Im a nurse and I take xanax....

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I went for a pre-employment physical today. When the Dr. asked if I was on any meds I said yes I take 0.5 xanax once a day for gastritis and 5 mg of ambien for sleep. You would of thought I commited a sin by the look and the sound of disproval I got from this guy. Can he or the medicene I take cause me to fail my physical? I feel aweful in how I was treated....any advice will help. I just really want this job. I would never practice nursing unsafely...Ive been on these meds for years.

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Specializes in Women's Health.

NO! shame on him!!!

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

nurses are humans and have the same medical issues as anyone....many nurses take xanax, as long as you have a rx for it and it does not compromise your practice...whats the big deal

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Thanks guys for the reply...The dr made it seem so aweful...and I must admit I felt ashamed...and wished i hadnt told him. But I am honest...and the saliva test they did will show it anyway....Im in my 40's and at that moment I felt like a teenager slipping in after midnight caught by my mom lol

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Specializes in labor and delivery,peds, med sure, ASU a.

What a jerk! Don't worry about it. As a previous poster posted, we are all human and have same issues. I take xanax once in a while, another fellow nurse is on anti-depressants. Everyone has their own darn issues!

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Specializes in ICU.

Umm, no reason to fail! I take xanax PRN. For sleep for me, because ambien doesn't work. Don't worry.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Okay. I'm gonna play the Unpopular Devil's (or Doctor's) Advocate here:

First, "You would have thought I committed a sin by the look and the sound of disapproval I got from this guy" is a subjective interpretation. No ojective, verbatim responsonse is given. Heck, for all I know, the Doc may have had an attack of colitis immediately after asking his question. You, KayDubb, PERCIEVED the the Doctor's reaction. The Perciever of any situation needs to own up to the fact that it is thir perception only.

And I don't think he should be termed "a jerk" or be shamed because his response was not one that was desired. You Posters have have no information on this Doctor, aside from a few words. This Thread souds more like a Pecking Party than it does a Positive Processing Situation.

Second, many Healthcare Providers view the use of Controlled Substances as a Quick-Fix Remedy. Controlled Substances are not always the Best Way to deal with gastritis, anxiety, or insomnia. But their use is one of the EASIEST ways of dealing with discomfort. To seriously review an Individual's choice in a decision-making process is a prudent manuver. Had the answer to dealing with discomfort through holistic alternative methods such as natural remedies, exercise, or the like been been recieved with a negative response, well, THEN I would have been open to critisize.

The way in which we become defensive over a choice or the fact that we require support from Non-Entities really needs to be seriously considered.

Dave

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I agree with the above that you really don't know what the doc was thinking and you shouldn't project.

His thoughts of you should mean nothing to you because they are his thoughts and you can't control them. Your medications are between you and your private prescribing MD.

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Specializes in School Nurse; ICU.

i have to say that fear is not easy to overcome. she felt genuinely afraid of not getting the job based on an interpretation of events and asked a question.

she did not ask to get judged or criticized (ironically, via a verbatim response). also, i find it funny that you would find it critical only if the doctor disagreed with your views and interpretations on how to fix the problem ("had the answer to dealing with discomfort through holistic alternative methods such as natural remedies, exercise, or the like been been recieved with a negative response, well, then i would have been open to critisize")

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I have a friend (RN) who had surgery 3 years ago. It was huge. She now has 5 plates and a stabilizer bar from C2-C7. She is one of the best nurses I know and hardly ever misses work. She wears a Fentanyl patch, takes MSIR for breakthrough pain, and Xanax which helps the spasms. At night she takes a Soma and Restoril. From the moment her neck crumbled she just kept saying, "I just want to be a nurse again". She was a nurse for 10 years before all this happened. Believe it or not, and I'm not taking up for her, but you can never tell she is taking anything. Her skills and critical thinking are just as sharp as before her surgery. Where in the world did it become okay to expect that nurses (of all occupations) would not have injuries that would create a person who would be a chronic pain patient as well. Many chronic pain patients are able to resume safe, productive lives after their medication regimes have been stabilized. She was one of the most resourceful nurses on the floor and was fired due in fact to the high premium the company was paying for her insurance. The worst part is, most nurses do not belong to any type of nursing union so they have no protection. This is wrong but there is nothing she can do about it. Very sad situation for such a good nurse.

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Specializes in ICU,ED, Corrections, dodging med-surg.

Don't worry, that was probably a look of "Really?? I do too! What a cooincidence!";)

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Neuro/Oncology floor nursing..

like many of you said I take controlled substances as well. I have legit scripts for it and no one gives me a problem at all. I take Valium for muscle spasms, opana er for long acting narcotic and oxycodone for chronic pain I had from a neurosurgery on my brains prain If I have to out a narcotic like dilauldid and obviously a PCA I grab another nurse to stand along with me.

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