There’s probably no worse time to lie than at the doctor’s. While it’s understandable that people don’t want to feel judged, embarrassed, or lectured by their health provider, even a half-lie when it comes to our health can have some detrimental consequences.
To prove that telling nothing but the truth and only the truth to the doctors is crucial, we gathered some of the most unbelievable stories about patients who did the opposite. Scroll down to find them below, but be warned that some of them get quite intense.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with Dr. Cortney S. Warren, ABPP, board-certified clinical psychologist and author of Letting Go of Your Ex and Lies We Tell Ourselves: The Psychology of Self-Deception, who kindly agreed to talk with us more about lying patients.
#1
When patients lie and say they haven’t eaten anything prior to elective surgery when they have. I caught a patient snaffling biscuits that her partner had brought in for her because we are “so cruel” to deny her food. People can die from aspirating stomach contents during a GA.
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#2
I work in an STD clinic, so the stuff I deal with isn’t usually deadly or at least not immediately deadly. However, I am constantly surprised by the percentage of patients who test positive and refuse to tell their partners.
A guy came in a few years ago who for something relatively simple like gonorrhea, but seemed to have trouble walking. Long story short a nurse called an ambulance for him and sent him to the ER for a spinal tap. Turns out an ex boyfriend refused to tell him about his syphilis diagnosis after they had a rough break up like 15-20 years earlier. So not only was our guy possibly spreading syphilis unknowingly, he now had untreatable neurosyphilis. He worked with our Disease Intervention Specialists to track down as many partners as they could but I think he died from related complications like a year after his initial visit.
Image credits: tortiekelpie
#3
Jesus. Nurse here. We dont care. We dont care about your history, your finances, your social scene, your anything. We just want to help you. Christ. We really don’t care about anything except that you are a human being, and we want to help you. Please people. Tell the truth. It will save your live.
Image credits: onionknightress1082
#4
Not a doctor but my sisters godfather was diabetic. He went to the ER because he had a really bad cold for like 2 weeks. He went in and they asked him if he was a diabetic and for some reason he said no. Long story short they gave him something that made his sugar levels go up and he went into a coma. He died about a month later because his organs shutdown.
Edit: he was only 32 years old just in case anyone was wondering.
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#5
I’m not a doctor but a patient with a couple of really weird disorders that cause doctors who arent familiar with them to think I am taking. I have been denied very needed basic treatment like a bag of saline because my dehydration is exasperating my symptoms because they think I’m somehow gaming the system. These assumptions that patients are lying do a lot of harm, too.
Image credits: NoCureForCuriosity
#6
Social Worker at a children’s hospital. We have kids coming in through our resuscitation room that have been seizing and are unconscious with no prior history. I’m constantly trying to get parents to tell me if there is a possibility that their toddler might have ingested something, “Does your kid have access to cannabis? Could they have eaten some?”. Parents never want to admit it to doctors and so I’m always on a fact finding mission. As a social worker parents are either glad I’m there or they think I’m going to take their kids away…
PSA – cannabis can effect children in horrible, shut down your ability to breathe, kind of ways!
Image credits: Typetwofuncrew
#7
How about the opposite? I’ve moved a lot and when I visit a new doctor they often try to answer my health history for me.
‘Drinking? Smoking? Exercise and diet? Meh. You’re thin. So moderate, no, regular, healthy.’
None of that is accurate, but when I correct them I get ‘Oh. So is this a cry for help?’
What? No. I just want you to have the facts.
Image credits: kosigoli
#8
One of my patients was smoking in the bathroom while on oxygen. Could’ve ended very badly for him and others in the hospital.
Image credits: anon
#9
“Everybody lies” – Gregory House.
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#10
Had a relative that went in for surgery on his stomach. There were holes in the lining that were caused by painkiller abuse. No one at the time knew what was causing this except for my relative. Doc asks him if he was on any medications, relative says no, they put him under, he didn’t wake up. His toxicology showed oxycodone and hydrocodone. Don’t lie to doctors. They don’t tell anyone about your medical problems anyways.
Image credits: fuckingham_green
#11
We had a patient that took her home heart meds religiously even in the hospital when we were also administering then to her. She was Educated to not take any of her home meds while she is hospitalized since were giving her the hospital meds. She would sneak and take them. Her blood pressure bottom out and would have to bolus her. Security was called and had to remove the meds from her and lock them up. We had another patient requested a sleep med. The nurse gave it to her. Later, found patient barely arousable and blood pressure dropped which did not make sense she was given a low dose of sleep aid. Patient had her purse open on the bed and found a prescription of Ambien. The patient took our sleep aid plus double dose of her home med Ambien. We always instruct patients on admission not to take their home meds while in the hospital. We are not allowed to go through their belongings due to privacy. Edit: grammar.
Image credits: Lanna33
#12
My, well, step-uncle (brother of my step father, never met him though) lied about being in pain/sick so he could stay home from school and miss a test. Kept upping the ante so they’d believe him. Apparently his parents were pretty strict and he was terrified to admit he’d lied.
Long story short they took him to the hospital, he was diagnosed with appendicitis, and they straight up cut him open.
The test was looking pretty good at that point.
Image credits: RainahReddit
#13
“No I don’t smoke.”.
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