randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
i noticed when i went to the gastro and was talking to him, i told him some of the meds he gave me didn't work or gave me headaches.
i asked to be put back on elavil, 10 mg, a night and he said no. didn't give a reason, but his expression, well, it wasn't good. he actually looked angry.
and i asked my primary once for diflucan for yeast and he said no, he's never seen systemic yeast and didn't think it existed.
do you feel comfortable asking for and discussing your meds with your doctor? i think they get angry or offended or something.
why can't we ask for say, diflucan, if it works? why can't we say "oh i really didn't like robinul. it gave me severe headaches." why do they get so angry?
i mean afer all, we're paying them tons, so why can't we contribute?
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
It was NEVER a problem with my LLMD...never.
My current GP will consider and usually gives me what I ask for. He's wonderful. Very smart man and I know he wouldn't give me something that would be bad for me. Makes me more confident in asking.
Maybe it's time for a change, randi.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
If I run into a dr that won't at least consider my suggestions and discuss it with me, they aren't my dr for long.
Though they may have the degree (not that it always means much), I know my body (and my kid's) and I know what works and what doesn't. If I want to go back on or switch to a particular medication, then at the very least my dr better listen, and then if he doesn't agree, talk with me about it, and we can make the decision together.
We are lucky in that even the kid's psychiatrist listens and has made med changes or additions based on my thoughts and input.
We are new to our LLMD, however we will be discussing various meds and treatment options next week when we go back, and from the few times we've been there, I think that he will be open to suggestions and input.
If your dr isn't, I strongly suggest finding a new one. In my opinion at least, our health care providers are supposed to be our partners in our health, not the "almighty final word"
Posts: 19 | From Michigan | Registered: Feb 2010
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
FInd new doctors....ones you can talk freely with.
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First, there are tests for symptomatic yeast. My chronic fatigue doctor checked my blood and my stool. Since I have yeast in both, I have systematic yeast. I had sinus infections all the time, allergies were out of control, and vaginal yeast infections all the time. That doctor is an idoit, unfortunately most doctors feel the same way.
Luckily, I finally found a primary care nurse practioner who believes in lyme. (She has another patient with it for 15 years).
I bring her ideas and she says yes or no and gives me a reason why. Normally, I am satisfied with the answer.
If my LLMD makes a recommendation, she doesn't question it, like why I am on diflucan for 3 months, she just refills the script for me.
I really like her, I think she knows that she is smart, but she always says she knows when to ask for help, or accept help from another doctor.
But, before this NP, the doctors pretty much thought they were God and didn't want to be questioned, or even made me feel stupid for mentioning medicines, and berated me for doing research on-line, and always claimed it was bogus.
Good luck, Shalome
Posts: 893 | From Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
I have gotten the runaround for other health problems, pre-Lyme, for which I was misdiagnosed for years, and then only treated, ineffectively, for symptoms and had to figure out how to attack the cause by myself.
I met a lot of doctors who would ignore anything I said to them, and who often liked to meet new patients for the first time after you were lying naked on their table wrapped in a sheet of paper.
Now if they can't come in first while I'm still wearing clothes and shake my hand and say hello, I look for another one.
I have had much better luck with female doctors than male ones, when looking for ones that would listen to me and take me seriously as a person. My LLMD, who is male, is also wonderful that way.
My current GP is a woman. She is still skeptical about my Lyme diagnosis, but she did listen to all my concerns, consider the research I brought her, run a Lyme test and prescribe antibiotics at my insistence, and make suggestions for how she could try to help with my symptoms.
My former doctor was also a woman, and she tells all her patients that they need to be proactive about their own health, so she appreciates it when they do research and ask questions.
Doctors may be experts in how to diagnose and treat problems in their area of specialty, but you are the only expert about your own symptoms and history.
Who else but you could your gastro possibly ask, to know if the med he prescribed was working for you or not?
-------------------- Don't forget to laugh! And when you're going through hell, keep going!
Bitten 5/25/2009 in Perry County, Indiana. Diagnosed by LLMD 12/2/2009. Posts: 756 | From Inside the tunnel | Registered: Jan 2010
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
"why can't we ask for say, diflucan, if it works? why can't we say "oh i really didn't like robinul. it gave me severe headaches." why do they get so angry?"
Many reasons but a few, they don't like patients to ask questions that make it neccesary for them to take time to answer or research. Bottom line, time is money.
I find that many doctors are egotistical and they don't think a patient is smart enough to know anything. I leave those doctors behind.
If you are asking for something, go in armed with convincing research that can be presented quickly. Keep it simple. Not all of them are smart enough to handle even the simple stuff.
Edited to add: Many will not entertain any idea that is alternative to what they are taught by the allopathic medical community. They don't want to be perceived as a whacko by their peers. From what I've seen, peer pressure is a big deal in medicine. AND many don't want to have to think or learn anything new.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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Sorry, I did mean systematic!! I get so caught up and somewhat upset when I hear posts like this because doctors should listen to us more.
There are so many people I know walking around with sinus infections every month and I KNOW they would benefit from 3 months of diflucan and I tell them, knowing there doctor will never prescribe it for them.
Shalome
Posts: 893 | From Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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Amanda
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14107
posted
I ask my LLMD for drugs (or to be taken off of them) frequently. Typical response is "well, let me look over all your other meds and lab results, and if it seems appropriate and won't be harmfull, then we can try it".
But before I go in there, I have a "speech" prepared, with why I want to try teh drug, and research as to how it pertains to me.
-------------------- "few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example" - Mark Twain Posts: 1008 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
My doc is fine with my suggesting drugs/treatment, etc. If he thinks there is a problem with my suggestion, he tells me.
He knows I have been educating myself on TBD & he doesn't act like he has all the answers.
I think you should find another doc. I know its a hassle---but its your life, not his. Screw him.
Posts: 213 | From ohio | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Randi, I think the most important thing you can do if be an advocate for yoursef. If your doctor is offended by that, or ignores your thoughts or suggestions, it is time to seek out another physician. If this were the 1950's, maybe it woud be a different story.....
Posts: 84 | From Seattle, WA | Registered: Sep 2009
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I get so caught up and somewhat upset when I hear posts like this because doctors should listen to us more.
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