Chug-along-chica!

Don't know how far I'll go into this discussion- but your post did bring to mind a friend of mine who worked his butt off to become a very accomplished MD- only to lose his license and career to prescrition drug addiction. He had other docs writing bogus prescriptions for him. This is a good LDS guy we're talking about. Its a big problem. There needs to be better education for the Dr. prescribing and the population- its like any other addictive habit- takes counseling to break it in my opinion... (Lybi thanks for keeping the blog so lively!)

I know people addicted to both perscription and illeagal drugs, I love them all. I think they are both the same, although one is prescribed by a doctor and one is self inflicted, but both of them you make a decision to put them into your body and continue to abuse. I also think it is very sad that people abuse drugs epecially when they are loved one (it actually breaks my heart)

I do think doctors should be held accountable for writing so many scrips that lead to addictions because most of them are not lagitament. I know many people who go into doctors and say they have a back ache and get a script for oxycottin. They either abuse it or sell it on the street. Very sad.

I have lived with alot of back pain, sometimes for months, as well as headaches and thought to myself I wish I could just take something to make it all go away. But I don't because I don't want to have that demon in my life.

In life nobody is perfect and we all battle with something. I just hope we can stand by the people we love and help them out with what ever demon they are battling with at the time.

Lybi-

This would be a very good topic on the discussion board. I don't normally read everybody's posts, but I thought I would browse through them quickly today and this caught my eye.

Anyway, there are 2 problems here in my opinion:

1) Doctors who freely prescribe drug medication because it's easier to treat the symptoms of an issue rather than the cause. I have a good friend that is a doctor and he's always complaining about other doctors that hand out antibiotics like candy and so forth. What they don't do is explain to the patient that their ear infection will go away 70% of the time on its own without the antibiotics, and the antibiotics are only an additional 15% effective. So the smart decision would be a wait-and-see approach, only giving the patient antibiotics for the given ear infection if necessary.

2) Patients who come in and expect a prescription from the doctor, even if that's not the proper diagnosis. My friend was telling me the other day about a lady that came in and complained that it was "a waste of [her] co-pay" when the doctor didn't give her a prescription. I'm sorry, but you aren't paying for a prescription when you go to the doctor. You are paying for professional consultation. I would be greatful if the doctor explained to me that Ritalin may have some good short-term effects, but it is not a long-term solution, especially if the long-term solution does not involve medication that has its own set of side effects.

My take on that is that there is a bigger problem - the mentality of comfort, shortcut, quick fix, and instant gratification with no thought of consequences.

Ya, there is a difference between medicine that actually fixes a problem (like anitbiotics--though I agree they are over-prescribed) and a medicine that only masks symptoms (like painkillers and...hmmm I wonder if ritalin would fit in this category). Painkillers in general I just really don't like. Here's where it gets dicey...

I see people on this blog recommending ibuprophen all the time for minor injuries. Yes, ibuprophen can reduce inflamation, but it does so in a very annoying way! I had a really bad back spasm once, and was put on muscle relaxers and ibu. But the Dr. told me that I would not reap ANY of the anti-inflamatory properties of the ibuprophen unless I took 800 mg 3-4 times a day for AT LEAST a week. It has to build up in your system for that long to even START to work. But it does work as a strong pain killer from the very 1st pill. So this is what happens...Runner starts to get injured, runner takes ibuprophen, runner keeps running because they think the inflamation has gone down, but actually they just can't feel the pain anymore, and they are actually increasing their injury.

Pain is instructive! It tells us when we need to stop. It is impossible to "listen to your body" when you have "earplugs" like ibuprophen going on.

And by the way, being on ibu. long enough to have it build up in your system is REALLY hard on the kidneys and liver. That is not going to help your running! One thing I always remember Sasha telling me from the 1st time I met him is that your liver is where your body stores extra glycogen, so you need a really healthy liver if you want to do well in the last 6 miles of a marathon.

There is always a bigger problem when it comes to substance abuse whether it be a mental problem, pain, or looking for a quick fix. I agree people want the easy way out. It is kind of like the food issue, people what something to comfort them.

The real scarey thing about the pescription drug thing is our teenager and the pill parties they have, now with this issue I definatally agree there is no thought on consequesces. Taking a handful of pills mixed together that they have no idea is a deadly mix, now that is scarey!

Very true about the IB. I had a client who took IB daily for pain and inflamation for a long time (many years). She eventually ruined the lining of her stomach and ended up in the emergancy room thinking she was having a heart attack or something. Now she can't use anything with IB in it. Fish oils is a great natural anti-inflamitory;)

I take fish oil everyday! Yea! Omega 3 fatty acids are my favorite nutrients. I started taking them after I took that nutrition class in college. I learned so much in that class! Everyone in America should be REQUIRED to take a nutrition class in high school or something.

So, are you going to put this on the discussion forum :) I think you would get more comments that way, although you may already be the second-most popular blogger, behind only Sasha!

Let me weigh in on the Ibuprofen discussion. Ibuprophen has more than a pain killer effect. It brings down inflammation which is often a cause of the pain. I disagree that it takes 800 mg to have effect. One or two helps me greatly in that once in a while that I get a back spasm. I agree with the other stuff about antibiotics and so do most good doctors.

Sorry..this may be off the topic sort of but I just remember the look this pharmacist gave me when I was giving a prescription filled for some narcotics while I was 9 months pregnant. He had to make sure I knew not to take them pregnant...he was paying attention...yay!! I had the prescription filled for after my labor. I believe in painkiller free labor but after the baby was out I wanted something strong to deal with the afterpains. Boy...did it work but as soon as I could I threw the rest out...it's actually a street drug (pergostet)...don't know the street name..but it was good strong stuff. Don't think I'll use it again..a little too strong...

Sad story though about pharmacists not paying attention. A lady in my ward got a prescription filled at Walgreens. She was supposed to get Penicillin for a severe infection she had. She was pregnant but miscarried when they gave her the wrong antibiotic. The label said penicillin but they put a kind in there that can't be taken by pregnant women(don't rememberr the name..sorry).

Whoa! I should have mentioned that one exception to the "no-painkiller" thing is labor. I have a strong testimony *sniff* of epidurals. I have tried it both ways--much better when I am not screaming at the top of my lungs and swearing like a sailor. But after labor I try get off the pain meds as soon as I can stand it.

Interesting topic I am one to get Migraines and I have a prescription for medicine and thank god for them . They tend to scare Kory bad enough that he will ask me if I need to go to the emergency room and yes sometimes that has happened. Although not for every Migraine I have had, I have not taken drugs for I have also gone to the Chiropractor and had acupuncture in the hand and head and sometimes it works,(not always)the Chiropractor I go to believes in natural remedies these don't always work either especially when you feel like your head is going to explode.

OOOOh Lybi, I have so many comments to make, but a brain cramp. Not sure I should comment at all, but here goes!

First off, this is from a nursing perspective, im not an expert in anything. Painkillers are an extremely tough subject. In medicine, pain is defined by the patient. Pain being a subjective experience, and medicine trying to be as humane as possible, it leaves a huge gap in ethics. Ethically, a person- possibly an addict- who comes into an ER with "severe pain" will not be turned away without some sort of treatment. It is always possible that that person is indeed suffering from severe pain.

Also, studies have shown that when a person is suffering from pain, healing times are significantly slower.(Well,except for in the case of fractures or bone traumas where painkillers may increase healing time.) Thus pain relief is important- but I agree that painkillers are not the only solution to pain relief- other methods should be tried and used first- ice/heat, massage, imagery, rest etc. There are many excellent alternatives to heavy painkillers. The trick is knowing when to use what and in what doseage. It is the age old trouble of moderation and balance.

As for antibiotics, I totally agree, they are of a huge benefit to us humans, but are overprescribed. I am tempted to lay a lot of blame on the commericialization of "pills." Not that I am against an informed and intelligent consumer, it is the fact that many people look to pills as a cure all and go to the doctor to get the cure all they saw on TV. Doctors do feel a significant pressure from the patient to prescribe, if they refuse, the person will find a doctor who will prescribe. Not that that makes it okay to hand out the Rx. It definitely is a huge dilemna facing the medical community as well as us as a nation. If we want to be smart enough to manage our own health, we need to invest the time and effort to become educated, educate others and be smart. Its kind of along the same lines as the overeating,smoking etc, everyone has their own will to manage their own bodies and who's responsibility/right is it to make them treat their bodies well?

Those in the medical field have a huge responsibility to care for, educate and guide their patrons, but as things become more consumer driven, we need to take responsibility for our health as well. Unforunately, mistakes happen, and unfortunately the trade of doctors is in human health and life. I am grateful for all that is available to me and try not to lay too much blame at the feet of those trying to do some good. (not that all doctors are!) I do commend you for being smart and making strong choices for your family and kids and knowing your options for pain relief and health. But, unfortunately, ethically, we cant make those same great decisions for everyone else.

Okay, Im so sorry, I know I am long winded. I also wanted to say that Drugs are drugs are drugs. They are chemical compounds that have a certain effect on the body. They are given for that effect and in almost all cases, there are side effects and adverse reactions that come with the wanted effect. There is no wonder drug that is perfect for anything. The point and use of the "drug" is for when the side effects and the adverse reactions are outweighed by the benefits the drug offers. I have had several people very close to me who have suffered from debilitating back pain that have safely, effectively and successfully used pain killers until a more long term solution was reached. They knew the risk of addiction and were able to- in conjunction with their prescribers, avoid becoming addicted.

As for Ibu, it does decrease inflammation. It is proven effective, it decreases pain and inflammation while the body works to repair itself. You are definitely right, pain is a warning signal, but is it possible to get the message and then do something about it? Im not convinced the Ibu just masks the problem. I believe that it helps solve the problem of the pain in cases of inflamation. Hearing the pain signal, then acting apropriately to repair the damage does not exclude using pain killers to help keep your sanity while you recover. It is a problem if you hear the signal and then tune it out with pain killers whilst doing nothing to heal. Okay, I quit, Im done. I have to go get my run in! Ahh! :)

Wow Bethany! Now I have a headache from all that reading. Where's that ibuprophen!? JK

Excellent point. There are many many wonderful doctors and many many people who use pain medications responsibly.

Patients do need to take responsibility for what they ingest, too. Lots of times if I take my kiddos to the Dr. I come home with several RXs, but I just hang on to them in case the kiddo does not start getting better in short order. Usually I don't fill them.

You know one crazy thing I've seen about medications is that they multiply into a mountain of pills. For example, this chica over here may take medicine to reduce her blood pressure, but then it causes her to have trouble sleeping, so then she gets a RX for sleeping pills, but then her kidneys start to struggle and they put her on a diuretic etc etc. I'm not sure if that's a viable example, but you know what I mean. I've seen this happen a lot and it really makes me wonder if the poor chica would not be better off going natural for a while.

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If we get too many, we would have to change the posting rules. Only verified users will be allowed to post. I am thinking of doing that anyway - the blog is getting bigger.