TikTok users criticized doctors for judging patients saying they needed stronger painkillers than Tylenol. Users called her views embarrassing and “competent,” especially for those dealing with chronic pain.
Doctor Alex Hua recently posted on TikTok that “if [she] Every dollar a patient tells me [her] Tylenol doesn’t work for them, they need something stronger,” she would have “shelf on shelf on shelf” money.
Hua’s TikTok and Instagram accounts are now private, and her TikTok is no longer viewable.but she TikTok says she won’t be anyone’s “Dilaudid dad” and won’t prescribe narcotics to patients.
TikTok and Twitter users criticized Hua for downplaying any pain her patients may be going through. Much of Hua’s TikTok is shown in stitches created by RN Nya (@nurse_nya).
@nurse_nya #stitch with @huachata.md #patientadvocate #youshouldbeembarrassed #nursestiktok #painmeds #tylenol ♬ OST – TikTok’s nurse Nya 👩🏾⚕️🩺
Under her needle, Nya called Hua’s videos “juvenile” and “capable.”
“You are the type of provider I would never want. Because your judgment is so bad,” Nya said on her TikTok. “You really think I’ll let you make my treatment plan? Get out of here.”
Claire Zagorski, a paramedic and graduate research assistant specializing in addictions, It was “very embarrassing” for doctors to openly admit they didn’t understand the concept of symptom severity.
Symptom severity refers to how different people perceive symptoms differently: one person might rate their “pain” two times out of ten, while another person might rate the same pain nine times out of 10.
Twitter users said they thought Hua’s remarks mocked people’s suffering.
“Who in their normal head made a TikTok to laugh at people in pain?” User @_bumpus_hound . “Sociopath?”
Others discussed the consequences of eliminating pain in the medical community.
“One day we’ll be talking about people who are chronically using aspirin/ibuprofen/naproxen for pain [management] Because it doesn’t even work 100% while damaging organs,” @alanaauston Video about Hua. “Tylenol doesn’t even work on menstrual cramps, like be fr [for real]. “
“Doctors treating patients as ‘drug addicts’ is deadly,” @_the_mykie_show , with reference to the Chronic Disease and Disability Community. “It really costs patients their lives.”
STYO was unable to reach Hua.
Tricia Clemmings
Tricia Crimmins is an IRL staff writer for the STYO. She is also a New York comedian and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she has written for Mashable, Complex Networks and Moment magazines. You can find her on Twitter at @TriciaCrimmins.
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