2014 New Pain Medication Laws Dictating To Doctors That They Cannot Prescribe Anything Equivalent 120 Mg Of Morphine Or Higher A Day Per Patient
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I was told Friday by my Pain Management Doctor at my monthly appointment that the DEA was implementing a new law dictating to doctors on how much pain medication they could prescribe per patient per day. It could be equal to no more than 120 mg of Morphine per day per patient and they had to comply within 3 months for all of their patients. I am trying to find out as much information on this as possible. I don't know if my Pain Management Doctor is stating fact or if he is just running scared and if he is stating fact, I don't know if this is federal or state (Alabama) mandated. I spoke directly with the Southeastern division of the DEA in Atlanta this morning and they are not aware of any law of this nature coming into effect and I also contacted another pain clinic locally that has never heard of it either. So I have been trying to reach my Pain Management Clinic and get a copy of the law itself so I will know if it's federal or state and if it is an actual law or just a state regulation and if it's even true but so far no one has called me back so I thought I'd try my luck here and see if anyone has heard of this. This really has me bothered. It looks like either way, true or not, to get adequate pain care I am at least going to have to move out of state if not the entire country. I will ask my questions about that in a different post. But if this is in any way true, and it seems my pain doctor is going to be going by these guidelines whether it is or is not true, it is going to cut my pain meds by almost half. I am on 120 mg of Oxycodone and 8 mg of Dilaudid per day which I was told equals 212 mg of Morphine per day. And before someone decides to tell me that I don't need that much pain medication, I will go ahead and say to you, you don't know me, you don't know what conditions I have that cause me Daily Severe Chronic Pain and other Daily Severe Pain to warrant that much medication, you don't know my tolerance for pain meds, I do NOT take any pain medication to feel high, I ONLY take pain medication to relieve some of the pain as what I am on doesn't even relieve all of my pain, I do NOT drink, I do NOT do street drugs, I see my doctor every 28 days just as I am supposed to, I take my medication as prescribed and the way I am supposed to take it except when I had extreme oral surgery a month ago and I did have to break up my tablets for about a week but they were put on my tongue and NOT up my nose and they were IR tablets so I was fine doing that as I had checked with my pharmacist prior, and you don't feel what I feel or see me lying in bed 24/7 crying from the pain because it is so excruciating and unrelenting so please before anyone starts telling me that I don't need that much pain medicine just stop now before you even start. Those of you that have to live with daily pain will surely understand where I am coming from being this defensive as I'm sure you know you are treated as a drug addict by most doctors even. Thanks in advance for any help with my question.

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Re: alwaysNpain (# 14)

If you take the medication gabapentin, it will really help you with withdraws and pain because it’s a great diabetic pain reliever. For a while I was on 3200 of gabapentin when you’re only supposed to take 1200 mg a day I wouldn’t recommend taking made me say

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Re: Victim of ABME (# 11)

One of the problems is show me these young people and older people make stupid decisions for their medication, not use it for the purposes need, I understand if they get addicted to the medication and looking for any type of meds to get them off of pain or get them high, but until that stops which it never will, that’s what goes on with these ODs people don’t understand how strong the medication is and then they miss use it family or parents or whoever gets so upset at the drug companies when you’re the one, making the decision whether you take it or not, not that that makes a difference because it’s so hard. It just is good luck in your endeavor. I hope you can find some relief.

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Oh, little girl, I truly empathize with your situation. I was hit by a car that was driving at 65 miles per hour. This happened while I was aiding a police officer during an accident, which flung me 180 feet from the mirror. You can imagine the severe injuries I sustained. Now, 10 years later, very few people understand what real, and I mean persistent pain that endures 24 hours a day, feels like. I am prescribed Percocet 10/325, eight tablets a day, which usually last about 10 to 12 days, after which I endure the rest of the month in pain. If not for gabapentin, I would never make it. I sincerely wish those who enact all these laws, thinking they're saving lives, would understand that a lot of people are pushed toward suicide and other lethal means because they can't cope with the pain. This pain strains marriages, careers, and relationships with children, ultimately causing many to lose their loved ones. If people discover that you possess such medication, they attempt to steal it. This, in turn, opens up a host of other problems. There are instances where people try to inject the drug after dissolving it, but that method is ineffective because the medicine only lasts for 15 minutes as opposed to taking it orally which lasts much longer. This predicament has resulted in a divorce for me and a lost relationship with several of my eight children. I could go on with my story, but as you know, the only person who can control you is you. Doctors generally don’t like to prescribe that type of medication in the strengths you’re talking about because it puts their license in jeopardy. I deeply sympathize with you and hope that you can find a resolution for your distress. It's neither pleasant nor fair.

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Re: Quiller69 (# 2)

Not only can you take age or less of any products such as Percocet, 10, 325 or hydrocodone 10 325 because of the aspirin the doctors almost always will not prescribe you over eight a day at least have a medication’s I do not know the limits variety but I have a limit on pills when you have to be careful.

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No, that is NOT true at all. It is up to the doctor's judgement, especially after the CDC clarified the 2016 guidelines with their letter in 2019, then they UPDATED the guidelines in November, 2022, removing any mention of MME entirely in them.

They are still recommending no more than 50-90 MME, but it is NOT in the OFFICIAL guidelines from the CDC.

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Re: Steve (# 719)

This is old news, this is not happening today. I’m really tired of getting old threads that freaked me out and then I realize it’s just being sent because someone replied recently.

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My apologies again! I'm a 20+ year Chronic Pain Patient, and as you've probably noticed I'm starting to ramble in my disgust of this "War on Chronic Pain Patients!" You cannot make me believe that all of my Doctors over the past 30 years are wrong! I had been doing great on my opioid regimen of pain medications, until they were suddenly taken away: no need for breakthrough meds, 80% pain free, a positive outlook for my future, and now all of that is gone!

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Second addendum: My apologies; I meant to say that the comments were from 2014!

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Addendum: This new guideline is from 2014! Why is it being Posted as something recent?

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Upon researching this, it is a guideline for Acute Pain, not Chronic Pain! Can anyone enlighten me on why this fact wasn't highlighted?

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I understand your situation a hundred percent. I also have been treated by a pain clinic for 22 years. i understand the 28 day cycle I totally relate to friends and relatives, even people who don’t even know me giving advice or opinions about something they know nothing about. over the years, as far back as 2001 i’ve been put on doses of medication that today would absolutely not be acceptable. However, in all of those years i’ve never mistreated my prescriptions, i never missed my monthly appointment, i’ve never felt any type of reaction like you see on tv when someone goes in for treatment and says “oh my i feel so fine” i get so tired of bureaucrats dictating to Doctors and Pharmacies, they are not Doctors and they probably would never have to worry about a bad back or injury where they would be told. gee sorry cannot help you with your pain issues. The doctor that i had for over 7 years ultimately retired because of the endless calls from pharmacies and insurance companies regarding his scripts, In 2019 i went to a orthopedic surgeon. and the first thing he said to me was I can’t operate with the high doses of medication that you are taking. I go to my next pain clinic appointment and I ask the Doctor should i look at rehab centers and he says to me why would you do that?? I said I don’t know that just seems to be what everyone has to do. He says no, don’t be ridiculous you will be fine. i was fine 6-9 months later I was within the doses the surgeon felt comfortable with, no withdrawal no physical illness, all that happened was, of course, my pain and discomfort went up. i hope you were able to work out your situation and you have all of my empathy with this I wish you the best

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Good luck, I understand, have not heard that either. I take 3 8/2 Suboxone strips a day wonder if that affects me?

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Re: Grace C. (# 5)

Both parties are ignoring the issue because no one understands it. The MSM does more harm. Insurance saves money - now billions. If we were Transgender we wouldn’t have a problem.

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This was in The Guardian 5-6 years ago:

The truth about the US "opioid crisis" - prescriptions aren’t the problem

The overdose epidemic is unmistakable. But it’s driven by illicit use of drugs. If moral panic results in more patients in pain, that would be a disaster

The news media is awash with hysteria about the opioid crisis (or opioid epidemic). But what exactly are we talking about? If you Google "opioid crisis", nine times out of 10 the first paragraph of whatever you’re reading will report on death rates. That’s right, the overdose crisis.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/07/truth-us-opioid-crisis-too-easy-blame-doctors-not-prescriptions

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CDC issues new opioid prescribing guidance, giving doctors more leeway to treat pain:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/11/03/1133908157/new-opioid-prescribing

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For your own sanity, stop trying to validate your dosage of medication to anyone. Our bodily systems build tolerances to all sorts of medicines. You could have a condition which processes medicines much quicker than other people.

I’m saying, the only person you need to explain anything to is your doctor and IMHO it DOES sound like he’s running scared from the two diabolical federal agency’s with three letter abbreviated titles.

I personally believe the DEA got CDC to write the letter with the original misinformation that ruined thousands of good people’s lives. I believe they did that thinking job security since their decades of annual billions spent on an unwinnable drug war would certainly have to eventually cost them their jobs.

Defund the police is ridiculous. It’s the DEA that needs defunding.

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If u can get a 120 a day consider urself lucky. But laws are changing this year 2022, due to DOUBLE OVERDOSES, since they reduced opiods in 2016. The deaths were a large percentage of CHRONIC PAIN patients, going on streets to buy... So FDA, realizes they wrote HALF the PRESCRIPTIONS, but deaths went up!

They just closed the comment on it from public opinion, and Dr opinion. Its important to post ur issues. I check FDA website monthly. So if the public had enough people, submitted there issues, hopefully law changes end of this year. I'm a chronic pain patient. The older I get the more they take away, as my bones are weaker, and my health is poor, mostly because my pain is NOT UNDER CONTROL.

FDA HAS A CHART CALLED A MML. If ur at 90%, that's HIGH. If ur ABOVE 90, 4 PEOPLE QUALIFIES, CANCER, END OF LIFE, people at home, that can't function daily. There's a name 4 it but can't remember. Anyway all pain meds are different MML POINTS. LIKE NORCO 1 POINT, MORPHINE 1 POINT. The rest are higher. I take 5 norco, and 2- 15mg MORPHINE. I'm at 80. I used to be on double plus oxycodone. Now I can only sit. But the MG u take times by how many PER DAY. so I take 5-10/325 norco that equals 50. Then I take 2-15 MG, MORPHINE, thats 30. Equals 80.

BUT HOPEFULLY, this will change end of year. People who are not in CHRONIC PAIN, will not get more. But all CHRONIC pain peeps, will get more pain meds. I know personally. They are expensive, but what are we supposed 2 do? I just pray it passes, and u can find MML chart on line. Google MML CHART MEDICATION. I seen the proposed MML chart if law passes, which it will. Its much better.

My son has leukemia, has to take CHEMO PILLS DAILY, they make him feel like he has the worst flu times 10. He works 16 hrs a day. And they give him 6 pills norcos. That's 60MML. He should be over 90. Its like WTF? He just moved to ft worth Texas, got his cancer doctor, and he sent him 2 pain mgmt. When I went to pain mgmt, they try 2 take away your meds. Not help relive ur pain. The system is just so MESSED UP.

Some people NEED PAIN MEDS. But, the ones that screwed everything up, was the people who DIDN'T have PAIN, and ABUSED PAIN MEDS. Now, us CHRONIC pain people suffer. New rule tho, break ur arm, DEFINITELY NOT opioids. TOOTH ACHE, NOPE. If u never had any, u won't get any. Thank lord, that was a huge problem. Anyways, if anyone does know of a good pain mgmt in FT WORTH, TEXAS, please let me know. I'm not double checking my note so hope its ok! Good luck! At if ur not getting ur MML ur QUALIFIED FOR, SAY SOMETHING TO UR DOCTOR. ITS THE LAW. Night.

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Re: Grac (# 4)

How could you become a burden to taxpayers if you were to get SS disability?? If you worked all your life and paid into it then you would get MEDICARE not MEDICAID which is given to people who have never worked or didn't work long enough to warrant enough income though SSD. You would get SSI, which is usually for people with mental disabilities who have never worked or worked very little. SSI and Medicaid ARE burdens to tax payers. Social security disability is for people who've actually worked, therefore you would get MEDICARE and you paid for it when you worked so this is NOT a burden to taxpayers!!!

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Re: Anne (# 20)

You are correct, this is not a federal law, but non specialists will use this as an excuse to send you to a pain specialist to take pain patients off their books due to our POTUS's proclamations of opioid epidemics... which can only exist if you are prescribed this from a Doctor feel good, or a stolen prescription, or hijacked ingredients from a manufacturer (I have never heard of this happening but criminals can be smart on occasion)... as you cannot make opioids in a makeshift lab like methamphetamines or crack, you must start out with the opium poppy which are not indigenous to USA growth except in research facilities. And even then it is almost impossible to find one of those, there are so few. Pharmacy supply centers have been busted by DEA for selling these off the books. Wholesalers can also be turned for enough cash (see walgreens /dea bust 2013) and you'll find where the illegal supply is coming from. When they were busted EVERY CHAIN Pharmacy put a "no new pain patient" policy in place. Due to the fact they were all doing it, Walgreens just happened to get caught, warning all the others to stop this, at least temporarily.

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Re: keikee (# 12)

Long story short. I had a prescription which I could not get filled anywhere so I finally went to ER in hopes of getting it filled at the hospital. The doctor, however, called across the street to a Walgreens who had just informed me that they did not have the medication. But the doctor was told it was in stock. So, I waited at the hospital and my friend dropped the prescription off and was told it would be ready in an hour. After getting home I got a call from the pharmacy who informed me that they made a mistake and did not have the medication. So we went back to Walgreens and talked to the pharmacist and explained that it was me that the doctor had called for. She looked at me and told me that I was told more than once that they did not have the medication and it did not matter who called; she did not have the medication.

During our conversation I used the word 'desperate'; as I had been out for days and it was going to be labor day weekend and I knew I would continue to be without unless someone helped me to fill my prescription. I got nowhere and ended up back at the hospital where the doctor finally wrote me a prescription few pills so I could then fill it at the hospital. She wrote for just a few to last until I could hopefully get my prescription filled after the holiday. I had not been home but a few minutes and the Sheriff was at my door. I was told that CVS pharmacy called them because they were worried about me! BS! Although I had proof that I had some medication after the second ER visit of the day, the Sheriff handcuffed me and had me admitted where I spent the holiday in the hospital instead of with my family. Lastly I paid 2 $100 co-pays for the ER visit and more than a $1000 to the sit in the psych ward until I could be seen by a psychiatrist!

I thought I was the only one with such an awful story; I now know I was sadly wrong!

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