I saw this egotistical prick for nine years - starting out at his local off Anderson, followed him to 38th, and finally to his new digs as part of the mass group of doctors in the Pain Docs group. I have a series of extremely rare diseases that are compared pain from "severe cancer, often much worse" which is my case. I got those exact words from three specialists independent of one another.
Before electronic scripts were allowed for C2's, Thai would walk into the room as he was writing my scripts. In other words, to hell with listening to the patient (which is what doctors are supposed to do), he planned on having my scripts written, listen for a minute with each word going in one ear and out the other, so he could get his God Complex off and hand me my scripts. The only way I could get a word in edgewise was if I fed his ego more with compliments. His PA was always tremendous, but alas, she isn't a doctor or even a nurse - she is just sweet.
In NINE years I never once failed a UA, and the only reason I never tried to find a new pain doctor is bc A) it's frowned upon, and B) bc I never failed a UA, I was at least getting meds that helped my pain despite the fact that they were coming from a prick. So I guess if you're looking for a script writer who doesn't care about any changes (and my diseases are all about changes and progressively getting worse by the day) then he's your man. But if you're looking for a doctor who swears by this part of their oath: "I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug," then run away as fast as you can, bc Mr. Martin Thai has the bedside manner of Kathy Bate's character Annie Wilkes from "Misery."
Here's the straw that broke the camel's back. After close to a decade of putting up with this, I was still miserable (I won't get into my diseases), so I decided to TRY and go into a detox center and see what it would be like not being on pain meds. It was the worst mistake of my life, but I gave it the college try and even tried being on Subutex for the 10 days after I was inpatient. It DID NOT WORK - at least not for me. My other specialists and GP were extremely proud of me for at least trying. Thai on the other hand thought that I went behind his back, and since he is God - I was to hear him roar! He came in the room and said (and I quote): "What the f*%* is going on here! And don't fu*%ing bu*%s*i% me!" I calmly said "Dr. Thai, I told your nurse practitioner the same thing I am telling you (who is all you will see at this new mega clinic he's in just like all the doctors there...apart from your first visit). I went to Rock Springs to see if I would improve getting off my meds and being on Subutex - it not only hasn't helped, but it's made me ten times worse." I won't finish his profane lased tirade, but the long and short of it is he kicked me out then and there. No tapering me, no giving me a script and a recommendation, After NINE YEARS of loyal service, never missing an appointment, and never once failing a urine drug screen - the SOB kicked me to the curb.
I ALWAYS had the right levels of the meds I was prescribed - nothing else, and bc I TRIED to get off without going DIRECTLY through him, he looked at it the same way he always looks at things. He knows best, so how dare I even attempt to go to someone who specializes in that field. BTW, it's so much easier to detox in an inpatient setting than it is to have the doctors slowly taper you or have them put you on Subutex or Suboxone in office for 30 days at a time. In an inpatient setting, you are in a hospital where they can monitor the detox symptoms which can be severe esp after being on pain meds my entire adult life and they can give you other meds on a proper schedule to help make them as little miserable as possible.
That btw wasn't the only time he's used profanity in the time I saw him either. I told him a few times about a particular pharmacist and he would cockily insult them calling them dumbasses with a paper degrees who know nothing about medicine. His ego really has no end - he is the epitome of a doctor with a god complex. It might not show on your first visit, though it is likely if you look out for it. He isn't even compassionate before and after surgeries. My wife, mother, and sister disliked him so much that they refused to even go to anymore appointments with me. It's a true Godsend that he kicked me out for doing something courageous and difficult though bc I found a doctor who is an actual doctor, and takes their oath as a doctor seriously. All the specialists I see as well as my GP are spectacular and all have received 5 stars on yelp. I have left some 3 and 4 star reviews for other things, so I am not just a one star person - in fact, this is the ONLY time I have EVER left ANYONE One Star on yelp - and that is bc Dr. Martin Thai deserves it. read more