"I'm An Unapologetic Opioid/Pain Patient"

[drusso]

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I swear my last patient in room 3 was reading this on her smartphone right before I walked in. She pretty much recited it verbtaim.

What's your next move?

NATIONALPAINREPORT.COM

Forsale Lander

nationalpainreport.com

"I am a pain patient. I take opioids and I’m un-apologetic about taking them. I’ll also continue to fight for those who may not be able to themselves, to end the needless deaths and suffering which have become the cost to this ridiculous war waged on opioids."

 

[lobelsteve]

Eval?
PDMP?
Imaging?

Y'know, be a doctor. If functional and within guidelines, consider all options. If not FT gainfully employed and within guidelines, do not consider opiates an option. The guy down the street might.

"That's not how I treat pain".

 

[NJPAIN]

Well then, I don’t apologize either for telling you to look elsewhere for your precious opioids.

 

[BayesianDoc]

My rebuttal is quite simple:

My name is Dr. Kingslayer and I have had chronic pain for 20 years. I don’t take opioids. Hell, I rarely take otc medication. It is not that my pain is any less than yours. It is because i understand pain and embrace it. I have dialed in my descending inhibitory pathway and my endogenous pain relievers. I have developed good coping skills and do not catastrophize my pain. I exercise nearly everyday, I eat healthy, I maintain an ideal bodyweight, I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t smoke, and I work full time. After 4 years you are opioid dependent and tolerant. So yes you need them, but now you are treating emotional pain and trying to prevent withdrawal. I have tapered patients from 1000+ MME to 0 and I have heard it all. I have seen patients walk away from from the burden of chronic opioids because they were tired of a substance controlling their life. While you are a unique person, your pain is not. It is your perception and response to painful stimuli that define your pain.