[cherrykix]

Hi all,

I haven't been around here much lately. I was doing really well with my mental illnesses and became very busy, but had a sudden flare up of my chronic back injury/pain, which my pain management DR told me to go to the ER.

For reference, I have had chronic pain/back injuries for 8 years.
I have suffered from PTSD for 4 years now.

I went to the ER Friday for the back pain, it had gotten to the point where I was screaming in pain and could not walk. They administered Dilaudid, a muscle relaxant, a steroid for inflamation, and soon another, higher dosage of Dilaudid because the pain was so extreme. This combination of drugs, including an interaction with my regular meds (that they have on file and reviewed) triggered a very bad episode.

TRIGGER WARNING:

My PTSD stems from sexual assault traumas that both occurred while I was drugged and semi-conscious.

The combination of meds made me flashback to the sensations I had during my traumas, including the insistence of the nurses/doctor that I was fine and that I should let them administer another, different sedative. I was crying, shaking, screaming, my parents were arguing with them and trying to comfort me and they would not leave me alone to calm myself or stop touching me, which is another thing I struggle with, especially during PTSD episodes.

Sorry, this post has mostly been to vent. I guess my real questions are why was it that actual healthcare professionals seemed to know so little about PTSD, and when I could not talk for myself because of being triggered, why they wouldn't take my parents words and accounts seriously either. Why did they keep insisting on giving me more meds when clearly my family knew better and I myself was already having a mental breakdown in reaction to the ones that they gave me?

I've been so afraid these past few days. I'm regressing to my PTSD side effects that I have not struggled with since my first year after being diagnosed.

Thanks for reading.

[MtnTime2896]

PTSD is very well known and very poorly understood at the same time. I have a doctor that I have to constantly remind about my issues so that I don't have to go on medications that interfere with my mental illnesses. It's very frustrating. It's also frustrating because in their minds "they know best" and probably wanted to treat the pain, which is something they know more about, to get you out of the hospital faster. The ER is more of an express lane that anything else. I refuse to go back to one unless I have no other choice for that reason. Not to mention, they "review" your records but don't actually take anything into account when treating what you're there for the majority of the time.

[cherrykix]

Thank you for the response, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond. It's true what you say about it being an "express lane" its awful.

Normally, with my lifelong panic disorder, I've found myself feeling really safe at hospitals, especially ERs. I worry this experience has shaken my faith in it all.

[MtnTime2896]

Could've just been bad for this round but I could understand skepticism about it all. I hope that you don't have to experience anything like this again but if you do, take all evidence of your medical history in forms to them so that you possess proof of your conditions. If anything, threaten a law suit for malpractice (it usually gets their attention a bit better).

[cherrykix]

Thanks for the response. Yes, I'm hoping I won't have to go through that again, but my back issue is chronic so I end up going to the ER 1 or 2 times a year, usually. I have an appointment with my pain dr on Thursday, and with my pdoc next week, so I'll be talking to both of them about the mixture that triggered me.