Op-Ed What the Opioid Crisis Took From People in Pain

[thegreenhand]

What the Opioid Crisis Took From People in Pain​

Maia Szalavitz
New York Times
7 Mar 2022

Doctors didn’t think Brent Slone would survive his gruesome 2011 car crash. His car flipped after he swerved to avoid a stalled vehicle. His spinal cord was compressed. He broke several ribs, a shoulder and a knee. One lung collapsed. A shattered pelvic bone ruptured his bladder and seriously damaged his spleen, kidney and colon.

Miraculously, Mr. Slone avoided brain injury. However, he was paralyzed from the waist down. After months of painful physical rehabilitation, he went home to his wife, Sonya Slone, and their 6-year-old daughter. When he had appropriate pain care, Mrs. Slone said, he was able to be a loving and involved father.

But in 2017, the clinic he attended cut his pain medications by more than half overnight. He tried to remedy the prescription by calling and even showing up in his wheelchair. Still, he was told he wouldn’t receive any refills until an appointment six days away. In agony, he texted Sonya: “they denied script im done love you.” He died by suicide in a local park.

Mr. Slone is just one of many thousands who have been harmed by ongoing reductions in opioid prescriptions, which are used for chronic pain by an estimated five million to eight million Americans. These cuts by doctors and pain clinics, intended to fight overdose and addiction, have hurt patients. But Mr. Slone’s story is unique in an important way: the Slone family won a nearly $7 million malpractice judgment against his doctors and the clinic. “Had his pain physicians treated Brent with the care and compassion he deserved, he would still be here,” she said. This is believed to be the first such victory in a malpractice case related to opioid cutbacks.

Read the full story here (paywalled).

 

[TheAcetylationGame]

That is awful

Why can’t they just let people have dominion over their own bodies. The idea that the government has the right to control what substances i willingly consume has always seemed ludicrous to me…

One day Junkie Jesus will prevail and deliver us from this puritanical prohibitionist hellscape!!!!!!

 

[nznity]

Wow, I wasn't expecting that man....

 

[The.Lab.Rat]

As someone who's been suffering with a laundry list of chronic pain issues in the US, it's fucking dehumanizing and impossible as fuck to try to get any kind of help. I've been dealing with diagnosed sciatica, scoliosis, severe TMJ, trigeminal neuralgia, chronic migraine, cluster headaches, and multiple other undiagnosed forms of pain. I spent 12+ years of trying to get any form of relief or help that I could, and all I have to show for it is the permanent side effects of malpractice. I didn't even have seizures before they put me on multiple different epilepsy and SSRI medications, they lied to me about every one of them telling me they were "for pain", then they took me off cold turkey which started up a seizure condition that no neurologist or doctor is willing to do anything about. I haven't even been able to keep down a regular meal in years because of my pain levels, I cant sleep, and all of my days are spent throwing up from insane pain levels, I'm dangerously underweight now, but yet the doctors couldn't give less of a fuck if they tried. The only thing they're willing to do is "prescribe" physical therapy, even though every time I've been forced there I slipped disks in my back, lose more weight from the pain, and my pain levels always stay permanently higher afterwards. It's insane, and there's quite literally no hope for anyone with chronic pain. There's no doctor even willing to do anything besides refer me to other people, more malpractice, or give me medication I'm allergic to and tell me it's something else(I have a severe allergic reaction to SSRIS, but that's usually all they're willing to push, I've had 6 anaphylaxis freak outs in just the past year because of that shit, and they refuse to help me get an epipen). The doctors couldn't give less of a shit if I die or not, I already had to quit my teaching job because pain levels, I'm throwing up and having seizures multiple times a day, but yet they still refuse to do a damn thing.

 

[Jabberwocky]

As someone who's been suffering with a laundry list of chronic pain issues in the US, it's fucking dehumanizing and impossible as fuck to try to get any kind of help. I've been dealing with diagnosed sciatica, scoliosis, severe TMJ, trigeminal neuralgia, chronic migraine, cluster headaches, and multiple other undiagnosed forms of pain. I spent 12+ years of trying to get any form of relief or help that I could, and all I have to show for it is the permanent side effects of malpractice. I didn't even have seizures before they put me on multiple different epilepsy and SSRI medications, they lied to me about every one of them telling me they were "for pain", then they took me off cold turkey which started up a seizure condition that no neurologist or doctor is willing to do anything about. I haven't even been able to keep down a regular meal in years because of my pain levels, I cant sleep, and all of my days are spent throwing up from insane pain levels, I'm dangerously underweight now, but yet the doctors couldn't give less of a fuck if they tried. The only thing they're willing to do is "prescribe" physical therapy, even though every time I've been forced there I slipped disks in my back, lose more weight from the pain, and my pain levels always stay permanently higher afterwards. It's insane, and there's quite literally no hope for anyone with chronic pain. There's no doctor even willing to do anything besides refer me to other people, more malpractice, or give me medication I'm allergic to and tell me it's something else(I have a severe allergic reaction to SSRIS, but that's usually all they're willing to push, I've had 6 anaphylaxis freak outs in just the past year because of that shit, and they refuse to help me get an epipen). The doctors couldn't give less of a shit if I die or not, I already had to quit my teaching job because pain levels, I'm throwing up and having seizures multiple times a day, but yet they still refuse to do a damn thing.

I also have trigeminal neuralgia so my heart goes out to you along with back and ne k injuries from a car accident. I went from a pain rx of over 300ng to under 70mg and cannot function on that low a dose. I am grateful I have something but the drs cannot prescribe under fear of prosecution and also have financial penalties and incentives to keep pain patients out of their practice.

I wish there was some way to mobilize and apply pressure to them because that is all the understand; money, power and loss of reputation.
I wish there was a way to change this the people in pain are suffering and the recreational users and addicts are worse off then ever before because they are dying from fentanyl there was nothing solved by their opioid
war.

 

[hylite]

Well there goes my liver for sure this time. This is just my initial reaction. I'm going to read the source article right now. Thanks !!

 

[DarkFuel]

I started taking opiates after 20+ years with a bad L4/5 disc and tendonitis in both elbows. But it was a toothache that caused me to discover just how bad both conditions had become when a 7.5 Hydro stopped all that pain I had been in. I had gone to a chirpractor since the initial back injury for years until the 08 recession and could no longer afford it. I never once took even a perc for it. I do not have an addictive personality,just the opposite. My brother had been addicted to heroin for years before the pill epidemic hit and I had a pretty harsh view on anything more than weed. After the pill craze and crackdown I was surrounded by H addicts. I ended up trying it ( snorting,never a needle) because I did construction for a living and there was no way around it. I had to work. Since then I have crushed a vertabrae and had no medical insurance so it healed badly. I live 2000 miles from where I was, all the addicts I helped support until we all became homeless are now clean and doing well while I'm in a poor state surrounded by strangers, crippled up and can't work my trade,can't get medical help for my condition-doctors won't even discuss it,they just ignore anything I say, and I can't go to the streets for anything either. Which is a sick joke because I am 30 minutes from the Mexican border. I never got addicted, I controlled my tolerance by skipping days, I dealt with the withdrawal when I had to and never got "grimy" like so many did. If I cannot return to the work that allowed me to live,not just survive, I refuse to exist to 'get by' out here in this fucking exile, too poor and semi functional to get back where I'm from and estranged from the family I literally tore myself apart to raise. The medical/pharma/insurance community doesn't give a fuck about people who could actually control their consumption,they only care about the next phase of the drug war which is Recovery and all the trillions they can milk out of the masses. I guess I'll end up just another statistic of suicides and ODs connected to the 'crisis' even though it's been 3 years since I touched an opiate.

 

[CAfurbabyMama]

I started taking opiates after 20+ years with a bad L4/5 disc and tendonitis in both elbows. But it was a toothache that caused me to discover just how bad both conditions had become when a 7.5 Hydro stopped all that pain I had been in. I had gone to a chirpractor since the initial back injury for years until the 08 recession and could no longer afford it. I never once took even a perc for it. I do not have an addictive personality,just the opposite. My brother had been addicted to heroin for years before the pill epidemic hit and I had a pretty harsh view on anything more than weed. After the pill craze and crackdown I was surrounded by H addicts. I ended up trying it ( snorting,never a needle) because I did construction for a living and there was no way around it. I had to work. Since then I have crushed a vertabrae and had no medical insurance so it healed badly. I live 2000 miles from where I was, all the addicts I helped support until we all became homeless are now clean and doing well while I'm in a poor state surrounded by strangers, crippled up and can't work my trade,can't get medical help for my condition-doctors won't even discuss it,they just ignore anything I say, and I can't go to the streets for anything either. Which is a sick joke because I am 30 minutes from the Mexican border. I never got addicted, I controlled my tolerance by skipping days, I dealt with the withdrawal when I had to and never got "grimy" like so many did. If I cannot return to the work that allowed me to live,not just survive, I refuse to exist to 'get by' out here in this fucking exile, too poor and semi functional to get back where I'm from and estranged from the family I literally tore myself apart to raise. The medical/pharma/insurance community doesn't give a fuck about people who could actually control their consumption,they only care about the next phase of the drug war which is Recovery and all the trillions they can milk out of the masses. I guess I'll end up just another statistic of suicides and ODs connected to the 'crisis' even though it's been 3 years since I touched an opiate.

I know how you feel. I suffer every day with chronic pain, and so many different people in the medical field just seem to not be practicing true medicine anymore. I think so many of these doctors would justify a suicide from extreme pain patient by thinking “it must have been a pre-existing mental condition and not really from pain like they were just saying at our last appointment. “. What would they do if it was them or their loved one who was suffering every day? How many medical professionals doors would they be trying to get into for help? Mean while we are curled up and afraid to move because it causes tears from the pain, not to mention other people around us who either think we’re dramatic or the opiate-stigma bullshit! If I got a few extra pain pills I wouldn’t be stoked cuz I could get zooted, I be stoked I could do laundry, vacuum or maybe even take a nice fucking walk on the beach and enjoy it! I can’t work anymore; ya-know that job I spent 10 years in college and interning for that I wanted to do since I was a kid…Does anyone really see what this ‘opioid crisis’ bullshit is doing to us?! This sucks!!!

 

[VerbalTruist]

I know how you feel. I suffer every day with chronic pain, and so many different people in the medical field just seem to not be practicing true medicine anymore. I think so many of these doctors would justify a suicide from extreme pain patient by thinking “it must have been a pre-existing mental condition and not really from pain like they were just saying at our last appointment. “. What would they do if it was them or their loved one who was suffering every day? How many medical professionals doors would they be trying to get into for help? Mean while we are curled up and afraid to move because it causes tears from the pain, not to mention other people around us who either think we’re dramatic or the opiate-stigma bullshit! If I got a few extra pain pills I wouldn’t be stoked cuz I could get zooted, I be stoked I could do laundry, vacuum or maybe even take a nice fucking walk on the beach and enjoy it! I can’t work anymore; ya-know that job I spent 10 years in college and interning for that I wanted to do since I was a kid…Does anyone really see what this ‘opioid crisis’ bullshit is doing to us?! This sucks!!!

For people in true pain it can be so hard to find a doctor who is willing to treat them appropriately.

Sucks that you can’t walk bc of pain. Really fucking sucks…

 

[MaBudd]

I know how you feel. I suffer every day with chronic pain, and so many different people in the medical field just seem to not be practicing true medicine anymore. I think so many of these doctors would justify a suicide from extreme pain patient by thinking “it must have been a pre-existing mental condition and not really from pain like they were just saying at our last appointment. “. What would they do if it was them or their loved one who was suffering every day? How many medical professionals doors would they be trying to get into for help? Mean while we are curled up and afraid to move because it causes tears from the pain, not to mention other people around us who either think we’re dramatic or the opiate-stigma bullshit! If I got a few extra pain pills I wouldn’t be stoked cuz I could get zooted, I be stoked I could do laundry, vacuum or maybe even take a nice fucking walk on the beach and enjoy it! I can’t work anymore; ya-know that job I spent 10 years in college and interning for that I wanted to do since I was a kid…Does anyone really see what this ‘opioid crisis’ bullshit is doing to us?! This sucks!!!

When I finally got disability, got screwed & stuck with SSI, I only could get Medicaid.
I went from 7 yrs. On 120mg/day oxycodone to 40mg/day cuz of cdc mme “guidelines.” Took two years with that KS doc to get up to 80mg/day. (above guidelines).
Move to MO, takes 8 months to get Medicaid and best I can do Med wise is 60mg/day (max mme).
fucked up discs in neck & lumbar over 20 years. (62y old) just had ACDF in neck, only after partial paralysis of hand/arm.
I am done with society treating me like a leper …. I am gonna take myself out of the Game. I got nothing to live for but pain.
Ain’t worth it Man …..

(just one Man’s opinion)

 

[MaBudd]

When I finally got disability, got screwed & stuck with SSI, I only could get Medicaid.
I went from 7 yrs. On 120mg/day oxycodone to 40mg/day cuz of cdc mme “guidelines.” Took two years with that KS doc to get up to 80mg/day. (above guidelines).
Move to MO, takes 8 months to get Medicaid and best I can do Med wise is 60mg/day (max mme).
fucked up discs in neck & lumbar over 20 years. (62y old) just had ACDF in neck, only after partial paralysis of hand/arm.
I am done with society treating me like a leper …. I am gonna take myself out of the Game. I got nothing to live for but pain.
Ain’t worth it Man …..

(just one Man’s opinion)

FTW