Like many Americans and indeed people throughout the world, I have been following the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who treated Michael Jackson and is now charged with involuntary manslaughter in his death. Jackson died from Propofol intoxication, Propofol being a drug administered in hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers as an anesthetic. In the case of Dr. Murray, propofol was used in order to assist Michael Jackson get a good nights sleep- administered in his bedroom, through an IV, which is amazing in and of itself. Why he agreed to use this anesthetic in the first place is even more amazing.
Having first hand experience with Propofol, during a colonoscopy/ endoscopy, I can tell you that waking up from this drug is akin to spending a week in the Bahamas, without the tan. You feel as if you have taken the best nap of your life and your mood is one of sheer elation. This feeling is common to almost everyone who has had an experience with Propofol and I must admit that you do have a quickly fleeting desire to purchase a six pack of the drug to take home. The fact is that drugs are addictive, aside from the physical component, simply because they make you feel good long before they make you feel awful.
Now the case of Dr. Murray certainly seems bizarre, but physicians all over the world can become enchanted with their patients, even though they may not be "The King of Pop." Doctors want to alleviate not only pain, but also an entire host of other patient complaints that give their patients less than an optimum lifestyle. Insomnia, headache, menstrual cramps, muscle aches - treated with a swipe of pen on script pad. Creating in many instances a whole garden of future addicts.
Put quite simply, the drugs exist, so why not use them?
There are, of course, those drug seeking patients who travel from physician to physician to obtain the medications that they now need for their daily survival. Many patients, however, present to their patients with acute and chronic pain, unaware that abuse of medication to treat this pain will eventually become a way of life. In many cases, physicians simply do not take the time to adequately explain how the medications that they prescribe can lead to overuse or addiction. They treat the symptoms with drugs to alleviate pain, without realizing that the majority of patients are not aware of the implications of these drugs. Pain relief equals pills and pills lead to more pills and so on and so on. In addition the courting of physicians by the pharmaceutical companies tend to minimize the side effects of their products and gear their efforts to make their medications as appealing as possible. You merely need to watch the commercials for some of the new drugs brought to market and if you are not shaking your head at the list of side-effects, you are certainly in the minority.
Perhaps patients and doctors alike need to realize that not every physical pain needs immediate treatment. Physicians need to make sure that they take the time to assess the patient's lifestyle, diet and exercise regime before writing a script to deal with a symptom that could be addressed with simple lifestyle changes. There needs to be a larger learning curve where physicians are better informed in the use of natural and herbal supplements that may work just as well as prescription medications. Acupuncture and chiropractic treatments may also provide relief for acute and chronic pain as well as physical therapy.
We need to begin to align ourselves with modalities and lose the fear of having our patients seek alternative therapies.
As our largest population group continues to age, we must be mindful of using drugs that are often rushed to market with catastrophic consequences. Continuing education in our various specialties should always include embracing less invasive techniques.
Having first hand experience with Propofol, during a colonoscopy/ endoscopy, I can tell you that waking up from this drug is akin to spending a week in the Bahamas, without the tan. You feel as if you have taken the best nap of your life and your mood is one of sheer elation. This feeling is common to almost everyone who has had an experience with Propofol and I must admit that you do have a quickly fleeting desire to purchase a six pack of the drug to take home. The fact is that drugs are addictive, aside from the physical component, simply because they make you feel good long before they make you feel awful.
Now the case of Dr. Murray certainly seems bizarre, but physicians all over the world can become enchanted with their patients, even though they may not be "The King of Pop." Doctors want to alleviate not only pain, but also an entire host of other patient complaints that give their patients less than an optimum lifestyle. Insomnia, headache, menstrual cramps, muscle aches - treated with a swipe of pen on script pad. Creating in many instances a whole garden of future addicts.
Put quite simply, the drugs exist, so why not use them?
There are, of course, those drug seeking patients who travel from physician to physician to obtain the medications that they now need for their daily survival. Many patients, however, present to their patients with acute and chronic pain, unaware that abuse of medication to treat this pain will eventually become a way of life. In many cases, physicians simply do not take the time to adequately explain how the medications that they prescribe can lead to overuse or addiction. They treat the symptoms with drugs to alleviate pain, without realizing that the majority of patients are not aware of the implications of these drugs. Pain relief equals pills and pills lead to more pills and so on and so on. In addition the courting of physicians by the pharmaceutical companies tend to minimize the side effects of their products and gear their efforts to make their medications as appealing as possible. You merely need to watch the commercials for some of the new drugs brought to market and if you are not shaking your head at the list of side-effects, you are certainly in the minority.
Perhaps patients and doctors alike need to realize that not every physical pain needs immediate treatment. Physicians need to make sure that they take the time to assess the patient's lifestyle, diet and exercise regime before writing a script to deal with a symptom that could be addressed with simple lifestyle changes. There needs to be a larger learning curve where physicians are better informed in the use of natural and herbal supplements that may work just as well as prescription medications. Acupuncture and chiropractic treatments may also provide relief for acute and chronic pain as well as physical therapy.
We need to begin to align ourselves with modalities and lose the fear of having our patients seek alternative therapies.
As our largest population group continues to age, we must be mindful of using drugs that are often rushed to market with catastrophic consequences. Continuing education in our various specialties should always include embracing less invasive techniques.
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