I greatly appreciate this thread. I have been dealing with chronic pain for 12 years due to a collision. I was on fentanyl for about 18 months until my last surgery 11 months ago. The surgery helped. I had no issues at all ceasing the fentanyl tho I am still on other milder opiods. It is an embarrassment to admit these days to be taking these medications, especially when I was on the fentanyl patches and people would ask what they were. But, without them I would be in debilitating pain despite 3 surgeries to alleviate damage. I still have days I can’t get off the couch, cook supper for my beloved husband or play with my grandbabies but thanks to modern medicine most days I function well enough to do those things. I have found many natural products and therapies that help but when it comes down to brass tacks, I am mobile thanks to a fabulous spinal pain management specialist who can still prescribe opiods. Us baby boomers are worn out and many of us have aging bodies that give constant pain and yet we are a generation which has embraced life. We don’t want to stop enjoying life because the blasted gubmint leaves us in pain!
Thank you for posting this article. It did me good to read and I’m also relieved to see so many of my fellow FRiends understanding comments.
More corroborating information. Opioid deaths up and opioid prescriptions down.