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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Misc "You could undergo surgery right now" Anxious Seeing Doctor for First Time in a Year

ChemicallyEnhanced

ChemicallyEnhanced

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
10,403
Location
UK
I haven't seen my doctor or had blood taken in over a year (mostly due to covid) and I'm nervous because last time they did a toxicology and it came back like:

Diazepam
Oxazepam*
Tempazepam*
Alprazolam
Clonazepem
Flurazepam*
Dihydrocodeine
Dihydromorphine**
Codeine
Morphine
Phenobarbital
Mephobarbiral***
Oxycodone
Gabapentin
Diphenhydramine
Quetiapine
Thorazine

Basically I was told that with the various pharms in my system at the current levels I could "undergo surgery without the need for addiction anaesthesia or analgesia".
So yeah I was not exactly in my doctors good books and they tried to get me into various programs I just didn't want.

I'm better now I think, but I'm worried they're gonna take drastic action of my drug levels are still close to that? Can I refuse to give blood or to be tested?


* as metabolites of Diazepam, Clonazepam
**as metabolites of DHC
*** as metabolites of Phenobarbital
 
in the US you can refuse but the doctor will turn around and refuse you as a patient. so technically you can't refuse.....
 
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Reactions: CFC
Holy cow that's quite the smorgasbord! Hmm, if you refuse to be tested or to even consider trying some of their suggestions they can boot you from their patient list and force you to find another GP. Not that they will, but if you seem completely unwilling to address any of their concerns, they may decide there's not a lot they can do for you and that you'd do better to find a more suitable alternative service.
 
MsDiz said:
Is it normal for doctors in America to do toxicology screening? Like it’s unheard of here unless you’ve taken an overdose or were in hospital due to drugs.
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if they think you're a drug seeker or have signed a contract for pain meds. very common
 
They have to screen for drugs before surgery, you must need a surgery and we’re pre screened. I was refused surgery cause cocaine metabolite, they don’t wanna give anesthesia to something that can interfere with your surgery
 
It's really stupid. Addiction is the only disease where you get punished the worse it is.

I was in this one outpatient rehab and failed a UA for heroin, oxy, hydros, coke, meth, benzos and weed. They were so "concerned" they told my mom, my probation officer and then kicked me out of the program. Labeled me as death risk or something because I admitted my DOC was speedballing.

Like wow, thanks for helping me... It was my 2nd week there...
 
@MsDiz Sorry, I have pre-existing conditions making me in the "high risk" category for covid. I also have a long history of substance dependency, along with life-threatening complications.
D's said:
Atleast they didn't say you are pregnant.
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Not gonna lie, I'd be stoked to be pregnant, not least because I'd be in the World Records and super-famous for the first biological male to do so.

@CFC - not at all, I have reduced or even stopped some of those meds. But I take what I take due to legit reasons (severe chronic pain, BPD, depression, anxiety, PTSD) and am not in the best place mentally right now to be coming off them. I'm very lucky to have an understanding GP who knows me very very well, though (he's actually been my GP my whole life - like, even when I was a zygote and he treated my mum).

@FuneralFather I don't need surgery right now, but that's actually VERY concerning. I have pancreatitis and I VERY nearly died last time I had an acute attack (in hospital 12 weeks, given 20% chance of surviving) so if I have another acute attack...I might need life-saving surgery...could they still deny it? If I'd literally die without?

@SnafuInTheVoid WOW, that is incredibly shitty of them (and I'm not sure how that isn't malpractice...what happened to "First do no harm"...and unless you were under 16 that's a breach of patient confidentiality) and if they were THAT concerned, surely sending you home could be dangerous or life-threatening?
I'm SO sorry that happened to you.

@ghostandthedarknes I live in the U.K., not the U.S.
lmao with "land of the free"....that doesn't refer to healthcare now does it ;)
 
ChemicallyEnhanced said:
I live in the U.K., not the U.S.
lmao with "land of the free"....that doesn't refer to healthcare now does it ;)
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Yeah this is what threw me I was sure you lived in UK.

Are you just going for a regular check up or have you currently a specific issue going on? I know in the north Ireland they are doing phone appointments rather than in person. I don’t think they can make you get a tox screen unless you were going for surgery tbh.
 
ChemicallyEnhanced said:
@SnafuInTheVoid WOW, that is incredibly shitty of them (and I'm not sure how that isn't malpractice...what happened to "First do no harm"...and unless you were under 16 that's a breach of patient confidentiality) and if they were THAT concerned, surely sending you home could be dangerous or life-threatening?
I'm SO sorry that happened to you.
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Sophomore year, so I was 15 or 16.

It sucked because this started a process which ultimately led to me failing my diversion program, going to a psych ward and then locked up in out of state inpatient "therapeutic schools" for 1 year until the day I turned 18. What kind of school only gives you one 10 minute phone call per week (and only if you were good). The school for bad kids.

To save me from that life my mom sent me to a school to live with some of the baddest kids in the entire country. Genius.
 
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MsDiz said:
Yeah this is what threw me I was sure you lived in UK.

Are you just going for a regular check up or have you currently a specific issue going on? I know in the north Ireland they are doing phone appointments rather than in person. I don’t think they can make you get a tox screen unless you were going for surgery tbh.
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Oh, that's an excellent point! I feel so stupid now lol...of course I'd be having a phone appointment! I have an appointment with Hepatology (or, I got a letter with one) and just assumed it'd be in person. Can you have physical appointments yet? Because they need to test how my liver is working, they do a tox screen but I guess they literally can't if I can't go in?
 
SnafuInTheVoid said:
Sophomore year, so I was 15 or 16.

It sucked because this started a process which ultimately led to me failing my diversion program, going to a psych ward and then locked up in out of state inpatient "therapeutic schools" for 1 year until the day I turned 18. What kind of school only gives you one 10 minute phone call per week (and only if you were good). The school for bad kids.

To save me from that life my mom sent me to a school to live with some of the baddest kids in the entire country. Genius.
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Again, I'm very sorry you went through that. It's shocking and I can't imagine how traumatic that would have been.
 
ChemicallyEnhanced said:
Oh, that's an excellent point! I feel so stupid now lol...of course I'd be having a phone appointment! I have an appointment with Hepatology (or, I got a letter with one) and just assumed it'd be in person. Can you have physical appointments yet? Because they need to test how my liver is working, they do a tox screen but I guess they literally can't if I can't go in?
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There are no face to face appointments in NHS Northern Ireland atm. It’s all over phone or zoom. I’m not sure what it’s like in mainland UK but I would say it’s similar. Plus there’s is no need to do toxicology when checking your liver, a simple LFT would be sufficient. They might do a tox screen if it came back abnormal.
 
ChemicallyEnhanced said:
Oh, that's an excellent point! I feel so stupid now lol...of course I'd be having a phone appointment! I have an appointment with Hepatology (or, I got a letter with one) and just assumed it'd be in person. Can you have physical appointments yet? Because they need to test how my liver is working, they do a tox screen but I guess they literally can't if I can't go in?
Click to expand...

Blood testing and lab services are still running almost as usual in most hospitals. It's just clinic appointments and GP appointments that have largely gone digital (though they do still run some face to face clinics). So there's no reason you couldn't have a pre-arranged scan, screen or blood test as required.
 
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