s/o Anyone else fed up with doctors thinking everyone is a junkie?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a similar experience as a patient. I had waited over a week with the flu before i sought care. By the time I went to the ED, I hadn't been eating or drinking x 48 hours. I was in terrible pain. For whatever reason, they assumed I got the flu on purpose to seek drugs, even though they thought I was sick enough to be admitted and X-ray should signs of pneumonia. Then I was told I could only be admitted if I didn't ask for any pain medication. I was very very sick. So I agreed.

I'm very angry and upset. I don't use drugs. The assumption that I did was so unfair, and once I was labeled they were mean to me. The ER nurse put the call bell on the other side of the room. I was so weak I needed help to move. The RN said something like "you have legs." I was dehydrated, they couldn't stick me. When I tried to tell them the IV was infiltrating, they rolled their eyes. It was awful.

See OP, this is a drug seeker. They think they aren't but they are. They are constant. They come in, say they have had the flu for a week and are in pain. That isn't even how the flu presents but they know their diagnosis and pain meds they need. Red flag. As a chronic pain sufferer I have had no problems with the ER in various locations. My palliative care doc is on call 24/7. I say call her and all is good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a similar experience as a patient. I had waited over a week with the flu before i sought care. By the time I went to the ED, I hadn't been eating or drinking x 48 hours. I was in terrible pain. For whatever reason, they assumed I got the flu on purpose to seek drugs, even though they thought I was sick enough to be admitted and X-ray should signs of pneumonia. Then I was told I could only be admitted if I didn't ask for any pain medication. I was very very sick. So I agreed.

I'm very angry and upset. I don't use drugs. The assumption that I did was so unfair, and once I was labeled they were mean to me. The ER nurse put the call bell on the other side of the room. I was so weak I needed help to move. The RN said something like "you have legs." I was dehydrated, they couldn't stick me. When I tried to tell them the IV was infiltrating, they rolled their eyes. It was awful.

There has to be more to this story as it doesn't make sense. If you were getting such poor care, you get in a cab or have a family member transport you to another hospital or you call patient relations/care or what ever it is called.

I've had mixed experiences. I have docs push heavy duty drugs on me. I always refuse as its not something I want to deal with given I react to many medications. A few put them in to the pharmacy without telling me. Usually I catch it there and decline or I flush them when I get home. Other docs automatically assume I am there for pain killers given my chronic pain. I've had lively arguments in telling them to look at my pharmacy history.

[Anonymous]

The issue is pain is subjective. There are "conditions" that many claim to have, but can't be observed directly.

For example, if you come in on meds claiming neuropathic pain without a specific understood cause, they will assume junkie. Now, if you are a cancer patient or had recent surgery, they will treat you differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a similar experience as a patient. I had waited over a week with the flu before i sought care. By the time I went to the ED, I hadn't been eating or drinking x 48 hours. I was in terrible pain. For whatever reason, they assumed I got the flu on purpose to seek drugs, even though they thought I was sick enough to be admitted and X-ray should signs of pneumonia. Then I was told I could only be admitted if I didn't ask for any pain medication. I was very very sick. So I agreed.

I'm very angry and upset. I don't use drugs. The assumption that I did was so unfair, and once I was labeled they were mean to me. The ER nurse put the call bell on the other side of the room. I was so weak I needed help to move. The RN said something like "you have legs." I was dehydrated, they couldn't stick me. When I tried to tell them the IV was infiltrating, they rolled their eyes. It was awful.

See OP, this is a drug seeker. They think they aren't but they are. They are constant. They come in, say they have had the flu for a week and are in pain. That isn't even how the flu presents but they know their diagnosis and pain meds they need. Red flag. As a chronic pain sufferer I have had no problems with the ER in various locations. My palliative care doc is on call 24/7. I say call her and all is good.

I'm the PP, and I don't ever take pain medication, EVER. I'm also a healthcare worker. You could look at my medication history and see I take ZERO, I mean ZeRO medications. For whatever reason, i was in terrible pain, and i was positive for both the flu and pneumonia. Your assumptions are as disrespectful and bad as the ED assumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a similar experience as a patient. I had waited over a week with the flu before i sought care. By the time I went to the ED, I hadn't been eating or drinking x 48 hours. I was in terrible pain. For whatever reason, they assumed I got the flu on purpose to seek drugs, even though they thought I was sick enough to be admitted and X-ray should signs of pneumonia. Then I was told I could only be admitted if I didn't ask for any pain medication. I was very very sick. So I agreed.

I'm very angry and upset. I don't use drugs. The assumption that I did was so unfair, and once I was labeled they were mean to me. The ER nurse put the call bell on the other side of the room. I was so weak I needed help to move. The RN said something like "you have legs." I was dehydrated, they couldn't stick me. When I tried to tell them the IV was infiltrating, they rolled their eyes. It was awful.

There has to be more to this story as it doesn't make sense. If you were getting such poor care, you get in a cab or have a family member transport you to another hospital or you call patient relations/care or what ever it is called.

I've had mixed experiences. I have docs push heavy duty drugs on me. I always refuse as its not something I want to deal with given I react to many medications. A few put them in to the pharmacy without telling me. Usually I catch it there and decline or I flush them when I get home. Other docs automatically assume I am there for pain killers given my chronic pain. I've had lively arguments in telling them to look at my pharmacy history.

I was out of town in a one hospital town. I also work in healthcare. i take NO medication, i mean none. There isn't any more to this story except this town has a large number of drug abusers and drug seekers, of which I wasn't one. The next hospital was three hours away.

Furthermore I did speak with quality and the nursing supervisor, but that was a few days after when I was stronger.. i was in the ED very very very ill and in no position to pull the "let me talk to your supervisor" crap. once you are labeled they look at everything you do as not credible. Jesus Christ.

[Anonymous]

I'm annoyed at how big a PITA it is to get my child's ADHD meds. We can't refill early, God forbid we go out of town, and of course even with insurance it's $400/mo.

[Anonymous]

My MIL is in her 80s and suffers from severe osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoperosis, spinal stenosis (she's had several surgeries for this), and circulatory problems. She takes one Vicodin per day, never more than that unless she's just had surgery, which allows her to at least get out of her wheelchair and onto her shower seat or the toilet without as much pain as she'd otherwise have. My FIL, who is also in his 80s, is her primary caregiver--all of their adult children have offered/ begged them to move into our homes and they have so far stubbornly refused. Thankfully, my FIL is still very healthy and spry despite his age. However, my MIL must now must go to the doctor every single month to get a refill on her meds, rather than have it called into the pharmacy or get a script with multiple refills. She's immunosuppressed due to her various medical issues and it's not easy for her to get in and out of the car. This is a huge pain in the ass for her and my FIL and I really wish there could be a reasonable middle ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP, and I don't ever take pain medication, EVER. I'm also a healthcare worker. You could look at my medication history and see I take ZERO, I mean ZeRO medications. For whatever reason, i was in terrible pain, and i was positive for both the flu and pneumonia. Your assumptions are as disrespectful and bad as the ED assumptions.

Are you allergic to IV acetaminophen or Toradol? They are great pain meds and many people who aren't addicted to narcotics feel much better with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP, and I don't ever take pain medication, EVER. I'm also a healthcare worker. You could look at my medication history and see I take ZERO, I mean ZeRO medications. For whatever reason, i was in terrible pain, and i was positive for both the flu and pneumonia. Your assumptions are as disrespectful and bad as the ED assumptions.

Are you allergic to IV acetaminophen or Toradol? They are great pain meds and many people who aren't addicted to narcotics feel much better with them.

Not all hospitals carry IV Tylenol on formulary. No I'm not allergic. Why are you so intent on proving I'm drug seeking? I'm a freakin hospital pharmacist, and I know drugs. But i dont take ANY. That's why they thought I was seeking. I don't effin take drugs. What's wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

I've had the opposite issue - sent home from both c-sections with piles of Percocet. Didn't take any since the high doses of Advil worked for me. My FIL stole the Percocet out of my medicine cabinet. Junkies ruin everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP, and I don't ever take pain medication, EVER. I'm also a healthcare worker. You could look at my medication history and see I take ZERO, I mean ZeRO medications. For whatever reason, i was in terrible pain, and i was positive for both the flu and pneumonia. Your assumptions are as disrespectful and bad as the ED assumptions.

Are you allergic to IV acetaminophen or Toradol? They are great pain meds and many people who aren't addicted to narcotics feel much better with them.

Not all hospitals carry IV Tylenol on formulary. No I'm not allergic. Why are you so intent on proving I'm drug seeking? I'm a freakin hospital pharmacist, and I know drugs. But i dont take ANY. That's why they thought I was seeking. I don't effin take drugs. What's wrong with you?

Plus I'd be the first person drug tested with any drug loss or unexplained behavior. This is a huge problem. I should have been treated with dignity and care. And I should have been believed. The fact that junkies are presenting with fake symptoms are compromising treatment for legitimate patients.

[Anonymous]

I was given morphine for my c-sections and sent home with Percocet after both. I never got the impression that anyone thought I was junkie.

I think it would be harder to justify giving a patient pain meds if they showed up at the hospital on a relatively frequent basis with a non specific sort of pain - no broken bones, no major surgical incisions, etc. I can see where a legitimate junkie might do that and I can see where a chronic real pain sufferer might do that. How can the folks in the ER know which is what?

[Anonymous]

NP here. If you are a chronic pain patient, how exactly do you prove that you aren't a junkie when you're seeking treatment from a new doctor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. If you are a chronic pain patient, how exactly do you prove that you aren't a junkie when you're seeking treatment from a new doctor?

It's difficult in the ED, and sometimes they're not even reacting to YOU, but what has come in the ED hours earlier on their shift. An arm and a leg hanging off? YOU must be a drug seeker because ten junkies hit them up the hour before.

Hopefully as EHR with past medical history prescription history will be universally shared and is accessible to the ED, legitimate patients will not be in this position. Plus hopefully this will somewhat limit doctor and pharmacy shoppers.

I'm the pharmacist who people thought had "red flags" when I had to go to the hospital out of town and was in terrible pain. If my medical records were electronically accessible, it would have cleared up a lot. As it was, I was treated with suspicion and substandard care.

You may be able to sign up on patient portals to access some of your records. IF you are a chronic pain patient who might have flares or other issues requiring visits to the ED, I would recommend trying this, or go to hospitals and clinics who share electronic records. My hospital is affiliated with several practice groups on a shared EHR platform.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP, and I don't ever take pain medication, EVER. I'm also a healthcare worker. You could look at my medication history and see I take ZERO, I mean ZeRO medications. For whatever reason, i was in terrible pain, and i was positive for both the flu and pneumonia. Your assumptions are as disrespectful and bad as the ED assumptions.

Are you allergic to IV acetaminophen or Toradol? They are great pain meds and many people who aren't addicted to narcotics feel much better with them.

Not all hospitals carry IV Tylenol on formulary. No I'm not allergic. Why are you so intent on proving I'm drug seeking? I'm a freakin hospital pharmacist, and I know drugs. But i dont take ANY. That's why they thought I was seeking. I don't effin take drugs. What's wrong with you?

So if you are truly a pharmacist, you understand that many drug seekers are health care workers who know the game. Few have prescriptions, as they can access drugs other ways, includng stealing, until it catches up with them. Very few addicted health care providers have prescriptions, and are more likely to go to ER when withdrawal symptoms come up, as they appear "clean" otherwise. Anyone who tells me that they are. Health care worker, which asking for opiate pain control, is automatically suspect to me. Why? Because I know my job. And you should too.