Tips on how NOT to appear like a Drug seeker

Specialties Emergency

Published

Having read through some of the threads regarding Drug seekers in the Emergency Department I must admit I now feel quite nervous of being misperceived in this way. I take medication which causes some urinary retention and increases my risk of Kidney stones. Hopefully this will never happen, but if it does and I need to present to the ED, what advice (on behaviour and what to say for example) can people here give me so I don't get wronly perceived as a Drug seeker. Taking into consideration I am a former Heroin addict, sensitive to NSAIDS and can't take Ibuprofen or Aspirin type medications due to asthma.

Specializes in ER.
I beg to differ. My husband has ulnar neuropathy bilat and also has chronic pain from falling out of a 5-ton army truck with full combat gear (about 60 lbs) on at the time. He has has bilateral tib/fib stress fractures and feet problems from jumping out of planes -all thanks to time in the military. He is in constant pain. He is also a combat medic, paramedic, & law enforcement officer. He will probably have to retire in a couple of years b/c the neuropathic pain and symptoms have become so severe.

Every time he goes to the doctor to discuss pain management he dreads it b/c he worries about telling the doc how much and how often he really hurts. He thinks that it makes him look like a drug seeker when all he really wants is to control the s/s. He is currently on hydrocodone 7.5 & Trazadone (both on his days off), Methacarbamol, Tramadol, 800mg Ibuprofen & Salsalate (when he is working). The Tramadol, Ibuprofen, & Salsalate don't help very much but at least allow him to function at work with only a few people know how miserable he really feels.

Suggestions for him? He does worry about it & is not a drug seeker. :madface:

My sympathies, but he has to stop reinjuring before the pain will improve. A desk job and physio will do great things, but he may choose pain over boredom.

Stop treating people like they are all a bunch of junkies waiting to score there fix. People in pain would be happy just to be able to walk to the bath room. Maybe take there child for a walk down the street. Seekers, sounds more like zombies you all are dealing with. So how can you honestly tell if someone is really in pain or faking? The person is in a controlled environment laying in be and has just waited 2 or 4 hours to speak with you. hospitals charge 7 times the regular mark up on narcotics in ER settings. So who is the neighbor hood drug store? Think about who are you helping.

And who are we helping by continuing to give narcotics and benzos to people who are not following up on whatever it is that brings them to the emergency room? Prescription drug abuse is a real problem. When you have someone who is in multiple times for some subjective complaint of pain without any objective evidence of disease or injury then perhaps the problem that needs to be addressed is that of drug abuse.

Once your million dollar ER work up comes back with all tests negative and the ER doc tells you to follow up with your PCP then that is what you need to do. If someone is having issues with chronic pain, they need to be followed by a PCP. The ER doc is not your PCP.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
Stop treating people like they are all a bunch of junkies waiting to score there fix. People in pain would be happy just to be able to walk to the bath room. Maybe take there child for a walk down the street. Seekers, sounds more like zombies you all are dealing with. So how can you honestly tell if someone is really in pain or faking? The person is in a controlled environment laying in be and has just waited 2 or 4 hours to speak with you. hospitals charge 7 times the regular mark up on narcotics in ER settings. So who is the neighbor hood drug store? Think about who are you helping.

Wow - you have some strong feelings. I think we way over treat some and way under treat others.

Specializes in Emergency.

To dammin, we're talking about folks who come to get high. Either in the er with ivp/im narcs or for the road with a script. I administer what the doc orders no problem. But i do have an issue with the seekers who are known to us and abuse the system. And as for the markup, the people we're venting about probably aren't going to pay anyhow, so it's a moot point.

Your post reads like a patient who didn't get what they wanted

...or, perhaps, needed...?

To dammin, we're talking about folks who come to get high. Either in the er with ivp/im narcs or for the road with a script. I administer what the doc orders no problem. But i do have an issue with the seekers who are known to us and abuse the system. And as for the markup, the people we're venting about probably aren't going to pay anyhow, so it's a moot point.

Your post reads like a patient who didn't get what they wanted.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

This post is over 6 years old.........while it is always good to revisit subjects....the reality of the abuse/overuse of prescription drug is epidemic. Although....I do think at times we a medical personal are quick to stereotype and that does lead to under treatment of someone who has real pain.

While we may disagree with someone we can hear their point of view without being mean. We can agree to disagree without being disagreeable....:)

The OP posted in 2006.....and recieved feed back....thread closed for staff review.

+ Add a Comment