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...
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...
A Moral Failing Or A Brain That Needs Healing?
For those of you interested in learning more about how addiction specifically affects the brain, I encourage you to watch Dr. Kevin McCauley’s movies and YouTube presentations. Dr. McCauley was an Air Force surgeon who became addicted to pain medications after he went...
