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From paracetamol to surgeries, Monty said she tried a range of things to relieve the pain she was experiencing, but none were effective.
“I no longer have any social life or any relationships. I live in isolation and poverty because my opioid dose was lowered.”
The ‘eye-opening’ moment that sparked change
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She said the changes were the result of concern from regulators.
There were rule changes to the prescription and supply of opioids like Oxycodone in 2020. Source: Getty / BackyardProduction
Australia was at one point the ninth highest consumer of opioids in the world — and there were serious issues with and hospitalisations.
Daniels sees this as a good thing, but for those with chronic pain, like Janine, it’s just made things worse.
Gender differences in chronic pain — and how many are affected
The number of people affected is vast.
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“While people do want to keep up with the latest findings and understandings when you take something away — when there is no replacement — it just creates distress,” said Guilia Jones, the CEO of advocacy group Pain Australia.
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“So while we accept that there needed to be some changes, the way it was done was not really appropriate, and the outcome is a very distressed cohort who were pretty distressed already.”
An estimated 3.4 million Australians live with chronic pain, with more than half of that group being women. Source: Getty
Jones said for many of them, their pain is compounded by not being listened to. She claimed that, in one case, a 21-year-old member went to eight different doctors before finding someone who would take him seriously.
“So they’ll go to a doctor who doesn’t quite know what to do with them and they’ll be asked if they’re making it up, it’ll be assumed that they’re trying to drug seek.”
Opioids not a long-term solution
McMullen says opioids aren’t meant to be a long-term answer to pain, and the risks of harm can start to outweigh the benefits after a while.
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McMullen said she understands that for some patients and doctors, access and affordability make it a challenge. She said that’s why the AMA has been pushing for better general practice funding to provide wraparound care.
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“We have a lot to celebrate in Australia, but the opioid issue, the crisis of misuse versus appropriate use — they are two distinct issues and we have to deal with them separately.”