Re: Vicodin Scare article

[Guest guest]

I take my JACHO examine in a couple weeks. JACHO is also giving clinics a certian amount of time to get better security on medical records. That in itself is good news! It is interesting just how much an employee of an affiliated clinic has to know. It doesn't matter what department you work for.

Chelle

They do have a federal

law out that affects the hospitals that are affiliated with

the agency JACHO. It says that if a dr or a nurse for one

of the hospitals affiliated with JACHO refuses to give pain

meds to a patient who really needs it (after they have

assessed the patient's pain level-this is also part of the

law that they have to check pain levels every 4 hours just

like they check temp and blood pressure readings) then that

hospital runs the risk of losing their accreditation.

That law went in to effect in Jan 1 of this year. I will

try to find the info on that law.

Chelle

AIM = michellefour4

ICQ = 99432842

MSN = michellefour4@hotmail

Neopets = Chelliez

= michellefour

Email Addy = michellefour4@...

[Guest guest]

I'm going to guess that there will be a lot of chronic pain

patients writing in about this article, and others that

show up around the country.

Boy do we have a long way to go to try to get everyone to

understand just what it said in one of the paragraphs that

when it's used correctly it can help. B/c of my need for

pain meds and the use of Lortab I only need it twice a day,

but I also use other things like lidocaine ointment,

lidocaine jelly (sometimes), and sitz baths to take care of

my vulvar pain.

Thanks for sharing this with me Lee. I wish I knew what

all it was going to take to get everyone to realize that

those of us with chronic pain conditions aren't abusers. I

read on another e-list and board that pain meds are to a

chronic pain patient as insulin is to a diabetic.

I just hope that the awareness campaigns that are launched

for different conditions and diseases that cause a lot of

pain will help everyone understand why those of us with

these diseases need the pain meds. They do have a federal

law out that affects the hospitals that are affiliated with

the agency JACHO. It says that if a dr or a nurse for one

of the hospitals affiliated with JACHO refuses to give pain

meds to a patient who really needs it (after they have

assessed the patient's pain level-this is also part of the

law that they have to check pain levels every 4 hours just

like they check temp and blood pressure readings) then that

hospital runs the risk of losing their accreditation.

That law went in to effect in Jan 1 of this year. I will

try to find the info on that law.

Thanks again Lee.

=====

Kristy

http://www.geocities.com/sokokl/kristyspersonalpage.html

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Some people have addictive personalities. They must feel some kind of "high" from drugs and alcohol that I have never experienced. I never enjoyed the whacko feelings I have experienced from them. I don't like feeling weird and out of control. I also don't like doing something over and over. Gambling doesn't give me any kind of rush. Addictive-type people that take pain meds and then no longer need them can end up having big problems.

Lee

Kristy Sokoloski <sokokl@...> wrote:

I'm going to guess that there will be a lot of chronic painpatients writing in about this article, and others thatshow up around the country.Boy do we have a long way to go to try to get everyone tounderstand just what it said in one of the paragraphs thatwhen it's used correctly it can help. B/c of my need forpain meds and the use of Lortab I only need it twice a day,but I also use other things like lidocaine ointment,lidocaine jelly (sometimes), and sitz baths to take care ofmy vulvar pain.Thanks for sharing this with me Lee. I wish I knew whatall it was going to take to get everyone to realize thatthose of us with chronic pain conditions aren't abusers. Iread on another e-list and board that pain meds are to achronic pain patient as insulin is to a diabetic.I just hope that the awareness campaigns that are launchedfor different conditions and diseases that cause a lot ofpain will help everyone understand why those of us withthese diseases need the pain meds. They do have a federallaw out that affects the hospitals that are affiliated withthe agency JACHO. It says that if a dr or a nurse for oneof the hospitals affiliated with JACHO refuses to give painmeds to a patient who really needs it (after they haveassessed the patient's pain level-this is also part of thelaw that they have to check pain levels every 4 hours justlike they check temp and blood pressure readings) then thathospital runs the risk of losing their accreditation.That law went in to effect in Jan 1 of this year. I willtry to find the info on that law.

[Guest guest]

Raises hand! that'd be me. When i took Vicodin the first time it was

AWFUL> I dont think the dr that gave it to me should have. IT wasn't

needed. He was just pissed that i had screamed so much that the dr.s from

down stairs came up stairs to see what was wrong. now the second time i

got it. It was better. Didnt bother me at all. Helped me sleep thru the

pain. The first time though, I was drooling and talking to myself. I dont

remember much of the day i was on it. ( yep ONE day of use) the next day

though I WANTED IT. I REALLY wanted it. My head hurt, my stomache ached.

It was like a serious withdrawl thing. It was bad. But i cant imagine

people taking it off the market when it helps so many.

Melinda

At 06:48 PM 4/28/01 -0700, you wrote:

Some people have addictive

personalities. They must feel some kind of " high " from drugs

and alcohol that I have never experienced. I never enjoyed the whacko

feelings I have experienced from them. I don't like feeling weird and out

of control. I also don't like doing something over and over. Gambling

doesn't give me any kind of rush. Addictive-type people that take pain

meds and then no longer need them can end up having big problems.

Lee

Kristy Sokoloski <sokokl@...> wrote:

I'm going to guess that there will

be a lot of chronic pain

patients writing in about this article, and others that

show up around the country.

Boy do we have a long way to go to try to get everyone to

understand just what it said in one of the paragraphs that

when it's used correctly it can help. B/c of my need for

pain meds and the use of Lortab I only need it twice a day,

but I also use other things like lidocaine ointment,

lidocaine jelly (sometimes), and sitz baths to take care of

my vulvar pain.

Thanks for sharing this with me Lee. I wish I knew what

all it was going to take to get everyone to realize that

those of us with chronic pain conditions aren't abusers. I

read on another e-list and board that pain meds are to a

chronic pain patient as insulin is to a diabetic.

I just hope that the awareness campaigns that are launched

for different conditions and diseases that cause a lot of

pain will help everyone understand why those of us with

these diseases need the pain meds. They do have a federal

law out that affects the hospitals that are affiliated with

the agency JACHO. It says that if a dr or a nurse for one

of the hospitals affiliated with JACHO refuses to give pain

meds to a patient who really needs it (after they have

assessed the patient's pain level-this is also part of the

law that they have to check pain levels every 4 hours just

like they check temp and blood pressure readings) then that

hospital runs the risk of losing their accreditation.

That law went in to effect in Jan 1 of this year. I will

try to find the info on that law.

[Guest guest]

Lee,

You are so right about those who have addictive

personalities. I'm so glad that I'm not one of them. I

always worried about addiction and I always try to

determine how my level of pain is to see if I can come off

of the med. And I can always tell when I have come off too

soon and then paid a price for it.

As for Pain Management, as I told , I can forget

about it b/c they won't touch me. The reason? The female

problems especially the vulvodynia. But what I can tell

you is that I went to Pain Management for an unrelated

problem and the meds I was on worked for that problem but

Pain Management on the whole and those meds didn't do a

thing for my female pain. And then what I've found out is

that the ones here in my area won't touch female problems.

After I found that out some of the ladies on my various

endometriosis lists have said the same thing. Pain

Management doesn't want to touch them and then when they do

they say that the women are in need of a psychiatrist and

to go back to their gyn.

The awareness work has a long way to go.

=====

Kristy

http://www.geocities.com/sokokl/kristyspersonalpage.html

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

l harris wrote:

Some people have addictive personalities. They must feel some kind of

"high" from drugs and alcohol that I have never experienced. I never enjoyed

the whacko feelings I have experienced from them.

Dear Friends,

I will admit to having a very addictive personality and I DO enjoy the brief high I sometimes

feel from my Lortab and/or Oxycontin. Remember that I am a recovering alcoholic

and drug addict (marijuana and cocaine were my drugs, but I did take psychedelics

for a few years in the beginning of my drug career). However, I have not

had any alcohol in over 16 years, so I can't speak to the issue of

taking these meds with alcohol, but I imagine it to be a rather depressing

type of high. By depressing I mean, depressed muscle control and all the

rest. I once took Valium and had a few drinks, but only once. Maybe it's

a flirtation with Death; to slow your heart down as much as possible without

dying. Different strokes for different folks: some people never "get" what

that's all about. I always enjoyed the "whacko feelings" I experienced

from them because it temporarily filled the hole I felt in the middle of

my body (depression), but I understand that some people don't enjoy that

and perhaps never will. I applaud those of you who don't "get it" because

you will save yourselves years of agony.

I do not take Lortab, nor Oxycontin, to get high. I take them to

obtain brief periods of relief from my pain; and they are brief. If I can

obtain just one hour at a time of reduced pain, then I consider the

dose to be successful for me. That doesn't always happen, though. It depends

on how much, and when, I eat. If I eat just a little bit of bread or some

crackers a few minutes after I take my pills, I will feel high for a very

short time (20 minutes or so), but I know I will then be free of pain for

a while. If I have a big meal when I take my meds I might never notice them.

So even that's a crap shoot. But the Oxycontin is a different thing. It's

a time release form of Lortab or Lorcet but I recently read that the hydrocodone

in it will bind with the fat in the food and I think it reduces the absorption

into the body and perhaps that will slow down or diminish the effects of

the drug. I don't know enough about it so I won't speculate further.

I also don't like doing something over and over. Gambling doesn't give me any kind of rush.

The "gambler's rush" is the excitement of waiting for the final outcome

of the wager (i.e. a horse race). It's waiting for the marble at the roulette

wheel to fall on a number, waiting for the Wheel of Fortune (not the TV show)

to stop on a number or waiting for the slot machines to stop spinning. Winning

or losing is not as important as the adrenaline rush at those moments.

Addictive-type people that take pain meds and then no longer need them can end up having big problems.

You are so right about that. I know that's why my pain doc won't increase

my Lortab or Oxycontin; I've been at the same dose levels for well over a

year. He's probably afraid I won't tell him when I no longer need the pain

meds. I admitted to all my new doctors that I am a recovering addict and

such because the AA program insists on "rigorous honesty" and it would not

be honest of me if I didn't disclose that at the beginning of my first examination

by a new doctor. As such, all my doctors defer to my pain doc for any and

all narcotic pain meds.

That's all from this addict.

Love,

ie B

fbertaud@...

Kristy Sokoloski <sokokl@...> wrote:

I'm going to guess that there will be a lot of chronic painpatients writing in about this article, and others thatshow up around the country.Boy do we have a long way to go to try to get everyone tounderstand just what it said in one of the paragraphs thatwhen it's used correctly it can help. B/c of my need forpain meds and the use of Lortab I only need it twice a day,but I also use other things like lidocaine ointment,lidocaine jelly (sometimes), and sitz baths to take care ofmy vulvar pain.Thanks for sharing this with me Lee. I wish I knew whatall it was going to take to get everyone to realize thatthose of us with chronic pain conditions aren't abusers. Iread on another e-list and board that pain meds are to achronic pain patient as insulin is to a diabetic.I just hope that the awareness campaigns that are launchedfor different conditions and diseases that cause a lot ofpain will help everyone understand why those of us withthese diseases need the pain meds. They do have a federallaw out that affects the hospitals that are affiliated withthe agency JACHO. It says that if a dr or a nurse for oneof the hospitals affiliated with JACHO refuses to give painmeds to a patient who really needs it (after they haveassessed the patient's pain level-this is also part of thelaw that they have to check pain levels every 4 hours justlike they check temp and blood pressure readings) then thathospital runs the risk of losing their accreditation.That law went in to effect in Jan 1 of this year. I willtry to find the info on that law.