For several years, I've been prescribed morphine injectable for a serious health condition. In 2002, my neurologist first prescribed morphine injectable for at-home use, so that I could avoid going to the dreaded E.R. to try to manage my excruciating pain. I was SO thankful!
In 2009, my neurologist referred me to a pain management doctor. My pain management doctor increased my IM injectables, to the point where I was allowed to take 3-4 shots per day (if needed). I am in serious and constant chronic pain, so I really do need it to keep me out of the E.R. Morphine injectable is also relatively cheap, and it is very effective for my pain (only thing that gets my pain down to nearly a zero, at least for 4 hours or so). It's the only way I can have anywhere near a 'normal' life.
Now, my long-time pain doctor is retiring. Since I have never abused my meds at all and my doctor has deemed me to be a 'stable' person, my pain doc didn't think it would be all that difficult for me to find a new pain doc who would be willing to prescribe morphine injectable.
Well, I tried seeing two new pain docs, and they both FREAKED OUT when they saw that I am on injectable pain meds. Despite my well-documented medical history, apparently no doctor in the current USA regulatory environment wants to take the risk of prescribing at-home injectables, even in SMALL amounts.
In desperation, I called my pain doctor. He told me that the recent DEA crackdowns have ALL pain docs VERY nervous, and that prescribing injectables is too 'out there'. HE was willing to do it, but finding a NEW doctor who will prescribe injectables? He says it may well be impossible. I explained that I need SOMETHING to keep me out of the E.R., and my doctor wholeheartedly agreed that I SHOULD be able to have at-home injectable pain meds. It's just the darned new regulations that are messing things up.
The only alternative to at-home injectables would be something like Actiq (fentanyl lollipops). Unfortunately, Actiq is super-expensive and most insurance plans (including mine) refuse to cover it. It's the same story with Subsys (sublingual fentanyl). Back in 2009, my doctor never was able to try me out on Actiq, due to insurance refusing to cover it. Additionally, the FDA put a black box warning on Actiq and Subsys, saying that prescribing these meds for my condition was 'contraindicated'. NO doctor (including my great pain doc) wants to defy the FDA and prescribe off-label.
For 15 years, I've had something to control this horrible pain, and now it's being taken away from me. (It's the same story for ALL chronic pain patients---the current 'climate' is extremely hostile to pain patients and pain meds). Pain 'pills' don't touch my pain when it gets excruciating.
I've never used heroin, but I can understand how a chronic pain patient might be desperate enough to try it, if no other pain meds were available. I don't have the time or the money to waste on the E.R.; they DO NOT want people coming to the E.R. for pain control.
I find it very sad that the DEA is forcing legitimate chronic pain patients into considering doing heroin or just giving up altogether because the pain is too severe to go on living. I don't even want to THINK about how much I used to SUFFER before I had at-home injectable pain meds. The prospect of NEVER, EVER having a strong short-acting pain medication available to use in a crisis is terrifying. I'm currently conserving the morphine so that it lasts as long as possible, but it's not going to last forever.
I don't know what pain patients are supposed to do in a crisis, because the E.R. is awful. I'm not going to go through countless hours of waiting and get billed $2,000 just for the hope of MAYBE getting 4 hours of pain relief.
In 2009, my neurologist referred me to a pain management doctor. My pain management doctor increased my IM injectables, to the point where I was allowed to take 3-4 shots per day (if needed). I am in serious and constant chronic pain, so I really do need it to keep me out of the E.R. Morphine injectable is also relatively cheap, and it is very effective for my pain (only thing that gets my pain down to nearly a zero, at least for 4 hours or so). It's the only way I can have anywhere near a 'normal' life.
Now, my long-time pain doctor is retiring. Since I have never abused my meds at all and my doctor has deemed me to be a 'stable' person, my pain doc didn't think it would be all that difficult for me to find a new pain doc who would be willing to prescribe morphine injectable.
Well, I tried seeing two new pain docs, and they both FREAKED OUT when they saw that I am on injectable pain meds. Despite my well-documented medical history, apparently no doctor in the current USA regulatory environment wants to take the risk of prescribing at-home injectables, even in SMALL amounts.
In desperation, I called my pain doctor. He told me that the recent DEA crackdowns have ALL pain docs VERY nervous, and that prescribing injectables is too 'out there'. HE was willing to do it, but finding a NEW doctor who will prescribe injectables? He says it may well be impossible. I explained that I need SOMETHING to keep me out of the E.R., and my doctor wholeheartedly agreed that I SHOULD be able to have at-home injectable pain meds. It's just the darned new regulations that are messing things up.
The only alternative to at-home injectables would be something like Actiq (fentanyl lollipops). Unfortunately, Actiq is super-expensive and most insurance plans (including mine) refuse to cover it. It's the same story with Subsys (sublingual fentanyl). Back in 2009, my doctor never was able to try me out on Actiq, due to insurance refusing to cover it. Additionally, the FDA put a black box warning on Actiq and Subsys, saying that prescribing these meds for my condition was 'contraindicated'. NO doctor (including my great pain doc) wants to defy the FDA and prescribe off-label.
For 15 years, I've had something to control this horrible pain, and now it's being taken away from me. (It's the same story for ALL chronic pain patients---the current 'climate' is extremely hostile to pain patients and pain meds). Pain 'pills' don't touch my pain when it gets excruciating.
I've never used heroin, but I can understand how a chronic pain patient might be desperate enough to try it, if no other pain meds were available. I don't have the time or the money to waste on the E.R.; they DO NOT want people coming to the E.R. for pain control.
I find it very sad that the DEA is forcing legitimate chronic pain patients into considering doing heroin or just giving up altogether because the pain is too severe to go on living. I don't even want to THINK about how much I used to SUFFER before I had at-home injectable pain meds. The prospect of NEVER, EVER having a strong short-acting pain medication available to use in a crisis is terrifying. I'm currently conserving the morphine so that it lasts as long as possible, but it's not going to last forever.
I don't know what pain patients are supposed to do in a crisis, because the E.R. is awful. I'm not going to go through countless hours of waiting and get billed $2,000 just for the hope of MAYBE getting 4 hours of pain relief.
