FDA Seeks Better Regulation of Painkillers

laws for the lawless

90% of chronic pain users are prescribed opiates and 10% abuse the drugs. so the 90% suffer government regulations and turn their doctors into policemen. i protest.

Pain Management, theres nothing managed about it

For those of us in constant dabilitating pain, we continue to suffer because physicians say they have to watch gov. regs. Ok......if your patients injury or long term disease is documented with x-rays, mri s, bloodwork, urine tested. The damn doctor has nothing to worry about. We make doctors out to be such intellectual people, common they went to college and everything, Yet when its time to choose which is addict and which isnt, based entirely on appearance, they are so stupid.

FOR GEORGE'S SUFFERING

To George of Va.,thank you for this report.And soo sorry for your suffering.I DO know what you are talking about,as I've had surgery and been in a wheelchair for 8 years.I've also suffered over 20 years.What you are saying to us is TRUE!And,NO,you are NOT trying to gain pity or sympathy!!You are trying to speak the truth to help others and I love you for that.You are to be COMMENDED,if nothing else.You are brave,but sometimes I am exactly in that hole you talk about.God Bless you,George. I will open my e-mail if you want to write(if this goes thru)If not,then accept my regards...Sue

over regulation of pain meds

My sympathy goes out to all the chronic pain sufferers here. I have fractured my lower spine 5 seperate times over a 20 year period. I now also suffer from lyme disease and several severe co-infections which may end my suffering as one of the coinfections is often fatal. The lyme also causes my lower spine to swell and fill w/great amounts of excess fluid. (lyme disease stonewalling by greedy insurance industry and medical profiteers and how they "own" the CDC and AMA is sad tale in and of itself) Despite pain meds have not had a single pain free moment in 20 years. Not telling this tale to gain sympathy but rather to give some perspective. Pain meds are extremely over regulated. Most of this overegulation came during president cheney and his puppet bush's adminstration. No refills or more than one months Rx's, having to travel great distances to find any doctors willing to put up with regs and paperwork and many pharmacies not willing to fill pain Rx's. Most humiliating is having to do regular "surprise" urine tests to "prove" not cheating in some far-fetched fashion as if a convicted criminal. Had hoped new administration would change direction but new FDA propaganda sadly suggest not going to happen. As previous poster stated if I didn't have wonderful wife who helps me survive my day to day hell and 3 wonderful children who motivate me to keep trying-would have taken a long walk on a short pier years ago. Continued Nazi approach of FDA-treating us all as criminals is just so discouraging. Hang in there everyone-I wish all the best.

hurting all the time

My name is Vannessa,I was dionosed with CRSD in 2004.(Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, is a chronic neurological syndrome)I have been dealing with severe PAIN!!!Like Midwest Mom The couch Is where I stay.In Aughst 2006 I had surgery They inplanted a spinal cord stimalator It helps with about 40% of the pain.I have been to so many doctors and every one of them are scared to death to give pain medication!So I sufer constly crying!!!On the really bad days My family really watches me I would rather die than to countinue to live this way.In the past 5 years I have tried to comit suicide 4 times this last time I almost done it.(Atleast now I know what will work)They had to life flight me to Tallahassee.The pain is unreal!!!And I am scared to ask my doctor for more Pain medication,There has to be something he can give me.I am so tierd of Hurting!!!!

figures!

Just what we need, more hassles about getting medications we need to live a productive life!

To Jena of CO,

I have interstitial cystitis and fibromyalgia. Is that specific enough for you? Neither of these conditions have a cure and are permanent. I've been in almost constant pain for 16 years and have tried everything from acupuncture to hypnosis to help lessen my pain. Without pain medication, and other medications and therapies, I cannot function. Thank God I've found a doctor that knows what she is doing. I am subject to drug tests at any time to make sure I am taking the proper amount of meds.

By the way, my sister died at age 39 from alcohol addiction. Shouldn't alcohol be regulated the way pain medication is? A lot more people die from drinking (or are killed by someone drinking) than pain medication.

Lowest Common Denominator

Why is it everytime some famous person gets in trouble for using pain medication, those whom are really suffering from Chronic Pain have to suffer? Why do we as Americans have to rule or make law to the lowest common denominator? Some fool got addicted because he/she has the world at their feet, had money and means to get drugs and now I have to pay for it. The FDA getting more involved will only prevent those of us who really need help from getting proper care. I don't want the FDA threatening, strong arming and bully the doctors who really are trying to help people with chronic pain. Is this really worth spending millions of our tax dollars? Why doesn't the FDA monitored all the famous people instead of the doctors? Thats a better and smaller target.

And for the lady "Call me Baffled" don't take that abuse from that doctor. Go in with your husband and/or male relative and demand medication that will help with your pain. Or go to another doctor and get your medication. Now one should put up with that amount of pain. I am appalled and shocked.

We should form a chronic pain coalition so our voices can be heard.

Call Me Baffled

Like one of the other commenters, I suffer from IC. Before starting with the doctor who has diagnosed me, my BLESSED family physician was giving me enough medication to keep the edge off. Honestly - I was asking for enough pain medication to be able to be active twenty to thirty minutes at a time, because physical activity increased my pain level to a point where I would begin shaking, sweating, and feel weak and nauseous. I have NEVER asked for enough pain medication to FEEL NO PAIN, just enough to take the pain back far enough to let me get OFF MY COUCH.

I felt uncomfortable requiring continuing pain medication from my doctor with no diagnosis, and since I was now under the treatment of another physician, I asked HIM to take over my pain management. After giving me a diagnosis that he ADMITS causes excruciating pain, he completely cut me off of pain killers ONE WEEK LATER. I am told that "a goal of your treatment includes no pain medication."

I have spent the entire week on my couch with two heating pads, unable to cook a meal for my family, or clean my own house. I can return to my family physician, he's agreed, but we're still waiting for results regarding a possible diagnosis of adenomyosis, so I NEED to stay with this doctor until I find out if he's doing another surgery.

The pain is at a point where I honestly think death would be best - I can serve no useful purpose to my family in this condition, and am in so much misery that it is cruel. My big, shining hope is I only have to last a month or two and then I can switch to a doctor who believes pain is supposed to be TREATED, not ignored.

Further oversight by the FDA will only make MORE doctors reluctant to treat severe pain, and leave more people to sit on their couches or lie on their beds in agony, wishing desperately that they could still play basketball with their children.

***oh, and by the way - one study on IC by some curious urologists - they gave rats IC and then observed them. After writhing around awhile, the rats finally curled up in a little ball and began chewing through their abdomen. I am NOT suffering from a hangnail.

Great! It's a good thing!

Pain killers have become a mass addiction and are being used for recreational purposes. I think that it is too damn easy to get your hands on them.

As for those who say the experience chronic pain, it is funny how you weren't sepecific to your problem. Have you have tried an alternative? I myself suffer from chronic pain due to breaking my back and I do not find it necessary nor do I even want to take them or become dependent on them.

I have never had a hard time getting painkillers, I don't even ask for them, they are always offered to me. I know so many people who are abusing these drugs and I also know a good number of people that are addicted to them. On top of that, I had a friend die from an addiction to pain killers. Make it more difficult for individuals to get their hands on these deadly addictive pills!

Ongoing Gov interference - medication for cronic pain patients

Thanks FDA for making my life even worse than it already is!!! As of this month it looks like I will have to find a new primary care physician - again. Why? Because the government is making it so difficult to treat people, like myself, with cronic pain. As a result many physicians just don't want to deal with it anymore... nor do pharmacys. I've been dealing with cronic pain for 25 yrs. Anyone who has been in my shoes knows what a nightmare it is simply to be diagnoised in the first place. Getting effective treatment, if you do, can take many more years. In my case I was intimidated into allowing doctors to use experimental drugs(it was awful), treatments and surgeries that were not all necessary - so the physician could finally feel safe enough to prescribe medication that helped. Chances are I'll never feel "good" again as there is no cure for my condition but with the proper medication I don't feel the urge to curl up and die. Please don't take that away from people like myself that never abuse meds - we have done nothing wrong!