# Is this an ER trip or can it wait until morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2011, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200 "2011-02-22T05:53:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/21 "2011-02-22T09:30:58Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I’m pretty sure we can’t ask for medical advice in General Questions. I don’t think that rule applies on IMHO. That’s what I thought, since I have seen some threads moved from GQ to IMHO. I think the point is that we understand we’re just getting opinions and not solid facts. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/22 "2011-02-22T15:41:19Z")
And the final tally is: 1 - number of completely screwed up digestive systems. 8 - number of days I had a throbbing headache. 1 - number of infections which came about in spite of a week of antibiotics. 2 - number of new antibiotics I now have to take. 5 - number of copays I have accumulated in the last week (extraction appt., first round of drugs, ER visit, second dentist visit, second round of drugs). 2 - number of painkiller prescriptions I now have (now I have 16 remaining oxycodone and a new batch of 20 hydrocodoen) At least this is still all less expensive than the root canal would have been. Please cross your fingers and hope that I haven’t developed a sensitivity to azithromycin since the last time I took it. I don’t even know what the other antibiotic is but it’s in the form of an oral rinse. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/23 "2011-02-22T16:25:52Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > And the final tally is: > > 1 - number of completely screwed up digestive systems. > 8 - number of days I had a throbbing headache. > 1 - number of infections which came about in spite of a week of antibiotics. > 2 - number of new antibiotics I now have to take. > 5 - number of copays I have accumulated in the last week (extraction appt., first round of drugs, ER visit, second dentist visit, second round of drugs). > 2 - number of painkiller prescriptions I now have (now I have 16 remaining oxycodone and a new batch of 20 hydrocodoen) I’m imagining The Count from Sesame Street laughing maniacally as he says all this. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/24 "2011-02-22T16:52:06Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > .. He also said it’s entirely possible that the ONE dose of Pepto that I took on Friday has managed to give me black crap for 2 days. … Yeah - the black stool is apparently a known side effect of the stuff: > **[Why Is My Poop Black? Causes and Treatments for Tarry Stool](https://www.verywellhealth.com/causes-of-black-stool-1941711)** > > It can be unsettling when your poop looks black. This may be from certain foods or digestive disorders. Learn the causes of black, tarry stool and what to do about it. I’m glad you’re not bleeding out! ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/25 "2011-02-22T17:27:06Z")
Pepto = black stinky poo for days. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/26 "2011-02-22T17:51:49Z")
Yep, Pepto does that to me too. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/27 "2011-02-22T17:59:52Z")
One of the side effects of pain killers is constipation so that should help the diarrhea.😛 Do you take probiotics when you take antibiotics to help restore your good GI bacteria? ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/28 "2011-02-22T20:07:09Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Do you take probiotics when you take antibiotics to help restore your good GI bacteria? Um…no?..maybe? If you mean am I taking some other pill, no. I usually just eat yogurt. Is that the same thing? I had no idea about the Pepto. I’ve taken it before without any side effects. I can’t stand the stuff though so I rarely take it and one dose is usually enough for me to decide that diarrhea isn’t that bad. **Thudlow** : I had the same reaction after I typed it all out. The maniacal laughing I mean. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/29 "2011-02-22T20:58:11Z")
Any chance you swallowed a lot of blood when your tooth was extracted? Just a thought. Anyhow- acetaminophen (paracetamol) DOES NOT cause GI bleeding as a common side effect. NSAIDs such as Naproxen, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen and Aspirin might cause stomach bleeds, Acetaminophen shouldn’t. [cite](http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gibleeding/index.asp) _“Acetaminophen, which is not an NSAID, achieves similar benefits of pain relief with minimal, if any, impact on the stomach lining.”_ That’s from the American College of Gastroenterologists, and it explains why your Dr wasn’t concerned about the Tylenol. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/30 "2011-02-23T02:25:51Z")
Heh - I was going to ask you if you took any pepto for your stomach - it certainly can give you a couple of days of black/green stools, even in quite small doses. If you ever want to time how long it takes you to process, take a dose of pepto and time how long it takes your poo to turn black. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/31 "2011-02-23T02:37:46Z")
So it helps to settle upset stomachs and it makes people think they’re bleeding internally. How the heck did I manage to go so long without knowing this? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/32 "2011-02-23T03:07:55Z")
Just lucky, I guess. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/33 "2011-02-23T03:50:55Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > Um…no?..maybe? If you mean am I taking some other pill, no. I usually just eat yogurt. Is that the same thing? > . It depends on the yogurt. Check for live active cultures. Another good source is keffir. It’s more liquid than yogurt but good in smoothies. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/34 "2011-02-24T19:30:43Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > If you have insurance, you could always try their ask-a-nurse line. They say they can’t give you medical advice, but maybe could tell you something to either set your mind at ease or convince you to go to ER tonight. Theoretically, what is the purpose of calling an insurance company’s Ask-A-Nurse line if they’re not supposed to give medical advice? That is, what would be an example of something an insurance company nurse could do for me? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/35 "2011-02-24T19:36:48Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > Theoretically, what is the purpose of calling an insurance company’s Ask-A-Nurse line if they’re not supposed to give medical advice? That is, what would be an example of something an insurance company nurse could do for me? Heh - good question! The last time I called (gallbladder attack, 2 AM, snowed in with 18 inches of snow), it involved waiting on hold for a half hour, being asked a few questions, and being told I should stay home vs attempting to go to the ER. Whereas a neighbor called once and was told to use her cell phone to call 911 while she stayed on the land line with the nurse. So really I think the nurse lines have a script of yes / no questions designed to triage “ER or home”. And not much else. ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200/36 "2011-02-24T19:59:04Z")
I have nothing to add except that your poop sounds so much grosser than mine. My poop is downright cute in comparison. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-er-trip-or-can-it-wait-until-morning/572200.md?page=1)