5 ms·

My wife was facing a burnout at the work. She was needlessly scared and suffered panic attacks. It is something I have gone through too and coped. But in her ca

by jaggi1 9y ago

My wife was facing a burnout at the work. She was needlessly scared and suffered panic attacks. It is something I have gone through too and coped. But in her case because I love her more than I love myself I decided to take her to a doctor who then refereed her to a psychologist who then prescribed her drugs which on quick research appeared to be his plan to keep her on those forever. My expectation was that the doctor would suggest her some mild drugs and ask to take up Yoga or some other hobbies and assure her that everything is in fact alright with her. He on other hand made a big deal out of whole thing. We decided to trash all the medicines and lived happily without any issues. My doctors have given me opioids so many times and I typically throw them out. Why take a substance like that if pain is bearable ?

Forge36 9y ago
To address your final question: patients are strongly pushed to take prescribed medications at the prescribed intervals. You decided your didn't need anything extra for your pain. That is good. Many people have difficulty toughing it out, maybe they had it worse. Perhaps some got an infection from their wisdom teeth removal (or they failed to follow directions and got dry socket leading to extreme pain). Given the prior doctor instructions (and perhaps not understanding why they are currently in pain) patients take their drugs at the maximum (or in some cases, above) the prescribed rate. This isn't too say your choice was wrong, but that many others aren't as fortunate to avoid addiction, add once they are: their choices can no longer be considered rational, but as those made by an addict in pain who had been told opioids will help.
- jaggi1 9y ago
  Also I wonder how many of those people rely on painkillers because they can not afford the better treatment alternatives.
microcolonel 9y ago
For some people it can be clinically dangerous to try to bear through pain.
- Clubber 9y ago
  Not only that, if someone has a leg injury and works doing roofs or tiles or is a plumber, it helps them get back to work faster. We have nearly zero safety net in the US.
  - Forge36 9y ago
    I focused on the accidental in my review of the cause, thank you for reminding me that for some, not working, and the threat of no income can push them to push them themselves with opioids to fall into the trap of addiction
SmellTheGlove 9y ago
This is probably where cannabis would help, but I don't think even most medical states include anxiety/mild depression on their list of conditions for referral. Very few allow for pain without very specific parameters. Nah, instead we'll hit people over the head with hard drugs. Forever.
- dx034 9y ago
  While Cannabis could help, what's wrong with Ibuprofen? It's the go-to drug for most doctors in Europe and used for the vast majority of patients with pain. Unless you had surgery or have been in an accident, pain is rarely that strong that you need opioids.
  - cjeane 9y ago
    Taking ibuprofen for your pain today is perfectly acceptable. Taking it everyday in an attempt to treat chronic pain is not. There are heart and liver disorders linked to long term ibuprofen use.
  - SmellTheGlove 9y ago
    Long term use of ibuprofen is linked with heart and liver issues, if I recall. I know I'm not citing a source here, just something I remember my wife telling me she read in a study, the best kind of evidence :) FWIW, I've found ibuprofen to be the absolute best for my post-surgical pain. The issue is that it's 600-800mg every 6 hours to remain effective, and that's pushing some limits on dosage. Doctors have always told me fine in the short term, but bad longer term. I know I'm saying this with a clear mind and pain free body right now, but I'm entirely unwilling to fill an opioid prescription in the future. The small amounts I've taken in the past for surgery were just too memorable - nothing should stick in your brain like that years after and be considered safe.
- martinald 9y ago
  But cannabis can also be highly addictive IMO and can definitely cause anxiety/panic attacks in some people (especially with too high a dose in an inexperienced user).
neandrake 9y ago
What are the long-term health insurance related issues if they find out you didn't follow the doctor's prescription?
- jaggi1 9y ago
  The wouldn't know as I got the medicines and trashed them. Also, if they are any smarter they should lower the premiums of people who did not such painkillers.
nraynaud 9y ago
I live in France and the approach here to pain relief is very gradual, I was in a hospital with severe headaches, the nurse came every time I rang her and gave me mild pain medicines (alternating sometimes because it didn't work). I am glad they didn't bring in the big guns, I am a bit worried about morphine and heroin stuff we read on the internet.
- dx034 9y ago
  In most European countries, opioid painkillers will only be administered in hospitals when pain is so strong that you can't fight it with Ibuprofen or Aspirin (e.g. after surgeries). I don't know a single person here in Europe who got a recipe for opioids by a GP or after leaving the hospital. That's not because pain is not treated but because doctors realise how dangerous opioids are.
  - martinald 9y ago
    In the most European countries co-codamol is OTC without a prescription. I think it's quite common to get co-codamol or dihydrocodeine from a GP in the UK. However, this is really weak in comparison to the high-dose oxy or hydrocodone that US doctors seem to prescribe.
    - dx034 9y ago
      CO-Codamol has a comparably low codeine content which would likely make it less addictive (only guessing, not a doctor). It's a prescription drug in the UK. Will probably depend on the doctor but the GPs I have seen in the UK have preferred Ibuprofen if it can treat the pain.
      - martinald 9y ago
        It's not a prescription drug. You can get up to 12mg/500mg OTC at a pharmacy. FWIW you can also get 8mg/500mg dihydrocodone without a prescription OTC in the UK.
    - koffiezet 9y ago

by jaggi1 9y ago

Forge36 9y ago

To address your final question: patients are strongly pushed to take prescribed medications at the prescribed intervals. You decided your didn't need anything extra for your pain. That is good. Many people have difficulty toughing it out, maybe they had it worse. Perhaps some got an infection from their wisdom teeth removal (or they failed to follow directions and got dry socket leading to extreme pain). Given the prior doctor instructions (and perhaps not understanding why they are currently in pain) patients take their drugs at the maximum (or in some cases, above) the prescribed rate. This isn't too say your choice was wrong, but that many others aren't as fortunate to avoid addiction, add once they are: their choices can no longer be considered rational, but as those made by an addict in pain who had been told opioids will help.

jaggi1 9y ago
Also I wonder how many of those people rely on painkillers because they can not afford the better treatment alternatives.

microcolonel 9y ago

For some people it can be clinically dangerous to try to bear through pain.

Clubber 9y ago
Not only that, if someone has a leg injury and works doing roofs or tiles or is a plumber, it helps them get back to work faster. We have nearly zero safety net in the US.
- Forge36 9y ago
  I focused on the accidental in my review of the cause, thank you for reminding me that for some, not working, and the threat of no income can push them to push them themselves with opioids to fall into the trap of addiction

SmellTheGlove 9y ago

This is probably where cannabis would help, but I don't think even most medical states include anxiety/mild depression on their list of conditions for referral. Very few allow for pain without very specific parameters. Nah, instead we'll hit people over the head with hard drugs. Forever.

dx034 9y ago
While Cannabis could help, what's wrong with Ibuprofen? It's the go-to drug for most doctors in Europe and used for the vast majority of patients with pain. Unless you had surgery or have been in an accident, pain is rarely that strong that you need opioids.
- cjeane 9y ago
  Taking ibuprofen for your pain today is perfectly acceptable. Taking it everyday in an attempt to treat chronic pain is not. There are heart and liver disorders linked to long term ibuprofen use.
- SmellTheGlove 9y ago
  Long term use of ibuprofen is linked with heart and liver issues, if I recall. I know I'm not citing a source here, just something I remember my wife telling me she read in a study, the best kind of evidence :) FWIW, I've found ibuprofen to be the absolute best for my post-surgical pain. The issue is that it's 600-800mg every 6 hours to remain effective, and that's pushing some limits on dosage. Doctors have always told me fine in the short term, but bad longer term. I know I'm saying this with a clear mind and pain free body right now, but I'm entirely unwilling to fill an opioid prescription in the future. The small amounts I've taken in the past for surgery were just too memorable - nothing should stick in your brain like that years after and be considered safe.
martinald 9y ago
But cannabis can also be highly addictive IMO and can definitely cause anxiety/panic attacks in some people (especially with too high a dose in an inexperienced user).

neandrake 9y ago

What are the long-term health insurance related issues if they find out you didn't follow the doctor's prescription?

jaggi1 9y ago
The wouldn't know as I got the medicines and trashed them. Also, if they are any smarter they should lower the premiums of people who did not such painkillers.

nraynaud 9y ago

I live in France and the approach here to pain relief is very gradual, I was in a hospital with severe headaches, the nurse came every time I rang her and gave me mild pain medicines (alternating sometimes because it didn't work). I am glad they didn't bring in the big guns, I am a bit worried about morphine and heroin stuff we read on the internet.

dx034 9y ago
In most European countries, opioid painkillers will only be administered in hospitals when pain is so strong that you can't fight it with Ibuprofen or Aspirin (e.g. after surgeries). I don't know a single person here in Europe who got a recipe for opioids by a GP or after leaving the hospital. That's not because pain is not treated but because doctors realise how dangerous opioids are.
- martinald 9y ago
  In the most European countries co-codamol is OTC without a prescription. I think it's quite common to get co-codamol or dihydrocodeine from a GP in the UK. However, this is really weak in comparison to the high-dose oxy or hydrocodone that US doctors seem to prescribe.
  - dx034 9y ago
    CO-Codamol has a comparably low codeine content which would likely make it less addictive (only guessing, not a doctor). It's a prescription drug in the UK. Will probably depend on the doctor but the GPs I have seen in the UK have preferred Ibuprofen if it can treat the pain.
    - martinald 9y ago
      It's not a prescription drug. You can get up to 12mg/500mg OTC at a pharmacy. FWIW you can also get 8mg/500mg dihydrocodone without a prescription OTC in the UK.
  - koffiezet 9y ago