hydrocodone and new prescription laws

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.
QyX

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by QyX »

Yes, that's all madness.

In Germany ANY Doctor can write a script and you can fill it in every pharmacy and he can prescribe as much as he wants! If he execeeds a certain limit he has to mark the script with an "A" but this is not much trouble.

Right now I get Morphine for about 2 months and then my Doctor mails me the next script.

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by badnights »

I'm confused. Can a drug test detect how much of a drug you're taking? If you need the medication daily, it will show up in your test, so what? Is the point to detect if you're taking a LOT? or what?
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

QyX

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by QyX »

badnights wrote:I'm confused. Can a drug test detect how much of a drug you're taking? If you need the medication daily, it will show up in your test, so what? Is the point to detect if you're taking a LOT? or what?


I think the point is to detect if you are taking OTHER drugs. Like drugs who are maybe not prescribed like Benzodiazepines, Cannabis etc.

Looks like it's about the question if you are honest to your Doc and if you do doctor shopping etc.

It depends on the test if it can detect how much of a drug you are taking.

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by badnights »

Wierd. The paranoia of American officialdom appears to be getting out of hand.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

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

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by ViewsAskew »

badnights wrote:Wierd. The paranoia of American officialdom appears to be getting out of hand.


I really hear you! It's nutty. I'd love to compile stats from other countries (besides other very repressive ones). My guess is that it's related to something completely different than availability.
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.

badnights
Moderator
Posts: 6259
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by badnights »

yes, it's a cultural attitude. Canada is not far behind unfortunately.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

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

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by ViewsAskew »

Interesting stats here....http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/rxbrief/

A lot of people die each year in the US from overdoses - 36,000 in 2008. 14,800 were using prescription painkillers.

But, they know who's at risk. That seems the place to start, not making it hard for everyone.

More than 3 or 4 people who abuse them use someone else's script, for example. Instead of giving 30 for oral surgery, give 10. Instead of refills for a sprain or break, give ten days worth.

So, that made me think - another reason they may do the drug testing in Indiana is to see if you have the drug in your system....though not sure how much someone could make by selling a few pills....
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.

jbuck
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:11 pm

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by jbuck »

yay! kidney stone passed!

Good news from my one doctor. He prescribed one of my meds without a drug test and wrote 3 scripts ahead. He was baffled as to why my other doctor would not write the script. He said there is nothing preventing them from doing so, but he assumes that like many other doctors that they are just not going to prescribe them or go overboard on the testing and requirements to basically cover their asses. He felt it is very unfair to the patients.

He also mentioned that the new law in Indiana specifically states new prescribing rules for opioid painkillers used for the treatment of chronic pain. So, technically, since the norco's are not being prescribed for pain that the law may not apply to me. He also felt that since my doctor that prescribes them is a specialist that he would still be able to do so without all the other testing and pill counting. My pharmacist said the same thing. That if they did not receive anything about this new law, that they would be exempt from it....so, I may just be in luck and won't have to change anything! I'm hoping that this is the case as it took years to figure out the correct 'cocktail' that works for me. So, now it's just a waiting game until later this month when I run out of pills. I don't know what will happen if they can't refill unless I see him first since my next apt is in March. I just can't imagine that they would cut you off cold turkey, but then as many of you know, the strangest things seem to happen to us and our meds. Just look at what happened to me at the ER!!! lol

I'll keep you all posted. My doctor did ask me if I had tried suboxone? I haven't, but wondered if anyone else on here has? Is it considered an opioid? Does it help with RLS better than other pain meds? just curious as he thought that might be easier to get now if I run into issues.

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

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by ViewsAskew »

Very good news, indeed!

Per suboxone, several people here have used or are using it. The issue, if there is one, is that it's just as hard to stop as an opioid - withdrawal is miserable. In terms of how it works, you might want to look at EeFall's recent journey. He's withdrawing from Lyrica and methadone and slowly increasing suboxone. It's still new to him, so not sure how well it will work. For a full life-cycle take on it, look at doety's posts. She used it and eventually stopped using it, posting about her experience. If you search on suboxone and subutex, you'll find other posts, too. Sometimes people come, post, and leave, so people who've posted about it in the past my never see your question and searching will be the only way to find more info.
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.

jbuck
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:11 pm

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by jbuck »

ok, thought I'd update everyone since it's been awhile.

My psychiatrist has not issue writing the one medication as I mentioned in an earlier post. So that went well.

to answer the question on WHY the drug test, it is to make sure you are taking them and not selling them. Also, the drug counting makes sure you are taking them as written.

So, I finally saw my doctor who writes my Norco scripts and he said that everything is OK and that we will continue on same dosage. So, my pharmacist was right that the mandatory drug test is coming from primary care physicians. If you see a specialist, I guess you don't have to do the drug test or anything.

So, I'm thinking great! I don't have to defend my rights with their ridiculous drug testing law and everything was going great. THEN, I when I requested a refill on my klonopin, my primary care physician started doing weird things. I have been taking it for over 20 years for panic attacks and it has always been steady at 2 mg a day (1 in the morning and 1 at night). So, she calls a refill in and I pick it up and it's 120 Xanax. I'm like WTF? So I call back and they say it was a mistake. So they call in the klonopin, I go pick it up and again it's 120 klonopin instead of the 60. So I ask about what is going on, and i get this, well you should try to not take it if you don't need it and/or take 1/2 here and/or 1/2 there or this or that and I was totally confused. However, I just kept on with my 2 a day. Then after a month or so, I get a refill (they only will give you 1 refill) and it's back to 60 pills. Then I get an email saying that to continue they will have to require a mandatory drug test and see me every three months and since my other doctor wrote the other script if he could write for this one? I'm like fine, but you fracking call him and ask cause me calling is just going to give the impression that I'm drug shopping. So now I have to wait it out and see how I'm going to get this medication refilled when it runs out. I mean seriously! I also asked them to send me their policy that states this mandatory drug testing for Klonopin cause I really doubt there is one. I think they just don't want to write it anymore. A friend who sees the same doctor said that they did the same thing to him. But i'm thinking, why now? You've written it for 4 months this year, so why is this an issue now???

it's just getting crazy. My pharmacy friend said that it will probably get to the point where every patient will be required to take a drug test to see your doctor, just like you give a sample when you see a urologist. It will just become the norm. Plus, he said that most likely all controlled substances will be next to impossible to get because the government and states are going crazy about them to fight prescription drug abuse. I'm thinking it's probably time to move out of the US. This is just ridiculous.

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

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by ViewsAskew »

Non-moderator rant coming -

OK, I wrote it and deleted it. Suffice it to say that this is crazy and I feel for you - and all the rest of us that are likely to go through this at some point here in the U. I've often said, in the last year or so, that it was time to move from the US. My husband is an agnostic atheist - he says it more than I, and I say it more than I wish I wanted to. Add to that the latest study that proves we are no longer a democracy, rather an oligarchy, and I'm really ready. (Here is an interview with the study's author: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/princet ... -interview)

Well, I guess I hopped back up for a moment, didn't I?

I had a bit of a laugh when I read fraking - Battlestar Gallactica fan by chance? I guess I hear it many places now, but many are SciFi, such as Eureka or Warehouse 13. I wasn't at ALL laughing at you or the situation, however!
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.

jbuck
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:11 pm

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by jbuck »

well I'm glad that I'm not the only one that thinks this is crazy. The part that makes me furious is that it is making my panic/social anxiety WORSE and my RLS WORSE having to worry about getting cut off the medications that have been working for me for over 20 years. The doctor that wants me to have my other doctor write the script for my klonopin said that she is trying to find the policy that states this, but so far has only provided the document that you sign. I finally asked her to just be honest with me in that if she wants to discontinue seeing me to just say so rather than harassing me. She emailed back saying that she is ok writing refills until I see my other doctor and/or after if needed. All this just makes you go somewhat crazy, which probably doesn't help you at all cause then they think you are freaking out over a medication. But seriously, I have followed their instructions to the letter for over 20 years, I've never increased the dosage (at one time I even lowered it) and suddenly your treated like a drug addict. My partner keeps telling me that I need to see another doctor, and I agree, but i'm sure you all know how difficult that can be. So, I just decided that when I see my psychiatrist I'll ask him if he can write it for me (which I know he will cause he said he could at my last apt with him when I told him about all this). So he will handle all my panic/social anxiety meds, my RLS doctor is OK with refilling my hydrocodone (they called in 3 refills for me yesterday), and then just see Nurse Ratchet when I need sudifed or an aspirin. However, their harassment has me really shaken up. I couldn't sleep last night cause my RLS was extremely bad. I've had 3 panic attacks so far today and its not even 10am. The only problem is trying to make sure I have enough Klonopin to get me to my psychiatrist appointment in August. So I think I'm going to try to take 1 klonopin in the morning and then instead of a 2nd klonopin take a Xanax (since they gave me 120 by mistake) and that gives me 1 refill left on the klonopin which should get me to my next appointment. However, I just keep thinking how ridiculous this all is. Some friends have said, I don't see what the problem is, just do the drug test. I say, it's a matter of principle and I'm standing up for my rights. I should not have to prove I'm innocent. I've never asked for an increase, I've never lost my medication, I've never asked for additional refills, I take it and manage it like I'm suppose to, I have done everything that I'm suppose to and have not broken any rules. I go to the same pharmacy so they can look up and see that I'm not taking more or getting more...so no, I will not consent to an unreasonable search and violate my 4th amendment. Am I wrong? Should I just give in? Has anyone else run into this problem? Is anyone else having problems with their doctors suddenly regarding their meds? It would be interesting to know.

So, the drama continues I suppose. But for a doctor who has taken an oath to help people, it seems rather odd that they are doing the exact opposite and making my situation worse. The best part is that they keep telling me that they are trying to make this as easy for me as possible. HA! I just don't get the 'let's punish the innocent because we need to fix prescription abuse cause it's all for the greater good'. I'm just almost in tears over this cause my RLS is so bad today and it's very painful too. I can't sit at my desk for more than 5-10 minutes and when I try to go walk around the panic attacks starts....I'm going to try to meditate at lunch for an hour and hope that that helps some. I'm so tired too from last night that I only got 3 hours 22 minutes of sleep according to my UP bracelet that I wear to monitor my sleep. Plus, I had three biopsies done that I'm waiting to hear back on that could be melanoma. 14 stitches total. man, i could use a hug....or a morphine drip.. (just kidding).

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

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by ViewsAskew »

Sounds like consolidation at the one doctor's office will work - and may be better for you.

I'd be OK with all of this if a specific class of doctors would handle pain meds, but that you could also see for other issues. Like a SuperPrimaryCare doc. They would have specific training in managing pain and knew what to do in true cases of addiction, but access was relatively easy and not disruptive. I do have concerns about people who are addicts, but history should show us that taking away access never solves anything. Prohibition ring a bell? It's sometimes considered to be a primary cause for the rise of the mafia and organized crime.

I, personally, like to look at countries where drug policies work - where people have access to what they need, yet addiction is treated seriously and people are not punished for being in pain or needing opioids. In the US, we don't have a strong history of that. We tend, instead, to pass restrictive laws. Recently I saw a petition to get a man out of jail. He was in his early 20's and had three offenses for minor drug charges. The result? We're paying to keep him in jail for the rest of his life.

Just yesterday, I heard that the justice department is talking to several agencies to create a viable plan to allow anyone in jail on non-violent drug charges who'd served ten years without issue, would be freed. The reporter suggested that this would be in the hundreds of thousands of people freed. It gives me hope that while we are still doing crazy things such as making people such as you pee in a cup to get your drugs, we're finally thinking more rationally about a drug policy that makes sense - from a social, medical, and financial perspective.

If I were you, I'd be as strong as you can about it. If you can fight it, do. If you cannot, however, do what's best for you if at all possible. You may find that you do want to move - at least to a less restrictive state. Or that you do have the energy to fight it. Principles are great, but they do not feed you or keep you safe in some cases.

You asked if others had stories - mine are older. My PC physician, in 2008, I think, became more and more concerned. Eventually, she refused to write any more scripts, leaving me in the lurch on a Friday without anything. In retrospect, from what she said to me, [edited to change I to she] she didn't carefully read what I wrote and thought I had another week's supply, so I do not think she meant to leave me that way...but she may have. Last year, another doctor started doing similar things to what your doctor is doing. Eventually, she said she'd only write for more if I agreed to have another sleep study (I've had three - but she had not seen the results - I mistakenly assumed she believed me) and a complete neurological exam to rule out other issues, such as piriformis syndrome. I wrote about it extensively on here last year when it happened. It was a nightmare for me and I ended up flying to see Dr B a few weeks later, having exhausted the cache I'd carefully built up over a two year period.
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.

Sojourner
Posts: 1657
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:56 am
Location: USA

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by Sojourner »

First of all, Jbuck, I'm sorry your having such a rough time and hope tonight will be better.

Maybe a bit off topic… but regards people being jailed for minor drugs charges, addiction, mental illness, etc.

I recently watched a documentary on Frontline (PBS) called Prison State. Briefly, it was about the explosion of the prison population in the state of Kentucky. It followed 4 individuals with various psychiatric, drug, and/or behavioral problems as they interfaced the prison/juvinile justice system. I thought it was very well done. To the point, the "warden" of one of the holding jails made several good observations about the U.S. penal system. He stated ( I'm paraphrasing but pretty close to accurate) that we should jail/imprison those who we are "afraid of and not those who make us mad." But, he says that in the U.S. we tend to jail/imprison too many of those who simply make us mad referring to the mentally ill, addicts, minor drug offenses etc. Anyway, that's pretty close.

Closer to home, I think that is what happens to many of us with respect our "need" for medications such as the opioids and others. We are being punished for "needing" something which makes others such as the government and the medical establishment "mad" at us for having these needs which can predictably lead to other things such as tolerance, dependence, addiction which again feeds their "madness."

Anyway, perhaps not a direct relationship to our "condition" but, I think, close enough. A plea to anyone in charge who might be listening: "Don't be mad at me, help me."

Wishing all who visit here some peace this night.
This post simply reflects opinion. Quantities are limited while supplies last. Some assembly required.

jbuck
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:11 pm

Re: hydrocodone and new prescription laws

Post by jbuck »

thanks everyone for the support, I don't know what I'd do without this discussion board. You are all the greatest.

I'm feeling better today, just a bit edgy due to trying to extend the klonopin out till my other doctor appointment. I really do not want to ask my family doctor for a refill, in fact I really don't want to talk to her at all. So, I 'think' taking 1 klonopin in the am and 1 xanax at not is going to get me to my next appointment, hopefully.

I'm going to have my psychiatrist go through all my meds and have him write which ones he can write for (most likely all the controlled ones). I'm pretty sure he is going to get upset over this due to the set back it will cause in my panic attacks, but since he originated the scripts it should be no problem. It's just sad that you have to goto one doctor for this, and another doctor for that. So now I'll have 3 doctors to goto to get all my meds. unbelievable. However, if that is what I have to do to stand up and fight against peeing in a cup and having to take my medications to my doctors appointments and be subject to random pill counting, so be it. This is an issue I am 100% firm on. It is unconstitutional and I won't have my rights taken away. Some people think that that automatically means that you are trying to hide something, oh well. I'm not hiding anything, I've been up front with all my doctors and my psychiatrist has stood behind me and even fought for me. It's just sad that it's coming to this. It breaks the trust relationship you have with your doctor. I'm also going to ask him for a referral for another doctor to goto. I think the relationship I have with this current one is ruined, by her harassment and contestant out of the blue requests and/or threats of drug screening. It's almost like she is doing it deliberately so she won't have to write the script. I just can't wrap my head around any doctor that is trying to make things more difficult for you.

At least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that is what matters most. I'll be able to continue with what works for me without all the bulls**t.

Now, in regards to the prison situation. I totally agree. Putting people in jail that are not dangerous, is ridiculous. It is a knee jerk reaction to a problem. Which is typical of our government. 9/11.. results in Patriot Act which was suppose to expire...well we all know what happens with those policies that are suppose to expire, they never do. Mandatory sentencing for drug arrests has resulted in an overcrowded prison situation. The US has more people in prison, then the rest of the world combined. It amazes me. BUT, look at the money trail. The prisons are now all private for profit businesses. They have also been sold with guarantees that they will keep them at 90% occupancy. So once you have built up this situation, no one is going to want to go back cause it results in lost revenue and lost jobs. A great show (the book is even better) is on netflix called 'Orange is the new Black'. It goes into the insanity of our judicial system and prison system. The book, in my opinion is much better than the show. However, it demonstrates how totally ridiculous it is.

I would also be right up there front and center for the legalization of marijuana. There are people in jail serving longer sentences for possession of marijuana of less than an ounce than a rapist or murderer who is out in 3-5 years compared to the drug sentence of 10 -20 years. It's obscene and people should be really really mad about that. I firmly believe that legalization will happen within the next 5 years, but the main reason it has not been is because big pharma does not get money for something that someone can grow in their garden. It's no surprise that most drug companies are not seeking medications that cure, but only medications that maintain. If they can get you on a drug for maintenance, they make more money. If they made a drug that actually cured, they make a lot less money. Again, corporate greed is at fault here. It's no wonder that these superbugs are starting to pop up all over the world and pretty soon we will not have any antibiotics to fight them. Why? Because it costs the drug companies more money to develop a new antibiotic than their return...it's all about money. Our politicians are bought, the supreme court is bought, congress is bought, so the interests now are for the corporations rather than for the people. They also want to keep everyone as stupid as possible so they can continue supporting corporations. I only wish more people would wise up about this and get out of the GOP or Democratic mindset and actually research and vote for candidates that are going to do something, but as long as we have news shows that are more newstainment than news, i doubt this will happen...ok, i better stop here...rant over...

So for me, I just need to get to August and I think everything will be good. At least my RLS medication has not been messed with and those refills went through with no problem. I think the only issue that will come up is when they actually move hydro to schedule II, which then just means that I have to pick up the prescriptions at the doctors office rather than them being able to call them in. I'll still never understand why Marinol is a schedule III drug, and pot is a schedule I, but I can guess...big pharma wants money. I'm just happy that I think I've made it out of the thick of the woods...bewildered, but moving forward.

Post Reply