We’re doing an ongoing series about the opioid epidemic
https://politico.forms.fm/opioid-epidemic/forms/4903
We’re doing an ongoing series about the opioid epidemic, which is arguably America’s biggest public health crisis since AIDS. Opioids (including legal painkillers, heroin and fentanyl) killed a record 42,000 people in 2016, and death rates are rising, according to the CDC.
We want to hear about your experience. Tell us your story and a reporter may follow up with you.
(Read the story: 5 unintended consequences of addressing the opioid crisis https://politi.co/2FUB3iA)
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Filed under: General Problems
Honestly, every time I see the phrase “opioid epidemic” I feel like I want to go berserk. There are SO many things that kill far, far more people than prescription pain meds –the one thing the country is going after, & which has VERY to do with the opioid OD deaths. (excellent graph showing this at https://edsinfo.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/overdose-deaths-not-correlated-with-prescribing-rates/#comment-20280).
Alcohol, tobacco & obesity kill something 600 times as many people as ALL opioids. Here in Oregon, which is about to ram thru the most draconian opioid policy in the country, opioid deaths (including illegals) isn’t even in the top 10 causes of death…hypertension kills far, far more people than opioids, but nobody here is screaming “SALT EPIDEMIC!!!!”
This national hysteria is driven entirely by hysteria, zealotry, & money-grubbing, started by the pushers of the movement –kolodny, Ballentyne, & the sadistic bigots on the Oregon Chronic Pain Task Farce.
I have been left in more Pain even thou I fall into one of the Exempted Groups. They have taken me from 120 mg of Oxycodone which is 180 MME to 45 mg Oxycodone which is 67.5 MME what happened to 90 MME. I thought the 90 MME was crazy but this makes no since to me. They have put me on a Pain Pump but I must one of those that is just doesn’t help,I have felt no difference in the loosest dose with it or the highest dose with it. I have told my Pain Management doctor this all along and he doesn’t understand as I don’t either. I have had 3 now and whit my first on they were doing a teat on it and I contract Spinal Meningitis from a contaminated Needle with in 12 hours of the procedure I was in a coma and in the Hospital for 10 days, After 7 years they implanted my second one and after 7 more years they implanted my last one in 2017 and when the removed the one from 20110 they discovered it had been licking and I had damaged tissue that had to be removed because of it,I feel when they found that they should not have replaced it but I wan not awake to ask me that nor did I have that chose.When I went back for my follow up check from the surgery in 2017 I was told what they found it has scared me ever since I asked why they even put one back in but was told it very seldom happens. Now I don not blame the doctor for either occurrence because I heard the Nurse say when I got the Meningitis for another nurse observing not to touch that because it could get contaminated and it must have been if they had only replaced that needle and the doctor was not told, but with the second surgery he found all the damage and I wish he I had stopped the replacement until he could talk to me. Now at my last pump refill the found blood in the medicine they were pulling out of my pump and still refilled it this is very worry some to me,I love my doctor, but I feel if it’s not helping me why? Why would they not remove it and just keep me on p.o med that could cover my pain