Common Sense,Medicine and Michigan

If you live in the state of Michigan, and you own a television, it is likely that you have seen the commercial about prescription drug abuse.  It has cheesy sayings and statistics about how 1200 people died last year from prescription drug abuse.  Just something to think about...How many people have died because of not being able to access the prescription drugs they need for treatment, because of fear?

With the way that Michigan has changed their Medicaid laws, and their prescription drug laws in the past five years has made it impossible to receive any sort of pain killer in the state of Michigan.

The World Health Organization has said that undertreated pain is the number one health problem in America...The number of patients with chronic pain in the U.S. exceeds diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.

Here's a few more statistics for you...

In one study of elderly cancer patients in nursing homes, 26% of patients... received no analgesic at all...Finally, chronic pain caused by arthritis, other bone and joint disorders, and low back syndrome... affecting 25-50%... and similar to cancer pain...untreated.

Just in my direct area, and my limited current contact with the outside world, I know of over a hundred patients with chronic pain on disability benefits that can not gain control over their lives because no doctor will prescribe them anything to assist them with managing their pain.  There are specialists all over the world that agree if a patient with chronic pain can manage their pain, they  can go on to live productive, and full-term lives.  But because of lack of care, and a flat out lack of caring on doctors' parts, these patients are home or bed bound left with nothing but collecting the little bit that SSI can provide financially. 

Even from a common sense point of view let me give you some food for thought.

1. The people who are simply drug addicts looking for a high are going to find a way to get access to these drugs no matter what, doctors being afraid to or restricted on their prescription drug "powers" is yes making it more difficult for drug abusers to gain access, but no stopping them, however those patients who need the medication to control their lives are now stopped from getting the help they need.
2. The many patients who collect SSI or State Disability Aid would be able to work at least part time with the appropriate medical care for them, allowing the money from the disability benefits to be used to help others in need, and also would help unemployment numbers, lower numbers of deaths caused by depression, shock or withdrawal, or loss of will to live, would help patients recover fully which would completely wipe out a portion of the funds neccessary for SSI, and help patients have a good quality of life, not to mention stimilate the economy by having productive members of society.
3. If you are not currently affected by chronic pain and the effects that the fear of prescription drug abuse effects (your personally or a member of your family) liklihood is that before you die someone you know will.  The fear that is in the hearts of doctors is getting shut down by the DEA or similar organizations for overprescribing will only get worse if it isn't stopped now, and that means no treatment for you or your loved ones if/when the time comes that you need it.
4. The families of the patients that die because of undertreatment are basically left with nothing.  No loved one and no financial stability especially in households where the spouse is the primary caretaker for the pain patient.  They do not have the finances to sue doctors for malpractice, negligence or abuse which is what it is in almost every case of untreated/undertreated chronic pain.

Why should untreated chronic be considered a terminal illness?
In my opinion it should be recatergorized as such.  Patients that are treated for their chronic pain are treated with extensive painful surgeries, low doses of medication that doesn't touch their pain and doctors who are only running tests to humor the patient with no real care about their quality of life.  But when the body is under stress it begins to deteriorate.  Think about when you are sick with the flu, you stay home, you sleep, you allow your body to heal.  Now combine that feeling, with not being able to sleep, being in undescrible pain, and being told that it is in your head and you are a drug addict and no one will ever help you.  That is the story of almost every untreated pain patient.  The body will slowly break down and shut down if it is not allowed to heal.  This can be seen in cancer patients, diabetes patients, flu victims, infection victims...etc.  Not enough research is done on the nervous system, and the regeneration and damage of the nerves.  Just because you can not see a cause for pain yet, doesn't mean it is in the patients head.  This should be taught in medical schools, but it's not. 

As a matter of fact the average doctor spends 1 hour in medical school covering the treatment of pain.  One hour out of years of studying.  Think about that.
 




To Be Continued...




~Yours Truly

• National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2006,with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans.  Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services;2006:68–71

• Geriatric medicine: an evidence-based approach; By Christine K. Cassel

An estimated 20 percent of children experience chronic pain and millions do not receive effective pain relief. Children in pain often bounce from doctor to doctor. If they do not get the appropriate treatment they are at risk of developing a pain condition that might remain into adulthood.vii