OxyContin for Children

[exotix]

Today

FDA approves OxyContin for children as young as 11

http://wfla.com/2015/08/14/fda-appro...s-young-as-11/

The Food and Drug Administration has approved limited use of the powerful and frequently abused painkiller OxyContin for children as young as 11 years old, the agency announced Thursday.

Dr. Sharon Hertz, director of new anesthesia, analgesia and addiction products for the FDA, said studies by Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Connecticut, which manufactures the drug, “supported a new pediatric indication for OxyContin in patients 11 to 16 years old and provided prescribers with helpful information about the use of OxyContin in pediatric patients.”

OxyContin is a long-release version of oxycodone, an opioid that acts on the brain like heroin and is intended for only the most severe and chronic pain cases.



OxyContin was reformulated in 2010 to make it harder for addicts to crush the pills for a quick high.

[Peter1469]

Not a good idea.....

[Private Pickle]

If it hurts give them pain meds. Taking pain meds do not automatically make one a junkie nor, despite popular belief, will it make one a junkie later in life.

The idea of gateway drugs is simply an anecdote meant to denounce all drugs regardless of their effects.

[Redrose]

If the child has chronic pain some meds are needed. There are serious conditions that can have debilitating pain, as long as they are monitored closely, and their liver enzymes checked often, I see no problem with it.

[whatukno]

Endorsed by Rush Limbaugh!

What a terrible terrible idea. What is it with this country and doping up our children to the eyeballs for everything? Can't parents be parents anymore?

Sure, if a kid is in pain, give them some sort of painkiller, does it have to be one that has been proven to be highly addictive?

[Redrose]

Those drugs can be abused and are abused. Not everyone who uses them get addicted. I was on Oxy for 6 years and went cold turkey about 5 years ago. Those with addictive personalities will have a problem. The key word here is 'monitoring'. These young people need to be closely monitored by a doctor, not just a pain management doctor, but by their own personal physician. If they show signs of abuse, that needs to be addressed. I don't believe a long range problem is inevitable in most cases.

Same for medicinal pot for kids with cancer and severe burns and other debilitating ailments.

[Mini Me]

I have had chronic back pain since 1978. I asked my PA for a stronger pain pill.

She said that we only treat acute pain now with strong pain pills, and not chronic pain!

That seems $#@!ed up!

[Redrose]

I have had chronic back pain since 1978. I asked my PA for a stronger pain pill.

She said that we only treat acute pain now with strong pain pills, and not chronic pain!

That seems $#@!ed up!

That is so sad. I had horrible chronic back pain, along with an injured knee, neck and shoulder pain too. I couldn't escape the pain, no sleep, it was unbearable. I had my back fused, knee surgery and neck fused. I feel for anyone with serious chronic pain. The oxycodone helped a lot in the beginning. It didn't take the pain totally away, but it made it tolerable, I could function and sleep. Problem was over time I needed a higher dose to achieve the same benefit. I was up to 6 per day, and even with that I still had pain. So I went cold turkey. I decided I didn't want all that going through my liver. I'm still in pain, but I have accepted it, and use OTC pain meds occassionally and pain patches.


What is causing your back pain? There are new procedures that may help, not as invasive as my surgery 10 years ago.

[PolWatch]

People who have never suffered from severe or chronic pain don't realize there is a difference in the effect of the drugs. I have been on some type of pain management regime since the 80's. I wouldn't let my dog suffer through severe pain without some relief. I certainly would demand that my child be given ANYTHING available to help them.

[Peter1469]

I have had chronic back pain since 1988; an army injury. And it was re-injured in 2000. The docs wanted to do surgery, but I never did. It is the L5, S1 disk and nerve.