Pain Medications

cardiacfreak, ADN · Apr 19, 2018

So, the people who are suffering and unable to obtain pain meds should just put on their big girl or boy panties and suck it up?

I agree there are people who abuse pain meds, and those patients should be the ones who are targeted not patients who have legitimate pain and unable to receive a script.

Thankfully, I work in the hospice field and my patients are able to receive pain meds, for now at least.

allnurses Guide · Apr 19, 2018

As a chronic pain sufferer and a generally caring human being I respectfully disagree. You comment is like so many I hear from people who never experience chronic unremitting pain. I have three auto immune diagnoses that cause me to be in pain all the time. On a good day I am at a 5-6/10 which is my tolerable pain level. I do take opiates responsibly with other options aren't working. And no! NO person with legitimate pain management issues should be denied treatment for their pain ever period.

Let me give you a relatable example: I work adolescent psych and periodically we will have a kid who does something stupid with a comb or toothbrush or pencil so I will com on the unit to hear in report "NO patient is to have a rubber band at any time. Recently I had a kid fashion a weapon from a toothbrush. So now we get the rediculous directive that the patients can't have toothbrushes! Really :banghead: So I called supes and asked "Are we just throwing oral hygiene out the window?

These things need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Hppy

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 3, 2018

Should 60 thousands Americans die every year d/t overdose just because few patients have "ligimite" pain and suffer unnecessary d/t new strict prescription guideline? My answer is "No".[/Quote]
No.... because opiate addicts don't die because of someone else's pain. They die because once no longer in pain, THEY CHOSE to seek more pain meds instead of seeking help.
(Yes I know addiction is a disease that nobody chooses... but they absolutely can choose what to do about it going forward. Calling a dealer instead of calling for a CD eval is a choice.)
You say that the addict shouldn't die because of legitimately prescribed opioids. Well, why should someone with legit pain suffer because of someone else's choices?

caliotter3 · May 3, 2018

My untreated pain has never caused another person to use or abuse any drug. How dare you sanctimoniously state I must suffer because of the behavior of others.

CelticGoddess, BSN, RN · May 3, 2018

I am happy to notice that doctors prescribe much less pain medications now then they did even five years ago. Some nurses say that new approach makes some patients to suffer unnecessary. Well, lets compare pain medications with antibiotics. Antibiotics save tens of thousands lives but at the same time some patients die due to adverse reaction to antibiotics such as anaphylactic shock. Should we stop using antibiotics just because one out of million patients may die due to anaphylactic shock? Of course not. A lot of Americans became addicted to pain medications, hundreds of thousands already died of overdose of pain medications. Should 60 thousands Americans die every year d/t overdose just because few patients have "ligimite" pain and suffer unnecessary d/t new strict prescription guideline? My answer is "No".

I am confused by your comparison. Are you saying that we shouldn't allow for others to suffer unnecessarily in spite of people overdosing or are you saying that we should suffer so others don't die of an overdose? Your last line is confusing.

Please clarify

Persephone Paige, ADN · May 4, 2018

I'll explain it the way an addictions specialist explained it to me: pain and addiction are two separate issues.

I have a friend in horrible pain, she has neurofibromatosis (? spelling ) and she is truly suffering right now. She was dependent due to circumstances beyond her control, but not an addict. She was forced into detox. I feel for her.

As much of an opiate crisis as we have, it's not a one size fits all solution. I hope we get better with our strategy.

Steve123 · May 4, 2018

In war time someone has to die to protect the nation. Now we have opiate crisis and emergency situation has been declared. By other words, it is better to undertreat one patient than over treat many. In some cases even 1 tab of Percocet is enough to become addicted. Read book written by addiction specialist doctor Anna Lemke "Drug dealer, MD". Also I highly recommend to read book titled "American Pain" by John Temple. Of course, as a RN I do know well that very few nurses read such books and able to think out of "nursing process" box

Steve123 · May 4, 2018

That's exactly I wanted to say. it is better one patient to suffer from pain than prescribe opiates to 10 people unnecessary. You may disagree, but emergency situation has been declared and this approach is suitable for emergency situations. Also remember nursing school. Failing rate is very high. Good students who could have become good nurses sometimes fail too. Because those who make rules believe it is better sometimes to fail good students than let bad students to graduate and become a nurse who will be a danger to the patients.

inthecosmos, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · May 12, 2018

Moral compass completely gone.

psu_213, BSN, RN · May 12, 2018

By other words, it is better to undertreat one patient than over treat many.

I know chronic pain pts. who would vehemently disagree with this statement (I, thankfully, do not suffer from chronic pain, and I disagree with your logic). I'm guessing you would not being saying this if you had a condition, through not fault of your own, that forced you to live with severe chronic pain.

Also, is it better for one innocent person to go to jail as long as many criminals go to jail too? Better for one innocent person to be put to death as long as many murders are put to death too as well? Better for one worthy person to not get government assistance as long as we prevent abuse of the system by others?

brownbook · May 12, 2018

CBS/AP March 6, 2018, 3:45 PM

Opioids no better than Tylenol for chronic pain, study finds

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Last Updated Mar 7, 2018 9:24 AM EST

I don't know how to post links.....the above is an article I found on the Internet from CBS, but there are other sources with similar information.

I don't think the poster, or researchers, are accusing patients of abusing pain medications or planning to take away all opioids from patients in chronic pain.

New research is discovering acetaminophen words as well as opioids. In some cases, with some patients. Also complementary alternative methods have been found useful, yoga, acupuncture, meditation, etc.

Just as antibiotics don't need to be given for every infection, ear ache, sore throat, etc., opioids don't need to be given to every patient in pain.

Yes there are many times antibiotics are very appropriate, yes there are many times short and long term opioids are appropriate for patients.

No one is insisting no patient ever gets opioids. Just that it is time for doctors to rethink how they are going to treat a patient in pain. Use evidenced based research, or this is how we've always done it.