Doctors Charged With Dealing OxyContin

I wonder if Rush knows about this?

There are definitely legitimate uses for this drug, but its abuse potential is huge. When used for terminally ill patients, it can provide comfort and relief, but when used for chronic pain it too often leads to escalating doses, narcotic side effects including twitching and irritability and in the end, not achieving its pain relief goals. I don’t know the right answer for chronic pain sufferers, but it is not long acting narcotics.

Instead of 18 months in a federal country club make it 18 years in a real penitentiary and you will put a stop to it immediately if not sooner

Yeah, great idea. Perpetuate the ignorant, failed war on dugs, by locking someone up for 25% of their life. Great idea.

I find use of the term addicted in the context used objectionable. I believe the more appropriate term is habituated. There are subtle differences between the two with addiction implying a strong psycological need for a drug and habituation suggesting a primarily physical need. To be sure, habituation is no bargain. I found myself habituated to oral morphine and methadone. Ending use of these prescribed medications required two weeks in hospital detox and another two months of the worst sickness I’ve ever experienced. Both habituation and addiction create urges in a person that are typically antithetical to normative behavior. It is my understanding that because of the lack of a psycological need, habituation is easier to deal with.

if you have chronic pain as I the oxcontin has kept me working I am scared to death that with all the stuff hitting the fan it wont be long that they will cut me off then I will be on the welfare rolls instead of working how sad what is criminal is the cost of 6 dollars a pill

Those having never suffered chronic and debilitating pain can hardly relate to the need and benefit provided by time released oxycodone. It is likely that many, such as myself, tried other products leading up to being prescribed Oxycontin (oxycodone ER – extended release). Suffering with severe rheumatoid arthritis, having restful sleep was unachievable prior to starting Oxy ER. My doctor first prescribed Lortab (hydrocodone) only after over the counter products and various anti-inflammatory drugs failed to provide dependable relief. Try having any quality of life without restful sleep sometime, accompanied by constant pain and chronic fatigue which follows! Next, a relatively new time released Morphine based product was less effective for me than Lortab for pain, making me constantly sleepy and amplifying my fatigue. Upon being prescribed Oxycontin, within a couple of days I was sleeping through the night and achieving restful slumber for the first time in many years. Being uninsured and self-pay, if Oxy ER wasn’t available in generic form, I couldn’t afford it – $600 per month verses $200. Is it habit forming or addictive? Of course it is. On the couple of time a mix-up occurred on my scripts, first comes the return of excruciating pain coupled with sleeplessness, followed by gut wrenching withdrawal. I seriously doubt a heroin junkie could suffer any worse! Additionally, doctors prescribing Oxycodone in any form should always warn their patients of the addiction factor, and without fail the constipation factor, either prescribing a stool softener, or as I do, eat raisins, prunes or other fruit EVERY DAY! The choice one makes is addiction with pain relief, or a substandard quality of life filled with pain and severe, unabated chronic fatigue.

I have been a suffer of chronic pain since the mid 1980′s.I have had six operations too my spine along with two fusions.I have also had my spleen removed from a very bad car accident.And along with one knee operation,I am awaiting another.My acl’s in my left knee are torn along with the cartiledge being torn again.Just what I am looking foward to,another operation.It has only been in the last ten to fifteen years that chronic pain has been treated with the same degree of care as patients with a terminal illness.The only difference when it comes to pain is that a terminal patient may only suffer for a few months.Or maybe for a couple of years.I am 43 years old and have been going through this since the 80′s,and may,God willing live a full life but suffer with my condition for another 30 or 40 years.I don’t have the luxurey of dieing from my condition.I’m chronic.My Doctors and I have tried every type of treatment possible including medications.I was put on Oxycontin in 1997 and it changed my life .To say for the better would be an understatement.I will not argue with the fact that Oxycontin as with all Opiate type medications can be both physically as well as mentally addictive.That is why most patients such as myself are monitored very close by our Doctors.No C2 drugs may come with refills.You have to go to your pain management Doctor every month.And most just don’t write prescriptions and hand them out.You are given a complete exam and asked a veriety of questions.Over months the Doctors can assess if there has been any significant changes in your mental condition do to the use of the drug.Most of these Doctors are well trained and highly intelligent.They look for both physical and mental signs of abuse in their patients.And most Doctors today have patients sign a pain contract.I myself saw signs as did the ones who love me,getting out of hand with my medications due to the natural increase in ones tolerance.I sought help for this and with Gods help and giving me the strength,along with a great amount of family support,I have gotten myself back under control and will remain there always.Because of that the worst thing that could have been done would be to take my life giving medication away.I would have returned to a life of unbeleavable pain.So disabling I would be a non contributor to our society.I have been an Aerospace Machinist for over twenty years.Now do to my health,even with my medication,it is becoming to hard to be on my feet in a Machine Shop 10 to 12 hours per day.So I am advancing my education and going into Mechanical Engineering.I couldn’t be a contributor to our Society without my Oxycontin.Why don’t they pick on other Medications like M.S.Contin like Oxycontin.Plus there are many more I can Name