i was accused of something bad yesterday, has this happened to anyone else?

[Njean31]

i was accused yesterday of drug seeking at my doctors office :mad: i have a raging sinus infection and went to a local family practice. i just moved here last year and they don't know me but i told the female doctor what was going on, the pain was excruiating........i barely could drive there and i was in tears in the waiting room.......anyway, i told her what usually works for me with pain this severe (which is rare that i get pain this bad but i have been in a car accident with a ripped scalp and skull indentions and have had a broken ankle)......that being tylenol 3 and i said i really needed a prescription for some along with an antibiotic. and i mentioned that i was a nurse......that i had worked all weekend and barely made it through but didn't want to go to the ER. she said we don't give narcotics for simple sinusitis........i said this isn't simple....i'm nauseated and can't sleep........feels like my head is in a vice. she then basically accused me of drug seeking, i in turn got upset and stormed out. she did give me a few tablets that she already had of ultracet........which i've never taken.........GUESS WHAT? came home took them, on top of my raging headache my nausea turned into vomiting. i am so upset with her. i called that office today and talked to the md who owns the practice. told him everything........i have only taken narcotics 3x in my life and all times were related to surgery and that IF I WAS DRUG SEEKING I WOULD BE ASKING FOR SOME MORPHINE, DILAUDID, OXYCONTIN, PERCOCET.......the list goes on and on. tylenol 3 is the only thing that helps this pain. GUESS what else..........he offered to call me in a rx for tylenol 3............i said no thanks, i don't need it now..........the headache is tolerable now.........I NEEDED IT YESTERDAY. i just mainly wanted him to know and to tell that doctor that i am not a drug seeker...........if i wanted drugs.........i can get them all day from my hospice patients who are on some REAL controlled substances :mad: of course i didn't tell him the last part because i would never think of doing such a thing.

[Tulsa_para]

{{{{hugs************I am so sorry! The nerve of one professional speaking this way to a fellow professional! LoL, sure wouldnt want to be that doctor after he got off the phone with you!

[Willow]

Sorry that happened. I'm sure there are some people who try to get medications when they really don't need them but that doesn't make it right for the doctors to assume everyone is like that.

[Njean31]

Sorry that happened. I'm sure there are some people who try to get medications when they really don't need them but that doesn't make it right for the doctors to assume everyone is like that.


thanks. there are alot of drug seekers in this world but she needs to learn how to identify them better. i DID look HORRIBLE, like a bum because of course i felt like crap and didn't bother with makeup and all that. all i could do was brush my teeth and hair and put on clean clothes. i think she assumed it due to the fact i asked for something in particular OR she knew i was a nurse and wanted to show me that with her being a doctor that she knows best...either way, it caused me some serious grief.

[iluvmybaby]

I am so sorry, what a negative experience. There is no one that we know better then ourselves, you were not drug seeking, you were seeking relief, you didnt ask for all of those other nasty drugs you listed, find a doctor that listens to you NOW before you have to go to him/her in the future. It sounds like this one is a real quack!

[Willow]

thanks. there are alot of drug seekers in this world but she needs to learn how to identify them better. i DID look HORRIBLE, like a bum because of course i felt like crap and didn't bother with makeup and all that. all i could do was brush my teeth and hair and put on clean clothes. i think she assumed it due to the fact i asked for something in particular OR she knew i was a nurse and wanted to show me that with her being a doctor that she knows best...either way, it caused me some serious grief.


Hopefully the md that owns the practice will straighten her out. She shouldn't be treating people like that.

[freebielover]

Thats just wrong, it does kind of sound like a case of the big bad doctor proving that theyre the best. I never go to the doctor anymore because I find very few that actually care about patients anymore. I would NOT go back there and I hope that woman is sorted out.

ETA: Being a nurse, couldn't you get your hands on very strong drugs easier than a normal person could? Without going to the doctor? Not saying that you would but her accusations dont make sense at all.

[Shann]

That's really too bad that she treated you that way and didn't help you at all. :mad: My friend is a pharmacist and is always filling rx's like that for (probably) TRUE narcotic users. It's always nice when the doc doesn't listen to you and gives you something that you can't use. I once went to my fam. doc. b/c I got these awful painful bumps on my legs. She diagnosed them as are you ready for this?!?! flea bites. I couldn't believe it, I have been around animals all my life and have gotten bit by fleas and these were no flea bites. I was in the office the next day in so much pain that the night before I cried myself to sleep, saw another doc who actually took the time to listen and was told it was eyrethama nodosum (sp?) Thankfully that was years ago and it hasn't come back since, but it's really sad when your doc doesn't listen to you. *hugs* glad you are doing better and hope it stays that way. (and obviously you were not looking for drugs or you wouldn't have turned down the rx from the owner doc.) :rolleyes:

[Njean31]

ETA: Being a nurse, couldn't you get your hands on very strong drugs easier than a normal person could? Without going to the doctor? Not saying that you would but her accusations dont make sense at all.

no, i can't. we have a doctor on the books by name only, but i never see him. the only doc's i interact with are the patients doctors by phone.

[Njean31]

That's really too bad that she treated you that way and didn't help you at all. :mad: My friend is a pharmacist and is always filling rx's like that for (probably) TRUE narcotic users. It's always nice when the doc doesn't listen to you and gives you something that you can't use. I once went to my fam. doc. b/c I got these awful painful bumps on my legs. She diagnosed them as are you ready for this?!?! flea bites. I couldn't believe it, I have been around animals all my life and have gotten bit by fleas and these were no flea bites. I was in the office the next day in so much pain that the night before I cried myself to sleep, saw another doc who actually took the time to listen and was told it was eyrethama nodosum (sp?) Thankfully that was years ago and it hasn't come back since, but it's really sad when your doc doesn't listen to you. *hugs* glad you are doing better and hope it stays that way. (and obviously you were not looking for drugs or you wouldn't have turned down the rx from the owner doc.) :rolleyes:


i'm sorry that happened to you also. some doctors do not LISTEN to the patient and are in too big of a hurry.

[Njean31]

thanks for the hugs and replies :)

[queenangie]

From one RN to another, sending you warm hugs too!

That just stinks what the female doc did to you, dear.

***I'd be certain to share it w/ my friends too.***
Word of mouth recommendations go a long way,
whether it is your drycleaners or a doc.

[Njean31]

From one RN to another, sending you warm hugs too!

That just stinks what the female doc did to you, dear.

***I'd be certain to share it w/ my friends too.***
Word of mouth recommendations go a long way,
whether it is your drycleaners or a doc.


thanks!! believe me, i've already told EVERYONE i know here which isn't to many people since i haven't been here long. funny thing is, everyone told me to go there in the first place but to see the doc who owns the practice. that day he had about 10 patients waiting to see him, she only had one so of course i said i'll just see her then because i was in so much pain. i guess that was my first mistake. maybe i shouldn't have told her that i was a nurse.

[joni1269]

That is just ridiculous. I hope you don't get another headache like that one, or else you better find a new doc!!

I was in Amber's one time (a craft store) and one of their shelving units fell on me. I went to the ER because I already have back problems, and wanted to be sure this didn't aggravate old injuries. When the doc comes in, he says, "so, you are sueing this store, right?" I said NO!! Then he told me he didn't have time for this, and walked out. I got my regular doctor on the phone, and he called the hospital and got x-rays of my back. I had even refused pain meds before the doctor came in, because I wasn't hurting. If I had been setting up a lawsuit, wouldn't I have been pretending to be in pain? I was furious.

[Kelsey1224]

no, i can't. we have a doctor on the books by name only, but i never see him. the only doc's i interact with are the patients doctors by phone.

I think the point she was trying to make is that why would you go to the doctor and ask for pain meds if you were drug seeking. If you were (drug seeking)...there were probably other opportunities which wouldn't be so obvious.

[schsa]

There are many doctors who are just not going to dispense narcotics regardless of your situation. I get phenobarbitol for my dog for her seizures and every time I go to fill the script I have to practically give them my blood. It is going to get harder and harder to get narcotics even if you need them. Doctor's don't want their license pulled for dispensing in excess.

Sorry about what happened to you.

[Njean31]

I think the point she was trying to make is that why would you go to the doctor and ask for pain meds if you were drug seeking. If you were (drug seeking)...there were probably other opportunities which wouldn't be so obvious.

i see what you are saying and there are sneaky ways to get the narcotics if you really want them. i just wanted them that day and i would never go to great lengths to get them. thanks

[Njean31]

There are many doctors who are just not going to dispense narcotics regardless of your situation. I get phenobarbitol for my dog for her seizures and every time I go to fill the script I have to practically give them my blood. It is going to get harder and harder to get narcotics even if you need them. Doctor's don't want their license pulled for dispensing in excess.

Sorry about what happened to you.


thanks sara, i do believe that office is one of those who are afraid.

[Donnagg123]

Actually, I am not acusing you, but nurses have one of the highest incidences of drug abuse out there, mainly because of opportunity. That coupled with the fact that you asked for something specific probably made her think that you were seeking. The fact that she did not know you very well did not help, either. Also, if taken enough of, tylenol 3 can be just as potent as the others harsher drugs. I am not taking up for her, but better that she was looking out for abusers rather than just passively handing out medication, becuase as a nurse, you know that when someone asks for something specific (nurse or not) that is a sign of a drug abuser. I would not be offended if I were you, because you know if you are a drug abuser or not, so who cares what others think. I am not trying to be harsh, and I am sorry that it happened to you.

[Katt]

Whether she thought you were drug seeking or not, it's not the nurses place to say anything. She should have took it to the doctor and let the doctor decide instead of implying something so slanderous.

I've had a doctor do me the same way, only it wasn't even a narcotic. I asked for an antibiotic because my asthma was out of control, had brought on a serious case of bronchitis, and I could feel the tightening etc of pneumonia trying to set in. I'm not quite a nurse, still have 2 years left for my b.s. but I do know my body and I know how it acts when my lungs start to fill. I've been in the hospital enough times because of my asthma to know. He never even listened to my lungs and started lecturing on drug seeking and antibiotic abuse. Let's just say he'll NEVER forget me. I let him know exactly where he could go and everything he threw at me, I tossed it right back..including my pharmacy printouts for the last year, which included NO antibiotics. Needless to say, he finally listened to my lungs, at my pressuring no less, and promptly sent me for an xray. He conceded that I indeed needed that antibiotic because my left lobe was filling up. Not to mention I had the fever and vomiting that accompany an infection. :rolleyes:

That man is sweet as sugar to me know, but I still can't stand him and have no problem telling the front desk when they try to schedule me with him.

I'm sorry that happened to you. Even with the high incidence of nurses having chemical dependences etc, it was not professional nor her position to act like that. You just can't accuse someone like that.

[Donnagg123]

I'm sorry that happened to you. Even with the high incidence of nurses having chemical dependences etc, it was not professional nor her position to act like that. You just can't accuse someone like that.

True. I didn't mean to imply that I though them confronting her was right, I just meant there was a reason for her doing it. BTW, she stated that it was a female doctor who confronted her and not a nurse, I just meant as a nurse she should understand the reasoning for it and not that I condone it.

[Katt]

Ahh my bad. I thought it was the nurse before the doc came in. (yes, I'm flakey these days...too many books I think ;) )

[Donnagg123]

Ahh my bad. I thought it was the nurse before the doc came in. (yes, I'm flakey these days...too many books I think ;) )

That's okay, I do that all the time :) And yes you are right about the books...hubby says he would hate to see anyone try to rob a nursing student as all we would have to do is hit 'em upside the head with one of our books and they would be down for the count, lol!

[andreame70]

I do not blame you for being mad at her at all!

Honestly, the woman is supposed to be a professional and professional people should know better than to outright accuse someone of something like that (especially to their face) without some kind of proof. I could understand her doing it if you were one of those people that go to the doctor twice a week looking for drugs, that would at least give her some kind of basis to form her assumption. But for you to be a first time patient and a nurse who would know the terminology, she should have realized that you know your body and have a pretty good grasp on just what it is that you would need. She certainly isn't scoring any points for the main physician by treating the patients this way, in fact she is helping him lose business.

Andrea

[Njean31]

Actually, I am not acusing you, but nurses have one of the highest incidences of drug abuse out there, mainly because of opportunity. That coupled with the fact that you asked for something specific probably made her think that you were seeking. The fact that she did not know you very well did not help, either. Also, if taken enough of, tylenol 3 can be just as potent as the others harsher drugs. I am not taking up for her, but better that she was looking out for abusers rather than just passively handing out medication, becuase as a nurse, you know that when someone asks for something specific (nurse or not) that is a sign of a drug abuser. I would not be offended if I were you, because you know if you are a drug abuser or not, so who cares what others think. I am not trying to be harsh, and I am sorry that it happened to you.


ahhh yes, i know that many nurses as well as other medical professionals abuse drugs because of their obtainablility...we get a quarterly state from the Board of Nursing that states the names of nurses who have had their license suspended or revoked for various reasons and the main one seems to be substance abuse. i also agree that she may have assumed i was seeking because i asked for something specific and the fact i was using appropriate medical terms........but should i play dumb when i go to the doctor so i give the wrong impression? I know what would have worked for me in that instance and she could have only given me a rx for 5 or 6? that would have not really satisfied an addict and it would have relieved my headache. I do care if they think i'm a drug seeker because i deal with that office through my work, i deal with almost all local doctors office and clinics. i have to call them and get rx's almost everytime i work, and for strong narcotics............so i have to deal with them and it don't make me feel good having to ask for a narcotic from someone who considers me a drug seeker. that's probably another reason why i asked for something specific........because i'm used to it for my patients.

[Njean31]

Whether she thought you were drug seeking or not, it's not the nurses place to say anything. She should have took it to the doctor and let the doctor decide instead of implying something so slanderous.

I've had a doctor do me the same way, only it wasn't even a narcotic. I asked for an antibiotic because my asthma was out of control, had brought on a serious case of bronchitis, and I could feel the tightening etc of pneumonia trying to set in. I'm not quite a nurse, still have 2 years left for my b.s. but I do know my body and I know how it acts when my lungs start to fill. I've been in the hospital enough times because of my asthma to know. He never even listened to my lungs and started lecturing on drug seeking and antibiotic abuse. Let's just say he'll NEVER forget me. I let him know exactly where he could go and everything he threw at me, I tossed it right back..including my pharmacy printouts for the last year, which included NO antibiotics. Needless to say, he finally listened to my lungs, at my pressuring no less, and promptly sent me for an xray. He conceded that I indeed needed that antibiotic because my left lobe was filling up. Not to mention I had the fever and vomiting that accompany an infection. :rolleyes:

That man is sweet as sugar to me know, but I still can't stand him and have no problem telling the front desk when they try to schedule me with him.

I'm sorry that happened to you. Even with the high incidence of nurses having chemical dependences etc, it was not professional nor her position to act like that. You just can't accuse someone like that.


that doctor should have listened to your lungs before coming to ANY conclusion first. sometimes they are too smart for their own good and lose thier common sense somewhere along the way. this doctor i'm talking about didn't even look up my nostrils, palpate my sinuses, or do the light test to check for sinus congestion. as soon as she saw me and how i looked and the fact i asked for something specific (a narcotic no less), she made her mind up before she ever began her physical exam.

thanks to all of your for you replies, they helped calm me down. i'll be alright and find another doc. :)

[buglebe]

The writing of prescriptions for drugs is argued about among doctors. Some dispense all you want and others won't give any. When I go to some of the fibromyalgia sites and read what some people are taking I can't believe it.
I am a drug seeker but never get them LOL. I am in pain all the time due to so many ailments. My dr and I have a very good relationship. He won't give me pain pills. Period. And he knows I don't have a drug problem. I still have 2 of my pain pills left from 30 pills I got 4 months ago for my shoulder surgery.
Pain in America is undertreated. Canadians can buy codeine over the counter.
The ones who abuse it make it harder for the people who have real pain to get them. I told my doctor I could order drugs on line or get my son to get them for me easier than trying to get a dr to give me any. I would love to have lots of them but it would be so easy to get addicted. I don't even see what is so horrible about that except the challenge to get a legal prescription.
I am an RN and I know what positions doctors are put in to give out prescriptions, I think the woman doctor was rude to the extreme to you. And yes because you showed you knew something about your body and what medication you use did make her more reluctant to prescribe to you. It seems to me that female doctors can be less sympathetic than men also.

[Njean31]

The writing of prescriptions for drugs is argued about among doctors. Some dispense all you want and others won't give any. When I go to some of the fibromyalgia sites and read what some people are taking I can't believe it.
I am a drug seeker but never get them LOL. I am in pain all the time due to so many ailments. My dr and I have a very good relationship. He won't give me pain pills. Period. And he knows I don't have a drug problem. I still have 2 of my pain pills left from 30 pills I got 4 months ago for my shoulder surgery.
Pain in America is undertreated. Canadians can buy codeine over the counter.
The ones who abuse it make it harder for the people who have real pain to get them. I told my doctor I could order drugs on line or get my son to get them for me easier than trying to get a dr to give me any. I would love to have lots of them but it would be so easy to get addicted. I don't even see what is so horrible about that except the challenge to get a legal prescription.
I am an RN and I know what positions doctors are put in to give out prescriptions, I think the woman doctor was rude to the extreme to you. And yes because you showed you knew something about your body and what medication you use did make her more reluctant to prescribe to you. It seems to me that female doctors can be less sympathetic than men also.


thank you so much! i agree about the underprescribing of pain meds. if someone is in serious chronic pain related to a diagnosed serious medical condition or even undiagnosed (my situation was acute and short lived, albeit excruiating just the same), who gives a crap if they become addicted?
pain is subjective to the individual, we have the medication, just give it to them, worry about the addiction later if they live through the condition. i guess i've recently changed my perception about this due to working with hospice. some patients and families are concerned their loved one may become addicted............it's ok, they will be in less pain and addiction is not an issue anymore when they pass away :confused:

i SO agree with your statement that female doctors are less sympathetic than males..........she will be my last female doctor unless i'm unconscious or she's a specialist.

[Tulsa_para]

on the flip side of this, my best friend was addicted to her pain meds. I have known her since we were 14. we were 20 when she was diagnosed with [insert very long medical term] lol, it was something bad with her bladder. basically, she cant pee. and when she can..... it hurts really bad.

so anyways, she had surgery, it is a very painful condition and her doctor prescribed her lortab 10 for the pain. Well, this girl never did a drug in her life, she was very naive about narcotics and she kept taking them. she goes through stages where the pain is severe and then it is manageable. well all of a sudden I notice she has dropped like 40 pounds and looks like a ghost. she says she feels great though! She is finally able to do things she wasnt able to do before (she had to be near a bathroom at all times) BOOM.... she is full on addicted to her drugs. She didnt even know she was addicted until she couldnt get them. She went to the doctor's office and her regular doc wasnt there, she saw someone else... he freaked out! apparently she had gone through over 60 pills in 4 days. (She had also been taking them everyday for almost a year) He immediately cut her off. He did not taper her off like he apparently was supposed to, just cold turkey. The doctor who WAS NOT monitoring it got into a lot of trouble, and rightly so. I saw and helped my best friend through withdrawal. If anyone has seen Trainspotting you will understand. It was that bad, if not worse. It scared me so bad, no way will I EVER take a whole lortab. and whenever she comes over, I have to hide the narcotics (DH is having extensive dental reconstruction and never takes them, so they are collecting dust-but he keeps the scrip just in case, lol) It is sad that I have to do that, but I dont want her to be tempted! So, I am glad that there are docs out there who are willing to question and be on guard, but her presentation was very uncalled for!

[sparklez]

Sheesh!! Sorry that happened to you, I would have been mad as well..

I just wish I knew the lady so she could tell my MIL that, She is always at the ER getting pain pills.. I think she lives off them. Something is always wrong with her she thinks :rolleyes:

I hope the drs office got your point.. That was really rude of her.

[sdmay3]

I just wanted to post because I am one who suffers from chronic pain and I do have a prescription for a narcotic. I am very scared of becoming addicted and I only take half of what I am prescribed. That only takes the edge off of the pain but I have learned to deal with it. I travel an hour away to see a pain doc. I explained my concerns to him about becoming addicted. He told me there was a difference in being drug addicted and drug dependent. He explained that a drug addict will take the pills for the high that they cause. A person that is drug dependent takes the pills because they need them in order to have any quality of life. If I did not take any pain pills at all I would not be able to function at all. I would be in pain to the point of tears all the time. I am drug dependant.

I know what it is like to be considered a drug seeker! There have been three times where my pain became so unbearable that I went to the emergency room. Before going to the ER, I tried everything to ease the pain: massage, heat, ice, hot bath, pain meds, muscle relaxer, etc and nothing helped. One of these times the pain was in my left thigh. It felt hot, cold, numb, and heavy all at the same time. It was excruciating!!! The doc told me " Well, if it was numb, how do you know it feels hot or cold?". They decide I was having an anxiety attack and gave me Ativan and sent me home still in pain. Another time it was the same pain , same leg, different doc. He didn't even look at the leg and see how red and hot it was. Anyway, he saw on my chart I was on Percocet and had a pain doc. He asked me why I didn't go see him. I told him becasue there was no way I could drive an hour in this much pain and it was also a Saturday, I couldn't get ahold of the pain doc. He told me there was nothing he could do for me. After I broke down in tears because I hurt so bad he finally gave me a shot to help ease the pain. It just took the edge off the pain enough for me to drive back home.

People that abuse prescription drugs make it very difficult for people that really need them. My aunt was treated funny at the pharmacy a few weeks ago.She was getting a prescription filled early becasue the doc had changed the dosage so she ran out earlier. A huge alert came up on the screen. It was for her DIABETES pill...LOL.

[Sammie1]

I do not blame you for being upset..I too have had the same problem with Doctors..Back in "99 I hurt my back in a patients home from daily lifting of him and had to have surgery in 2001. Since then my back is not any better but worse for when they shot some dye in back it infected another disc that my doc said needed to be removed...Well I couldnt have it done for I was on my way to moving here to NC from NY. Anyways..It took me forever to find a doc to help me with the pain meds!! They all thought because I had the surgery that I should be ok and not need anything else..and that I didnt need the second surgery!!!
I hate how they seem to think that they KNOW if we are in pain or not!! I would love to be pain free..I have been out of work since and now am on anti depression meds because of that...
We are now leaving to move to Ca next week due to my hubbys job. I pray that I dont have the same problems oput there and that I can find someone to help me...

Hugs to you Sweetie and I pray for you the next time you need some help...
PS ...I also know what meds help and which dont..and to tell them...HA!! they dont care...

[Sammie1]

sdmay3...my doc in NY told me the same thing about becoming addicted..and I know becasue here they dont give me whats needed and I have to go at least a week or more without and I can handle it..not the pain too much but I dont freak out cause I dont have any...

[janelle]

My sister always has to tell her doctors what she has or is getting as far as illnesses. If she does not get on antibiotics sometime during the winter she ends up with pneumonia and she knows it. She tells the doctor to give her the drug when she feels it coming on but he won't until it goes into pneumonia. How dumb is that? She has to suffer until it gets really bad and she risks missing work dragging herself around for weeks. She recently told him she thought she has diabetes but he wouldn't do the test until she insisted. Yes, she has it.

I know there are lots of drug addicted people out there now---did you see the Dr Phil special?---but it sure hurts people who are really sick and trying to get better and that's all.

Also, be careful with a doctor who no one wants to see. Like the doc who saw you and the other doc was booked up. Usually there is a good reason no one wants to see that doc. LOL, In my hubby's office there is one doc who patients would rather not see and we know why. She is very risk adverse and would do exactly what that doc did to you. They are so busy covering their behind they forget to practice medicine. She's always afraid of being sued. When it gets to that point why not quit medicine? You can't really be a doctor.

[rustynail]

It is really a shame that doctors really don't listen to the patients as they should. I once worked in a outpatient clinic. Sometimes the line was out the door for patients coming in to be seen. Business is good right? Sure... But the docs do not spend time with the patients. They hear the patient talk and then order blood and xrays. Same with everybody. Like a production line. I do not work there anymore.

Good medicine or bad? You can decide, but I believe that a doc needs to listen to a patient, talk with them and then do the check-up. I don't really believe that the nurse should be involved in this at all. I never discuss anything with the nurse only giving the symptoms when she checks me in.

But as a precaution, ask the doc what can you do for pain after he finishes up with you, if you can get a pain shot, or maybe one or two pain pills. They do get suspicious when a script is asked for. Let them suggest it. I think they feel more in control that way.

I sure hope you feel better. DId you ever try the rice in the sock treatment. It is where you make a rice sock and then heat it up in the microwave for a minute or so. I get migraines from time to time lasting up to 4 days, since I have to take heart meds, I cannot take migraine pills. This sock on my eyes helps me tremendously! Along with some Advil!


:)