Can I Really Be Addicted To Tramadol?
If you think tramadol is a benign drug, think again. This past spring we met Frank, a middle-aged man from the southwest who was using large amounts of tramadol daily, originally for back pain. His doctor prescribed a certain amount, the rest he purchased online. He...
My Patient’s Most Shameful Secret
One of the most troubling aspects of my job as a medical addiction professional reared its head last week as I entered the exam room for a follow-up visit with Gordon.* Gordon has had a very successful career in banking. He is the 64-year old divorced father of three...
Pain Medicine: Is it Skewing Your Priorities?
I am in the luxurious position of spending most of my time doing exactly what I want to do. Of course, there are still toilets to clean, laundry, bills and taxes, but I love my day job and spend my free time cooking good stuff, doing yoga, practicing calligraphy and...
I’m Addicted But I’m Not An Addict
Looking at my schedule a few weeks ago, I saw that a new patient was coming in for a consultation to learn more about our Accelerated Opioid Detox (AOD). Detox means different things to different people. If you google the word, you’ll find references to various liquid...
