Sunday, October 21, 2018

I'm Afraid History is Repeating It's Self Read this 1996 Kingman Daily Miner Article and the 2017 Article

The article in this post is a Kingman Daily Miner article about my fight for pain relief back in 1996. I fear history repeating it's self.

This is a LINK to a February 2017 Kingman Daily Miner article the Politics of Pain 


1996
This is the original 1996 article Kingman Resident in Tough Battle for Pain Relief, Hist Rock Wall was written by Abbie Gripman a staff writer for the Kingman Daily Miner at the time. 









Friday, October 19, 2018

WARNING Counterfeit Opioid Tablets Contained Fentanyl Found in Arizona

Deadly synthetic opioids found in several Arizona cities


Several law enforcement agencies across Arizona, including Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma are alerting the public that street drugs containing deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl and carfentanil have been showing up across the state.
According to the national institute on drug abuse, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Carfentanil is a sedative used for very large animals, such as elephants.
These pills may be sold on the street as oxycodone, and can be deadly. White Mountain Independent Link to Article 
If you have pills you think may contain Fentanyl or Carfentanil please contact Dusti at Kingman Harm Reduction 3505 Western Ave 
She's open Wednesdays 12-7:30 and Fridays 8:30-3:30 and has test strips for Fentanyl or Carfentanil as well as Naloxone and other supplies.  

Monday, October 15, 2018

Doctors Urge CDC to Clarify Rx Opioid Guideline in Letter

Doctors Urge CDC to Clarify Rx Opioid Guideline in Letter

Hundreds of doctors and healthcare professionals have written a letter to the CDC, asking the agency to make a "bold clarification" of its controversial 2016 opioid guideline. 

They believe many chronic pain patients have suffered under the CDC guideline because it has led to widespread tapering and discontinuation of opioids. 

Read the Whole Story on The Pain News Network

The FDA is requesting comments concerning abuse medical usefulness of marijuana and 16 other substances

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting interested persons to submit comments concerning abuse potential, actual abuse, medical usefulness, trafficking, and impact of scheduling changes on availability for medical use of 16 drug substances. 

These comments will be considered in preparing a response from the United States to the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the abuse liability and diversion of these drugs. 

WHO will use this information to consider whether to recommend that certain international restrictions be placed on these drugs. This notice requesting comments is required by the Controlled Substances Act (the CSA)

Food and Drug Administration Comments Here

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

If You Have Chronic Pain You Need to Know About Trigger Points

I just learned about trigger points and WOW they really work.

My new pain doctor told me about trigger points and how he could inject a small amount medicine and relieve some of my pain. I love my doctor and trust him 100%, but I hate needles..... That's when he told me that I could get temporary relief using pressure on the trigger points. 

One night when I was hurting we printed the anterior trigger points. My wife didn't have much problem finding #1 and #5 on the chart as they were pretty tender. She used her elbow and pressed as hard as she could counting out 30 seconds. Then she moved on to the next trigger point and did the same thing.

When I got up off the bed I couldn't believe I didn't hurt, at least not as much. It had relieved about 80% of the pain. I could even stand up straight and walk without much pain.

Now when I get that pain down the back of my leg and it's hard to walk, my wife uses her elbow on #1 and #5 for 30 seconds, and it's much better.

If you have chronic pain look into the trigger point links below they can really make a difference. I was surprised how something so simple could make such a difference...

Locations are where you'll find sore spots or small muscle knots
Referrals are where pain may refer when a trigger point is pushed

Links
Anterior Trigger Point Locations
Posterior Trigger Point Locations
Anterior Trigger Point Referrals
Posterior Trigger Point Referrals

Great Page on How Trigger Points Work


Sunday, October 7, 2018

HHS Recommendations on Chronic Pain Due Late October MUST READ

This is a must read article for pain patients in 

HHS Recommendations on Chronic Pain Due Late October


You have another chance to tell the Department of Health and Human Services your story...
It’s going to be the end of October before we see the set of draft recommendations of The Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force. Once the recommendations are released, there will be an extensive public comment period where the patients, providers, and policy makers can weigh in.

The Article Say's
 "Tellingly, the Task Force will recommend against imposition of any mandated numerical daily dose threshold. This position in effect contradicts much of the CDC Guidelines and State regulations based on them".

"It will be interesting to see if the final report extends this principle to 2019 rule changes of HHS/CMS authorizing “soft” and “hard” edits of prescription plans at 50 and 200 Morphine Milligram Equivalent Daily Dose levels".
"Mandatory or coercive tapering of high dose legacy patients is unjustified and risky unless some condition in the individual patient’s health justifies such action". 
The 90-day comment period will trigger a process that will result in a final report to Congress in May 2019.