Harpgirl,

I am not talking about chronic pain patients getting off their morphine medication. I am talking about chronic pain patients being on morphine for life. I am talking about chronic pain associated with permanent physical disabilities.

The management of pain, whether chronic due to a physical disability, or associated with terminal illness, is currently undergoing some dramatic changes in the medical profession. There is much more resistance to treating chronic pain patients with morphine than terminal illness patients, because the medical profession isn't concerned with addiction for terminally ill patients.

As to chronic pain management, well of course a chronic pain patient is going to have extreme difficulties when their pain medication, which has allowed them to function at near normal capacity, when the medication is withdrawn.

Question is, if it works so effectively, why take a chronic pain patient off the medication?

Answer: medical professionals paranoia about addiction, rather than their commitment to helping their patients lead the best quality of life possible for them, which likely includes morphine for pain management.