Skip to content

Since my symptoms began 13 years ago, I’ve tried every…

“Since my symptoms began 13 years ago, I’ve tried every form of pain management I could access — NSAIDS, nonopioid analgesics, neurologic medications, acupuncture, laser therapy, physical therapy, prolotherapy, massage, and trigger-point injections. Most of these have been unhelpful; others provide…” quote by Michael Bihovsky
Download Open image
““Since my symptoms began 13 years ago, I’ve tried every form of pain management I could access — NSAIDS, nonopioid analgesics, neurologic medications, acupuncture, laser therapy, physical therapy, prolotherapy, massage, and trigger-point injections. Most of these have been unhelpful; others provide temporary relief, often at great expense. At the end of the day, when my body is fully depleted of its resources and in the most pain, a single dose of Percocet is the only tool that silences the pain enough for me to fall asleep. I honestly don’t know what I’d do if Percocet became unavailable to me, and the very thought scares me. I’ve been taking it for five years. To avoid any chance of addiction, I only take it at night and have stayed on a consistently low dose.””

Michael Bihovsky

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker relies on a low‑dose opioid nightly for sleep because other treatments failed, fearing withdrawal if unavailable.

In simple terms: Uses opioid nightly for pain relief; fears loss.

Key Takeaway

Plan alternative pain strategies.

Themes

pain management addiction risk chronic illness

Mood

anxious hopeful

Type

personal narrative health discussion

When to use this quote

  • nighttime pain relief
  • sleep aid
  • medical consultation
  • insurance navigation

Key Concepts

opioid dependence healthcare access patient autonomy

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you reduce reliance on opioids?
  • What non‑pharmacologic options could improve sleep?
A Different Perspective

Opioids may cause dependence and side effects; alternatives may be limited.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Michael Bihovsky

Explore all 10 Michael Bihovsky quotes

More Acupuncture quotes

Browse all 43 Acupuncture quotes