The Fabulous Migraine Underworld
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Labelled as a drug seeker...

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Post  Cluelesskitty Fri 29 Apr 2011, 10:02 pm

I think at one point it happens to everybody -

-your M becomes so painful and unresponsive to your usual assortment of medication at home
you are finally forced to go to the ER.

There, first they eye you up and down with suspicion -"are you in real pain?" or "aren't you exaggerating your pain?"
then they give you some medication, and thank heavens if it works.

But when it doesn't.. that's when the really bad crap starts - they accuse you of pretending you don't have M,
or making your pain look worse than it is, and forget about actually treating you,

because "IF your M was REAL then the medication they gave you would work!"

(as if...)

- especially if they gave you a powerful narcotic painkiller!

You are accused of lying, exaggerating pain, being branded a drug seeker on the spot
and mercy on you if you are forced to seek the help from ER in the future again. Particularly the same one.
Don't expect any sympathy from nurses, either.
They will be the first to turn these brows down at you telling: "we won't give you drugs here, ever".

Or, another scenario-
- your M escalates both in frequency and intensity over time to the point you need more and more
pain medication than usual.

Your doctor looks at you down his nose, eyes you with the familiar suspicion the ER staff did,
and declares "it's the rebound. you take too many analgesics and that's why you have more HAs!"
"butbut but doctor, I tried no meds approach for the whole two months, and there was no change!"
"Still, something you are doing causes these M.
I'll give you the script for 30 ...., and make sure they'll last you a whole month!"

Then you have 3 agonizing humdingers the very first week for which you take:
~ day 1 - 8 pills
~ day 2 - 8 pills
~ day 3 - 8 pills
= 24 pills

and the very next week you have another 3 agonizing humdingers for which you take:
~ day 4 -6 pills

as 24 + 6 = 30, so

~ day 5 - 0 pills
~ day 6 - 0 pills
because you ran out of you 30 per month quota, you are in agony,
and it's only the second week of the month...


Isn't it belittling and humiliating?

I remember to this very day how in the early 90ties
I was handed the Rx for 30 Fiorinal C1/2 with the patronizing and admonishing "this must last you for 30 days!".
I still cringe from the experience.
I felt so helpless, so small, so - UNHEARD.

Risa
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Post  milo Fri 29 Apr 2011, 10:47 pm

You sum the feeling up so well. Sure sucks to be there. I have vowed to never go to ER ever again for a migraine. Luckily, my pain doctor agrees with me never wanting to go there again. He is smart enough to know that ER is no place for a person in extreme migraine pain.
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Post  Paradox Sat 30 Apr 2011, 9:03 am

My Dr. does a good job of keeping me out of the ER, because even though I never went more than once a year, yes Dear Heart, I was treated that way.

There is a nursing blog and now forum that I just love called crass-pollination, but I cringe when I read the way these ER nurses feel about migraine patients. BUT, it has also made me understand, WHY they feel that way. I want to write in.."but you don't understand..." but, they don't, they won't, unless they've been in our shoes.

Heck, I went to a neuro who had nothing new to offer me, did not believe in narcotics, and told me migraines patients had no business ever being in an ER. Believe you me, I never went to that a** again!

I went through a four month holiday...no OTC, no nothing, just misery and a great deal of missed work. I don't have MOH!!

The ONLY time I wasn't treated like a seeker was when I went in with my bag full of pills, newly filled, so they saw that I could have easily self medicated, but nothing was working. My BP was through the roof and it was about the only time I treated humanely.
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Post  milo Sat 30 Apr 2011, 10:23 am

I'll remember to take my meds with me if I ever end up there again.

I'm on day three or four right now, and I woke with it still there. Monday I will try to get ahold of my pain doc to ask to get snuck in for a few lidocaine injections.
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