People Are Being Hurt By Opioid Abuse (one of them is me)
I was in a bad car wreck over twenty years ago. At the time I went to the E.R.. They referred me to a physical therapist. Then I went to a chiropractor and, finally, to a neurologist. No one could do anything for me. I lost faith in the medical community. I could not find anyone who could grant me a pain free day or night.
I had a problem with the Vicodin. It was much too strong for me and so I wound up only being able to take half. That was enough to take the edge off the pain but I would stay up all night until I collapsed from exhaustion. There was simply no other way to get rest that the pain interfered with.
Over the years my pain has ebbed and flowed but it has never gone completely away. The low points are very low for me. I remember when I bent over to take my young child out of the car seat and I froze that way. My husband had to help me into the house. It was everything I could do to make it to the bed. I stayed there for almost a week. I would put off going to the bathroom until the last possible second because it hurt so much to move. Even rolling over in bed left me in tears. I finally decided it was too hard to keep getting in and out of bed and my husband moved a chair from the living room. I sat sleeping up for another four to five days. It was better than the pain I felt rolling over or trying to get in and out of bed.
The last few months I find my pain getting escalating. I am not sure I would say it is back to where it was, originally, but it is certainly bad. I find my quality of life is diminishing. I have canceled plans and my son has even missed a couple of days of school because I felt unable to get out of bed. My life now revolves around my back pain. I have a drawer on top of my dresser so that I do not have to bend down and get my underwear in the morning. I drive a car that has heated seats and even a rear view camera because I never know if I will be able to look over my shoulder. I buy foods already cooked so on really bad days (which is most of them lately, for three weeks I cried, from pain, almost every single day) I can just eat food and not have to worry about going hungry because I am unable to cook. I have disposable plates so I will not hurt my back doing dishes. I just bought outrageously expensive shoelace substitutes to turn my sneakers into slip-ons because sometimes I am in too much pain to undo my sneakers.
I have a problem. I lost faith in the medical system but I also did not have insurance. This means there is no trail showing a doctor that this is a chronic problem. All they have is my word and a lot of drug seekers make up stories. Some, I am sure, would bring tears to people's eyes.
My problems have gotten worse. The things that have been added to my problems are sciatica and facet joint pain. I now have insurance and this diagnosis is what the doctors have said I have after taking an x-ray. I am sure there are more problems and I do have an orthopedic appointment a month from now. The big problem? I am in pain now. There are times this pain is unmanageable. I wonder how I will get my son to school and back. I wonder how I will sleep, eat, cook, etc....
The first doctor I saw gave me Flexeril which made me loopy for over 12 hours. I could not function. She also recommended a chronic pain psychologist. I went to their financial office to see how much those visits would be. They are over $500 a visit. That is not a typo. But after I spent $5,000 my deductible would be met and I would get the rest of the treatments for free. I am a single mom, I can't afford that kind of money but if I ever go into business for myself, I think I now have a career path to follow!!! She also prescribed aquatic therapy. I did not even check to see what their therapy rates were after the psychologist fiasco.
The next doctor took me more seriously. He was the one who said sciatica. (this was after I wrote the first doctor to say how horrible I think the visit went and I was sure I had sciatica at the very least) The orthopedic doctor, who saw my x-rays, said I had facet joint disease. I already knew that as well. That is what kept locking up my back all these years. The only thing I have found to help it is Soma. The first doctor refused and said they were warned about it in medical school. I am not sure what she was warned about but I cannot imagine it could be any worse than your back possibly locking up and you being stuck in bed for a week or two in constant pain.
Full disclosure; I got the Soma on the black market. My friend saw the pain I was in and she let me try one of her Soma. It worked and my back stopped unlocking. She gave me more. This does not mean I am a drug seeker, it means I did not have insurance at the time and could not see a doctor. It means someone looked at me sitting across from them in tears from the pain. They had compassion and wanted to help.
I asked the first doctor for a needle. I am quite phobic of needles. When I was ten I ran into a hospital parking lot, in a gown, to avoid getting blood taken. Red Cross told me not to donate any more because I would sit there and cry during the entire process. I HATE needles! I explained this to the doctor and said I must be in a lot of pain if I am basically begging for one. She said she did not think it would do me any good. I walked away in pain. (taking five or six rest stops because my back and hip were killing me)
The second doctor gave me Soma (thank goodness because my back started locking up last night) and tramadol. I only use the Soma when my back locks up, not for pain. I tried the tramadol and it did nothing. I wrote to the doctor begging and pleading for anything that effects me stronger than an aspirin. He wrote back saying he was not allowed to prescribe strong narcotics. I never even mentioned narcotics. I wrote back asking was there anything, possibly in between an aspirin and strong narcotics? I am awaiting his reply.
I understand why doctors are cautious. I really do get it. I know there is an epidemic. And I know the picture most people have in their heads about a drug addled person trying to get one over on the doctor. The thing is, I lost faith in the system once. The doctors did nothing for me. And then I did not have insurance. I got insurance and now I had hope. They have to be careful but hope, for me, is fading. I am sinking into more and more pain and with that, now, is the onset of depression.
I know the drug addicted folks are being hurt by their addiction but there are people out here who feel like they are hanging onto a cliff with their fingertips and it gets harder and harder. I know because I am one of them.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I took Flexeril at night and the next day I was still feeling the effects until around five in the afternoon. I was dizzy and so sleepy. I am in a small town/city but the first doctor was actually at a University hospital. I went there expecting more. I didn't get it. 
I will tell you of my brief experience.
A few years ago, I broke my collarbone and dislocated my second rib. Doctors prescribed Vicodin for the pain, but I couldn't perceive that it helped at all.
So, I tried alcohol. I normally don't drink much at all, maybe one glass of wine per week, so I have no tolerance. I drank two glasses of wine, quickly, and lo and behold, it really took the edge off the pain. Downside is, I was then tipsy and more likely to walk into doorways, bumping my shoulder, ouch! So, I learned I had to drink 2 glasses of water, then two glasses of wine, and then straight to bed. The water keeps you from getting dehydrated from the alcohol (dehydration is the main reason for the hangover the next day). It did ease the pain enough that I could get to sleep.
I'm a little bit skeptical of the painkillers from doctors. I'm not sure what they have to offer is all that much better than alcohol and /or pot, frankly. I share this experience with you, if it can be of help.
I wish you good luck in finding relief.
