Tips on how NOT to appear like a Drug seeker

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Miss Mab

414 Posts

Specializes in mostly in the basement.

I think just by being honest helps tremendously. If Dilaudid truly is what works for you--then say that. The doc will either agree or we will explore further with you. What we hate is the whole, "um, I can't remember the name of it. It's du, di, you know which one."

Sigh.....

TrudyRN

1,343 Posts

Oh really? Reading through some of the threads on here about the assumptions that are sometimes made regarding who is and who isn't a Drug seeker, as well as hearing testimony from others who have mistakenly labelled as "drug seeking" and mistreated because of that fact, along with the fact that I have personally experienced being mislabelled as a "just a junkie looking for a fix" by ER staff, I seriously beg to differ with you on this point.

In 1997 I presented in severe pain to a local Emergeny Dept. I was sent there directly from an after hours medical service and was suspected of having a Pneumothorax. I had been experiencing severe headaches and earaches all that day, by night time I was vomiting and being wracked by extremely painful spasms all through my neck, back and stomach. I have never experienced anything more painful in my life so far, and that includes crush injuries and fractures to my foot and post Laparoscopy/Hysteroscopy pain, I was literally screaming with pain and I could not help myself. When I got to the ED right from the start I was treated badly. The admissions Nurse berated me for not being able to say more than 2 words at once through the pain to give my details properly, the Nurse who was assigned to look after me once I was admitted was very short and abrupt with me, at one point she lowered the back of the bed down and it set off a series of extremely painful spasms, so she quite roughly shoved the bed back up to a more upright postion and walked off with a huffy "there hope your happy" comment thrown back at me. At all times, whilst I screamed and cried and begged for pain relief, I was made to feel as if I was just a huge inconvenience and annoyance to them. When the X-ray came back clear for Pneumothorax, do you know what they did?? The Nurses and The Doctor who were supposed to be looking after me went and stood in full view of me drinking coffee, laughing, pointing, rolling their eyes in my direction and making comments about "junkies looking for a fix". I was discharged with a valium and one Panadeine Forte tablet. I half squat walked, half crawled out of that ED, still in excruitiating pain and still vomiting. 2 weeks later it was finally realised that I had Bornholms Disease.

So after an experience like this please do not try and tell me that only a Drug Seeker should be worried about being seen as such.

ITA. Just because one is a doctor or nurse doesn't mean one's head isn't screwed on backwards on certain issues. I always pray that those who are so ignorant, so cruel, so inexperienced or arrogant can have the pleasure of 20/10 pain (yes, you read it right) ASAP. And see how it feels to be the brunt of cruelty, ignorance, and prejudice.

TrudyRN

1,343 Posts

I just read up on Bornholm's Disease. What would you recommend for the pain, Willow Brook? I hope you don't have recurrences. It sounds terribly painful, compounded by ignorance on the part of docs and nurses.

Also, get a lawyer and go after those rude ones, and write to Admin and your state licensing boards about them, too, docs and nurses. Their behavior is not professional or excusable. They need to be taught how to be respectful to everyeone.

TrudyRN

1,343 Posts

Word.

Now THAT is excellent advice; wish I'd have thought of it.

WillowBrook

32 Posts

I just read up on Bornholm's Disease. What would you recommend for the pain, Willow Brook? I hope you don't have recurrences. It sounds terribly painful, compounded by ignorance on the part of docs and nurses.

Also, get a lawyer and go after those rude ones, and write to Admin and your state licensing boards about them, too, docs and nurses. Their behavior is not professional or excusable. They need to be taught how to be respectful to everyeone.

Shortly after that experience I believe that particular ER was placed under investigation after numerous complaints from other mistreated and disgruntled former patients. I don't know what action if any was taken, but these days the ED in question has an excellent reputation for it's quaility of care. As for pain relief in Bornholms, well I'm not able to give a qualified experience, but with what I experienced I doubt that anything less than Morphine, perhaps combined with a muscle relaxant would have touched that pain. I honestly thought I was dying, I had never experienced anything like it I was in so much pain and so scared and then to be treated the way I was on top of that, well you can probably imagine how I felt at the time :(

I must admit even as a former addict (although I wasn't actually using in 1997 when this happened, I hadn't even tried Heroin back then) I do find it a bit perplexing as to why anyone would try and scam drugs from an ED. I know people do it, but it just seems to be to be an awful lot of trouble and messing around for possibly no gain. I mean if you are not in legitimate pain or one heck of an actor, chances are you won't be believed and even if you are then there is no guarantee you will neccessarily get what you want. Far easier to just pick up a phone and call up a dealer rather than hang around in the ED making up stories and hoping that you will be lucky enough to get what you need.

allnurses Guide

Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN

11,304 Posts

I work in an emergency room and disagree with the idea that someone asking a question about how to NOT appear like a drug seeker IS a drug seeker looking to buck the system.

Especially if a person has hung around allnurses reading about drug seekers, who, granted, are a frustrating lot. It can make a person in pain a bit apprenhensive about presenting to a ER.

We can get jaded and judgmental working around folks who try to trick the system. And that can show up when a person, in real pain, comes into our ER. I work very hard not to get jaded.

Plus, even "junkies" can get kidney stones . . . .

steph

WillowBrook

32 Posts

Plus, even "junkies" can get kidney stones . . . .

steph

Yes thank you. I have been fortunate enough since my whole addiction with Heroin experience and overcoming it, to (most of the time) receive excellent care by Medical Practioners and/or ED staff; however there was one time (which I discussed at length in a thread in Pain Management) when a nurse seemed to go out of her way to be rude to me after a Doctor ordered Fentanyl for pain relief caused by my falling 8-10 metres through a roof and severely jarring my spine. I mean come on now, so what if I used to be a Heroin addict...I have just fallen through a roof, injured my back I think under the cirumstances "drug seeking" can generally be ruled out.

It is because of these past experiences, as well as what I have read on here that I am concerned with making sure I don't get this "drug seeker" reputation if I ever do have to present to the ER with severe pain (for whatever reason). I think Vamedics advice about carrying a letter from my GP is excellent and I will certainly see about organising that during my next appointment.

Just for interests sake, regarding how painful Bornholms is here is what a couple of patients have had to say re the severity of the pain.

It appeared as a stabbing pain in my right side so severe that I thought I was being stabbed, I screamed out in pain!(Much worse than childbirth!)

The pain I experienced was the worst I have known. Comparing this with the delivery(forceps)of second child weighing 10lbs. Removal of my gall bladder - gall stones.Passing a kidney stone.

allnurses Guide

Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN

11,304 Posts

Just for interests sake, regarding how painful Bornholms is here is what a couple of patients have had to say re the severity of the pain.

It appeared as a stabbing pain in my right side so severe that I thought I was being stabbed, I screamed out in pain!(Much worse than childbirth!)

The pain I experienced was the worst I have known. Comparing this with the delivery(forceps)of second child weighing 10lbs. Removal of my gall bladder - gall stones.Passing a kidney stone.

:wink2: My pain scale for myself is if it doesn't hurt as much as childbirth, it doesn't hurt.

Actually to be honest, I do work with a nurse who is very judgmental about ER patients and it bugs me to no end so obviously that is where I'm coming from. Just snap judgments and negative remarks before knowing anything about a patient. That is not fair, or professional.

steph

vamedic4, EMT-P

1,060 Posts

Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.

Just curious, did your significant other accompany you to the ER on this particular day?? I'd have had every member of the hospital's management team in there apologizing for your treatment...:madface: :madface:

vamedic4

Oh really? Reading through some of the threads on here about the assumptions that are sometimes made regarding who is and who isn't a Drug seeker, as well as hearing testimony from others who have mistakenly labelled as "drug seeking" and mistreated because of that fact, along with the fact that I have personally experienced being mislabelled as a "just a junkie looking for a fix" by ER staff, I seriously beg to differ with you on this point.

In 1997 I presented in severe pain to a local Emergeny Dept. I was sent there directly from an after hours medical service and was suspected of having a Pneumothorax. I had been experiencing severe headaches and earaches all that day, by night time I was vomiting and being wracked by extremely painful spasms all through my neck, back and stomach. I have never experienced anything more painful in my life so far, and that includes crush injuries and fractures to my foot and post Laparoscopy/Hysteroscopy pain, I was literally screaming with pain and I could not help myself. When I got to the ED right from the start I was treated badly. The admissions Nurse berated me for not being able to say more than 2 words at once through the pain to give my details properly, the Nurse who was assigned to look after me once I was admitted was very short and abrupt with me, at one point she lowered the back of the bed down and it set off a series of extremely painful spasms, so she quite roughly shoved the bed back up to a more upright postion and walked off with a huffy "there hope your happy" comment thrown back at me. At all times, whilst I screamed and cried and begged for pain relief, I was made to feel as if I was just a huge inconvenience and annoyance to them. When the X-ray came back clear for Pneumothorax, do you know what they did?? The Nurses and The Doctor who were supposed to be looking after me went and stood in full view of me drinking coffee, laughing, pointing, rolling their eyes in my direction and making comments about "junkies looking for a fix". I was discharged with a valium and one Panadeine Forte tablet. I half squat walked, half crawled out of that ED, still in excruitiating pain and still vomiting. 2 weeks later it was finally realised that I had Bornholms Disease.

So after an experience like this please do not try and tell me that only a Drug Seeker should be worried about being seen as such.

TazziRN, RN

6,487 Posts

I know none of the comments were directed at me, but I feel as though I should defend myself here. Experienced AND CARING ER nurses and doctors can tell when someone is in genuine pain versus looking for a fix. Usually.

And as for the suggestion about "Don't say that only Dilaudid works for you"? That also falls under the "genuine pain" argument. People who have chronic pain do know what works best for them, but those who are not and are just in for a fix are also often "allergic" to every other med that should be tried first.

To the poster with Bornholm's, I am so sorry for your experience and I wish I'd been your nurse. I would have fought for you.

Trauma Columnist

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

88 Articles; 21,249 Posts

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I truly am very sorry for patients that have not received adequate pain meds.

vamedic4, EMT-P

1,060 Posts

Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
I know none of the comments were directed at me, but I feel as though I should defend myself here. Experienced AND CARING ER nurses and doctors can tell when someone is in genuine pain versus looking for a fix. Usually.

And as for the suggestion about "Don't say that only Dilaudid works for you"? That also falls under the "genuine pain" argument. People who have chronic pain do know what works best for them, but those who are not and are just in for a fix are also often "allergic" to every other med that should be tried first.

To the poster with Bornholm's, I am so sorry for your experience and I wish I'd been your nurse. I would have fought for you.

Tazzi is correct about the sufferers of chronic pain, but it's my experience that many docs when you present to the ER will ask a patient who has chronic pain "What works best for you"...this added to the letter I mentioned in an earlier post helps to clear up any confusion the doc may have.

vamedic4

I don't want to go outside

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