Man denied painkillers, shoots self

[Hum]

A Miles City man allegedly shot himself in the ankle in the Holy Rosary Healthcare Emergency Room parking lot Monday night after supposedly being refused care, according to Miles City Police Chief Doug Colombik.

Colombik said central dispatch was notified at 8:11 p.m. of a gun being fired in the hospital parking lot.

The 48-year-old man?s name has not been released.

The hospital went into lock-down mode for the safety of its patients, extended care residents and staff, according to hospital spokesperson Jackie Muri.

Once the situation was stabilized, the lock-down was lifted, she said.

The Miles City Fire and Rescue ambulance was called to put the patient on a gurney and get him into the emergency room.

Colombik said that according to police reports, the man came to the hospital for pain killers for severe back pain. He supposedly had been denied medical treatment and was upset. He allegedly went out to the parking lot, retrieved a hand gun from the vehicle he arrived in and shot himself in an attempt to obtain treatment. :huh:

Muri said the patient was treated, stabilized and transported to a Billings facility for care.

Colombik said the Custer County Attorney?s Office will review the case and decide whether to charge the man for negligence and endangerment for shooting a gun in close proximity to others (the hospital).

source

[ahhell]

Sounds like an addict to me.

[Charisma Veteran]

Sounds like an addict to me.

Maybe, but I know how awful back pain can be. If I didn't have the painkillers during the worst part of it after my accident, I might have shot myself too. (Except not in the foot, this would have been a "put me out of my misery" shot.)

[ahhell]

Maybe, but I know how awful back pain can be. If I didn't have the painkillers during the worst part of it after my accident, I might have shot myself too. (Except not in the foot, this would have been a "put me out of my misery" shot.)

The article doesn't say why that he wasn't treated. Most likely this isnt his first visit.

[Charisma Veteran]

The article doesn't say why that he wasn't treated. Most likely this isnt his first visit.

Yeah, I agree, you're probably right. I just winced when I read it--but yeah, the story is usually that people get over-prescribed these things when they really don't need it, rather than the opposite. And if you are already in excruciating pain, you aren't going to do something to cause even more pain, so yeah... shooting yourself in the foot, literally :laugh:

[XerXis]

a lot of allegedly and supposedly is used in that article :p

[Hum]

The hospital may get a lot of people claiming back pain, in order to get 'recreational' drugs to use.

Wonder if he tried any non-script pain meds.

[Mezmis]

Dammit, of all the places to shoot oneself, why the ankle?! Maybe there's something I don't know about ankles, but if it were my ankle, I'd be seriously concerned about losing my foot.

Wonder if he tried any non-script pain meds.

A normal person would have just knocked back a couple super strength ibuprofens. Either he couldn't afford the $7 for a bottle, or he is just an addict.

[MidnightDevil]

There are kinds of pain that just don't responde to OTC pain killers.

[BoyBoppins]

Thats it! Ban all guns!

/s

[Growled Member]

Maybe, but I know how awful back pain can be. If I didn't have the painkillers during the worst part of it after my accident, I might have shot myself too. (Except not in the foot, this would have been a "put me out of my misery" shot.)

I agree. I have severe back pain as well. Sometimes it's only the meds that keep me going. No one knows what another person is going through until they walk in their shoes for a bit.

[Xerino]

I also have severe back pain, when I first went to see my pain "specialist" he tried prescribing me Tramadol which is a pain killer in a sense but its also used to treat depression, he had also presribed me abilify which is also an anti depressant, for some reason here in cali anyways they think if you take anti depressants your pain will go away which is complete BS, after a few months of "trial periods" he finally decided that all that crap he was giving me wasnt doing a damn thing and finally decided on 90 norco a month (10mg/325mg Hydrocodone / acetametophen)....

**** in canada you can go buy tylenol with codeine over the counter, I understand there is a serious additcion problem here in the states but denying a person who is in obvious pain what that person needs to get better is complete BS, and it seems the only way to get anything to treat said pain with anything better than ibuprofen you gotta get shot or beat up...

[MidnightDevil]

Tramadol has two mechanisms of action. It's a short type SSRI (serotonin re-uptake innihibitor) and a mu-agonist (a weak opiate though). The two mechanisms contribue for a supposed "high level" of pain relieve, but doesn't work the same way for everyone.

Sometimes its a lot easier and more effective to treat the patient with effective pain killers, monitor them as is normal that their tolerance goes up and taper down once the primary cause is healed.

Sometimes, the injury or trauma is for a lifetime, in those situations the physicians are trained to switch from one opiate to another to avoid over-prescribing (cross-tolerance).

[Authentic X]

some people will do anything to get opiates :D

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

It is amazing the things that an addict will do to get their next fix.

[MidnightDevil]

Don't judge.

[44MLX]

M.D House style, get vicodin :D

[ZonoBurk]

You don't even know this guy and just read a few paragraphs about the situation.

He's obviously an addict people. OBVIOUSLY. :rolleyes: