Here's some Toradol! No? Howbout some Voltaren!

[Ickyuck]

This is a bitching thread about the rampant use of NSAIDS in the hospital *before* considering opiate therapy. Now I know and understand that giving opiates to patients isn't the first on the doctors list (we are talking about mild/severe pain cases, not like, limbs and pancreatic implosions [if there is such a thing]).

I go into the hospital every year, almost, for infectious colitis. It is painful, my insides cramp and hurt like hell, I have adhesions from a previous surgery basically fusing my intestines to a scar down my abdomen. Morphine does the only trick; it slows the motility of my gut (cause guys, at this point I cant stop shitting), and finially pushes the pain away. But no.
There is always one doc who says "aw here is some, ah, toradol, this should make you feel better". And NO IT DOESNT.
Same with voltaren when I saw a doc for nerve damage. Fine, sure, it helps the swelling. But what about that feeling of my shoulder being ripped open and stretched like guitar strings down my back? Ya think maybe voltaren will help that?!?!

Anyway I am just bitching.
Please, relate any stories here where your doctor handed you a NSAID and said "Have a nice day"...

[Papa Verine]

Just yesterday I was at my shrink's office and told him I've been having A lot of stress lately and insomnia almost every night. (Lie)

He recommended I go to counseling. Counseling for my insomnia? I was at least hoping for some Lunesta or something... the office is peppered with Lunesta advertisements.

He said "We don't want to drug you or anything like that."

We don't???

He must've had a mouse in his pocket because I do want to drug me.

[Ickyuck]

Counseling? I hate it how medical providers just assume a) your insurance can cover extra shit like that and b) you can find and go to a shrink just like that and c) they don't question you FIRST about your symptoms...

[hydro chris]

just my to cents... voltaren is a really old med, ime is a very good NSAID. that i had used years ago for some
stiffness around the right side of the neck..and it actually had a little calming effect (mind easing) before i went to sleep. this was way way before swim took opies.

[Narkotikon]

I went to the ER once for a very very VERY bad headache (and it was my fault, I took too many Blach Cohosh pills because I had read it has very mild mu-agonist activity). So, stupid me eats handfuls of them. I repeat, yes, it was my fault. It's mainly used as an herbal hot-flash cure for women going through menopause. But, nevertheless, it caused a fucking huge-ass headache. I took way more APAP AND Ibuprofen than recommended (yes, I know, very bad, but that's how bad the headache was), and I laid down in a dark, quiet room with a wet cloth over my head. Nothing worked.

So, I go to the ER. Now, this is the hospital that EVERYONE in the city goes to without insurance, because if you don't have insurance, the others just won't see you (unless, of course, it's a massive emergency where you might actually die in the process of going to the other hospital). Now, I had gone to this ER two and a half months prior in opiate w/d, and was very honest with them. I told them, look, I'm an opiate addict, I'm in major w/d, can you please give me something to help the w/d. I told them I wasn't expecting narcotics, I wasn't expecting anything addictive. When I went that time, they drug tested me (why, I don't know, because I was honest about being an opiate addict, and sure enough, I tested positive for opiates...big surprise). I also got an IV bag of fluids, and one .1mg Clonidine pill, and treated VERY badly by the staff and doctors. I mean, looking back, why bother going at all. I could have taken some Immodium, drank a cup or two of water, and then spent my time at home, not to mention saved a thousand dollar hospital bill. But, anyway, because I went there in w/d and was actually honest and looking for help, of course I was red-flagged.

So, when I go back later for this headache, I was--again--treated very badly. I remember this fucking red-haired doctor who flat out said I wasn't getting any narcotics, so don't even ask. This was even before I told him what was wrong. I just looked at him with a shocked face, and said "I don't know what you think of me, but I don't appreciate that." He wasn't pleased with that. He listened very briefly of my symptoms. I told him about the headache. He ordered an expensive MRI that was unnecessary, and when that didn't show anything wrong (because why would it?), he wanted to do a spinal tap because he was convinced that I had meningitis. Now, granted, I did not tell him I had taken a handful of Black Cohosh pills, and that's what the headache was from, because I figured I'd get the same bad treatment, or even worse. So, I just went along with the headache story, which was true. I mean, he didn't need to know how I got the headache. Just that I had one.

But, when he said the spinal tap thing (and I've never had one before, but I know from other people that they are very very painful), I asked him what they would do for the numbing. He said nothing. Now, I know from one of my sisters, who's a nurse, that they use some kind of topical anesthetic or whatever to numb you. They don't just stick your spine with a fucking big-ass needle. But, again, he said nothing. At this point, I said "listen, I know you've got a preconceived notion of me because I was in here two and a half months ago in opiate w/d, which I was honest about, and was only looking for help. I realize that most likely after that, I was red-flagged as a narcotic seeker. Do you actually think I'd be stupid enough to come back in here looking for narcotics?" He just grinned, and said "sure I do, others do all the time." And then he said "again, you're not getting any narcotics." And I said "again, I don't expect you to give me any narcotics. I'm not stupid, despite what you think, but I know that there are other medications that you CAN give me that aren't narcotics that would help for the pain of a headache, and also topical creams for a spinal tap." I mean, he could have given me Zomig or Imitrex, or a beta-blocker like Propranolol, or a calcium-channel blocker, or even the NSAIDS like all of you are talking about (although I guess since I told the nurse during admission that I had already taken Ibuprofen, that that's why that wasn't given). All of those are NON ADDICTIVE and can be used during the headache to help it. And there's no reason they couldn't have used a topical numbing cream for a spinal tap procedure.

Instead, he gave me a fucking shot of Reglan, which I hate, because 1.) I don't think it works, and 2.) it gives you a nasty metalic taste in your mouth. Plus, it's a nausea medication, and also works for motility (making your intestines move faster--something great for an opiate addict, even though I had been sober for about two months when this occurred, but you know how your GI is still out of whack a little bit even after the initial acute w/d ends). Now, I know that some nausea medications can be used for migraines in some cases, but come on, I highly doubt they work that well. This certainly didn't work. Then, ten minutes later, when he came back, and asked if my pain was gone, I just looked at him and said "um, no, it's not." It wasn't gone. At that point, he started again--for the third time--on the "no narcotics" speech. At that point, I said, "listen I didn't come here to be treated badly by you and your staff because you have preconceived notions of what i must be because I did the right thing and was honest with you about my opiate addiction two and a half months ago." I then said I want to sign myself out, which of course he tried to talk me out of, because I'm sure it doesn't look good for him, but I did anyway. I signed myself out AMA, and I've never been back to that hospital since. Fucking red-haired asshole. Ginger cunt.

This is why I think it's necessary to lie to medical staff about addictions. You get treated worth shit. Granted, I wasn't there seeking narcotics. I didn't expect to get shit. But, I mean, they could have used another non-addictive migraine med, and even if they did use narcotics, heaven forbid they give you a shot of something in the hospital. It's not like you can take it home with you. I guess they figure you'll keep coming back for more and more, and that's 1.) why they don't use narcotics, even if it's warranted in a situation with a patient with a narcotic's past, unless it's absolutely necessary, like a car accident and you've got a severed limb or something; and 2.) why they have such a nasty attitude with known addicts. You just don't get adequate or proper treatment if you tell the truth and do the right thing. And they wonder why addicts lie. Yes, I'm sure some do lie to get drugs, but I'm also sure some lie so they can actually get adequate treatment. The only time now that I'd tell a medical staff I was an opiate addict would be like now, because I'm on Subs, and would have to have a higher-dose because of the blocking effect of Subs. And I'd be damned sure I'd have my Sub doctor (when I find another one) call to make sure they were actually treating me properly, and also have my family (probably my nurse sister) make sure too.

And before some people start in with the "what do you expect, you did it to yourself by eating the herbal pills and brought the head-ache on yourself" shit, that's NOT THE POINT! The point is that I got inadequate care. I don't care if you're an addict, you still deserve adequate medical care in a hospital. That's the point. The fact that I caused the headache is moot. Yes, I caused it, but does that mean I don't deserve medical care when I need it? Hell no! Using that logic would be like saying that someone who tries to kill themself by shooting a gun at their head, but messes up, doesn't deserve treatment in an ICU to try to save their life. Yes, they did it to themselves, bu they still deserve treatment. Or, it would be like saying that someone who OD's on heroin doesn't deserve Narcan because they did it to themselves. I don't care if you do it to yourselves. You still deserve treatment, and treatment without the attitude from condescending medical staff and doctors with an ego-complex.

[OpiXPO]

I cant help but to wonder how much of this is pushed by the DEA versus just the conservative nature our society exsists in having to do with drugs.
I'll be honest, I can understand (and agree with) when a doctor doesnt want to prescribe opiates to a person who is flat out known as an addict currently, and is afraid if he/she gives them what they actually need to deal with their problem then the DEA will come take their licence.

I dont understand why doctors give shitty treatment because their on a high horse and are looking down on your habbit. Even more so because (just guessing) most opiate addicts fall into the vortex from a ligitmate problem, not because they woke up one day and said "Hmm, I feel like getting addicted to opiates today". It pisses me off even more because of the shitty treatment could lead to undiagnosed conditions that ends up killing you because the doctor has a stick up his ass! I mean say you start having very recurring migraines thats landed you in the ER several times with dilaudid shots, and then you get flagged. Rather than getting to the bottom of the problem, they give you Toradal and send you on your way, with a growing brain tumor. And they dont care because they THINK you are an addict.

damn, that little rant is somewhat ruining my buzz from my last dose from my little discovery.

[clinton]

Here did all the "croakers" go?

[DarthStoner]

Once, when I was working as a cook in a hotel restaurant, I accidently dropped my lighter into the deep fryer oil and pretty much blew myself up...

Let me clarify (though I'll still look like a total idiot). It was toward the end of the night shift, maybe an hour before closing, and really fuckin slow - so the other cook and I decided we'd get a head start on closing.

Being a total pothead, I decided to go out back for a cigarette, and smoked one... after I smoked a fat joint of some really really chronic bud.

I put my cigarettes (with a couple more Js in the box) along with a lighter into the front pocket of my chef's coat. Went back in and did most of the cleaning... all that was left to do was the deep fryer, and we didn't have a machine or anything, it was drain through a strainer into a giant pot, wipe the inside, rinse, and pour back in.

So I drained the oil into the pot, cleaned the inside, flushed with oil to rinse excess garbage out, and was about to pick up the pot of oil to pour back into the fryer. I totally forgot about the cigarettes and lighter in my breast pocket, and plop, they both go into the fryer.

Well, as previously mentioned, I had a couple of joints in that pack of cigarettes, and they were floating atop the hot oil. So I tried to get them, which was hard cause the oil was really hot. So I grabbed the tongs, and fished them out. The second I started pulling away from the oil, BOOM the lighter, which had fallen to the bottom of the oil, explodes.

Hot oil hit the ceiling, and pretty much drenched my coat, and my entire right arm, as well as part of my face and neck. Needless to say, I went to the ER.

Now, I'm not all that sure what an NSAID is (I could UTMFSE, but I assume it is an opiate-free painkiller), but after waiting for like 2 hours in the ER, I finally get to see a doctor.

My entire right arm is dark red and very sore, and there was a light peeling of skin - white loose puffy skin on my forearm - which I thought would form a giant blister, but didn't. It looked pretty bad, so of course, I'm hoping for some good drugs - at that time I thought Vicodin was good - but all I got was some prescription Motrin or something similar, and a prescripton burn gel.

What a bummer... though I guess I kinda understand, they probably thought they were doing me a favor, since someone stupid enough to blow themself up at work probably isn't smart enough to take a narcotic painkiller w/o somehow endangering them self.

This was definitely the most BONEHEAD thing I've ever done... oh well, live and learn, I guess .

[Vico-Dan]

I had a kidney stone about 20 years ago. (And several since)

They gave me a shot of Toradol.

Once they got the X-Rays back and saw that big ass, jagged stone working its way thru my kidney, they shot me up full of Demerol.

[clinton]

Did you finally get the relief you needed or were you forced to self medicate?

[Morfiend]

Toradol can be very effective. Thank god they don't give me opiates every time or I'd never be able to stay off them.