Prescription Opioid Addiction: In service / Veterans

[Cliron]

So I was getting my haircut recently and the person cutting my hair was a veteran from Afghanistan. As a research assistant in the adherence / medication abuse prevention field and being Irish I find this whole realm of wellbeing in the military very interesting and novel.

I asked what would happen if someone was found with opioids in their system without a prescription, to which she replied that there would be serious consequences. Given the prevalence of prescription opioid abuse in the States, I was kinda shocked to here this. She continued though, and said that it was extremely easy to acquire a prescription for powerful opioids while in service.

I asked her about general wellness in regards to talking to mental health professionals if you had problems. She said that you could do it, but it wasn't often done. She gave one reason as in the past if you went to talk to someone, your commander was informed and often you'd be dismissed. She also mentioned a huge stigma attached to this.

Its vague, but I remember reading this forum some time ago, and one of the active in-service military men on this forum mentioned that these powerful painkillers were handed around like candy, and I could be wrong, but it was suggested that it was even endorsed by his /her peers.

This all forms in my inexperienced (with the military) mind as an environment where people are in a very stressful difficult environment where its looked down upon to seek mental health support, whereas other coping mechanisms are utilized (e.g alcohol, opioids etc).

So my broad question is; what was your experience of opioid painkillers when in the military, and after?

Is it rampant? Is it seen as a problem or a vital coping mechanism? The details this woman gave me, do they reflect reality?

[shepardG]

HA, powerful painkillers handed out like candy? that person was lying. I have been prescribed opiate based PK's twice in my 10 years of service. once for wisdom teeth,(they gave me 10-12) and once in 2011 when i blew my back out with less than 3 weeks to go before i was headed into afghanistan.(gave me like 24 that time, cause i could barely walk)

And yeah there used to be a stigma about talking to mental health, but if your sincere and you really do have things going on, then you'll never be smirked at for admiting it.

The military will give you motrin 9/10 times, unless you have a fucking sword sticking out of your ear or some shit.

No it's not rampant. Nope to that next question also. No they do not, that woman was .... stupid.

She probably did 4 years, fucked around and never learned to focus on improving her life/others lives, and got out ASAP. i mean... finding a job is rough nowadays, but she was given an oppurtunity to learn a technical trade (tons of crap translates to decent paying civillian jobs) and instead she's working weaves.
She's gonna tell you whatever is most shocking dude, she cut's hair, lol.

[Abandon]

I got PK's for my wisdom tooth, and when I tore my rotator cuff (they tried to tell me it was sprained, but that's a subject for another day, fucking military docs). However, you could probably get shot in the throat and they'd try to give you motrin, i swear to god they don't know better.

[Gokku]

i got 4 teeth pulled i was given PERCOCET 10 mg 30 pill count on yakota AFB , i double dosed every day took me 4 days to recover and my prescript was refillable if i needed it. My mom was an 1st for for the OR, ive picked up god knows how many calls from the SP's stating xyz person has done *insert ridiculous charge*. i will contest to having... bottles *and i mean i ran out like 4 months ago* of fucking ibuprofen 800mg tablets and haven't seen a military doctor since 09. they do toss IB around like its the cure all to everything.

[Cliron]

She did seem a little slow and was eager to get out of service. Thanks for the replies guys.

Thats interesting regarding the difficulty of getting PKs...give me a time frame, was it always like this? Has something moved or changed within the armed forces to restrict this or has it always been the ethos?

Do you think theres alot of variability? Like, say, it might occur more often in the navy than in the airforce etc.

I watched a really good webinar on the topic today by a expert psychiatrist in the VA (http://www.psychiatry.org/practice/p...-us-population) detailing use, misuse and abuse of opioids in the US. He talked a little bit about in the military the main points he had were:

Misuse increased ten-fold 2002 to 2008 from 1% to 10%
Chronic pain frequently comorbid with PTSD and traumatic brain injury
In a survey of VA patients, 13% reported opioid misuse.

I'm not sure how well VAs and active servicemen and women communicate, but is there more of a understanding that if opioid misuse would happen it would happen in the other 'group' rather than their own? (e.g. active servicemen thinking its more likely to occur as a VA, and vice versa).

Gokku, I've honest to god no idea what the second sentence you wrote means.

[Churchill]

you were talking to a woman, so first problem right there. she's a woman and her experiences in the military are going to be make believe and outlier-ish anyway.

and motrin? lol. drinking water cures everything.

edit: the only thing we'd ever fuck around on was percoset because it's the only thing you're likely to ever get outside of motrin unless you're in a more relaxed unit where your medics can hand out any drug they want. I had to take a lot of different things for back pain while overseas but they were never opoids.

[Gokku]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_sergeant *read Air force*
basicly when you get arrested they get called and have to deal with your shit : I.E when they do a dorm check and find blood filtering equipment and bags of blood stored in your dorm room , you get a call and have to go to the jail to get the idiot. *yes this shit happened* , most of my interactions occurred from 05-09.

[Cliron]

A Gokku, thanks for the clarification. And Ibu is great. I swear by it. In Ireland, we have this drug called Nurofen (200mg Ibuprofen, 12.8mg of Codeine), and its over the counter. Its a god send, and when I was coming to the states I felt like a drug mule with the amount I brought.

Churchill, in regards to opioids, I meant most prescription painkillers (which are generally opioids). Percocet is an opioid as it has oxycodone in it. I don't want you to think that by powerful painkiller I meant morphine. Most common drugs are like vicoden, percocet and there are tons more but unfortunately I'm not familiar with what they are called over here. Generally the drug is made up of codeine, oxycodone, hyrdocodone and can either be short release or extended release.

Fun facts: One Extended release Oxycontin goes for about 80$ on the street. Prescription painkillers are now the 'gateway' drug for adolescents, surpassing pot with more people misusing PKs for illicit purposes than pot.

[Churchill]

I know what they are.

The only time you get them is for dental stuff. I got muscle relaxers and steroids overseas for my back and that was just so i could use it. if it hurt, i drank water or took motrin.

The main reason people have enough percocet to abuse is that when you get prescribed stuff you generally get too much, coupled with the fact that taking pills for pain is bitch shit anyway. Most people had leftovers, the leftovers got popped with some beers until they were gone.

[Abandon]

She did seem a little slow and was eager to get out of service. Thanks for the replies guys.

Thats interesting regarding the difficulty of getting PKs...give me a time frame, was it always like this? Has something moved or changed within the armed forces to restrict this or has it always been the ethos?

Do you think theres alot of variability? Like, say, it might occur more often in the navy than in the airforce etc.

I watched a really good webinar on the topic today by a expert psychiatrist in the VA (http://www.psychiatry.org/practice/p...-us-population) detailing use, misuse and abuse of opioids in the US. He talked a little bit about in the military the main points he had were:

Misuse increased ten-fold 2002 to 2008 from 1% to 10%
Chronic pain frequently comorbid with PTSD and traumatic brain injury
In a survey of VA patients, 13% reported opioid misuse.

I'm not sure how well VAs and active servicemen and women communicate, but is there more of a understanding that if opioid misuse would happen it would happen in the other 'group' rather than their own? (e.g. active servicemen thinking its more likely to occur as a VA, and vice versa).

Gokku, I've honest to god no idea what the second sentence you wrote means.

Percs are relatively easy to come by, especially with dental work. When I had my wisdom teeth pulled, they gave me enough to give the entire state of Alaska. I was in drug-induced bliss for a week while playing Oblivion when it was new, fk yeah. I've also received oxy and hydro for other random things, but I rarely use what they want you to, and normally stop after the first or second day. As far as vets saying more about drug abuse and whatever, it's a pretty much accepted fact that as it comes closer to your time to get out and you start reporting your medical ailments to get dat guap, people will report any and everything wrong with them in order to receive more. So is it more reported by vets? More than likely so.

[kuronosan]

I know what they are.

The only time you get them is for dental stuff. I got muscle relaxers and steroids overseas for my back and that was just so i could use it. if it hurt, i drank water or took motrin.

The main reason people have enough percocet to abuse is that when you get prescribed stuff you generally get too much, coupled with the fact that taking pills for pain is bitch shit anyway. Most people had leftovers, the leftovers got popped with some beers until they were gone.

I was offered benzos for an eye injection without even getting a prescription so considering a lot of military doctors will write a sick note for kids with sniffles I'm pretty sure they would have little issue tossing out opiates.

[Churchill]

ok

[mallister]

only time i ever got opiates was wisdom teeth and after both elbow surgeries. it's generally ibuprophen for everything that doesn't involve protruding bone. army, '98-2005.

[Nephlite]

Prescription drug abuse in general is bad in the U.S. It just so happens to be more evident in the military (occupation-wise) because most institutions don't have an on-site medical center where you can just grab whatever you need.

Like the other guys here, I got some good stuff (percs, oxy) for relatively minor things like a broken finger, teeth extractions, etc. But once I got stabbed or I got shot in the shoulder, they gave me some ibuprofen and a canteen of water. Made me bite down on a mouth-guard and dug it out, sewed me up and I was out. No prescriptions, no nothing. I did get an IV drip for some morphine but that only lasted a few minutes.

[noblemountain]

Rub some dirt on it kid.

'bout all I ever got. lol

[shepardG]

Seriously, I get prescribed 24 fucking perc10's, when i threw my back out, along with flexiril (this stuff is pretty common in the military, imo) and some crazy ass steriod i never heard of, that came in some intricate packaging or some shit. my back was functional again in like 3-4 days, and i've got like 16 fucking percs...
over prescriptions are pretty common.

[shepardG]

I was offered benzos for an eye injection without even getting a prescription so considering a lot of military doctors will write a sick note for kids with sniffles I'm pretty sure they would have little issue tossing out opiates.

lol.
that's the complete opposite. doc will through you on quarters (your sick note) for 24hrs quick like, but the scale greatly skew's after that.

[SamanosukeShiva]

I was having internal bleeding recently and had to be hospitalized for 2 weeks, and I was on constant morphine/hydrocodone, morphine every 2 hours and hydrocodone every 4 hours they were amazing but for those 2 weeks and then some I cant shit or fart at all. Honestly the not being able to shit or fart was enough of a negative for me to not get addicted to them. This was a week ago and im still having trouble shitting, it's not pleasant.

[noblemountain]

I tore my rotator cuff in three places...got physical therapy and some ibuprofen.
Shot in my right shoulder...actually got some loratabs (that did nothing for me since I used to take a million of them in high school)
Tore my ACL, MCL, PCL...6 percosets after my surgery....then ibuprofen 800s.

Maybe shit has changed since I was in...but they wouldn't give me anything.