DrugBuyers.Com: Letter from Dr. Fisher

Subject: Letter from Dr. Fisher

We have a link to Dr. Fisher and to many other valuable information sources at: https://drugbuyers.com/members/links
We just received a letter from Dr. Fisher and we enclose it below
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Thank you for including a link to my Web site, on yours. My battle for pain patients rights is proceeding quite nicely.

Here is a fact sheet I recently wrote for patients and other lay people, which you are welcome to post, or use as you see fit.

Regards,
Frank B. Fisher, MD

CHRONIC PAIN AND OPIOIDS

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is a progressive disease of the nervous system, caused by failure of the bodys internal pain control systems. The disease is accompanied by changes in the chemical and anatomical makeup of the spinal cord. Chronic pain is a malignancy, in the sense that when it goes untreated, it increases in intensity and spreads to areas that werent previously affected, damaging the sufferers health and functioning.

Why treat chronic pain with opioids?
Opioids are best known to the public as endorphins, which produce the state of euphoria called the runners high. They are substances naturally produced within the body to regulate pain, by activating the mechanisms within the nervous system, which keep pain from getting out of control. Chronic pain victims, who cant make enough opioids of their own, often benefit from supplementation with pharmaceutical opioids.

What are the goals of treatment?

1) Lowering of pain levels.
2) Reducing suffering through restoration of functioning in life activities, as close to normal as possible.
3) Arresting and reversing the damage done by chronic pain to the nervous system and overall health of the patient.

Are opioids dangerous?
When taken as prescribed by your doctor, opioids are among the safest drugs available.

What about those Oxycontin deaths reported in the media?
Oxycontin, like other opioids, is safe for patients who take their medicine as prescribed. Oxycontin deaths occur in habitual substance abusers, not patients, and are usually the result of combining the drug with overdoses of alcohol and other drugs. These are deaths associated with Oxycontin, not caused by it, and they are not occurring in patients.

Will I have to take opioids for the rest of my life?
Opioids can be discontinued whenever they are no longer needed. Patients often recover from chronic pain, and return to active lives.

Will I get addicted, and how can I tell if I am?

Opioid addiction in pain patients is extremely rare. Addiction is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine as, continued use in spite of harm. If opioids make your life better by controlling pain, you are a pain patient. If they make your life worse, and you continue to use them, you are an addict.

Will I have to take larger and larger doses to control my pain?

For most patients, their dose remains stable over long periods of time.

Will I get high, or lose control?

When opioids are taken on a regular schedule, tolerance quickly develops, and the psychological high completely goes away, leaving the user feeling completely normal. Long-term opioid users, as a group, have driving records for accidents and violations that are the same as everyone elses.

Will I hurt myself because I dont feel any pain?

No. Opioids improve functioning by reducing pain levels. They dont remove all the pain, or the ability to perceive new pain.

Will I become dependent?

You may. Dependence means that if opioids are abruptly discontinued you will have a physical withdrawal reaction, similar to having the flu. This reaction can be prevented by gradually tapering off the medication. Dependence is a physical phenomenon, not a sign of addiction.

What if I had a previous substance abuse problem?

This should not prevent a trial of opioids. Studies at Harvard Medical School and the University of Washington indicate that a past history of substance abuse has little predictive value for failure of opioid treatment. If you have current behavioral or substance abuse problems, you may have trouble with opioid treatment.

Are there any side effects?

Constipation, nausea, itching, insomnia, and drowsiness commonly occur. All of these side effects can be successfully managed

Will the medicine damage my liver?

No. Opioids occur naturally in the body, and are not harmful to any organ system. They can be taken safely for a lifetime, if necessary. Anti-inflammatory non-opioid medications such as Motrin, Naprosyn, and Vioxx, on the other hand, kill 16,500 patients each year through bleeding from the stomach, and are toxic to the liver and kidneys.

What is the correct dose?

The amount that allows optimal functioning is the correct dose. There is no upper limit to the dose of opioids that can be safely used, when the medicine is increased gradually.

Why wont my doctor prescribe enough opioids to control my pain?
He is too scared. As part of the war on drugs, law enforcement is conducting a witch hunt against pain doctors who prescribe opioids. Most physicians wont risk being targeted by law enforcement, because they have families to support. As a result, chronic pain sufferers have become non-combatant casualties in the war on drugs.

Frank B. Fisher, MD
http://www.drfisher.org

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"Whosoever is spared personal pain must feel himself called to help in diminishing the pain of others." Dr Albert Schweitzer