Drug Seeking (not what you're expecting)

toomuchbaloney · Jun 23, 2015

Congratulations on kicking your habit!

Miss Infermiera2b, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2015

You should be proud of yourself for overcoming such an incredible hurdle. As an ER scribe, I don't feel any hatred towards drug seekers, although I see them every day. Mostly I just feel profound sadness for them. I have seen withdrawal symptoms and I know they are hell. It is pretty annoying when we have patients lying to us which makes charting sometimes difficult, but mostly it's just sad to see people hit rock bottom.

MyPrnPleaseBSN · Jun 24, 2015

First of all, congratulations on realizing and admitting your problems, you can only move forward from now on... stay sober and positive. Good luck with everything.

kiszi, RN · Jun 24, 2015

It took a lot of courage for you to beat your addiction and to share your story. Thank you for showing us what the "other side" is like. Best wishes for your continued recovery and happiness.

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Jun 24, 2015

Best of luck to you. I think you will be great helping addicts because you know what they are going through.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jun 24, 2015

I can give anyone respect that comes in to my ER and says, this is how i was, it was awful and I am doing something to fix it. You have to want to change for change, so awesome job. Nothing but respect for you.

SwampCat, BSN · Jun 25, 2015

Way to go on being sober! I've had to do plenty of 1:1 observation of people withdrawing and it is not pretty, especially the when the etoh w/d crosses over into DT's. I loved hearing everyone's stories. I loved talking them off a cliff. I loved making them feel like they are humans just like everyone else and are worthy of compassion and support. It's always sad to see a repeater come back, but what if this is the one time it sticks and they stay clean? I could easily work a detox center and I think you would be a great encouragement to many.

Keep up the good work!

Guest219794 · Jun 25, 2015

Hi-

I am curious:

"I am now on meds that block the withdrawal, and I will be for many years. I am not high anymore,"

Seems to me that withdrawal has a limited time frame- what are you taking long term?

I have encountered folks in a similar situation. Most recently, a couple of days ago. The guy really seemed to have his act together, came in with a legit complaint, had taken legit steps prior to coming in, etc....

He still had on his chart his fictional allergies to ibuprofen and tylenol. It was tempting to ask about them to see if he wanted me to remove them so he wouldn't automatically be identified as a drug abuser. I changed my mind, and decided it was in his interest to leave them on. If he does one day come in with a fever, it can be dealt with then.

If he has minor pain, we can do what we usually do with made up allergies and give methocarbamol. Somehow most haven't fabricated an allergy to that med.

blackribbon · Jun 26, 2015

Congrats on being clean...however, you do need to spend more time healing yourself before you surround yourself with users and the temptations they will provide. If you help with addicts, make sure you do it through an organization that will hold you accountable for your own continued sobriety. There are peer counselor positions available through substance abuse recovery organizations for ex-addicts to help other addicts and often this type of counseling is the best because you do understand where they are coming from and recognize the "excuses" and "lies".

I am a contingent psych nurse with med/surg being my primary position. I do see drug seekers on the floor and I feel compassion to them as people, I would be lying if I don't get frustrated as they demand they are 10/10 as they jump all over my room setting it up to their liking and complaining to me that 0.5mg of dilaudid isn't enough for them...call that damn doctor back now, where is their IV benadryl?, and what do you mean they are NPO for severe abdominal pain w/nausea and vomiting "don't we know they are starving and haven't had anything to eat for hours", never mind the fact I just read the ER nurse's note about what the patient just ate in the ER. Most of these patients do have medical conditions that do come with pain, but it is obvious, their pain from their disease isn't the pain they are suffering from as they occupy the last available bed on our floor and the hospital is completely maxed out I will say that my documentation suddenly becomes psych documentation where I start quoting the patient and reporting the differences between behavor and what the patient says. I'll never forget the patient who arrived on the floor saying that it was her first time at our hospital and where was her PCA pump because she always gets a PCA pump at her other hospital.....can I say, she never got it and I was torn because I couldn't tell what part of her pain was withdrawal and what part was sickle cell crisis because her labs did indicate that it was active. She got some TLC and wet rags from me that night along with a very low dose of dilaudid ...because her verbal list of her "home meds" sounded like she was reciting the narcotics section of a drug book...and all of them...ALL of them had run on out Monday, three days ago...if she really had those meds at home and took them on the frequency she claimed, she would have been dead. I doubt that she comes back to our hospital...and I wonder how many hospitals she was turned away from before coming to our ER.

I do feel compassion and have even taken a substance abuse class to expand my knowledge on the topic but was horrified by the "medical" advice the social worker instructor was giving to our class made up primarily of ex-addicts who were interested in getting into counseling. He told the class to refuse coriticosteriods....( WHO abuses those?...people who like moonfaces, buffalo humps, and to watch their muscle atrophy? ) and stated that there was no good use for narcotics EVER..."nobody every dies of pain". ??? (tell that to the chronic pain sufferers who accidentally overdose or commit suicide trying to escape unrelieved pain)

RNsub, ASN · Jul 1, 2015

hherrn, the OP is most likely taking Suboxone, a harm reduction medication with a very different mechanism of action than Methadone.

To the OP, I wish you wouldn't refer to yourself as a loser. You are an addict with a disease, not a bad person. Congrats on all your hard work!

Footballnut · Jul 12, 2015

Congrats and all the best as you continue in your recovery. I certainly respect you and I even respected you when you were drug seeking. I have had to approach you with a sense of compassion, sadness and courage over the years. How great to hear that you are doing well!