Most of the people who overdose on narcotics really don't need them. Yes there is the occasional accidental overdose but those of us who need it seem to be very careful. There has been a lot written about those of us with chronic conditions and what will happen to us.

I have had similar problems. When I was first DXed, my doctor suggested pain killers. I turned them down in hopes something else would work. 2 years of trying everything and nothing was working. By this time my doctor had moved to another city. New doctor refused to give me pain killers. I did end up finding a doctor that gives me a very small amount which never last the whole month. These days it seems like the second you say i have pain, doctors assume your an addicted drug seeker. It is so sad that many of us suffer regularly because other people want to get high regularly.

Well thanks for all your experiences, I ended up going off of my Morephine which I took for 15 years, I tried going cold turkey and after 2 days I couldn't handle it, so I just weaned off. I now have a new doctor as I moved, but she doesn't give Narcotics and some days the pain is more than I can handle. Extra strength Tylenol just doesn't cut it. Everyone who knows me says I seem much better off the drug, but I feel like crap, not all the time but am surviving.

Doctors are stupid - but yes they do not like prescribing anything addictive - keeps you from suing them.

Sadly the people who DO abuse drugs have made it very difficult for those of us needing the meds for pain and survival. The government has made it so difficult to prescribe class 2 medicines they don't want to deal with them. I'd suggest just going to a pain clinic near you.
I only take 2 Norcos a day and 1 Concerta. I really need something during the middle of the day but can't get it. They have told me if I want anything else or anything more I would have to go to a pain clinic. I can't take NSAIDs siince all the medication I've been on over the learns are destroying my kidneys. I'm in no hurry to lose them and have to be on dialysis or lord help me, meed a transplant.
Also government laws say, because I'm taking the meds I'm on, I need to go for drug testing every three months. Funny enough, before the new laws took effect, I was given way more, well enough to ease the pain.