The local pain management clinics here just cut everyone off week before last. And I mean everyone. The whole town and surrounding town patients. Didnt matter what opioid was prescribed or the extent of their diagnosis and medical history. No warning, no opiate refills. Only buprenorphine and suboxone. The local Facebook groups are lighting up about it. Hundreds of people with serious problems. My wife was born with Klippel-Fiel syndrome a rare skeletal disease. Vertebra fused together, spinal curvature, one shoulder blade about 4 inches higher than the other, left arm 6 inches shorter. Her fingers are atrophied on her left hand and unusable except as a hook. She has no thumb on that hand. One kidney, twin malformed reproductive tracts and many other problems associated with this rare disease. She's 55 and works her ass off every day. Never needed pain treatment until 3 years ago. She has already outlived the life expectancy of Klipper-Fiel patients. But her spine and shoulder gets worse every year and its totally untreatable. She's just on a small dose of Norco 7.5mg and the clinic pretty much said screw you. She has her own business and the talk this week is having to retire. After 2 years they cut me off also. Norco 10mg for pinched nerves and arthritis. It doesn't take all the pain away but it keeps me able to live a semi-active lifestyle with a pain level I can handle with my heart failure diagnosis. I had a dozen spinal injections that would only last 2-3 days before they prescribed me painkillers. And even though we both have months and months of extra medicine from taking less than the prescribed dosage we want to face this problem now instead of later. Im a light cannabis smoker and she doesn't smoke at all....never has, not one time and never will. Im not worried about myself its my wife who concerns me I hate to see her upset and in pain and having to quit what she loves because stupid lawmakers have threatened these doctors. They need to work on the Fentanyl laced drugs coming across the border but they cant stop illegals so how can they stop illegals carrying drugs?
We both already take Gabapentin. Me for nerve pain associated with shingles and her for a different problem but it doesn't provide any pain relief for us.
We are open to and would like to explore other options. The internet isnt much help because nothing is as effective as opiates.
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