Looking for physician for pain management in BKK

[Guest]

Good Morning,
I am currently moving to Bangkok from the USA on September 12th for 2-3 years and I need to find a family physician to deal with some chronic pain issues I have dealt with for years. 14 years ago I was crushed on my left side, resulting in damage to my left him, arm and my back. Because of this I take pain medication daily and over the years I have taken nearly every type available. I just came off of fentanyl patchs. There was much question whether I could get them in Thailand by my own family physician, so now I am just on percocet.
Can any of you living in Bangkok recommend a physician that I could use for my pain management? I suspect the price of medication will be a lot less than what it is in the USA. I get my Medicare and Medicaid here in the states but it won't be any good to me in LOS, so I need to find an affordable alternative for medication. Also, could anyone recommend a good high level pain medication that you have used that might be a good alternative to the fentanyl or percocet?
Thanks so much for any info you can give me,
Nhscotsman

[moe666]

Just go to any good Bangkok Hospital. Check out the internet all of the hospitals that cater to faranges have good web sites. Type in Bangkok hospitals you will get a bunch.

[moe666]

NHS, just did a quick web check BNH has a pain clinic. This is suppose to be one of the good hospitals. Also go to WWW.RamHospital.com a local Thai Hospital but a guy wrote a short column in Stickman about his surgery there. BNH is the Bangkok Nurses Hospital. Good luck.

[BAM]

I'm sure you'd make alot of 'Ladyboy Friends' real quick if you handed out a few of them DURAGESIC patches in Nana. The Ladyboys love stuff like this... the photog was telling me of a girl that showed up for her shoot buzzed out of her mind of the animal tranquilizer Ketamine.

[thaimeup]

Thats the first I've heard about someone using K in Bangkok....not that it surprises me.

[rxpharm]

nshscotsman, Duragesic patches are available in Thailand, but only through a special prescription and hospital pharmacies. None of the community drugstores carry narcotic analgesic drugs. These are only dispensed from hospital pharmacies.

I am not sure if these may be restricted to cancer patients - I have a Thai pharmacist friend and will ask her about this.

Sorry Bam, Duragesic patches don't give the same hallucinogenic effects as Ketamine. Ketamine has become a popular party drug because of these properties, but can cause kidney failure.

Have checked with my Thai pharmacist friend - she told me that the Duragesic patches are available in the bigger Bangkok Hospital pharmacies - of course by prescription only. The stronger narcotics such as slow release morphine tablets are also available. She says there is no restriction to only cancer patients, it is up to the doctor who needs it. I would suggest you take a copy of your medical record or an official letter from your family physician so it is clear to the Thai doctor what your medical history has been and what has been useful to treat your chronic pain condition.

[Guest]

There is no such thing as a family doctor in Thailand. You go to a hospital, get a doctor you like, and keep going back to him/her.

Bumrungrad is the most famous, and sometimes the best (just depends if you like the doctors you get), and Simitvej is also good, and for cheaper, local, but still very, very good Phaya Thai II (vs Phaya Thai I). I have been to all and recommend them highly. Many doctors are US trained. Price is negligible.

Some of the hospital pharmacies dispense some drugs without prescriptions that are not kept in local pharmacies (not all drugs of course). I have some skin cream I can only buy at the hospital, but with no prescription.

Most doctors are patient friendly, meaning they are willing to give you a very large prescription, if you really want it, to avoid many visits. Also, you may be surprised and find they believe the US recommendations are 'old'. I've had this happen several times, and they were right.

[Guest]

Hi,
I want to personally thank each of you that gave input to my predicament. I have to laugh though, I posted the exact same question in a few other forums and didn't get a single reply but I was amazed to get numerous ones here. You really are good people in here and it's always a pleasure to chat and get information about Thailand.

Thanks so much to you all, you always come through!

Nhscotsman

[thaibound]

(ziggystardust @ Aug. 07 2007,06:03) There is no such thing as a family doctor in Thailand. You go to a hospital, get a doctor you like, and keep going back to him/her.

not to hijack nhs's thread
but these informed responses lead me to ask what might be obvious -- if i bring my several prescriptions (be it "schedule 2" painkillers or not) from the can i just walk into bumrungrad, ask to see a doctor and, after a consult, have those same prescriptions filled -- and re-filled -- "locally" for however long i choose to stay, be it one month or five years?
would any further research be advised prior to the cold call at the hospital administration desk simply asking to "see a doctor"? if i'll be in pattaya for an extended period of time, where might the best hospital/doctor be found?
i figure it wouldn't be a bad idea to "know" a doctor over there anyway...
the screwed up american insurance system leaves me hesitant about the ease with which good doctors and authentic medicines might be obtained in another less $$$$-driven system.
maybe they have a medecine i can take for that too!
although ladyboy ass has worked wonders in the past!
thnx.

[moe666]

A few years ago got a pressure equalizing earplug stuck in ear. The morning after arriving in Bangkok walked down Soi 4 to Bumrungrad met at main door by a greeter, what do you need, see a DR., go up stairs, ok, up stairs, another greeter, what problem, show earplug, take elevator 5th floor ear, noise and throat, thank you. Take elevator to 5 th floor ear noise and throat walk to desk fill out paper work and return, take seat please something to drink, water and juice in glasses covered by plastic. Less than 5 min. MR. MOe666, weight, blood pressure, have seat please. Sit down few min. later Mr. Moe666, go into exam. room sit in chair Dr. looks in ears grab clamps and remove ear plug, check ear, you ok. Give me ear plug throw in trash. Go out to desk, given paper work go to 2nd floor pay please. Down stairs to finiance give paper work to cashier, have seat please, few min. later Mr. Moe666 go to desk 700 baht please, here is hospital card. Pay 700baht get reciept out the door down Soi4 back to Dynansty, 45 min total time.

In the states at least 4 hours and 200 dollars.

[thaibound]

(moe666 @ Aug. 07 2007,19:03) A few years ago got a pressure equalizing earplug stuck in ear. The morning after arriving in Bangkok walked down Soi 4 to Bumrungrad met at main door by a greeter, what do you need, see a DR., go up stairs, ok, up stairs, another greeter, what problem, show earplug, take elevator 5th floor ear, noise and throat, thank you. Take elevator to 5 th floor ear noise and throat walk to desk fill out paper work and return, take seat please something to drink, water and juice in glasses covered by plastic. Less than 5 min. MR. MOe666, weight, blood pressure, have seat please. Sit down few min. later Mr. Moe666, go into exam. room sit in chair Dr. looks in ears grab clamps and remove ear plug, check ear, you ok. Give me ear plug throw in trash. Go out to desk, given paper work go to 2nd floor pay please. Down stairs to finiance give paper work to cashier, have seat please, few min. later Mr. Moe666 go to desk 700 baht please, here is hospital card. Pay 700baht get reciept out the door down Soi4 back to Dynansty, 45 min total time.

 In the states at least 4 hours and 200 dollars.

could've been a scene from "Sicko" if michael moore had crossed the pacific instead of the atlantic.
if i have this figured medical care in the LOS is neither the universal care that canada, and france pay high taxes to get for free nor is it the insurance-mafia run insanity that we tolerate because we're sheep, but it is instead some unique hybrid where it seems what happens is each individual pays for what he needs with no 300% added cost to fund the insurance companies. and given this occurs in a country where labor costs are way cheap, the net result is a helluva deal. is that about right?

[moe666]

I think it still boils down to those who have the bucks can get the best care. But some of the Thai hospitals are just as good.

Read a long story in the Stickman column from a guy who needed heart surgery he went to Bangkok heart hospital first cost about 1 millionbaht. This guy went for a second opinion at Ram Hospital and this is where he had surgery 700,000baht cost. Check out at www.RamHospital.com. his Dr. also works at Bumragrund.

[rxpharm]

Actually for non-narcotic and non-control medications, you do not even need a prescription to get them from a community pharmacy. However, that being said not all North American drugs are available in Thailand, so if you have particular medicines for your condition, I would recommend you check their availability in LOS or take a supply that will last for your planned stay there.

That being said, Thailand does carry the full range of medicines to cover all therapeutic needs, so even if your medicine is not available, there will be an alternative available that should work.

[BAM]

(rxpharm @ Aug. 07 2007,15:46) Sorry Bam, Duragesic patches don't give the same hallucinogenic effects as Ketamine.

Damn ... so that must explain why Jesus and Elvis didn't appear yet in my bedroom!

[kahuna]

Jesus and Elvis together in your bedroom...Dude that's kinky...