Doctors who are cutting back on prescribing opioids increasingly are opting for gabapentin, a safer, non-narcotic drug recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By doing so, they may be putting their opioid-using patients at even greater risk.
Recently, gabapentin has started showing up in a substantial number of overdose deaths in hard-hit Appalachian states. The neuropathic (nerve-related) pain reliever was involved in more than a third of Kentucky overdose deaths last year.
Drug users say gabapentin pills, known as “johnnies” or “gabbies,” which often sell for less than a dollar each, enhance the euphoric effects of heroin and when taken alone in high doses can produce a marijuana-like high.
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11 comments:
Gabapentin doesn't work for me for my nerve damage or pain. Sad truth is for people with chronic paid its getting harder and harder to find relief. Im at the point of thinking Marijuana for my pain relief. Anyone have advice if this is a good alternative.
Trying to fight the drug problem with more drugs , what a good idea , NOT!
The worst that you can do is give cannabis a try.
I've taken just about every drug out there for pain, narcotic and non-narcotic. Crap like gabby doesn't do crap for me and it's laughable to me when I see the different "unsafe" drugs they describe to an unknowing public.
these jerks can't control the flow of illegal drugs so they go after the legal ones people actually need for pain all the while decrying an epidemic, which I think is BS, to begin with.
Number of overdose deaths related to marijuana- 0.
Agree. There is no “Opioid Epidemic”, there is an abuse of opioid medication by junkies. Taking the medication away from people who need it is targeting the wrong part of the issue.
Thats ignorance talking.
The local pain doctor was more concerned about himself than my father and wanted him to take 14 - FOURTEEN - Gabby's a day. I think his goal was to poison him to death and out of pain.
Fortunately his primary care doctor had my fathers best interests in mind and went a different route. He is in his 80's so we more concerned about killing the pain than the addiction.
I have a friend that weened himself off all narcotics with pot to kill the back pain. He smokes. I would rather eat it if I had the choice
I hate to think should I/anyone need another operation,
just what pain will have to be endures because Doctors
will be afraid to prescribe the needed dosage to
get you through the pain!
I've had several operations and believe me i still
had pain , even with narcotics. This last surgery,
the Dr. wouldn't prescribe but so much and it wasn't
enough. I should have been able to have more relief for
at least another week.
I think this whole uproar about prescription drugs
is being blown out of proportion . Most Doctors know
what and how much to prescribe.
God help the person who can't get surgery for what
ever reason to relieve pain and relys on pain
pills only. Of course the dosage will need to be
increased as the body gets use to each level . This needs to be looked at in a different perspective or people
are going to be made to suffer-------Needlessly!
entirely different way .
May 11, 2018 at 5:00 PM
I agree. I have had four operations on my back and one on my neck. The only one that helped was my neck operation, it stopped me from falling. I wish I never had the first back operation, but I was in so much pain I would have tried anything, and did.
They don't tell you that when you have one operation you will need another since the first one puts more stress and pressure on the joints above and below the one they operated on and makes them go bad. Also, they lie about the success rate. They might tell you it's 60% or more when it is actually 40%. And if something goes wrong they will probably try to blame something you did to make it go bad.
I would urge anyone to NOT have a back operation or at least the very last option and you cannot stand the pain any longer.
Except for one doctor in Dayton-Jones office, most are willing to help you. I have had some nurses look like Nazi death camp guards when they walk into a room and you want pain meds. They think one way, you are a pill-seeking junkie, with no pain and only want to get high. A second class citizen.
Nobody has any idea of the pain we have to endure unless they live it themselves. I sometimes wish I could transfer my pain to some of these people so they would have an idea of how much it hurts and educate them. They have no clue.
My next step will probably be medical marijuana. But I am sure I will have to give up pain management if I do. Then, if pot doesn't work I will have nothing.
I really wish these "health professionals" would listen to their patients. Contrary to what they may think, we really do know our bodies and what works and what doesn't work for us. But most times if you talk like you know the different names of drugs, and actually request the ones you have found to give you some relief, they automatically think you are a junkie since you know so much about the drugs.
But, if you say nothing, you have to endure what they think is appropriate and the correct dosage. (It isn't) You are forced to endure even more pain while they go through the learning curve.
Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
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