Sad to hear.

Even sadder is this will become more and more common as a result of the misguided policies being forced through, apparently to eliminate opioid prescriptions.

A shame about your partner, Zeke. Especially, given the investment he had put into how he was going to live the back half of his lfe. I hope his widow has help deconstructing what they had just built, if that's her direction.

(To flatbutt) I was giving my Percocet rundown to an older lady friend after my hip replacement 3 weeks ago. I was taking two 5mg pills every six hours, four times a day that first week. I was telling her that I suffered some hallucinations with that concentration.

She's 78. She says my back is so messed up with arthritis that I take two every six hours, four times a day (in perpetuity). I said wow, that's just like me. She says they are ten mg not five.

She then said one time she forgot to take her pre bed time pills and at 1:30am woke up with drug withdrawal symptoms.

How come she gets all she needs and you struggle? Ohio vs NJ?

Maybe. also, I use CVS and they SUCK.

Cartel m30 fentanyl wholesales on the street for 1-2$ per pill

Sorry to hear Milt, never easy.

Dealing with the loss of our Granddaughter has been tough on the family as a whole, especially our Son (she died suddenly at age 3 of a heart condition).

I had been trying to get him to seek grief counseling, he finally relented and went to a group session for parents who have lost children. There were approximately 25 people in the group, 17 of them lost their child to Fentanyl overdose, the others were drowning, auto accidents and only 2 to illness. Just terrible.

I know 4 people who died in 2022 due to fentanyl overdose. One was a heroin user; the rest were recreational pill users. One was a member of this board, a long time ago.

No one wants fentanyl.

Reading here it seems the drug cartels are not looking at the long term picture. When they were distributing cocaine the users were back for more and more.

Dead users don't buy much.

Wow.

My son died from it last September but he was far from a recreational uses and only made it to 34 years old because he was deathly afraid of needles. As I noted in a previous post he had in his system four times a lethal dose. Nine something or other was lethal (at least to you or me) and he had 36. I'm not sure of the measure.

Anyhoo, a 65 year old female customer said her husband just died. I never met him. Normal every day person she is. Worked at Sam's Club in Cuyahoga Falls, Oh. Toxicology report not in yet but he liked to dabble with pot and they found him dead with a white powder nearby. I doubt it was coke and he was probably just experimenting.

This is a tragic story Milt. It is a reminder to all of us about the dangers of taking any type of medication not directly prescribed by a doctor.

After multiple deaths of young adults who unknowingly ingested fentanyl-laced medication last year, I asked my 3 adult kids to come over to discuss the issue. We had a very candid discussion about NOT taking any medication from any friends or associates because of the potential overdose. I suggest all of us who have these discussions with our loved ones.

That's the only reason I brought it up. More than a few were glad this guy moved. But most hoped he would find some happiness getting out of his work a day rut. He became very difficult to be around as he became someone that always talked bad about others.

I think only 2 people he didn't talk trash about were his wife and son. He didn't even speak to his brothers. I hadn't seen him in 2 years by mutual choice.

So the point was the fentanyl. I don't miss the guy at all.

Now to take this on a divergent path. As mentioned the fentanyl situation is completely out of control and killing folks on a level that is arguably higher than other drugs only because folks are not aware of what they are ingesting.

Also mentioned is how this epidemic is affecting the general population of aging/sick people who are seeking doctor prescribed drugs to manage pain knowing they are coming to a close. Pharmacies are now refusing to distribute such drugs in fear of being shut down. This is a double edged sword as you all can acknowledge.

My point, I am suffering a disease that has a low chance of survival. A few years left is my best option. I would prefer someone give me pain relief to avoid vomiting in the toilet all day and night due to body distress. Over the counter does nothing, and recently approved MJ I do not react well to.

I guess the point of my post is to stock up now on MX based pain killers so I can self administer the end shot on my own time with family around. I know the current medical institutions would never allow me that honor and it will get worse from here.

Just pointing out how the drug cartels are affecting people across all isles.

EDIT - Zeke, I am so sorry to read your story but thank you for sharing.

Drug cartels are affecting society itself. There will always be drugs and those willing to provide them.

There is something about human beings that keep things off balance and I don't know what it is. If I did, I could arrange for the bad guys to all go away. Knowledge is power.

The irony is that if all the drug lords, captains, dealers etc., put 100% of their effort in owning all the car washes in the U.S. (just an example of many), they would probably make as much money.

There is no argument about how much work goes into anything. It's all work of one sort. The difference is in regulation.

I have to say, JB, that is the most poignant thing I have read here in 20 years.

What a Dude you are. You know how I mean it.

This is why I want to see all drugs legalized. They are expensive only because they are illegal. We don't know what is actually in them, because they are illegal. The drug cartels make massive money, because they are illegal. I have no personal desire to do them.