Dr. Drew Pinsky on Rush's condition: He's the guy from MTV's Sex Talk

[La_Serpiente]

Here is a transcript of what Dr. Pinsky had to say about Rush's condition.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/10/10/cnna.pinsky/index.html

Enjoy!!

[Bombtrack]

1. you mean love line

.

[Cat Atomic]

2. Well. Karma sure is a bitch, ain't she?

But I'm curious. Doesn't Limbaugh claim that he started taking Oxycontin because of his ear problem? But the ear problem was likely *caused* by Oxycontin.

So if that's the case- if the hearing loss was actually caused by Oxycontin, then Limbaugh just decided to start using opiates all on his own. Just recreational drug use.

Hmm. Sounds odd. I wonder if he was into other drugs before Oxycontin?

[jab105]

3. No, it was a back problem...

that started the oxy use...which then resulted in the hearing loss....

[Maddy McCall]

6. You don't REALLY believe that, do you???

[Cat Atomic]

10. AH... ok then, that makes sense. In a way.

Thanks.

[Kucinich04]

5. I'm lost?

When has Oxy been linked to hearing loss?

I've heard of vicodin POSSIBLY causing it, back in 2001, but never heard any follow-up confirmation of this.

My personal suspicion (based on years of opiate 'research') is that if vicodin does indeed cause permanent hearing problems, it is most likely due to the wallop of APAP that abusers subject themselves to on a daily basis. I'd suspect a temporary loss of hearing while using opiates, as they tend to dull all of one's senses - which is basically what they are supposed to do.

Opiates are, for lack of a better word, rather benign substances in terms of actual damage to one's body or organs. Its the permanent changes (note I say changes, not 'damage') to the brain chemistry that makes these drugs so dangerous to consume on a regular basis. They are pretty much just artificial mock-ups of the body's own natural 'feel-good' chemicals - endorphins and adrenaline. The only proven 'harm' they can do is related to their tendency to cause constipation.

Among other problems related to constipation, one could envision prolonged irregularity leading to increased chances of colon or similar cancers, due to all the chemicals we eat everyday. It can't be good to have these chemicals in contact with the colon any more than is necessary for them to pass through...

[sasquatch]

4. How ironic

Rush bashes show's like "loveline" because it support sex ed and the use of contreciption. Drew is alot nicer man then me because he comes to Pigman rescue. If I was him I'd kick while he's down but I guess that is aginst his oath.

[madrchsod]

7. i had a friend

who came down off junk by smoking a half pound of hash in a few days. he never took junk again and he died of alcohol later in life. once a junkie always a junkie-doesn`t what the poisin is

[tridim]

11. Not to nitpick

but a half pound of hash would cost about $10,000. Maybe you meant 1/2 oz? 1/2 oz is still a LOT of hash.

[dsc]

8. Funny but when I said something similar to this

in regards to methadone I was called a crack pot. Glad to see that this doctor thinks the same thing.

There's a lot of controversy in my field about how to treat opiate addicts because it is such a profoundly powerful disease that's there's a school of thought we shouldn't even try to treat them. We should just put people on methadone or buphrenorphine or one of these replacement chemicals and just call it a life; just put them on chronic replacement.

I don't think somebody like a high-level, high-functioning professional would take that option. I hope to hell he doesn't. ...

That's committing to somebody to really, in my opinion, chronic disease.

I suspect this will -- coming forward with his disease -- create dialogue about what kinds of treatments are appropriate. I've seen miracle recoveries. I've seen people become better than they ever knew they could be after having suffered this disease. And I have no doubt that he could achieve the same

[liberalnurse]

9. He also is an addictionologist....

He knows Rush will have to quit the show or he will never stay clean......

[KharmaTrain]

12. How To Shut Up A Dittohead

I had the fun today of dealing with a very confused Dittohead. For years I'd hear this guy run his mouth as an instant expert on every topic...usually ending up with the liberals being the problem. Thus yesterday was a pleasure.

His take, no surprise, was this drug thing was a set-up...a liberal conspiracy to shut up the "voice of truth". I couldn't resist. I mentioned, very politely, that Rush said he was addicted to Oxycontin...and it was reported he was taking 40 pills a day. The guy stopped in his tracks (always a wonderful thing) and then said how you can't trust the media on this. First I asked if Rush denied the charges that he used drugs? Mr. Ditto again went quiet. Then I asked him if he knew what Oxycontin was? For once, Mr. Expert didn't know. I explained it's from the morphine/heroin family. Mr. Dittohead didn't need an RNC shill to interpret...the word heroin was enough to keep him listening.

It was great, for once, to see this usually self-assured dittohead in total confusion. Next he went for the "Rush had a bad back and needed the pain killers routine". That was easy to shut down...just asking him if that was the case why didn't he have the prescription of a licensed physician, not your maid (purposely using that name for easier conversion to Dittoese). Then I brought up the 40 pills a day...and he said Rush must have been in constant pain...or I interupted, had one hell of a tolerance to the drugs. Dittohead went silent again. I then went for the killer...I asked him to figure how long it would take to develop that kind of resistance to such a powerful drug. He said, when the look of a kid who found out Santa Claus was really Hannukah Harry, he said "well it couldn't have been more than 5 years"...I had to laugh. There was this look of confusion in his face for a while, before he quickly remembered of a cellphone call he had to make.

Kharma is a wonderful thing...