My Pharmacist Illegally Changed my Pain Medication

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/09/28/cvss-transparent-opioid-pr-stunt-11880

Two weeks ago I went in to get my medications filled for my chronic pain and fibromyalgia. I’ve been getting the same medications filled, at varying levels and strengths, for almost 20 years now.  Two months ago, the same pharmacy and pharmacist, got involved at the level of an acting DEA agent with me and my doctor. It was explained in no uncertain terms that I would no longer be able to fill my pain medications at this pharmacy  unless I lowered my dosage. As my doctor and I were already planning to lower one of my medications (for the second time in ten months), I did comply with this; the very next month. I also had a couple long and hostile conversations initiated by the  pharmacist during this time, two of them bringing me to tears. It’s noteworthy for my readers to understand that I’ve been working with this pharmacist for six years and this pharmacy for almost the whole 20 years.  The month that I lowered the one medication my doctor raised my other medication to two extra pills a day. My doctor even went so far as to speak with my pharmacist and send in a written plan about the two pills a day. When I phoned my doctor the following month for a refill on that medication I requested of the staff, three times, to lower the dosage back to four pills a day; upon arrival at the pharmacy I discovered that my doctor had given me six pills a day again. I explained to my pharmacist that I had only asked for four, after he loudly and  rudely let the entire counter know that if I did not go back down to four next month he would not fill my medications ever again. Embarrassed I explained that I had only asked for four a day that month. His response was that I needed to prove it and that he would not refill my medication until six weeks from now so that I could approve it. He did not consult with my doctor prior to doing this. He did not acknowledge that I was continuing to be compliant with his rules. Peers, despite pharmacist acting as DEA agents and as doctors, it is illegal for them to change someone’s prescription without first consulting with that person‘s doctor. So as you may surmise I will be talking to my doctor in the next few weeks and looking for a new pharmacy .

I know this is not only my experience during the opioid epidemic or crisis, what I don’t know is exactly how I’m supposed to respond anymore. Anyone out there have a suggestion?

Lucinda Tart, Pain Peer Advocate

Begining to Retrain your Thoughts from Negative to Positive; Adding to this, Daily Journaling to Track Your Chronic….

via Begining to Retrain your Thoughts from Negative to Positive

If you follow my blog on chronic pain, now also featuring a subtext of chronic anxieties, I hope you’ve used the technique above with some success. I suggest techniques that have assisted me, or other peers, that have a good track record for us chronics.  Using the above technique is not something I did, or do, for only a month; I have found that committing to tools that work for me means repeating the technique throughout the year(s). Once I’m comfortable with one, it’s time to add another. The next step in this writting process is journaling.

First step, get a journal. I have used large address books that come with tabs and mini binders filled with paper I found at thrift stores (once I knew I was consistent in using this review of my self with pain, anxiety, and triggers of these, I bought a cute, handmade journal). Your selection should be one with sections, I use five, you may only need three or perhaps you will want nine; it’s your journal for your unique needs. Next, buy a set of five different colored pens or pencils. I have a set of pencils from “The Dollar Store”, I also wanted to invest in myself to create further investment in my daily writing, so I went to a office supply store and picked out colors I related to for each of my  sections (I’ll write more about this in-depth below). You will now use this one journal for the circles of negative and positive thought, emotion, behavioral outcome, so remember to set aside the front section for this practice. Your also going to commit to tracking both your personal triggers and your good moments, hours, or days.

I created my second section to begin a conversation with myself about what Wellness feels like for me. In this same section, I write about how I can try to stay Well, what support items, people, medications, alternative resources, quiet time, might help me get back to being alright again. Included in this are are my “Action Stepstones”; this comes from the first exercise I started with, circles of patterns that assist me in awareness of positive and negative behaviors. Last, before embarking on my new daily journal toolkit, I have a third section that’s used to create my “Paths” to both my positive and my ability to practice acceptance.

You may be starting to feel overwhelmed, this is a good time to practice nice, deep, breathing. Remember that you work at your pace. This is your place. Start with a sentence or two and reward yourself for being courageous. Each section is a process. I made plans that didn’t work. I wrote out “Wellness Action Stepstones” before I knew that some of the stones were too negative. That’s what’s great about tracking with journaling, your observations, plans, positives and negatives, can change! Mine change often as new situations arise, new symptoms, less symptoms, different seasons of the year, my journal writing reflects my constant understandings over the years. The key to success is your commitment.

It’s important that you write daily for one month. Create a third section where you write one sentence in the morning and one at night. These reflect how you are coping/feeling. The morning is an observation of how you feel as your day begins. The nights sentence examines how you felt throughout your day. Using a different colored pen, write a brief note about your pain(s), anxiety, (your struggle), was it positive, good, bad, negative, was there a trigger, did you use a “Stepstone”?  Picking another color, rate how it felt; it was a good day and you used a tool from your kit, 2. It was a hard day, you weren’t able to take care of your chores, 8.  Circle these scores and a corresponding words that allows you to go back and scan the entry at any time. Example; “I was triggered by an unexpected loud noise at the store, my anxiety took over and I went home to bed”, 8 – circle “unexpected loud noise”, and “anxiety”.

After you have worked with this system, if you want to try it that is, you can get more in-depth or less. It depends on the person. I got more detailed as I used this tool. I also found that as I have mTBI, my journal needed to be one I could take with me. I created a section on cognition and a separate section for notes. There is one more writing/witnessing exercise I use, but it’s too early to introduce. This is a lot to begin with. Remember that no one else is looking at your toolkit. Tweak it for you. Do commit. It’s not a miracle and you get out only what you put in.

I am going to be running an online course in this, and more, with time put aside for us to support one another. Once I have it up, I’ll put a link in my blog.

Lucinda Tart, Advocate/Educate, Chronic Survivor

Letting Go of This, To Do That

The  last several years I have found myself in the position of saying no to family outings more often than saying yes.  In order to do more each day, or even just the next day, I have had to give up many things that I once loved.  Balancing my life while living with chronic pain, cognitive loss, and anxiety  is an extremely difficult task, but one that is becoming normal for me. It is with great sorrow that I recognize it will never feel totally normal to my family or friends.  Not being able to participate in so many family dinners or cups of coffee with my friends, not to mention canceling these events at the last moment or the day before, creates one of my hardest acceptance struggles; how to continue to show them my appreciation, love, and affection from a distance.

The first five years I spent adjusting to living with my new disabilities, I found myself both apologizing constantly for not participating or pushing myself to participate to not disappoint them. Neither one of these strategies worked for me or them.  Apologizing constantly just kept me swirling in the victim role. Participating despite my multiple issues sent me back into the house and onto the couch or in bed for a period of one day or even a week, clearly that’s not healthy. The readers of my blog know that my goal in living with chronic disabilities is all about living as many best and most positive moments and days that I can. The same readers also know that I, like them,  give up a lot in order to take in a lot. That sounds very contradictory, but, it’s not;  there are certain activities I just can’t do anymore and other activities that I need or want to do.  In order to try and keep this positive balance I invite my family over to my house for dinner, I make several weekly phone calls always ending with “I love you“, I send little social media links to them, and I always reach out and remind them that I am here, I’m just different now and that it’s just another wheel in the circle of life.

My current journey doesn’t allow me to be in places with loud noises, it’s difficult for me to be a passenger in a car driven by someone else, (I frequently curl up into a fetal position, terrified that we’re going to get into an accident when I’m a passenger, this creates a lot of anxiety in the driver and the sorrow of seeing my reaction creates anger (remember that it’s easier to be angry then it is to be sad) in everyone), I’m not able to be spontaneous anymore, everything must be planned at least a day if not a week in advance to help with both my anxiety levels and to plan well my activities leading up to that day in order to, hopefully, have less pain on the day of the event. It’s still really sad for everyone that I’m in a relationship with, (including myself) that I’m so often not capable of simply going to dinner or a sharing our moments of life while going out for a cup of coffee. The balance that I started creating in the sixth year of my new wheel of life is beginning to feel normal to us all now, however, I still sigh, and occasionally cry, tears of sadness as completely accepting this situation is a day to day task.

I can do much less now than I could before when I only lived with the pain and brain fog of fibromyalgia. It can become very tedious living with even less capabilities.  The gift I can give my family and friends in my new life is to not make their life tedious as well. Suffering is optional. That statement is difficult to understand when you are  indeed suffering, but it is my believe that I have the option to cry or sigh, to miss out on that dinner or cup of coffee with a friend but carry-on in the next hour or the next day with life, my life. If that’s the best I can do then I’ll take it, its a lot better then not being alive at all.

Remember to cherish the gifts you get in the moment,

Lucinda Tart, Pain Peer, Advocate for the Positive, MH;MSW

A Honor I Cherish; it’s the little things

Hi Lucinda,

My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.

I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Living Your New Life with Chronic Pain has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 50 Fibromyalgia Blogs on the web.

https://blog.feedspot.com/fibromyalgia_blogs/

I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 50 Fibromyalgia Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!

Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.

Best wishes,

Anuj Agarwal

Fibromyalgia and The Perfect Storm of Hidden Secondary Disabilities

The backhanded gift of living with fibromyalgia for almost two decades has allowed me to develop a primarily positive outlook on what living a good life entails.  That life view altered completely after a rear-end MVA (motor vehicle accident) in 2013 that not only tossed my body around, but ejected my wellness toolkit out of my brain. This last year has been spent trying to reach an acceptance of this perfect storm of hidden disabilities; disabilities that overlap in their symptoms, causing one to activate another.

The MVA injuries I live with include; mTBI (mild cognitive loss; which doesn’t seem mild at all), PTSD, and headaches from a stiff neck. My past years of living well with chronic pain taught me to pay attention to the triggers that made me worse, and helped me feel better. I learned my limits.  I understood that the consquences of pushing through one day meant that the next day would be spent on the couch.  I used journaling, researched books on pain tools, and social media sites that hosted peer groups to better understand my own experience through others experiences. After several years, I was able to craft my own toolkit for my best wellness days, my in-between, and my worst days. Sadly, that toolkit doesn’t work anymore; some pratices still fit but my new disabilities need new, simpler tools. The largest hurdle in this journey is not just the prominent difficulty in having my pain and cognition interfer in researching, but more critically, allowing the acceptance of a lower threshold of living. It’s been overwhelming to embrace this new life path, it feels like giving up.

My original tool kit  was the opposite of giving in to chronic pain.  It allowed me to return to college, then on to university,  a full-time student, who graduated at fifty years of age with a Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California. It was never easy.  I always hurt, but, I succeeded. I had no idea  that my success was not going to be defined in terms of new career, but instead be defined in how well I would be able to negotiate the perfect storm of cognitive and physical disabilities just a year after graduation. My injuries allow no choice other than letting go of not just a career, but the ability to accomplish most every day activities with any regularity.

Just this past year I made an agreement with myself to accept that most days I will be at home. The cognitive drift (brain fog) inherent in my chronic pain has tripled with the addition of mTBI and PTSD. The fibromyalgia pain is worse. Waking up to more pain each day causes my PTSD trauma anxiety to rise which then triggers my brain to kick into fight or flight mode. This leaves my brain with a limited cognitive process, one that is already comprised by the fibro fog. An alternative route to this same limited cognition is that as my anxiety ramps up, my fibromyalgia pain rises from the fight or flight hormones and my mTBI, always present, leaves me scrambiling to recall, input, or engage in anything more then simple conversations and tasks. With all three constantly present in my daily life, trying to create a new toolkit has been a daunting work, one that will always be in progress. These are all hidden disabilities and as pain peers know, it creates the outward appearance to others that if I’m spending most of my time at home, it should be easy to develop different tactics for daily life.

I spent the first five and half years trying to help others understand why I could not understand the conversation, why I was confused, that I did not remember what happened or the information I was told, why I couldn’t multi-task, why I felt upset, why I always stayed in my home. I no longer engage in this very often. I use that energy to track my pain levels. I research tools used by others with cognitive loss and anxiety. I finally understand my abilities and my limitations. I am almost at peace with my new self.

There are always hidden gifts in change and my latest gifts are beginning to appear. I have the opportunity to explore leaving the city for a life in the country. I have always been a lover of nature and the quiet of being in it full-time helps reduce my anxiety. Reducing constant anxieties lessens my pain thresholds, not enough to join the workforce, but enough to make me feel more confident. With this confidence in place, I have created my toolkit. It’s flexible and ongoing, leaving room to add and discard helping items daily. This is my second gift, and it feels like the best gift.

I have taken my past toolkit, my MSW therapy learning, and new books I’ve skimmed through for my cognition needs and created a basic support plan that I want to share with others. It addresses many different types of disabilities, all of which are inter-related, and is easy to use. I never thought that I would be able to offer others something; it’s been a long journey to offer it to myself. The self validation has been that last piece of acceptance I couldn’t find for so long.

Now, I just need to figure out how to create website where I can share it with my peers,

Lucinda Tart, Pain Peer, Advocate, MSW

New Pathways to Living

Praise From my GP for my Willingness and Ability to use Other Tools for Pain

Hi peers,

I just wanted to add a quick note here today, one that I feel we all deserve to hear more often.  At my last check my doctor and I discussed the fact that I dropped my Fenytanol patch use by 25 mg.   He noted that while it took me three months to completely wean myself from its usage by adding in more pills, oxycodone, that I had done a great job. He then discussed dropping down another 25 mg. I told him that while I was definitely interested in doing that I wasn’t interested in doing it until after the winter due to the increased pain that winter brings.

He pushed the idea a couple of times but ultimately left it up to me without being upset. As we continued to discuss my experience of the withdrawals, I brought up my continuing search for new tools to use for my chronic pain as lowering my medication increased my pain.  I was rather afraid during this visit that he would be upset with me for Continuing to need more pills or not immediately lowering my patch.  As it turns out it was a very different experience and I had no reason to be afraid.  As I got up to leave he stopped  for a moment in the hallway and smilingly told me that he wanted to congratulate me on how vigilant I was in finding and using other tools to deal with my chronic pain. He talked for a moment about how so many patients don’t do this and he wished that they would.

As chronic pain sufferers we rarely get that kind of validation from our doctors, but we need it. Of course this means we also need to be actually finding and using our tools. Each one of our tools in our tool bags will look different from someone else’s but each tool has it’s purpose. It may be that one of our tools or many of our tools only work sometimes but we need to have them in there for that time. I know as well as all the rest of you do, that it’s exhausting just to be in pain and the idea of both finding and using those tools can feel like a useless drain of our already limited energy, yet it’s so very important to keep at it. Once we have our tools we can use them to suffer less. Once we understand our pain we can avoid the need to suffer without understanding why.  This creates power over our pain, instead of it having complete rule over our body and mind.

We have to fight for ourselves. We are our own advocates, no one else      knows  how we feel and what we need but ourselves. Not our family and certainly not our doctors, that’s been proven time and time again to me. I continue to struggle eith adding new tools every week. But it’s a struggle that I try to embrace. My doctors words to me should be words to us all, words of comfort and wisdom.

As the rainy season storms in keep working at it, don’t give up, you’ll find what you need. I hope all of you stay warm and have positive experiences this winter.

Lucinda Tart, ILS, Chronic Pain Peer Consultant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Story of the Dread Fentynol Patch and Lowering the Dosage to Accomodate Ability to Take Oxycotine, or, Why did my Pain Medications get Pushed up to Such a High Amount, and then I Have to Suffer.

 

chronic pain and prescription medication use

addict or chronic pain lifer

Hello Peers!

I haven’t posted anything in a very long time, sorry about that. I have been steadily trying to understand my PTSD, caused by being rear-ended at 30mph, five years ago.  It’s extremely difficult to understand (I am a degreed MSW; Child and Family Therapist, who actually studied the symptoms as they manifested in our returning military veterans, and the sexually abused, but no real mention was made of a life-threatening event like mine) and even more difficult to live with. My last few years have been spent with very limited energy from the extreme highs and lows that my brain constantly creates from fears that are not occurring in the moment. When I am not spinning out of control because I had to leave the house and deal with events that I can’t control, my pain has been keeping me in bed. It’s not a combination I wish on any of you (in “archives” there is a blog about fibromyalgia and “nature or nurture” that some may wish to read).

I finally found a tiny space of time in which to write about my recent experience in lowering my Fentanyl patch by 25mcg.  I was more than happy to do this, as I don’t enjoy being dependent on medications for pain control. I do my best to live well using other methods, they do help but they don’t control the pain by themselves. I have written and will continue to write extensively about how to live well with chronic pain; this is not about that. Rather, it is a frank discussion about my personal experience with my withdrawal symptoms, my doctor’s agreement about increased oxy pill use during the ensuing months, and the pharmacist who has to live by his corporate policy instead of human decency.

My doctor and I have been discussing lowering my opioid use for a while now. At first we discussed lowering the pills, it seemed a better idea as the patch is continuous relief without the ups and downs caused by waiting for a pill to take effect, and feeling the effect break down after it’s 4-6 hour life span in my system.  Somehow we decided that the patch was the smarter issue to focus on decreasing. Let me say to you all that he is a wonderful general practitioner, not a pain management specialist. He inherited me as a patient and has been nothing but understanding. His practice initiated a change in amounts of total opioids after the CDC drastically lowered the limits “suggested” as the daily allowance. It seemed that my patch was pushing me beyond those limits by quite a lot. So, I got an increase of two pills a day and lowered the patch by the 25mcg.

My doctor assured me that I would have the amount of pills I needed until my body adjusted to this decrease. The first three weeks I found myself in pain I didn’t know I experienced. I also found that I needed more than the extra 2/day he alloted. He knew this could happen, see above discussion about allowing me what my body needed, and the first month he sent my pharmacy an early refill.  The pharmacy filled it.

My adjustment didn’t automatically end there, at the end of three weeks. I was still trying to learn to live with an increased pain threshold. My brain was learning to make new endocrine and seratonin receptors (studies have shown that chronic pain brain’s don’t make enough of these natural pain relievers, so recreating them when they don’t exist is an interesting thought process). Mental addiction is not the same for us, we don’t get “high”, we take these prescribed medications in order to try to be a part of society, just like the rest of the population. That does not rule out that there is no mental addiction. In my case, my mental health went way down. My fuzzy brain symptoms became much worse. Bottom line, it took me three months to relearn how to live well with a higher pain level. Recreating my understandings of what restrictions I had to put into my days, how to adjust my activities of daily living, and more.

Now, the second month of early refill. The pharmacist got distressed and dragged out filling it for three days.  I got through it with luck. The last month, third, I was finally able to use only half of the amount per day of oxy I was allowed; it was too late to not need one last early refill. Now my pharmacist was refusing to fill early and demanding to speak to my doctor. My doctor was in only half a day and I now felt like a drug seeker. I was incredibly humiliated and completely depressed for a few weeks.

I tried to talk with him and reminded him that I had only recently gone down by much, much more than the amount of pills I was replacing the 25mcg of Fentanyl I was on, and, that I just finally accomplished it. No compassion there. My doctor? I don’t know if he called the pharmacist or not, I was too humiliated to phone him back.  Again, I got through with luck. The pharmacist did not fill it until five days later.

I learned a lot from this experience. The first thing I should have reached for was my computer. I needed to do research on how others had lowered theirs. I needed to know that 25mcg of Fentanyl is equal to an incredible amount of oxy pills. I should have lowered my pills first, then the patch, then increased my pills. I won’t be lowering anything again anytime soon.

There is a silver lining here, I did lower both! Yes, I have more pain but I feel better about not having all these medications in my system. I also straddled that line that all those without chronic pain are always “suggesting”, “can’t you do this without all that medication?”; code for, “aren’t you an addict?”. I am not an addict. I have said this many times before. I am addicted though. This is not my fault. This is my body’s inability to generate enough needed hormones and a deficit of substance P. My bodies overactive nervous system.  The CDC, doctors, and pharmacists are not who anyone should be blaming for our high medication dependence. The pharmaceutical companies started this a long time back. If I had known what most still don’t about the fraudulent claims they made about  the “non” addicting pain relief medications, I would never have allowed my doctors to continue raising my medications to these amounts.

I prevailed because I desired to. Because I am not an addict. Because I have a great doctor. Because I am not only a natural advocate but a degreed advocate. My concern is for those who can not do this for themselves. Mandatory lowering or removal of medications that work for us is here. There is no blame where it should be placed, there is a lot of shame where it should not be felt.

XXX

Lucinda Tart, Advocate, Consultant, Chronic Pain Advocate

Flipping my Living Well with Chronic Pain; A Hard Look at My Aging Parents

Hello Peers,

Life doesn’t stop because we have pain, it marches on.  Yesterday I happened to be at my parents home during a trying moment.  My journaling, adapting my activities of daily living, learning about calming methods and alternative medicines, listening to my limits ( and applying them), work and academics in this and related human needs fields, all served me well. I read my email to my husband this morning and he suggested I put it in my blog.

A side note before the email posted below;  I have not been attending to this blog for quite a while now; I am sorry for that as I know, as you know, we all are looking for our Peers to assist one another. However, as I stated in my last few months of blogging before this,  I knew I needed time to assist myself before I could continue to assist others. Don’t we all.

I am almost finished with one small project. It’s a project that would have taken a person not in constant pain about two months; it’s taken me almost eight months. Still, I have the pleasure of knowing I did it! My second “project” will be advertised here in about two months. I have been slowly trying to put together a “Well Living With Chronic Pain” program for several years. I will offer it in person in the area I live in, and online via pre-made video webinars.  Both will not accept insurance but will be inexpensive with options for us, financially challenged Peers. I created this out of need. Books are out there in the dozens, pain clinics, advice, support chat rooms, but I could never find one easy to follow, and adapt for my needs, program that allowed contemplation and practice with advice from Peers. This is not a money maker, rather it is a act of love.

Hello my parents

Today was a good day for my observations. It was hard for me to watch (…) in pain but it was also a good thing. I was able to step in and use my skills without having the emotional components of a marriage. I knew tricks of dealing with bad pain that I instantly began applying.

(…),
I observed you having little patience with assisting (…) I know you had a very difficult time when you were young; suffering with asthma and your parents virtually ignored you. I believe you learned to keep it all in as no help was going to come to your aid. This, combined with your easily upset emotional equilibrium, makes it hard to be patient when a loved one is moaning out loud. I understand that. The suggestion I have is to put yourself in their shoes, not yours, and practice acceptance of this new part of your daily life. Also important, find ways to remove yourself and talk with (…) about needs versus wants. (some wants are actually needs, this can actually be tricky and has to be figured out by him but without no ability for you to continue living)
I could do a presentation for you both if it would help.

(…),
I know from your childhood that you suffered for many months with a debilitating illness; any intrusion like this one brings back fear. You learned that you had others there helping you and voicing pain was a safe thing. You also became in control of your illness, through having that support.

There is nothing wrong with either of these childhood experiences helping you in your adult lives except that they now serve to interfere with your marriage as you both age.

(…),
Be kinder. Also, don’t ask what (.) wants, think about what (.) needs. (.) needed looser pants. Period. Roll up the socks. Have (.) sit to dress or stand but don’t inquire too much. (.) has his rights but needs to let go a lot more.

(…),
Don’t demand every little thing. If your helper says you don’t need your wallet, you don’t. Practice releasing some control. Believe me it will serve you and future caregivers.

Both of you are going to need to practice asking for help. Being private is great. Nothing wrong with it. However, if an illness or aging issue is too much your going to need to speak up and trust that I am a competent adult who can, and will, be there for both of you. Your other children are far across the country and can’t come stay with you for a few days or weeks.

I love you both very much. I am sad to see your pain but I think, and hope, my words might help here. My future actions as well. I am a trained Social Worker, Independent Living Specialist, and Chronic Pain Peer who has lived well with many syndromes for decades.

***Living Well doesn’t mean one lives perfectly or fully in a typical eight hour day, it means as little stress as one can create by mindfully creating ones life.
💜🦋💜

Lucinda Tart, ILS, Chronic Pain Peer, MSW

The Longest Fibromyalgia Flare in Years; New Chronic Neck Pain

Three years ago I was rear ended while stopped at a red light. The van totaled my cars rear, subsequently totaling the car. It, and me, were shoved by the impact to the end of a large intersection. I have suffered through numerous physical and mental issues due to this, lately it’s my neck that’s wreaking the havoc I’m enduring every day, every minute.

The impact inuded whiplash, I was “out” during my trip across the streets, but know my head was bobbing away. I tried to see a specialist about my neck pain but with all my other injuries, the process got started and then I dropped the ball. I was overwhelmed with so many doctors appointments. My family helped me with virtually everything for two and a half years, I was really in bad shape. Today, I am in medium shape.

The last month or so, instead of experiencing neck pain several times a week and when I lay down to sleep, I am having chronic pain in the neck! Those of us with fibromyalgia know that our neck and shoulder area is already a tender area. My neck pain is increasing the trigger point pain in this area due to tight muscles or something else that I haven’t had diagnosed yet. All I know is it hurts! This combination has kept me on my coach, or in bed, for almost two weeks now. At first I was accepting of living with increased pain; thinking it would calm down. It’s not.

I am not feeling very calm about it today. I am feeling angry. And, that’s ok. But, it’s not going to be alright if it screams pain that stops me from all activities of living, except walking my dog, for much longer. The only thing I am accepting right now is that it’s time for me to go back to the specialist, and I need comfort food. Chocolate sounds really good right about now.

THE Continuing Question; Opioids Use for Chronic Pain

One-third of long-term users say they’re hooked on prescription opioids – The Washington Post
https://apple.news/ASaZtPbh5QxepZLsdPPEaXg

Its been several months since I’ve posted anything in my blog, but this news piece warrants my response. This is only my opinion on this subject, as someone who has chronic pain and as one  who uses opiates for the relief of that pain, I have something to say that’s important on the subject. The very first thing I noted in this article was the use of the words words, “addicted or dependent”.  After 16 years of use for my chronic pain I am dependent on opiates. This is very different from someone who becomes an addict, and until this difference has been statistically weeded out we need to stop blaming people with pain and they are doctors for the epidemic of addiction.blaming people with pain and they are doctors for the epidemic of addiction.

 

I have stated in previous blogs that the other medications that have been developed in the last decade don’t work for me, that doesn’t rule out that they work for other people because they do. One of the main tenants of getting rid of using opioids for chronic pain is that there are other medications out there, does this meanthis mean that everyone needs to stop using pain medication because there is the chance of addiction?  No. The reason is exactly as I stated above the other medications don’t work for everyone. Does this mean that doctor should be very clear about trying other medications first, yes I believe they should.  Does this also mean that doctors should be very clear about what opiates are and how they can affect your body, how one can become dependent on them, yes they should. However, I for one am not am not willing to take the blame for people who become addicted. If anyone should take on this  plane game, it should be the doctors who don’t monitor their patients use closely.

When,http://www.prescriberesponsibly.com/articles/urine-drug-testing

In addition to using opiates, I use alternative methods of self-care as well. I’ve written and lot here about having a tool kit of methods to help one deal with their chronic pain. Any responsible doctor would offer these tools to their patients . But as the doctor and patient relationship develops over time, each patient will be able to use different tools differently at different times and the doctor needs to understand that. I’m not sure that it this point in time  doctors really understand this clearly. In the end I think it comes down to doctors being better educated about chronic pain in general and the different ways in which patient can help themselves, doctors can help patients and the different ways that patients may or may not respond to different methods.  The relationship between patient and doctor is always a two-way street. If you don’t have a comfortable give-and-take relationship with your doctor I suggest that you find a new doctor, one who is willing to explore over the years with you different ways that work at different times without judgment.

What do you think about this subject what do you think about this subject?