I think in response to your question a lot of it is bias on the doctor's part. A doctor that my husband and I used before would give him very little pain meds when he had a terrible back condition. In my case, I also have problems with my back but not anything like my husbands and could just give the doc a call and he would prescribe me anything from Vicodin to Stadol. Both which I did not care for but the point is that he did treat my husband and I much differently in response to pain meds.