Season 4, Episode 4
Brooke
Age: 26
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Addiction: Pain meds & muscle relaxers
What’s Memorable: Poor Brooke. Such a sad story. She’s in unbearable physical pain EVERYDAY and wants so badly for her family to understand that, and they just don’t. All they see is an addict that inconveniences them and requires too much attention. It’s hard to watch how horribly they treat her and how much emotional pain it causes her. The intervention, God I cried so hard.
Update: Brooke died of an overdose on December 21, 2014. Condolences to her family and loved ones. Read Obituary
Official synopsis: Brooke, 26, was a beautiful teenager with a magnetic personality. An elite gymnast on the cheerleading squad, she looked forward to a successful and athletic life. But tragedy struck in her senior year when she was crippled by Still’s disease, an early form of rheumatoid arthritis. Her doctors prescribed narcotics to ease her pain, but Brooke soon became addicted. Her heartbroken family has sought new treatments to help Brooke, but she denies she’s an addict. Now her family has turned in desperation to their last hope–an intervention.
Original Air Date: January 2008
Interventionist: Ken
I just read about this and my heart bleeds for Brooke’s loved ones. I really thought she would make it. I can relate to her story (the pain killer addiction, not the chronic pain). I often find myself asking God why some of us make it and why some of us don’t. We are only finite, however, God is infinite in His wisdom.
My heart goes out to Brooke’s loved ones.
Beautiful Brooke… I had no idea until just now. I also suffer from chronic pain. My family thinks that I’m exaggerating it, but I’m not. And I know that you weren’t. Your intervention was one of my favorites. R.I.P. beautiful angel…
I watched the Brooke intervention quite a while ago and just watched it again yesterday and was shocked when someone told me that she passed away..What an absolutely beautiful young woman she was. I felt so bad for her pain and suffering and the fact that she did not have a a lot of support. I have two sisters and they would support me until the day I die sick or not. The part on the video where she mentioned about her dreams of being a Dallas Cheerleader and then had that little smirk on her face really broke my heart…may God bless and keep her safe and pain free in Heaven…RIP dear Brooke…
I’ve been watching Intervention for years now and a few episodes have stayed with me. Brooke’s story was one. I personally learned a lot and think Brooke was incredibly kind and loving. It hurts my heart to know she’s gone, but I cannot lie and say I’m not grateful her pain is over. It’s easy to place blame on what was shown on tv with her family and especially the wedding. However, Brooke took it in stride and still showed up. That is what should be remembered, through her personal struggles just to face every day, she still tried and that’s a beautiful testament to those out there dealing with chronic pain. Brooke’s story does not end because she is no longer among us, but will continue because she was brave enough to share it.
i just recently discovered this show. While recovering from number 20+ operation. Brooke’s story touched my heart instantly. I cried with her and prayed, then found out about her passing. My heart is broken for her and her family. I watched her take excruciating steps and at that moment, connected with her. As did millions that understood what she was feeling, living with and without. I have so much I want to say, not of anger or hatred, just you can have feelings for someone, a family you have never met. My heart goes out to everyone touched by her passing. You reached so many lives dear Brooke and your family. God bless you all and continue to comfort and hold you. :*(
I just found out about brooke today. I cried a lot today. Can’t believe this happened to her. I have ms and understand what she was going through. People that don’t live with chronic pain don’t understand what it’s like. Rest in paradise beautiful brooke,you are in my prayers, I will never forget you. ;(
I lived in Tulsa in 1987 and was bitten by a deer tick at Lake Tenkiller (a few miles from Brooke’s home in Ft. Gibson), resulting in decades of doctors arguing over what was wrong; I know the diagnosis of Lyme Disease 4 years after the bite and the subsequent illness is the correct one. I went through ‘treatment’ for Lyme Disease, but it didn’t help – at all; maybe if I had been put on the anti-biotics for more than a week it would have been more helpful.
I currently take pain meds (NEVER abuse them, ever), and HATE having to; but if I didn’t, I know that my quality of life and the suffering would overwhelm my will to live. I saw my pain dr. 2 weeks ago, and he is doubting my pain, saying there is NO Lyme Disease or Fibromyalgia, and has ordered me to have extensive testing; when your doctor stops believing in you, it’s time to find a new one.
Watching Brooke’s story made me cry, touched me in no way any other Intervention episode has; she was NEVER a ‘drug addict’ in any way, she was just trying to get out of the pain. And many people here can relate to her and her painful story. I never try to be mean, I only try to tell the truth; as I see it, her “family” WAS cold to her by shunning and shutting her out of their lives because she was shameful or embarrassing or inconvenient to them. I’m not saying they should have supported her abuse of the meds, but they were mean to have discluded her from births and marriages; this only pushed her further over that precipice. They are just the types of people that gave me reasons to move back West with my children; I wanted them to grow up near others who have empathy and are not judgmental to others. Watching Brooke’s story reminded me of people like them; if you don’t have something to offer THEM to make THEIR lives better, you don’t matter to them. And that ‘Southern Hospitality’ you hear about? Don’t believe all you hear! I had doors slammed in my face countless times out there; after coming back West, they hold it open for me – go figure! Like I wrote, if you don’t have something to offer them, you mean nothing to them! Cold, but true.
I am so sorry you suffered through lyme disease- it is a terrible disease and it seems like people in the middle of the country where it is less common are not able to get good treatment from doctors knowledgeable about the condition.
Im watching this episode right now. So very sad how her family is treating her. Im sure it’s tough love, but it’s absolutely heartbreaking. Well now she isn’t in pain anymore.
Rest in peace honey.
Listen for each & every person who is a chronic pain patient (including myself) not 1 of us should be comparing 1 diagnosis to another. Even if you have the very same diagnosis as another person. We each experience pain differently and our diseases are in different stages. It’s not right to blame, belittle, & say 1 is worse than the other. We have no idea what others go through or feel. Actually Fentanyl patches are prescribed to chronic pain patients that are opiate-tolerant & are unable to take oral morphine, as well as patients with cancer (not everyone w/ cancer). I have Leukemia & the pain is severe in all your bones, especially the big ones (femur). I also have several herniated disc, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, pinched sciatic nerve, & currently a torn abductor cuff & 4 torn tendons in my hip that’s left me bed bound for the last 3 wks & in complete agony (screaming at times) but I don’t know that a person with Fibromyalgia or RA ect. isn’t in more or less pain than I am so I’m not judging. People always ASSume & honestly it’s ignorant & mean. After all that I just spewed let me end by saying what we all should’ve been saying in the first place God Bless you Brooke, may you have found peace & your pain & suffering is no more. Fly high & rest east beautiful angel.
I saw the episode about Brooke and my heart broke for her. I, myself, am a chronic pain patient. I hate to say this, but, had she been able to continue controlling her pain with pain management, but being monitored closer, she would likely still be here. I’m sure that following her treatment, she was not allowed any affective medications to treat the very obvious pain she dealt with. In my opinion, it’s likely she turned to illegal, and much harsher drugs to attempt to dull the pain that she was suffering. Sadly, now that PRESCRIPTION medications have become such a great focus by our government , I have read that many people who cannot receive proper, prescribed medications, turn to street drugs. I feel very sorry for her sweet soul. May she finally be free from pain and at peace.
Brooke had so much going for her. Chronic pain from on-going illnesses destroyed her path early.
I live with Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis, I am fortunate in my eyes to be allergic to opioid pain relievers. I have a sister who takes all of that stuff. She is a shell of who she once was.
I feel horrible mostly for her dad because he really seemed to be on her side. I was shocked at the behavior of her sisters on camera. Removing her from a wedding party, a family event, making her feel like a bad person. I understand taking a hard line with Brooke, but do that after the intervention failed. Not on camera.
She needed medical help a long time ago. I wish she had survived this addiction. I hope they revisit this with an update, maybe it will bring addiction to pain meds more to light. Let Brooke’s story help someone else out.
I am in no position to judge only to offer my love and sincere condolences . I just lost my baby sister , only 37 , in August to Cancer but her and I both had and have severe pain related issues . We both went off the tracks . It is all too easy . But nobody deserves chronic pain or illness .
I am so sorry to the entire family . I will keep you in my prayers and not forget Brooke . Brooke I am so sad you did not win the battle . I am glad you are no longer in any form of pain but am pained by at how you escaped it . Love to this family . May you heal and know her life touched many .
Well said Amanda. I couldn’t agree more, this was a hard one to watch again. I wish I would have had her as a sister, I would have had her stand up with me at my wedding.
Now why would my comment be awaiting moderation? I was just replying to amanda’s post. What is the difference between her Dec 20 post and my post? Imwould really like an explanation please.
All comments are held in moderation until I approve them. It’s nothing personal. And this idea that I owe anyone an explanation for what gets published and what doesn’t? Well, I just don’t. Intervention Directory is the product of literally hundreds of hours of my life – needless to say, what happens here matters a whole lot more to me than it does to you. I am thoroughly invested in this website and comments make up a good half of the content here. I’m the one who has to deal with the repercussions of critical comments, not you. I publish comments I disagree with all the time, it’s not about that. I have the right to not publish those that do not abide by my comment policy. The interpretation of what abides by my policy is up to me. If you want an Intervention discussion forum with no rules and no moderation, please make one.
Dear Dizzy
I stumbled upon your website after watching hours of A&E intervention. I can’t find Brooke’s episode but reading the comments about her here has made me feel such compassion and empathy for her story and the painful loss of her life.
I would not know her story if it was not for your hard work on this website. I just wanted to say thank you for all you do, giving others insight and following up on the episode. God bless you and please know it is greatly appreciated.
Love & Peace to you and to all those going through their own struggles with addiction.
Brooke was so beautiful and I really wanted to see her succeed, but her body was just in so much pain that she had to find a way to stop it. I will pray for her sweet father and for her sisters, who no doubt feel great guilt.
She overdosed on “meth”? Surely this means methadone rather than methamphetamines? That would make MUCH more sense.
No, her sister commented on the Post-Intervention Deaths page and said that she turned to meth when the pills stopped working. So sad 🙁
Actually many opiate users after a long life of using start combining uppers to help them function better & it does improve the high but can be much more toxic & dangerous. Also in the episode her family was complaining about her being so lopped or piled out so maybe she was using meth to straighten herself out so not to look as high. Who knows and pain sucks and I would do any thing to stop it and sometimes people may not understand.
I will say I don’t judge having chronic pain but I will also say that there may be alternative treatments and that long term opiate use makes your body become very sensitive and when you stop the pain is horrible from back, legs, joints, etc. everything hurts, cuz your body’s nerves grow becoming much more sensitive as you need to know if you put your hand on a hot stove right away and after stopping it may take 6 months before much or all of that pain goes away and they can determine your level of pain and then treat you accordingly.
Now as a former addict when i had real pain I was willing to explore every diagnosis and every treatment even when Drs just wanted to give me pain meds, including acupuncture since I wanted to live pain free. & guess what that worked better than anything, they stopped the pain completely and it didn’t come back & when I stopped the pain meds I couldn’t sleep so they did a sleep acupuncture and I went from 1 hr of sleep a night to 12 hrs of sleep the day I had the procedure without taking ANY MEDS. but even with this treatment and recovery were very hard with many relapses before I said enough is enough. I don’t know where the meds stopped being used for pain and started as a way to escape reality and get high. Unfortunately each addict has to determine when they want to change their life and enough is enough and I don’t judge people in pain (or try not too) but this is hard since I’ve watched many people use the pain excuse to continue taking meds and I know when I ran out pain was horrible along with withdrawals but when I was at the pharmacy 10 mins from getting my meds all those things went away and I could only think about those meds.
AS A ADDICT YOUR MIND IS POWER AND PLAYS TRICKS ON YOU TELLING YOU THAT YOU NEED PAIN MEDS AND IT MAKES YOU FEEL SYMPTOMS AND AILMENTS TO GET THE DRUGS IT WANTS AND THIS TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET THROUGH THIS SO HAVING A ACTIVE SUPPORT GROUP SO WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD OR MANY YEARS LATER YOU HAVE PEOPLE TO HELP AND SUPPORT YOU SINCE THERE ARE MANY TRIGGERS THAT CAN BRING THESE CRAVINGS ON EVEN MANY YEARS LATER.
RIP BROOKE
Whatever her diagnosis the painkillers grab some folks and wont let them go. Maybe meth was the last hurrah for Brooke but the oxy was the gateway. I hope at some point people pull the bull and put the truth in the obits so it will inform and help others.
R.I.P. Brooke you were a beautiful person w a beautiful soul….I Will Miss U Dearly Friend…
Heartbreaking, I know how it feels to be in constant pain and to want so bad for it to stop and to get your old life back. Accepting that will never happen was the hardest thing & took years of counseling. The only thing that kept me from going down the same path that Brooke did was watching my stepmother die in her 50’s from liver failure after 10 years of combining alcohol and pain meds in an attempt to get relief.
Rest in Peace Brooke, I hope you are running, jumping, and cartwheeling your way around Heaven.
Wow, she went from taking painkillers to crystal meth? I don’t understand, going from downers to speed sounds a bit strange. Poor Brooke, at least she’s not suffering anymore.
It does sound strange, but where I live, I’ve seen it happen over and over and over again. Many pain pill addicts I knew also used meth – they’d switch back and forth, and meth was actually their “primary addiction”. Some meth addicts I met had originally started out on pain pills. At the Suboxone clinic I attend, a good majority of them are self-admitted meth addicts. And many of them have been off pain pills for even years, yet still use meth.
For me, it’s also personally strange, because I have ADHD. Amphetamines do not give me a powerful feeling of euphoria that others have described when taking any of them, including the same prescribed dose of Adderall (levo/dextroamphetamine) that I have been on. I can’t say I’ve ever done meth, though, and it’s one of the few drugs I haven’t tried. I never had any interest in trying it, and I definitely don’t now. But it’s surprising how often meth addiction and pain pill addictions overlap, at least in my state (Arkansas).
Same here in rural GA (I’m in the Blue Ridge Mountain area!). Since I’m unable to find a Pain Dr. willing to help with my severe chronic pain, I’ve been forced to go to a methadone clinic. I’m sick. It’s so difficult to get up and go get my medicine each day because I’m in so much pain!!! It’s certainly not ideal, but it’s about the cheapest solution I can work out right now. Please pray that I’ll be able to find a new, good Pain Mgmt Dr in the next year or two. I’m desperate and have almost given up hope of ever having relief from my pain. 😭
The thing with pain pills (a majority of them relax your muscles and respiratory system. Meth comes in to stop “the nod” and up. Some people use fentanyl and cocaine (a speed ball) and is how many have overdosed. I don’t understand it at all! I’m guessing people that do speedballs are completely confusing their CNS and Cardiovascular/resporatory systems- which causes the or? Just a theory. I could name about 20 musicians who have od’d on speedballs. Very sad.
I just watched this episode and wondered what ever happened. This is indeed sad news, I pray for the family that they have peace.
So very sad for her family, especially at this time of year. Will take comfort knowing wherever she is, she is free of pain. Rip beautiful brooke!!!! :”'(
This absoultly breaks my heart
Brooke Renee’ Boulter
1981 – 2014
Brooke Renee’ Boulter, 33, was born March 28, 1981 in Tulsa, OK to Dowe and Patty (Scott) Boulter and passed away Sunday, December 21, 2014 in Coweta, OK.
Brooke grew up in Fort Gibson and was a cheerleader for Fort Gibson Schools. She graduated with the class of 2000 and attended college. After college, Brooke went to California and recently moved back to Coweta to be near her family. She spent her time volunteering and helping people. Brooke was a kind soul to everyone that knew her.
Those left to cherish her memory are her parents Dowe and Patty Boulter of Fort Gibson, OK; brother, Scott Boulter and wife Brandie of Fort Gibson, OK; sisters, BreeAnn Rice of Coweta, OK, Brittany Flowers and husband Chadd of Palm Coast Florida; nieces and nephews; Brett Boulter, Braden Rice, Jaxon Rice, Bailey Boulter, Corbin Flowers, Savannah Flowers, grandmothers; Pat Boulter of Muskogee, OK and Dorothy Scott of Brookland, AR, aunts and uncles; Barry and Brenda Phillips and Keith and Anne Horn, cousins; Skylee, Josh, Laken, and Hayden Tinker, Keith, Mellissa, Maddie, and Macy Matlock, Kyle, April, Kaleb, and Kody Horn, Eric, Alicia, Emma, Sophie, Sloan and Harper Hadley, Brent, Jenny, Clark and Cole Phillips, Hunter and Lauren Phillips.
Brooke was preceded in death by her grandfathers; Millard Scott and Bob Boulter.
A visitation will be held Tuesday, December 23, 2014, with the family receiving friends from 11 AM to 1:30 PM at the Fort Gibson Church of Christ.
A celebration of Brooke’s life will be held Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at 2 PM in the Fort Gibson Church of Christ with Ministers Dan Rouse and Henry Petree officiating. Interment will follow at Citizens Cemetery in Fort Gibson with Larry Moore, Steve Stalcup, Kyle Horn, Steve Clinkenbeard, Hunter Phillips, Brent Phillips, Gary Dillahunty and Jim Dillahunty serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Budo Perry, Josh Tinker, Keith Matlock, Corbin Flowers, Braden Rice, Jaxon Rice and Brett Boulter.
The family of Brooke Renee’ Boulter has entrusted her services and burial to Clifford D Garrett Family Funeral Home 1224 E Poplar Fort Gibson, OK 74434. 918-478-2555.
Terribly sad news, indeed. Please respect her family’s privacy in this bleak time, so close to the holidays.
http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/obituaries/brooke-renee-boulter/article_6421ed56-89a3-11e4-a81f-e701d236fb10.html
Thank you for posting this. I agree and I ask that everyone respect the family and their privacy right now. Some of the comments that have been posted in the last few days have been quite insensitive and I will not publish them. Remember, these are real people in a lot of pain, not fictional characters.
Oh no – this breaks my heart. Her episode came on tonight, and I remembered the horribleness of her family. She died on my birthday. I hope she’s at rest, poor sweet thing.
Brooke died Dec. 20th 2014. Causes are unknown at the time. Patsi and Dowe and the rest of our family need prayer right now, so if you could just pray for some healing no one should have to lose their child.
Oh no!! What horrible news. 🙁
I am so sad to learn of Brooke’s passing. I felt compassion for her when I watch her episode. My thoughts and prayer are with her and her family.
Brooke had been diagnosed with Lyme disease before she ever appeared on the show, but they said she refused to believe that diagnosis and continued to abuse her medications. As a chronic pain patient, suffering from Fibromyalgia, I understand how it feels. My whole family is always on my back about how much medication I take, even when they KNOW I have Fibromyalgia and that there is no cure for it! I am on one of the strongest opiate pain medications out there…..50mcg Fentanyl patches changed every 48 hours. It has helped, but the longer I am on it, the less it is helping. It’s hard to have any quality of life when there is no cure and the only thing doctors do is prescribe pain medications to mask the pain. Then we develop a tolerance to the levels of medications prescribed, causing doctors to either up the dosage or to take you off them completely and try something else. I’ve tried it all and the commercials for Fibromyalgia meds are totally misleading. Lyrica is NOT the wonder drug the commercial portrays it to be. I know what being a drug addict feels like because I am constantly on some type of narcotic pain med just to take the edge off and also so I don’t go into withdrawals. Coming off of Fentanyl is just like coming off of heroin…..you get sick, VERY SICK! I’m just tired of going through all of the pain and pain meds (I’m sure my insides aren’t looking very good) and have considered taking my own life more and more often lately. There is no cure for chronic pain sufferers and eventually they become dependent on these pain meds to get them through everyday life. I know I need medical help. I can’t do it on my own. I can’t trust myself with my own meds, so they are locked away and doled out by my parents. I have no self control when it comes to the pain, not to mention the high feels good to escape all these crap feelings for awhile. At least my doctor is supportive of my weaning off my meds and getting into some kind of drug rehab, but I’m not sure where I can go that they will be knowledgeable about Fibromyalgia, just like they said in Brooke’s episode, she can’t go to the same rehab center as a heroin addict. I don’t believe in “learning to live with the pain” either, because I don’t think it’s fair to make someone suffer when there are things that can help reduce pain to some degree. Living with a chronic pain condition is not easy. Life isn’t easy even when someone is well, but pain makes life 100 times harder to cope with.
She had both Lyme’s & rheumatoid arthritis. It’s quite obvious by looking at her hands that she definitely has RA. While treating the Lyme’s will cure it, it won’t have any impact on her RA.
I’m sorry but you cannot compare the crippling pain of RA to fibromyalgia. They are not even close! Fentanyl for fibromyalgia?! Seriously?! I can understand your family’s concerns.
I have both RA & multiple sclerosis. Unfortunately I’ve experienced horrible pain. Thankfully, I have an amazing neurologist & rheumatologist who’ve addressed & treated my pain. I’ve never had an issue getting support from my family. It breaks my heart that Brooke’s family are a selfish, vile, unsupportive bunch of assholes. Her father isn’t as horrible as her mother & sisters, but he needs to grow a backbone & stand up for his ill daughter!
I’ll just park my ditto right here. Fentanyl for fibromyalgia? There’s an intervention waiting to happen.
I have fibro and believe me, they don’t give me Fetanyl (which in a way I’m glad because I know I’d end up in a bad place with it).
Apparently she doesn’t live in Ky. The only people that are on Fentanyl are cancer patients who have one foot in the grave. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 18-19 yrs ago. I’m 57 . I also have a couple of other problems that cause me more pain on some days. I’ve been on Ultram all of this time with the exception of being on Lortab for the extremely bad days. (For break thru pain) Since the laws have changed in Ky people on Ultram are being treated like hardcore drug addicts. When I was first put on Ultram it wasn’t even a scheduled drug. Now I can’t even get the Lortab even in small amounts anymore and am lucky to be able to get the Ultram. Crazy crap. Why is it the innocent always suffer for the ill doings of others?
You have absolutely no clue how agonizing Fibromyalgia is. Science is finding more and more and more evidence that backs up what we Fibro patients have been saying for years! How dare you compare one disease to another? I have lived with severe fibromyalgia & probable PP MS, and have lived with the extreme pain of endometriosis, and very bad PCOS since I was 10. I’ve also had 11 surgeries, including several major ones that involved removing one ovary, my emergency gallbladder removal (it was filled with gallstones, very infected and much larger than normal), my emergency appendectomy (I’d had severe pain & symptoms for a year, but no one ever bothered to take it out. Until they finally got a look at it and noticed it’d been leaking infection into my body through a pin-size hole the entire last year!!) and so much more.
But please, be more respectful when talking about Fibromyalgia. There are days I can barely get out of bed or walk. This disease is hell. I’d take RA (that I’m likely to be diagnosed with soon) over the physical agony of Fibro any day!!! Educate yourself on how horrific the pain is, please.
Fibromyalgia is painful but I have lupus, so you saying that you would take RA over the pain of Fibro is just as wrong to me. Since I actually have FIBRO AND LUPUS, I can say with a certainty that my Lupus pain is more painful than my Fibro. The lupus and RA is in the BONE. Fibromyalgia is not in the bone. Yes it’s is a painful disease, but on days that my Fibro is bothering me, I stay in the bed. The days that my lupus is at it’s worse, I’m literally screaming in the hospital.
Theresa…I fully agree!! I have Necrotizing Myositis, RLD, and CHF because of the NM. My Docs won’t give me ANYTHING strong and I am in CONSTANT pain. I cannot imagine them ever coming close to Fentynel for me. Fibromyalgia can be painful, but not even close to NM. It’s 2021 and I wonder if Shelby is still with us. I’m sure my Docs won’t RX anything strong because of the Opioid epidemic. I loved Brook and its very sad that she passed.
I fully agree
I have Poly-Rheumatoca and Necotising Myositis and my Rheumatologist wouldn’t consider Fent for me. I have a hard time getting any pain medication, but he would never do an opiate. It’s a shame because I am in pain 24-7 with legit chronic incurable diseases….meanwhile someone is getting opiates for Fibromyalgia!!! That Doc should lose his license.
It’s terribly sad that Brooke passed
She was my all time favorite and her “family” were a bunch of assholes.
I just found this site after wanting more info about Intervention. Comparing diseases and medications is inappropriate, as is trying to one-up others and/or criticizing their meds. Everyone’s situation is different!! As someone with Crohn’s (and its many complications) for 30 years, I’ve been prescribed a variety of pain meds over the years, including a fentanyl patch. Unfortunately, it became too expensive and I was switched to methadone until the efficacy dissipated. I now take robaxin, which has worked very well so far.
Fentanyl is prescribed for late stage cancer and some chronic pain mentioned in the comments. It’s important to wean off medication and reassess pain regularly. There should be no need for that level of opiate use. Plus eventually you will do carfentanyl? You need an end game that doesn’t involve opiates for the rest of your life. And suboxone clearly isn’t an option for anyone bc it’s misuse and withdrawal is worse than heroine. Definitely seek an advanced professional bc it’s going to destroy your organs in the process
I have fibro & autoimmune disease. I take no meds. I know those meds are not the answer. I deal with bad joint pain in my neck, back, knees everyday not to take away from the neuropathy in my hands, thighs & feet. I work as a critical care nurse on my feet 12 hours a day 3 days a week. Living with physical pain is entirely possible but there’s lots to be said about emotional pain. There are meds that help that are non additive like neurotin & cymbalta. And they absolutely DO work. Good luck. Just another perspective.
I am glad that Neurontin and Cymbalta work for you. They are not miracle drugs and are not effective for everyone or all types of drugs. Cymbalta changes brain chemistry worse than opiates as well. I’ve been on both. Cymbalta put me in the hospital and neurontin did nothing. I’ve been on moderate dosages of opiates for 10 years now. There are always the ignorant people who say I must be addicted, but I’m under a GOOD pain specialist and we take me off of it at least 2x a year to break the tolerance for a month. It’s painful for that month, but is necessary. Before those medications, I was in bed for almost 2 years. I have EDS (previously diagnosed with fibro and other diseases – keep searching for a diagnosis if your doctor quickly jumped to this). My life was pointless. Due to the stupidity of those blindly against opiates, I refused to try them for those 2 years. I now work 3 jobs! If you are on ANY med and still spending all day in bed, that’s not the right medication, but if opiates makes you productive, why not take them? If you find something that helps you live life, don’t let anyone judge you into giving up your life. Opiates can be used without the patient becoming addicted. I’m living proof. It takes stringent controls and someone without an addictive personality. But to say you can live through the pain – you don’t know my pain. I was useless and have tried EVERYTHING before opioid medication. Thank God for them and my pain specialist. I finally have a life. I’m glad your pain is kept at bay with non-opioid meds, but I expect a nurse to have more knowledge about addiction verses dependence and the way the fear of opiates has led to so many being in agonizing pain and failing to have lives worth living. Rest in peace Brooke. If only pain control was understood better by all, especially the medical field.
Thank you for the suggestions! I cant seem to get any relief. I’ll talk to my Rheumatologist. Hope you feel better.
I don’t know if you’ll see this, or if your circumstances have changed, but I can give you some advice from lessons that I learned the hard way…
Almost to the day I turned 30,I began to feel intense pain. My skin hurt so bad to touch, much less scratch an itch… That felt like I was literally ripping my skin off. I also had severe pelvic pain. I had exploratory pelvic surgery and the doctor said she found nothing and I was just looking for attention. After FIVE YEARS, I finally got a dual diagnosis: fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis.
It began with the lowest dose of Norco. Then the medium strength. Then Norco 10. Then, my doctor decided I was better off on METHADONE for pain. I was higher on the methadone than I was on any other opiates, nodding off constantly and taking more than prescribed. I ran out of pills early and got kicked out of my pain clinic. Tough luck. I ended up in the hospital for five days while I withdrew from the methadone (luckily I don’t remember anything from my hospital stay except a coughing fit).
The doctor taking care of me in the hospital, who is now my GP, put me on Suboxone, which I take to this day. I also went on cymbalta for the fibro, which worked for almost 10 years. When the cymbalta no longer worked, I recently switched to effexor, which is working wonders. Between the suboxone and effexor, my pain went from a 9 each day to a 2 or 3. I have zero desire to abuse the suboxone because there’s zero benefit to taking more. I HIGHLY recommend looking into getting off the opioids and switching to suboxone. You won’t have to lock anything up for fear of taking extras and rubbing short, and you won’t be in as much pain.
Opioids are a funny thing, because they LOWER your pain tolerance, so you’re actually in more pain and just need more and more.
Regarding the fentanyl patches: RUN AWAY FROM THEM AS FAST AS YOU CAN! My mom, who has rheumatoid, fibro and a bunch of other stuff, was put on the patches by a pain clinic when she continually abused her pain pills. The doctor started her at a small dose of fentanyl patch. But each time my mom went back, the doctor increased her fentanyl dose until it reached 125mcg, while screaming at my mom if she was missing even 1 Norco… My mom literally list her mind at this dose. She had to be put in the psych ward for 3 weeks, not recognizing any of us and urinating on herself, until the weened her off the fentanyl. She too eventually switched from opioids to suboxone when her new doctor told her he won’t prescribe opiates to her anymore because she was too “high risk.” Even with extremely severe rheumatoid and all the rest, 2 suboxone a day are enough to control the vast majority of her pain.
I apologize for the rant, but I feel a sense of responsibility to tell my mom’s and my story so others don’t go through the pain and despair we, and our family as a consequence, went through.
I pray that somehow your pain lessens, u are courageous to tell the truth about Pain And addiction, Thank you for sharing your story 🙏💖
Was Brooke ever diagnosed with Lyme disease ???Why was this never mentioned and where is the help for her?
Yes she was diagnosed with & treated for lymes disease, as well as RA. It was mentioned at the end of the program.
So sad reading this and knowing she died one day after your comment 🙁 my heart broke watching this episode
Towards the beginning of the episode, it says that Brooke was diagnosed with Lyme disease and began treatment for it, but the treatment was painful so she stopped taking it and instead decided she did not have lyme disease and opted for pain management only. That is so sad because lyme disease is a nasty little disease that can be progressive. The bacteria that causes lyme disease is a spirochete- it is cork-screwed shaped and gets deep into joints where it can stay hidden, leading to false negatives and also making it harder for the antibiotics to get at it. If she had continued with the treatment early on and got full resolutions, it is likely that her joints would not have deteriorated so much and she would have had less pain. Overall, a very tragic episode.
It is also sad that her late diagnosis and lack of good treatment was likely due to her geography. Had she been in New England, where lyme disease is endemic, this would have gone to the top of her diagnostic differential.
I have the exact same thing that Brooke has. I would love to talk with her and see how she’s doing. I know the struggles and the pain she lives with everyday. It’s hard for people to understand what your going through when their not sick. We can live a so called normal life, it just takes a little adapting to things differently and finding the right medications. I hope this message finds Brooke because I think we could help each other.
I feel for Brooke…and anyone else going through something like this. I have chronic pain and also am on a pain management program which has been going on for 10+ years and it is a very hard thing to deal with. you want to be the person you once were and the person EVERYONE else thinks you should be but you physically are unable to do it. It’d be great if more people could understand that there is a difference between dependent and addicted. I hope Brooke was able to be understood by her family and also get the proper pain management to live a happy life.
Brooke was one of my favorite guests on this show. She was brave, kind and compassionate, as was the rest of her family. rest well Brooke, you are gone but NEVER forgotten.
I can relate to what Brooke has gone through. I feel so bad for her. Every time I watch the episode with her, it just breaks my heart! I would love to get in touch with Brooke. I would love to talk to and meet her and sit and talk to her. She is still a beautiful woman and she deserves someone in her life that knows what she is going through!! If there is anyway I can get in touch with her. I would really love to do that!
I’m a chronic pain patient as well. I no longer can work and I was taking heavy narcotics too. I had an alcoholic mother who saw this as a great chance to deflect her problems and would tell anyone and call everyone and tell them what a druggie I am. I also had a sister who refused to understand that I am I pain every second and it’s no fun especially when you have two little boys. The only person who stood by me and understood was my wonderful husband. Watching Brooke’s episode, I cried so hard because I felt her pain and judgement. And I thought kicking get out of the wedding of her twin was mean! Those two girls were so jealous that their parents gave so much attention to their ill child they punished her . Mean girls all the way.
Hi Rich, you may already know this but Brooke passed from an overdose in 2014. Totally heartbreaking!!
He posted this before she died. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been almost 10 years 😔