

My rheumatologist knows me.  There was another person with him the last time I saw him.  I should have asked who that person was.  But I did not because of our mutual trust.  It was probably another doc associated with the DEA.  Who knows?

Odd thing, though, is that to get the Hydro, I had to see this doc once a month.  To get the Tramadol, there was a prescription for three months.  I just don't get it.

I always had more than I needed, so I would make my appointments every six weeks. My doc knew I had stashed some away in case of an emergency.  In fact, I still have them.  I won't take them unless I have some sort of excruciating pain that I can identify.

I am careful. LOL!

Sorry, I already ate them....

 

[Slip18]

Sorry, I already ate them....

 

What???

 

[Right_in_Virginia]

To make this clear, I take three a day, two in the morning and one late afternoon.
This is the lowest dose of hydrocodone in each pill.

Thanks ... then 7 day prescription will last 2 @Victoria33   I do hope your doctor finds a way to extend the prescription for you.

[GtHawk]

Thanks ... then 7 day prescription will last 2 @Victoria33   I do hope your doctor finds a way to extend the prescription for you.

Are you assuming that a prescription would only be for one pill a day? Because that's an erroneous conclusion, the doctor could prescribe far more than that depending on the medical condition. Well unless Dr. Politician writes the prescription. We all know damn well that not one Congress Critter or White House resident, no I'm not picking on Trump so don't give me the he doesn't even drink line, is going to have their pain relief limited like they are doing to the insignificant little people. God forbid that they have to follow the same laws and regulations they pass for us.

[RoosGirl]

@Victoria33

Dittos, with the exception of Pancreatitis.  I was burned from my shoulder to my knees by hot water and oil at the age of two.  I also have a high tolerance.  I know of what you speak. Getting sunburned took away 99% of the scarring.

I can tell people this little factoid about the "new" synthetic drug you are allowed to use because of the ban on opiods: It is highly addictive!

It is called Tramadol.  Stay away from it if you can. 

I am now going through acupuncture.  It is working.  No back pain after just three visits. But getting off the Tramadol is a killer.  I never took the four pills a day as suggested.  I took two.  Now I have cut the two into halves, and I am down to one.  I have never been this addicted to any drug before.

The "horrible" opiod I was prescribed for about eight years never bothered me when I stopped taking them.  That was Hydrocodone. And I took half the dosage of those, too.

So, beware!

I plan on writing a letter to President Trump and the First Lady about my experience.

I think you may have your drug names mixed up.  Tramadol has been in use for about 20 years here in the states and longer than that in Europe.  It is commonly prescribed for pain in dogs and that is how/why I know about it.

[Frank Cannon]

I think you may have your drug names mixed up.  Tramadol has been in use for about 20 years here in the states and longer than that in Europe.  It is commonly prescribed for pain in dogs and that is how/why I know about it.

Are you calling the poster an animal?

[RoosGirl]

Are you calling the poster an animal?

Have I ever come across to you as the type that has trouble expressing exactly what I want to?

[Cyber Liberty]

I think you may have your drug names mixed up.  Tramadol has been in use for about 20 years here in the states and longer than that in Europe.  It is commonly prescribed for pain in dogs and that is how/why I know about it.

It may not be "new" but it was new to her, and wasn't nearly as good as the medication her Doc threw her off of to satisfy the petty, shitty little bureaucrats being driven by a phony "scare."

[RoosGirl]

It may not be "new" but it was new to her, and wasn't nearly as good as the medication her Doc threw her off of to satisfy the petty, shitty little bureaucrats being driven by a phony "scare."

Yeah, I'm sure you know how I feel about the gov't sticking their damn noses into it.

[Frank Cannon]

Have I ever come across to you as the type that has trouble expressing exactly what I want to?

What are you trying to say?

[RoosGirl]

What are you trying to say?

Why don't you come pay me a visit?  I'm sure the door will be unlocked when you get here.

[Frank Cannon]

Why don't you come pay me a visit?  I'm sure the door will be unlocked when you get here.

You're a Castle Doctrine state, right? I'll pass.