Opiate Program

[john999]

Because of the holiday and being FUBAR the VAMC was 5 days late writing my pain med scripts. It then took an extra day to get them delivered via certified mail. If I had used the pain meds exactly as prescribed I would have been in a world of hurt. I use as little as I can just so if the VA does make a mess of things(which they have done countless times) I won't be up a tree. I have been over this ground with the VA about ten times. They never change. I just have no faith in the VA at all.

[Pete53]

Meds by mail sucks

[retiredat44]

I went through that for many years.... when I went into the hospital, they would sometimes be an hour or two late, and I was in really bad shape I was screaming for long periods of time... when they were late... at home sometimes I would get them late,, one time I ended up in the emergency room when they were late I went into horrific withdrawls.. and was like when you see addicts in the movies rolling around on the floor puking and shaking... pounding headaches...

I cannot have my meds late or I go into withdrawls.. after a couple hours past the due time the headache starts, and the pain and nausea builds up... if it goes past that I roll up into a ball in a corner and shake and get physically sick..

If I see in advance that I will come up short the anxiety sends my life into a tail spin...

I learned that when I am admitted, I no longer turn over the meds I carry,, I keep some hidden in my belonging for when they are late giving me meds.. I learned the hard way, that they can be hours late making rounds to give meds.. and if I keep some in my belongings, I can avoid the suffering I tred being honest and I only screwed myself...

when the morphine is too weak I get dilaudid. And if I have to get it injected it is usually not enough at first and doens't last long. I then get a self actuated pump, that I get control over. But, it's is computer controlled so I can only get so much per hour beofre it cuts me off. The doctors program the pump.

the nurses are short staffed and can be very late doing their rounds with meds..

somtimes the pharmacy is late delivering meds in the middle of the night or they cannot find a doctor to sign the orders...

or the dosage is not enough.. they have script guidlines and they cannot give your meds early,,, even 20 minutes early is too early... if I take them 2 hours early at home nothing happens except that it's two hours or quality pan relief.. that I would never get under the supervision of medical people..

being dependent upon ohter people for pain meds is a horrible way to live. Even after 20 years, you know that the day wil come, once again where someone will be later giving you your meds and you will suffer badly... all because our government is cruel when it come to helping people with severe pain... they punish sick people and blame it on people who abuse drugs..

WheniI become admitted again, I know the rutine..

one more hting, my veins are all ruined and they cannot find enough working viens so they really put me through hell puching needles through me,, until they finally decide to put a PIC line in,,, and even then that isn't enough they still have to put the IV's in...

[john999]

Retired

I get the fentanyl patches. The dosage is really not high enough. The reason the VA uses to keep me at such a low and basically ineffective dose is because I also take clonazepam. The VA assumes I will OD if given half a chance. I have taken this stuff for years. I have never OD'ed on a narcotic. Over the last few years they have reduced the oxycodone dose I get by one half with no substitute. In Florida if you get oxycodone from a regular doctor you are more or less assumed to be a drug addict. I have taken all the pain meds the VA has to offer. I have chronic pain. Nothing works like narcotics regardlesss of what the so-called experts say. The public and medical community has a prejudice against opiates. I am sure if I had doctors who were free to really treat my pain without regard to the moral and legal bias I would not suffer so much.

[SonnyBurnett]

I live on pain meds too. I switch between oxy and vicadin every 3 months or so just because of the tolerance built up. I also get shots once a month. Chronic pain is hell, and those who think they have the answers, know nothing till the crawl in our shoes. My primary is good to me and understands the suffering and does all she can to help.