[bill_from_tampa]

The effectiveness of chronic opioids for pain is really patient and disease dependent. My SO has chronic abdominal and widespread somatic pain diagnosed with autoimmune small fiber polyneuropathy (by biopsy) and also chronic intermittent small bowel obstruction (diagnosed by gastrografin small bowel xray, thought due to peritoneal adhesions). Local surgeons refuse to try to lyse adhesions. But opiates have been helpful and remain helpful 8 years into the disease process. They are pretty much the only thing that helps (have tried pain psychology, acupuncture, physical therapy, occupational therapy, several antidepressants, lyrica, gabapentin, celiac plexus block).

So persons with chronic (apparently incurable) disease with pain that responds to opioids <should> have access to the medication that helps. Maybe only 1/100 or 1/500 persons with chronic pain caused by an underlying disease do have a good response to opioids, apparently that was not your experience -- but please don't deny others the benefit of a medication that is helpful because you found it unhelpful!