Okay. I'm going to grant for a moment that House is a "drug addict." Although what that means, with his level of pain, is anyone's guess. Is he dependent on the Vicodin? Well, YES. Because he's in PAIN.
See, this is where the show's arc goes down the toilet. Because, as any doctor knows (and nurse), chronic pain patients DO NOT become addicted to their pain medications. They develop tolerance, and require higher dosing/multiple meds, but chronic pain patients learn to live with CONTROLLED pain, and don't have the expectation of being pain free. And House is clearly addicted (one ep dealt with that discovery/admission, so it is canon), which means his behaviour and actions shouldn't be tolerated just because he's House; he should be treated like every wheedling, conniving, angry junkie looking for a score, and that is not how this is playing out. Which is sad, because this handling of the matter (and having a main protagonist be a sufferer of chronic pain) does a great disservice to people who actually suffer through the agony day in and day out.
So, it looks like they're going to wean him off of the Vicodin. Dandy. How are they going to deal with his pain? What else is there to give him? What other treatment is there? I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one on TV, so I don't know.
But it sure will be interesting to see what they decide to do. Because pain management is a tough call to make--and I'm fairly certain he doesn't want them cutting on his leg again. And, dude, I've been at the "ten" on the pain scale, and don't ever want to be there again. If I had to take twelve Vicodin a day to not be there? Damn straight I would.
Vicodin is not a long term medication. There are better meds meant for long term pain management, and shame on the research team and their advisors for not bringing them up before now.
And most chronic pain sufferers are medicated not to be a 10 on the pain scale, but they do learn to live with (and function and be productive and have LIVES) medicated down to a 4 or 5.
I deal with alot of chronic pain patients at work; I've seen 9 year olds with terminal diseases handle a change in their pain meds better than House.
And good for Wilson. Tough love is needed. He is doing House a service, despite how it has been handled.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2006-11-29 02:12 pm (UTC)See, this is where the show's arc goes down the toilet. Because, as any doctor knows (and nurse), chronic pain patients DO NOT become addicted to their pain medications. They develop tolerance, and require higher dosing/multiple meds, but chronic pain patients learn to live with CONTROLLED pain, and don't have the expectation of being pain free. And House is clearly addicted (one ep dealt with that discovery/admission, so it is canon), which means his behaviour and actions shouldn't be tolerated just because he's House; he should be treated like every wheedling, conniving, angry junkie looking for a score, and that is not how this is playing out. Which is sad, because this handling of the matter (and having a main protagonist be a sufferer of chronic pain) does a great disservice to people who actually suffer through the agony day in and day out.
So, it looks like they're going to wean him off of the Vicodin. Dandy. How are they going to deal with his pain? What else is there to give him? What other treatment is there? I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one on TV, so I don't know.
But it sure will be interesting to see what they decide to do. Because pain management is a tough call to make--and I'm fairly certain he doesn't want them cutting on his leg again. And, dude, I've been at the "ten" on the pain scale, and don't ever want to be there again. If I had to take twelve Vicodin a day to not be there? Damn straight I would.
Vicodin is not a long term medication. There are better meds meant for long term pain management, and shame on the research team and their advisors for not bringing them up before now.
And most chronic pain sufferers are medicated not to be a 10 on the pain scale, but they do learn to live with (and function and be productive and have LIVES) medicated down to a 4 or 5.
I deal with alot of chronic pain patients at work; I've seen 9 year olds with terminal diseases handle a change in their pain meds better than House.
And good for Wilson. Tough love is needed. He is doing House a service, despite how it has been handled.