Pain Patients Head for Washington, Demand Congressional Hearings 4/16/04

[Jim]

As a wave of investigations and prosecutions of doctors prescribing opioid pain relievers to chronic pain patients spreads across the land and professional medical organizations for the most part muster only a lackluster response, patients and doctors have begun to organize themselves to defend their right to adequate treatment of pain. One of those efforts flourished in Mississippi and Arkansas beginning with the formation of a chronic pain patients' movement in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 2001, and now pain patients' and doctors' groups based there are heading for Washington, DC. They are seeking acknowledgement of their pain, to rein in the DEA, and congressional hearings to address the entire topic of pain treatment and the war on drugs.

The National Pain Patients' Coalition (http://www.paincoalition.us), the American Pain Institute (http://www.americanpaininstitute.org) and the National Juneteenth Medical Commission (http://www.19thofjune.com), grassroots pain advocacy organizations all, are convoking a March on Washington and days of lobbying Congress, with actions in the nation's capital beginning Sunday and continuing through Wednesday. While the pain groups' names signal a national ambition, they are an outgrowth of that early organizing in Arkansas and Mississippi, and at this point remain essentially Southern groups. Still, said Jean Bancroft, public relations director for the march, the group expects to see patients from across the country in Washington and hopes to draw at least 2,000 people. full article (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/333/painmarch.shtml)

I can not believe this is going on in our country, makes me sick.

[dejerine]

The war against pain physicians is a lot like McCarthyism against communism. A little irresponsible reporting, a public paranoia against opiates, (about which the public knows little) and the first thing you know you have a bona fide witch hunt going. It was this way for ethnic prejudice. A few slanted representations in the press, an agenda by government, and people stood by for incredible persecution. Fear leads people to appalling behavior.

As Mark Twain said, "One of the amusing things about the white race is that they imagine they are less savage than other savages".

We have the same attitude as rival tribes in a jungle, we just settle it by different means.

[alan]

The war on drugs overall is like McCarthyism. The persecution of pain docs is just a part of it.

Alan

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

[Aquitaine]

Maybe its just me, but I really think the overall direction of the government is all wrong, highlighted by the war on doctors prescribing pain meds. It finally got to me when I heard vicodin, a moderate (if that) pain drug, was being upgraded to sched II. Now if we get a simple toothache, the doc will have to use the dreaded "special pad". They'll avoid prescribing pain meds like they were the plague now. So, for the first time in my life, I've become political http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif, and actually became a registered democrat, so I can send in an absentee ballot.

You need to understand, when I was first unjured, I had NO L4 vertebre, it was smashed and it took an 11 hour operation to get all the pieces out. I was on the maximum amount of injected morphine the doctor felt I could have without it killing me, that was 8 injections a day, don't remember amount (can ya blame me?). I was on this for 30 days while they searched for someone that could/would rebuild my spine. When I was sent to Thom. Jefferson Hsp., it was a teaching hospital, and the dr. in overall charge of me was a resident, and apparently hated using that special pad. So he cut me off of the morphine cold turkey. I nearly killed one of the nurses who told me I couldn't have any more (literally, I was on a striker frame, but I was able to pull the tray off and throw it at her, and I won't even mention my language I was using at the time. She ducked, and they nearly threw me out of the hosp., but they let it go because of my condition {nearly dead}). Unfortunately that was not the last bad experience I've had with idiotic docs who have no clue about pain management or physical addiction. So I'm just a leeeetle bit touchy about this subject.

Time for GW ta go bye bye. Just IMHO of course http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif. Oh yeah, thanks for letting me vent http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif.

[This message was edited by Aquitaine on 04-18-04 at 04:18 AM.]