Methadone, Saving millions but costing lives

[Terry]

Our local paper did a nicely researched article on the pain killer methadone. I found it very interesting, mainly because after my surgery in 2010, I was in a lot of pain, pain that I couldn't get away from and with very little help from the hospital staff that had sent me home in pain, and then told me that according to new laws, could only give me "so much". I've always been very healthy, so this whole pain thing was new to me. Oh, I didn't mind working construction and back packing, which is sort of like a little pain, or at least some discomfort, but pain that wouldn't let up was new to me.
The State of Washington has a challenge of keeping the safety of prescription pain killers available, and also putting in the checks into the system to prevent abuse and deaths. Either way you cut it, not easy. And again, like all health care options, the more money you have, or the better insurance you have, the better. It's not a good thing to be poor in American when you have pain.
The article has a nice map showing deaths from methadone; so many dots in areas with less income.
My problem in 2010 was the lack of painkillers, they just wouldn't let me have enough. But in some cases, the problem isn't that you can't get it, but that it stockpiles itself and then accidentally OD's you. The more expensive pain killers don't have that scary affect like the inexpensive methadone has. Imagine feeling like you are just getting by, but surviving and even holding down a job, waiting for the body to heal and be off of the regimen of pain reduction. And then, nothing. The pill that's keeping you going, decides it's going to punch you out. A few bucks saved, but not your life. I had insurance for my needs, and not in the long term pain that some people are in. I recovered after three months. And after the recovery was able to start doing the things I like without any medications. But man, I was sure done with it. When someone talks to me about their pain, I get it. It takes a toll on a person. I'm glad mine was for a short enough amount of time, that I could have the luxury of understanding it, but not have it as my daily function anymore. Being able to live without the pills and the scheduling of them is great. But I also get what that whole thing is, looking at the clock to see when it was going to be okay to take the next one, knowing what I had was going to have to last a few weeks at a time. So after reading the Times article, I was wondering how much it would cost per person if we could switch them to a safer pain medication. Is their life worth something to the rest of us? We provide public drinking water that we all participate in, and public sewer systems. We provide training and licensing for our food and drinking water, making sure we can safely eat. Why don't we have safety for those that become injured or sick in some way. Are those that can't afford better expendable.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm..._silent11.html

Assign a dot to each person who has died in Washington by accidentally overdosing on methadone, a commonly prescribed drug used to treat chronic pain. Since 2003, there are 2,173 of these dots. That alone is striking, a graphic illustration of an ongoing epidemic.

[Cookie]

I am sorry to hear about all that pain, it makes life hard. Different pain meds for different types of pain. Myself, I am allergic to certain types of meds. Alot I can't take because my stomach will hurt worse than the pain I am taking it for, and one I can't take because it hurts my chest and it becomes difficult to breathe. But, what did work for me, was Tramadol. I would take 1, sometimes, rarely, 2 a day, and, the pain from the aftermath of shingles was gone. I was on it for 2 years. Then, they had to stop the prescription due to health laws. Here, I am now, eating Tylenol which will kill my liver in time, but, I guess I won't be a drug addict. This to me, just doesn't make any sense. My insurance covered it, all but, 8 bucks a prescription. And, every time, I swear I buy a new bottle of Tylenol, I hear a recall on it, due to something, that shouldn't be in it. lol. Now, a recall on, Excedrin, Ndoz, and Bufferin.

...and, I know of a girl who has been weaning from H, for years now, she goes weekly for her Methodone, at no cost to her. I suffer from the aftermath from shingles, and, I got to take Tylenol. lol. I don't get it.