Jun 30 2008
Trish Betros
This illustrative case is of a 51-year-old professional woman who has developed a very severe disease of the blood vessels and joints which causes her ongoing pain. She has had in excess of 57 operations on various joints in her body. When first reviewed by a pain specialist, she was obtaining the drug Pethidine from her doctor, which was and is given by injection. Because of problems with this medication (the short time it lasts for and the toxicity of it), she could only have small doses. The consequence of this medication was that she was very significantly under treated for her pain. She was changed to oral narcotic medication but required large doses to keep herself pain free. Extra doses are necessary when she has operations but at other times she maintains herself on tablets alone.
During the five or so years that her pain care has been adequate, the dose of medication has been substantial but has not increased. Recently this poor woman was forced into a drug dependence program where she has been treated as a drug addict with real attempts to reduce her medication and increase her pain. This callous treatment of pain patients is deplorable.