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I am curious if any other veteran has had opiates taken away from them. Were you tapered off or was it more drastic? If you have, what other treatment options are they offering you? I ask these questions because the VA will start my tapering off of morphine for the next 6 months. I saw my PCP last month and he didn’t have a clue as to what the VA will do for pain. I brought up the IMPACT program and he then remembered that he had undergone some training in that and had accupuncture done several times a week and it helped him with his back pain. But what they will do with me is still an unknown issue. I am planning on contacting the Patient Advocate to see if they can find out anything for me. I will write about my journey in hopes that some of my fellow vets will find something they can use that will help them out. Good luck.
Semper Fi!
TPC_Opa
TPC Community Moderator
“The views or opinion(s) contained herein do not necessarily represent those of The Pain Community.”
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Whow, nobody answer this. I know it’s been a year but have you found help? I am a disabled Veteran. VA has not helped me with my pain. I have to go outside to get pain management and medicine. I take Morphin & Oxycodone. I am not sure I would be alive without them. Dorn VA Medical center in SC don’t give out too many pain medications. Even if I have years of doctors and specialist notes. Let me know if you have found a better way to there hearts.
I hope this website works better. To wait a year. Shame
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I haven’t experienced this thankfully. It’s the General Practictioner’s I feel like I have to have a good relationship with as I have a pain specialist that justifies what level of medication I’m on. I have had one Dr day I won’t be prescribing these meds anymore just before my wedding and honeymoon. I was very anxious but luckily found a new GP but now he’s on medical leave and I’m looking for a Dr that is willing to prescribe the meds I need. I feel like I’m going around conducting interviews lol
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I am currently going through a local spine clinic and getting oxycodone rx’d to me. It saddens me that the suicide rate has climbed through the roof here in the state that I live in. So many veterans have been unable to gain relief from there pain and have decided to ” check out “. I can empathize with that so am glad that I have found some relief from the pain. All I can say is that my thoughts are with them and I hope that they can find some relief and not take their lives.
Semper Fi!
marinesgt
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I am a 70 year old Vietnam combat veteran.the veterans administration put me on hydrocodone 15 years ago for severe back pain and bursitis in my hips. about a year ago I went to see my primary care physician at the veterans administration was told that there was no more prescriptions for hydrocodone to be given. I could take morphine if I wanted to. I chose to take the morphine and took it for quite a few months. However, did not work for me did not make me feel very good. I had stomach problems xcetera. So I decided to wean myself off of the morphine and let me tell you it was no picnic. I was sick for about a week but finally got off of the morphine. Now what? I started seeing a pain specialist outside of the VA and he started giving me cortisone shots in my back and in my hips. I get them as needed now. I take baclofen which is a muscle relaxant and I use ice and heat. I also use ibuprofen as needed. I have good days bad days and some very bad days. It is a struggle that I deal with everyday and sometimes it gets me down. That’s my story I wish you all the best.
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Hello all, I’ve been on pain meds for many years for several ailments and started using the VA in 2015 and the PCM I was assigned established all of my prescriptions including my pain meds. Last month went I requested a refill online through secure messaging my new provider (this is my 4th) told me that that the VA no longer offers narcotic or opioid chronic pain management and a taper is mandated. Now my main issue with this is I’ve never met and or have I ever been examined by the ARNP that I’m assigned to, we have no medical doctor at my facility. According to numerous articles and literature on VA websites the following must occur: prior to any changes in therapy a caregiver needs to discuss the risks of continued use along with possible benefits. Additionally there needs to be an established plan to consider dose reduction and to consult with specialists, or to consider alternative pain management strategies when considering an opioid taper. A physician needs to monitor conditions that may warrant additional evaluation and arrange follow-up care when indicated. The caregiver needs to ensure that screening and treatment is offered for conditions that can complicate pain management before initiating opioid taper since numerous factors go into the speed of taper selected, suggests only 5 to 20% every 4 weeks depending on dose, duration and any risk factors of medical conditions. Now my dose was cut by 66%, from 84 tablets to 28 tablets. I have been communicating thru the secure messaging and the clinic has responded with letters. My issue is what the hell am I suppose to do? The clinic refuses to make me an appointment to discuss this and said I can only make one for my annual…all the correspondence ends with I can seek an out of the VA provider who would accede to my wishes…My wish is that I didn’t have so much pain that I cry several times a week, I can’t sleep because the pain wakes me up and I’ve been getting by with a very low dosage, along with ibuprofen, joint gel, heat and ice. What can we do???
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Hello Susan, I am in the same boat unfortunately. We can thank the president for a lot of it. It depends on what state you are in, well for outside Help I mean, VA is about the same in the US. I take Morphine and Oxycodone, but I have to go outside the VA to a pain specialist. I am living in fear each month hoping and praying that the medications are not taken away from me. VA just mainly says the pain is in my thought, some psychological medications is all they will give. It plays with you mind and I find I am confused and still in pain. I am not sleeping much, but the can’t give me medications for that. It is a sad and miserable life. I really don’t think I can live without help. I am a believer in God, so suicide is not Godly. But man pain never goes away. VA is trying to be the cold hearted SOB. I am sorry I have not been much help. I just needed to vent. I hope you understand. Right now the option are better outside of VA. Good luck and keep your head up. Let us all know it you find anything. We’ll do the same.
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Thank you Tyron for sharing and I know how hard it is and I’m really afraid when I get those last 28 pills next week. I have pain on top of pain if you know what I mean and pain is real, it’s not a figment of our imagination. I’m having back injections in the morning so I haven’t been allowed to take ibuprofen (which I use with my pain meds) for the week prior to, so hopefully I’ll get a little relief. You know my mom has lots of pain, many medical issues and I have thought in the past that she takes lots of meds and it should help, but now I know it doesn’t take it away, it can numb some of it though. I’m waiting until after my procedure to change over from TRICARE Prime to US Family Health Plan and maybe I can find a doctor to listen. I had great health care and a great doctor before I got laid off, so know I rely on TRICARE and the VA and its really frustrating. I understand about not sleeping, I might fall asleep, but in a few hours I’m up, I use my heating pad 24/7, started drinking tea and usually fall back to sleep in a bad position and then I hurt even more. I’m going to contact the Patient Advocate for my area and let them know what happened, that my provider who I’ve never seen made a decision without considering my physical or mental health, or lack of. I’ll keep you posted. Good luck to you and remember that each of us is worth it, we matter and if you ever get low, make a phone call, reach out to a friend, or post here and I’ll respond. I’m still trying to figure this site out, bear with me, but know that you have me in your corner.
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Sorry That I haven’t gotten back to anyone sooner. I have been off of pain meds for 1 1/2 years now, not by choice. Mine must have been one of the first VA’s to start this new policy. They also have switched to the mind over matter policy. The VA has tried several methods with me over the years to alleviate my chronic pain. Hypnotherapy, biofeedback, etc. None of them worked and I have a high tolerance to pain meds. I had been going outside the system to a spine specialist for pain meds, but was dropped from that place due to my missing a couple of appointments. I have had to learn to live with the pain because of my high tolerance and now lack of any sort of pain med. My spine is deteriorating due to bulging and herniated discs. I am currently going to physical therapy 1 x per week to ” strengthening my core ” Haven’t noticed improvements but will continue to make the 2-3 hour round trip and see if it will help. Not holding up much hope because I had something pop in my back 2 weeks ago that laid me out flat for a week. I am thinking one of the bulging discs herniated in my lumbar but won’t know til my next round of MRI’s. Will keep updating and let you know if I notice any improvements.
TCP_Opa
TPC Community Moderator“The views or opinion(s) contained herein do not necessarily represent those of The Pain Community.”
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All of the posts under the “pain management” topic are old… are any of you posting authors still tracking?
I had to taper under the VA as well. I am extremely fortunate that my body is able to handle withdrawal without EXTREME discomfort (everybody is different), but the pain is so much worse than I imagined it would be after years of reasonable relief with the morphine. My VA prescription was at an incredible level at 460mg of MS Contin (morphine) daily towards the end of my VA prescription. I had been using morphine since 1985 (still on active duty until 1992 – then dropped after 18.5 yrs because of my lower back disability). Dealing with this pain without the buffer of a painkiller is the hardest part as my pain is with me ALWAYS. I cannot sleep in a conventional manner and can only sort of nap when my body is comfortable enough to do so at any time of the day or night.
I submitted a post earlier under the “pain” topic which describes my situation in a little more detail if any are interested.
Has anybody found any satisfaction or significant, real pain relief? I need to know ASAP as I am going through another breakthrough pain week and can no longer receive pain meds (oxycodone) from my civilian pain clinic. I read that there are a few of you who have had intrathecal pumps implanted into your abdomens, but the comments I have read here and on other sites indicate that the pumps are marginally useful, and only for moderate- to medium-level pain. It might just be another money-maker for the medical money machine – hospitals & facilities, pump surgeons and the RNs who perform the refills. My pump hasn’t provided any sort of relief from my pain – not one tiny bit. I tried fentanyl first, then morphine – no relief!!
According to my observations from frequent monitoring of the VA, I find that they have improved immensely under the scrutiny of one of our country’s former leaders, but this no-pain control mindset is KILLING veterans! Unchecked pain is just as dangerous as pain controlled by meds, so why doesn’t the VA err to the benefit of the veterans who served their country with the all-too-real possibility of coming back home hurt, disabled, or in a casket. Pain, however mild or strong, is a form of perpetual physical trauma.
I have looked for and tried everything that I thought might help to take my pain level down to a more tolerable level. DRs and RNs are liars when they say that it’s OK, all sufferers eventually grow accustomed to the pain. My pain clinic DR and RN just told me that today – so I and the Sierra Vista and Tucson, AZ Desert Sky Pain and Sports Medicine clinics are done as of today. I am moving on to my next potential solution.
When the VA took my pain relief away, I drank alcohol for relief. I knew it wasn’t good for me, but, despite what my DRs and RNs have said about alcohol, it actually helped me to a degree. Then I found out about Kratom. I tried it and it helped some as well – not a huge amount, but enough to ease things a little. The combination (Kratom/alcohol) was helpful to me, but turned out to be potentially dangerous to my health. I learned later that Kratom is as dangerous for the liver as alcohol if not more.
There are 4 factors that had a hand in causing issues with my liver, but the VA refuses to recognize or refer to anything but the alcohol use. The poison in the water at Camp Lejeune that I drank for 6 months every day (20yo in 1975) must have hurt my body/liver some. I was an athlete at the time and rehydrated daily after physical activities with several quarts of poison water to replenish the large amounts of water that I lost to perspiration. Rehydrating with poison in the water is like drinking a concentrated form of the chemicals in the water.
I took large, oral doses of MS Contin and other opioids for 35 yrs (since 1985) – couldn’t have helped my liver either. Kratom and alcohol (2016 through 2021) were what I was using before I learned that I was harming my major body organs. But, the VA only hears what they want and there is no official mention of possible damage caused by high doses of MS Contin, definitely nothing about the poison in the water at Camp Lejeune. And they don’t acknowledge that Kratom use can hurt the liver. They like to say that it is because of alcohol ONLY. It benefits the VA to classify me in that manner because it gives them the power to deny certain medications and medical services without detailed justification.
Also, it seems like the VA employees enjoy making entries in my health records that make me look a drug seeker. I heard about a treatment that was being performed in California which involves an infusion of Ketamine. I did not know what Ketamine was when my sister in CA told me about it. But when I asked a VA RN about it, she made a log entry stating that “patient is asking for illegal drugs.” I just don’t see compassion in many VA employees or at my former pain clinic nor do they try to understand what a patient is really saying rather than half-listening and assuming that they understand the whole story.
I am fighting all of this and will take it to the end. Although many of the remarks on this website are old, I’m hoping some of you are still monitoring this website. If anyone is interested in my progress – especially if I find some workable solution to my extreme pain – just reply and I will ensure that I keep interested pain-sufferers apprised of my progress.
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Hi James,
I am so sorry to hear all that you have endured and are still going through. I was not in the military so I am not much help with the VA system. However, I do know a couple folks and I will reach out to them to see if they have any insight that can help you.
I have been seeing some commercials regarding the tainted water at Camp Lejeune I do hope that those affected are taken care of.
I would be honored to stay in touch with you to follow your progress.
As I stated I am not connected to the military however I have lived with pain for 30 years so I do understand that part all too well.
Take care,
TPC_YaYa
TPC Community Moderator“The views or opinion(s) contained herein do not necessarily represent those of The Pain Community.”
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Jaimes,
Sorry to hear about all the problems you are having to deal with the VA. Unfortunately, I hear this all to often from fellow veterans. I served at Camp Lejeune from 1984-1987 so was on the tail end before they finally capped off the wells. In the last few months I have been going through a battery of tests after they noticed problems with my liver. Still no set prognosis but they are blaming Tylenol and alchohol. Have you registered with the VA that the VA has for Camp Lejeune vets?
Getting pain meds from any source is next to impossible now. Talking to my primary care about what I am supposed to do about my chronic pain and all she did was give me lidocaine patches and a topical ointment, neither of which do anything for the pain. I wish you the best for finding some relief from pain.Semper Fi,
TCP-Opa” The views and oppinion(s) contained herin do not necessarily represent those of the Pain Community “
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Part 2 – I forgot to respond to the remarks that I read above regarding the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that poisoned the water at Camp Lejeune. TPC_Opa – I will not register anything with the VA and, unless there is an overwhelming reason to do so, I will not (am I missing something?)! While their services have improved somewhat, and the VBA (Veterans Benefits Administration – distributes benefit funding for physically disabled veterans such as home modification with wheelchair ramps, doors/halls widened, house entrances/thresholds lowered to allow wheelchair access) is great, they still don’t have the compassion to help with pain in a real, quickly-measurable manner (such as oral opioid medication). Also, if is more than one possible cause for failing livers, and one of them is past alcohol consumption, they will select the alcohol as the ONLY culprit despite however small the amount that you might have drank – they will do everything they can to remove the water poisoning at Camp Lejeune from any consideration. I believe that the reason they do that is because the medical community will not give a liver transplant to one who damaged their liver through excessive alcohol use. So, for all of the above reasons, I will not petition the VA for any help with my liver. The VA likes to shape circumstances to their benefit. Those of you on VA/military disability from the Viet Nam era and/or the Desert Storm/Shield wars have probably already learned that every percentage (in increments of 10) gained in disability is earned with months/years of perseverance and the enlistment of a Law Group. I was finally awarded 100% disability from the VA around 2019, but I had been working on it since I left the Marine Corps in 1992 following a failed spinal surgery at Camp Pendleton. I will not alert the VA to the fact that I am seeking compensation for my disabilities from the VOCs in the Lejeune water wells. My legal representatives have staff doctors/surgeons to advise with the Lejeune legal cases and I was informed that my liver cirrhosis (compensated, almost got to stage 4, but was caught just in time – now somewhere between stages 2 & 3) and spinal deterioration are the result of the VOCs. So, I will see where this goes in the next 6~12 months.
Just FYI… since it takes sooooo very long to settle with gov’t bureaucracies – especially if you seek disability with the limitations of your own personal representation, your requests will be denied time after time until you tire of the process or you are actually able to wear them down. Legal representation works for me at any cost if they can make it happen ASAP and with the best settlement. Since they charge percentages only if they win the case for you, it is such an easy process. If they win a disability percentage, they can only charge you from the lump sum received from the backlog, so that is the reason they try to back up the eligibility date as far as they can.
If you do decide to register with the VA and expect them to make things right, understand that they are going to do things as cheaply as possible. That is the nature of our federal gov’t unless they are just giving things away to people who are not even citizens of our country!! What about our veterans? They need and deserve help more than those who steal it from our complicit gov’t. Healthy veterans as well as those who are disabled? Isn’t our gov’t obligated to take care of citizen/military personnel first? Veterans who have not been combat-wounded are just as deserving as those who have, although combat-wounded should have priority. All veterans joined with the intent to fight and with the knowledge that they might die during their service. So willingness counts for something! And then there are those who were hurt through the negligence of our own gov’t.
Anyway, the VA is going to offer disability payments from their standard scale of 10~100% for the Lejeune VOC-drinkers. This one opportunity to hold the gov’t responsible involves staying with the private sector and away from the VA or, at least, don’t alert them to the fact that you are seeking compensation. I don’t know what they can do, but it is possible that you could be denied any legal settlement if you accept free medical treatment or are “awarded” a disability rating from the VA. Also, compensation won by a law group can greatly exceed any amount of disability offered by the VA. If you have investigated the published reports regarding symptoms from the Lejeune VOCs, you will know, or should be informed, that the current symptom list is very much incomplete. The gov’t is the entity that decides which ailments will be considered. However, my law group has enough clout to include other logically VOC-induced symptoms, so those who have been at Camp Lejeune sometime during the 30-year +/- period of the VOC pollution and drank/bathed in the water should check them out. Pintas & Mullins Injury Lawyers. I have agreed to give them 40% of any settlement I receive, but if you are so inclined to fight huge bureaucracies, you might be able to negotiate downward. I’m just tired of fighting with the gov’t and want to get this done and over. I paid Binder & Binder 20% to settle my military disability – well worth the time, effort, and frustration that I did not have to expend. And, I paid the same to Hill & Ponton (I think) to represent me for my SocSec disability. Again, well worth it.
I have access to a lot of information because of my complete lack of mobility, so I can do research all day. If you need any help or have questions, just let me know. God bless and be with all of you who responded to the call to serve in the US Military regardless of the possibility of death or injury.
S/F, – Jim
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