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Welcome

I've been looking for some other CP/IP (Chronic/Intractable Pain) patients who would like to contribute to this site, whether one time, sporadic, or regularly. If anyone is interested, please email me at IntractablePainKills@gmail.com

I'm also open to any suggestions about improving the blog.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANY POST, PLEASE CLICK ON THE TITLE TO LOAD THE INDIVIDUAL POST.


DUE TO A GLITCH IN BLOGGER, MY POSTS DO NOT ALWAYS POST IN ORDER BECAUSE THEY POST USING THE TIME THAT I STARTED THE INITIAL DRAFT. I DO MY BEST TO CORRECT THIS WHENEVER POSSIBLE, HOWEVER SOME SLIP BY, SO PLEASE REMEMBER TO READ THE TITLES OF MORE THAN JUST THE MOST RECENT POST IF YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Promising Results for New Trigeminal Neuralgia Drug - National Pain Report

Promising Results for New Trigeminal Neuralgia Drug - National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/1uzi9kP

This is a novel compound, not a patent extension or reformulation. It's another sodium channel blocker, but it is being specifically developed for Trigeminal Neuralgia. I doubt this will be a game changer, but I do believe that having another treatment option has the potential to help many people.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Updated "About Me"

If anyone is interested, I've updated the "About Me" section


-----Updated Text-----
I apologize for not updating this part of my site for a while, but I've been fighting with the incompetent, ignorant, rude imbeciles who run CYS (Children & Youth Services) for over six months concerning my wife's and my need for prescription opioids. I've been told that they've never gone after people as hard as they've been going after us, that includes heroin addicts and crack whores. They routinely lie on court paperwork, leak confidential records, commit perjury, and they're constantly change their story & accusations. We've had to prove that we are ill enough to require opioids, but not too ill that we can't care for our daughter. Thankfully, our family doctor has not abandoned us. He knows how much these medications help us and he knows that our daughter is well taken care of. Thankfully, my state has never had a law allowing children to be taken from disabled parents and there are federal laws (i.e. Americans with Disabilities Act) that protect us, slightly. Unfortunately, we still have to prove that our medical conditions don't prevent us from caring for our daughter. Aside from our doctor, we have our almost useless lawyer who can't schedule a meeting, and a great subcontracted (not a CYS employee) parent educator who isn't afraid to tell the truth, even if it isn't popular and even if it contradicts her conclusions. We've also been complying with their ridiculous WEEKLY urine drug testing (costs taxpayers $100/test per person). I really wish that they'd switch to saliva testing, or better yet hair testing, which covers the last 3 months (more, if you're willing to pay for it) instead of the 2-3 days that UDT (urine drug testing) covers. I did the math once and found out that you could buy a VERY nice car with the money that they've spent harrassing us and violating our rights. Privacy is a thing of the past.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Pills for Breakfast: Five Things I Wish I Knew Sooner About Chronic Pain - NPR

Pills for Breakfast: Five Things I Wish I Knew Sooner About Chronic Pain- National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/1uVOIve

I'm sure we all have many things we'd line to add (feel free to list them in the comments below), but this it's a great article.

Steve

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

OT - FDA Approves New Opioid Addiction Treatment

FDA Approves New Opioid Addiction Treatment - National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/1oQMbPd

This isn't a new drug, just a new formulation of buprenorphine, but it's worth noting anyway.

Some of you may be wondering why I'm paying about an addiction treatment and it's a valid question. As pain patients, we are constantly grouped with addicts and we need to stay informed. Also, some PMs have prescribed Suboxone for pain, which is stupid because buprenorphine only treats pain with doses below 0.3mg/300mcg per day (Butrans is the only buprenorphine product capable of treating pain). The reason why doses above 2mg don't work for pain is that buprenorphine is a partial mu-opioid agonist (it acts like naloxone/Narcan and naltrexone at high doses and blocks opioids).

If we don't know the names of these addiction treatments, PMs can lie to to us.

SUBOXONE, BUNAVAIL, BUPRENEX, SUBUTEX, ZUBSOLV, AND ALL GENERIC BUPRENORPHINE PRODUCTS ARE FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT ONLY, DO NOT TAKE THEM FOR PAIN. Buprenorphine pills aren't for pain, only buprenorphine patches treat pain.

Steve

Sunday, June 8, 2014

DEA official blames pharmacists, doctors for pain-med denials | Drug Topics

DEA official blames pharmacists, doctors for pain-med denials | Drug Topics
http://bit.ly/1kaNunT

GW Pharmaceuticals cannabinoid for cancer pain likely to have encouraging US market penetration, abuse possibility uncertain – experts

GW Pharmaceuticals cannabinoid for cancer pain likely to have encouraging US market penetration, abuse possibility uncertain – experts
http://ctcaho.pe/1lfsPUe

Although approval is limited to cancer related pain, Sativex should be made widely available due to a relatively low abuse potential for patients who don't get enough relief from opioids alone.

As a Marinol/dronabinol user, I'm excited about the possibility of a cannabinoid product without the intense high and unpredictable absorption of oral THC (Marinol). I can also verify the article's assertion that cannabinoids alone are inferior to cannabinoids added to to opioids.

I'm not sure if I'm the only one, but I'm extremely excited for this new, non-opioid (& opioid boosting) pain medication. I also find reports like this one reassuring, and a little exciting (I'm sure it's no big deal for patients in medical cannabis states, but it's important for those of us in Republican hell states, we have no cannabis, no Medicaid expansion, and we're desperate for a decent cannabinoid (oral dronabinol is terrible & the Marinol inhaler is stuck in clinical trials)).

Steve

Friday, June 6, 2014

Generic Celebrex Approved by FDA - National Pain Report

Generic Celebrex (celecoxib) Approved by FDA- National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/UhqsXD

While the prices will drop a little once these are available, the real price drop will occur in about six months, when multiple generics become available for each strength (Teva has exclusivity on 100mg, 200mg, & 400mg celecoxib & Mylan has exclusive marketing rights for 50mg celecoxib).

Of course, for insured patients, generics typically have a set generic copay and the only price drop they'll see is in their copay.

For uninsured patients, multiple generic manufacturers are a necessity because they have no price insulation.

Don't forget to ALWAYS use an Rx discount card for any prescription not covered by your insurance (if you have any).

Also, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance can help you find programs that offer free & discount drugs (my wife gets 30 Duragesic per month for $0.00, courtesy of Johnson & Johnson (owner of Janssen) thanks to PPARx.
http://pparx.org

10% effective, 7.7 billion dollars (Fibromyalgia Blockbuster Drugs)

Fibromyalgia Drugs: Successes or Failures? - National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/1gRHsrI

Thursday, June 5, 2014

My Story: The Dark Side of the Anti-Opioid Campaign - National Pain Report

My Story: The Dark Side of the Anti-Opioid Campaign - National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/1unVrhi

This article, and the comments, really say it all. The anti-opioid propagandists are doing nothing to fight drug addiction, but their restrictions are destroying HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of lives. Even the lucky few who have prescriptions are afraid to sneeze wrong or risk being cold turkeyed.

Summer Break

I haven't been paying much lately because my wife and I have had ridiculously busy weeks topped off with our daughter's kindergarten graduation yesterday (Tuesday). Her last day of school is tomorrow (or, rather, today... Thursday) and it's a half day (they get out at 10:45am).

While I'm extremely excited for her schedule to open up so that we can do more fun stuff (summer reading program, zoo trips, beach, museums, etcetera), I'm also worried about returning to chasing after her all day and all of the other things that go along with being a parent with chronic pain.

I've made rules for myself to prevent the typical cycle of over exertion & paying for that over exertion. I don't have them all written down, but they include (in no particular order):
1) TAKE BREAKS
2) "No" isn't a dirty word
3) Neither is "later"
4) kids don't need you to literally chase after them, just keep them within your eyesight when outside your home
5) Play dates are your friends (when you watch other people's kids, they really entertain your kid and you get free time when their parents return the favor)
6) don't afraid to ask for help
7) Kids will test you anytime things change, enforce discipline in June so July & August are smooth sailing
8) Don't forget your pain medication & don't skip doses, keeping your pain under control makes you a better parent
9) when you need a break, ask/tell your kid(s) to
10) DON'T BE SO JUDGEMENTAL/HARD ON YOURSELF
11) make time for yourself
12) make time for you & your significant other

Steve

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Acetaminophen, Opioids, and Safety

Acetaminophen, Opioids, and Safety- Medscape
http://bit.ly/SpUhUq

It sickens me that hydrocodone/APAP 5/500 is still available. No one should have to cost between talking enough hydrocodone & not damaging their liver with acetaminophen/paracetamol/Tylenol (APAP). 500mg APAP gas not been shown to be superior to the safer 325mg APAP. Of course, they never added the acetaminophen for pain relief, it us there to prevent people from taking more hydrocodone that prescribed (doesn't work), which is why hydrocodone is CII, but hydrocodone/APAP is CIII (less restrictive).

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Opinion: Bill Would (Have) Force(d) Drug Makers to Make Painkillers Tamper Resistant

Bill Would Force Drug Makers to Make Painkillers Tamper Resistant- National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/1kYSnVB

I know that this story is about two years old, but there is talk of reviving this bill in light of the Zohydro (non-tamper-resistant hydrocodone ER).

There are several problems with tamper-resistant opioids:
1) tamper-resistant opioids don't always work as well (or at all)- they're tested on healthy people who have an easier time absorbing them (the healthy people have to absorb them within a 30% tolerance)
2) they don't stop people from abusing them, but it does weaken the "high", which causes them to go to diacetylmorphine/diamorphine/heroin
3) they increase pharmacy prices, which makes it harder for pain patients to afford their medications
3b) increased pharmacy prices lead to increased street prices, which causes addicts (& sometimes even pain patients) to switch to heroin
3c) street heroin has unknown potency, unknown impurities, & poor oral absorption causing people to resort to intravenous injections

The ONLY way to reduce the harm caused by drug addiction is to switch from the law enforcement model to a treatment based model and to LEGALIZE ALL DRUGS (private prisons and the DEA would lose money, so they spend a small fortune fighting this). Legalization (& the drop in prices that this would cause) would eliminate the violence, crime, and disease (people inject heroin because it HA poor oral absorption & injecting is cheaper- same high from less drug; legal drugs also lack the dangerous impurities found in street heroin).

Rat Park

Rat Park Comic
Please check out the comic version of the Rat Park experiment, which shows that opioids are not the addictive demons that we've been told that they are.
Be sure to check out the "Links/Articles" page on there right for more great resources, such as the Intractable Pain Patients' Handbook for Survival.

Steve
IntractablePainKills@gmail.com