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Originally posted via Mayo Clinic News Center
Ken Start is an optimistic, energetic husband, father and grandfather with a job and family he loves. It's a life Ken's fought for, but one he almost sacrificed to opioid addiction. For 15 years, Ken was addicted to prescription pain medication, an addiction that was finally broken with the help of Mayo Clinic's Pain Rehabilitation Program and Addiction Services.
Not long ago, Ken Start began a speech to a roomful of physicians by saying, "I am your worst nightmare, the guy you do not want in your waiting room."
Ken said the words jokingly, but behind the remark was a painful truth. For 15 years, Ken struggled against a crippling opioid addiction that developed after he received prescription pain relievers for spinal injuries from a car accident. Through the years, Ken lied to and manipulated his family, friends and physicians to feed his addiction.
But in 2004, Ken's life changed course when he arrived at Mayo Clinic. Distraught and near suicidal, Ken's trip to Mayo was a last-ditch effort to save himself and the life he'd built with his family. At Mayo Clinic, Ken met W. Michael Hooten, M.D., in Pain Medicine. "The morning Dr. Hooten walked in, that's the day my life changed," Ken said.
Continue reading via the Mayo Clinic News Center
Helpful Links:
- Learn more about Mayo Clinic's Pain Rehabilitation Center
- Connect with others via Addiction and Recovery
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Amen! It’s because of our political environment! If physicians are allowed to do their job, prescribe to those who NEED it and not be stopped due to laws or influence from our political system like just say no, we would not have deaths on the street from junk that’s cooked up! If you are a diabetic, your meds are needed. Who wished to be on pain killers, I didn’t but due to a botched surgery I am dependent not addicted. Yes your body tells you it’s time, it pain too. If a bad thunderstorm is coming, even if it’s sunny and even not predicted, I am grabbing walls in pain to ice and elevate, then BP goes up. It’s a shame what WE ago through. I don’t even tell people I am on it!! If a doc gets snotty, I report! Found out one was in sane med as me, came right back at him.
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3 ReactionsI have pain from a failed fusion, please elaborate on the epidurals, do they work well?
I had to take a complete disability because of a horrible surgical complication. That was 24 years ago and I still have that pain. I have tried everything. Nobody in their right mind would want to be on pain meds.
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2 ReactionsPlease be careful in getting epidural injections. You could end up with a painful condition called Arachnoiditis.
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2 ReactionsOkay, will look that up. Ty
In many places the rules have loosen. I now have little problem, except, perhaps from the insurance company, with MDs. prescribing opioid meds.
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1 ReactionI can not read comment because my email is entered as my pass,so I am
unable to get into my account. I will try to correct this
@jenatsky
I really wish people would stop saying addicted to pain pills. They are necessary they are not an addiction by any means. It is easy to stop when they stop prescribing them to you. You have no option but to quit. I was at the point I wanted to start to buy heroin. But I never did. I still think about it today.
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3 ReactionsYou’re correct stopping can be a challenge for some. Yes it’s not an addiction but a dependence and abruptly stopping can be good or bad I guess. I’ve been using the Percocet for about 10+ years but I rarely need it anymore. I only get 28 a month and maybe take 2-3 a month. The buprenorphine works very well for my pain.
Im glad you didn’t switch to heroine but do you require anything now? Why were you taking it previously?
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1 Reaction@jenatsky I had extreme and severe pain in my cervical section of my neck. I ended up with a complete fusion from C2 to t3. The pain at the time was totally unbearable