In 2017, the DEA led (as part of their War on Drugs) a major shift in eliminating opioids from the pain management regiments doctor’s were allowed to use, essentially across the board. State governments raced to implement laws that severely limited this medication for all patient types, regardless of the advancement of each patients pain levels. Low maximums were established, restricitive pharmacy distribution rules were implemented, and doctors were threatened with loss of license to practice if they even spoke out against these draconian rules. These new set of laws sprung up with the fake media reports of an Opioid epidemic that lacked basis in any statistical or scientific research. Deaths caused by opioid were inflated much like deaths reported for Covid-19. If any association to opioid could have been established, then the opioids became the leading cause of death, regardless of the underlying medication condition or facts. Even so, the annual death rate was under 50K people in the US. This pales in comparison with alcohol, cigarettes, diet or a myriad of other causes of death, yet the Opioid epidemic became a top political issue. Of course, this had devastating effect on pain suffering patients. Tens of thousands were unable to continue with their occupation, while thousands of chronic pain patients and those with intractable pain diseases died since the 2017 implementation of these draconian measures. In 2019, even the AMA, American Medical Association, put up a press release that these rules went too far and caused many preventable tragedies. Had this not become a federally driven and media inflamed so-called epidemic, the 10,000 to 20,000 annual opioid deaths and thousands of addictions could have been prevented with far more effective methods and treatments. Instead, tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, suffer each day just trying to take care of daily needs such as hygiene or food preparation. This needs to be reversed, and far more effective and humane methods need to be implemented instead. Too many families continue to be affected by this, we can do much better.
Hello I whole heartedly agree with this proposal. I have been a pain patient for fourty years now I am 71 yrs old . It strarted in my 29 th year i believe I had gotten Lyme disease csf and fibromyalgia ( it didn’t have a name then) I ve been to many many drs. I was misdiagnosed as having polo myosin s and given steroids no help. I finally got opioids in to he early 2000s it helped tremendulously ! I could take walks clean the house and move more easily. I never took more than necessary and pass eddrug tests given. Then they could no longer prescribe them to me anymore and Tylenol could be used instead, all the pain and lack of ability to do the things I did was all that happened. Now if you want pain relief you get an antidepressant instead. I’m not depressed. Now no Tylenol either. I guess my pain is majcslly gone. I wish!! I am not heard pain shall be ignored it is beyond frustrating. The only drug war is on the people who need pain relief funny has the narcotics world suffered here? No only us. I’ve never done illegal drugs still ewe are suppose to cope. Do you know what the leading cause of death is for fibromyalgia? Suicide is that serious enough?
I’ve been in pain and unable to work for 3.5 years. I’ve tried everything except what works: full-agonist opioids. I am suicidal because of the pain. I can’t live my life. I can’t be happy. I need medicine to live. I’m not an addict. I’m in pain, and I need medicine. It’s that simple.
I have been fighting crippling anxiety since I was three years old only recently seven years ago was diagnosed with it. I’ve gone untreated my entire life. I’ve always refuse to see doctors because I don’t trust them because I have anxiety issues. Now that I’m seeking help for my anxiety, I get put on drugs That cause depression, suicidal thoughts and schizophrenic tendencies. Benzodiazepine’s actually work for anxiety without 1 million side effects. When the DEA gets a medical license, that’s when the DEA should be able to say something about what the doctors can and cannot do with medication‘s pain patients any patient who is suffering from anything. It is unfortunate that the government controls medication for patients that is not freedom in the United States. That is government control. It only takes 3% of the population to change things let’s make that happen.