I found this report quite interesting .. they are pointing out issues with non-treatment… under treatment of pain as being signs of addiction.. Of course this is from a entity (Express Scripts) whose primary function is to reduce payments for medications to help increase their bottom line. Because like all for-profit public companies stock price and bottom line profits are EVERYTHING.
http://lab.express-scripts.com/insights/drug-safety-and-abuse/ask-the-pharmacist-pain-medication-addiction
Ask The Pharmacist: Pain Medication Addiction
Identifying the signs and symptoms of pain medication addiction.
Tags
Depression
Mental/Neurological Disorders
Pain
A Nation in Pain, Express Scripts’ comprehensive report on pain medication usage in the U.S., shows that while the number of Americans using prescription opioids – such as codeine, hydrocodone or OxyContin® – for pain relief has declined over the past five years, the amount of prescription opioid medications, use of potentially dangerous high doses and medication combinations, and other risky usage patterns are on the rise.
Does this suggest that many abusers/diverters have gotten out of the legal Rx med supply line.. and more legit chronic pain pts are getting more adequate treatment ? It has been reported time and again.. Heroin use/abuse is on a dramatic upswing
Prescription opioids can provide patients with clinically safe and very effective pain management. However, their potential for addiction requires vigilance by patients and all other parties in a patient’s care, including doctors, nurses, caregivers, pharmacists and benefit providers.
Recognizing Dependence
Addiction to prescription opioids can be fatal. In fact, death from prescription drug overdoses is greater than cocaine and heroin combined.
Have you noticed that they are comparing death rates to legal drugs to ILLEGAL drugs.. the use/abuse/death of the drugs ALCOHOL & NICOTINE is THIRTY- FORTY TIMES opiate deaths.. and those with chronic pain are twice as likely to COMMIT SUICIDE ..
If you or a loved one uses prescription pain medications, be aware of these signs that could indicate dependence on or addiction to the pain medication:
All pts on long term opiate will be DEPENDENT … are they trying to say that DEPENDENCE AND ADDICTION are the same ?
Suspicious Behavior
Seeking or obtaining prescriptions from multiple prescribers and filling at multiple pharmacies, especially ones that are not in close physical proximity
Using pain medications to “feel good” rather than to treat discomfort – reducing pain – increasing quality of life not a “feel good” ?
Frequent claims that the pharmacy didn’t provide enough medication or medications have been lost
Avoiding doctor appointments because the office counts pills or performs urine drug screens
Mood Changes
Bouts of anger or depression
Feelings of anxiety
Displays of aggressive behavior toward the doctor, pharmacy or caregivers related to opioid medications
Increased alcohol use or abuse
Anxiety and depression go hand in hand with chronic pain.. being denied proper therapy and being thrown into elevated pain and withdrawal would make most people ANGRY !
Increased Medication Use
Taking more pills or taking medication more frequently than prescribed
Seeking early refills of opioid medication
Using opioids with other high-risk medications, like muscle relaxants and anti-anxiety medications, that increase euphoria
Use of additional medication to treat severe side effects (such as stimulants to combat drowsiness, sedatives to regulate sleep patterns)
Stimulants are often used to help the pt fight the fatigue associated with their disease.. muscle spasms, sleep disorders associated with chronic pain.. the biggest risk of these meds with legit chronic pain pts is without them the risk of suicide increases.
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea, muscle pain, sweating and agitation also are signs of a body’s dependence on prescription opioids.
You allow a chronic pain pts to abruptly stop their meds (I’m not comfortable) and you can bet the farm that they will suffer withdrawal
Getting Help
If you identify with any of the signs or symptoms above, or recognize them in a loved one, it is important to notify the prescribing physician immediately. The doctor can alter the pain therapy to one with fewer addictive properties or begin to safely withdraw the patient from the medication. It is not safe for a patient to abruptly discontinue medication without physician supervision.
Now to the point they are trying to push… fewer meds… less expense to them.. and what you get is Express Scripts’ bottom line increases and the chronic pain pts pain and suffering increases…
Filed under: General Problems
My anxiety and insomnia started when the pain became bad enough to seek treatment. Research has shown that pain is best treated before it becomes severe. I know that after 10 years I require more than someone just beginning treatment so I do have a tolerance just like people would have to many other medications. Dealing with discrimination and embarrassment doesn’t help. I have dealt with nurses that refused to give me pain medication. I have been treated for high blood pressure because the pain was out of control. I am on enough medication to survive but not enough to get high or to completely take away the pain. Lack of education is partially to blame for the discrimination that people that use prescribed narcotics face from legislators and government regulations. You would expect pharmacists and the DEA would help educate rather than punish. I would much prefer to be the average 59 year old instead of one that can’t even shop for my own groceries or having to live in poverty. My only other option is suicide so the state can say one more off narcotics. Check out the Facebook groups that have chronic pain as part of the group name. I still would like to see a breakdown in the numbers of side effects and overdoses in the patients prescribed vs the ones that purchased or stood the medication illegally. Those are the ones that should be offered drug rehab. Thank you Steve for your educational efforts and advocacy. I have listed my health conditions in a earlier blog. I honestly fear for my limited life because when I lose the pain medication I lose my ability to walk just in the house. This Kindle allows me to type with one finger since I can’t sit for any length of time.
Oh yes..setting back pain management back again 50 years…once again lets go back to making the definitions of dependency and addiction mean the same thing. UGH…..I can’t tell you how many freaking inservices I gave in LTC facilites over and over in the beginning of my career to nurses and family members getting thru their heads they are TWO separate things just so residents/patients would have proper pain control. And discussed psuedoaddiction (increased requests for more medication, clock watching, increased anxiety about the pain returning or concern about getting the next dose timely) which was an issue in patients whose pain was undertreated or had developed tolerance to their current regimen, they were not true addicts. OMG……
“Experiencing withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea, muscle pain, sweating and agitation also are signs of a body’s dependence on prescription opioids.”
This could also be a list of the side effects from certain prescription medications, or the signs of a bad reaction to a medication — but could also be the symptoms of being in constant pain.
There will be winners and losers in the war against pain patients — Express Scripts is one of the winners. Well, they’re one of the early winners, as I’m thinking that denying access to medications that allow people to function will cause damage to this corporation’s profits in the long run.
The DEA is another winner, although it looks like Walgreens and CVS might be on the losing side. I would think that pain medications have a pretty good profit margin for pharmacies, especially if they’re brand names.