Posted by Roo on March 01, 1999 at 14:37:07:
In Reply to: Getting Doctors to understand posted by Kelly G on February 24, 1999 at 12:31:17:
I've only just learned about "drug-seeking" behavior from a med school friend of mine. Before talking to him, I thought the ER doctors were just stupid, watching me scream for two hours before actually giving me any pain medication. Now, when I try to get painkillers, I get deluged with questions about how quickly I went through my last batch and why. One nurse refused to prescribe anything for me, because 'we just gave you twenty Vidocin tablets last month'.
Sure. Like twenty tablets will last thirty days. I was taking two or three for every attack (mine last longer than normal, sometimes up to 6 hours) which means after six or seven headaches, I was out of painkillers. I didn't tell her about the twenty I got from the ER in between prescriptions.
I'm right in the perfect demographic range for some drug-related age discrimination, and there's not a lot to be done about it. I feel for all of you who are in the same boat. Doctors are a lot more worried about addiction than they are about relieving pain.
-AF