What’s with this heroin stuff? Sounds like another jihadi plot.
Heroin is the drug opiate addicts get addicted to eventually. Most of them start out being prescribed pain killers by doctors because America has a “pain problem.” That turns into a powerful addiction and for some heroin is the cheapest alternative to burning through prescription meds.
Heroin is a major cash crop for Jihadists, but there is not nearly as much of that here in the U.S. as the Mexican tar. The Mexican drug cartels have taken over the U.S. heroin trade so Trump is right with his comments that sealing the border will make heroin less plentiful in our nation.
Just my opinion, but if our nation wakes up to the heroin problem the solution must begin with our pain management protocols through the American Medical Association. Doctors have unwittingly contributed greatly to this problem.
I’m old enough to have seen this mess develop first hand.
It started with a lawyer winning a big settlement over a person inadequately treated for pain. It really was a big mess and a doc dropped the ball.
That being said, the fix was worse than the problem. Suddenly pain was the fifth vital sign and every chart has that pain scale the doc has to address with the knowledge that a lawyer may be asking why you didn’t address it.
This led to over prescription and abuse. The medical community is aware there is a problem and it needs to be adressed, they have been trying to change the medical culture for about a decade but we have a whole generation of docs trained not to release a patient until that fifth vital sign is addressed.
While I agree doctors have contributed greatly to the pain management problem, and know there are people who live every day in some serious pain, I think people have an unrealistic expectation of living completely pain-free, too.
You are right that a lot of our heroin problem starts with prescribed opiates.
I do not think opiates ought to be less prescribed, instead doctors need to focus on HOW the opiates are used. After surgeries or other extreme pain situations, people should be allowed to get complete relief for their agonies. I had brain surgery 15 months ago and I was on morphine, then sent home with oxycodone. I never took very many of them and was done taking them by the 5th day or so.
First, patients should be talked to about how easy it would be to get addicted. They should take the least amount of pills they can a day to stop strong pain. They should only take pain meds to improve a level 5 or more pain during the first half of the day. If they’ve dealt with a 5 all day, have them take more in the evening or night, to approach complete relief.
Limit the number of pills given after surgery etc, and allow for quick refills if pain is severe still after 2-3 days.
Always push patients to try some time off the meds after 3 days. Have them try to see if they can get used to the pain (often in recovery pain naturally goes down by itself as they heal). Always stress that we want the patient to have pain relief but not to end up a junkie.
Remind the patient always that “really liking” the drug is a DANGER SIGN. Wanting to take “just one more tonight” without severe pain, wanting to take one “in case” pain arrives, are all signs of the start of getting hooked.
While I know we have an issue with opiate addiction, we shouldn’t deny the relief from pain that opiates give. We should never punish the innocent.