Ugh!!!! Now we have this huge media and government frenzy over the so called "Opiate Crises". Is there a big problem with ODs and other types of opiate abuse and deaths from drugs such as heroin, opiate prescription drugs, and other opiate drugs such as morphine and such? Yes. Should all users of opiates be painted with the same broad brush and treated accordingly, i.e. the same in all cases? NO!
The problem as I see it is that there is currently so little real research and understanding and lots of big claims and finger pointing, when it comes to opiates in general, and management of chronic pain specifically. The same happens to drugs for depression and ADHD. Who really suffers from these knee jerk tall tails and official responses: Those that legitimately need the meds, that's who! We go through hell each and every time these alarms are raised and knee-jerk responses are put in place, and thus we are often chronically under-treated. Part of the problem for many chronic pain patients is that, even today, pain clinics chant the mantra of "it is only over reactive nerves, there is nothing wrong with you physically for you to be in chronic pain." They say this right into the faces of people with Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, EDS HT, and other diseases where the pain IS caused by autoimmune and other forms of tissue destruction, yet still those of us with these diseases are still shoved over to "it is not real", "just in your head or nervous system", you are fine, nothing is wrong or being hurt, category of pain patients. Thus we are treated as potential pain med abusers because, hey, our pain is nerve over-stimulation, not actual physical pain due to tissue damage, or so they think.
Opiates work! Plain and simple. With nerve pain, the worst pain I often experience, the only thing that touches it are opiates. Nothing else works. Opiates do NOT work as well on inflammatory issues, then Ibuprofen and such meds work better. Often with chronic pain you have both nerve and inflammation, thus you need a mixture, or moving back and forth between two or more types of pain meds. The problem is not the opiates (though I look at them as the gift to humanity that is actually a double sided blade: It does great humanitarian help in cutting suffering, and can, when abused or with personal rare reactions, hurt you as well). The problem is our narrow minded, factory line approach to medicine in the western world. And our one cause, one treatment isolated approach to disease and treatment. These are the problems, not opiates as a medicine. At least I believe so in most cases.
I have devoted my life to the research of my family's diseases (yes plural, EDS HT causes dozens of other diseases with in each person, as well, and can be different from family member to family member). Out of frustration and chronic under-treatment and just plain life long suffering within in a body that is my own private hell and torture chamber: i.e. Iron Median - (yes chronic pain is akin to chronic torture), I have researched all kinds of alternative and accompanying treatments for pain and bodily dysfunctions. These include, but are not limited to: Chiropractic (by far the best for pain and dysfunction); Medical Pot use (does not work for me or my daughter); Acupuncture (also does not work for me. Actually makes it worse); Warm Water Pool Therapy (works wonders); Hot Tub (oh yes that works quite well); Deep Tissue Message (much needed for relief and healing); Relaxation Techniques (wonderful additional treatment); Bio-Feedback (worked well for me); Singing (works almost as well as my opiates on a short term basis, with some residual relief); Distractions (such as reading, watching TV and movies, or other things such as crafts, volunteering, and so forth); and finally but not the least, Mild Exercise and Swimming in a Regular Cold Pool, when tolerated and does no lasting harm (I can no longer do this, which I miss greatly). Most chronic pain patients, if not all of them, over time, have done this research and taken on many of these techniques, but when it comes down to basic pain management, medications are still our first and foremost front line of care. Why, because it is often the most effective, both in degree and in length of time of relief.
One final thing. Chronic Pain, by its nature, is a life changer. Unless there is treatment for it go away or be fixed, or has some sort of time line (like "normal" Fybromialgia seems to have), your life is permanently altered, and will never be able to function like you did before. I think people, like athletes, performers, and people in high stress and powerful jobs, over use painkillers because the need to be as high functioning, and pain free as possible, so that they can do their job. We, as a society, do not take lightly to human frailty, nor illness, dysfunction, or disability. Our society refuses to meet or make room for the needs of those who are not in top peek working order, i.e. a good little cog in the machine. So to not fail, to not loose your job, position, or career, you end up taking massive doses of painkillers in order to function as if there is nothing wrong or going on with you and your body. As a culture, we scorn those who "fail", who do not reach the "gold", who do not win consistently, what ever race we imagine for them. Not only is there social stigma associated with this, but also financial disaster, i.e. punishment, as well. So, of course some people reach for those opiate meds, but they have this double edge: the more you take, the more you will need next time, until your body finally backlashes and actually starts to cause more pain with each increased dose rather than giving you that relief you use to get, but now you are hooked, addicted, trapped. At least that is what I have observed.
To get around this you must first accept that your life has changed and that this is now your new normal. Live with it! Second, choose to reject the medical community and the pharmaceutical industry's deceitful allure of a pain free life where everything goes back to the normal life you had before chronic pain. It is an illusion, one born out of ignorance (medical community) and/or greed (sellers and manufactures of those drugs). Doctors and the medical community are all too human, but they are catching up, but the pharmaceutical industry, those we depend on for our life saving meds, have only the bottom-line as their primary and often only concern, even if it kills you for them to do. I hate the term "Big Pharma", because it casts all pharmaceuticals, and the companies that make them, into this two denominational evil villains, with no redeeming value what so ever. This is not true. Most of use that are chronically ill would not be here with out pharmaceuticals, and the companies that make them. Diabetes comes to mind when I remember this bit. So to all other rare and not so rare diseases that use to kill so many people, especially children. So I do not use the term "Big Pharma" because it is unjust, and does not depict the whole truth of the matter.
In summery, we need to walk this new path carefully, least we do more harm, and even possible deaths, by brushing all opiate users as "less than". To equate a heroin user with a well functioning and med managing opiate user who is in chronic pain and has done so for decades, as equals and who need the exact same draconian handling, is a disaster waiting to happen ....... yet again!
The problem as I see it is that there is currently so little real research and understanding and lots of big claims and finger pointing, when it comes to opiates in general, and management of chronic pain specifically. The same happens to drugs for depression and ADHD. Who really suffers from these knee jerk tall tails and official responses: Those that legitimately need the meds, that's who! We go through hell each and every time these alarms are raised and knee-jerk responses are put in place, and thus we are often chronically under-treated. Part of the problem for many chronic pain patients is that, even today, pain clinics chant the mantra of "it is only over reactive nerves, there is nothing wrong with you physically for you to be in chronic pain." They say this right into the faces of people with Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, EDS HT, and other diseases where the pain IS caused by autoimmune and other forms of tissue destruction, yet still those of us with these diseases are still shoved over to "it is not real", "just in your head or nervous system", you are fine, nothing is wrong or being hurt, category of pain patients. Thus we are treated as potential pain med abusers because, hey, our pain is nerve over-stimulation, not actual physical pain due to tissue damage, or so they think.
Opiates work! Plain and simple. With nerve pain, the worst pain I often experience, the only thing that touches it are opiates. Nothing else works. Opiates do NOT work as well on inflammatory issues, then Ibuprofen and such meds work better. Often with chronic pain you have both nerve and inflammation, thus you need a mixture, or moving back and forth between two or more types of pain meds. The problem is not the opiates (though I look at them as the gift to humanity that is actually a double sided blade: It does great humanitarian help in cutting suffering, and can, when abused or with personal rare reactions, hurt you as well). The problem is our narrow minded, factory line approach to medicine in the western world. And our one cause, one treatment isolated approach to disease and treatment. These are the problems, not opiates as a medicine. At least I believe so in most cases.
I have devoted my life to the research of my family's diseases (yes plural, EDS HT causes dozens of other diseases with in each person, as well, and can be different from family member to family member). Out of frustration and chronic under-treatment and just plain life long suffering within in a body that is my own private hell and torture chamber: i.e. Iron Median - (yes chronic pain is akin to chronic torture), I have researched all kinds of alternative and accompanying treatments for pain and bodily dysfunctions. These include, but are not limited to: Chiropractic (by far the best for pain and dysfunction); Medical Pot use (does not work for me or my daughter); Acupuncture (also does not work for me. Actually makes it worse); Warm Water Pool Therapy (works wonders); Hot Tub (oh yes that works quite well); Deep Tissue Message (much needed for relief and healing); Relaxation Techniques (wonderful additional treatment); Bio-Feedback (worked well for me); Singing (works almost as well as my opiates on a short term basis, with some residual relief); Distractions (such as reading, watching TV and movies, or other things such as crafts, volunteering, and so forth); and finally but not the least, Mild Exercise and Swimming in a Regular Cold Pool, when tolerated and does no lasting harm (I can no longer do this, which I miss greatly). Most chronic pain patients, if not all of them, over time, have done this research and taken on many of these techniques, but when it comes down to basic pain management, medications are still our first and foremost front line of care. Why, because it is often the most effective, both in degree and in length of time of relief.
One final thing. Chronic Pain, by its nature, is a life changer. Unless there is treatment for it go away or be fixed, or has some sort of time line (like "normal" Fybromialgia seems to have), your life is permanently altered, and will never be able to function like you did before. I think people, like athletes, performers, and people in high stress and powerful jobs, over use painkillers because the need to be as high functioning, and pain free as possible, so that they can do their job. We, as a society, do not take lightly to human frailty, nor illness, dysfunction, or disability. Our society refuses to meet or make room for the needs of those who are not in top peek working order, i.e. a good little cog in the machine. So to not fail, to not loose your job, position, or career, you end up taking massive doses of painkillers in order to function as if there is nothing wrong or going on with you and your body. As a culture, we scorn those who "fail", who do not reach the "gold", who do not win consistently, what ever race we imagine for them. Not only is there social stigma associated with this, but also financial disaster, i.e. punishment, as well. So, of course some people reach for those opiate meds, but they have this double edge: the more you take, the more you will need next time, until your body finally backlashes and actually starts to cause more pain with each increased dose rather than giving you that relief you use to get, but now you are hooked, addicted, trapped. At least that is what I have observed.
To get around this you must first accept that your life has changed and that this is now your new normal. Live with it! Second, choose to reject the medical community and the pharmaceutical industry's deceitful allure of a pain free life where everything goes back to the normal life you had before chronic pain. It is an illusion, one born out of ignorance (medical community) and/or greed (sellers and manufactures of those drugs). Doctors and the medical community are all too human, but they are catching up, but the pharmaceutical industry, those we depend on for our life saving meds, have only the bottom-line as their primary and often only concern, even if it kills you for them to do. I hate the term "Big Pharma", because it casts all pharmaceuticals, and the companies that make them, into this two denominational evil villains, with no redeeming value what so ever. This is not true. Most of use that are chronically ill would not be here with out pharmaceuticals, and the companies that make them. Diabetes comes to mind when I remember this bit. So to all other rare and not so rare diseases that use to kill so many people, especially children. So I do not use the term "Big Pharma" because it is unjust, and does not depict the whole truth of the matter.
In summery, we need to walk this new path carefully, least we do more harm, and even possible deaths, by brushing all opiate users as "less than". To equate a heroin user with a well functioning and med managing opiate user who is in chronic pain and has done so for decades, as equals and who need the exact same draconian handling, is a disaster waiting to happen ....... yet again!
No comments:
Post a Comment