VA UnderSecretary Bob McDonald's New Plan for NO OPIATES FOR VETERANS

[Espalda]

Am I the ONLY ONE OUTRAGED by this prejudiced, stigmatizing, doubled standard *%#! calling VETERANS drug addicts!! That is exactly what is happening here! Oh, Holy Mother of God! How are you all not speaking out about this injustice? We have bore the Injuries on the Battlefields resulting in lifetime injuries of pain and suffering to our Knees, from jumping out of planes, boats, trucks, helicopters; to our Necks and Spines from carrying the loads not meant for the human body; suffered the TBIs -with constant migraines....these are but a few that are DENIED their CHRONIC PAIN MEDS  by the very Doctors in Chronic Pain Clinics by Anesthesiologists that receive their training from the Prestigious State of Art Pioneering STANFORD UNIVERSITY in CALIFORNIA who just released "National Pain Study" in clinicalpainadvisor.com, dated 5/27/16 - Where Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, Stanford Pain Management Center at Stanford University evaluated 5,300 Chronic Low Back individuals, "Do opioids make a difference to patients with Chronic Pain? The Answer was, YES!"

When I presented this STUDY TO MY GMC. - She threw Secretary McDonald's Letter at me,  dated 8/1/16 (yet C-SPAN didn't air until 8/12/16) and said, we are VA- not Stanford. Although, Stanford Residents and Surgeons, fill VA Hospitals to gain their experience, practicing on Veterans before they leave to get "real jobs." 

I have been a Successful, Functional, less Painful with my Significant Back Injury w Sciatica for over 10 years and now being told there will be no Opiates for Vets. I say to Secretary McDonald, it seems YOU want all Disabled Veterans to go to the Streets to find alternative pain medication. That seems to be  CONGRESSES ANSWER TO VETERANS SINCE AGENT ORANGE and the Viet Nam War-altho it still has never been declared a WAR!!

We need to Stop this AND STAND UNITED!  Disabled Veterans are NOT Drug Addicts, we have fought the fight once, we should not have to endure another battlefield for the respect we have already earned. God Bless America! God Bless our Veterans still Fighting the Good Fight

[Tbird]

The VA’s Attempt To Fight Opioid Dependence Leaves Pain Patients Cut Off 

Source: Task and Purpose August 17, 2015

After the Department of Veterans Affairs scaled back its prescriptions of opioids, many patients were left to deal with their chronic pain by themselves.

[john999]

I am in this boat and if I can find a private doctor to prescribe for me I won't be dog gone from the VA.   I will be long gone!   They have been chipping away at my opiates for about a year and a half.  They offer nothing to replace the opiates except the same old Lyrica and anti-depressants which have never worked for me.    The VA created the Frankenstein Monster by handing out things like methadone and Morphine like candy a few years back and now they just want to get rid of the vets who are hooked or have become dependent. 

[Buck52]

There's got to be more to this  than VA just cutting us off opiates, someone (congress) is poring on the pressure to Bob  I can only imagine.

congress people make 100 thousands dollars year and never cared for veterans   they only do what they have to do and do what they can get away with.

who do you think congress people use for their healthcare? Do you think they will get their opiates cut?

And with this new Administration coming  it is not a good out look  for us  no matter who is elected.

This VA Health Care is getting to be like our claims   we have to work on our own health  so -to-speak,  and seek out private Insurance to see the Private sector  for our pain management.

In my opinion the VA cutting out pain med's  will only increase suicide, so maybe that's what there intentions are  less veterans less cost and more $$ in congress peoples pockets.

jmo

.......................Buck

[Buck52]

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/health-care-for-members-of-congress/

[john999]

I really think you are right, Buck.  This is part of the abuse we vets get at the hands of the VA.  My pain doctor and my PCP are determined to get me off of the rather small dose of opiates I get now.  A year ago I was getting methadone and eight 5mg pills of oxycodone a day.   Now against my will I get five 5mg oxycodone pills a day which is not enough to give me more than a few hours a day of being pain free. Just a few months before I was put on Fentanyl patches, but that was taken away.  So over the last 18 months my pain meds have been cut by about 70% and they still want to keep cutting.  If I get a private doctor to prescribe for me I won't be using the VA for anything except getting ordinary medications.   What I don't want is for the VA to assume because I am not using them for my health care that I have recovered from my p&t disabilities.  I have been P&T since August  2001, so I have a few years to go for my 20 year protection is final. 

 

           John