Latest collection of posts explaining the many serious flaws in these guidelines
4 articles with the best evidence
against the legitimacy of CDC Guidelines
- By far the most comprehensive:
Opioids, Addiction, and Pain: Briefing for Policy Leaders - CDC Manipulated Data to Deceive
- CDC Guidelines Refuted with Scientific Evidence
- The Changing Opioid Epidemic: Not from Rx
1. Opioids, Addiction, and Pain: Briefing for Policy Leaders
This excellent summary of the points of our argument against the CDC Guidelines was created by Stefan G Kertesz, MD, who also wrote the thoroughly researched paper, The Changing Opioid Epidemic: Not from Rx, proving that our opioid prescriptions are NOT the problem.
This briefing was presented personally to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on January 17, 2017. He was receptive to the points offered here.
2. CDC Manipulated Data to Deceive – November 29, 2016
This commentary presents the case that the CDC manipulated the data it used as a basis for its opioid prescribing guidelines.
By imposing an arbitrary non-standard constraint and excluding some studies that were included in earlier reports, the CDC created a different interpretation by using a different set of data.
Objectives. A recent US federal review and clinical guideline on opioids for chronic pain asserted that the literature contributes no evidence on efficacy because all trials had “inadequate duration.”
3. CDC Guidelines Refuted with Scientific Evidence – September 8, 2016
Neat, Plausible, and Generally Wrong: A Response to the CDC Recommendations for Chronic Opioid Use – Stephen A. Martin, MD, EdM; Ruth A. Potee, MD, DABAM ; and Andrew Lazris, MD
Finally, someone is standing up for the truth about opioids and pain patients. These three courageous M.D.s expose the CDC guidelines for the fraud […]
4. The Changing Opioid Epidemic: Not from xR – November 22, 2016
Turning the Tide or Riptide? the Changing Opioid Epidemic – Stefan G. Kertesz – 18 Nov 2016
This rigorously sourced paper illustrates the absurdity and futility of the crackdown on prescribed pain medication.
Dr. Kertesz meticulously lays out the facts (backed by 50 references to scientific research) proving that opioid prescriptions to patients are not the primary driver of the increasing numbers of overdose deaths.
Restricting such prescriptions has only caused a crisis of untreated pain while doing absolutely nothing to treat the addiction and abuse at the root of most overdoses.
More Professional Critiques of the Guidelines
“Research” Behind the CDC’s Opioid Guidelines – August 2016
Tracking Down the “Research” Behind the CDC’s Opioid Prescribing Guidelines – National Pain Report – Aug 2016 – By Richard “Red” Lawhern, PhD
I have tracked down some of the “research” behind the so-called CDC practice guidelines published in March 2016. And the research is an absolute CROCK! Particularly astounding is the biased and unscientific […]
Opioids, Pain and the CDC’s Guideline: Needs Improvement – January 24, 2016
Opioids, Pain and the CDC’s Guideline: Needs Improvement | by Stefan Kertesz Physician researcher
These arguments against the CDC’s guidelines are specific, logically argued, and carefully thought out, explaining some aspects that seemed muddled, but are clear to a practicing doctor. The Centers for Disease Control report that 2014 saw a record of 18,893 deaths related to opioid […]
Professional Criticism of CDC Guidelines – April 25, 2016
CDC Issues Final Guidelines for Opioid Prescribing: PPM Editorial Board Responds
This is a 6-page article, with some thoughtful criticism of the guidelines, addressing some of their striking shortcomings. The initial draft guidelines were met with sharp criticism from a number of medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), American Medical Association […]
Issues With the CDC Guidelines – October 3, 2016
The Issues With the CDC Guidelines on Opioids for Chronic Pain, According to AAPM’s Director by Florence Chaverneff, Ph.D. September 26, 2016
This article is noteworthy because of where it appears (in a publication mostly dedicated to parroting the CDC’s ideas) and who is speaking (BobTwillman, president of the American Association of Pain Management) In […]
CDC Opioid Guidelines–A Threat To Pain Patients’ Lives – September 27, 2015
These guidelines were designed to further curb opioid abuse. But in fact, they seem to be about arbitrarily curbing treatment.
CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines–A Threat To Pain Patients’ Lives | Intractable Pain Journal
CDC Guidelines Use Pseudoscience – April 17, 2016
How Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Use Pseudoscience — Pain News Network – By Michael Schatman and Jeffrey Fudin, Guest Columnists – March 30, 2016
Recently, we (along with our colleague, Dr. Jacqueline Pratt Cleary) published an open access article in the Journal of Pain Research, entitled “The MEDD Myth: The Impact of Pseudoscience on Pain Research […]
Long List of Flaws with CDC Guidelines – April 5, 2016
National Pain Strategy 0; Drug Wars 1 | Terri A. Lewis, Assistant Professor, Rehabilitation Counseling & Intern’l Prgms Cnsltnt at National Changhua University of Education | Mar 20, 2016
Ms. Lewis has organized the salient points of the current denigration (assault) of pain patients. Her bullet points help my frazzled mind understand what has happened […]
Draft CDC Opioid Guideline: Pain Medicine Experts Discuss – March 3, 2016
Below I’ve tried to limit this long discussion to its most meaningful statements. I spent much time highlighting and commenting on the most pertinent phrases, so I hope you find this post informative.
This discussion gives an interesting view of how pain and pain […]
FDA Endorses Biased and Unscientific CDC Opioid Guidelines – February 14, 2016
FDA Endorses CDC Opioid Guidelines | February 04, 2016 | By Pat Anson, Editor
In a move that may have more to do with politics than healthcare, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set aside the advice of its own experts by endorsing the CDC’s controversial guidelines for opioid prescribing The move is part […]
A Reviewer’s Analysis of the Draft CDC Guidelines – January 9, 2016
A Former Federal Peer Reviewer’s Analysis of the Draft CDC Guidelines | National Pain Report | December 30, 2015 | Brooke Lee Keefer
In my former life prior to chronic pain and illness I had many important and fascinating jobs. One was as a peer reviewer for the United States National Institutes for Health (NIH), Center for Mental […]
CDC Opioid Guidelines: Good, Bad, and Ugly – May 22, 2016
New CDC Opioid Guidelines: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – Charles E. Argoff, MD – May 13, 2016
In this article, Dr. Argoff picks apart the guideline and explains which parts are relatively sound, and which are spurious. The guideline’s purpose is to: “improve communication between clinicians and patients about the risks and […]
Response to CDC Guidelines by FMS Assoc. – March 27, 2016
NFMCPA Response to CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines | March 13, 2016 | Jan Favero Chambers, President/Founder | National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association
Today at noon I could hardly breathe. Hot tears fell on my cheeks, and a deep heartache filled my soul. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids 2016 was […]
Professional Criticisms of CDC Guidelines – March 24, 2016
Responses and Criticisms Over New CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines | March 18, 2016
In their statements, both the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) and the American Medical Association (AMA) first cautiously express approval of the CDC’s intentions (obviously intimidated) before diving into the glaring problems with the guidelines. I feel the worst part is the fixed […]
Docs Say CDC Opioid Guidelines Misguided – April 13, 2016
CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Misguided, Docs Say | Brandon Cohen | April 08, 2016
Recent guidelines handed down from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning the prescription of opioids have made waves among healthcare professionals. The CDC condemned the practice of prescribing these drugs in the vast majority of cases. Furthermore, these guidelines […]
Contradictions in CDC Guidelines – Jan 2016
Upon review of the Proposed 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain we find various contradicting statements based on the presented evidence and the recommendation strength
According to the National Guideline Clearinghouse, “level A rating requires at least two consistent Class I studies”.
However, all of the 12 recommendations provided are based on case series (level 3 evidence) or expert opinion (level 4 evidence) yet assigned a grade A recommendation.
Harms Associated With Conflation of Data – Feb 2017
By Stephen Ziegler, PhD
The research letter, like many articles authored by those who are rightly concerned about addiction and overdose, begins by asserting that an association exists between increases in opioid prescribing and “large increases in addiction and overdose deaths in the United States.”
However, there are several problems with such a statement. First, association is not causation.
Further, it is misleading and harmful to lump all opioids, prescription and illicit, together.
EDS and Chronic Pain News & Info 