I am a veteran and I've used the VAMC for years. Suddenly they are going to wean me off my pain meds. I'm wondering if this is happening at other VAMC and what excuse they are giving you. I've been given the following reasons by different people:

• Opiods increase your pain and that's why you need more. Getting you off them will decrease your pain (my pc doc)
• This policy is coming from the top
• opiods shorten your life span

and variations of this theme.

Every veteran at our local VAMC is being forced off their pain meds if they do not have cancer.

The reasons you posted are rather odd! I've never been told opiods increase pain. They do lose their effectiveness as we become use to them and that's one of the reasons they have to increase our doseage. I know there has been a lot of publicity about the widespread distribution of drugs to the military vets but I'm not aware of a concentrated effort to stop dispensing them to those of us that need them. Very odd I think. If you can't get any satisfaction from the VA and its omsbudsman I recommend you write your senators and ask them to intervene. Military vets is a sensitive subject for the politicians and I imagine they will get some answers for you. Maybe the doc you are assigned to has a personal agenda? I would ask the doc to please refer you to the regulation or directive requiring him or her to stop dispensing your pain meds. I wouldn't threaten but say you need to understand why. I feel your pain. After 20 years in the Corps, my back is shot and I've had multiple operations, fusions, injections, etc and I have to take every narcotic they will give me to just get through the day. I've been on them so long they have little effect any more but I have little choice. Hang in there my brother or sister and let me know what happens to you. Maybe between us we can get some action for you. Semper fi.

Is anyone monitoring your adrenal hormones? Opioids can suppress adrenal hormones, and supplementation/replacement may improve opioid efficacy.

http://www.practicalpainmanagement.c...in-update-2010

Doc

sorry,I haven't been on but the pain has been intense lately.

I don't see a reduction in the pain despite their promises.

they regularly do blood tests. they said my vitamin D was low and I'm on an adrenal supplement and a vitamin D supplement that I pay for myself.

This blanket policy is weaning every veteran who doesn't have cancer off of their opiates. No exceptions.

The only reason I'm still on even half a dose is because I told them if they took me out the meds and the pain came back it was as bad as it was when I started I could and would kill myself. They sent me to a few shrinks who are little more than idiots. They asked me if I had a plan, then they asked me if putting me in the hospital for a while would change my mind? I told him unless they were treating the pain once I got out I would continue on with what I planed. I also told them I had options to explore before I got to that point.

thanks for the support everyone