TheBanyanTree: My #OnwardIGo Musings

[Teague, Julie Anna]

Uh, wow. You are amazing. I wish you could be the case manager for my brother’s meds. Have you ever considered a career as a family medical case manager? I think those exist, helping families with older parents, etc., deal with the complications of care, such as contradictory meds. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 27, 2018, at 1:37 PM, Barb Edlen <mountainwhisper at att.net> wrote:
> 
> Last week I was trying to explain an important fact to my pain specialist (required now in North Carolina, as family physicians are no longer allowed to dispense more than 7 days of pain meds - due to rampant abuse).
> 
> He wanted me to combine two types of pain meds. (A buprenorphine patch
> and hydrocodone.)  I always do my in-depth research and happen to have a brother who is a pharmacist. When I told him that I didn’t feel comfortable taking the two together and gave him back the prescriptions, he was deeply affronted and asked me if the pharmacist was a specialist in pain management
> 
> [Ummmmmmm.....he is a specialist in pharmaceutical drugs. You know, those things you dispense. You are a mere Physicians Assistant. Whereas he has considerably more education, a much higher degree and YEARS more experience. Idjit.]
> 
> Actually, I had a discussion with the pharmacist at a local pharmacy and she explained that the two drugs worked on different pain receptors, meaning the one would cancel the other out. Her info confirmed what my research had easily discovered. 
> 
> Placebo effect, much? Idjit. 
> 
> I knew what he was doing. Buprenorphine is an opioid antagonist. Therefore, taking the hydrocodone would be nothing more than a psychological crutch. 
> 
> This P.A. gives me no credit for having the intellectual ability to discern any of this. <sigh>
> 
> I did use the patch to help my body come off of the hydrocodone. One of its intended uses. But, only for a week and a half. I sure didn’t want my body to require buprenorphine instead. 
> 
> It’s a complicated science. We as patients need to be aware of what is being prescribed and why. 
> 
> I’ve never been a good little sheep. 
> 
> 
>> ✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･.｡.:*
> 
> 
>> On Dec 26, 2018, at 7:07 PM, peter macinnis <petermacinnis at ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>> 
>> I had the same need, though for a much shorter term, about six years back. I used oxycontin as needed, never got a high, and cut it off as soon as I could. No addiction here, either, and I tend to put that down to a quirk of my personal biochemistry.
>> 
>> They really ought to herd together a bunch of people like us, and see if they can find what chemical thingy it is that does the job.
>> 
>> Anyhow, I'm glad you're off it in a calm manner.
>> 
>> peter
>> 
>>> On 27/12/2018 01:55, Barb Edlen wrote:
>>> I am truly fortunate that addiction was not an issue for me. I give full credit to my medical team and my awesome daughter for helping me to stay on track when my cognitive abilities were compromised during my recovery.
>>