Stupid question: OB vs. RE

Serendipitie · January 2009

This is such a newbie question, it's not even funny.

I am starting to question if i should go to an OB instead of an RE, since my first RE experience was that of a drug pusher.

I thought we could do the necessary testing first, have time to go over the results and then consider our options. But when I went last week for the RE consult, he was ready to go full force with IF drugs and procedures without even doing any testing. Of course, he was happy to do the testing before actually starting, but it felt like he had already made up his mind about the course of action before seeing the test results.

I don't currently have an OB - my primary care doc does my annual exam, and I already know her course of action would be to put me on Clomid. So I have the chance to either make an appt with another RE, or find myself an OB.

Will an OB do the tests (SA, HSG, bloodwork, etc.), or should I try to find an RE that is more on the same page as I am?

mb~zf · January 2009

We're going through my ob's office due to insurance. So far they have done an SA, hsg and bloodwork. I think it depends on the doctor...

schmoodle · January 2009

What do you mean by pushing drugs and wanting to do procedures? We left our first RE appt with a prescription for Clomid to start that night and an ultrasound scheduled, but I had brought in my menstruation schedule which made it obvious I wasn't ovulating so that made sense to me. Most OBs can do an SA and bloodwork but they may not be as well versed in interpreting the bloodwork (mine said I had PCOS but my RE said I absolutely did not) and I don't know if they'd do an HSG. Maybe you just need a different RE.

Serendipitie · January 2009

There is a bit more detail on my blog, but he barely looked at my charts, told me that he didn't even bother with Clomid because the success rate was to low for him, and told me he would put me on injectibles right away. Call my crazy, but injectibles is a huge jump for me, especially without any testing.

staycee · January 2009

I would just find a new RE.

staycee · January 2009

FWIW, my RE starts with clomid IUI cycles more as a standard "formality" (she told me after). She said they have much higher rates of success with the injectibles. But they don't generally try that until 3 clomid rounds have failed - or if you are like me and have a serious adverse reaction to the clomid.

HazelEyes730 · January 2009

staycee:
I would just find a new RE.

ditto find a new RE. They are all different. You just need to find one you are comfortable with and who listens.

easjer05 · January 2009

staycee:
I would just find a new RE.

Ditto this.

Take with a grain of salt, because I'm not totally familiar with all this stuff. But it seems to me like you are best off with an RE, if you need to move on to procedures or something stronger. RE's can certainly do the testing and dx - it just sounds like your current RE doesn't want to be bothered. OB might be able to test and dx - but if it ends up beyond the scope of care, you will need the RE anyway.

Nikki1007 · January 2009

I would find a new RE. I think the one you saw was an exception, not the rule. Most will insist on testing before drugs. Hell I have been seeing mine since August and still have not been on any drugs. He wants to rule out everything else first.