THE OPIOID CRISIS.
KRISTIN:
BECAUSE OF THE CRACKDOWN ON
OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS,
THOSE WHO DEPEND ON THE
PAINKILLERS SAY THEIR QUALITY OF
LIFE HAS DECLINED.
WATE, SIX ON YOUR SIDE, CONSUMER
REPORTER DON DARE TALKED WITH A
KNOXVILLE MAN WHO IS MOSTLY
BEDRIDDEN.
DON:
HE SAYS HE CAN'T FUNCTION TO ANY
DEGREE LIKE HIS USED TO.
BEGINNING JULY FIRST OF THIS
YEAR,
TENNESSEE ENACTED ONE OF THE
MOST STRICT AND AGGRESSIVE
OPIOID POLICIES IN THE NATION.
OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF THE
THE TENNESSEE MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION,THE STATE BEGAN
LIMITING INITIAL OPIOID
PRESCRIPTIONS.
AS A RESULT, THOSE WITH CHRONIC
PAIN SAY, THERE ARE
"UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES" IN
ACQUIRING EFFECTIVE PAIN
MANAGEMENT BECAUSE OF THE LAW.
IT'S PAINFUL FOR STEVE GLASS TO
GET OUT OF A CHAIR. THE
FORMER ROOFER WHO NOW LIVES AT
HIS FATHER'S HOUSE SAYS
PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN ARE
PAYING THE PRICE OF THOSE WHO
ABUSED OPIOIDS.
DISABLED FOR 27 YEARS, FOLLOWING
A SERIES OF BACK SURGERIES,
STEVE
HAS CHRONIC, CONSTANT, PAIN
WHICH HE SAYS AFFECTS HIM
PHYSICALLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY,
AND EMOTIONALLY.
TO ALLEVIATE THE PAIN, HIS
DOCTOR
PRESCRIBES 15MG OF OXCODONE, 10
MG OF OXYCONDIN.
STEVE GLASS: THIS IS ONE THIRD
OF WHAT I WAS TAKING
BEFORE THE CUTS IN THE MEDICINE
FOR EVERYONE. DARE: THE DOSAGE
THAT WE SEE HERE IS ONE THIRD OF
WHAT YOU USED TO TAKE? STEVE:
ONE-THIRD OR LESS.
THESE ARE THE ONES DEMONIZED THE
MOST. THERE
ARE OTHERS, BUT THIS IS WHAT IS
ALWAYS IN THE NEWS.
DARE:AS A RESULT WHAT HAS BEEN
HAPPENING TO PEOPLE
LIKE YOU WHO ARE IN CHRONIC
PAIN? STEVE: MY QUALITY OF
LIFE HAS CRASHED.
STEVE SAYS HE SPENDS MOST OF
HIS DAY NOW BEDRIDDEN. HIS ONLY
TRIPS ARE TO THE BATHROOM AND
KITCHEN.
HE CALLS HIS BEDROOM, "BASE
CAMP," WHERE HE MAKES HIMSELF
COMFORTABLE AS HE GRABS A PILLOW
TO STUFF BETWEEN HIS LEGS, AS A
FORM OF THERAPY, TO EASE THE
PIERCING PAIN.
STEVE: BURNING, TINGLING,
NUMBNESS WHICH COMES
STRAIGHT FROM MY LOWER BACK.
IT'S WORSE THAN A
TOOTH ACHE. IT'S WAY DOWN DEEP
IN MY BACK. IT IS NOT
SOMETHING YOU CAN TOUCH. IT
DOESN'T HURT TO TOUCH IT.
AND THE BACK OF MY LEG. IT'S
DEEP IN MY BONES
MR. GLASS SAYS IF ONLY HE COULD
RECEIVE STRONGER DOSAGES OF
OPIOIDS IT WOULD PROVIDE THE
PAIN
RELIEF ALLOWING HIM TO FUNCTION
DAILY.
BUT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IS
VIEWED
AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS ACROSS
AMERICA.
ACCORDING TO FEDERAL RECORDS, 1
IN 4 PATIENTS ARE RECEIVING
LONG- TERM OPIOID THERAPY.
THE FDA AND CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION SAY THE
CRISIS IS DRIVEN BY
OVERPRESCRIBING.
AND MORE DISTURBING, IN
TENNESSEE OVER 16-HUNDRED DEATHS
ARE RELATED TO OPIOID
ABUSE, IN THE LATEST REPORTING
PERIOD.
THOSE NUMBERS AND STUDIES HAVE
LEFT SOME PHYSICIANS
UNWILLING TO TREAT PATIENTS LIKE
STEVE WHO HAVE CHRONIC
PAIN.
STEVE: IT IS SO TERRIBLE -- EVEN
PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS I
HAVE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING ONE
-- BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I
HAVE THIS BIG RUBBER STAMP ON MY
HEAD, JUST LIKE OTHER PEOPLE I
KNOW. AND, I'VE BEEN TREATED
BADLY BY PRIMARY
CARE DOCTORS. I HAVE NO QUALITY
OF LIFE ANYMORE. DARE: WHAT'S IT
LIKE? STEVE: IT'S HELL. I CAN'T
SPEND TIME
WITH MY FAMILY. STEVE; THERE IS
NO GOING OUT TO EAT, GOING
TO THE MOVIES, OR THE RACES.
THAT'S DONE. I CAN'T DO THINGS
AROUND THE HOUSE. THE GUILT
ALSO PLAYS A BIG FACTOR. DARE
ASKS: IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO TALK TO LAWMAKERS ABOUT THE
OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND HOW IT
AFFECTS
CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS LIKE
YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD YOU
TELL THEM. STEVE: THESE
GUIDELINES HAVE GOT TO BE ROLLED
BACK FOR INTRACTABLE PAIN
PATIENTS.
DARE ASKS: AND IF NOT ROLLED
BACK? STEVE: WE'RE DRYING,
LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
OVERDOSING. IT'S JUST
SLOWER.
DON:
BEGINNING LAST MONTH, THE FOOD
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION BEGAN
HOLDING HEARINGS ON CHRONIC
PAIN, LISTENING TO
PEOPLE'S STORIES ABOUT THEIR
PAIN
AND HOW THEY MAY, OR MAY NOT,
HANDLE IT.
BUT THE CDC AND FDA DO NOT
REGULATE PHYSICIANS. STATES
DO.
THE C-D-C SAYS, PATIENTS MAY
HAVE
TO CHANGE THEIR "EXPECTATIONS"
ABOUT LIVING WITH PAIN.
ADVOCACY GROUPS THEY'LL CONTINUE
THEIR FIGHT TO EASE
RESTRICTIONS FOR THOSE WHO TRULY
NEED STRONGER DOSAGES OF
OPIOIDS SO THEY CAN A BETTER
QUALITY OF LIFE.
KRISTIN:
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER
QUESTION FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN
EMAIL AT D-DARE AT W-A-T-E DOT
COM,
OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE
NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
KRISTIN:
A SOUTH KNOXVILLE RESTAURANT -
HELPING OUT THE