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Avatar universal

Very disappointed in my last E.R. visit.

So i went to the E.R. tonight for moderate pain in my lower abdomen and frequent urination ( suspected a UTI ). After my urine came back clean and free of sugars the E.R. doctor gave me the dreaded swab saying that he suspected gonorrhea or chlamydia. I informed him that I'd been with the same partner for 9 years and that this didn't seem likely
His only response to this was that she should get checked too. Now my concern is that I'm being medicated for something that I do not have. Neither the doctor or the nurse that came in and gave me seven pills to take stuck around long enough for me to ask a single question. I'm also on penicillin for a tooth infection and I'm not sure if I should take it with the other meds. The actual diagnosis was Urethritis which can be caused by other things I'm sure but I'm having no burning at all when I urinate and no discharge at all. Unless this can be carried for over 9 years without symptoms ( which I know it cant ) I feel they just wanted me out fast and tagged me with an STD. I was prescribed pyridium for symptoms ( some type of AZO? ) and given vantin/suprax and zithromax ( the seven pills ) I'm sorry that this is all over the place but I'm very upset at the moment and at a loss for what to do. Should I file a complaint somewhere? Who should I contact? Is this negligence? Somebody help me please. Thanks.
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Avatar universal
New symptoms to go with my already hard to figure out illness. I went to the ER again... this time with numbness in my left arm and left pectoral area, ekg and chest xray showed that my heart and lungs are fine. No sign of heart attack or stroke thank goodness. So the next day ( today ) the numbness is in the left and right arm, both sides of my pectoral area and my cheeks...  my ct scan comes back tomorrow but I'll probably go to the ER again tonight if the numbness gets worse. This *****
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Avatar universal
Well they did another urine and physical exam and still nothing, CT scan on friday  =(
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Avatar universal
The pain is mostly in the lower right pelvic area and feels like its in my right testicle and upper thigh. It has been on the left side also but 90% of the time its on the right and only after being active for a few hours. I also noticed some mucusy stuff in my urine last night. I'm also getting pain in my back once in a while, about halfway up on the left side. Going to a doctor tonight.
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Avatar universal
Okay i ran into something similar at one point lemme ask you a question..... Where is your pain exactly? I had cronic appedicitus for about 10 months i kept having to go to the er the pain was unbearable they could see from all the ct's they did that something was wrong with my appendix but they didnt know what when i finally had exploatory surgery they found that my appendix was suppose to be soft like a cloud and it was hard like a susage they told me it was 80 to 90 percent blocked, when my doctor called the general surgen he didnt remove it a month later they ended up having to remove it . My pain started out gradually i had severe weight loss  one month i lost 23 and one half lbs any ways the pain was in my lower right quad and sometimes my whole lower stomach would hurt but at one point they told me they thought that i had pelvic inflamatory disease. You do need to get another opinion if you feel you were mistreated then go to the administrations office they will help you there for sure. They are really busy and i think the rush to diagnose simply because they know you want an answer ribght then and there and they simply want to give you one, i dont really  think they like saying we dont know!  If your concerned then stay on top of your health , dont get thrown off simply because of one visit if your uncomfortable do something about it !!!!
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Avatar universal
Just thought I'd add that this doctor has a case open against him at the moment, a med center sent a 3 year old to the ER for high sugars and he sent the kid home saying he was fine. The next day the kid was back and another doctor did a test and found his sugar to be over 500. On another note, even though I told him I was in no pain went I went for the tooth prob, he still gave me a prescription for 50 hydrocodone. Seems odd to give painkillers when there is no pain esp in that kind of amount.
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Avatar universal
Well the swab came back clean and I'm still having some pain. Seems a little less since I finished all the antibiotics. I have a doctors appointment in a few day... woohoo. hope this one goes better =P
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Avatar universal
So you're confused I'm guessing... reread.
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671285 tn?1292660161
The staff at the ER did not stick around to talk with you because they solved the problem. Case closed. At emergency medical centers they do not have time to convince you that something is wrong.  They ran plenty of tests which proved that you have a disease(s) and they prescribed medication for it.  Now it is up to you to come to terms with that reality.  Most ERs will tell you to follwo up with your primary physician.  Your GP is the person to ask all of your questions to. Make a list and take that list of questions and concerns with you the doctor's office.  

Another major concern here is the relationship that you have with your partner.  You obviously contracted 2 very nasty diseases.  Where and how did you get them?
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144586 tn?1284666164
Don't be too worried about the prescriptions they gave you.

People without insurance in the United States don't have problems with hospitals if they have life-threatening emergencies. They have problems when they have symptoms that cause discomfort and require treatment, but don't fall within the "life-threatening" category.

I don't have any answer to that.

My gut feeling is that you don't have an STD, if that means anything.

You should look for a "free" clinic in your area. In New York I know of one such clinic that will treat patients for a flat fee (very small) for every visit if they have no insurance and provide very good diagnostic and medical care. Such facilities exist.

Go to the hospital and under freedom of information request a written copy of the ER report. I suspect they may have noticed something they didn't tell you. Physicians don't generally prescribe medications such as you have been provided with except with good reason.
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Avatar universal
You are better off going to a family physician for health problems, unless it truly is an emergency, and then the ER is the place to go, of course.  I haven't had to go to the ER very often, but when I have, it has not been a good experience due to the long wait times or rush or misdiagnosis and so on.  They always want you to go see your personal physician as soon as you can anyway.  Hopefully, you will be able to check out your health situation with a family doctor.  
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Avatar universal
Well the main reason I'm having a problem with the diagnosis is that I told the doctor that the pain usually starts after I'm on my feet for a few hours and goes away when I sit or lay down. That in my opinion would clearly say that an STD was not the case. I also told him that there was no burning sensation when I urinate and certainly no discharge. Both of those thing would clearly have indicated an infection of that type. I have no insurance and I'm sure that was on my chart, the doctors in this hospital have been known to treat people based on their financial background. My biggest concern is that by being given antibiotics for a nonexistant infection I may now be more resistant when and if I really do need them. The penicillin had taken care of the tooth infection prior to the other meds being administered and was prescribed by the very same doctor. So in light of your comment that gives me even more concern as to his ability. I'll get the result of the swab back tomorrow and post that as well.
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144586 tn?1284666164
I wouldn't be so quick to file a complaint. I don't see any negligence. They seem to have been a bit hasty. The guys and gals in the ER have a very hard job. Most times they do it pretty good. But what was the results of the swab evaluation? This seems to be a "missing piece" story.  I would go to another physician and get a second opinion.

Penicillin is an obsolete antibiotic and the large majority of bacteria have now mutated and are resistant. Undoubtedly your dentist is 99 years old and/or got his dental degree through the internet, or perhaps by mailing in cereal boxtops. Just a personal opinion, of course. You have to watch dental infections because they can go into the blood stream and do a lot of bad things to the heart valve if they settle there. Treatment with penicillan is inappropriate. The positive side is the meds you have been given should help clean up the dental infection, particuliarly the zithromax.
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