DrugBuyers.Com: Any good about doctors/pharmacies?

My little story is more about doctors and ERs than doctors and pharmacies.

I'm a long time headache and migraine sufferer. Every once in a while I get hit with multi-day migraines, that left untreated can go on for up to 14 days.

About 6 weeks back, I got hit with the first multi-day migraine I'd had in 5 years. I had a friend take me to the nearest ER after suffering for 5 solid days. (I live in the boonies, so nearest means over 50 miles away!) In the 5 days I'd been suffering, I was taking up to 100mg a day of Hydro and at least that much again of Promethazine. I'd pretty much gone through my entire prescription of both in that time period. Not even the excessive amounts of Soma I was also taking helped in the least.

Went through triage with all the speed of a snail, walking from one office to another filling out endless forms. I was finally placed into a brightly lit examination room, with one of those totally uncomfortable examination half beds (where it was impossible to actually lie down!)....and left in there for 45 mins. No monitoring, and no one checking if I was even still concious.

Even pulling my cap as low as it would go, and keeping my very dark sunglasses on didn't help escape the pounding of all that bright light in my eyes. (I'm seriously photosensative when I have a migraine.) The longer I stayed in that light, the worse the nausea became.

The doctor finally comes in and starts yanking my head in all directions as he 'examines' me. Then he says he can't do anything until he has spoken to my PCP. This is on a late Sunday afternoon, and my PCP is off enjoying some time with her family. The doctor finally decides I am nothing more than a junkie and refuses to treat my pain and (by now, serious) nausea at all. I left, untreated, insulted and very, very angry.

Contrast that experience against another ER I had to go to not two weeks later with exactly the same problem. (Although, I only waited two days this time instead of 5.)

Here, I was quickly rushed through triage and popped into a darkened room on a proper stretcher (where I could lie flat and try to relax)...fully monitored for BP and pulse. (Some automatic gizmo that took both about every two minutes.) BP was topping out at 170/110!!! (My BP is usually around 110/70, which isn't bad for a 40 year old man.) Pulse was over 100. It was pretty obvious I was in some serious pain!

The doctor came in within 15 mins, took less than 5 to look at the monitoring record and asks if I had ever had Nubain before. I hadn't, and told him so. He explained that it is a lot like Demerol, but not as sedating. I okayed the use of the Nubain and the nurse came in very shortly afterwards with a shot of Nubain and Promethazine. Within 25 mins, I was back on my feet and feeling vastly improved. At no point was I accused of being a junkie, or told how the (medical) system had hurt me.

When the bills from both ERs came in....Guess which one I paid? Yep, the second one. I had no intention of paying anyone for the lack of treatment and insulting behavior handed out to me at the first ER I had gone to. If I ever get hit with another multi-day migraine, I'm going to the second ER for sure, because I was treated as a person with a (medical) problem and not a junkie looking to get high.

D2003