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...
What To Know About Boosting Energy After Stopping Opioid Medication
It happened again. The office phones had just transitioned to the answering service for the evening when a call came through from a patient who had completed an accelerated opioid detox (not to be confused with ultra-rapid (anesthesia-using), hospital-based detox)...
There Are Alternatives to Using Suboxone to Stop Pain Medications and Withdrawal
As family practitioners, my colleagues and I are receiving more and more information from the DEA and other government agencies about prescribing opioid pain medications to patients. It’s tricky because many people have relied on these types of medications for...
Help Me, Please! My Doctor Won’t Stop Prescribing Pain Medication
This was the call I received from a woman who was desperate to get off her opioid pain medication. To protect her privacy, her name has been changed for the purpose of this post. Janine is a 52-year-old woman who had her first surgery in her late twenties for a...
