Question: How to deal with ER doctors who treat you like an addict?
Answer:
Full Question:
The question I have is how do I deal with E.R.
doctors that treat me like I am a drug addict? There are a couple of doctors who
have sent me home and I was still in severe pain and throwing up. I have to
admit one or two are decent about the headaches. These headaches interfere with
my education and daily life. What can I say to the doctor to get them to
understand. Marcie.
Answer:
Dear Marcie;
If only there were one true answer to this question! Some of our readers have found that having a treatment request of sorts from their doctor is helpful. Your doctor can write recommended emergency treatment on a prescription form, or we have forms that can be completed in advance. See: Emergency Room Treatment and Info Forms. There's one form to be filled out by your doctor with treatment information and one that you can fill out in advance with your registration information. When you have to go to the E.R., do you ask for specific medications? If so, try not doing that. Some doctors will react badly when patients ask for opioid medications. If you're needing emergency room treatment very frequently, it could be helpful to talk to your doctor about a good preventive regimen as well as having more than one option at home so you can hopefully avoid the E.R.
Good luck,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz
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Published November 27, 2005
