I have severe neuropathy in my legs. I have suffered through very painful physical therapy to get from a wheel chair, to a walker, now walking on my own. I have tried accupunture, diet and exercise, and everything else to TRY to be a functioning member of society. The only way I am able to function half way normally is by taking 1-2 pain killers a day. The pain, even with this medication, is almost unbearable. I am very worried about how I will be able to "stand on my own two feet" if these people ,THAT HAVE NEVER SUFFERED, with debilitating pain make this medicine unavailable to me. I will end up being just another burden to society!Makes no sense!!

Why do you continue to take harmful pain killers if the pain remains "almost unbearable"?? That seems like a waste of a good liver, if you ask me. Have you tried White Willow Bark? Pycnogenol? Vitamin C? Seems to me you're exploring the wrong avenue by using OTC pharma stuff. Call a local health food store, if you have one, and they might be able to give you some tips. You won't get much in the way of advice at this site. This is a for profit place, so search elsewhere. But get off the OTC pain killers. Your liver will thank you.

I have severe peripheral neuropathy. My DR. has me on Gabapentin (Nertontin). It helps a lot with the pain.

For the person with severe neuropathy, try getting your doctor to test your B12 levels and if you are real low on that it may help you. Your doctor may prescribe B12 shots as it will help some. Exercise by walking as much as you can too. You should also got to a doctor who specializes in rehabilation as they have a test to see if any nerves are damaged too, and put you on the best treatment for you.

I have lived with chronic pain from a back injury for 24 years. I at one time took 1,000 mg. of MS Contin a day along with Fentanyl suckers for the break thru pain I get massage therapy, have had bio feedback, take supplements, exercise, and do anything else natural I can for my back. I still have to take 160 Mg. of Ms Contin for my back daily, and Norco (extra strength Vicodin ) for the break thru pain, occaisnally. I may have cut it down but not completely. My point is, sometimes you have to mix the medical with the natural. There is no shame to it, and the person should not feel like a failure. I am proud of myself for how much I have been able to cut back my medicine. I have gotten a lot of relief from all the natural things I do and that is why I have cut the medicine down. I want quality of life, and as long as I need the medicine to have quality of life I will take it. I want to be off of it, and if I can eventually get off of it I know I will. The medicine is there for people who truly need it and if people do need it,they shouldn't be made to feel by society that their is something wrong with them, or that they are addicts, just because they need the medicine, just like a diabetic needs their medicine or someone with high blood pressure needs their medicine. I am not an addict, I am dependent on my medicine, and I would get an adverse reaction (withdrawls) if I stopped my medication abruptly. but so would a lot of other people with a lot of other conditions. Did you know if you stop a lot of blood pressure medications you go through withrawls too? are they addicts? Chronic pain is a disease and it should be viewed as such. We need to be recognized as people who are doing our best to deal with a hideous disease. We need to deal with it educated yes, then we need to make individual choices and live with those choices, and not second guess ourselves. I am proud of the choice I have made to deal with my disease.

It seems just ludicrous to me that they would ban the extremely useful medications like Vicodin and Percocet simply because people are not doing their own homework and taking precautions. Be responsible, people so that those who need the medications can have access to them. It isn't rocket science.

Whoever wrote this article needs to get slapped. I PROMISE you that this author does NOT have chronic pain but is another useless cog in the machine. If you had my chronic pain that I have day in and day out, you would be wetting yourself crying for your mommy in the fetal position. Please. If you do NOT have chronic pain, then SHUT UP. I take hydrocodone daily and it allows me to work full time, take care of my family, have a social life again, and do soooo many other things. The question is this:

On ANY medication, do you function MORE or do you function LESS? That is it. Drug addicts function less. Go to any downtown and see them passed out on the side walk, DIRTY , and stoned out of their skulls. Hydrocodone does NOT affect me psychologically in any way, shape, or form. It takes the edge of my pain and that is it. So for any reading this in chronic pain, I SALUTE YOU. WE are true soldiers. Forced to live in this stressful world and function like everyone else while dealing with severe, debilitating pain. Any of these pricks that are trying to ban pain meds need to get struck with an illness so they can know how it feels. Then they will also have to live with the decision they not only screwed others, but now screwed themselves.

Uh Chronic Pain Patients are SOLDIERS what in the world are you talking about? Did you even READ the article?

Ms Cohen is totally in support of chronic pain sufferers getting their meds. In fact she clearly says:

"But I disagree with the ban on Vicodin or Percocet. These drugs help people with severe pain. The problem is not with the narcotics, it’s the unwitting misuse by consumers who don’t pay enough attention to labels, and then accidentally overdose. "

She is a pharmacist for goodness sake so she is not anti pain meds. It's as if you didn't even read the article.