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superacidjax
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 1:53 pm Post subject: Real Pain Medicine -- Itaewon Doc? |
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A few years ago, my friend had a severe injury (in a cast and wheelchair) and was able to get hydrocodone and Valium from the doctor in Itaewon from the international clinic there.
I realize that Koreans are absolutely phobic about real pain medicines. Will the doc in Itaewon prescribe pain medicines fairly easily for a chronic back condition without too much red tape?
I know he has his own mini-pharmacy and is equipped to dispense on the spot. I just want to know if it's going to be difficult to get needed medicines without having to go to a hospital and deal with moving mountains.
Obviously, I'll bring my old prescription bottles from the US, but does anyone have any experience in getting pain meds without having to be in a cast or in an obvious state of disrepair?
PM might be the best means by which to answer this query!
I know Koreans seem to think all Westerners are drug addicts, but are there any recommended doctors that are a little more modern-minded when it comes to necessary pain meds?
In France, I can buy what I need over the counter, but Korea ended that practice years ago. |
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John_ESL_White
Joined: 12 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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It is not going to happen at any clinic in Korea, even a pain clinic.
I teach a doctor whose specialty is pain management and he's told me that in Korea, it's hard for cancer patients to get opiates and that clinics are just not allowed to dispense them.
You have to go to a hospital to get them and even then it's rare.
good luck with opiates in korea.
I doubt your friend got hydrocodone from the itaewon clinic. |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Why not solve the problem rather than trying to push it away. Chronic means that you have never faced up to the cause for many years. Needing strong meds means that the louder life speaks to you the more you try to tell it to be quiet.
Take some time to learn about pain and how to get though it. What your doing hasn't solved the problem for along time so why keep up with the same pattern of trying to numb yourself.
Last edited by D.D. on Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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buymybook
Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Location: Telluride
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superacidjax
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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| John_ESL_White wrote: |
| I doubt your friend got hydrocodone from the itaewon clinic. |
I was there.. the Itaewon doc prescribed morphine pills, hydrocodone and valium (the generic.) I was amazed given our experience at the hospital. When she was in the hospital (Samsung) they had done a surgery and even post-op, I had to fight to get pain meds for her. She eventually had such a raising heart rate and intense pain that they finally gave her a morphine drip. She had a petite mal seizure before they realized that they'd better get their treatment protocols straight. Horrifying. Absolutely the most frightening thing I've ever seen -- my close friend bright red, screaming and then suddenly her face goes blank and she stops screaming, her mouth is moving and nonsense comes out of her mouth. Her body was rigid, eyes glassy and unresponsive. Lasted about a minute. I was polite to all of the medical people until then.. after that I became a pitbull.
There is NO reason to let someone suffer when there was a simple means to control it.
It was the most hellish experience that I ever had to witness. Luckily, the international clinic guy was sympathetic and gave her a supply to last her until we could fly back to the US and see some real doctors.
I remember the argument the doctors at the hospital gave us (and this was in the expensive "International" wing of Samsung Hospital, that handles diplomats, etc.) He said, "Your friend needs to calm down and just deal with it [the pain.] After calling a friend in the consular section of the US Embassy, I finally got her to come visit us in the hospital and after THAT, the pain meds were used. Took an act of God and the influence of the US government to make it happen though.
Even after that, the doctors kept telling me, "These drugs are very addictive and shouldn't be used." I responded, "I don't give a --- how addictive they are, we'll deal with "addiction" after she's not screaming in pain and passing out." We left for the US about two weeks later and when she got back, she saw a orthopedic specialist in Houston and he managed the pain until the pins could be removed. Needless to say, she didn't become addicted, thanks to the US doctor doing his job and not over prescribing or continuing the meds after the injury had healed.
Morons. The whole culture of "pain is in your head" is completely dumb. Sure there ARE genuine addicts, but when someone has a medically verifiable condition with the biometrics to match the pain, c'mon! The "doctor knows best, don't ever question him" attitude might be the Confucius way, but that Dark Ages mindset is very destructive. After all, the patient knows what they are feeling and the patient also has a right to know what is being done to their bodies. The patient knows if they have a history of vomiting when certain drugs are given or they also know about bad reactions they've had in the past. At the hospital, the doctors wouldn't even tell me (or her) the drugs they were giving her. I had to look at the damned chart myself. Luckily, the drugs and doses are written on the chart US style, so I had some experience decoding their "treatments." I can only imagine how rough it could be on a patient without an experienced friend to be their advocate (I was a paramedic at a county hospital during college.)
I'll just get what I need from the states before coming over. I only need them occasionally due to an old skydiving injury. I don't necessarily need surgery (and refuse to get it) but from time to time (a few times a month) it flares up making it nearly impossible to get out of bed.
Thanks for the responses everyone! |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Could you order some from an online pharmacy? |
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superacidjax
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Xuanzang wrote: |
| Could you order some from an online pharmacy? |
Likely, with the 'script from my US doctor, shouldn't be a problem, although they love to overcharge heavily and it often gets seized in customs 30% of the time. It isn't a prosecutable offense, (not considered illegal drug smuggling) but they can seize 'em.
Hand carried through airport customs never causes a problem, as long as your name is on the bottles.
Of course, according to some on this thread, I should just deal with the problem. lol. Back surgery, is rarely a good fix. After the surgery your back is never really the same and, following surgery, you usually are in severe pain for a while. I'd rather have the ocassional flareup rather than potentially creating a much bigger problem. It seems like the few people that I've known that have had back surgeries tend to keep having to have surgeries every few years.. I'd rather not take that risk.
I still have full mobility and can play sports, but as I said, from time to time, it can get a bit unruly.
Once again, thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will perhaps look into starting a yoga/stretching regimen. I haven't really looked into that, other than basic stretching. Perhaps if I did something on a daily basis, I could help things.
Any yoga classes in Seoul in English that you might know? |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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| The Apgujeung or Gangnam area would have some. Have you thought about chiropractors? Or accupuncture? |
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superacidjax
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Xuanzang wrote: |
| The Apgujeung or Gangnam area would have some. Have you thought about chiropractors? Or accupuncture? |
Acupuncture might be a good idea. I'm kind of a little fraidy-cat when it comes to needles, but I haven't tried that yet.. Thanks for the help about yoga.. I'll check into Apgu-Gangnam and see what I can find.
I appreciate all of the help guys! |
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