The Case for Opioid Therapy

By Jordan LaMark, Guest Columnist

I take opioid pain medication and I am not ashamed of it. I refuse to feel guilty for needing medication.

I am not an addict. I do not deserve to be treated like a criminal – and for that matter, neither do addicts. I should not have to jump through hoops, be subjected to intense scrutiny, and constantly be forced to prove how much pain I’m in to receive my medication. It shouldn’t be a battle to receive treatment.

I live with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, a chronic incurable condition that causes daily unceasing pain. The pain wears at me, saps my energy, and severely restricts my functionality.

I also battle many other symptoms -- chronic fatigue, nausea, dysfunction of my autonomic nervous system, and failure of my digestive tract that requires me to be fed by a surgically implanted feeding tube (which is also very painful, and has altered my core muscles and posture). I sometimes need a wheelchair to get around and often cannot leave the house for days.

I spend most of my time dealing with my medical conditions. My pain medication gives me some relief and improves my functionality without negative side effects. I also use many other techniques to deal with my pain, including several forms of therapy, and I’ve had two surgeries to treat severe endometriosis.

Despite all of this, I am a happy person and do as much as I physically can, spending time with my family, going to church and daytime events, even the beach. Now, however, I am afraid that there may come a point when I may be unable to obtain the medication that improves my quality of life.

JORDAN LAMARK

There is no doubt an opioid abuse problem in our nation. However, the answer is not to enact reactionary laws and restrictions that make it harder for patients with a legitimate need to receive their medication. The conversation about opioids has been focused on acute patients and those who have had surgery or an injury, but has neglected to mention the unintended victims of anti-opioid campaigns: chronic pain patients who will most likely need medication for the rest of their lives.

Neglected also is that most of the abuse of prescription opioids takes place outside of the doctor-patient relationship. The World Health Organization tells us the risk of dependence and diversion is low when opioids are prescribed for pain. Studies also show that physician prescribed opioids are not the primary source of diversion and that theft from the drug distribution chain is an important source of illicit pain medication.

The CDC, along with other organizations and federal and state governments, has overstepped its authority by releasing a set of guidelines for opioid prescribing. Although the guidelines do not prohibit the prescription of opioids, they have increased the complexity and effort involved in getting them. This has had the same effect as declaring them illegal. Most doctors that I’ve talked to flatly state that they don’t prescribe opioids anymore.

I recently saw a pain doctor at one of the best hospitals in the country and was told that their policy is to not prescribe opioids to non-cancer patients. When asked what I should do, since in my case other methods either have not worked or cannot be used due to side effects, the doctor said he did not have a suggestion and wished he could prescribe them for me, but was unable to.

Many patients are having their dosages reduced in response to the CDC guidelines, and some are left with the heart-wrenching prospect of having their medication completely cut off. Many are now being forced to undergo monthly drug tests in order to receive treatment, even when there is no reason to suspect abuse. Our criminal justice system treats suspects as “innocent until proven guilty,” but the same logic does not seem to apply in this case.

I have personally had a pharmacist at a major chain refuse to fill my prescription and lie about the reason why, and then make negative comments about it to my face. I have had several doctors express concerns about legal action and increased government interference in opioid prescription, and cite these as reasons for not prescribing.

One pain specialist gave me several reasons that doctors are now hesitant to prescribe opioids. Number one, of course, was public and government pressure, followed by the increased complexity of prescribing and the fear of losing his license.

Another reason cited was the lack of an “equation” to tell doctors what and how much to prescribe. I think that is a faulty argument. Psychiatric drugs, for example, do not have such an equation or rubric --that is left up to the doctor’s discretion, as it should be.

I have been denied coverage for a treatment because my condition was not on my insurance company’s list of those approved to receive the treatment. Someone who had never met me decided he or she knew better than my doctor (and I) what potentially life-saving treatment I could receive.

Doctors often suggest “alternative treatments” such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which is usually not covered by insurance; acupuncture, which is almost never covered; and physical therapy, which becomes very expensive even with insurance if you are going several times a week for months. Medical marijuana is not covered and is prohibitively expensive. These alternative therapies, while worth trying, do not help everyone.  ­

If the medical industry and government are really serious about promoting alternative, non-opioid therapies, then they should be made affordable. Continuing to say “opioids are bad” and promoting restrictive laws does not stop illicit drug use and only hurts those who need them. These decisions should not be made by insurance companies or the government, they should be up to the individual physician and patient.

I have a feeding tube that was surgically placed and has forever altered my body. I have an open wound that causes pain and infections. The surgery carried risk, the act of changing the tube every few months carries a risk, and the tube’s mere presence is a risk. And yet, it’s all worth the risk because it keeps me alive. My pain medication takes the life that the tube has saved and makes it a life worth saving.

The medical industry does not have to bow to public or political pressure. This is the time for doctors and patients to stand up and reject reactionary responses. Do not take away the only relief many of us have.

Jordan LaMark lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and comorbid conditions, including Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and gastroparesis, for which she has a permanent feeding tube.

Jordan is the founder of Digesting that Facts, a website about living with her various medical conditions that includes educational information and research articles.

Pain News Network invites other readers to share their stories with us.  Send them to:  editor@PainNewsNetwork.org. 

The information in this column should not be considered as professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is for informational purposes only and represents the author’s opinions alone. It does not inherently express or reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of Pain News Network.