Drug Seeker Antics and Dramas

Specialties Emergency

Published

They are an everyday event in almost every ER around the country. What is the drug of choice in your area? I've noticed around here it is Vicodin.

Our latest little treasure was an ex RN who was a daily event in our ER. She would come in complaining of backpaid and demand a shot of demerol and a script for Vicodin. Her MD's (She had many over the years) refused to see her. We kept a lot of documentation on her antics in order to confront her with her possible little problem. Well the big day came, she didn't take it real well. She stormed out of the ER, went around the building, came in thru the main lobby and straight to a pay phone. She called in a bomb threat to the ER. The police tracked her down, they could hear the hospital pages in the background. She is now in a facility.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Bumping this with a reminder that the purpose of this thread is to provide an oppertunity for ER nurses to vent and having to defend their feelings while doing so is NOT appropriate.

Education is good in the right environment, this is not it. I would suggest that someone start a migrainers support thread where those who feel they have been labeled or had other negitive experiences when dealing with the ER.

As is been done with this thread the moderators will make every attempt to keep it on topic and avoid hijacking as is being done here.

Thats so sweetly said

Sigh...over the past few months, I've been in the ER five times with sever abdominal pain. Gall bladder labs, US, and HIDA scan are negative. UA is negative. KUB is negative. EGD and colonoscopy are negative. IVP is negative. There is no logical reason for the pain. Doctor thinks it might be "something female," but he's just not sure. Am seeing a surgeon in a couple of weeks...seeing a gyn the same day. But...when I become diaphoretic and my B/P shoots up to 206/142 and I actually get weepy, they see fit to intervene with pain meds. The first two times they insisted on Demerol (after the GI cocktail didn't work)...Demerol made me very, very happy, but did nothing for my pain. Got total pain relief with Toradol. Next three times, they tried the GI cocktail (which again didn nothing but make me feel drunk) and finally just gave me the freaking Toradol. I was concerned that my doctor would think I was seeking, but he laughed and told me seekers generally don't ask for Toradol. :chuckle

So now that I've had a million dollar work up and they've found nothing, I am nervous about going to the ER for pain because I know how I feel about the people who seemingly have nothing wrong coming in and asking for pain meds. The true seekers have screwed things up for all of the normal people with either chronic or frequent pain!

So...if any of you have any suggestions as to what could be causing the pain, I'd appreciate it. My butt hurts from all those pokes from the Toradol shots! :rolleyes:

Sigh...over the past few months, I've been in the ER five times with sever abdominal pain. Gall bladder labs, US, and HIDA scan are negative. UA is negative. KUB is negative. EGD and colonoscopy are negative. IVP is negative. There is no logical reason for the pain. Doctor thinks it might be "something female," but he's just not sure. Am seeing a surgeon in a couple of weeks...seeing a gyn the same day. But...when I become diaphoretic and my B/P shoots up to 206/142 and I actually get weepy, they see fit to intervene with pain meds. The first two times they insisted on Demerol (after the GI cocktail didn't work)...Demerol made me very, very happy, but did nothing for my pain. Got total pain relief with Toradol. Next three times, they tried the GI cocktail (which again didn nothing but make me feel drunk) and finally just gave me the freaking Toradol. I was concerned that my doctor would think I was seeking, but he laughed and told me seekers generally don't ask for Toradol. :chuckle

So now that I've had a million dollar work up and they've found nothing, I am nervous about going to the ER for pain because I know how I feel about the people who seemingly have nothing wrong coming in and asking for pain meds. The true seekers have screwed things up for all of the normal people with either chronic or frequent pain!

So...if any of you have any suggestions as to what could be causing the pain, I'd appreciate it. My butt hurts from all those pokes from the Toradol shots! :rolleyes:

Any history of being abused in the past? (physical/sexual) or any abandonment issues (divorced parents, dad that was absent)

Sean

Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.
Sigh...over the past few months, I've been in the ER five times with sever abdominal pain. Gall bladder labs, US, and HIDA scan are negative. UA is negative. KUB is negative. EGD and colonoscopy are negative. IVP is negative. There is no logical reason for the pain. Doctor thinks it might be "something female," but he's just not sure. Am seeing a surgeon in a couple of weeks...seeing a gyn the same day. But...when I become diaphoretic and my B/P shoots up to 206/142 and I actually get weepy, they see fit to intervene with pain meds. The first two times they insisted on Demerol (after the GI cocktail didn't work)...Demerol made me very, very happy, but did nothing for my pain. Got total pain relief with Toradol. Next three times, they tried the GI cocktail (which again didn nothing but make me feel drunk) and finally just gave me the freaking Toradol. I was concerned that my doctor would think I was seeking, but he laughed and told me seekers generally don't ask for Toradol. :chuckle

So now that I've had a million dollar work up and they've found nothing, I am nervous about going to the ER for pain because I know how I feel about the people who seemingly have nothing wrong coming in and asking for pain meds. The true seekers have screwed things up for all of the normal people with either chronic or frequent pain!

So...if any of you have any suggestions as to what could be causing the pain, I'd appreciate it. My butt hurts from all those pokes from the Toradol shots! :rolleyes:

Has your doc thought of treating you for IBS. Had the same million dollar workup and found nothing. Was put on anti-spastics for my lower GI and Prevacid for my GERD. Made a big difference. And when stress is bad anti-depresants. I'll have an occasional bad day, but I'm a million times better than I was. No more ER!

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Sigh...over the past few months, I've been in the ER five times with sever abdominal pain. Gall bladder labs, US, and HIDA scan are negative. UA is negative. KUB is negative. EGD and colonoscopy are negative. IVP is negative. There is no logical reason for the pain. Doctor thinks it might be "something female," but he's just not sure. Am seeing a surgeon in a couple of weeks...seeing a gyn the same day. But...when I become diaphoretic and my B/P shoots up to 206/142 and I actually get weepy, they see fit to intervene with pain meds. The first two times they insisted on Demerol (after the GI cocktail didn't work)...Demerol made me very, very happy, but did nothing for my pain. Got total pain relief with Toradol. Next three times, they tried the GI cocktail (which again didn nothing but make me feel drunk) and finally just gave me the freaking Toradol. I was concerned that my doctor would think I was seeking, but he laughed and told me seekers generally don't ask for Toradol. :chuckle

So now that I've had a million dollar work up and they've found nothing, I am nervous about going to the ER for pain because I know how I feel about the people who seemingly have nothing wrong coming in and asking for pain meds. The true seekers have screwed things up for all of the normal people with either chronic or frequent pain!

So...if any of you have any suggestions as to what could be causing the pain, I'd appreciate it. My butt hurts from all those pokes from the Toradol shots! :rolleyes:

Havent they heard of Toradol IV

Just got home from my per diem tech job (sigh, I truly love the ER) and I thought I'd share. We have a ff who is always grinding teeth, figity, etc. One time admitted to cocaine use but always denied after that one visit. I don't think she is a seaker so much as a free-mealer. I was in triage with the RN and when she got up there was a wet spot on the chair. And we both smelled urine and inquired as to whether she'd like to use the bathroom that was literally 2 feet from triage (she knows this-ff). She says, "oh well I couldn't hold it..." no hx of fistulas or incontinence. She just didn't feel like going to the bathroom! Yuck!

Sigh...over the past few months, I've been in the ER five times with sever abdominal pain. Gall bladder labs, US, and HIDA scan are negative. UA is negative. KUB is negative. EGD and colonoscopy are negative. IVP is negative. There is no logical reason for the pain. Doctor thinks it might be "something female," but he's just not sure. Am seeing a surgeon in a couple of weeks...seeing a gyn the same day. But...when I become diaphoretic and my B/P shoots up to 206/142 and I actually get weepy, they see fit to intervene with pain meds. The first two times they insisted on Demerol (after the GI cocktail didn't work)...Demerol made me very, very happy, but did nothing for my pain. Got total pain relief with Toradol. Next three times, they tried the GI cocktail (which again didn nothing but make me feel drunk) and finally just gave me the freaking Toradol. I was concerned that my doctor would think I was seeking, but he laughed and told me seekers generally don't ask for Toradol. :chuckle

So now that I've had a million dollar work up and they've found nothing, I am nervous about going to the ER for pain because I know how I feel about the people who seemingly have nothing wrong coming in and asking for pain meds. The true seekers have screwed things up for all of the normal people with either chronic or frequent pain!

So...if any of you have any suggestions as to what could be causing the pain, I'd appreciate it. My butt hurts from all those pokes from the Toradol shots! :rolleyes:

Have you ever heard of Acute Intermittent Porphyria? You might ask your doc to do a porphyria workup next time the abdominal pains start.

Specializes in ER.

Hey, I am so confused by people posting on venting and then others posting on their medical problems and how they were treated badly that I am going to start two new threads, one for each. No disrespect meant to anyone who has posted...I would just like both groups to have their own opportunity to post.

FYI I belong in BOTH groups so felt I couldn't speak against either side when they were discussed together. Probably there are more people out there like me.

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