MEDICATIONS, PRESCRIBED

Hello

I've been relatively quiet here on the B&W forum, but due to an unforeseen period of total, horizontal, incapacity, I've been 'Catching Up' so to speak.

500+ posts later, I wonder if someone could shed light on the 'Confusion' that is Medication!

I've read numerous references throughout, to prescribed medications and the importance that assessors seem to place on them, or more accurately, the lack of them.

I have, longstanding, multiple, diagnosed now chronic, pain syndromes for which, over time I have been prescribed a whole gamut of extremely powerful pain medications including Opioids. Fast forward 25+ years, several spinal surgeries, numerous spinal and pain management consultants, not to mention GP's, multiple rehab and pain management programmes later, I have stopped the majority of my 'Pain Medications' because quite frankly, they offered little to no relief to the type of pain I continue to experience.

So I suppose my question to the MOD's & FORUM, would be, what would the assessors make of my situation with little to no prescribed pain medication to speak of to include on an application form?

Bis

Well hello to you too. I do all of the above it would actually be quicker if I just listed what I've not been prescribed. I believe there comes a point when people with my type of pain realise that Pharmaceuticals offer little to no relief, in fact in the long term, can damage your health.

The medical professions knee jerk reaction to the so called 'Opioid Epidemic' imported from the States is very disappointing. Don't misunderstand me, I've no doubt that there are people who do abuse them, however there are those who Opioid base medications work extremely well. I'm not one of them, but back in the day, my 'Rescue Meds' did include some Opioid based analgesics which now GP's will not even contemplate prescribing, even when they've been prescribed previously. So, back to horizontal I am........... what else can I read!!!

Hello LL26

I'm not in application mode just at the minute, thanks.

DLA to PIP transition started August 2019, Mandatory Reconsideration lodged 12 June 2020, revised, increased rates awarded 20 July 2020, enhanced rate for both daily living and mobility "For an ongoing period"

ESA renewal, September 2019, paper based decision January 2020, Limited Capability for Work with a referral for reassessment date of December 2022, happy Christmas.

I was just posing the prescribed medication question as so many assessors appear to home in on it as an indication that a claimant must not be in as much pain as they claim they are if they are not taking any, prescribed pain medication. I would be very surprised if a Disability Assessor would be familiar with the workings of a Dorsal Column Stimulator, a trial of which I also failed so another form of pain relief which was not suitable.

Many thanks for your response to my question and I'm sincerely hoping that Christmas 2022 does not involve any ESA paperwork.

Best wishes
Sue