Seeing the dr while on suboxone - history of addiction

[AnythingEverything]

So, I'm sure other people have found this. Going to the dr for non drug related purposes and their attitude changing as soon as you tell them you're on subs/methadone/benzo etc.

So I've been sick on and off for a long time now. Randomly throwing up, migraines or daily headache, vision problems and pain in my side just under my left rib. I had a tennis ball sized lump removed which they thought was the cause of the pain but its come back now.

I've had plenty of blood tests, scans, X-rays and nothing has shown up. I'm so miserable living this way, sometimes I don't leave the couch and can't live on nurofen and stemetil forever, I need to know what is wrong.

My sub dr Is the only one who can prescribe / change meds and I only see him 4 times a year (at $180 a pop) plus he works one day a fortnight so impossible to get on the phone.

I don't actually know what I'm asking. I'm not walking In there asking for drugs, i want tests to find out what is going on. I'm just tired of everything being blamed on my meds or mental health. I do need relief from this pain, suboxone does nothing and they won't / cant give me anything else

Any tips for getting GPS to take you seriously??

 

[manboychef]

You may need to try a few before you find one that is compassionate enough to look past your addiction problems of the past. It took me a while to find a good doctor. Once you find one though, it will make your life a lot easier.

As a side note: I too have noticed that once an addiction history is put in your chart you can expect doctors and nurses to treat you differently. Especially at the hospital.

 

[MrRoot]

After ER had records for me being an addict they totally treated me differently. Once I wen't there because my back pain before surgery had gone worse (a real issue, not an excuse) and within five minutes entering there the nurse came from the back with oxycodone shot and gave me an IM and told me to drive back home and deal with or to come back next morning.

Well I knew there wouldn't be pretty much any other option but they didn't check up on anything of my back but instead just gave the shot without me seeing even a Dr.

I am pretty sure that someone without addiction would have had to be in-patient to receive that shot and that would be after waiting for Dr. to examine them first and definately they wouldn't have told to drive back home.

AnythingEverything, atleast here maintenance doctors are required to form an treatment team consisting of different professionals and part of it is to check any underlying condition that may have led patient to self medicate. They'll be doing full blood and urine checks every six months to check basic conditions and they'll send you into specialists if needed.

 

[Moreaux]

Find a different GP. I have a wonderful GP that I found 3 years ago. I'm able to be honest with him and he doesn't treat me poorly or dismiss my symptoms. They are out there, you just have to find him. Good luck!

 

[AnythingEverything]

Thanks for the replies, sorry I haven't gotten around to replying properly, will when im sober.

I haven't actually got a dr at all, my kids rarely go to the dr and I never do apart from my sub dr 4 times a year. So I will need to start somehwre maybe with local reccomendations I guess.

My experinces when I've been hospitalised over the last year (pneumonia) have been not so great. Once they find out im on suboxone (and I explain what it is as they NEVER know) they do treat me differently. I walk in looking like any normal, put together mum/woman and once they find out their attitude changes.

I need to see a dr about some health concerns. Had an appt the other day but had to cancel. I wish my SUBOXONE dr had a team like someone said above. He would probably do something if I asked him to now I live closer but I won't see him for another 3 months and he has to be consulted about everything which is hard when he only works once a fortnight and is impossible to get a hold of.