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Comment by kolbe | Hacker News Reader

Not supposed to prescribe oxy very much either....

That's just not true. Opioids are a standard part of pain management. There are plenty of people who will be taking opioids as a breakthrough pain management technique for the foreseeable future. That makes it quite different from a "1 and done" type prescription model.

"Though Percocet and other oxycodone-containing medications were originally used only for acute (short-term) pain, changes in government recommendations and aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies have led to a dramatic increase in the use of this drug in patients with chronic (long-term) pain since the 1990s."

https://drugabuse.com/library/the-effects-of-percocet-use/

Pain doesn't easily divide up in to long-term and short term. What do you call someone who typically manages their pain with tylenol and mental techniques, but sometimes has to use opioids to make it through the day? Many people with chronic pain find themselves in this situation, for the rest of their life.

Also, beware of false causation. The (extremely detrimental) effects of pain were not well circulated in the medical profession in the '80s. The more aggressive pain management that has occurred since is at least in part due to this sea change, and not merely "aggressive marketing". The "changes in government recommendations" did not occur by happenstance, nor were they solely motivated by pharma marketers.

"chronic pain" sounds long-term to me.

This is true, but many original advocates for opioid prescriptions for outpatient therapy have since rescinded their advice.

You can actually use opiods for a protracted period without severe side effects except constipation, and of course posisivle addiction. But physically it’s quite safe if dosed properly and has no mental side effects really. MDMA can have severe mental and physical side effects when used frequently or sometimes just once.

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