The truth about OxyContin (poem)
by Alexander DeLuca, M.D., FASAM – 2001-08-08; latest minor revisions: 2006-06-02. Source.
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1) it is just another long acting opioid.
2) long acting opioids are good for a lot of reasons including that they are far less abuse-able if used properly.
3) if you lock yourself in a refrigerator, you will suffocate. This is an example of the improper use of a technology.
4) there is no significant difference between MS-contin, Kadian, OxyContin and methadone as far as the brain is concerned.
5) if you spill hot mcdonalds coffee on your hand under the sign that says, “watch out, hot coffee,” you will get burned. This is an example of the improper use of a technology.
6) we need short, quick-acting opiates, and slow, long-acting opiates. One size does not fit all. We have both endoscopic surgery for gallbladder disease, and open laparotomy for gallbladder disease. We need both.
7) if you park on a hill, leave the car in neutral, and fail to engage the parking brake, the car will run randomly down the hill and perhaps run a small child over. This is an example of the misuse of a technology.
8) it does not make any medical sense to punish the millions of pain patients to prevent what is, really, a comparatively trivial problem of prescription drug diversion. This is a media, police feeding frenzy. It is senseless. They will regret that they behaved this way.
9) all God’s children hurt or will hurt; nobody gets out alive.
10) they will regret they behaved this way.
11) it is possible to get 95% of all people with chronic pain down to pain levels of 0-3 using all the technologies we have, one of which is opioid medications. We should not rest until this is accomplished.
12) if you stick a small metal object into an electrical wall outlet, you will get a shock. This is an example of the misuse of a technology.
13) you cannot treat chronic pain in cancer patients without treating chronic non-cancer pain. This is a medical truth.
14) drug addiction can be treated. It is a minor problem, from a public health point of view, compared to chronic, untreated or under-treated, pain in this society.
15) you or your brother or your parents or your children or your nieces or nephews will get seriously injured, or develop a chronic painful illness, or will get cancer.
17) making sick people jump through hoops is damaging to the souls of those who hold up the hoops.
18) opiate medications are our friends. We need them.
19) they will regret they behaved this way.
20) we all need to show up and get back to work now.
[END]
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Am a pain patient, after 10 years of having cluster migrains, and back pain, after ten years of being prescribed opiate pain killers, i went to get a shot, [which my doctor told me to do] and a nurse [a neophite] gave me a hard time, and i am now havibng to fight for my right to pain reliefe, I have read much on it, and all i care about is pain relief, my doctor is standing behind me, and gave me another schipt of oxi, but I had to write a letter to admin, and am taking this nurse before the board, because she wrote “drug seeking behavior” on my jacket which clearly showes over 10 years of being phescibed pain meds. I am havibng to fight for my right to pain reliefe.I know i am but one of thousands running into this. it is madening. Just wanted to add my two cents. I have had to be my own doctor half the time, have had to learn medicine on my own. Am a male, with an IQ of over 170. I have a hard time believing the stupidity of some in the so called medical proffesion. A witch hunt is all it is. If niot for the pain meds i would be dead, plain and simple i would have taken my own life. The pain meds are the only thing that make my life livable. i am a disabled vet, who is pissed off. And, who can blame me? do you have any links to help for me? respectfully.Kimo
Hello all,
To Diana K. who left comments here regarding what the differences really are between, say, Oxycontin and MS Contin. I have deleted those Comments at her request, but I think the question is a good one.
Here are two important concepts everyone interested in opioid analgesic medications should get, I think:
1)There is tremendous variation between how different people respond to opioids – that is two different people with apparently the same underlying condition and who seem to be in the same amount of pain – these two very similar appearing people may require dramatically different doses to achieve good pain relief; and,
2) An individual may response relatively well to one opioid and relatively poorly to another. That is, codiene may not work at all for you, but morphine will. Or morphine may work, but relatively higher doses are required and you get side effects like the itch’ies – but oxycodone gives you even better pain relief at relatively lower doses without any side effects at all.
So, yes, opioids are different at the level of individuals doing better on one versus another. And they differ by potency, side effect profiles, onset and duration of action, etc. But THIS IS A POEM so, for once, I don’t have to be rigorously accurate. -smile-
To Kimo: yes Sir, I can recommend a very good link for you – to a community that includes pain patients (quite a few of whom are vets), a few docs, a few quick-ass legal types, and experienced pain advocates. You will find good support, excellent information, and no double talk. I am referring to the:
Chronic Pain Forums of the Pain Relief Network (PRN).
Highly recommended.
Sincerely,
..alex… Alexander DeLuca, M.D., MPH
… I think I love you, Dr DeLuca.
Wow. I am so flattered.
I know poets – and I am way not a poet. Still, I like this one, too.
Thank you for your very kind words, Oceanbaby. You made my day. -smile-
..alex…
I am new to this but a person who lives in chronic pain. Being on 400mgs of oxycontin daily 5(80) a day and 4(75) Lyrica daily along with Xanac as needed. Going on 6 years of usage it finally caused terrible thoughts including suicide. I deemed necessary to rid myself of them completely but that was a terrible experience, went down on the oxycontin, eliminated the Lyrica completely and started with methadone, ridding the Lyrica took away thoughts, methadone was terrible am now usin only 3 oxycontin a day instead of 5 and although still in pain I am at best in 6 years and set goal to drop to 2 pills per day of oxycontin 80's knowing I will be on these rest of life but am at least functioning, the methadone was prescribed by a pain clinic doctor in which after 3 visits became the 2nd worse medical experience since my disability by what I think poor surgery. A person needs to trust the physician and all the degrees and knowledge mean nothing if distrust is present, the only person who knows the degree of pain is one experiencing it although pain clinic doctors seem to think they know it all I am preparing a total story in hopes Dateline will pick up and expose the facility.
Hi My name is Susan.I am a longtime opiate user. I have been told by 2 surgeons that back surgery is necessary.I live in Massachusetts, so I am fortunate to have some of the finest Dr.’s around. I have just been diagnosed w/breast cancer.We’ve come so far that I know I will be a survivor.But get this the last back surgeon I seen ,although said it wasn’t my fault” for being on so much medication” I felt awful leaving his office that when I spoke to my oncologist, I lied about what and how much medicine I was taking because I am almost embarssed, because its SO socially criticized.
if you spill hot mcdonalds coffee on your hand under the sign that says, “watch out, hot coffee,” you will get burned.
But you can still sue mcdonalds and win millions. This is an example of the improper use of a legal system :)
I pray to GOD I never need opiates long-term, as I develop tolerance very quickly in just a few days. This is a real problem! NO doctor would prescribe an increase in dose to cover an individual with this problem! Hope you have no ancestors from Turkey or other historical opium-producing lands!
Because the DEA and state agencies record and monitor with great suspicion every narcotic pill doctors prescribe, doctors niggardly dole out opiate pain relief, if at all. My husband's pain contract threatens that his pain medicine will be discontinued if the opiate isn't working!