Al Jazeera-Fault Lines: Dangers of Opioid Drugs

If you have Comcast On Demand, please check out the Al Jazeera series "Fault Lines." The issue is the harmful effects of pain drugs on senior citizens. Below is an excerpt from the episode. I was a fan of the Dr. G (Dr. Jan Garavaglia) Medical Examiner show before OWN cancelled it. Dr. Garavaglia, a medical examiner in the Florida area, would express her concern about the number of senior citizens she had autopsied whose death was caused by addiction to the opioid class of drugs for chronic pain. The opioids are morphine, methadone, Buprenorphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Heroin is also an opioid.

In many cases, some addicts start recreational use with the prescription forms of the opioids, but find that switching to its sister, heroin, is many times cheaper.

"Fault Lines" also has a compelling video about human trafficking for cheap labor. A must-see.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/fault-lines/2015/8/how-did-a-utah-woman-get-hooked-on-painkillers.html

Related:

AARP: 46 Americans Die each Day from Painkiller OD's -- Deaths for ages 55-64 Rise to 700%

http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2015/opioid-pain-medication-overdose.html

My concern over this is the resulting under medication of people who legitimately need pain management. I remember watching a family friend who was dying of cancer and seeing his pain being "treated" with 800 mg of ibuprofen 3x a day. When my mother spoke with with doctor about using something stronger the doctor replied that they didn't want to give him anything "long term" that he might become addicted to. The man was dying and was in horrible pain.

Drug addiction is a real issue, but inadequately treating pain is also an issue

spontaneous said:
My concern over this is the resulting under medication of people who legitimately need pain management. I remember watching a family friend who was dying of cancer and seeing his pain being "treated" with 800 mg of ibuprofen 3x a day. When my mother spoke with with doctor about using something stronger the doctor replied that they didn't want to give him anything "long term" that he might become addicted to. The man was dying and was in horrible pain.
Drug addiction is a real issue, but inadequately treating pain is also an issue

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