Experience treating patients with Munchausen Syndrome

[AdelaideSole]

I just listened to this podcast episode about an individual living with Munchausen's and she talks about in her  Podcast  how it was a nurse that saved her life because she finally felt comfortable enough opening up to the nurse about her condition. It got me thinking as a new nurse, how do you build rapport with a patient who has suspected Munchausen's? I suspect I treated one a few months ago and I just remember the patient being very upset and hard to please.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

On 3/29/2021 at 11:21 AM, NutmeggeRN said:

And there are those parents who thrive on the "excitement" of their kids  illness...

if it is a fever they have a rare infectious disease...POSSIBLY!!

if they have a pain in their gut, it is a TUMOR....POSSIBLY

?

Also with self-focused, bordering on Munchausen (but without true Munchausen because there’s no self-harm involved). I can think of a handful of patients in my primary-care office who really thrive on “maybe” being sick with something serious. These are not the anxious types who have hypochondria. These are patients who post on social media about “cancer scares” and the like, when they are in fact totally healthy but enjoy the attention and being prayed over. 

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I don't know if I have ever had a legit Munchausen, but we have pts that we call "a little 'Munchy'"

I know it is not really appropriate, but there are many pts that are extremely manipulative and seem to know how to game the system. 

It can be very frustrating.