Image default

Opioid overdoses in Richmond

Graphic by Kira Rider from the Times-Dispatch apparently placing the worst of the regions opioid crises at about Fairmount and Mosby, for a piece by John Ramsey and K. Burnell Evans on the city’s ongoing opiod crises:

The number of nonfatal overdoses is up more than 25 percent in the Richmond region compared with last year, according to local law enforcement agencies that track them. Deaths in the region are on a similar pace.

[…]

Hours before the woman collapsed at Kabana, two people had overdosed in one of the motels along Midlothian Turnpike, where rooms go for about $40 a night. Another person had to be revived in Church Hill. This summer, a pregnant woman was found overdosed behind Franklin Military Academy. It was too late for her and the unborn child, as it has been for more than 1,000 others in Richmond and its surrounding counties in the past decade.

12 comments

Eric S. Huffstutler 10/22/2017 at 1:26 PM

Sadly, there are too much abuse with Opioids rather it be doctors loosely writing scripts to people taking more than needed and becoming addicted.

I have a rare adult form of Muscular Dystrophy with the acronym of OPMD. There are many in my family with it but, because of muscle fatigue and joint pains associated with it, I have been taking prescribed Oxycodone for 10+ years, several times a day to be able to simply walk and stand for any length of time. If we could find something else for me to take outside of time released morphine, I would. The extreme euphoric feeling I had (as many have that leads to addiction) when I first took it, eventually wore off and then it just kept me “level” feeling emotionally as well as physically. But I will go into withdrawls if I am late taking a dose, meaning my body is addicted to it. Not being a fan of regimented medications and having a strong will to push away from true abusive addiction, is in my favor over many who can’t.

Reply
Linda Miller 10/22/2017 at 6:16 PM

I oxycodone and Fentanyl patches for 18 years do too many surgeries on my neck and back chronic pain syndrome and and they are unable to do anything surgically for me anymore so as with you without the medication I can’t walk without being in extreme pain I can’t stand for long periods I can’t sit for long. I don’t have a life all I do is cry and lay in the bed and agonizing pain so those of us in the situations that you and I are in what are we supposed to do stop living and just die I understand that there are those people who go to the doctors to get pain medication faking their pain at times or whatever but for those of us who are in serious with serious nerve and muscle damage what are we supposed to do as I said just lay down and die not have a productive life I refuse to live my life like that I refuse to go back to a life like that I have a life now it is productive but without the medication I don’t have a life at so myself like you I’m wondering what am I supposed to do what are we supposed to do on that note I can appreciate and respect how you feel be blessed I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Reply
Chris 10/23/2017 at 7:32 AM

Much of it is heroin.

Reply
jean mcdaniel 10/23/2017 at 7:57 AM

This is such a problem that the Vetrans Administration Hospital has initiated a program
to train selected Vetrans in the use of Narcam. A prescription for two doses is then given to those who have gone thru the training. I try to remember to have it with me at all times.

This is an extraordinary situation that is so wide spread that a Federal Agency would issue medications to random people.

Reply
Eric S. Huffstutler 10/24/2017 at 2:55 AM

@2 Linda Miller…

You will have those who will scream and holler about entities like CVS, who are going to regulate how many pills can be distributed to “new” patients. The ones screaming the loudest are usually the ones who are addicted. You have doctors who may be getting kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies to prescribe their products. You will also have unethical doctors, who may have their own demons. And of course, a single Oxy pill on the street can go for $65. The pharmacies know this and tried to switch up brands they carry that are not marked with certain numbers on them, which use to be a guarantee of pureness but that is now old tactics. And you have plain old junkies.

Like I said, for the first few months that I started taking Oxycodone (and it affects people differently – some get drowsy), I was on a happy high and everyone was my friend; full of energy and the happiest I had been in years. It is that high which suppresses depression as well as pain from the neck down, that people get addicted to. It is also why, when that feeling wears off in an hour or two and they can’t obtain it like before over the course of time, that people will take more and more to regain that same high until they overdose taking too much. And heaven help them if they drink alcohol on top of it. I made that mistake once where I had to be poured into a taxi to get home and lost half the evening. This could have ended in disaster, as did Anna Nichole Smith. After that, I realized that if I drank even a half shot of alcohol, it was like I had drank a pint or more as it was amplified by the Oxy. I haven’t touch as much as a beer in 10 years now because of it.

Linda, people like us actually need the help of Percocet, Oxycodone, Roxicet, Oxycontin, and others of this class of narcotic opioid drugs, just to be able to function daily without (or minimize) pain. My pain will never go away because it is caused by a hereditary disease with no cure, along with lower back arthritis. I am also very sensitive to medication formulations and some side effects. I have one brand that Heidi Davis at CVS on 25th, keeps on hand to fill my scripts because its inactive compound ingredients do not inhibit absorption as some brands do. It is the people who have a sprained ankle, a wrenched back, post surgery, or other problems that are “short term” where other pain meds except Opioids, need prescribed, if possible.

Eric

Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.