What do you wish others knew about OUD?
There are plenty of misconceptions out there about opioid use disorder. What's something you wish people understood about the condition, or your personal experience living with it?
I am 79 years old. I am in severe pain 24 hours a day. I have been subscribed 3 5mgs oxycodone a day. Each pill last 4 hours. I have to decide which 12 hours of a 24-hour day I will be pain free, as my doctor will not add to my subscription. She also said the reason my blood pressure is so high is because I am in so much pain. Am I being unreasonable to ask for a script change ?
Having to decide which hours of the day to experience less pain vs not sounds really tough, and I can only imagine how difficult that must be. No, it does not sound unreasonable to ask your doctor to revisit your treatment plan if you are still hurting that much. Have you been able to have this conversation with them about having to choose when you are in pain vs. not? How did they respond to that? - Jake (Team Member)
That opioids absolutely hijack the brain making the user feel like they can’t live without it.
Thanks for your comment here. I went ahead and pulled some information from an article we have on the site here that is related to what you've shared. It says, "Opioids flood the brain with dopamine, a chemical that creates feelings of pleasure and reinforces drug use. Over time, the brain becomes less sensitive to natural rewards, making it harder to feel pleasure from everyday activities. The brain also adapts to the presence of opioids, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect (tolerance) and causing withdrawal symptoms when the drug is absent. These changes make it hard to stop using opioids, as the brain prioritizes drug-seeking over other needs."
Here's the link to that article: https://opioid-use-disorder.com/basics
Thanks for sharing! - Jake (Team Member)
Using opioids is not a disorder. Intractable pain is the disorder. Opioids are the solution for some. Try to understand more about people who need them. How about giving reasonable advice to the people with no other options but death.
That everyone who takes prescribed opiates does NOT go on to become addicted to Heroin, or need Narcan and Suboxone.
Absolutely. There can be so much harmful stigma around this topic and it's important to not jump to these types of conclusions. Everyone has their own unique experience, and keeping the nuance in mind can help us really understand each person's experience instead of just making assumptions based on bias, stigma, or judgment. Appreciate you sharing here! - Jake (Team Member)
