I was told to call my LLMD office today since I was on my omnicef for one month now. I called and was told he would get right back to me since he was on a call. My second call I was told he was with a patient and he would call me right back. It is now 10pm and the office is closed till Tuesday for the holidays. I have no abx left and wonder if it is ok to just stop the medicine for that lenght of time? This is my third issue with getting no response from the LLMD office when he was the one who asked me to call. Will this affect my treatment?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Well, if you are out, you have no choice. I would not be too concerned, though. This is a marathon, not a sprint. After a month on, a few days off should be just fine and actually give you little breathing room.
But, be very careful to still be absolutely excellent with your self-care and keeping to a good diet. You don't want to have to back track. If you will be around New Year's eve revelers, plan ahead.
I imagine most doctors' offices have been tossed on their heads with your snow storm and keeping up with cancelations, etc. You should be fine until Tuesday and yet there are a few things that you can do for yourself, as support.
DO tell the doctor about your phone call situation. He may not be getting the messages or, if so, you can discuss a better communication method to fix the problem.
In the meantime, get some good Olive Leaf Extract &/or Allicin (or Freeze Dried ORGANIC Garlic - capsules).
If you stomach, throat and esophagus are not irritated, you could swallow one small clove (about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp size) of organic garlic. But, if you have irritation of mucous or GI membranes, I do not suggest that. If not, I'd take on in the middle of a good solid lunch.
IF you don't mind smelling like garlic. If you prompt others around you to eat Italian or Mediterranean foods, that will get you off the hook.
OLE has no smell and I suggest starting with that. The thing is that you are probably still snowed in but if you have a vitamin store near you, they should have OLE.
I'm hoping you have organic garlic right in your kitchen. If you are not sure about swallowing a raw clove, then cook with it.
Also, you can open up you jar of turmeric in your spice cabinet and use that freely in your cooking. And remember to take your support supplements even if the abx have run out.
These will all help for a few days. -
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
Thanx...I never heard of olive leat extract. can I get that in a regular pharmacy or has to be online. Is it just one dosage and is that something I could continue even when on abx? I have never tried tumeric, sounds interesting. I cook with garlic but cannot swallow capsules,I have a bad stomach and it gets very upset with garlic and lemon (no lemon water for me). Have a happy new year...
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Find a new doctor ASAP!
Posted by 5vforest (Member # 29365) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: Find a new doctor ASAP!
Don't you think that's a bit overreactive and drastic?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Do find out WHY the phone calls aren't working out with your doctor. There may be a reason. Ask first. Sometimes doctors do not realize that a staff member is dropping the ball (or dropping messages). Now, if the doctor is just disregarding you, that is different. But, with the blizzard and the dig-out, extra patience may be required.
Find out the refill policy. Some doctors require a week's advance on refill requests so that they don't have to rush as the last minute.
Most good vitamin or natural food stores carry OLE. As you see your LLMD on Tuesday, ordering online to cover these next few days is not an option right now.
For details, search through Google: Seagate "Olive Leaf Extract"
Read all about it at that site, at other education internet sites and at PubMed (just Google that term) and then search at their site. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
A recent thread about OLE -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- You said you have never tried turmeric. Not even in cooking? You may have a jar of it in your cupboard.
Search Google: Turmeric, anti-inflammatory
Best with food when just starting out. -
Posted by Abxnomore (Member # 18936) on :
You will be fine without ABX until the office re-opens but the situation is unacceptable. I think Keebler gave you sound advice, similar to what I suggested to you in my email.
Have you called the pharmacy and explained the situation and asked if they could reach him?
Also, I just called the office and there is staff there doing year end paper work. I suppose they can reach him.
If you can reach them, I would give them an ear full and demand that they rectify the situation ASAP.
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
thank abx...I got them after numerous attempts they must have been annoyed with the ringing phone.She apologized for not getting back to me again (i swear I never call or bother them!)
She stated the holidays are busy for her which I can see. She called in the abx for another month and said to call after the holidays to see if they can push the insurance for IV again.
Then just keep my feb appt with the LLMD and maybe start shots of penicillin instead since they are only 500 a month as opposed to 5000 for IV abx.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
My pharmacy would give me three days of meds to hold them over until the doctor called them in.
My doctor required 48 hours to refill scripts. I was sure to get all refills during my phone consultation, but when I didn't, I left a message on their refill line and had to wait up till 48 hours (longer if a weekend was involved).
You just need to ask their system and what is the best way to handle refills.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by 5vforest:
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: Find a new doctor ASAP!
Don't you think that's a bit overreactive and drastic?
She's been without abx for a MONTH now.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Hmm?
Dec. 30: " was told to call my LLMD office today since I was on my omnicef for one month now."
It sounded like she just took her last pill.
Between the huge blizzard there and all that entails with office management - and the day she was told to call having fallen right at a holiday weekend, that would add to the delays.
-
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
No, she's been ON the med for a month. She called when she ran out.
Posted by Abxnomore (Member # 18936) on :
Lymetoo, you misunderstood. She has not been waiting a month for her refill just a day but would have had to wait until Tuesday if I had not called the office and discovered that there were staff in today doing paperwork.
Annier I'm glad it worked out and you can get your ABX. It's not uncommon at all, thou very frustrating, to have problems with the front desk people. I used to fax in letters directly to my doctor to avoid having to relay a message through someone else. If you have a fax you may want to consider that method.
While I understand at this point that you are very unhappy with how you have been treated regarding several instances, most times the doctor is clueless about what's going on. He is busy treating patients and relying on his staff.
If after having had an opportunity to speak to him about your grievances in February and they still are not resolved then it may be that you will not be able to reconcile them. But in the meantime stick with him until you find a suitable replacement and keep at the forefront of your mind that at least you are getting treatment, thou you should not be having the aggrevation.
I know it won't make you feel any better, but many of us have faced this kind of frustration. Our medical system is filled with flaws but it doesn't make it right or less frustrating.
Also, when you speak to the front desk again make it clear to them that thus far you have been very unhappy with the level of service you have been getting. That you are very sick and are paying a lot of money to be in the care of this doctor and expect better and let's hope things resolve.
Ask them if they have any special policies about refills, office rules, etc. that, perhaps, they failed to tell you about.
P.S. My pharmacy would certainly have given me a few days worth of ABX to hold me over if I was in that situation, too.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
IV abx don't usually cost anywhere near $5,000 per month, unless you get it from an infusion co at a greatly inflated price. Usually insurance will cover one month's worth.
After that, if they deny covering more,you can get it from Infuserve for around $700 per month. And they submit it to insurance, who often pays, even though they say they won't. So don't discount IV abx.