Va Pushing To Decrease Pain Medication

[JayBrown1]

I recently called in a renewal of my pain medication and when I checked my doctor decrease it from 90 pills to 60. I had agreed that I would decrease it 120 to 90 until my next appointment and then we would decide if I can tolerate it at that level but just after a month and a half I told I couldn't too much pain at this point instead she decrease it without letting me know in advance. I secured message her and she told I was right and that we did say we would only drop it 30 but the VA is pushing to get veterans off of opiates and suggest that I get some bengay or capsaicin cream to help with the pain. I have been taking 2 pain meds for over 20 years now and using Capsaisin creams for over 10 years and I am still in a lot of pain and now within 2 months they have already cut my meds in half. My pain level has not been under 5 since 2004, some days I don't even get out of bed especially with the pain that runs through my legs. I had to quit working in 2008 due to severe pain.

This is scary because next the only thing I will be getting is Tylenol. I wrote in my response to my doctor that whole the VA is looking at reducing our pain meds they will create alcoholics because veterans will have to find alternatives to deal with their pain.

Has anyone else had their meds reduce!

[63SIERRA]

it all ties in to money and claims. many vets have side effects of ED and depression because of the pain meds, its another side effect, like many meds have. so they can ELIMINATE many claims, once they pull the pain meds. kill 3 birds with one stone. Its all abt stopping claims and saving money at the expense of more suffering of veterans. I bet the big whigs at the va wont suffer, they will carry thier ass to the best pain clinics in private care, and get anything they want.

[63SIERRA]

anyone who is pulled off pain meds needs to file FOR DEPRESSION, OR AN INCREASE IN DEPRESSION DUE TO PAIN AND SUFFERENING AND LACK OF MOBILITY. TURN THE TABLES ON THESE COCKROACHES. Also file for ED tell them your in too much pain for an erection.

Before Shenseki left he made a big long speech abt taking pain meds from vets, I will try to find link, I guess that was his parting gift, to us as veterans, .

heres a snipit of shensekis speech

Shinseki said this includes VA taking a sharp look at its own use — some critics say abuse — of addictive, prescription pain killers, such as Oxycontin.

Over the past three years, Shinseki said, VA has discouraged overuse of opiates in favor of other medications and therapies and has taken steps to reduce the use of opiates. Since 2012, the Minneapolis-based VA health care system has cut its use of high-dose opiates by more than 50 percent and all but eliminated Oxycontin prescriptions, decreasing its use by 99 percent., Shinseki said.

Edited June 25, 2014 by 63SIERRA