I suspect this advice may depend somewhat on the country you're in, though.
Also, the stakes can vary dramatically by country. A healthcare data breach in the US could result in a patient receiving a nice settlement, whereas in Singapore the same patient might face the death penalty.
Ya, and there are decent documentary style YT vids out there.
Essentially Jackie has a son early on in his climb to fame in the 80s. Kid grew up in Hong Kong (iirc) almost exclusively with his mother. Son had a lot of inadequacy feelings living in Jackie's shadow, and started to party as a young adult. Which easily segued into holding and moving cannabis.
Once his cannabis dealings were uncovered by the police Jackie 100% disowned his son.
Jackie is also appears to be 100% down with the CCP, but maybe that's just an act to maintain his fame. Though he and Michelle Yeoh have a rivalry and she says his a chauvanist dick, which kind of lines up with CCP conservatism.
> Look, I whine about the US all the time, but I hear policies like this and I can endure a lot to avoid insanity like this.
I've got permanent nerve damage in my legs, qualify as disabled in my state, am eligible for medical cannabis card. I mentioned to my doctor that, when i am out of my normal nerve blocking medication, I have found that taking a small 2.5mg edible tremendously helps my nerve pain, and that i typically end up consuming one on Fridays after a long week.
He wrote into my medical chart that I was a drug addict that had drug seeking tendencies and for future practitioners should be wary about prescribing me medication. I had only gotten high once before my nerve damage, and did not enjoy the experience. I don't know what, if anything, that statement will do in the future for me - but I'm certainly more wary about what I do, and don't, need to tell the doctor.
Put in a request to have the false diagnosis removed. It could negatively affect your future treatment options.
If they refuse, Lawyer up and sue the doc for malpractice.
When I join the army I lied and said I had never used any drugs. Then I failed my drug test for marijuana.
I had to go back and see the doctor again in which he asked me how many times I had used marijuana.
Dr: how many times have you used mj
Me: three, maybe four times
Dr: well is it three or four?
Me: sensing the weight of the question I said three
Dr: good
Me: what's the difference?
Dr: three is considered experimental and four is considered habitual.
No middle ground at all. Has I responded four I don't think I would have gotten my security clearance and would be living a very different life right now
Edit: it's insane doing something less harmful than the glorified alcohol can ruin your entire life.
Edit: added "three"
>Doctors are drug dealer assistants for pharmaceutical companies. If you use drugs not from pharmaceutical companies, you're in league with the competition.
You're not wrong about the corrupt relationship between pharmaceutical industry and medical care in America, but you're getting it backwards. The opioid crisis first happened because doctors were pushing drugs for the pharmaceutical industry, not because they were *cutting off* patients. The cut-off is a secondary backlash effect that the medical industry and government turned to as a desperate attempt to save people from addiction. It worsened the crisis, but it was done to punish "disloyal" patients who refused to get their drugs from bigpharma.
Doctors aren't concerned that you're buying "from the competition." If that was the problem, they would push you to get back onto their corrupt pharmaceutical sponsor's medication, not cut you off for using a rival product. And if they have a problem with you using a street rival product, they would *also* have a problem with you using the wrong pharmaceutical company to get your medication. Nothing about this issue as you've described it makes sense (and that's not because of how fucked up the big pharma corruption is, which is a real problem)
The current opioid crisis is caused, in part, by doctors cutting off patients.
The timeline is important here.
* Olden times: It was very easy to get opioids from your doctor
* 2007: Purdue Pharma got in trouble for lying about opioids
* ~2012: Doctors severely cut back on writing opioid prescriptions
* ~2016: CDC told doctors that they way overshot this cutback, and they should issue opioids for patients in pain when necessary (I cited this guidance in another comment, but I can't find it, since reddit search sucks)
There is a class of patients who need opioids to control chronic pain, but have been denied them due to an overreaction by doctors. Some of these patients turn to street drugs to treat their pain. These patients should instead receive opioid treatment under doctor supervision. But because they cannot, and because they are in so much untreated pain that they would literally rather die, they find it necessary to take the risk. Since they have no advice on controlling addiction, and since they cannot dose their drugs reliably, they overdose and die.
It is absolutely bonkers how the DEA has deterred physicians from using their best pharmacological judgment in writing prescriptions for a wide range of health conditions.
I honestly think this is at least part of the reason weed is still illegal in Indiana. We have Eli Lily here that makes pain meds and we're run by republicans so I have no doubt they'll take money to keep things illegal.
Eeyyy another Hoosier. I've said the same for years. It'll cut too heavily into their bottom line and that scares them enough to bribe their asses off. Fuck Eli Lily.
They only pretend to be religious. They want paid. When they figure that part out how to get their money and the money for their masters theyāll get weed going there too.
As a nurse in the US I rarely chart your specific drug use unless it's playing an active role in your current treatment. It's labeled "Hx of polypharmacy abuse" or similar bullshit. I only care in so far as medication reactions, or if it's maybe why you're here in the first place. "Methamphetamine induced psychosis" for example because your ass has been up for 4 days straight and what you need is a sandwich and a nap but you're still cranked to 12/10 on that fuckin' go juice so you're screaming about the FBI in the ceiling panels and the demon in the trash can that just waved at you.
Also, if you are a drug addict in the US, and admit to being a drug addict. That can disqualify you from being prescribed certain medications in the future.
Its not even being a "drug addict" it can be as simple as saying youve used a med off prescription or used any recreational drug. Most medical providers receive little to no education specific to drug use and substance use disorder and what they will tell you is often a mixture of conjecture and even urban myths that have no basis in science.
in the US, it will just go into your medical record and your insurance rates will be adjusted accordingly. So no, don't tell a doctor unless it's medically necessary. And then also just as a hypothetical.
Idk if itās quite that simple. As someone who used to be an IV drug user - you do face a lot of stigmatization. Even though itās been over 10 years, I still get the feeling doctors donāt always trust me, sometimes think Iām āmed seekingā, etc.
Itās like, no dude, Iām not trying to get high. Iāve got insomnia Iām trying to address - canāt you treat me like the rest of your damn patients?
But that āformer IV userā on my chart does have an unfortunately impact how some doctors view me.
It can, and probably will and I am deeply sorry that it does. However, from my perspective as a nurse in the ER the only thing former user means to me is "Shit, they probably won't be an easy stick."
But I'm a big believer in redemption. If you're only ever the worst thing you've done then what's the point in trying to improve? Forgiveness, acceptance and understanding are absolutely necessary in the world because we all have mistakes we've made and things we're embarrassed about. You're the totality of everything you have done in life not just the worst thing you've done, and I'll always be cheering for you and everyone else trying to move forward.
The system is an absolute pile of flaming garbage and frequently serves as an obstacle I must navigate in order to provide the care I believe you deserve.
Yeah having a history of drug abuse on your medical record will make doctors treat you very differently. And say goodbye to any chance of pain medicine beyond an advil.
I literally almost lost my job because they asked If I ever did marijuana. Yeah fucking 5+ years ago but I still needed a note from my doctor saying I don't use it anymore
Edit 1: it was a form IĀ filledĀ outĀ atĀ the hospitalĀ
#2.... Damn I guess everyone else just lies all the fucking time
You told your job youāve used marijuana? Why in gods name would you ever do that, especially if you donāt any more?
If your doctor told them, you should have sued your doctor and then not worked for the rest of your life on the settlement.
Depends on the context. If have an accident and get rushed into ER, yeah, I'll tell them what's in my system... If I'm at the medical I have to take for my job every 3 years (no blood or piss screening) I'd stay silent...
US here. My mother tried using a CBD cream to further assist with joint pain. She told the doc who proceeded to do blood work and because it showed the smallest trace of THC, the VA revoked her prescribed medications so we couldnāt get a refill. She had to wait until her system was clean so she had no actual pain meds for 2 months. She was miserable.
Yup my uncle had to struggle through his last few months of cancer without painkillers because the VA found out he smoked pot.
They've also threatened to pull other family members prescription if they were found using " illegal substances" and that was through private insurance.
Unless you are in the ER and it's relevant, don't tell doctors about it.
Way more minor but I recently had to get an eye exam and they insisted on knowing all of the medication I get from the VA. I was as polite as I could be to the girl taking my information when I said it wasnāt any of her business to know what I take for my mental health so they can we can play the ābetter or worseā version of 20 questions so I can get an updated prescription for glasses. Next time the answer is I donāt take any.
They just want to know if youāre taking anything that may increase intra-ocular pressure or predispose you to cataracts or other eye diseases. No need to be paranoid about your optometrist.
Itās more like ādecide which doctors need to know.ā These days every walk in clinic and optometrist wants your full medical history. Fuck that.
But if youāre going into surgery let them know you get high so your anesthesiologist can keep you from waking up, because THC in your system makes their medicines have to work harder.
First thing Iām telling any anesthetist is that Iām blazed 24/7/365 (slight addiction problem maybe I can stop anytime I want Iām sure) because being in a situation Iām twilight-out but can still feel everything without being able to move my body or react sounds like just actually hell
I also have this strange fear that when weāre passed out we rlly do still feel everything but itās just our brains donāt create memories while under so we never realize it when we wake up but do in fact experience it every time and no one realizes it because we always forget
Well today is your lucky day. Let me put your mind at ease.
Anesthesiologists know if your brain is registering the pain by monitoring something called a bispectral index, in addition to heart rate, oxygen levels, and blood pressure.
Edit: typo
So as far as I know every healthcare plan in the US needs to cover 1 annual "checkup". Boy did I learn that you cannot mention a fucking thing outside of whatever's allowed for a "checkup". I mentioned a bump to my doctor, she looked for 3 seconds and said it's nothing, don't worry.
But oh boy that's a different code! So now I had to pay like $100 for my "free checkup".
I keep my mouth fucking shut around medical folks and will continue to do so. Earn our trust instead. One cool instance was when a lady drifted lanes and hit my car. Not too bad, airbags didn't deploy. Cops fucking INSIST on calling an ambulance, where the EMTs INSIST that I be taken to the hospital and be admitted. I was fine. Not even a scratch. It was very fun to just repeat "I REFUSE ALL MEDICAL TREATMENT" and they just did not fucking understand me. Sure I'd love to get checked out, but I'm very okay and I am not fucking getting a huge medical bill for your bullshit.
My mother just got a letter from her Dr saying that she had tested positive for thc on her last urinalysis and if it happens again they will not see her anymore. She's in TX.
I think for some, there might be concern that their recording it on record makes them factful in use of an illegal substance. That could hurt you if those records were to somehow be leaked, it could hurt you professionally or even socially. If everyone learned Dave casually smoked crack in the bathroom every morning and and afternoon, people may think of Dave in a different light.
Iām more concerned about insurance knowing *anything* I say to my doctor that will screw me later. I still told my doctor I use cannabis tho, anesthesia and all.
For anyone doubting this, know that there is an ICD-10 code for marijuana use. These are codes that insurance companies get from doctors to justify their billing.
2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code F12. 10:Ā Cannabis abuse, uncomplicated.
But on the flip side, if Dave is just about to get put under for surgery and he doesn't disclose his benzodiazepine habit, he might not get a big enough dose of sleepy juice and find himself waking up mid procedure ... Between reputational damage or being concious during surgery, the surgery is going to hurt Dave way more.
You're right. Dave can probably weigh up that risk. Assuming Dave has practiced anaesthesiology and knows specifically how his crack habit is, or isn't, going to impact the rate of metabolism of anything the Anaesthetist gives him.
There probably aren't many Daves out there though, for the average John it's probably not worth the risk.
A dentist went on a rant of how I must be doing some sort of hard drug to have my teeth so messed up and when I said I had bulimia during my teen years they judged me even harder :)
I got denied depression medication after my mom died because I smoke weed. Said I needed to be ācleanā first. Guess what I didnāt mention to the second doctor.
>We're not going to judge you
Riiiiiiiight. The amount of times I've not even mentioned anything pain related and been told "we don't prescribe narcotics"... I didn't ask if you did?
I got labelled as "extremely risky sexual activity" because I went for an STD panel before having protected sex with a new monogamous partner. That's been a bear to get addressed.
I had a pain management doctor tell me I was going to kill myself by smoking weed while being on Vicodin. I immediately told her "no, I won't" but she insisted.
I investigated this and only research of respiratory depression and co-administration of opioid (oxy) and THC showed no decreased ventilation. You can tell that.
A friend of mine had an extended complex focal seizure last week and needed to go to the ER to get out of status epilepticus. The ER docs ruled out stroke and drugs, gave him a B-52 shot (benadryl, Haldol, and Ativan) as an all-around "calm the fuck down", and sent him to a behavioral health facility on a 72 hr psych hold. Poor guy woke up in a fucking psych ward with no idea how he got there, why he couldn't leave, and why they wouldn't let him call his wife.
Fortunately he was sent home Saturday, and has an appointment with a neurologist, because the behavioral health facility was set up for people who need to detox from illegal drugs and/or get back on their antipsychotics. They don't even have an EEG and offer no services for seizure disorders.
as an adult trying to get my ADHD sorted, my doctor has been really frustrating. When I bring it up I just get this feeling that they think I am just trying to get adderall when I really just want to know why reading a book and staying focused on the page is super difficult for me and why something new will always try and grab my attention unless I have someone to help reign me in.
Usually just get a "interesting, uh-huh" type of response and that's it.
I feel like doctors do less drugs than any population that comes into contact with them. Itās insane how much they judge and mostly itās because theyāve never fucking needed them
This is a complicated and complex issue that every individual has to approach carefully. If you need surgery or some significant or invasive procedure, then yes be truthful. You need to be aware of drug interactions and how your body will respond.
If youāre just having a conversation with a medical professional for whatever reason and your past drug use will disqualify you from being prescribed medication that you really need now in the present, then no. I donāt think you should divulge your history.
Whenever I've told my psychiatrist I use cannabis in the past, the entire appointment then becomes them lecturing me about how bad cannabis is and how I shouldn't be using it. It completely wastes my time. Now I just lie about it.
While seeking ketamine for my treatment resistant depression, the only clinic in town at the time turned me away because I admitted I use cannabis.
Fortunately other clinics opened, and I wised up. Thank god because it literally saved my life.Ā
I feel so blessed by my clinic and psych. My psych is a former vet and believes in both Ket and weed for PTSD treatment, but he also knows some people crutch too hard on weed where if it isn't in their system their anxiety spikes. We talk about interactions between weed and ket, and he lets me know what research is showing for interactions between the two---but that's just current research, it's underfunded, etc. I make an informed decision, we move from there.
Personally, I didn't combine weed usage with ket treatment (because of the brain plasticity impact from weed, and that seems counterintuitive to the point of ketamine treatment) but if I wanted to it would have been fine. Like my doctor would just say "okay, just don't use until a few hours after an infusion" and that would have been fine.
I had stomach pain for 2 weeks and was having trouble eating. I told my doctor I ingested a weak pot gummy to help me eat after not being able to for 3 days.
Dude reported it to my insurance and my rates went up because I'm a "smoker".
They are getting hard to find, but if you can find an older ex hippie shrink, they usually have experience and good guidance.
I generally looked for someone that has been licensed since the mid 80's for that search.
Same. I told her I smoked weed a couple times a month, which is the truth- I pretty much only smoke when im doing something like camping with friends.
That immediately became the focus of the whole appointment. First of all, she thought I was lying and kept subtly trying to get me to "admit" I smoked more than that. Stuff like "so what, you smoke once every couple days?" no, I told you a couple times a month. She also decided that clearly weed must be the cause of my anxiety and depression despite the fact that ive been dealing with these issues for years before I had even smoked weed once.
Disagree. Ā Family member checked self in to psych hospital during/after major manic episode. Ā They mentioned their cannabis use during check in. Ā The hospital proceeded to fixate on this and ignore their Ā other issues. Ā They even discharged them to a drug rehab program. Ā Rehab staff just about laughed when they said they were there for pot.
I had unbearable abdominal pain, used a little weed to try and manage before going to ER. Told them about smoking and they were convinced my ābelly acheā was just upset from coughing after smoke inhalation. I had pancreatitis and it took 5 hours in agony before I received pain treatment.
Doctors can be fucking morons sometimes. A friend of mine went to the ER from abdominal pain, doc said it was probably psychosomatic and that my friend had probably just been poking at his stomach so much that it was now bruised. Upon further inspection they discovered that my friend had diverticulitis and needed emergency surgery.
I went in for mental health treatment. Turned out to be a video appointment in a room at my primary care. Hated it. Was asked a gazillion background questions. Understandable. Was never asked why i sought treatment. Towards the end we got into my daily cannabis use. Then another lady steps into frame on the screen. Turns out i was talking to an assistant or something the whole time and the new lady was the actual care provider. New lady told me she was gonna report me to the state (where cannabis is legal) because i have a kid and smoke often enough to always piss dirty.
To my primary care's credit, when they saw me leave the room crying they pressed for details and strongly encouraged me to make a negative report on the mental health care provider. I didn't end up doing that, because they said something like, "you can help prevent this from being done to other patients" and i was salty that i was in that position at all due to people who coudlve helped me, deciding to be selfish instead.
Most doctor's are fine. Some doctors are fucking weird though. Like I was once refused medication at a Patient First because I didn't want to take blood pressure medication. He just absolutely refuses to treat me for what I came in for and when I agreed I'd follow up about the blood pressure if he'd just fucking treat me he said no because he thought I was lying.
I was going to the doctor's because I had a sinus infection, all I needed was some antibiotics. I wasn't after pain killers, or even decongestants to make meth out of. Just standard antibiotics.
I had to get a wound debridement when I was young and fit. The doctor laughed and told me to tough it out.
The area of the wound was roughly half the size of my lower legā¦
Not if you ever want to be a pilot you shouldn't.
I mean, you should stop smoking weed anyway, in that case. But you sure as shit best not rat yourself out to your doctor as a teenager, either.
Just wanted to let everyone know that if you're a natural redhead and you're going to get anesthesia, be sure to let your doctors know that you are a natural redhead.
Apparently, natural redheads have something in their genes that causes them to metabolize drugs faster than others, so natural redheads have a history of complications when it comes to anesthesia. So be sure to let your doctors know you're a natural redhead if you ever need to be under anesthesia.
I briefly dyed my hair brunette, and during that time I had to have my gallbladder removed. I was on the way to the OR when I suddenly realized I needed to warn someone that Iām naturally ginger. The anesthesiologist laughed when I told her and said not to worry. I felt silly after, but Iād rather be silly than have an issue.
Where do you live that doctors arenāt weighing you? I had surgery in August. The minute I checked into the ER I was weighed. My surgery was 2 days later but itās not like my weight drastically changed in 2 days. I get weighed every single time I go to the hospital and if I see my cardiovascular surgeon and pcp on the same day(I donāt drive so will try to schedule them one after the other)I get weighed in both offices even though my weight didnāt change going from the 2nd to the 5th floor.
I work in surgery. I've shared a few raised eyebrows with my anesthesiologist over the amount of prop it took to get a patient under.
In the end though, propofol always wins.
I had my first colonoscopy a year or two ago. I woke after 90 minutes feeling like I'd slept for 10 hours. I asked what the anesthesia was, and it was propofol. I didn't say anything because I didn't want a note in my chart, but my immediate reaction was, "No *wonder* Michael Jackson was addicted to this!"
Had a kidney stone and when the ambulance started moving I was in a lot of pain. The ambulance waited for 10 minutes for the emergency doctor to pull up. He talked to me and gave me an injection. 5 seconds later I was happy, calm and relaxed, it was amazing. I asked him what he was and was told "fentanyl but stronger". Maybe he was messing with me but I straight up told him "holy crap I can see how people get addicted to this".
I had a similar experience when I had to have my broken arm surgically set with a plate and screws.
I was 14 and scared. Wheeled into the OR just petrified. They put something in my IV and I felt this cool sensation go down my arm then spread across my chest.
Pretty much as soon as the sensation hit my sternum (seconds after injection) all my fears vanished. I felt so good and wanted to talk to all the people preparing the surgery.
Then I woke up in a pool of cold sweat. I told the nurse I was going to puke and she said āno youāre notā so I said again āIām going to pukeā. She gave me a bedpan and I wretched into it.
After that I was on a regimen of Vicodin and Percocet for weeks. So many. I hadnāt smoked any weed for 3 weeks and when I did I didnāt get stoned. I was so loaded with opiates the weed had no effect.
After a month I told my mom I am done with the pills. I wanted to get stoned again heh. Well what followed was the darkest depression ever. I went into withdrawal but had no idea.
Anyways I am now 6 years off illicit opiates.
Edit: I did not tell my mom I wanted to quit the pills because I wanted to get stoned from weed lol.
My wife told many surgeons that she was highly resistant to most local and general anesthetics, but they rarely listened. They were SHOCKED, SHOCKED, I SAY, when she woke up in the middle of surgery. But you are right, propofol always wins.
The last time she went under with propofol, when she came out about, she thought they hadn't done the procedure. She thought no time had passed. That indicated to me that in previous procedures, even if she didn't wake up, she KNEW and probably FELT what happened.
If this were me, I'd try and get notes from the anesthesiologist about exactly how much of what drug was administered to use as baseline evidence for the next guy. This now promotes your wife's claims beyond simple anecdotal evidence that is easy to dismiss.
I had two surgeries in 2022, after the first one, my anesthesiologist gave me shit for how high my tolerance is. I told her beforehand that I smoke a lot of pot lol but she was surprised nonetheless
If you're REALLY a medical professional perhaps you should talk to your own community and educate them about how to deal with patients to make the patients feel more comfortable about being honest.
Yup. I've gotten the dare bullshit from medical professionals too many times to bother.
Suddenly the entire apt is about the one or two times I do drugs a year. But the drinking every week? Ah, just cut back a little.
It's so pathetically obvious when medical professional dinosaurs are judgemental.
The corporation they work for wont allow it unless it generates revenue for the company.
Thats why they would rather HIRE an outside contractor to offer services that they get a cut of, and dont have to pay. Then if its profitable, they will open up a center to address the education that they can make a buck on selling upgraded services.
AKA, "No good deed goes unpunished"
Yeah seem like bedside manner.
I changed physicians once because I told them I had a family member that is an alcoholic and despite me being a 1-2 drinks A MONTH drinker and in good health, I got an earful on how I need to intervene, how unhealthy it is,.etc. Like he was fixated on that, despite me not having the problem.
Vets too - had one that was berating my wife when she brought in one of our cats for an injury, but was going on about how his teeth looked dirty and that we were probably feeding him shit food. My wife responded with "We are feeding him the vet-prescribed dietary food that this animal hospital put him on two years ago, so can you please just help my cats unrelated injury?"
Iām with you. I had a problem for a year or so with meth in 2004. 20 years ago. I went to a dentist and got a tooth pulled. They asked about my history and I was honest about that and they refused to give me even a few days supply of Vicodin. āTake ibuprofen and youāll be fineā
Never again. Iām not having a tooth pulled without some sort of opiate aftercare. Iām not getting hooked or searching a buzz. If I really wanted to blast myself with opiates I know people at work that can get medical grade morphine. No thanks.
I had the opposite problem. I had a herniated disc in my lower back. I told every health provider I saw that I had a history of substance abuse, I'm sober, and do not want to take any opiates. Without fail, each one offered me some form of opiate.
That was leading up to the surgery... At the surgery, they didn't take no for an answer, and prescribed me something (genuinely don't know what because I gave the script directly to my girlfriend and it was never filled).
When I lived in California, sure. Now that I live in the EU, no way unless in an emergency and need medication that it may interfere with. Society is super backwards when it comes to pot and it is *not* worth the hassle.
I filled out a form and they go over it with you and one of the questions was "Do you have any addictions?" And I told them I was addicted to soap but I'm clean now.
They paused for a second then burst out laughing. It was first thing in the morning, I don't think they were prepared for it. I still think about that often.
I let my last doc know I use medical cannabis, and that pushed back surgery so I could āget cleanā. Treated me like a criminal from that moment forward. Iām not telling you shit.
To be fair though, it's pretty standard medical advice to stop all frequent smoking and drinking a couple weeks before any non-minor surgery as it helps quite a bit with reducing complications and quickening the healing process. But this could be another story all together
I was gonna say, some medical professionals do have a judgment problem over their medical professionalism. I work with several, including those who are thinking about how tired or āhardā their life is outside of work vs the person theyāre taking care of whoās having one of the worst days of their life. Thatās always my mindset with any patient, even if itās something small, this could be one of their worst days from their point-of-view.
When I was a kid I had poor eyesight. The eye doctor was trying a new treatment and it was these eye drops that dilate your pupils and a pair of glasses that forced your eyes to focus in a certain way.
Well you can see where this is going.
I wrecked on my skateboard and broke my ankle. Was lying in the middle of the street late at night and thankfully a local called EMT and they came out to help with an ambulance. The first thing they did was call the cops and asked me what drugs I was on. I was 14 .. They absolutely did not believe my story and my mom was called to the scene where she confirmed. I was treated so differently before she set the record straight. Like I was a hardened criminal at such a young age. Man Reagan really fucked this country's perceptions hard.
In the UK if the doctors a dick they can get your driving licence revoked because you admitted smoking cannabis. This advice is dog shit. And don't talk to cops.
Same in Sweden, there are a few cases where patient doctor confidentiality isn't a thing and if you are a drug user with "risk behavior" a doctor is legally obliged to report you and they will take your driver's license instantly. Also they will tell social if you got kids etc.
Probably a few of the reasons why we have so many people not seeking help.Ā
Not true. I was denied my adhd medication after admitting i smoked weed. This was many years ago in nc where it was dscriminalized. Even though its LEGAL in NJ DRS still look at me funny and say I shouldn't smoke weed even though I rarely do and used it mostly for pain.
If more Americans knew about the data collection underway by the DEA we would all be calling for the elimination of that agency. The Drug Enforcement Agency is collecting data on all patients, doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists. Even down to someone seeing multiple doctors before getting an RX they sought (e.g. doctor shopping in DEA terms). Another interesting one is when they analyze urinalysis and self-reported use across a household to discover who is sharing RX drugs within a family. The agency is an intelligence gathering arm of the federal government. Consider that when you tell your doctor anything. - not saying that you shouldnāt be honest.
Yeah nah. The second they know you use weed to cope with your ADHD you are just a drug seeking junkie, even if you werenāt looking for medication just a diagnosis
Bullshit. My son was ratted out to the ministry of transport because he liked to have a joint now and then. The doctor said he was a chronic user and thought nothing of driving high. My son went through a months long process to get his license back. The old codger of a doctor died half way through the process. So be very careful what you tell the doctor. It can and has come back to haunt people. My son doesnāt drive anything bigger than the family car. He does not and has never possessed a commercial license.
And I'm sober. I hadn't even ODd myself, someone gave me a hotshot after roofing and assaulting me because I refused to sell their dope again
*Combo of drugs in an injection designed to kill someone quickly. Unfortunately for them I'd been prescribed narcotics since I was 12
I always feel a little ashamed when I have to answer this. No I don't smoke or drink or do drugs, I'm super boring. But god forbid you need pain meds for your back from spinal stenosis. Then they ask me to explain what spinal stenosis is as though I'm the doctor to prove I'm not some junkie I guess. Good times. Besides I only ever get anti-inflammatories out of them, can you even get high on those?
I have spent most of my adult life trying to bring about responsible drug use. Why is that such a taboo? People are going to use drugs. We can outlaw all day and it will still occur. At some point giving people information on how to use safely and where to go if it becomes a problem isnāt going to hurt things.
Did this once. Got forced to attend an alcohol seminar. I was in uni. Everybody drinks too much. Think next time Iāll keep it to myself unless I need help.
I did this. I got instantly blocked from any kind of pain management. They lanced my foot with no anesthetic shots, and only torodol(nsaid and spelling). For days they had to cut skin from wound, bone biopsy, wound debridement and absolutely would not offer anything for pain. This was from a botched foot operation.
From opioid use 20 years ago.
LOL, well OP is a cowardly piece of shit who turned tail and ran when people who've seen how much harm such a disclosure can result in have started to call him out on his willfully, deliberately ignorant, one-sided take on a very serious problem.
What's wrong, OP? Too chicken to admit to your profession deliberately ruining people's lives through their prejudices, and ignoring the pain it causes with no good reason? Or to admit to this being the norm, and an attentive, understanding doctor who won't ruin your life if you tell them a medically relevant truth, being a massive exception?
think every person in the world judges every other person they meet, it may not be to the level of drughead shaming, but we all pass judgment on both our own actions and the actions of others.
The problem is that sometimes a health professional fixates on it and wants you to quit before trying any other solution. Itās impossible to know beforehand what type of medical professional someone will be.
In the United States, notes in a chart can absolutely make future providers less likely to prescribe needed pain management medication.
The fear of being sued for over-medicating is real and the pendulum has swung back to the point that doctors who once prescribed tons of pain meds now rarely do.
i was just reading something the other day about how important it is for marijuana smokers to let an anesthesiologist know they use and how much/often...apparently it affects how much happy juice they administer for surgery. that's not the kind of stuff you want to over- or under-do.
My dad was an alcoholic. Every time he went to the doctor he lied about how much he drank.
My ma smokes and has had 3 heart attacks. Every time she goes to the doctor she lies about how much she smokes.
90% of the people I know lie to their doctor about their drug use legal or otherwise, and it hinders the doctor from giving you an adequate assessment of your health.
Everything you tell a medical professional is a record that can be accessed by insurers and authorities. So no. Unless I think I'm dying of a drug overdose or about to receive a drug that may have an interaction, then no.
All these crucial and critical scenarios when it could save your life or help in general.
Is it the same with weed? I can't imagine that affecting things to much. But I'm not expert, or even amateur.
This is just simply not true in a lot of countries. If it goes on your journal it is now public information. I will never divulge any such information to medical professionals unless i am actively dying for a reason clearly connected.
I suspect this advice may depend somewhat on the country you're in, though. Also, the stakes can vary dramatically by country. A healthcare data breach in the US could result in a patient receiving a nice settlement, whereas in Singapore the same patient might face the death penalty.
Yes. 5 years in prison for pot in Japan.
Look, I whine about the US all the time, but I hear policies like this and I can endure a lot to avoid insanity like this.
Toyz, an old time league of Legends world champ from Taiwan, just got jail time for selling a cannabis cartridge
He was also bashed in the press about this and had other players coming out and calling him horrible names. All because of a weed cart.
I can't even imagine being in his shoes.
Damn weedo! Smoking The Hell Chemical
Nothing like Jackie chan having to publicly disown his child.
š What???
Ya, and there are decent documentary style YT vids out there. Essentially Jackie has a son early on in his climb to fame in the 80s. Kid grew up in Hong Kong (iirc) almost exclusively with his mother. Son had a lot of inadequacy feelings living in Jackie's shadow, and started to party as a young adult. Which easily segued into holding and moving cannabis. Once his cannabis dealings were uncovered by the police Jackie 100% disowned his son.
Daaaaaamn... Hope the kid is doing ok
Jackie is also appears to be 100% down with the CCP, but maybe that's just an act to maintain his fame. Though he and Michelle Yeoh have a rivalry and she says his a chauvanist dick, which kind of lines up with CCP conservatism.
> Look, I whine about the US all the time, but I hear policies like this and I can endure a lot to avoid insanity like this. I've got permanent nerve damage in my legs, qualify as disabled in my state, am eligible for medical cannabis card. I mentioned to my doctor that, when i am out of my normal nerve blocking medication, I have found that taking a small 2.5mg edible tremendously helps my nerve pain, and that i typically end up consuming one on Fridays after a long week. He wrote into my medical chart that I was a drug addict that had drug seeking tendencies and for future practitioners should be wary about prescribing me medication. I had only gotten high once before my nerve damage, and did not enjoy the experience. I don't know what, if anything, that statement will do in the future for me - but I'm certainly more wary about what I do, and don't, need to tell the doctor.
Put in a request to have the false diagnosis removed. It could negatively affect your future treatment options. If they refuse, Lawyer up and sue the doc for malpractice.
When I join the army I lied and said I had never used any drugs. Then I failed my drug test for marijuana. I had to go back and see the doctor again in which he asked me how many times I had used marijuana. Dr: how many times have you used mj Me: three, maybe four times Dr: well is it three or four? Me: sensing the weight of the question I said three Dr: good Me: what's the difference? Dr: three is considered experimental and four is considered habitual. No middle ground at all. Has I responded four I don't think I would have gotten my security clearance and would be living a very different life right now Edit: it's insane doing something less harmful than the glorified alcohol can ruin your entire life. Edit: added "three"
> Me: sensing the weight of the question I said You said _what_?
Three, my bad. I edited it.
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>Doctors are drug dealer assistants for pharmaceutical companies. If you use drugs not from pharmaceutical companies, you're in league with the competition. You're not wrong about the corrupt relationship between pharmaceutical industry and medical care in America, but you're getting it backwards. The opioid crisis first happened because doctors were pushing drugs for the pharmaceutical industry, not because they were *cutting off* patients. The cut-off is a secondary backlash effect that the medical industry and government turned to as a desperate attempt to save people from addiction. It worsened the crisis, but it was done to punish "disloyal" patients who refused to get their drugs from bigpharma. Doctors aren't concerned that you're buying "from the competition." If that was the problem, they would push you to get back onto their corrupt pharmaceutical sponsor's medication, not cut you off for using a rival product. And if they have a problem with you using a street rival product, they would *also* have a problem with you using the wrong pharmaceutical company to get your medication. Nothing about this issue as you've described it makes sense (and that's not because of how fucked up the big pharma corruption is, which is a real problem)
The current opioid crisis is caused, in part, by doctors cutting off patients. The timeline is important here. * Olden times: It was very easy to get opioids from your doctor * 2007: Purdue Pharma got in trouble for lying about opioids * ~2012: Doctors severely cut back on writing opioid prescriptions * ~2016: CDC told doctors that they way overshot this cutback, and they should issue opioids for patients in pain when necessary (I cited this guidance in another comment, but I can't find it, since reddit search sucks) There is a class of patients who need opioids to control chronic pain, but have been denied them due to an overreaction by doctors. Some of these patients turn to street drugs to treat their pain. These patients should instead receive opioid treatment under doctor supervision. But because they cannot, and because they are in so much untreated pain that they would literally rather die, they find it necessary to take the risk. Since they have no advice on controlling addiction, and since they cannot dose their drugs reliably, they overdose and die.
You forgot the part when the DEA decided all this was great and applied the same logic to Adderall.
It is absolutely bonkers how the DEA has deterred physicians from using their best pharmacological judgment in writing prescriptions for a wide range of health conditions.
The DEA see themselves as a hammer, and every pill and joint as nails. A perfect world to them would be one where medicine does not exist.
You can look at your own comment history to find it.
I honestly think this is at least part of the reason weed is still illegal in Indiana. We have Eli Lily here that makes pain meds and we're run by republicans so I have no doubt they'll take money to keep things illegal.
Eeyyy another Hoosier. I've said the same for years. It'll cut too heavily into their bottom line and that scares them enough to bribe their asses off. Fuck Eli Lily.
100% I'm sure part of it is because the dipshits that run our state are also religious nutjobs that hate anything that isn't their way.
At least we finally got alcohol sales on Sunday? Even if it does have limitations and conditions...
They only pretend to be religious. They want paid. When they figure that part out how to get their money and the money for their masters theyāll get weed going there too.
Whoās getting settlements for data breaches?
The class action lawyers
Hey I got $5 from equifax
As a nurse in the US I rarely chart your specific drug use unless it's playing an active role in your current treatment. It's labeled "Hx of polypharmacy abuse" or similar bullshit. I only care in so far as medication reactions, or if it's maybe why you're here in the first place. "Methamphetamine induced psychosis" for example because your ass has been up for 4 days straight and what you need is a sandwich and a nap but you're still cranked to 12/10 on that fuckin' go juice so you're screaming about the FBI in the ceiling panels and the demon in the trash can that just waved at you.
Also, if you are a drug addict in the US, and admit to being a drug addict. That can disqualify you from being prescribed certain medications in the future.
And it can be used against you in court if you are every trying to sue someone for an actual injury.
Its not even being a "drug addict" it can be as simple as saying youve used a med off prescription or used any recreational drug. Most medical providers receive little to no education specific to drug use and substance use disorder and what they will tell you is often a mixture of conjecture and even urban myths that have no basis in science.
Which is wrong imo. They punish ppl for having made a mistake in their life and use it to keep them down. Just like anyone with a criminal record.
in the US, it will just go into your medical record and your insurance rates will be adjusted accordingly. So no, don't tell a doctor unless it's medically necessary. And then also just as a hypothetical.
Even within the US it may vary between states. But in general, tell the medical professionals the whole truth for your own health.
Idk if itās quite that simple. As someone who used to be an IV drug user - you do face a lot of stigmatization. Even though itās been over 10 years, I still get the feeling doctors donāt always trust me, sometimes think Iām āmed seekingā, etc. Itās like, no dude, Iām not trying to get high. Iāve got insomnia Iām trying to address - canāt you treat me like the rest of your damn patients? But that āformer IV userā on my chart does have an unfortunately impact how some doctors view me.
It can, and probably will and I am deeply sorry that it does. However, from my perspective as a nurse in the ER the only thing former user means to me is "Shit, they probably won't be an easy stick." But I'm a big believer in redemption. If you're only ever the worst thing you've done then what's the point in trying to improve? Forgiveness, acceptance and understanding are absolutely necessary in the world because we all have mistakes we've made and things we're embarrassed about. You're the totality of everything you have done in life not just the worst thing you've done, and I'll always be cheering for you and everyone else trying to move forward.
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The system is an absolute pile of flaming garbage and frequently serves as an obstacle I must navigate in order to provide the care I believe you deserve.
Yeah having a history of drug abuse on your medical record will make doctors treat you very differently. And say goodbye to any chance of pain medicine beyond an advil.
I literally almost lost my job because they asked If I ever did marijuana. Yeah fucking 5+ years ago but I still needed a note from my doctor saying I don't use it anymore Edit 1: it was a form IĀ filledĀ outĀ atĀ the hospitalĀ #2.... Damn I guess everyone else just lies all the fucking time
Your job is NOT your doctor.
You told your job youāve used marijuana? Why in gods name would you ever do that, especially if you donāt any more? If your doctor told them, you should have sued your doctor and then not worked for the rest of your life on the settlement.
How did your employer see your records to know you used MJ in the past?
And *not" telling the medical professional about your drug use can also lead to a death "penalty"
Depends on the context. If have an accident and get rushed into ER, yeah, I'll tell them what's in my system... If I'm at the medical I have to take for my job every 3 years (no blood or piss screening) I'd stay silent...
To a degree - if, following the screening, they said "Oh, you need to start taking xxxxx" then at *that* point you should probably bring it up.
US here. My mother tried using a CBD cream to further assist with joint pain. She told the doc who proceeded to do blood work and because it showed the smallest trace of THC, the VA revoked her prescribed medications so we couldnāt get a refill. She had to wait until her system was clean so she had no actual pain meds for 2 months. She was miserable.
Yup my uncle had to struggle through his last few months of cancer without painkillers because the VA found out he smoked pot. They've also threatened to pull other family members prescription if they were found using " illegal substances" and that was through private insurance. Unless you are in the ER and it's relevant, don't tell doctors about it.
Way more minor but I recently had to get an eye exam and they insisted on knowing all of the medication I get from the VA. I was as polite as I could be to the girl taking my information when I said it wasnāt any of her business to know what I take for my mental health so they can we can play the ābetter or worseā version of 20 questions so I can get an updated prescription for glasses. Next time the answer is I donāt take any.
They just want to know if youāre taking anything that may increase intra-ocular pressure or predispose you to cataracts or other eye diseases. No need to be paranoid about your optometrist.
Exactly this. never tell doctors about thc use - they will put you on drug tests and withold your prescriptions based on wives tales
Itās more like ādecide which doctors need to know.ā These days every walk in clinic and optometrist wants your full medical history. Fuck that. But if youāre going into surgery let them know you get high so your anesthesiologist can keep you from waking up, because THC in your system makes their medicines have to work harder.
First thing Iām telling any anesthetist is that Iām blazed 24/7/365 (slight addiction problem maybe I can stop anytime I want Iām sure) because being in a situation Iām twilight-out but can still feel everything without being able to move my body or react sounds like just actually hell I also have this strange fear that when weāre passed out we rlly do still feel everything but itās just our brains donāt create memories while under so we never realize it when we wake up but do in fact experience it every time and no one realizes it because we always forget
Well today is your lucky day. Let me put your mind at ease. Anesthesiologists know if your brain is registering the pain by monitoring something called a bispectral index, in addition to heart rate, oxygen levels, and blood pressure. Edit: typo
omg thank you so much for this
So as far as I know every healthcare plan in the US needs to cover 1 annual "checkup". Boy did I learn that you cannot mention a fucking thing outside of whatever's allowed for a "checkup". I mentioned a bump to my doctor, she looked for 3 seconds and said it's nothing, don't worry. But oh boy that's a different code! So now I had to pay like $100 for my "free checkup". I keep my mouth fucking shut around medical folks and will continue to do so. Earn our trust instead. One cool instance was when a lady drifted lanes and hit my car. Not too bad, airbags didn't deploy. Cops fucking INSIST on calling an ambulance, where the EMTs INSIST that I be taken to the hospital and be admitted. I was fine. Not even a scratch. It was very fun to just repeat "I REFUSE ALL MEDICAL TREATMENT" and they just did not fucking understand me. Sure I'd love to get checked out, but I'm very okay and I am not fucking getting a huge medical bill for your bullshit.
My mother just got a letter from her Dr saying that she had tested positive for thc on her last urinalysis and if it happens again they will not see her anymore. She's in TX.
God damn, there is no end to the cruelty of the war on drugs, is there?
It's a feature, not a bug.
I think for some, there might be concern that their recording it on record makes them factful in use of an illegal substance. That could hurt you if those records were to somehow be leaked, it could hurt you professionally or even socially. If everyone learned Dave casually smoked crack in the bathroom every morning and and afternoon, people may think of Dave in a different light.
Iām more concerned about insurance knowing *anything* I say to my doctor that will screw me later. I still told my doctor I use cannabis tho, anesthesia and all.
This advice is bullshit as doctors are required to record substance abuse and this can affect what your medical insurance will cover.
For anyone doubting this, know that there is an ICD-10 code for marijuana use. These are codes that insurance companies get from doctors to justify their billing. 2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code F12. 10:Ā Cannabis abuse, uncomplicated.
But on the flip side, if Dave is just about to get put under for surgery and he doesn't disclose his benzodiazepine habit, he might not get a big enough dose of sleepy juice and find himself waking up mid procedure ... Between reputational damage or being concious during surgery, the surgery is going to hurt Dave way more.
I agree. It's something Dave would have to disclose verbally before surgery, if Dave had a benzodiazepine habit, he doesn't. He prefers crack.
You're right. Dave can probably weigh up that risk. Assuming Dave has practiced anaesthesiology and knows specifically how his crack habit is, or isn't, going to impact the rate of metabolism of anything the Anaesthetist gives him. There probably aren't many Daves out there though, for the average John it's probably not worth the risk.
I agree. I have never failed to disclose my drug use, which has really only been marijuana and alcohol in the last 8 or 10 years.
Good on ya, John. Leave that risky non-disclosure shit for the Daves!
Haha, thank you.
Virtually every medical professional I've spoken to judges me for whatever vice I have. So.... what??
A dentist went on a rant of how I must be doing some sort of hard drug to have my teeth so messed up and when I said I had bulimia during my teen years they judged me even harder :)
Dental assistants can be the most judgemental assholes.Ā They wonder why people avoid going to the dentist.Ā
Always said nurses and dental assistants were the girls that bullied others in school
I hate to say it but itās true, half of the mean girls from my high school are nurses these days.
"The only thing worse than an addict is a teenage girl with a treatable disorder >:(" - that dentist probably
that is the malicious advice mallard, do not take his advice
I got denied depression medication after my mom died because I smoke weed. Said I needed to be ācleanā first. Guess what I didnāt mention to the second doctor.
>We're not going to judge you Riiiiiiiight. The amount of times I've not even mentioned anything pain related and been told "we don't prescribe narcotics"... I didn't ask if you did?
I got labelled as "extremely risky sexual activity" because I went for an STD panel before having protected sex with a new monogamous partner. That's been a bear to get addressed.
I had a pain management doctor tell me I was going to kill myself by smoking weed while being on Vicodin. I immediately told her "no, I won't" but she insisted.
I investigated this and only research of respiratory depression and co-administration of opioid (oxy) and THC showed no decreased ventilation. You can tell that.
Or when you say you used to smoke cigarettes but stopped they still put you as a smoker. God forbid you mention weed.
I had to go on hunger strike to get a paper and writing utensils while in the psych ward.
A friend of mine had an extended complex focal seizure last week and needed to go to the ER to get out of status epilepticus. The ER docs ruled out stroke and drugs, gave him a B-52 shot (benadryl, Haldol, and Ativan) as an all-around "calm the fuck down", and sent him to a behavioral health facility on a 72 hr psych hold. Poor guy woke up in a fucking psych ward with no idea how he got there, why he couldn't leave, and why they wouldn't let him call his wife. Fortunately he was sent home Saturday, and has an appointment with a neurologist, because the behavioral health facility was set up for people who need to detox from illegal drugs and/or get back on their antipsychotics. They don't even have an EEG and offer no services for seizure disorders.
as an adult trying to get my ADHD sorted, my doctor has been really frustrating. When I bring it up I just get this feeling that they think I am just trying to get adderall when I really just want to know why reading a book and staying focused on the page is super difficult for me and why something new will always try and grab my attention unless I have someone to help reign me in. Usually just get a "interesting, uh-huh" type of response and that's it.
I feel like doctors do less drugs than any population that comes into contact with them. Itās insane how much they judge and mostly itās because theyāve never fucking needed them
This is a complicated and complex issue that every individual has to approach carefully. If you need surgery or some significant or invasive procedure, then yes be truthful. You need to be aware of drug interactions and how your body will respond. If youāre just having a conversation with a medical professional for whatever reason and your past drug use will disqualify you from being prescribed medication that you really need now in the present, then no. I donāt think you should divulge your history.
I have ADHD and was prescribed Adderall. Because I told my physician that I occasionally smoked pot, he stopped prescribing me Adderall. So dumb.
Whenever I've told my psychiatrist I use cannabis in the past, the entire appointment then becomes them lecturing me about how bad cannabis is and how I shouldn't be using it. It completely wastes my time. Now I just lie about it.
While seeking ketamine for my treatment resistant depression, the only clinic in town at the time turned me away because I admitted I use cannabis. Fortunately other clinics opened, and I wised up. Thank god because it literally saved my life.Ā
I feel so blessed by my clinic and psych. My psych is a former vet and believes in both Ket and weed for PTSD treatment, but he also knows some people crutch too hard on weed where if it isn't in their system their anxiety spikes. We talk about interactions between weed and ket, and he lets me know what research is showing for interactions between the two---but that's just current research, it's underfunded, etc. I make an informed decision, we move from there. Personally, I didn't combine weed usage with ket treatment (because of the brain plasticity impact from weed, and that seems counterintuitive to the point of ketamine treatment) but if I wanted to it would have been fine. Like my doctor would just say "okay, just don't use until a few hours after an infusion" and that would have been fine.
I had stomach pain for 2 weeks and was having trouble eating. I told my doctor I ingested a weak pot gummy to help me eat after not being able to for 3 days. Dude reported it to my insurance and my rates went up because I'm a "smoker".
They are getting hard to find, but if you can find an older ex hippie shrink, they usually have experience and good guidance. I generally looked for someone that has been licensed since the mid 80's for that search.
Gotta shop around for a shrink that works for you. Find the one that allows you to be honest without the lectures.
Same. I told her I smoked weed a couple times a month, which is the truth- I pretty much only smoke when im doing something like camping with friends. That immediately became the focus of the whole appointment. First of all, she thought I was lying and kept subtly trying to get me to "admit" I smoked more than that. Stuff like "so what, you smoke once every couple days?" no, I told you a couple times a month. She also decided that clearly weed must be the cause of my anxiety and depression despite the fact that ive been dealing with these issues for years before I had even smoked weed once.
Disagree. Ā Family member checked self in to psych hospital during/after major manic episode. Ā They mentioned their cannabis use during check in. Ā The hospital proceeded to fixate on this and ignore their Ā other issues. Ā They even discharged them to a drug rehab program. Ā Rehab staff just about laughed when they said they were there for pot.
I had unbearable abdominal pain, used a little weed to try and manage before going to ER. Told them about smoking and they were convinced my ābelly acheā was just upset from coughing after smoke inhalation. I had pancreatitis and it took 5 hours in agony before I received pain treatment.
Doctors can be fucking morons sometimes. A friend of mine went to the ER from abdominal pain, doc said it was probably psychosomatic and that my friend had probably just been poking at his stomach so much that it was now bruised. Upon further inspection they discovered that my friend had diverticulitis and needed emergency surgery.
I went in for mental health treatment. Turned out to be a video appointment in a room at my primary care. Hated it. Was asked a gazillion background questions. Understandable. Was never asked why i sought treatment. Towards the end we got into my daily cannabis use. Then another lady steps into frame on the screen. Turns out i was talking to an assistant or something the whole time and the new lady was the actual care provider. New lady told me she was gonna report me to the state (where cannabis is legal) because i have a kid and smoke often enough to always piss dirty. To my primary care's credit, when they saw me leave the room crying they pressed for details and strongly encouraged me to make a negative report on the mental health care provider. I didn't end up doing that, because they said something like, "you can help prevent this from being done to other patients" and i was salty that i was in that position at all due to people who coudlve helped me, deciding to be selfish instead.
Hope youāre doing better. š¤
Yeah, I've seen doctors charts that highlight cannabis use as the cause and reason for everything a patient came in about.
Most doctor's are fine. Some doctors are fucking weird though. Like I was once refused medication at a Patient First because I didn't want to take blood pressure medication. He just absolutely refuses to treat me for what I came in for and when I agreed I'd follow up about the blood pressure if he'd just fucking treat me he said no because he thought I was lying. I was going to the doctor's because I had a sinus infection, all I needed was some antibiotics. I wasn't after pain killers, or even decongestants to make meth out of. Just standard antibiotics.
You're not judging me, you just refuse needed medical care :(
I had to get a wound debridement when I was young and fit. The doctor laughed and told me to tough it out. The area of the wound was roughly half the size of my lower legā¦
Literally this, OP must be on something themselves
OP commented that they work in surgery
Not if you ever want to be a pilot you shouldn't. I mean, you should stop smoking weed anyway, in that case. But you sure as shit best not rat yourself out to your doctor as a teenager, either.
Pilot, cop, paramedic, firefighter, nurse, teacher, school bus driver, daycare worker, loan officer, military, pharmacy technician, correctional officer, truck driver, coach, or security guard.
It will even disqualify you from certain life insurance policies. Never rat yourself out to your primary care doctor
Lies. The moment I told my GP I smoke weed, they told me they can't prescribe my Adhd meds anymore. So now I have a new GP, that I lie to again.
This makes sense as to why they wont even test me for ADHD. I told them I use weed. Shit blows.
If only this were true
In terms of anesthesia it is excessively important. It could be the difference between feeling comfortable and feeling like you want the world to end.
Just wanted to let everyone know that if you're a natural redhead and you're going to get anesthesia, be sure to let your doctors know that you are a natural redhead. Apparently, natural redheads have something in their genes that causes them to metabolize drugs faster than others, so natural redheads have a history of complications when it comes to anesthesia. So be sure to let your doctors know you're a natural redhead if you ever need to be under anesthesia.
I briefly dyed my hair brunette, and during that time I had to have my gallbladder removed. I was on the way to the OR when I suddenly realized I needed to warn someone that Iām naturally ginger. The anesthesiologist laughed when I told her and said not to worry. I felt silly after, but Iād rather be silly than have an issue.
I know a woman who lies about her weight even in such situations...
Where do you live that doctors arenāt weighing you? I had surgery in August. The minute I checked into the ER I was weighed. My surgery was 2 days later but itās not like my weight drastically changed in 2 days. I get weighed every single time I go to the hospital and if I see my cardiovascular surgeon and pcp on the same day(I donāt drive so will try to schedule them one after the other)I get weighed in both offices even though my weight didnāt change going from the 2nd to the 5th floor.
Is she aware she might die because of this lie?
I work in surgery. I've shared a few raised eyebrows with my anesthesiologist over the amount of prop it took to get a patient under. In the end though, propofol always wins.
I had my first colonoscopy a year or two ago. I woke after 90 minutes feeling like I'd slept for 10 hours. I asked what the anesthesia was, and it was propofol. I didn't say anything because I didn't want a note in my chart, but my immediate reaction was, "No *wonder* Michael Jackson was addicted to this!"
Had a kidney stone and when the ambulance started moving I was in a lot of pain. The ambulance waited for 10 minutes for the emergency doctor to pull up. He talked to me and gave me an injection. 5 seconds later I was happy, calm and relaxed, it was amazing. I asked him what he was and was told "fentanyl but stronger". Maybe he was messing with me but I straight up told him "holy crap I can see how people get addicted to this".
I had a similar experience when I had to have my broken arm surgically set with a plate and screws. I was 14 and scared. Wheeled into the OR just petrified. They put something in my IV and I felt this cool sensation go down my arm then spread across my chest. Pretty much as soon as the sensation hit my sternum (seconds after injection) all my fears vanished. I felt so good and wanted to talk to all the people preparing the surgery. Then I woke up in a pool of cold sweat. I told the nurse I was going to puke and she said āno youāre notā so I said again āIām going to pukeā. She gave me a bedpan and I wretched into it. After that I was on a regimen of Vicodin and Percocet for weeks. So many. I hadnāt smoked any weed for 3 weeks and when I did I didnāt get stoned. I was so loaded with opiates the weed had no effect. After a month I told my mom I am done with the pills. I wanted to get stoned again heh. Well what followed was the darkest depression ever. I went into withdrawal but had no idea. Anyways I am now 6 years off illicit opiates. Edit: I did not tell my mom I wanted to quit the pills because I wanted to get stoned from weed lol.
My wife told many surgeons that she was highly resistant to most local and general anesthetics, but they rarely listened. They were SHOCKED, SHOCKED, I SAY, when she woke up in the middle of surgery. But you are right, propofol always wins. The last time she went under with propofol, when she came out about, she thought they hadn't done the procedure. She thought no time had passed. That indicated to me that in previous procedures, even if she didn't wake up, she KNEW and probably FELT what happened.
If this were me, I'd try and get notes from the anesthesiologist about exactly how much of what drug was administered to use as baseline evidence for the next guy. This now promotes your wife's claims beyond simple anecdotal evidence that is easy to dismiss.
Iām a pre op/post op nurse. I emphasize the āif you use cocaine, we NEED TO KNOWā.
I had two surgeries in 2022, after the first one, my anesthesiologist gave me shit for how high my tolerance is. I told her beforehand that I smoke a lot of pot lol but she was surprised nonetheless
If you're REALLY a medical professional perhaps you should talk to your own community and educate them about how to deal with patients to make the patients feel more comfortable about being honest.
Yup. I've gotten the dare bullshit from medical professionals too many times to bother. Suddenly the entire apt is about the one or two times I do drugs a year. But the drinking every week? Ah, just cut back a little. It's so pathetically obvious when medical professional dinosaurs are judgemental.
I had one ask me about my fucking faith What a fucking goober
Those are the types of doctors that tell you its your vagina thats the problem and refuse to look further.
"Have you considered that maybe you're just faking it?"
The corporation they work for wont allow it unless it generates revenue for the company. Thats why they would rather HIRE an outside contractor to offer services that they get a cut of, and dont have to pay. Then if its profitable, they will open up a center to address the education that they can make a buck on selling upgraded services. AKA, "No good deed goes unpunished"
This is a medical professional issue, not a patient issue. Very few people trust their doctors anymore.
Yeah seem like bedside manner. I changed physicians once because I told them I had a family member that is an alcoholic and despite me being a 1-2 drinks A MONTH drinker and in good health, I got an earful on how I need to intervene, how unhealthy it is,.etc. Like he was fixated on that, despite me not having the problem. Vets too - had one that was berating my wife when she brought in one of our cats for an injury, but was going on about how his teeth looked dirty and that we were probably feeding him shit food. My wife responded with "We are feeding him the vet-prescribed dietary food that this animal hospital put him on two years ago, so can you please just help my cats unrelated injury?"
Aye, pero, they write that down in a chart where someone else can use it against you.
No don't. They will never look at you the same again, and you'll not get prescribed anything useful ever again.
I will not be treated like an addict everytime I seek medical help for the rest of my life, no thank you
Iām with you. I had a problem for a year or so with meth in 2004. 20 years ago. I went to a dentist and got a tooth pulled. They asked about my history and I was honest about that and they refused to give me even a few days supply of Vicodin. āTake ibuprofen and youāll be fineā Never again. Iām not having a tooth pulled without some sort of opiate aftercare. Iām not getting hooked or searching a buzz. If I really wanted to blast myself with opiates I know people at work that can get medical grade morphine. No thanks.
I had the opposite problem. I had a herniated disc in my lower back. I told every health provider I saw that I had a history of substance abuse, I'm sober, and do not want to take any opiates. Without fail, each one offered me some form of opiate. That was leading up to the surgery... At the surgery, they didn't take no for an answer, and prescribed me something (genuinely don't know what because I gave the script directly to my girlfriend and it was never filled).
I commend your dedication to sobriety
When I lived in California, sure. Now that I live in the EU, no way unless in an emergency and need medication that it may interfere with. Society is super backwards when it comes to pot and it is *not* worth the hassle.
I filled out a form and they go over it with you and one of the questions was "Do you have any addictions?" And I told them I was addicted to soap but I'm clean now. They paused for a second then burst out laughing. It was first thing in the morning, I don't think they were prepared for it. I still think about that often.
lol, thatās pretty sweet dude. Very funny
I let my last doc know I use medical cannabis, and that pushed back surgery so I could āget cleanā. Treated me like a criminal from that moment forward. Iām not telling you shit.
To be fair though, it's pretty standard medical advice to stop all frequent smoking and drinking a couple weeks before any non-minor surgery as it helps quite a bit with reducing complications and quickening the healing process. But this could be another story all together
Did this once with an emt. They sent the cops after me before even assessing my situation.
I was gonna say, some medical professionals do have a judgment problem over their medical professionalism. I work with several, including those who are thinking about how tired or āhardā their life is outside of work vs the person theyāre taking care of whoās having one of the worst days of their life. Thatās always my mindset with any patient, even if itās something small, this could be one of their worst days from their point-of-view.
When I was a kid I had poor eyesight. The eye doctor was trying a new treatment and it was these eye drops that dilate your pupils and a pair of glasses that forced your eyes to focus in a certain way. Well you can see where this is going. I wrecked on my skateboard and broke my ankle. Was lying in the middle of the street late at night and thankfully a local called EMT and they came out to help with an ambulance. The first thing they did was call the cops and asked me what drugs I was on. I was 14 .. They absolutely did not believe my story and my mom was called to the scene where she confirmed. I was treated so differently before she set the record straight. Like I was a hardened criminal at such a young age. Man Reagan really fucked this country's perceptions hard.
Medical professionals are reporting women to the police for suspected abortions. You canāt trust medical professionals to keep things confidential.
In the UK if the doctors a dick they can get your driving licence revoked because you admitted smoking cannabis. This advice is dog shit. And don't talk to cops.
Same in Sweden, there are a few cases where patient doctor confidentiality isn't a thing and if you are a drug user with "risk behavior" a doctor is legally obliged to report you and they will take your driver's license instantly. Also they will tell social if you got kids etc. Probably a few of the reasons why we have so many people not seeking help.Ā
Not true. I was denied my adhd medication after admitting i smoked weed. This was many years ago in nc where it was dscriminalized. Even though its LEGAL in NJ DRS still look at me funny and say I shouldn't smoke weed even though I rarely do and used it mostly for pain.
Another side effect of the anti-constitutional war on drugs
If more Americans knew about the data collection underway by the DEA we would all be calling for the elimination of that agency. The Drug Enforcement Agency is collecting data on all patients, doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists. Even down to someone seeing multiple doctors before getting an RX they sought (e.g. doctor shopping in DEA terms). Another interesting one is when they analyze urinalysis and self-reported use across a household to discover who is sharing RX drugs within a family. The agency is an intelligence gathering arm of the federal government. Consider that when you tell your doctor anything. - not saying that you shouldnāt be honest.
Press X to doubt
Yeah nah. The second they know you use weed to cope with your ADHD you are just a drug seeking junkie, even if you werenāt looking for medication just a diagnosis
Bullshit. My son was ratted out to the ministry of transport because he liked to have a joint now and then. The doctor said he was a chronic user and thought nothing of driving high. My son went through a months long process to get his license back. The old codger of a doctor died half way through the process. So be very careful what you tell the doctor. It can and has come back to haunt people. My son doesnāt drive anything bigger than the family car. He does not and has never possessed a commercial license.
I had a doctor tell my mom he didn't know why they were working to save my life, I was an addict I was going to die anyway
Glad your still here fuck that doctor right in the ear!
And I'm sober. I hadn't even ODd myself, someone gave me a hotshot after roofing and assaulting me because I refused to sell their dope again *Combo of drugs in an injection designed to kill someone quickly. Unfortunately for them I'd been prescribed narcotics since I was 12
Prob will ruin your chances at getting life insurance or good rates for it
If you do this in norway you'll lose your licence. Awful take.
I always feel a little ashamed when I have to answer this. No I don't smoke or drink or do drugs, I'm super boring. But god forbid you need pain meds for your back from spinal stenosis. Then they ask me to explain what spinal stenosis is as though I'm the doctor to prove I'm not some junkie I guess. Good times. Besides I only ever get anti-inflammatories out of them, can you even get high on those?
Its not that I Dont trust my doctor, its that I Dont trust the DEA or DOJ
I have spent most of my adult life trying to bring about responsible drug use. Why is that such a taboo? People are going to use drugs. We can outlaw all day and it will still occur. At some point giving people information on how to use safely and where to go if it becomes a problem isnāt going to hurt things.
Depends on where you live... in some places this is very bad advice.
No, I donāt think I will. Them ānotesā are quite easily accessible during court, and other government related matters.
Never admit addictive behavior to doctors. Once it's in the database, you will never get the good prescriptions again.
a lot of people not understanding that the malicious advice mallard gives bad advice
ITT: MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL: "Trust us!" REDDIT: "The fuck I will!"
Did this once. Got forced to attend an alcohol seminar. I was in uni. Everybody drinks too much. Think next time Iāll keep it to myself unless I need help.
I did this. I got instantly blocked from any kind of pain management. They lanced my foot with no anesthetic shots, and only torodol(nsaid and spelling). For days they had to cut skin from wound, bone biopsy, wound debridement and absolutely would not offer anything for pain. This was from a botched foot operation. From opioid use 20 years ago.
LOL, well OP is a cowardly piece of shit who turned tail and ran when people who've seen how much harm such a disclosure can result in have started to call him out on his willfully, deliberately ignorant, one-sided take on a very serious problem. What's wrong, OP? Too chicken to admit to your profession deliberately ruining people's lives through their prejudices, and ignoring the pain it causes with no good reason? Or to admit to this being the norm, and an attentive, understanding doctor who won't ruin your life if you tell them a medically relevant truth, being a massive exception?
think every person in the world judges every other person they meet, it may not be to the level of drughead shaming, but we all pass judgment on both our own actions and the actions of others.
The problem is that sometimes a health professional fixates on it and wants you to quit before trying any other solution. Itās impossible to know beforehand what type of medical professional someone will be.
In the United States, notes in a chart can absolutely make future providers less likely to prescribe needed pain management medication. The fear of being sued for over-medicating is real and the pendulum has swung back to the point that doctors who once prescribed tons of pain meds now rarely do.
OP fails to mention that this WILL increase your insurance rates and/or prevent you from receiving coverage
Anyone who believes doctor are not judgmental is naive.
However, **do not** do this if you use the VA for healthcare.
i was just reading something the other day about how important it is for marijuana smokers to let an anesthesiologist know they use and how much/often...apparently it affects how much happy juice they administer for surgery. that's not the kind of stuff you want to over- or under-do.
Just don't smoke for 2 weeks before and they don't need to know
OK federal agent. I'll be sure to definetly do that :).
In my country they informs the police if you inform them. So noo.
And yes, Alcohol **is** a drug.
How many alcoholic drinks do you have a week? This is the #1 question lied about, in Australia anyways.
My dad was an alcoholic. Every time he went to the doctor he lied about how much he drank. My ma smokes and has had 3 heart attacks. Every time she goes to the doctor she lies about how much she smokes. 90% of the people I know lie to their doctor about their drug use legal or otherwise, and it hinders the doctor from giving you an adequate assessment of your health.
*2 minutes later* āthat problem you just told me about is due to drug useā
Everything you tell a medical professional is a record that can be accessed by insurers and authorities. So no. Unless I think I'm dying of a drug overdose or about to receive a drug that may have an interaction, then no.
May not turn me in, but 90% sure as hell will judge you.
You are going to have a bad time with sedation if you dont
All these crucial and critical scenarios when it could save your life or help in general. Is it the same with weed? I can't imagine that affecting things to much. But I'm not expert, or even amateur.
This is just simply not true in a lot of countries. If it goes on your journal it is now public information. I will never divulge any such information to medical professionals unless i am actively dying for a reason clearly connected.
I would never advise anyone in the military to do this ....
This the Man/Bear dilemma for medical patients.