Actually they are more blaming tje pain specialists for prescribing narcotics in the first place. They have actually developed a drug when a heroin ID occurs that if given promptly will counter the OD. so what addicts are doing now in our area is shooting up in the hospital parking lot. I know the director of the hospital lab, he is also the chaplain...he said they find used needles in the hospital parking constantly.

They have lots if successful treatment centers here...but there are some who just don't want help so they are pressuring the pain specialists to lower doses of all narcotics to a very low morphine equivalent.

I told them that if I dropped it to that level I might as well NOT be on it. They insisted that it could help a little. I said the difference between pain level 9.5 & 10 still would leave me non- functional. Thank heavens a treatment they started with viscois lidocaine & the finding of CBD oil that seems to stop the migraine within 15 minutes. I was able to lower my dose with the stock pile I had accumulated for emergencies. Halfed the dose every few months for a year & never experienced withdrawal. But it is important for people who want to get onto a narcotic....even a synthetic one that they end up having to go through this process when they come off of it. Not a fun process & some MD'S just stop prescribing it if they suspect the person is addicted.

I had a period of time when there was a recall on the patches. If my friend wasn't the head pharmacist who knew the system & had contact with other stores to find it for me, it wouldn't have been a good situation.

It is nice not to have possibiluties like that hanging over my head....& I am thankful that my pain isn't as bad as it had been even when initially taking a lower dose (they still considered high) maybe the stressful marriage I was in added to the migraine pain making it continuous. Just glad it's not bad like it was. I couldn't take migraine meds because they messed with my heart so the narcotic actually had the least side effects.....however EVERY narcotic will cause bad constipation to the point hospitalization may be necessary. I can't use morphine or it's derivitives as it causes me to itch from head to toe