So I had a virus for a few days and after not being able to consume water and becoming delirious and confused my family convinced me to go to the hospital. I have a history of Crohn's disease and OCD.
After being triaged and placed in a room at the hospital, the physician decided to administer a medication called droperidol as an anti-emetic, in conjunction with fluids.
Shortly after receiving the medication, my body went into a contortion, which I later learned is a condition called dystonia. Simultaneously I was experiencing physical and cognitive restlessness.
When the nurse came to check on me, I explained that I was crawling out of my skin... that was the only way I could put it. She told me it does sometimes happen that people feel uneasy after getting that med. But I felt beyond uneasy. I was ready to rip off my monitors and IV. I could tell she could see it. She made a few recommendations that she was going to run by the doctor, but it seems as though he was choosing not to follow those. I didn't hear the conversation, but she had some pretty clear ideas as to what my treatment might look like and none of them came to fruition.
The doctor came back an hour later and I told him the same thing. His response was "ahh yeah, sometimes that medication can do that. sorry. I'll get you "a whiff of" benadryl and see if it helps". He also kept reminding me to straighten my arm so my IV worked... and I explained "I'm trying" but I couldn't.
An hour later, with my back fully and uncontrollably seized in a sideways position, they administered benadryl. If it worked, I couldn't tell. I was wanting to jump off a building.
Next thing I knew, I was being sent home because "the virus should work itself out". But I am still physically and cognitively restless as a side effect of that med, contorted. They unhooked my IV and handed me discharge paperwork.
I went home and continued my contortion (it's pretty much involuntary) and took some medication to try to fall asleep. I woke up a little bit better but was still experiencing moderate physical restlessness and difficulty controlling my body movement. According to my parents I was also somewhat incoherent still.
I thought, shot in the dark, why don't I call my psychiatrist. I called him and called back immediately. He said "That feeling cannot be overstated in regards to how uncomfortable it is. In the hospital when that happens they are supposed to give you Cogentin... I will write you a prescription for it."
So he did and over the next few days I began improving slowly.
I don't know if I have a leg to stand on to make a complaint, but I feel like I went in there with nausea and left with a temporary movement disorder and completely traumatized, all the while still experiencing many of the symptoms I was experiencing when I went in. But frankly, there is only one hospital in town and I don't want to blackball myself. And to make things more complicated, I am a healthcare provider in the city who takes referrals from the hospital (but not the ER).
I also don't believe anyone was trying to make me feel bad, I just feel like they could have addressed my symptoms in a way that didn't cause me physical and psychiatric anguish, especially when a simple solution could have been easily utilized. If they are guilty of anything it is of simply not doing enough or paying close enough attention.
I would be curious as to people's thoughts.
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