CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Use this section to discuss your experiences with prescription drugs, iron injections, and other medical interventions that involve the introduction of a drug or medicine into the body. Discuss side effects, successes, failures, published research, information about drug trials, and information about new medications being developed.

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
Post Reply
jul2873
Posts: 445
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:32 pm

CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Post by jul2873 »

Sorry to ruin everyone's day:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/healt ... ottom-well

Be sure to read the comments under the article, as they are filled with people who depend on opioids for chronic pain.

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16571
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Post by ViewsAskew »

Oh, my.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8799
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Post by Polar Bear »

For those of us who are looking from the other side of the fence, this is scary.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

debbluebird
Posts: 2386
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 3:27 pm

Re: CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Post by debbluebird »

I'm wondering if it will affect the small doses of Methadone that I take, as well as others too.
My husband takes oxycodone for pain relief. He had surgery a year ago, that was supposed to help. It didn't. He is getting worse instead. His doctor now wants him to see a pain specialist. We got a letter in the mail this week, for him to sign and bring to the appointment, which is in a couple of weeks. They way they worded it, it makes him sound like a drug addict. His pain has never been relieved. He only takes enough to take the edge off, so that he can function. This is really scary. I can visualize, him staying in bed all the time, screaming. He spends most of him time in bed now. Not sure what is going to happen.
In the letter it stated, that we would have to go to the office on a monthly bases to get the meds. Then, say if he didn't use them all, he would have to return them. There was a whole page of restrictions. I can't remember them all
We are going to make another appointment this week with our regular doctor to see what she says. If she is now going to stop prescribing them to him and to me. We are going to go as a joint appointment. She is the one who suggested this pain doctor.

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16571
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Post by ViewsAskew »

This truly is scary for all of us. Deb, I really hope this works out for you and your husband.

I DO understand the concern of the doctor organizations, politicians, etc. And, while I have not studied the data, I do know that we're talking a lot of people who overdose each year - now surpassing car accidents in the US.

But, there must be a better way than to just cut off people who use them correctly and for appropriate issues. There just must.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

QyX

Re: CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Post by QyX »

Maybe I can add something to this:

the U.S. have around 29,000 opioid deaths per year ... population 322 million estimate 2016

Germany has around 1,000 deaths per year (not only opioid, also cocaine, amphetamines, crack etc.) population 81 million 2016

So clearly ... the U.S. really seem to have a severe opioid problem. In Germany, it almost never happens that you get an opioid after tooth extraction. The standard drug dentists prescribe after surgery is Ibuprofen. I don't know any person in Germany who received an opioid after tooth surgery. Even my mother, who has around 20 implants in her jawbone, who had severe, complicated and painful tooth and jawbone surgeries over many years, she never ever received got an opioid. And I never heard here complaining that she was in much pain. She had pain yes but Ibuprofen was able to improve the situation to an acceptable level.

In the past years, there has been some advertisement prescribing Oxycodone for back pain. German doctors seem to be immune to this. They are very sceptical in general when it comes to prescribing opioids (except cancer pain).

I consider myself having a very liberal point of view when it comes to prescribing opioids but when I have to rate the situation in the U.S.: this just would have never been possible, all this advertisement for pain clinics, so many doctors prescribring high doses of of opioids. You can find quite a few documentaries about the opioid prescribing practice in the U.S. It really was extreme liberal and easy to abuse.

It looks like in the U.S. opioid of choice was Oxycodone. In Germany, doctors first prescribe less potent opioids like Tramadol, Tilidin or Codeine and only after careful consideration they start prescribing more potent opioids like Oxycodone or Hydromorphone.

However, opioid prescribing practice became more liberal in the past years. For example a version of Oxyocodne is officially approved for RLS treatment and all insurance companies pay for it. So having severe RLS is a good way of getting opiods in Germany but still not every doctor would prescribe, no matter that they haven been officially approved but we have many doctors and it is only a matter of time until you find one who will write you a prescription.

This new C.D.C guidelines, they more or less correspond with opioid prescribing guidelines in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8799
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: CDC Publishes New Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

Post by Polar Bear »

My dentist would only ever advise taking ibuprofen following dental work, not major stuff, just root canal etc.

I do take co-codamol on a daily basis plus 50mg Maxitram (slow release tramadol). My GP would stick pins in his eyes bfore prescribing anything stronger.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

Post Reply