Some Governors oppose pain medication that isn't laced with poison

NightSwimmer said:

Look, some folks have to live with serious, chronic pain. I'm proud that I'm not one of them. At least, not yet. So why should I care? Because who knows when I might join the ranks of those who suffer from intense pain on a daily basis? All it takes is one unfortunate accident.

Zohydro is a new oxycodone based pain medication. It is a potential replacement for drugs like Vicodin or Lortab. These drugs have, in the recent past (since the inception of the War on Drugs), always been sold only as "combination drugs". By combining the primary pain medication (opiates) with a large dose of acetaminophen, these drugs are rendered highly toxic in large doses. The idea is to prevent opiate abuse by lacing the opioids available to pain patients with a poisonous substance that will destroy their liver if they take too much of it. If the Tylenol added to these prescription medications were truly necessary to provide pain relief, then patients could simply take the OTC version as required in addition to their real pain medication.

This method of lacing prescription narcotics with poisonous substances strikes me as a morally reprehensible solution to the problem of opiate abuse. I suspect that it strikes many physicians and pharmaceutical manufacturers that way as well. That's why Zohydro contains no acetaminophen. It is a time-release medication that delivers a low dose of opiates over a long period of time.

Now, some politicians want to prohibit the dispensation of this improved chronic pain medication because they are afraid that someone will crush their pills and intentionally overdose. Hell, I could intentionally overdose on a box of ordinary table salt, if I was just hell-bent on doing myself in. I don't see potential toxicity as an excuse to prohibit the use of this drug by patients requiring serious pain medication.

I question the motives of these politicians. I believe that they are attempting to use this as an emotional wedge issue to garner public support. I think it's high time that Americans stop offering support to politicians for promoting these kinds of bullshit issues. What's your opinion? Should chronic pain sufferers have to also suffer toxic prescription medications, just to make life miserable for the few potential junkies that might be among us?



States rebel against powerful new painkiller

By BETH GARBITELLI
Associated Press

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fairsheet said:

I don't get it. The Vicodin and Lortab are blended with Tylenol to make them toxic in large dose. So, people can suicide themselves with a large dose of either.

But...this new one lacks the Tylenol and is potentially toxic in large doses? What's the difference?

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Addy said:

Acetaminophen has been around in some of the OTC popular pain reliever brands for quite some time. I bet lots of people have suffered liver damage from taking them..wonder if they have ever carried out or released a study on the total numbers. Many may not even be aware of the meds that caused their liver damage.

It does seem unfair to deprive pain ridden people of a safer medicine without the potential liver damaging ingredient, Acetaminophen, b/c of drug users/ addicts seeking a high with Zohydro.
Unusual for so many govs. to be so upset with the new pain killer enough to try to stop it from being sold.

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NightSwimmer said:

Look, some folks have to live with serious, chronic pain. I'm proud that I'm not one of them. At least, not yet. So why should I care? Because who knows when I might join the ranks of those who suffer from intense pain on a daily basis? All it takes is one unfortunate accident.

Zohydro is a new oxycodone based pain medication. It is a potential replacement for drugs like Vicodin or Lortab. These drugs have, in the recent past (since the inception of the War on Drugs), always been sold only as "combination drugs". By combining the primary pain medication (opiates) with a large dose of acetaminophen, these drugs are rendered highly toxic in large doses. The idea is to prevent opiate abuse by lacing the opioids available to pain patients with a poisonous substance that will destroy their liver if they take too much of it. If the Tylenol added to these prescription medications were truly necessary to provide pain relief, then patients could simply take the OTC version as required in addition to their real pain medication.

This method of lacing prescription narcotics with poisonous substances strikes me as a morally reprehensible solution to the problem of opiate abuse. I suspect that it strikes many physicians and pharmaceutical manufacturers that way as well. That's why Zohydro contains no acetaminophen. It is a time-release medication that delivers a low dose of opiates over a long period of time.

Now, some politicians want to prohibit the dispensation of this improved chronic pain medication because they are afraid that someone will crush their pills and intentionally overdose. Hell, I could intentionally overdose on a box of ordinary table salt, if I was just hell-bent on doing myself in. I don't see potential toxicity as an excuse to prohibit the use of this drug by patients requiring serious pain medication.

I question the motives of these politicians. I believe that they are attempting to use this as an emotional wedge issue to garner public support. I think it's high time that Americans stop offering support to politicians for promoting these kinds of bullshit issues. What's your opinion? Should chronic pain sufferers have to also suffer toxic prescription medications, just to make life miserable for the few potential junkies that might be among us?



States rebel against powerful new painkiller

By BETH GARBITELLI
Associated Press

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gigi said:

I'd follow the money on this one. McNeil might just be writing some big checks.

What would stop someone who wanted to crush up their pain meds if there were Tylenol in the pill?

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NightSwimmer said:

Nothing stops them, but at least they pay a price with the liver damage that they will incur. This is the same mentality that underlies opposition to making Narcan easily available to prevent heroin overdose deaths.

The promise of punishment is a very attractive policy issue for some sadistic voters.

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gigi said:

I'm really stunned by this story, NS. And you know, to mess around with meds intended for severe pain....especially in hospice cases......don't know what to say.

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NightSwimmer said:

It is a sad commentary on what motivates Americans to vote in the 21st Century.

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gigi said:

There's really very little investigative reporting going on in the MSM. All we hear is the spin. So it'll come across as governors opposing meds for medical health reasons and people will think..."oh, they're trying to protect us from big pharma!"

I can't imagine anyone smart enough to find the voting booth thinking that putting Tylenol in pain meds will discourage addicts. It's gonna come across another way to them.

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