Limiting Supply of Rx Opioids Fails to Achieve Goals

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Limiting initial prescriptions for opioid pain medication to 5-days’ supply did not reduce the rate at which patients in New Jersey transitioned to long-term opioid use, according to a new study at Rutgers University.

In 2017, New Jersey became one of the first states in the country to impose a mandatory 5-day limit on initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain. If a patient needed more, their doctor would have to write a new prescription, enroll them in a pain management program, and counsel them on the risks of opioid addiction.

At least 38 other states adopted similar laws, with the goal of reducing opioid diversion, misuse and overdose. Six years later, there is little evidence that New Jersey’s 5-day limit saved lives or accomplished any of its goals.

“This policy’s apparent failure to achieve its goals illustrates the extreme difficulty of solving healthcare problems by dictating physician behavior,” said senior author Stephen Crystal, PhD, director of the Rutgers Center for Health Services Research.

Crystal and his colleagues analyzed pharmacy data for over 130,000 New Jersey Medicaid patients who were prescribed opioids for the first time between 2014 to 2019. Their findings, recently published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, show that new opioid prescriptions fell at a monthly rate of less than one percent (0.76%) after the 5-day limit was imposed, a decline that was about half the monthly rate (1.62%) prescriptions were falling before the limit took effect.

Doctors were writing fewer prescriptions for opioids in New Jersey and other states long before limits on the supply were even passed. Opioid prescriptions nationally are now at their lowest level in over 20 years.

“Opioid prescribing was already decreasing before this policy went into effect,” said lead author Peter Treitler, a research project manager at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. “And so, by the time this New Jersey policy went into effect, it really didn’t change prescribing practices very much, at least in the New Jersey Medicaid population.”

An earlier study by the Rutgers research team found that medically treated overdoses in the Medicaid population tripled in New Jersey after the 5-day limit was imposed. Most of the overdoses involved illicit fentanyl and other street drugs, not prescription opioids.

Less than a third of New Jersey’s overdose survivors were even diagnosed with a chronic pain condition, suggesting the state’s focus on limiting pain medication was misdirected. Most people who overdose suffer from substance abuse disorder, depression or other mental health issues. And most overdoses involve illicit fentanyl and other street drugs, not prescribed medication.

In 2022, there were nearly 2,900 drug deaths in New Jersey – about 30% more than the number that overdosed in 2016, the year before the state’s 5-day limit became law.  

DEA Considers Synthetic THC Illegal

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

The Drug Enforcement Administration considers a synthetic form of THC — the psychoactive compound in cannabis and hemp — a controlled substance that is illegal under federal law.

Hemp was legalized federally under the 2018 Farm Bill, in part because hemp contains only trace amounts of THC. However, some companies developed a synthetic form of hemp-derived THC — called THC acetate ester (THCO) — to give consumers an intoxicating effect. Because THCO was modeled after the THC found in hemp, they claimed it could be legally sold and consumed.

However, in a recent letter to Rod Kight, an attorney who specializes in cannabis law, the head of the DEA’s Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section said the agency considers delta-8 and delta-9 products containing THCO to be Schedule I controlled substances, which are illegal to sell or possess.

“Delta-9-THCO and delta-8-THCO do not occur naturally in the cannabis plant and can only be obtained synthetically, and therefore do not fall under the definition of hemp. Delta-9-THCO and delta-8-THCO are tetrahydrocannabinols having similar chemical structures and pharmacological activities to those contained in the cannabis plant,” the letter states.

Kight said he’s been telling clients and personal friends that THCO is potentially dangerous.

“Although I do not always agree with the DEA’s view on cannabis matters, I agree with this opinion and, frankly, am not surprised,” he wrote.  “It has always been my view that THCO is a controlled substance under federal law. Although it can be made from cannabinoids from hemp, THCO is not naturally expressed by the hemp plant. It is a laboratory creation that does not occur in nature, at least not from the hemp plant.”

As Kight points out in his blog, the DEA letter does not address delta-8 or delta-9 THC, which are natural and derived from hemp. Although those substances are considered legal at the federal level, over a dozen states have banned products containing them.

In states where they remain legal, delta-8 and 9 are widely available in candy, gummies, cookies, tinctures and beverages. Some companies claim the products have “uniquely potent effects on pain” and other health conditions, even while admitting there is little evidence to support those claims.

The FDA became so alarmed by the profusion of delta-8 and delta-9 THC products — and their marketing to children — that it sent letters to five companies in 2022 warning them to stop making unsubstantiated medical claims.

"These products often include claims that they treat or alleviate the side effects related to a wide variety of diseases or medical disorders, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, nausea and anxiety," FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, said in a statement. "It is extremely troubling that some of the food products are packaged and labeled in ways that may appeal to children.”

The FDA says it had received over 100 reports of adverse events involving delta-8 THC, with poison control centers reporting over 2,300 cases, including one that involved the death of a child.

Is Your Personal Health Data For Sale?

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Many U.S. consumers believe their personal health information is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), a federal law that requires healthcare providers and insurers not to share a patient’s sensitive health information without their consent or knowledge.

A new study on consumer data brokers and a federal complaint against a popular drug discount service show otherwise, with patient names, social security numbers, email addresses, prescription drug use and other personal information routinely being sold to third parties.

The Duke University study on data brokers focused only on mental health records, but gives you a good idea of what’s available on the open market. When researcher Joanne Kim contacted 37 data brokers asking to buy mental health data on millions of patients, 11 of them offered to sell her the requested data, which included information about whether an individual was being treated for depression, anxiety or insomnia, and if they were prescribed drugs such as Prozac or Zoloft.

The asking price for the information was relatively cheap, with one broker offering data on 10,000 aggregated patient records for $2,000 – or 20 cents per record. The cost was even cheaper if the data was ordered in volume; 435,780 records were available for 6 cents each.

Many of the brokers did not provide Kim with a full explanation about their data or where it came from, making it difficult to determine whether the company was offering “deidentified” information. Some firms openly advertised data that included individual names, addresses, phone numbers and emails. One broker even offered to sell her the IP addresses and browser history of patients.

“This research highlights a largely unregulated data brokerage ecosystem that sells sensitive mental health data in large quantities, with either vague or entirely nonexistent privacy protections,” Kim wrote in her report. “Data brokers are collecting, aggregating, analyzing, circulating, and selling sensitive mental health data on individuals. This comes as a great concern, especially since the firms seem either unaware of or loosely concerned about providing comprehensive privacy protections.”

Due to the stigma associated with mental health problems, Kim says the easy availability of personal health data puts millions of patients at risk of discrimination from employers and insurers, or even theft from scammers who prey on vulnerable populations.

“The nation is in dire need of a comprehensive federal privacy law, and this report recommends that the federal government should also consider generally banning the sale of mental health data on the open market,” she wrote. “Such a law should include provisions that allow consumers to opt out of the collection of their data, gain access to their information, and correct any discrepancies. Furthermore, data brokers should be obligated to be more transparent about their use and exchange of data, as well as have more controls in place for client management.”

One potential “client” that Kim doesn’t mention is law enforcement. In 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration asked data brokers to submit bids on a potential contract for a surveillance program that would track at least 85% of U.S. prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. The DEA was seeking “unlimited access” to this prescription data, including the names of prescribers and pharmacists, types of medication, quantity, dose, refills and forms of payment.

While the contract was never awarded, it remains unclear what the DEA planned to do with the information or if it has found other ways to collect the data.

GoodRx Settlement

Where and how is personal health data collected? It could be as simple as a consumer trying to save money on medications.

The Federal Trade Commission recently reached a $1.5 million settlement with prescription drug discount provider GoodRx for failing to notify consumers that it was selling their information to Facebook, Google and other third parties for advertising purposes.

GoodRx offers considerable savings to patients who enroll in its free drug discount program, and makes money by selling their health and contact information to third parties. For example, according to the FTC complaint, GoodRx shared patient health data with Facebook, which then targeted them with advertisements for specific drugs to treat their health conditions.

“GoodRx’s sharing of personal and health information has revealed highly sensitive and private details about its users, most of whom suffer from chronic health conditions. This has led to the unauthorized disclosure of facts about individuals’ chronic physical or mental health conditions, medical treatments and treatment choices, life expectancy, disability status, parental status, substance addiction, sexual and reproductive health, and sexual orientation, as well as other information,” the FTC said.

“Disclosure of this information without authorization is likely to cause GoodRx users stigma, embarrassment, or emotional distress, and may also affect their ability to obtain or retain employment, housing, health insurance, disability insurance, or other services.”

In a press release, GoodRx said the FTC was focusing on an “old issue” that it addressed and corrected three years ago. “Millions of Americans use GoodRx to save on their healthcare, and we take strong measures to ensure they can trust us with their information,” the company said.

Data mining isn’t limited to healthcare providers, advertisers, internet companies or law enforcement. Medical researchers also use it, to track and evaluate patient conditions and the effectiveness of treatments. Some would also like to use data to predict patient outcomes.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Alberta said they had devised a form of artificial intelligence -- based on patient health data -- that can predict with 90% accuracy whether a patient is at risk of an adverse outcome from opioid prescriptions. Researchers say their model could be used someday to warn doctors about high-risk patients, so they can prescribe another drug or give smaller doses.

A Get Well Message to the Pain Community

By Mia Maysack, PNN Columnist

One of the things that has distanced me from hands-on participation in the pain community is the persistent negativity. I’m not the only advocate that has picked up on this, nor alone in feeling the need to step away as a result.

Don’t get me wrong. As a former healthcare provider, I understand and am sensitive to the fact that people aren’t chipper on their hardest days or when they’re experiencing a tremendous amount of discomfort. And being a patient myself, there have been and will continue to be moments where I drop the ball in regards to being “positive.” My vision is literally and figuratively blurred on those days -- to the point where it’s not easy to see any bright side or silver lining.

But each attempt I make to provide meaningful commentary on what has assisted, changed or even saved my life is met with objections. One of the most infamous lines goes something like: “Some of us have incurable conditions!”

It’s as if my post bacterial-meningitis intractable mega-migraines, irreparable cellular nerve damage, evolving arthritis, immobilizing fibromyalgia, and the fact I’ve lived this way for two decades and counting doesn’t have any merit or meaning.

It’s quite frustrating to devote so much of your experience, skills and compassion to people who condemn you for attempting to transform your suffering – while they contribute to that very suffering. The whole “misery loves company” thing is a bit played out with me. I believe a much more productive use of energy is to get to the root of our misery, as opposed to clinging to it and passing it on.

Any time I offer up alternative pain modalities that have proven helpful for me, along with millions of others for thousands of years, while always treading lightly on the eggshells of disclaimers about everything not being for everyone, nothing can completely fix our problems, it’s a process of trial and error, etc. –  I’m torn down by the very same people.

How is this supposed to elevate anyone or make anything better?

I’ve been mocked, ridiculed, silenced and even threatened when mentioning things such as mindfulness, meditation and neuroplasticity. But companies have invested in and now offer all of those therapies.

This is in part what led me to step away from patient support groups, because most don’t desire actual support, but seek more space to complain. I wholeheartedly understand and believe it is of utmost importance for our grievances to somehow exist outside of ourselves, but I’ve found that support can only get us so far.  It then becomes more about self-help, which is something that most people have a difficult time realizing or pursuing, especially when illness or pain are major obstacles blocking the way.

Sometimes, those of us who have risen from the depths of our own versions of hell are judged and labeled by remarks that we couldn’t possibly be sick. That somehow, we’re more privileged than the next patient or had opportunities that others don’t have and cannot get.

In actuality,  we are revolutionaries who saw that treatments were not working and made a conscious decision to devote our lives to assisting others through their hardships. Not because anything is gained or money made, but because it is the right thing to do. We were once consumed by the fire as well, but now venture out with buckets of water for the rest of you.

It is mostly thankless, often torn down, and difficult to take on the weight of what can feel like hatred, all the while attempting to balance and manage the ailments that already threaten us. Irony is found in the fact that so much of the condemning originates from people who do the absolute least for this community. 

The time has come to understand this conduct as a sickness in itself, and that it causes a negative ripple effect that limits us all from the ability to move forward.

I’m thrilled to see articles about things such as how healing is just as important as pain relief, or how childhood experiences that seem to have little to do with our current conditions can still directly impact how our bodies and minds feel.  And it’s always encouraging to come across a list of low-to-no side effect modalities to at least consider, if not try.

This doesn’t mean belittling anybody's experience. Release the illusion of stories you’ve always told to yourself or were told to you. Make room for a new chapter and fight for your lives, not against those who want you to thrive. And get well soon.

Mia Maysack lives with chronic migraine, cluster headache and fibromyalgia. She is the founder of Keepin’ Our Heads Up, a Facebook advocacy and support group, and Peace & Love, a wellness and life coaching practice for the chronically ill. 

New Test Predicts Effectiveness of CGRP Drugs for Migraine

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

CGRP inhibitors have been one of the biggest innovations in migraine treatment in decades. CGRP stands for calcitonin gene-related peptides, a protein that binds to nerve receptors in the brain and triggers migraine pain. Since 2018, the FDA has approved over half a dozen CGRP inhibitors for migraine prevention and treatment.

The problem with anti-CGRP therapies – besides their high cost – is that they only work for about half the people who take them.

A new test may take some of the guesswork out of CGRP therapy, by predicting with about 80% accuracy which patients will respond to CGRP inhibitors before treatment begins.  In a small study published in the journal Cephalalgia, Harvard Medical School researchers found that most migraine patients with non-ictal cephalic allodynia -- pain sensitivity experienced in-between migraine attacks – did not respond to CGRP treatment. Conversely, most patients without non-ictal cephalic allodynia did respond to CGRP therapy.  

Determining which patients have or don’t have cephalic allodynia is relatively easy, through a novel Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) algorithm that measures how sensitive patients are to heat, cold and being poked in the skin with a sharp object. The test identified CGRP responders with nearly 80% accuracy and non-responders with nearly 85% accuracy.

“Detection of non-ictal cutaneous allodynia with a simplified paradigm of QST may provide a quick, affordable, non-invasive, and patient-friendly way to prospectively distinguish between responders and non-responders to the prophylactic treatment of migraine with drugs that reduce CGRP signaling,” wrote lead author Rami Burstein, MD, Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School.

Burstein helped develop the QST test in collaboration with CGRP Diagnostics. The test can be done in about five minutes in a doctor’s office.

“This is all about improving outcomes for people suffering from migraines and so we strongly recommend that all potential anti-CGRP recipients have the test done prior to prescription,” said Mark Hasleton, PhD, CEO of CGRP Diagnostics. 

“This will help provide migraine sufferers with either the best chance for treatment success for likely responders, or to enable rapid transition for likely non-responders to other treatment strategies, thus avoiding the misery of treatment failure. CGRP Diagnostics is currently in discussions with multiple key pharma and payor players in this area, with the expectation that such a test will become a prerequisite prior to anti-CGRP prescription.”

A surprise finding from the study is that cutaneous allodynia may be related to genetic factors that cause pain sensitivity, rather than the frequency or severity of migraines.

“This study unveils the mechanism of physiological response to anti-CGRP therapy and could fundamentally change the anti-CGRP therapy field,” said Iris Grossman, PhD, Founding Scientific Advisor at CGRP Diagnostics. “We now have an objective tool to tailor early and effective therapy to migraine sufferers. This novel test holds the potential for earlier access to anti-CGRP therapy, reduced need for prior treatment failures with generics, and enhanced formulary access. It also enables non-responders to rapidly transition to other treatment strategies, preventing a great deal of suffering and frustration for all.”

A 2020 survey of migraine patients by Health Union found that 52% of those who tried a CGRP therapy switched brands because the treatment didn’t work or because they didn’t like the side effects, such as constipation and weight gain.

CGRP medications are not cheap. Eight doses of Nurtec, the migraine treatment endorsed by Khloe Kardashian, can cost over $1,000 without insurance.

Migraine affects more than 37 million people in the United States, according to the American Migraine Foundation. In addition to headache pain, migraine can cause nausea, blurriness or visual disturbances, and sensitivity to light and sound. Women are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men.

New VA Guideline: Opioids Should Not Be Used for Chronic Pain

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have doubled down on a guideline first released in 2017 that strongly recommends against the use of opioids for chronic pain.

In an updated clinical practice guideline, the agencies continue to recommend that opioids not be used to manage chronic non-cancer pain, especially in younger patients, and that long-acting opioids not be used to treat patients with short-term, acute pain.

The VA/DoD guideline will potentially affect millions of service members, veterans and their families. Nearly 1.5 million Americans serve in the armed forces and over 800,000 in the National Guard and Reserves. The Veterans Administration provides health services to another 6 million veterans and their families.

The updated guideline was quietly released in May 2022, but is only drawing attention now in a mostly favorable review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“Compared with the 2017 recommendation against initiation of long-term opioid therapy, the updated recommendation against opioid therapy in general for chronic pain is broader and reflects the evidence that opioid therapy for any duration may be harmful,” wrote lead author James Sall, PhD, Director of VA’s Office of Evidence-Based Practice.

“Ultimately, despite finding some evidence for a small improvement in musculoskeletal and noncancer neuropathic pain, the guideline development group maintained that the potential for catastrophic harms of opioids and serious adverse events, especially with long-term use, outweighed any potential benefits of temporarily improved pain severity and functional status in patients with chronic pain.”

‘Potentially Transformative’ for U.S. Healthcare

The updated opioid guideline has 20 recommendations, nine of which are based on weak or inconclusive evidence. Unlike the recently revised CDC opioid guideline, there were no public hearings or opportunities for the public to comment or provide input. There is also no discussion of dose thresholds or morphine milligram equivalents (MME), suggesting the authors believe that any dose of opioids is potentially risky.

Three new recommendations in the new VA/DoD guideline involve opioid tapering, mental health evaluations, and the use of buprenorphine to treat pain.

The guideline urges doctors to consider using buprenorphine instead of full agonist opioids for patients needing opioids daily for chronic pain. Although the quality of the evidence for this recommendation was deemed “insufficient,” the VA/DoD believe buprenorphine as a partial agonist has less risk for overdose and misuse, and is less likely to cause euphoria.

Buprenorphine is a Schedule III opioid that is FDA approved for pain when used alone. Buprenorphine is also used to treat opioid use disorder when combined with naloxone in drugs like Suboxone. The DEA recently eliminated the “X-Waiver” program for buprenorphine, which is likely to significantly increase the number of doctors that prescribe it and the number of patients that receive it.

An editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine called the recommendation that buprenorphine be used for pain “potentially transformative” and "likely to expand into the greater U.S. healthcare system."

"The updated VA/DoD guideline is both conservative and radical," wrote co-authors Chinazo Cunningham, MD, and Joanna Starrels, MD, both from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "Although the VA/DoD guideline recommends that buprenorphine be prescribed for chronic pain if daily opioids are prescribed, the recommendation itself is likely to change decision-making about whether opioids should be prescribed."

Although several recent studies have found that opioid tapering significantly raises the risk of an overdose, withdrawal or mental health crisis, the VA/DoD guideline found there is “insufficient evidence to recommend for or against any specific tapering strategies.” It only recommends that doctors and patients “collaborate” on reducing opioid doses and that tapering not be forced.

“The potential benefits of opioid tapering outweighed the potential harms of opioid withdrawal,” the guideline claims.

Before opioids are prescribed for either acute or chronic pain, the guideline recommends that the mental health of patients be evaluated for depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders and suicide. Although some patients may resent being screened for mental health problems, the guideline says “it is better for providers to know about underlying behavioral health comorbidities than to initiate long-term opioids without this clinical knowledge.”

The revised guideline reaffirms previous recommendations that benzodiazepines not be co-prescribed with opioids and that patients on long-term opioid therapy be regularly screened with urine drug tests “to decrease the risk of self-directed violence.”

Opioid prescribing to veterans, family members and those on active duty has declined significantly in recent years, as it has for the rest of the population. The revised VA/DoD guideline notes – without a hint of irony – that reduced prescribing has led to an increased use of illicit opioids by veterans and higher overdose rates.

How to Live Longer and Healthier with Chronic Illness

By Barby Ingle, PNN Columnist

Have you ever wondered what living with chronic illness or a rare disease does to your lifespan? I have.

My primary care doctor recently conducted a seminar about living longer and healthier. He gave the attendees a great resource: a “health span” guide that outlines five ways to enhance your day-to-day life and live longer. The guide got me thinking. As a person with rare diseases and chronic pain, can they help me achieve my goal of living to 100 years old? 

Step 1 of the guide is to eat a Mediterranean-style diet. Studies show that people who eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, nuts and legumes live longer and have fewer instances of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer.

I believe in individualized care for my health. As I have talked about in the past, I did microbiome testing to assess my gut health, using an at-home test made by a company called Viome. The results I received revealed that many of the fruits, veggies and nuts that I loved were not suitable for me because of my genetics. My DNA would rather have me eat a rack of lamb than a tomato!

I think getting that kind of detailed, personalized health information is better than following a one-size-fits-all diet.

Step 2 of the health span guide is to exercise often. It states that people who exercise between 2.6 and 4.5 hours per week have a 40% lower risk of dying. 

I have found that exercise means different things to different people. When I was younger, I was an athlete. Today, I cannot imagine doing a simple jumping jack. Nevertheless, moving as best we can each day, without going into a pain flare, sounds reasonable. That is what I strive to achieve.

I try to do what I can physically and not get too down on myself for the fatigue, pain and times when my body is dystonic. I hope that will be enough “exercise” to reduce the risk of other chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or dementia. I know people who have diabetes who were able to exercise, change their eating habits, and live longer. But my father, ten years after being diagnosed, still passed away early. 

Step 3 of the guide is to manage your stress and mental health. Those of us with rare and chronic conditions often have increased anxiety. Who wouldn’t be depressed learning how to live with a new normal? Chronic stress reduces life span and ages us faster from the chemicals and bodily changes that occur.

Step 4 of the guide is to make good sleep a habit, which is not easy when you have chronic pain. But a night with 7 or 8 hours of restful sleep can help reduce pain levels and lead to a better, more productive tomorrow.

When our sleep is disturbed long-term, it can affect our mood, organ function and contribute to an early death. I remember back in 2009, before I began infusion therapy, I tried many recommendations for better sleep, such as a warm drink before bedtime, having a set time to go to bed and wake up, and cutting out caffeine. After the infusions, when my pain was better managed, I realized just how bad my sleeping was and how much I needed 8 hours of sleep. Here are some tips for better sleep from the CDC.  

Step 5 of the guide is to build strong social circles. Having at least six different social connections each month has been associated with better health. I have found that people who are not chronically ill have difficulty understanding why we don't get better. They make comments like, "Are you still sick?" and "You’re still not feeling better yet?”

It is sad that it is harder for us to make and keep friends who are healthy and happy. A network of friends is essential for many reasons. This New York Times article on “How to Be a Better Friend” has some tips on how to improve our connections with others. 

I want to live longer and healthier, and to work towards it with good connections, preventative care and palliative care. We live in a great time when medical care and genetic testing are advancing, helping us live healthier. Being in the best shape possible to live past our potential expiration dates will help us enjoy our limited time here on earth. It all goes back to being the best you, so that you can fulfill your earthly purpose while participating in society. 

Living longer comes from individualized care and making the most of each aspect of your life. Changing how you live, respond, and act today can make your life longer and more meaningful.

Barby Ingle is a reality TV personality living with multiple rare and chronic diseases. She is a chronic pain educator, patient advocate, motivational speaker, and best-selling author on pain topics. Barby has received over 25 awards for her advocacy efforts. You can follow her at www.barbyingle.com 

Florida Study Blames Cannabis for Hundreds of Deaths

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Advocates of medical marijuana – or cannabis use in general – have long said you can’t overdose on cannabis and that the natural plant is even “safer than many foods.”   

But researchers at Florida Atlantic University say cannabis products – particularly synthetic cannabis – are riskier than many people believe. In a study recently published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship, they called cannabis “a legitimate public health concern” that has killed hundreds of Floridians in recent years.  

Analyzing 2014 to 2020 data from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, researchers found that 386 people died as a result of drug intoxication caused by cannabis use. It’s important to note that the vast majority of those deaths (98.7%) involved accidents such as motor vehicle crashes, with a handful of deaths caused by murder or suicide. No overdoses were reported.

Most of the Florida deaths also involved other substances such as alcohol, opioids, heroin and cocaine. In nearly two-thirds of the deaths, synthetic cannabinoids such as K2 or Spice were involved. Synthetic cannabinoids are chemicals sprayed onto dried, shredded leaves that mimic the effect of cannabis, but are often quite stronger.  

“Synthetic cannabinoids are part of the new psychoactive substances that are two to 100 times more potent than THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana,” said lead author Armiel Suriaga, PhD, an assistant professor in FAU’s College of Nursing.

Suriaga and his colleagues found that over 13 percent of those who died had cardiac-related conditions such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmias or an enlarged heart. There was one death from an ischemic stroke and one death from a hemorrhagic stroke, both related to synthetic cannabis use.

“The persistent deaths from cannabis and synthetic cannabis use are a legitimate public health concern,” said Suriaga. “The public should remain vigilant of the adverse health outcomes associated with these substances and their unpredictable effects, especially for men who are disproportionately affected, and particularly for people with underlying cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.”

‘Misleading and Sensational’ Study

Marijuana advocates say it was unfair of the researchers to include synthetic cannabis in their study, which was funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 

“To lump in adverse effects from synthetically produced compounds in this analysis is misleading and sensational, as these products are not cannabis and their safety profile is not at all comparable to that of natural cannabis,” said Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML.

“Cannabis is psychoactive and that is why advocacy groups opine in favor of its regulation, including the imposition of age controls and product testing for purity and potency. Adverse effects from cannabis, like dysphoria (anxiety), are possible but are best mitigated by regulation and education — not by criminal prohibition.”

Previous studies have looked at the relationship between cannabis and motor vehicle accidents, with mixed results. A survey of people in Michigan who used medical marijuana for chronic pain found that over half had driven while under the influence of cannabis, and one in five say they've driven while “very high.”

Other studies found a decrease in traffic fatalities in states that legalized medical marijuana. That may be because patients were substituting cannabis for alcohol and other drugs used to relieve their symptoms.

My Story: Make Your Doctors Accountable

By Crystal Moody, Guest Columnist

From a full-time medical education coordinator to full-time chronic pain patient, I am now trying to maneuver my way through the world from the other side of the operating table. And it is a completely different ballgame. Gaslighting, patient-blaming and condescension are daily players in this game.

I live with chronic back and neck problems, some caused by medical errors, and have undergone multiple spinal surgeries and procedures. I was legally labeled as “physically disabled” in 2018 by Social Security, but it took three years in California and I had to hire an attorney to make that happen. Every player in this game gets paid, except the patient.

It was the beginning of 2016 when I realized I was never going to be able to work in medicine in my former capacity again. However, even if my body was broken, my mind was not. I re-enrolled in college, wanting to keep my mind fresh in between surgeries.

In 2018, I completed my BA in Organizational Leadership at Azusa Pacific University (online and from bed). I then completed my Masters in Public Health from Los Angeles Pacific University in 2021. I am now pursuing a doctorate in Social Work.

I hope that my work and life experiences will allow me to help others, in the same ways that I have needed help. I want to help people with chronic, debilitating and life-threatening illnesses.

CRYSTAL MOODY

In the beginning of my illnesses, I did not understand why I could not just let things go. As time passed, I realized it was because I was witnessing doctors, specialists and clinicians who had no clue what they were doing. Even worse, I was beginning to realize that every doctor I consulted with seemed to count on the fact that I would not have any medical knowledge. They tried to placate or downplay my concerns, and send me on my way.

Initially, I thought it was because of my own ignorance as a patient. But in appointment after appointment, the truth became blatantly clear. If I had had no educational, personal, and/or professional experiences in medicine, they could have fooled me in every visit, every time.

My goal now is to train our doctors and specialists to be more patient, kind, empathic and ethical, by teaching patients how to be investigators of their own health information. Patients need to learn how to advocate for their own health during an era of “sloppy medicine.”

One such lesson is to teach patients where and how to hold their doctors and clinicians accountable. Never check hospital or medical practice reviews of your doctor. Those reviews are biased. As an ex-hospital employee, I can tell you who gets those reviews. Patients whose outcomes are successful and more likely to give positive reviews are noted by hospital employees. They send those patients the evaluation forms.

In the hospital where I worked, many evaluation forms were completed by other hospital employees. Some employees were even patients of the doctors they work with. How is that not a conflict of interest?

Always check for independent reviews through online sites such as HealthGrades. They are much better resources for patients with complex medical histories. You need to know who you are going to be working with, and it is immensely helpful to see other patients’ unbiased reviews of doctors. No one is a better professional in being and knowing you than YOU.

It should no longer be a one-way-street, with doctors doing all the talking during appointments. If patients know the right questions to ask, they will be better prepared to challenge the doctor for answers and direction. Patients deserve to get the most out of every visit. Additionally, I encourage you to observe if the doctor has a partner or assistant join them in your visits.

You should never go to an appointment alone, if you do not want to. If someone can’t physically be there, you can also make a FaceTime call to have a second set of “eyes and ears” at your appointments. The clinicians document your visits and sometimes bring reinforcements. You should, as well. Your input is valuable, and you should be documenting as much or more than your doctor.

The sad fact is that you are worth more to a doctor when you are sick than when you are well. They send you back and forth between their colleagues and specialists. It is time to cancel the hamster wheel of medicine and rebuild it through decency and transparency, with truly informed consent by both patients and doctors.

A poor doctor should not have the same status and pay as a good doctor, but they often are. What keeps a doctor honest if they earn the same despite their poor patient outcomes? Ultimately, for doctors to perform better, patients must be willing to hold them accountable when necessary.

Disabled patients should know there is no guilt or shame in disability, and that disability does not equal stupidity. There is opportunity for positivity in every negative situation.

Crystal Moody lives in California.

Do you have a “My Story” to share? Pain News Network invites other readers to share their experiences about living with pain and treating it.

Send your stories to editor@painnewsnetwork.org.

Opioid Tapering Disrupts Healthcare and Worsens Doctor-Patient Relationships

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Tapering patients on long-term opioid therapy results in more emergency department visits and hospitalizations, according to a large new study that found reduced opioid use was particularly disruptive to the healthcare of pain patients with diabetes and high blood pressure.

The study by researchers at University of California Davis is the latest to document the “unintended negative consequences” of policies that limit opioid prescribing. A previous study by the same research team found that tapering raises the risk of an overdose and mental health crisis.

In their latest study, UC Davis researchers analyzed health data for over 113,000 patients who were on opioid therapy for at least 12 months, comparing those who were not tapered to those who had their dose reduced by 15% or more.

Their findings, published in JAMA Network Open, showed that tapering significantly increased hospitalizations and ED visits, while at the same time reducing the number of primary care (PC) visits. Researchers think the latter is at least partially due to “ruptures in relationships” with primary care providers (PCPs) due to patient dissatisfaction with tapering.

Opioid tapering was also associated with a significant reduction in patients taking medication for hypertension or diabetes – even though their blood pressure and blood sugar levels rose when their opioid doses were reduced.

“Tapering may be associated with reduced medication adherence due to an increased patient focus on managing pain and psychological distress due to the taper, disruption in PC due to more frequent ED visits and hospitalizations, or fracture of the PCP-patient relationship,” wrote lead author Elizabeth Magnan, MD, a family medicine physician at UC Davis Medical Center.

“Although cautious interpretation is warranted, these outcomes may represent unintended negative consequences of opioid tapering in patients who were prescribed previously stable doses.” 

Opioid prescribing has fallen dramatically in the U.S. over the past decade, particularly after the release of the CDC’s 2016 opioid guideline. Although millions of patients were affected by the guideline’s recommendations, few efforts were made at the federal level to see what happened to patients who had their opioid doses reduced or even stopped.

A recent study found the number of cancer patients seeking treatment for pain in emergency departments has doubled. Of the 35 million ED visits made by cancer patients, over half were deemed preventable – meaning the visits could have been avoided if the patient has received proper care earlier.

Experimental Blood Test Could Improve Fibromyalgia Treatment

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor 

Finding effective treatment for fibromyalgia has always been problematic. The Food and Drug Administration has approved three drugs for fibromyalgia, but many patients find pregabalin (Lyrica), duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) ineffective in treating the widespread body pain, fatigue, depression and “brain fog” that are common symptoms of fibromyalgia.  

A small pilot study suggests an experimental blood test for fibromyalgia – called FibroGENE -- could be used to determine which drug works best for each patient. Researchers at AMPEL BioSolutions and Duke University Medical Center found genetic biomarkers in the blood cells of 18 lupus patients with fibromyalgia-like symptoms. Their findings, published in the journal Lupus Science and Medicine, could lead to patients getting more effective, personalized treatment through genetic profiling.

“The bottom line is that we found the driving pathways for fibromyalgia that can be targeted by drugs that are already on the market,” said Amrie Grammer, PhD, Ampel’s co-founder and President.

“This is a disease management tool. This is meant for patients who know they have fibromyalgia, either on its own or in the context of another disease, such as lupus, and will be a game changer because treatment is often by trial and error. The doctor says, ‘Try this, let me know if it doesn’t work and try that.’ It often takes years, if ever, to get on a medication or medications that relieve the brain fog, the pain, etc.”  

Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own tissues and organs, causing pain and inflammation. Like fibromyalgia, lupus is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic those of other pain conditions. Genetic profiling of patients helps reduce the guesswork in treatment.

“The gene expression profiles of patients with fibromyalgia or type 2 lupus with fibromyalgia suggest both available drugs and new drugs that might be tested in patients with extensive pain and fatigue,” says study co-author David Pisetsky, MD, Rheumatologist and Professor of Medicine at Duke.

“Moreover, the gene expression profiles suggest a means to match patients with specific drugs. This opens a novel area of precision therapeutics for each individual patient rather than the trial and error approach currently employed.”

Larger studies are needed to prove the viability of Ampel’s blood test, but the company’s goal is to make FibroGENE commercially available by 2024 or 2025. Ampel is currently looking for fibromyalgia patients to participate in its clinical trials.

Why Healing Is Just as Important as Relieving Pain

By Dr. Forest Tennant, PNN Columnist

We all want to take a pill and have our pain lessen or go away, even for a moment. That is human nature. However, we must also take steps to promote healing of our damaged tissues, which over time will have a more lasting effect in reducing the severity of pain. 

There is a difference between symptomatic and healing treatment. Both are necessary to have an effective treatment program. Symptomatic treatment only relieves pain temporarily.  

We regularly hear from persons with adhesive arachnoiditis (AA) who can’t understand why their disease is progressing and why they are deteriorating. The stimulus for this topic was a man with AA who has an implanted morphine pump and an implanted electrical stimulator in the calf of his leg. He takes 15 mg of oral morphine three times a day, as well as gabapentin (Neurontin). 

He did not use a single “healing measure” and had gained so much weight he was now a diabetic. Despite his treatment, which carried a price tag of about a quarter of a million dollars, he wondered why he was deteriorating.

Every disease with the moniker “itis” — including arachnoiditis — is caused by an inflammatory and/or autoimmune process.  This simply means that your painful, damaged tissue is under constant attack. You must either diligently and persistently fight back – every day -- with healing measures or you will deteriorate and die before your time.

Examples of Symptomatic Treatment 

• Analgesics: opioids, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, pregabalin, antidepressants

• Implanted Stimulators

• Implanted Pumps

Examples of Healing Measures

• Protein

• Walking

• Water Soaking

• Weightlifting

• Oxygenation

• Stretching

• Amino Acids/Peptides

• Collagen

• Hormones

• Vitamins

• Anti-inflammatories

• Electromagnetics

It is human nature to desire fast, immediate relief from pain. You must, however, start healing measures at the same time you begin symptomatic pain relief, so damaged tissues won’t deteriorate further and pain won’t increase.

A major problem is misleading advertising of expensive treatments such as implanted electrical stimulators and pain relieving drugs that lead a person into thinking the treatment has healing properties when it only provides temporary, symptomatic pain relief.

That’s why it is so important to follow our 3-component medical treatment protocol to relieve pain, suppress inflammation and autoimmunity, and heal damaged tissue.

Forest Tennant, MD, DrPH, is retired from clinical practice but continues his research on the treatment of intractable pain and arachnoiditis. This column is adapted from bulletins recently issued by the Tennant Foundations’s Arachnoiditis Research and Education Project. Readers interested in subscribing to the bulletins should click here.

The Tennant Foundation gives financial support to Pain News Network and sponsors PNN’s Patient Resources section.  

My Story: 30 Years of Pain

By Rochelle Odell

Sad to say, but I am entering my 30th year battling the monster called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). After three decades, I just call it by both names: RSD/CRPS

It was bad enough when the disease was triggered when I was 46. I had made a career change from aerospace to nursing, and moved out of California to take a new job not too far above minimum wage as a Critical Care Tech. After being a volunteer EMT, it was my dream to become an RN or trauma nurse.  So, I trekked to Georgia to start reaching for my dream.

My left heel was most unhappy with all the walking. I had a lifetime award for medical due to a work comp knee injury, which caused an abnormal gait and the heel pain.

After six months, plus physical therapy, I had a knee arthroscopy. The surgeon was also supposed to remove a painful heel spur, but didn’t. Instead, he accidentally severed a nerve in my left heel, immediately triggering what was then called RSD.

In less than five years, the monster spread to all four of my extremities. I had every therapy, blocks, multiple implants and other procedures, but all ultimately failed.

Back to California I trekked with unexplained, unimaginable pain. I had no job, no insurance except for work comp, and was alone -- questioning my sanity about the career change.

ROCHELLE ODELL

I was eventually placed on a medication only regimen, and for over 16 years was on high dose opioids, along with high dose Diazepam, high dose Lidocaine, and three other meds. Funny thing was, I did very well with them.

Was my pain gone? With RDS/CRPS? No, but it was controlled to the point where I could function. I drove, took good care of my small home, and remained active despite the severity of my disease.

Fast forward to 2016. Those of us suffering from unrelenting intractable pain remember all too well what began that year. Thank you, CDC. All my meds stopped suddenly, but I had no idea why until 2017. A new life of hell began. I didn’t leave the house and was mostly bedbound, only getting up to let my very worried little dog outside, or for a trip to the bathroom or kitchen. Showers? What was that? Just going to the bathroom completely drained me. Thank heaven for adult wash cloths.

I discovered online shopping, thankfully, so we survived. I had no family where I now lived and felt frightened and frustrated. It was like my world had ended. I no longer trusted any doctor or nurse, because most were condescending and uncaring, which really saddened me. I gave up an excellent career in aerospace to go into a profession to care for others, nursing. What happened to those people?

In 2018, I returned to pain management and was placed initially on low dose Norco.  By then my pain was out of control and I knew this would be a new era when it came to pain management. I also knew I was very lucky to have found a provider who would prescribe any opioid. My dose was slowly titrated up, although it was still only a third of what it used to be. I also became a palliative care patient.

I have learned to make my medications work for me, using less on tolerable days and more on bad days, ever cautious about running out early.  I learned, or rather adapted, to finding new ways to do my yard and housework. The last five years I decorated for Christmas like I never used to and began inviting friends over for holiday meals. I became active in my homeowner’s association and was elected vice president. It’s a large senior community with over 1,000 homes.

Have I paid the price for my new endeavors? You bet, big time, for several days at a time. But I did not give in to the pain.

I had a wonderful holiday thanks to sweet friends, and had two pain friends over on New Year’s Day for black eyed peas. One brought her husband. The other recently lost her husband, so she brought her son.

What’s the point of my 30-year story? To share that life does not have to end due to unrelenting pain. Yes, we have to fight far too many battles and no one should be suffering like we do. I decided not to let my nightmare consume me and refused to let it destroy what life I have left.

I am now 76. At this moment my left foot and leg are throbbing, and my whole spine feels electrified. Pain management ordered a full spine MRI to rule out arachnoiditis and the myriad of other problems already diagnosed. My left hand and arm feel like they’re on fire, but I know that when I finish this column, it’ll be time for my meds and some relief.

I want all my pain friends to stand up to your pain even when you feel you are at your wits end. Resurrect the fighter in you. Call a friend or have one over for tea or hot chocolate with this cold winter. You can do it! Tell your pain where to go, please, for you!

Rochelle Odell lives in California.

Do you have a “My Story” to share? Pain News Network invites other readers to share their experiences about living with pain and treating it.

Send your stories to editor@painnewsnetwork.org.

Mexican Pharmacies Sell Counterfeit Drugs to U.S. Tourists

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

With opioid pain medication increasingly harder to obtain in the United States, a growing number of Americans are heading south of the border to get painkillers and other prescription drugs in Mexico.  That’s a risky activity, according to UCLA researchers, who found it was fairly common for Mexican pharmacies to sell counterfeit medication to unsuspecting tourists.

The researchers visited 40 pharmacies in Northern Mexico and purchased samples of oxycodone, hydrocodone, Xanax and Adderall, most of which were obtained without a prescription. Immunoassay testing strips were then used to check each pill for the presence of fentanyls, benzodiazepines, amphetamines and methamphetamines.

Eleven of the 40 pharmacies were found to be selling counterfeit drugs. Of the 27 “oxycodone” tablets purchased, 11 were made with either illicit fentanyl or heroin. One pill sold as “Vicodin” only contained lactose and the weaker opioid tramadol.

Nine of the 11 “Adderall” pills contained methamphetamine, while none of the Xanax pills were found to be counterfeit.  

The study findings were first reported online in medRxiv, a website that publishes new medical research before it is peer-reviewed.

FAKE OXYCODONE PILLS

“It is not possible to distinguish counterfeit medications based on appearance, because authentic and counterfeit versions are often sold in close geographic proximity and are visually and otherwise indistinguishable from one another. Nevertheless, US tourists may be more trusting of controlled substances purchased directly from pharmacies,” the UCLA researchers said, noting that overdoses are poorly monitored in Mexico, making it difficult to know how many people have died from taking counterfeit pills.

Researchers say the growing trade in counterfeit drugs – both north and south of the border – is due in part to a decade-long crackdown on prescription opioids. Since 2010, opioid prescriptions in the U.S. have fallen by nearly 50 percent.

“These decreases have been shown to have affected many patients with known painful chronic conditions, including terminal cancer, and other palliative care patients. Many patients have been rapidly tapered off opioid regimens, which has been associated with increased rates of suicide and drug overdose. A large unmet demand for diverted and legitimate prescription opioids has led to widespread consumption of counterfeit opioids in the US by witting and unwitting consumers,” researchers said.

One such case involves Jessica Fujimaki, a 42-year-old intractable pain patient, who lost access to opioids after the DEA suspended her doctor’s license to prescribe controlled substances last November. Desperate for relief and going into withdrawal, Fujimaki and her husband made two trips to Mexico from their home in Arizona to buy opioids, but were uncertain of the quality of drugs they purchased. She died in December.   

‘These Are Really Strong!’

Perhaps the most widely available counterfeit drug is “Mexican Oxy” – small blue pills that are designed to look like 30mg oxycodone pills. One of the UCLA researchers asked for oxycodone when he visited a Mexican pharmacy:

“We head into the pharmacy and ask for Oxy. The pharmacy employee flashes us a smile and says ‘I have Mexican Oxy or I have American Oxy. American Oxy is 35$ for 20mg, and Mexican Oxy is 20$ for 30mg.’

‘Why is the Mexican Oxy stronger and cheaper?’ I ask.

‘Oh the Mexican oxy is very strong, but it’s cheaper because they give it to us for cheaper,’ he says. ‘You should only take half, and even that’s going to be a lot. The full one might be too dangerous.’

I say, ‘Okay, we’ll take the Mexican Oxy.’ He goes under the counter and pulls out a cardboard box full of syringes. He reaches underneath the needles, and pulls up this false bottom on the box, and the bottom is full of these little blue pills, just loose in the box.

He takes one out of the pile and puts it in a little plastic bag for us. As he hands it to me. He’s says, ‘Okay guys, these are really strong! Please be careful.’”

When that “Mexican Oxy” pill was analyzed later, it tested positive for fentanyl.  

Two reporters for the Los Angeles Times recently found how easy it is to get counterfeit medication in Mexico when they visited pharmacies in Tijuana, Cabo San Lucas and several other northwestern cities. The reporters found that 71% of the 17 pills they purchased were fake. The “oxycodone” and “hydrocodone” pills tested positive for fentanyl, while pills sold as “Adderall” tested positive for methamphetamine.

Asked to comment on the Times investigation, the U.S. State Department, DEA and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy failed to respond to repeated inquiries. Local and national government agencies in Mexico also ignored requests for comment.

Most of the drug experts interviewed by the Times said they’d never before heard of pharmacies selling counterfeit pills.

“I haven’t seen anything like that,” said Cecilia Farfán-Mendez, a researcher at UC San Diego’s Center of U.S.-Mexican Studies. “I think it speaks to the lack of law enforcement monitoring what’s happening in the pharmacies.”

Most Antidepressants Ineffective for Chronic Pain

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Most of the antidepressant drugs that are prescribed for chronic pain are either ineffective or the evidence supporting their use as pain relievers is weak, according to a new analysis published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The use of antidepressants such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) and fluoxetine (Prozac) has doubled in recent years, with much of the increase due to their off-label prescribing to treat conditions such as fibromyalgia, neuropathy and back pain.

But in a review of 26 studies on the analgesic effects of antidepressants, Australian researchers found little evidence to support their use in pain management. The data on side effects was also weak, meaning the safety of antidepressants was also uncertain. Nearly half of the studies had ties or funding from the pharmaceutical industry.

“Recommending a list of antidepressants without careful consideration of the evidence for each of those antidepressants for different pain conditions may mislead clinicians and patients into thinking that all antidepressants have the same effectiveness for pain conditions. We showed that is not the case,” said lead author Giovanni Ferreira, PhD, from The Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney.

“Some antidepressants were efficacious for some pain conditions; however, efficacy appears to depend on the condition and class of antidepressant. The findings suggest that a more nuanced approach is needed when prescribing antidepressants for pain.”

Ferreira and his colleagues say no study provided high quality evidence on the effectiveness of antidepressants for any pain condition. 

But they did find moderate quality evidence supporting the use of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) for back pain, postoperative pain, fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain. Low-quality evidence suggested that SNRIs could be used for pain linked to breast cancer treatment, depression, knee osteoarthritis, and pain related to other underlying conditions.

The researchers say only low-quality evidence supports the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression and pain related to other conditions; and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, neuropathic pain, and chronic tension-type headaches. 

Antidepressants ‘Disappointing’ for Most Pain Patients

An accompanying editorial, also published in The BMJ, said the study adds to growing evidence that many medications prescribed for pain – not just antidepressants – are only modestly effective.

“Their findings suggest that for most adults living with chronic pain, antidepressant treatment will be disappointing. This is important given emerging concerns about increases in the prescribing of antidepressants and the challenges patients describe when trying to withdraw from treatment,” wrote Cathy Stannard, MD, UK National Health Service, and Colin Wilkinson, a pain patient and consultant at Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath.

“Clinicians continue to prescribe medicines for which the evidence is poor because they observe that some people respond to them, albeit modestly. But all medicines carry risk of harm and there are other, less potentially harmful options more likely to help people to live well with pain.”

Stannard and Wilkinson said exercise and physical activity might be better options than medication for some patients.

Ironically, a little over a year ago, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) released new guidelines that recommend antidepressants for adults with chronic primary pain, even when they are not depressed. NICE said antidepressants may help with quality of life, pain, sleep and psychological distress.

The NICE guideline is at odds with other studies that found antidepressants are minimally effective for back pain and osteoarthritis and often have adverse side effects. A common complaint of patients who take Cymbalta, for example, is how quickly they became dependent on the drug and have severe withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it.