Thread by @JillPiggott

@louisanamom In 2016, CDC said there wasn't good evidence showing reductions in rx #opioids would reduce ODs. Of their study of 221 #vets (who, sadly, have higher rates of OD/suicide), they said, "caution should be taken in drawing causal inferences from this observational study.” 1/

@louisanamom I don't know why CDC's 2016 paper is titled "a detailed exploration into the association of prescribed #opioid dosage & OD deaths" when it admits there were 2 low-quality studies + their "don't assume anything about cause & effect" study! ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

@louisanamom In 2016, @CDCgov had NO SOLID EVIDENCE about whether rx #opioid reductions & discontinuation would help or hurt. Here's their review of evidence (table 1). Read the column "Limitations."

By 2017, they knew it didn't reduce ODs. 1/ cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/6…

@louisanamom @CDCgov In 2017, #CDC's researchers studied whether the Guideline reduced ODs (the outcome of "greatest interest"). The answer? No. In fact, "ODs due to illegal #opioids (heroin, illicitly manufactured fentanyl) have increased.” 2/ ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

@louisanamom @CDCgov In 2016, #CDC rated the evidence for the Guideline as low or very low quality. In 2017, they realized that ODs went UP after the Guideline was released. Under pressure in 2019, they said states, insurers, & doctors were "misapplying" the Guideline. 3/ hhs.gov/opioids/sites/…

@louisanamom @CDCgov So many people are DEAD & DISABLED in the wake of the #CDC Guideline that the FDA added WARNINGS to #opoids in 2019 to tell MDs to stop rapid & sudden tapers.
fda.gov/drugs/drug-saf…

@louisanamom @CDCgov ALL EVIDENCE SHOWS that letting doctors prescribe case by case will REDUCE ODs & suicide in #pain AND #addiction patients. The policy killed 2,887 #vets by OD/suicide after 1 year of discontinuation alone. We need to #TeamUP.

@louisanamom @CDCgov @NitaGhei: your good tweet got me going! @headsUPmigraine @threadreaderapp unroll