Is it a bad idea to go to the doctor's office high?

I wouldn’t do it.

Being high may make your heart beat faster and raise your blood pressure a bit, but honestly, as long as you’re not completely stoned, your vitals signs will not be very far from normal. If the nurse who takes your vitals notices that you blood pressure is raised, she may suggest you try to manage your stress better.
Also, I highly doubt you’d get into legal trouble for your doctor suspecting you are high. I, personally, wouldn’t worry about it.

I think it would be best to view the bill completely and utterly stoned.

I don’t think it would be the first time your doctor has had a stoned patient. I would though not want the pot in my system to misrepresent my stats and what I paid good money for the doctor to do for me.

Your doctor is likely to be able to detect that you are high. At the least, you will get a talking to and a record of it on your chart, which can then be seen by insurers and, potentially, even by your employer.

“Some immediate physical effects of marijuana include a faster heartbeat and pulse rate, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth and throat. Marijuana use increases the heart rate as much as 50 percent, depending on the amount of THC.”

Source

I probably would do it (I can’t stand sitting anywhere, bus, car, plane, meeting, whatever for more than 3 hours). That’s not to say it’s a great idea. I do lots of things that are questionable in terms of wisdom. ;)

Your doctor might notice increased heart rate and blood pressure, as has been mentioned. Another thing to consider is pupil dilation—if the person looking knows the signs and has a mind to look for it, they could very well figure it out.

I doubt that you would get in trouble, though. As far as I know, in most states, being high is not a crime. The crimes are possession, trafficking, having paraphernalia, etc. Most states, simply having drugs in your system (as long as you are not being a nuisance) is not a crime. I have heard about ‘internal possession’ laws in some states like North or South Dakota. This, essentially means that having drugs in your bloodstream counts as a form of internal possession.

I’m thinking that as long as you act fairly normal, no one would ever suspect.

I wouldn’t think you’d get in trouble, but I’d shy away from it for other reasons.

If you’re not there just for a checkup, I assume you’re having some sort of stomach issue you’re there to discuss?

If so, understand the doctor only has two things to go on, what you tell her and what she can observe during the short time you’re together.

She only gets that one 15 minute snapshot of your life to try and tell you what’s wrong with you. If you go in and that snapshot isn’t representative of your actual condition, it’s likely to throw off the few clues she has to work with. Afterall, she’s just making a best guess as to the next course of action.

With all the other crap prescribed on a daily basis, she probably doesn’t care that you get high, except as it relates to your health and her ability to do her job.

Please don’t.

In all my years of drinking and using, I never went to a doctor under the influence. It’s like one of the few things you must be absolutely present for.

If I were the Doctor, and questioning your high, and you told me you ate pot brownies, I’d say your stomach problem is from eating pot.

I was just going to say, do you really need to have a pot brownie before taking the bus?

Seriously?

I bet no one would contest having coffee or a cigarette on the day of a doctor’s appointment.. Geez

@Facade Coffee, no; cigarette yes. Even so the doctor is going to smell the smoke on you and give you another lecture about quitting.

Coffee isn’t bad for you and doesn’t alter your consciousness.

@zenvelo I disagree about the coffee, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not really looking for a debate about marijuana. It gets tiring trying to un-brainwash people.. Just trying to offer some advice from my experiences.

@Facade I am very liberal about marijuana use, my only real concern about weed is if someone is driving while high. The question though, is about going to the doctor high- I just think that is a bad idea. I also think it is a bad idea to go to the doctor drunk, or high on cocaine.

I enjoy questions from people using pot, they are always entertainment. If you need entertainment during a bus ride, I suggest that you use your IPOD or MP3 player. I am surprised that THC raises your heart rate but according to others here, he does.

The idea of going to the doctor is to find out what’s wrong with you and you don’t want to skew the tests. Too much sugar from the brownies may be the cause of your problems, not the THC.

Either way, it probably isn’t a good idea to self-medicate before seeing the doctor. I’d save the brownie for after the exam.

Regardless, I hope you feel better.

@zenvelo I understand what you’re saying.. But the OP is talking about having a pot brownie in the morning to spice up a five hour bus ride. I doubt they’ll be feeling anything but a residual high by the time they are actually at the appointment.

Yeah, save the treat for the five-hour bus ride home. As long as you’re going there and back, wreak minor havoc on your system after it’s been examined.

Yes. They’re probably going to think that if you can’t even go there sober, you have a real problem. It doesn’t come off as some occasional thing. You won’t get in legal trouble (they cannot legally report you, it’s a violation of doctor/patient confidentiality), you’ll just come across as needing a good talking to. And nothing ruins a buzz like having someone lecture you on your pot usage.

Reading just the question from the front page made me laugh out loud. Two thumbs up.

Save the brownie for the ride home.
[edit] sorry @efritz didn’t see same answer above ! And I agree completely.

@Facade I always <3 your answers.

There is no five hour bus ride home, I’m driving back with my folks! As for the digestion, it’s probably good that I eat something I can’t digest beforehand so the doc can hear the crazy sounds my stomach makes and better diagnose me!

Like @Facade said, if I have it at 7:30 am, I should have come down a bunch by 4:15.

This just doesn’t seem worth it. Its hard to say what residual effects it might have on other things the doc tests for. You really can’t handle a 5 hour ride without being high?

Yes, but I’m sure they’ve seen worse.