• Select Your Topic Then Scroll Down
    Alcohol Bupe Benzos
    Cocaine Heroin Opioids
    RCs Stimulants Misc
    Harm Reduction All Topics Gabapentinoids
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums

How do emergency rooms treat acute opiate w/d syndromes?

Going to the ER for withdrawals is overkill in my opinion. Waste of money and time, going through withdrawals in the hospital fucking sucks. Things were much better once I got home.
 
^^^
The US, im sure, has a different protocol for withdrawal syndrome than other countries.
 
True, he should try going to the ER once and see how many hours it takes to get seen. Saying to go every other day is just ridiculous, I'm sure you would always be at the bottom of the list to receive Ativan. I seriously doubt that they would give a drug addict Ativan even in withdrawals. The ER is a joke here.
 
Having to keep coming back every day would work, why not?

Because it is an ER not a Benzo Clinic.

Look, I was a junkie and I know what withdrawals feel like. It's uncomfortable, I get it. But IMO, you are acting like this idea of not treating someone in the ER for opiate wd has something to do with doctor's hating junkies when really it has to do with the medical definition of an emergency and the fact that ERs are already overcrowded and understaffed as it is.
 
You have to look at it from the doctor's perspective. If a patient is prone to abusing drugs, the last thing they are going to do is give that patient abusable drugs. What we see as cruel and unusual punishment, they see as common sense.
 
Because it is an ER not a Benzo Clinic.

Look, I was a junkie and I know what withdrawals feel like. It's uncomfortable, I get it. But IMO, you are acting like this idea of not treating someone in the ER for opiate wd has something to do with doctor's hating junkies when really it has to do with the medical definition of an emergency and the fact that ERs are already overcrowded and understaffed as it is.

Exactly. Opiate withdrawl isn't a medical emergency, its a matter of personal comfort. Unless you have insurance they don't have to give treatment at all. And either way they won't give anything remotely abusable or controlled.
 
Don't waste your time; they won't give you anything.

At most, they will refer you to a methadone clinic. Physicians are not very sympathetic to those withdrawing from heroin.
 
And there's things you can do to ease the pain of opiate withdrawal, like prescribing benzodiazepines etc, but they won't do that. Because of the risks...8)the addict just can't be trusted with anything potentially addictive, oh no....

Prejudice.

Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, which includes the pledge to ''Relieve suffering wherever possible''.

Drug addicts+Addictive drugs=???

This is common sense.

You are not going to die from withdrawal.
 
I have seen quite a few patients come in to the hospital whose diagnoises was "narcotic withdrawl". I'll be honest, alot of nurses and everyone else on the floor does talk alot of shit and is very mean to the patients, its sad, they do not understand. Back in the day as a tech, I would always talk with the patient because they would always ask why are the nurses so mean?

Their is a difference between narcotic seekers and people in withdrawl. Seekers should be dealt with accordingly, but honest to god, 99% of the health care workers have no fucking idea how agonizing withdrawls are. If they knew, they would be infinately more compassionate... W/Ds is that one thing you wouldn't wish on your worse enemy.

Just my two cents from experience
My parents are both nurses, and my Mom is a recovering Dilaudid addict.

Not that that means anything regarding your post. I just thought I would throw that out there.
 
Exactly. Opiate withdrawl isn't a medical emergency, its a matter of personal comfort. Unless you have insurance they don't have to give treatment at all. And either way they won't give anything remotely abusable or controlled.

Not true. Hospitals are required by law to treat all patients, regardless ofinsurance status or profoundly stupid reasons for being there.
 
Not true. Hospitals are required by law to treat all patients, regardless ofinsurance status or profoundly stupid reasons for being there.

No, they're not. They are required to treat life-threatening problems and stabilize the patient until the problem is no longer life-threatening and then they can boot them out the door. This is in the USA so it may be different if you're from another country.
 
At a major hospital in Australia you might get some benzo's and IV fluid if you're in a really bad way but most likely just some metoclopramide or prochlorperazine for nausea.

They would hopefully refer you to a drug treatment centre to help you with ongoing treatment too (that depends on the attitude of the triage nurse though :\)

Good on you and all the best with withdrawal. :)
 
Dr's are tricky at ER's... options 1 &2... read plz

Im sure they give you something for nausea and they'll put you on IV fluids

they may put you on methadone but thats a long shot , thats only happened for me once out of the countless times ive been in the ER for acute opiate withdrawl. Honestly your better off just kicking at your house in my opinion with some Lopermide and Marijuana.

Even if you lie about your drug use and just tell them your just in pain they'll find out about the heroin when you have to do a Urine test. Most of the time when you go to the hospital and tell them your a drug addict they treat you like shit and put you to the back of line. The healthcare system in america treats people like us horribly IME

I hope everything works out for you <3

Good luck on your detox

I agree --- but if you feel like you need medical help... check out the local Methadone/ Bupe detox options (ER's can hold you in the psych ward if they think you might be a harm to yourself) apparently shooting up is a harm to yourself, cuz one time I got sent to rehab that way!(
 
Do not waste your time at a hospital for heroin W/D. I know it feels really bad , but the there is nothing they can do. They will not give you benzos or any opiate since your an addict. When my ex GF went they just gave her IV for dehydration and a IV shot of dimenhydrinate(gravol). Waste of time..and that was in Canada, so she had to wait there for like 8-9 hours before she even got examined.
 
My experience has been that an addict will receive very little sympathy in an ER. Too often, drug-abusers are viewed as con artists and "weak" people, rather than individuals with an illness. Of course, this is somewhat understandable as doctors must constantly deal with drug-seeking behavior. I seriously doubt that any competent physician would prescribe narcotics for someone in acute withdrawal. IMO, an appropriate response would be to direct the patient to a treatment facility, or admit them for detox.
 
The two times I went to the ER for accute opiate w/d (heroin), I was given the following meds:

Lorazepam 1mg (the first time it was #15, the second time i got #24)
Vistaril 50mg (cant remember how many)
and both times a Clonidine patch

The hospital I went to both times was Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, WA
--
I also went to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for accute opiate w/d earlier this year. That time I was transfered to the county detox facility (RCKC in Seattle) where I was given Phenobarbital, Vistaril, Bentil, Methacarbabol, IBU, and Trazadone throughout the day....

So that's 3 times and all 3 times I ended up getting either benzos or barbituates for accute opiate withdrawl...
 
also i did have severe drinking problem and could not stop... thus i went to the emergency room and told them i was having severe alcohol withdrawl and they were very kind and understanding.. they gave me i.v fluids and talked with me for a bit and saw that i was sincere and sent me home with 30 2mg Ativan to get through the bad part of withdrawls...it all depends on what kind of doctor and staff you are dealing with..and yes i have been booze free for close to 6 years now thanks to those doctors at the E.R that day
 
also i did have severe drinking problem and could not stop... thus i went to the emergency room and told them i was having severe alcohol withdrawl and they were very kind and understanding.. they gave me i.v fluids and talked with me for a bit and saw that i was sincere and sent me home with 30 2mg Ativan to get through the bad part of withdrawls...it all depends on what kind of doctor and staff you are dealing with..and yes i have been booze free for close to 6 years now thanks to those doctors at the E.R that day

Hurray on being booze free...your name however implies you might be on your way to another addiction. Wish I could kick the booze :(
 
Top