We listen to local radio first thing in the mornings and not all of it is wonderful content and we often tune out. But I must just comment on this morning's piece of journalism. Apparently a town to the south of us is the highest prescribing place in the UK for opiate based pain medicines ( as well as regularly featuring in reports of many other social problems).
As the article went on they interviewed some bloke who had weaned himself off strong pain killers after 10 years and they discussed his changed personality over several years. We got quite engaged. We listened to the regional health point of view about costs. We listened to a health expert who said opiate pain meds were no effective after several years of use. He described his good relationship with his GP who had called him in to discuss his pain medicine, his depression medicine and his sleeping pills.
The bloke spoke of his gradual reducing of the opiates. Starting from 10 pills A DAY! 10 lots of morphine a day???? Did we hear that right?? Good lord. No wonder he was zoned out. How did he get away with driving a car? Surely over the drug limit if stopped??
Hang on. Our GP surgery reluctantly gives us the minimum of our life supporting drugs and reviews and re tests us every 12 months. Never mind how "friendly" this bloke's GP was; they need to be sacked!! How could they let the man become an "accidental junkie"? Over prescribing has been an issue for years and this town is not exactly off the beaten track so how come this has been allowed to go on? As our county NHS organizers have been criticized for its mental health services, two failing hospitals and adult care is a mess, so I am going to take this reported failing as yet more proof of the systems breaking down.
Note to self. Stay healthy and stay away from hospitals etc!!
Great blog. Love Your content. Now in the USA you have to fill out a 5 page report to get a pain med when you really need one. Oh well life is getting interesting the older I get.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a bit much. There should be a happy medium way!
DeleteI think your note to yourself should read note to all.
ReplyDeleteI am also astonished at the number of people that I know who are on these sorts of meds and cannot understand why their doctors continue to prescribe them after so many years! These people function well and have successful careers - and had very legitimate reasons for starting on painkillers but I cannot help but wonder what kind of longterm effects they will experience.
ReplyDeleteI've had two bouts of surgery over the past few years and both times was handed a prescription for 60 oxycontin pills! I must have a high pain tolerance as I only took about 10 pills over an 8 week recovery with the first surgery and only used 4 for the second one. I handed the remaining pills back into the pharmacy for disposal. I realize that many people genuinely need them but I can't help but wonder if smaller doses would suffice in most cases and as there is always at least 1 or 2 follow up appointments after surgery perhaps smaller doses could be prescribed to start with and then more closely monitored.
I am the same. Just take enough. Nagging pain can be very debilitating though.
DeleteThe doctors here in my province are strictly supervised for the amount of pain killers they prescribe. I know of 4 doctors that over prescribed who for the next few months can not had out pain killers to their patients. I think it is happening more and more.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
That sounds encouraging as I thinks some do need supervision.
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