Today, readers are discussing the effectiveness of opioids when it comes to treating chronic non-cancer pain. A recent study analyzed nearly 100 studies and found opioids are no better at treating chronic pain than over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Readers are also discussing Andrew Scheer’s announcement that the Conservative Party opposes ending Saudi arms deal.
Prescription pills containing oxycodone and acetaminophen are shownGraeme Roy/The Canadian Press
Interesting and thought-provoking article. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen, used in proper dosage, can be extremely effective and non-addictive in pain control. However, there was no mention of the well known side effects of long- and even short-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen. The most common are gastrointestinal effects which can be very serious when bleeding occurs. The use of PPI (proton-pump inhibitor) medications to counteract that comes with its own set of issues. Pain control is a complicated issue. It needs more than a just switch to over the counter meds. - sandradee53
I can only speak for myself and my chronic non-cancer degenerative facet joint pain: Opioid therapy (oxycontin) is the hands down winner for a pain-free better life. I know this isn’t politically correct to say this. Naproxen makes me nauseous and Ibuprofen raises blood pressure and is not advised for hypertensives such as myself. In any case, neither is strong enough to counteract my pain. Gabapentin, mentioned in the article, is an animal tranquilizer. All of the above have side effects. You just have to be judicious in what you use and not succumb to the hysteria and misinformation you read in the media. I will review the cited journal article but patients have to deal with their own pain, not someone else’s. - Chris Damas
Chronic pains sufferers are being left with zero alternatives after the war on opioids that has been lashed by the government and certain groups within the medical and pharmaceutical community. Go and tell a person with severe chronic pain to down a couple of Tylenols and that all will be fine. - uchu
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Unless I've misunderstood something, I thought the utility of opioids was for their advantage in relieving severe pain -- it's a question of degree, not duration. - Simon Leblanc
My wife and I have a bottle of opiates left over from her back surgery that I use on rare occasion if I have a migraine headache that will not go away with Advil. There is simply no comparison in terms of speed and effectiveness of opiates compared with Advil for migraines. This study clearly has flaws. Opiates are way more effective than Advil. To say they are a placebo is totally and completely ridiculous. - Adam177
In response to Adam177:
Absolutely agree. I manage my chronic migraines quite well with non-opioid meds, but once in awhile all other options fail and the migraine gets you. When that happens, nothing else works but Tylenol 3s with codeine. Just one or two until it's over, addiction is not an issue. I find this report highly suspect. The panicked discourse of opioid addiction ignores those of us with legitimate opioid needs who have no risk of addiction. - mlejcogs
In response to mlejcogs:
Here is the thing - you are not using the T3's for chronic pain - you are using them occasionally for a migraine which is the definition of a short term acute situation. Now if you were getting daily migraines and having to treat them with T3's that would be treating a chronic problem.
I have a condition that causes painful joints. I am in pain daily (chronic problem) I have tried opiates and they really don't do much for the pain. At least not any better than Advil. Now when I had sinus surgery two years ago the Oxy they gave me was great for managing the pain for the first day afterwards. Then again, the Tylenol Extra Strength was just as effective. - Jennifer_M
What else readers are discussing today:
Scheer opposes ending Saudi arms deal
With a world awash in oil, it makes immanent sense to stop buying from the Saudis. I'm with Andrew Scheer on this. - Mellowcanadian
Whether you agree with it or not, it's refreshing to have a leader take a clear stand on this issue, unlike Trudeau's incoherent vacillations - DJL2
I sometimes sell guns to gangs in Toronto. But it’s okay because it creates a job for me. If I didn’t sell guns to them, someone else would. The gangs sometimes use the guns to commit murders, but those crimes have nothing to do with me since I need Christmas shopping money. Only a true Conservative like Andrew Scheer understands this logic. Everyone else thinks I’m a monumental slime ball. Thanks for your continued support, Andy! - Conservative For Life
Readers are also discussing John Ibbitson’s column, Why Doug Ford is not Mike Harris
One would have thought that the lessons of 2008 when basic Keynesian economics saved the world from economic collapse would have at least elicited an acknowledgement from Conservatives around the world that they have been fundamentally wrong - that trickle down supply side tax cut economics simply do not work. This is no longer just an opinion or a theory. It is pure fact. You may not like it, but that’s the way economics work in the world in which we live. Fiscal Conservatives are simply and clearly wrong. You do not reduce deficits by cutting taxes. Mike Harris' government ran deficits in the late 90s when other Canadian jurisdictions were posting surplussed. This was primarily due to his irresponsible tax cuts. Doug Ford clearly has not learned these lessons. - Rocksteady
Doug Ford has a business background; and, as such, his ideological core embraces a "trickle-down" revolution rather than a "common-sense" one. The overwhelming majority of Doug Ford's policy changes in the past six months were to remove regulations and restrictions on large business. Over the coming years, voters will have to re-learn that what is good for large business is not necessarily good for voters. The only beneficiaries of "trickle-down" revolutions are business elites like Doug Ford and wealthy shareholders. The average voter gains little from lower taxation and loses much as government services are reduced or eliminated. - 90N
I remember Walkerton under Harris. I wish more voters did. I wonder how long it will be before Ford's cuts result in more lost lives? - just as good as you
I think you need to give Ford more than 6 months to determine whether or not he is going to cut. He hasn’t even passed his first budget. Honestly, I think the cuts are coming and they are coming hard - Skeptical Man
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