WSJ: Pain patients get relief from regulations

[drusso]

Opinion | Pain Patients Get Relief From Regulation

Abruptly losing opioids inflicts pain and withdrawal—sending them after illegal alternatives.

www.wsj.com

"It will be welcomed, too, by the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic pain. No government agency will force their physicians to deprive them of the medications that make relief, and life itself, possible."

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[Ducttape]

Agree, with exception of DEA and illicits

 

[Aether2000]

This is absurd- "No government agency will force their physicians to deprive them of the medications that make relief, and life itself, possible." Of course numerous studies show no such pain relief exists for chronic non-malignant pain taking long term opioids- in fact the opposite is true. Withdrawal from opioid pain meds improves pain in the vast majority of patients. Also ridiculous: "With serious withdrawal symptoms or increased pain, the agency instructed, it may even be necessary to return the opioid painkiller to its prior dosage and, once the person’s mental and physical state stabilizes, resume reducing the patient’s opioid usage more gradually." This means if you begin withdrawing a patient from opioids, no matter how slowly, if the patient complains of increased pain, you should resume giving them their candy at high doses. The doctors and advocates signing this letter are hell-bent on finding ways to maintain patients on opioids forever at whatever dose they desire.

 

[callmeanesthesia]

This is absurd- "No government agency will force their physicians to deprive them of the medications that make relief, and life itself, possible." Of course numerous studies show no such pain relief exists for chronic non-malignant pain taking long term opioids- in fact the opposite is true. Withdrawal from opioid pain meds improves pain in the vast majority of patients. Also ridiculous: "With serious withdrawal symptoms or increased pain, the agency instructed, it may even be necessary to return the opioid painkiller to its prior dosage and, once the person’s mental and physical state stabilizes, resume reducing the patient’s opioid usage more gradually." This means if you begin withdrawing a patient from opioids, no matter how slowly, if the patient complains of increased pain, you should resume giving them their candy at high doses. The doctors and advocates signing this letter are hell-bent on finding ways to maintain patients on opioids forever at whatever dose they desire.

Every time this crap comes out I thank god I’m new in practice and don’t have legacy patients to deal with.

 

[hyperalgesia]

I'm shocked they lasted this long against the backlash. Somebody got to someone here...

I can see it: "Do YOU have chronic pain????!!!"

 

[Ferrismonk]

I can't read the article because it's behind the paywall, but based on the snippet that is posted: "sending them after illegal alternatives". I hate this argument. We don't give opiates to people so they won't do street drugs, we give opiates to help with pain. As a matter of fact, if they are even considering street drugs, they're not even a candidate for opiate therapy.

 

[Ducttape]

but... apparently we are supposed to provide opioids so that they dont do illicits.

that was one of the main tenets of pseudoaddiction, wasnt it?

we are back to the fallacies of the 90s.



fwiw, i was specifically agreeing with the statement drusso had posted that no government agency should be allowed to force a physician to change medications. i too couldnt see the whole article.

 

[drusso]

but... apparently we are supposed to provide opioids so that they dont do illicits.

that was one of the main tenets of pseudoaddiction, wasnt it?

we are back to the fallacies of the 90s.



fwiw, i was specifically agreeing with the statement drusso had posted that no government agency should be allowed to force a physician to change medications. i too couldnt see the whole article.

Don't hospitals still keep issues of the WSJ around the Doctor's Lounges? That's where I'd it read it when I was a med student...

 

[lobelsteve]

but... apparently we are supposed to provide opioids so that they dont do illicits.

that was one of the main tenets of pseudoaddiction, wasnt it?

we are back to the fallacies of the 90s.



fwiw, i was specifically agreeing with the statement drusso had posted that no government agency should be allowed to force a physician to change medications. i too couldnt see the whole article.

Not pseudo addiction. Pure addiction and medication assisted therapy to keep them off illicits. Its good practice and can save lives. Our job is to sniff it out and make referrals to the Addiction certified docs to treat.