medical record

if i am strung out from a crack binge, and need medical care, do i tell the doctor about the drugs or deny it.  i  can't afford to lose mu insurance, or have that on my record for future medical ins.  

[allaboutmary]

Sorry I don't know how this would affect your insurance.  I do know that getting clean needs to be a priority. If you continue, you could lose everything, including your insurance.  When you say you need medical care, do you mean a rehab or something ?

[addict3]

I dont think you will have to tell him, he should Know what you were doing . if you need help go to ER!

[dollyflower]

look in drug abuse and my topic is er or not.  please let me know your opion

[addict3]

Not sure of your statement. If you need help GO to ER!

[dollyflower]

go to drug abuse and my question in that forum will explain.  my question started with go to emergancy room or not skin infections.

[allaboutmary]

I just responded to you in the other forum.  I guess I got lost. lol

[TrayCee]

deny deny deny

[malenurse57]

As a professional nurse and an addict I would be honest with them. Actually if you are seeking help your ins.would most likely be more than willing to help now than have it turn up later and then find out you had been denying a problem exists

[kittykat58]

so you are saying you have skin infections, that is what you need medical care for? I assume it's from digging at your skin on the crack?

I have worked for a long time in an ED and it is usually pretty obvious when someone has been abusing drugs or has been on a binge, so whether you say it or not it will be noted in your chart. this is not to be mean to you but so that anyone treating you during that hospital course will know what is going on and how to best treat you.

personally, when I see someone who has an issue related to drug abuse, and they are honest about it, I have a lot more respect for them. something magical happens when truth enters a room-- a whole new trusting relationship is established, both for the pt and the provider,  and they seem to get better faster and stay better longer. maybe b/c they're "telling on their disease" and not giving the addiction a little safe haven to hid in -- like a lie.

anyway, I hope you do get the care you need. skin infections (abscesses? cellulitis?) can seed into joints or even the whole system and lead to amputation or even death.

as for your primary concern, I have no idea how this would affect your insurance, but I know most health insurance has some (not great, but some) provision for mental health (drug addiction is included in that). the simplest thing to do would be to call your insurance company -- anonymously, from a blocked phone -- and ask them how they handle this sort of situation or if your insurance would be at risk.

[road2recovery]

Great post...We all know that honesty is best...
r2r

[worried878]

I have not heard of anyone ever losing their insurance due to an addiction problem....but not to say it would not be possible..I do however think if you want to get the best treatment possible, u would need to honest with the doctor...a skin infection would probably need some local care and some systemic antibiotics and I am not sure if the crack abuse would be an issue and i am not sure if the topic would even come up....if u were going in for a heart condition it would be definitely a need to tell the doctor ur background...do seek care and get this taken care of...it can turn into something way worse and if u have been binging ur nutritional status and such is probably not good so u r at risk for further complications...dont let something that may be easily treatable get out of hand

[dollyflower]

ty for your post.  i guess telling the truth would be like saying i have a problem with drugs.  so embarassing.  i a a young over 30 widow with 3 kids, home and business owner.  i'm not some junkie on the streets. i've been doing it for about a year.  i'll do it on the weekends.  and, i'll be honest, i love the high.  i'lve never tried or wanted to quit.  but iknow in my heart i have to.  back to the rash.  yes, i pick at it, but it is a blister that starts on its own and if i don't take the top off, the lesion gets deeper and deeper and turns green with raised red outter.   i take the scabs off, and SCRUB with soap. . i've put peroxide on them, but don't know if that did anything.  could i tell the dr something "off the record?"" thanks. ps, i do have a dermotioigst app.  but they cant see me for 2 weeks.

[worried878]

I am a wound care specialist and have seen this happen to people before....it actually can be stress induced believe it or not...may have notheing to do with the drugs at all...maybe indirectly,,,nutritional staus and stress cause there lesions and antibiotics are ordered with local wound care...when u pull the scab off, what is under it?

[dollyflower]

at first, its not a scab. its loose skin.  clear or yellowish or redish sticky fluid.  then it crusts.  i pick the crusts off. the ones on my legs look a little better, but if the scab is taken off some times there is like a blood blister. some were turning deep purplish black.  the really deep ones.  when the scab is off the wound is larger than the scab.  and, they hurt sometimes, somethies itchy,  but it is a relief when the scab comes off. (the older ones, the brand new ones hurt.) when i am cold they turn purple.i have acouple that i thought were getting better, but then they opened up again .  

[dollyflower]

ps, im on zoloft

[dollyflower]

the new  ones look like a burn and sting.

[worried878]

How are you eating?  taking vitamins?  plenty of protein?  are u under stress right now?  these are lesions i have seen before and these factors contribute to them...the drugs are indirectly contributing as they affect your nutritional status and stress tolerence...if u can get to a doctor and get some anitbiotics...treat them with an oinmtnet ot keep them moist/some antibiotic ointments also have a pain relief factor in them and keep the covered so that the scab stays moist...change it daily and get to a doctor and dont worry about the drugs...the lesions like this were not on drug abusers that i have seen but on people who could not get enough to eat whose oves were hard..elderly and young...how much do u weigh?

[worried878]

check ur inbox

[dollyflower]

i tried to email did you get them

[worried878]

no...i did not...click on my icon then on send a message

[worried878]

check ur inbox

[kittykat58]

wow, I've never heard of that sort of lesion. how big are they? if they turn green it sounds like they are getting infected. do they emerge all on their own, or what? how do they get started? are they on any one part of your body or all over, and how concentrated?

it's true, you could just chalk it up to stress when you are seen by a doc, but I do think being honest is the healthiest thing. I love the high I get from these drugs too but I know deep down that the healthiest thing to do is to get off them after my surgery. I don't really want to, but I know it's healthier for me to do so.