Excerpt: When Painkillers Become Dangerous

ByABC News via logo
July 21, 2004, 3:17 PM

July 22, 2004 -- In this book excerpt, Dr. Drew Pinsky calls attention to the risks of addiction to patients using prescription pain killers.

Chapter One: How Addiction Develops

"Get in there and push six milligrams of morphine on thatpost-op femur. And debride his heel while you're in there."The orthopedic resident glared down at me with disdain."Get on it."I, a wide-eyed third-year med student, ran into the openward with six beds arrayed about the periphery of the dormitory.I found Mr. Resnick writhing in pain. He was toodistressed to notice my presence. I grabbed his IV tubing,kinked off above the port, and slowly injected the morphine.Within seconds, his breathing became slower and deeper. Acalmness swept across his face. As he became more comfortable,I remember my sense of awe and excitement that I hadbeen able to help this man who had been suffering.

This was my first experience as a medical student administeringan opiate to a patient. I cannot express to you mysatisfaction at having been able to help this man so vividly andquickly. After all, this is what those of us who enter helpingprofessions expect and hope from our careers; and rarely dowe get to experience this sense of triumph so thoroughly aswith our ability to take away pain.

Every physician learns earlythat we can reliably and easily relieve pain with opiates.Mr. Resnick had been in a motorcycle accident and sufferedmultiple injuries. He was an addict, but at that point in mytraining, I did not understand what that meant. It seemed tome that he was frequently demanding pain medication. Butwhy not? He had just had an operation on his leg. The morehe demanded, the more I dutifully came running with themorphine.