antique
Banned
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 215
Loc: east coast
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I was just thinking about how productivity and lost days from work (less income tax paid)are often given as justifications (or at least factors) in government-generated articles about drug use...granted they are usually talking about illegal drug use. But I would be interested to know how much loss of productivity by us workerbees could be attributed to our inability to get good pain medications so that we can function? I don't guess our gov't will fund that study anytime soon.
I would be willing to bet that if the laws were changed to make it easier for people to get strong pain meds that the increase in productivity from people in pain being able to function better would far outweigh the loss of productivity due to people abusing the meds. I know I'm not the first to muse about this. It was just on my mind right now.
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IMSUSCOT1
Threadhead
Reged: 10/23/02
Posts: 868
Loc: usa
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Before I found my PM specialist, my surgeon & other assorted docs here were encouraging me to apply for SSI disability....I had been off work for 7 mos following my 3rd spinal fusion (this time with lots of hardware, just to make sure it held), my surgeon released me for work, but there was no way I could work 8 hours a day in the pain I was in....of course their story was that I didn't want to work & all I wanted to do was stay at home & get "high" off my pain meds....which they didn't want to prescribe anyway....after finding my PM doc, angel that he is, (despite the fact he's over 400 miles away and I have to fly to see him), I work 50-70 hours per week....aren't ya'll glad your not supporting me? I know I am! Your right, someone should do a study!
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wat853son
Member
Reged: 04/28/03
Posts: 150
Loc: USA
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Antique - very good point.
As a CPr, I do agree w/your main point 100% and feel that this community past, present & future make significant productive contributions to the workforce. A genuine concern though is workplace safety. We are all different & respond, metabolize & experience an array of side-effects & contraindications from our prescribed routines. This can, and data demonstrates, pose an occupational hazard to some depending on essential job functions of course.
This is oversimplified but a concern. Ideally all CPrs would be productively employed performing more than make-work via some poorly managed return-to-work effort at the same time while not increasing any occupational hazard. I have personally witnessed a serious injury as a direct result of an employee operating machinery under the prescription of 10/325 working in modified duty capacity. So I agree but with caution.
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antique
Banned
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 215
Loc: east coast
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You're right and I would have realized that if I hadn't been so out of it. Just kidding. Actually, the reason I wasn't thinking about impairment is that it's not a problem for me. (At least not due to the pain meds).  Either the painkillers don't effect me as much that way or it's the minimum doses I take or both. Good point though because I know other people are affected differently and need more of the meds and stronger meds than I do to make their lives bearable.
I don't know if the way I take my meds would work for others, but I cut the pills into fourths and take 1/4 at a time, give it a few minutes to work & take another 1/4 just as I am becoming uncomfortable with the level of pain. I do not take enough painkiller to completely kill the pain. I shoot for bearable because I have to be able to concentrate intensely at my job. Smaller doses taken more often is what it amounts to. It's a tradeoff.
Also, it may not be safe to cut open all types of pain meds. I only do this with the hydro/APAP, and I don't crush it. I think that taking the smaller doses spread out helps slow down development of tolerance.
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antique
Banned
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 215
Loc: east coast
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I actually did find a study about loss of productivity due to chronic pain. It doesn't relate or compare the loss of productivity due to untreated or undertreated pain, but given our own experiences it's a good guess that most of these people with chronic pain were being undertreated.
Here's the link:
http://www.partnersagainstpain.com/html/profed/pmc/pe_pmc3.htm?pg=7631
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IMSUSCOT1
Threadhead
Reged: 10/23/02
Posts: 868
Loc: usa
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I agree...but if you've been on long term opiod therapy, the beauty of tolerance is that the "deficits" that accompany narcotic use initially fade....so for someone who is returning to work after an injury and been on narcotics a few months probably requires more scrutiny than someone whose been on narcotics for 3 years....I also know that when my docs were prescribing 10 different meds for me to keep me off narcotics, I was a huge danger to myself & everyone around me, a literal zombie! So it's not a cut & dried issue..
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phlebomom
Stranger
Reged: 09/15/03
Posts: 16
Loc: Ohio
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I wonder the same thing. I had to give up my job as a phlebotomist, running an entire lab for a large international company. I enjoyed my work and miss it very much! I know that had I been able to get a long-acting opiate then I would probably still be working. That is just my opinion. I feel that especially the oxy gives you energy and you are more well-rested then ever and therfore able to be much more productive at work. People with chronic pain have not only pain, but many other issues including sleep problems, depression, and many other things that affect our capability to do our jobs well if at all! I only hope one day the medical community and the goverment realizes the benefits and not just the risks of using long-term opiate therapies for non-malignant, chronic pain. Big changes would happen, I garauntee it! Anyone else agree or I am I off my rocker? Having been on both sides of the fence I can tell you that it is the lesser of two evils to be on a narcotic drug for your chronic pain than to suffer everyday and have no quality of life, staying in bed, not participating in things like you used to. It sucks! At least with the pain meds you can have some quality of life. You don't have to worry that you will be too ill to go to the family function that has been in planning for months. You can go out with friends and have fun without worrying that the pain will return right in the middle of the evening and you will have to cut the night short and make another excuse to go home so you can cry in private. Okay, I think I've made my point, but I really think there should be something we as CPer's can do! If anyone has any ideas then let's put them into action! So that our future generations don't have to suffer the same way we are suffering. God bless.
Donna 
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phlebomom
Stranger
Reged: 09/15/03
Posts: 16
Loc: Ohio
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One more thing to note. There has been a new study put out that states that the use of something called kappa opiods are faring very well with women. They don't have the addiction potential, constipation risk, and tolerance issues that traditional opiates offer. Men unfortunately do not benefit from these types of drugs as women do, but at least we women may have something to fall back on in the future. It does sound promising. I know that if this whole staying off the meds completely thing doesn't work out and my pain is not controlled in some other way, then I am talking to my doctor ab out trying them. Just thought you all might like the info on this. Have great day and God bless.
Donna
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antique
Banned
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 215
Loc: east coast
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Thanks for the info, Phlebomom. I made a note about the kappa opioids.
I know for me the painkillers allow me to have much greater productivity in addition to the better quality of life.
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