Day: 02/21/2015

New Medical Marijuana Rules Adopted

http://www.sfreporter.com/santafe/article-9982-new-medical-marijuana-rules-adopted.html?utm_content=buffer78f8c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The average price for a gram of pot is $10…

Liar, liar, pants on fire…  That’s not the average price here in New Mexico — but sure, if you wanna dream, I can’t stop you.

Optimistic about his [David Romero White’s] chances to be licensed this time, he says, “This is definitely a huge step in the right direction. We all can now breathe a collective sigh of relief and move forward,” he says…

You breathe a sigh of relief Mr. White, while I sit here IN PAIN, unable to afford the renewal costs.

And if you rent your living space, you’ll need to get your landlord’s approval…

In most cases, that’s just not going to happen.  And I think the Department of Health knows that. This agency is working very hard to get smoking restricted in more places than it already is, including apartments.  And since most medical cannabis patients smoke their bud, the DOH is actually working against this program.

In conclusion, the new rules benefit producers, not patients.  But then, I’m not surprised.

Well, Mr. White (and his cohorts in the NMMCPA) must be pretty happy about this news.  Good for them.

There’s No Back Pain Surgery Can’t Make Worse

https://www.diigo.com/profile/zypczyk

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dsm5-in-distress/201501/theres-no-back-pain-surgery-cant-make-worse

Surgery is much less science based than the rest of medicine. It is almost impossible to subject to studies that are double blind and placebo controlled. Surgical guidelines are therefore necessarily much more anecdotal than based on evidence…

So back pain invites two dangers- unnecessarily invasive surgery and unnecessary life threatening addiction…

For one thing, addiction only occurs in a small percentage of pain patients who take opioids, although the media would have you believe otherwise.  Fact is, there are millions and millions of people taking these drugs, and the number who abuse or overdose is very small in comparison. Choosing to manage your pain and decrease your suffering does not invite a life-threatening addiction, especially for an educated patient.

Lynn writes: [For the purpose of my response, I will assume that Lynn is a woman.]

My GP prescribed an opioid for me. I was concerned the pills could become addictive but she (like two other doctors) blythely and incorrectly told me this would not be a problem…

See, all a patient needs is the right information, including the low percentage of patients who actually become addicted.  And if you believe everything your doctors tell you, then no one can help you.  This patient had a concern that she disregarded just because she didn’t trust her own instincts.

Diabetics who take insulin every day are addicted too.  Those who take heart medications will have to take them for the rest of their lives.  Chronic conditions require daily medications.

Part of the remedy was to realize that I was part of the problem. Yes, in anticipating pain, I was causing more pain. When we anticipate pain, we actually tense up more, which leads to more anxiety, which leads to more tightened muscles and then more pain…

Sure, blame the patient.  In this case, blame yourself.  Tell me, how do you control “anticipation” when dealing with constant pain?  There’s no anticipation of pain — it’s always there.  Sure, you can be nervous or anxious about potential pain storms, but this “remedy” of realizing the patient is the problem — and not the pain — doesn’t make sense.

Maybe a patient can be blamed for how she handles and reacts to the pain, at least by some doctors and other pain patients, but the pain came first.  First, blame the pain, and then have some empathy for those who are unable to control their suffering.

Once I realized that I’m in charge, I felt better. Really, absolutely true…

Ha, that’s so funny… believing you’re in charge of your pain.  Believing you’re in control of which treatments work and which don’t.  Yeah, I’m laughing my ass off right now… while, all of a sudden, feeling better because I now believe I’m in charge of my pain.  It’s a miracle.  (Not.)

Opioid drugs often only disguise the pain and are NOT the best remedy for fixing or alleviating it…

There is no remedy or fix, and there is only so much pain that can be alleviated with any treatment, including opioids.  These drugs do what they’re supposed to do — disguise the pain, allow you to distract yourself from it, and get on with your life.  The purpose of most drugs is not to cure an illness, but to manage it.

I would recommend not starting them at all and if you are on them slowly get off…

I would recommend doing whatever works for you.  Don’t let anyone scare you away from the treatments that work.  No one else but you has to live with your pain.  No one else but you knows what works for you.  Don’t make your decisions based on rhetoric like this.