This is the place for practitioners to anonymously say whatever you feel constrained from saying in other places.
53 Replies to “Professional Input”
We should be able to continue medications that work for patients and maintain their quality of life without insurance coming in and denying coverage and forcing weaning. We can decide which patients are safely managed just fine. They create a headache for patients and providers with zero justification.
Pain Provider in Colorado
I am a nurse in long term healthcare/rehab and am appalled that we take any pain control from any of my patients with chronic pain. Age is progressive, so is chronic pain. A 90 year old should not have to suffer from pain because of addicts who will continue to get their drugs by other means. My patients who are in therapy are unable to reach their full potential because of inadequate pain control. I’ve worked in this field for over 30 years, and when trying to be an advocate for my patients (which is my job) I get turned away because the medical staff is afraid of trouble because of these guidelines. I have to get medications renewed every 14 days, even for my hospice patients.
To me, the patients in facility are in a controlled environment, narcotics are locked up and only given by licensed staff. Chronic pain just doesn’t resolve in two weeks. End of life care doesn’t resolve in two weeks. I hate these ‘rules’ that are in place. I feel that my patients that are discharged home have a better chance getting their medicine off the street corner than from their doctor, who will refer them to a pain clinic (more time without pain control) who will give them ineffective pain control until they figure out that they needed the actual narcotic they were prescribed by the hospital prior to admission to my facility.
It’s very very frustrating trying to help my patients, sometimes I feel the doctors are encouraging me to make my 90 year old an addict, which is absurd. I hate seeing them crying in pain and barely able to move.
Physicians should be able to treat their patients without worrying about the CDC or DEA watching over them. While there may be a few “bad” operators, they are few and far between. As a result of the CDC guidelines, physicians now decrease or stop a patient’s pain medication, often citing the possibility of addiction. While some patients may abuse pain meds – MOST DO NOT. For years I faithfully took the meds my prior physician prescribed, and my pharmacy filled without any issues; I also saw my physician every three months. Upon relocating, a new physician immediately decreased my meds to almost nothing without explanation even though she had my records, prescription information, etc. As a result I suffer from chronic pain daily, have little to no quality of life and more negative results.
I applaud physicians who treat pain patients appropriately and are not biased or cower to CDC and others who fail to stand up for their chronic pain patients. We do not need to create another sub-class of providers. Insurance companies need to fill scripts as written and stop refusing to fill legal scripts.
What can we do to stop the CDC and the government for making our doctors hurt us by taking away our pain meds. I have chronic back pain generation herniated bulging a broken shattered hip and a broken femur, and they just keep knocking mine down. I went from six today to four days this sucks can hardly do anything quality life is nothing.
As an Advanced Practice Nurse board certified in Pain Management, I understand why opioids are needed. I do feel that patients must also share in the decisions and treatment plan. Safety is always my concern. I want to do NO harm. I am extremely busy and try hard to give my patients the time they need. There are risks associated with taking opioids and I feel very strongly that patients should be aware and educated. As far as CDC guidelines – I do use them but only as a guide. It’s a daily battle for me – always worried the state will bother me yet struggling to keep patients safe and treated with dignity.
I had a stroke more than 10 years ago. When I came out of the hospital and recovery I had been in there for 6 weeks maybe longer, and was given hydrocodone for my pain, while I was still in a coma. I continue to use it because it helped with the heart palpitations and helps keep my blood pressure in check.
So now they are taking me off of pain tabs. It was with the understanding of getting a pain pump to do the same as the pain tabs have done.
This pain pump has turned out to be worthless.
To be honest I want to die I feel useless. I am not a suicidal type person – I don’t have to be. I have a pacemaker that no longer helps my heart palpitations – my heart palpitations are off the charts. My blood pressure cannot be controlled.
Because of those two things that are not reliable on controlling my pain. For these reasons I should unplug my pacemaker machine, and stop all medications for blood pressure. The main reason for doing this is I would rather be dead than live this way, and the reason I am making a comment is am I a good poster child for the criminal and inhumane treatment of pain sufferers. Would I make a better poster child to bring attention to the fact that thousands that are not drug addicts but need pain medication to control their pain are being denied their human right. Am I a better poster child for this injustice dead or alive?
I’m a caregiver of patients living with painful conditions. One patient has been taking opioid medication for the past 20 years without any issues. In recent years doctors caring for my patient have been visited by the DEA. The DEA concluded all records of the patient’s medical history were in order and use of the amount of medication prescribed was justified. However, when the patient needed to establish new care many doctors would say prescribing opioid medication beyond the CDC guidelines would cause them to fear DEA scrutiny, and other doctors were only offering patients Buprenorphine addiction treatment and spinal injections at their practices. It has become very difficult for patients to receive proper care for their illnesses with these CDC guidelines being applied to chronic and intractable pain patients. The unnecessary suffering this is causing is inhumane and it needs to be to stopped.
I am a healthcare provider that has been targeted by the state for prescribing pain meds as part of the armamentarium for chronic intractable pain care and control. It used to be standard of care, but the politics of the matter has changed all that. Now I am facing the dilemma – should I follow the law of God for compassion towards humanity or the law of man that is tainted with misinformation? The government has all the resources at their disposal to bring up anything that can go against the doctor’s oath and obligation to his patients in this era of government outreach towards doctors. To defend one’s standing, he or she may find the situation to be an exercise of futility. So I follow the path of righteousness, so help me God.
What is between a doctor and a patient is none of the government’s business! DEA should have NO right to go into a doctor’s office and demand someone’s records!!! I have worked in both health care and in law enforcement. I am a person who is currently on no meds due to guidelines!! I have never abused meds and never popped hot on a test. I always tried everything natural before I would talk to my doctor about other options. I did absolutely everything that my doctor of 20 years told me to do. I took every test that he ordered! (I bet my insurance loved him!) I have been to a specialist in addition. The specialist said that I definitely needed to be on something but I would have to talk to my primary care provider. We started a plan which I followed. Sometimes I didn’t need them so I skipped doses. My pain was getting worse as years went on.
Then after 20-plus years he took them away. He didn’t taper me off, he let me run out! I went through hell and he didn’t call me one time to see if I was okay. I refuse to go back to him just to have him walk in and grace me with his presence and charge me for absolutely nothing!!! I have no quality of life now. My pain is a drop in the hat compared to my elderly parents. That story is worse than mine. I have been diagnosed with so many different things but the doctors just look at you like I found out what’s going on now deal with it!😳🥴 So to the CDC, DEA AND COWARD HEARTLESS DOCTORS, A BIG F U!!! God bless all of you who suffer in pain with every breath for the rest of what is left of our lives.🙏
Denied opioid pain treatment? American Medical Association AMA wants your stories!
Video channel from Dr. Thomas Kline, MD, PhD: Medical Myths Revealed https://youtube.com/watch?v=iGjKHrD1OW0
We should be able to continue medications that work for patients and maintain their quality of life without insurance coming in and denying coverage and forcing weaning. We can decide which patients are safely managed just fine. They create a headache for patients and providers with zero justification.
Pain Provider in Colorado
I am a nurse in long term healthcare/rehab and am appalled that we take any pain control from any of my patients with chronic pain. Age is progressive, so is chronic pain. A 90 year old should not have to suffer from pain because of addicts who will continue to get their drugs by other means. My patients who are in therapy are unable to reach their full potential because of inadequate pain control. I’ve worked in this field for over 30 years, and when trying to be an advocate for my patients (which is my job) I get turned away because the medical staff is afraid of trouble because of these guidelines. I have to get medications renewed every 14 days, even for my hospice patients.
To me, the patients in facility are in a controlled environment, narcotics are locked up and only given by licensed staff. Chronic pain just doesn’t resolve in two weeks. End of life care doesn’t resolve in two weeks. I hate these ‘rules’ that are in place. I feel that my patients that are discharged home have a better chance getting their medicine off the street corner than from their doctor, who will refer them to a pain clinic (more time without pain control) who will give them ineffective pain control until they figure out that they needed the actual narcotic they were prescribed by the hospital prior to admission to my facility.
It’s very very frustrating trying to help my patients, sometimes I feel the doctors are encouraging me to make my 90 year old an addict, which is absurd. I hate seeing them crying in pain and barely able to move.
Physicians should be able to treat their patients without worrying about the CDC or DEA watching over them. While there may be a few “bad” operators, they are few and far between. As a result of the CDC guidelines, physicians now decrease or stop a patient’s pain medication, often citing the possibility of addiction. While some patients may abuse pain meds – MOST DO NOT. For years I faithfully took the meds my prior physician prescribed, and my pharmacy filled without any issues; I also saw my physician every three months. Upon relocating, a new physician immediately decreased my meds to almost nothing without explanation even though she had my records, prescription information, etc. As a result I suffer from chronic pain daily, have little to no quality of life and more negative results.
I applaud physicians who treat pain patients appropriately and are not biased or cower to CDC and others who fail to stand up for their chronic pain patients. We do not need to create another sub-class of providers. Insurance companies need to fill scripts as written and stop refusing to fill legal scripts.
What can we do to stop the CDC and the government for making our doctors hurt us by taking away our pain meds. I have chronic back pain generation herniated bulging a broken shattered hip and a broken femur, and they just keep knocking mine down. I went from six today to four days this sucks can hardly do anything quality life is nothing.
As an Advanced Practice Nurse board certified in Pain Management, I understand why opioids are needed. I do feel that patients must also share in the decisions and treatment plan. Safety is always my concern. I want to do NO harm. I am extremely busy and try hard to give my patients the time they need. There are risks associated with taking opioids and I feel very strongly that patients should be aware and educated. As far as CDC guidelines – I do use them but only as a guide. It’s a daily battle for me – always worried the state will bother me yet struggling to keep patients safe and treated with dignity.
I had a stroke more than 10 years ago. When I came out of the hospital and recovery I had been in there for 6 weeks maybe longer, and was given hydrocodone for my pain, while I was still in a coma. I continue to use it because it helped with the heart palpitations and helps keep my blood pressure in check.
So now they are taking me off of pain tabs. It was with the understanding of getting a pain pump to do the same as the pain tabs have done.
This pain pump has turned out to be worthless.
To be honest I want to die I feel useless. I am not a suicidal type person – I don’t have to be. I have a pacemaker that no longer helps my heart palpitations – my heart palpitations are off the charts. My blood pressure cannot be controlled.
Because of those two things that are not reliable on controlling my pain. For these reasons I should unplug my pacemaker machine, and stop all medications for blood pressure. The main reason for doing this is I would rather be dead than live this way, and the reason I am making a comment is am I a good poster child for the criminal and inhumane treatment of pain sufferers. Would I make a better poster child to bring attention to the fact that thousands that are not drug addicts but need pain medication to control their pain are being denied their human right. Am I a better poster child for this injustice dead or alive?
I’m a caregiver of patients living with painful conditions. One patient has been taking opioid medication for the past 20 years without any issues. In recent years doctors caring for my patient have been visited by the DEA. The DEA concluded all records of the patient’s medical history were in order and use of the amount of medication prescribed was justified. However, when the patient needed to establish new care many doctors would say prescribing opioid medication beyond the CDC guidelines would cause them to fear DEA scrutiny, and other doctors were only offering patients Buprenorphine addiction treatment and spinal injections at their practices. It has become very difficult for patients to receive proper care for their illnesses with these CDC guidelines being applied to chronic and intractable pain patients. The unnecessary suffering this is causing is inhumane and it needs to be to stopped.
I am a healthcare provider that has been targeted by the state for prescribing pain meds as part of the armamentarium for chronic intractable pain care and control. It used to be standard of care, but the politics of the matter has changed all that. Now I am facing the dilemma – should I follow the law of God for compassion towards humanity or the law of man that is tainted with misinformation? The government has all the resources at their disposal to bring up anything that can go against the doctor’s oath and obligation to his patients in this era of government outreach towards doctors. To defend one’s standing, he or she may find the situation to be an exercise of futility. So I follow the path of righteousness, so help me God.
What is between a doctor and a patient is none of the government’s business! DEA should have NO right to go into a doctor’s office and demand someone’s records!!! I have worked in both health care and in law enforcement. I am a person who is currently on no meds due to guidelines!! I have never abused meds and never popped hot on a test. I always tried everything natural before I would talk to my doctor about other options. I did absolutely everything that my doctor of 20 years told me to do. I took every test that he ordered! (I bet my insurance loved him!) I have been to a specialist in addition. The specialist said that I definitely needed to be on something but I would have to talk to my primary care provider. We started a plan which I followed. Sometimes I didn’t need them so I skipped doses. My pain was getting worse as years went on.
Then after 20-plus years he took them away. He didn’t taper me off, he let me run out! I went through hell and he didn’t call me one time to see if I was okay. I refuse to go back to him just to have him walk in and grace me with his presence and charge me for absolutely nothing!!! I have no quality of life now. My pain is a drop in the hat compared to my elderly parents. That story is worse than mine. I have been diagnosed with so many different things but the doctors just look at you like I found out what’s going on now deal with it!😳🥴 So to the CDC, DEA AND COWARD HEARTLESS DOCTORS, A BIG F U!!! God bless all of you who suffer in pain with every breath for the rest of what is left of our lives.🙏
Denied opioid pain treatment? American Medical Association AMA wants your stories!
Video channel from Dr. Thomas Kline, MD, PhD: Medical Myths Revealed
https://youtube.com/watch?v=iGjKHrD1OW0