First Do No Harm: The DEA targets Physicians who treat their patients pain.
Public Comments (15,444)
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Dec 11th, 2013Someone from Grand Haven, MI signed.
Dec 10th, 2013Someone from Meridian, MS writes:
For patient who live with long term debilitating chronic pain, the overreaching arm of the DEA and FDA to penalize those abused medications in one or fashion is a travesty. I am certain that anyone of these people who have implemented such stringent policies would think differently if they had to live in a body riddle with pain under their own rules. Even under our constriction, criminals are protection from cruel and inhuman punishment, yet chronic pain sufferers, who gable committed no crime are subjected to that very thing. Change in policies is greatly needed in this country to again allow physician to treat their patients with no interference of the government. This American, not fascist nazi Germany.Dec 9th, 2013Someone from Longmont, CO writes:
Chronic pain is a terrible thing to live with.If doctors had to ever deal with it themselves,maybe they would treat us with more respect .REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 9th, 2013Someone from Camden, OH writes:
Distorted, biased, or incorrect statistics attracts media attention. This type of media spin influences public policy, negatively. Why aren't the benefits discussed and reported on? Because it DOESN'T SELL! It would also require accurate information and unbiased interpretation. Typically, inflated statistics are associated with talk of epidemics, threats to our youth, and similar alarmist language. Often they are promoted by groups with laudable sounding names such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest. But many such groups, which may have underlying social or political agendas, tend to exaggerate the extent and growth of problems in which they have a vested interest and, typically, a proposed solution. Problems widely seen by the public as being of epidemic proportion justify ever larger budgets, increased staffs, higher salaries, more power, and greater organizational prestige. Let's face it, many groups and individuals have a vested interest in exaggerating the extent of opiate abuse. They generally include federal, state, and other governmental agencies; private agencies; drug treatment facilities, therapists, alcohol educators; and often abusers themselves. Editors sometimes confess that sensational statistics have much more reader appeal than reports of generally declining problems. They don't hesitate publicizing the overblown and out of proportion numbers stating, 10% of Americans abuse this or that. You rarely read about the benefits of the 50% who benefit. (Note: this is just an example not facts). Maybe I can provide some realistic numbers moving forward. Unfortunately, opiate abuse is in the spotlight and all true pain patients are suffering, as a result!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 9th, 2013Someone from Maryville, TN signed.
Dec 9th, 2013Someone from Du Bois, PA writes:
This is a disgrace and barbaric treatment of chronic ill patients, our own government taking advantage of ill patients, the pain clinics, labs take all the money and the ill are paying, why is this allowed, sign the petitionREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 7th, 2013Someone from San Antonio, TX writes:
I am a DAV with 24 surgeries including 10 back and 4 hip total replacements. I hurt so bad I have tried suicide 1 time, been to 100 dr's but leglislatures are more interested in good press. There are way too many particlularly vets who are severely in pain from serving their country and you want to make it even harder just for a little relief. You should have to walk 72 hours in someone like my shoes and I bet you would open up the prescription pads for us that are suffering.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 6th, 2013Someone from Elburn, IL signed.
Dec 6th, 2013Someone from Columbus, OH signed.
Dec 6th, 2013Someone from Canton, OH writes:
What happened to the land of the Free! Have you no Heart, how can you let someone who has SUFFERED Forty years in Pain and Always followed Doctors advice live their last few years without Sleep, and to Suffer in Pain! This seems more like Germany in the 1940s GOD HELP US! PLEASE Wake up,'our Druggist & Family Docs can Control our Pain without Nazi Germany, or Mid evil laws Killing us slowly. I'm 67 years old former Military & former Police Officer! NOT A Drug Addict. GOD HELP US AS the State of Ohio will let us Die in PAIN!! God Bless America the Land of the Free & BRAVE!!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 4th, 2013Someone from Santa Fe, NM writes:
I am a 53 Y/O woman with chronic pain, due to misdiagnosis! I was told initially it was "All in my head". As a result my life has been destroyed. I no longer work, I was in college, no more. I consider suicide often, when the pain is unbearable. I have to take medication to make this at leat tolerable, yet I have been routinely denied treatment , diagnoss and even basis ergonomic help. I was mislabeled as having a mental disease and given destructive dangerous Psch meds. I have no recourse. Most doctors deliberately overlooked my condition until it was too late. My Mother is in Pain in a Nursing home, they "forgot" to treat her pain after hip surgery, this happens all the time. Of course the nursing home lied about it! We are powerless. All I can do is stay on my heating pad, to try to avoid pain! I have no life! I am giving myself a date, If my quality of life does not get better I will commit suicide!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 4th, 2013Someone from Sharon Hill, PA writes:
I suffer from chronic pain, and it is severe. It has become so disheartening to try to get any help because doctors now use the DEA as an excuse as to why they can't treat you. It's not fair. Especially when you have wealthy people, that are prescribed anything they want, because of their money. Meanwhile, I have to contemplate long-term disability because of debilitating pain.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 1st, 2013Someone from Brooklyn, NY writes:
I went to my PCP for my monthly meds. I am disabled due to my diagnosis. There is no cure for my acute, chronic back pain, no cure for osteoarthritis in the cervical spine with scoliosis, 2 spurs on my bilateral lumbar area, tear meniscus on both knees, need I say more. I can. I have all my proof medical records. I will be 60 years old soon. At the clinic the administrator stated to me " The Dr. will see you but he will not give you your pain medications. How in the world could that be. When I did get to see him I told him "you know you cannot do that, when you were the one who increased 1 of my medication and stated that the pain management I was going to was not giving me the proper dosage, so he was the one to increase it. His response was I know. So he gave me 1 of my pain killers which is 10/325 mgs and omitted my 40mg opana. He told me discreetly come Monday and speak to the state. I went Monday and waited. The administrator question one of the receptionist "What was I doing in the clinic" I told her if she knew the 5th amendment and she said no. I said look it up in the internet. Meanwhile I am in pain waiting for the state. The enters and I asked him if I can talk to him that he needs to hear a patients view and voice of what is occurring in the clinic. He said he will when he comes out of the office of the administrators. The one who told me what was I doing here had an inkling and threaten to call the cops which I said call them. The cops came the ambulance entering the clinic. I stated to them first of all I am not crazy I am 100% to intellectual which the receptionist knows of my knowledge on how to get justice with the gov't for what they did to me, so they felt threatened. As I was being questioned by the cop and fdny I was getting on anxiety attack and I couldn't speak holding my chest. I took my anxiety pill and tried to relax as stated. When I did relax somewhat I explained the situation, they fdny told me you mandatory have to come with me to the hospital which I disapproved of because all they will do is give me a shot and call it a day, so I said no I am not. The cop escorted me outside and told me not to go back to the clinic. Ok When I sat on a scooter, they asked if it was mine. Am I going to sit on someone else scooter. OMG. I am so angry and tears rolling down right now, its too much for one brain to endure what I am going through. I am so sorry. Let me try to finish. I entered the pharmacy next door to the clinic and the officials were still outside watching if I enter the clinic. Then they left. During the process of me being escorted out the fdny were in the ambulance and I called my mental health therapist. She heard me being upset and I put the speaker so that the fdny could hear her because they didn't want to speak to her. OK now when I saw the man from the state come out of the office I wanted to speak to him and I don't know why when he first said he would speak to me and then he didn't want to. I knocked at theREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 1st, 2013Someone from Brooklyn, NY writes:
I went to my PCP for my monthly meds. I am disabled due to my diagnosis. There is no cure for my acute, chronic back pain, no cure for osteoarthritis in the cervical spine with scoliosis, 2 spurs on my bilateral lumbar area, tear meniscus on both knees, need I say more. I can. I have all my proof medical records. I will be 60 years old soon. At the clinic the administrator stated to me " The Dr. will see you but he will not give you your pain medications. How in the world could that be. When I did get to see him I told him "you know you cannot do that, when you were the one who increased 1 of my medication and stated that the pain management I was going to was not giving me the proper dosage, so he was the one to increase it. His response was I know. So he gave me 1 of my pain killers which is 10/325 mgs and omitted my 40mg opana. He told me discreetly come Monday and speak to the state. I went Monday and waited. The administrator question one of the receptionist "What was I doing in the clinic" I told her if she knew the 5th amendment and she said no. I said look it up in the internet. Meanwhile I am in pain waiting for the state. The enters and I asked him if I can talk to him that he needs to hear a patients view and voice of what is occurring in the clinic. He said he will when he comes out of the office of the administrators. The one who told me what was I doing here had an inkling and threaten to call the cops which I said call them. The cops came the ambulance entering the clinic. I stated to them first of all I am not crazy I am 100% to intellectual which the receptionist knows of my knowledge on how to get justice with the gov't for what they did to me, so they felt threatened. As I was being questioned by the cop and fdny I was getting on anxiety attack and I couldn't speak holding my chest. I took my anxiety pill and tried to relax as stated. When I did relax somewhat I explained the situation, they fdny told me you mandatory have to come with me to the hospital which I disapproved of because all they will do is give me a shot and call it a day, so I said no I am not. The cop escorted me outside and told me not to go back to the clinic. Ok When I sat on a scooter, they asked if it was mine. Am I going to sit on someone else scooter. OMG. I am so angry and tears rolling down right now, its too much for one brain to endure what I am going through. I am so sorry. Let me try to finish. I entered the pharmacy next door to the clinic and the officials were still outside watching if I enter the clinic. Then they left. During the process of me being escorted out the fdny were in the ambulance and I called my mental health therapist. She heard me being upset and I put the speaker so that the fdny could hear her because they didn't want to speak to her. OK now when I saw the man from the state come out of the office I wanted to speak to him and I don't know why when he first said he would speak to me and then he didn't want to. I knocked at theREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 30th, 2013Someone from Garland, TX writes:
I have not been able to work due to my chronic pain, and because of the VERY LITTLE child support I get I don't qualify for medicaid (you can't make more than $189 to qualify). Therefore I can't afford the injections, therapy etc. so my Dr cut me off. I'm terrified, I won't be able to properly care for my two children..... Suicide is a recurring thought. If I don't find a new Dr, one that would actually help me get on disability/medicare so I can hopefully afford to do the treatments they recommend, suicide may be my only option... Thank you dea. You're really doing an awesome job helping patients. Yes, that was dripping with sarcasm.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 28th, 2013Someone from Pasadena, MD writes:
My problem is not with my Dr. it is with the pharmacies. I cannot get valid prescriptions filled. I have been on pain management for 5 years. Now I am forced to go to the emergency room to get medications on Thanksgiving day!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 27th, 2013Someone from Bonne Terre, MO writes:
I have contiplated suisde because I cannot get adiquite pain medica for my crhonic pain. James BowyerREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 26th, 2013Someone from Kansas City, MO writes:
When my doctor started getting pressured about this issue I and many other patients were dropped abruptly from care. At the time I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and in the middle of a taper of my pain medications. Had I not found a doctor immediately who was brave enough to at least see me for the three weeks until I gave birth, my son could have been born prematurely in pain and misery, he could have had seizures, or died in utero. Since then, I have tried to find a new doctor and I have been treated like a criminal, a junkie, a liar and just generally humiliated even from doctors at the hospital that initially diagnosed me from scans taken in house, and who put me on the pain medication to begin with because I was taking too much otc pain medication to deal with the pain and it was causing issues with my kidneys. I am now a stay at home mother and caretaker of my own disabled mother, and am in constant pain, unable some days to make it up the stairs without crawling and no doctors will do anything to help me for fear of what will happen to their licenses or fear of jail! This should never happen to anyone, yet it is happening all over the country. Government has no business in health care,except to regulate issues that benefit patients, not degrade them and their standard of care.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 26th, 2013Someone from Elk Grove, CA signed.
Nov 23rd, 2013Someone from Knoxville, TN signed.
Nov 22nd, 2013Someone from Saint Cloud, FL signed.
Nov 22nd, 2013Someone from Glendale, AZ writes:
Without my pain medication, I would have to contemplate suicide because the quality of my life would be about a 3 on a scale of 1-10. I am currently being tortured by DEA for taking pain medication. (Yes, and I'm not crazy). I don't understand why and probably never will. I am prescribed pain medication by a Pain doctor at a Pain Clinic. I am learning to accept the DEA's torture because I have no control over what they are doing to me. I will not allow myself to be intimidated by them, nor will allow myself to let them destroy me. The pain they cause on body takes a toll on me everyday and that's not only what they are doing to me. It is very difficult for me to understand why the DEA is using electromagnetic torturing techniques on me when I am legally being prescribed pain medication for protruded disks and fibromyalgia. I have a legal contract with the pain clinic, don't use illegal drugs and not involved in any criminal activity. What is with the DEA? They are more powerful then any doctor or judge. They have developed ways to be undetected by using technology to shield the crimes they are committing on people like myself. If anyone out there is going through the same thing, feel free to comment. I am not crazy, hallucinating or making any of this up. If anyone out there thinks I'm a nut, then you have the problem. I am simply trying to make sense of something that does not make any sense at all. I am being tortured daily, 24/7 by some very cruel, cold-hearted, uncompassionate DEA employees. They obviously do not know anything about chronic pain. I have had this pain for twenty years, have been on pain medication for roughly the last six years, have had epidurals, used Ibuprophen, Naproxen, Celebrex, Tylenol, guaifenesin, many, many other medications which I cannot remember, a multitude of over-the-counter meds, a variety of topical products and have had little relief with them. God put opiates in this world for a reason. There are many people that abuse pain medications simply because they want to get high. I also have been treated badly by doctors and their assistants simply because there is no way to measure pain; if there was, then they would understand. I have a long history of MRI's, x-rays, epidurals and have been prescribed numerous medications to relieve the pain. The only medications that work are, unfortunately, the opiates. People will also judge without knowing what a person suffering with chronic pain go thru on a daily basis.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 21st, 2013Someone from Franklin, OH signed.
Nov 21st, 2013Someone from Manchaca, TX signed.
Nov 20th, 2013Someone from Atlanta, GA signed.
Nov 20th, 2013Someone from Atlanta, GA signed.
Nov 19th, 2013Someone from Mastic, NY writes:
Why are we bending over backwards to save an addict who will find another way to obtain what they want, or obtain worse, at the expense of those who are suffering in legitimate chronic pain that affects the quality of their lives? Enough is enough already. Stop treating legitimate pain patients like criminals.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 19th, 2013Someone from Apache Junction, AZ writes:
I agree with so many of these posts. How can someone else tell you how much pain you are in? They can't, so why should non-medical congressman and women tell you how much pain you are in or how much medication you should take. I never asked to have migraines 24 hours a day for the past 6 years, but the doctors want to tell me it can't be as bad as I describe, I have a back problem that has now limited my daily activity to almost nothing, but the Dr.'s tell me it?s not that bad, I was told 20 years ago that I had Multiple sclerosis, but today there is nothing a Dr. can say for sure, but I do have symptoms according to the test given and their opinion?s. But when it comes down to it according to them, I am just asking for Meds, that I never once asked for, but was given to help ease my pain. Someone please tell me what the hell are people who deal with such debilitating pain every day supposed to do? We are not under someone?s spell to be in pain, ask for meds and take them. Not to mention the cost of these meds are outrageous. But do as the doctors tell you to, take your meds, then I can condemn you for taking them and being an addict. If I am an addict, then it is the Doctors fault, not mine. I just want to live a pain free life, to be a wife like I used to be, a grandmother and play with the kids and most of all to be able to look in the mirror every day and not hear the comments in the back of my head from the doctors I see, YOU?RE AN ADDICT!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 18th, 2013Someone from Mesa, AZ writes:
I was injured in Iraq and have a %70 disability rating from the VA. I never asked a single doctor for pain medication, but It was recomended by my VA doctor. I was takeing the pain medication for over 5 years and doing great. Then I made a huge error by moving to a different state. After my standard 3 month waiting period to see a VA physician, I saw a VA doctor who immediatly denied to refill any pain medication or muscle relaxer. Keep in mind that all of my 300 page medical file was transfered to this VA, listing around a $1,000,000 of tests that I had already done in the last 5 yrs. and my current perscriptions. This VA doctor wanted to redue these test before giving me my refills. I immediatly let her know that it had been three months and I was already out of about ten medications the VA perscribed me. She said "well you will be ok". I asked why she couldn't even fill my anti-acids and she became extremely rude and refused to treat me. I reported her to the patient advocate and saw another doctor in the same office and wouldn't you know it she filled some of my perscriptions but refused to treat me for pain. Keep in mind that I had a perscription for the pain medication, the VA doctors just refused to fill them. No tapering me down or sending me to a pain clinic, just flat out refuse to treat the patient. And since this is through the VA, I cant even go to a private clinic for fear of being labeled an addict. So I spent about a month sick than I have ever been in my life!! Any doctor that would cause a patient that kind of harm, should not be a doctor and be sued for malpractice. Something needs to be done!! If people are dumb enough to overdose and kill themselves, it probably was gonna happen anyways. But don't blame the doctor, cause its hurting everybody.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 17th, 2013Someone from Rockton, PA writes:
I never could have imagined that I would be treated this way. Forcing me to drive 100 mi. to a pain clinic when a medical center is 10 miles away. This is barbaric, for God's sake I can hardly walk anymore. There's no consideration as to paying for gas or how you get there, its an all day affair. We are paying dearly. Nobody in this country should have to go through all of this. Now I will need to drive to another town for a shot in my back, because the pain clinic does not provide that. I have a medical center & hospital 10 miles away. Surely a local hospital can staff 2 doctors and a nurse for pain patients. This is horrible & the USA has the best? Don't come here to live if you have pain, you'll be put through hell, nobody cares, they will make your life hell, you are treated as a criminal, I'd bet there's thousands of wrongful deaths, heart attacks brought on from being in pain, we suffer because Drs. are writing illegal prescriptions or some teenager dies because they thought they would party with them and these parents get on their soapbox and blame the pain med's for their teenagers death, where the hell were you parent! You weren't paying attention! My dogs get's better Dr. care than I do.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 15th, 2013Someone from Hico, WV writes:
Please stop this inhumane treatment toward chronic pain patients. Target the illegal abusers , not those with chronic pain that need narcotics to have any quality of life.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 15th, 2013Someone from Braintree, MA writes:
IT IS TIME TO REMOVE THE GOVERNMENT FROM MEDICAL CARE!!! If our government was doing it's job in the first place it would be protecting their citizens from dangerous medical practices and medicine that could seriously do a person harm! However, instead the government's constant intervention in health care, especially pain care has over-regulated the system to such a degree that chronic pain patients are going to the streets for heroin or committing suicide because they can not find any physicians willing to treat their incurable severe chronic pain conditions correctly with the safest, most efficient and effective, time-tested medicine known to mankind... opioid analgesics! This war on pain medicine is nothing less than a war on reason! This anti-opioid campaign is under the guise of addiction and abuse prevention where millions of pain patients who depend on these medicines to function and live productive meaningful lives...(no different than insulin is used for insulin dependent diabetics to live normal lives) is forcing them into endless torture and is a HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION!! This has to STOP and it has to STOP NOW!!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 15th, 2013Someone from Gilbert, AZ writes:
I have lived with severe chronic pain since 2002. I've been called a liar by multiple doctors...trust me if I was a liar I would not have risked rounds of chemo and even having a shunt placed in my brain to try to aleviate my pain! Too many doctors assume everyone is simply out to get pain meds...for those of us with a real diagnosis, that is not the case and we should not have to suffer because of it!!!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 14th, 2013Someone from Jeffersonville, IN writes:
Try suffering from migraines since age 10, 58 now, started on Darvon ar 10 so I have a HUGE TOLERANCE to any pain meds. Nobody ever understood that but a college friend who became an anesthesiologist and helped when he could, but then more problems with a back injury determined inoperable by the best neurosurgeon in the region with nerve endings dangling from my spine. Yes, Dr, Rx and all others will treat you as a drug seeker due to pain. It gets worse not better.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 13th, 2013Someone from Coulterville, IL writes:
They never should have take Darvocet off the lineup of pain relievers. And I agree the DEA knows pot is almost legal so they go after easy pickings as someone else said.They should let the patient sign a waiver so the dr isnt responsible and the patient knows the risk. You can buy sinus medicine otc that will kill you but oh no controlled pain pills after back surgery, BS.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 12th, 2013Someone from Panama City, FL signed.
Nov 12th, 2013Someone from Panama City, FL signed.
Nov 11th, 2013Someone from Las Vegas, NV signed.
Nov 10th, 2013Someone from Las Vegas, NV writes:
The DEA has always been to incompetent to effectively purse the illicit drug dealers. Therefore, in order to protect THEIR own jobs, they pick easy targets, like doctors. The DEA's prosecutorial abuse of doctors makes all doctors become overly cautious. Thus the ones who unjustly suffer from the DEA's actions are the people who honestly suffer from chronic pain and now cannot get the meds that can help them.REPORT COMMENTS
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