PHARMACIST STEVE

Chronic pain pts becoming more VISIBLE ?

9 Responses

1. 

   starwood500, on September 3, 2014 at 6:21 pm said:

   Some people are guilty of stereotypes and believe that all should appear as I do. The fact that this young person can appear as her peers with or without medication with a illness is a testimony to her strength. Where is the empathy or sympathy?

   Reply
2. 

   Coonhound, on September 2, 2014 at 10:09 am said:

   While I do believe that fibromyalgia syndrome is real I also believe that the diagnosis is given out way too often (or early) w/out ruling out all other alternative explanations.

   There are many autoimmune diseases that can take years to fully develop and become recognizable.Once they do the problem arises that there are also simply many doctors who are just plain incompetent and do not fully explore all avenues to explain their patients symptoms or refer the out to specialists (or cant due to no insurance by patient).

   There are a couple things in this video that give me cause for concern. Ms Harrison mentions going to her primary care doctor for 3 yrs before receiving ‘fibro’ diagnosis but does not mention being sent to any specialists during this time. She tells of an appt w/ a rheumatologist/pain management doctor [?] Despite having 2 autoimmune diseases I have never heard of such a doctor. I see a rheumatologist who referred me to pain management but as far as the two being combined I’m unaware of this specialty.

   I have lupus ‘overlap’. This is also called mixed connective tissue disease/MCTD.
   It was verified by positive findings of high ANA and U1-RNP anitibodies as well as classic symptoms of the disease which is a combination of lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis.It took well over a year to find what it was (2009).

   I was also diagnosed w/ systemic sarcoidosis (2000). It took over 2 years and a trip to a top hospital (Johns Hopkins) to get the sarcoidosis diagnosis as it is a very rare disease. Most doctors have never seen a patient w/ it (probably did but were unaware of it). Point being, there are many possible explanations that need to be ruled out before one ‘settles’ on a fibro syndrome (not disease) diagnosis. Serious problems can arise as autoimmune diseases, unlike fibromyalgia syndrome, can be progressive and fatal especially if they remain undiagnosed and untreated.

   Finally,a MAJOR sticking point for me here is this woman being interviewed appears to be highly intoxicated/over medicated !! Either that or she is a bit slow. At any rate it’s not the type of interview I would like to see if it were representing someone w/ my affliction.

   Coonhound

   *conditions mistaken for fibro:
   http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/130580/fibromyalgia/
   this second link features many outlines of many different autoimmune diseases not just lupus and mctd:
   http://www.lupusmctd.com/index.php?topic=371.0

   Reply
3. 

   Anonymous, on August 28, 2014 at 10:11 am said:

   Need a better spokesman for chronic pain. Tats are fine but you should cover that stuff up if your campaigning for the cause you believe is noble!

   Reply
4. 

   William Sarraf (@wjsarraf), on August 27, 2014 at 6:41 pm said:

   This chick is a living cliche. She’s had so many ‘illnesses’ that doctors can’t figure out what’s going on and everything causes so. Much. PAIN. ‘I had meningitis but it really wasn’t meningites, it was from mold.’ She is so pleased with her bulging discs and arthritis that she wants to tell everybody. Look, Ma… real pain! Can I get more oxy’s now? I bet she can name exactly which discs are herniated, too. Why is it that our greatest fibromyalgia experts are the people who claim to have it. Nobody knows what it is or can figure out a cause or come up with a standard diagnosis but if you got it you wear that ‘Chronic Pain Patient’ badge like a medal of honor. And what’s up with the overdone makeup and crappy tattoos? Must be something they learn how to do at the pain meetings. [never mind about that. i didnt say that. it doesnt matter, anyway]
   Remember, today’s ‘chronic pain patient’ is tomorrow’s suboxone patient.

   Reply
   • 

     Steve S, on September 3, 2014 at 11:55 am said:

     You should educate yourself with facts before spouting off your opinions as fact unless you can magically transfer into someone else’s body and experience their pain you have no right to judge them or berate them for surviving with long time severe pain, you clearly couldn’t handle it.

     Reply
     • 

       Chrystal, on September 4, 2014 at 7:54 pm said:

       Amen. I have RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) which is the highest rated pain on the Mc Gill pain scale. I’ve had it for almost 5 years. It is nicknamed the “suicide disease.” I went from being a CPA very active to being pretty much unable to perform the functions of daily living. Pain is no joke. I’m a tough cookie who had my baby at home with a midwife natural no pain meds because I do not like to take meds or have unnecessary medical interventions. There are no very good treatments for naturopathic pain. I’ve done them all. Opiates don’t really help that much. Maybe a 20 percent reduction of pain but better than nothing. Opiates take the edge off my pain just enough to keep me from jumping off a bridge. Now you have to go to 20 different pharmacies looking for your meds before you find them. And there is no guarantee that you will be able to find them the following month. And when you can’t find them the following month then you end up very sick for several days. What is worse than having RSD? Having withdrawals from opiates with RSD.

       Reply
   • 

     Chrystal, on September 4, 2014 at 8:10 pm said:

     Very snarky comment. Todays uncompassionate person is tomorrows victim of unfavorable life event. Toche.

     Reply
     • 

       Chrystal, on September 4, 2014 at 8:14 pm said:

       The above reply was meant for William. Nice guy that William.

       Reply
5. 

   RalPh, on August 27, 2014 at 2:23 am said:

   My manager just told a story of the DM saying. .. There’s a situation where once you exceed a DEA or manufacturer quota, you will forever have to check PDMP on every control your pharmacy ever fills again, staple the results to the hard copy, etc. Has anyone ever heard anything like this??

   Reply