I am so done with doctor's

emilykristene2006 · December 2009

I am tired of having medication crammed down my throat. Well, not really but they get pissy when I ask questions about the medication.

Last week, I went to the doctor for sinus issues. I was told I had sinusitis and prescribed 4 different medications. I don't just take whatever they give me without asking questions. I asked if it was neccessary to take all of the meds to get rid of my issues or if there were other options. They now consider me "noncompliant" because I "refuse" to take what was prescribed. I never refused, I just had questions. She didn't have time for the questions, so I'm noncompliant.

I found out all I had to do was use nasal saline, humidifier and a warm washcloth on my face a few times a day, and bam it was gone within 24 hours. No meds needed. This is the 3rd doctor to get rude when I ask questions. I'm not asking rudely, just curious.

DH encountered a doctor at the ER that basically begged him to take vicodin when he was shocked with 440 volts of electricity. DH told him, "No thanks, I'll take an advil as long as I can take something now." The ER doc said, "Are you sure? I'm offering you some good stuff." WTF???

Too bad my insurance does not pay for Holistic Medicine. This is getting ridiculous.

Do you just take whatever is prescribed? Am I the *only* non compliant patient?

DandR · December 2009

you are seeing the wrong doctors then!!! That's horrible.

Anymore with insurance covering less and doctors pushing more tests, more drugs etc, it is only being a smart consumer to ask questions and find out what you REALLLLLLY need. Maybe a simple xray will be good enough to find a problem vs an expensive CAT scan....doesn't hurt to ask, does it??

I mean, if I took my car to the shop and they said you need 4 new tires, I would question it and say "all 4? Or would 2 be ok?" and probably I only needed 2, but OF COURSE they say 4 to start with., right??? We ask questions or do homework with everything else "expensive" that we buy, So why is healthcare so different that we aren't allowed to ask questions and we should just blindly follow what our doctor says. Its horrible.

kittycarr · December 2009

I have chronic sinusitis and when I have to have something, I get two weeks of Biaxin and it's done. What where they trying to give you?

amiamish · December 2009

I ask questions too- and I'd def. be asking if they were telling me to take 4 different types of meds!

KoriBrett · December 2009

Here's what I learned from my best friend - he's a pharmacist.

Smile and nod at the doc. Take the prescriptions to the pharmacy, and ask them instead. Good pharmacists would really rather you asked questions than blindly took the stuff. Doctors don't always know much about the drugs because they don't have the time or don't take the time. A lot just do what the latest trend is and what the drug reps tell them. (not all, but a lot)

And then decide what you want to have filled based on what you learned from the pharmacist.

I always ask if I'm not sure. Always. But I email him instead LOL

emilykristene2006 · December 2009

Kitty- I don't even know what she prescribed. It was an antibiotic, nasal spray, cough medicine and steroids, though. She flipped a lid when she found out I was allergic to penicillin and sulfa. "Well, this doesn't make my job any easier!" Okay lady, sorry my allergies make it so difficult for you. Get some rest yourself!

And DandR- Glad I'm not the only one.

Ciarrai · December 2009

I'm right there with you. The nurse at the hospital last week (who was obnoxious anyway) was all pissy with me because I kept asking questions about what they were giving me and why. I know they were trying to stop contractions and it was serious, but there are side effects to everything. I just want to be informed. I wasn't even saying no. At one point, she told me that they would never give me anything that would hurt me or the baby - like there were no possible side effects to what they were giving me. In the meantime, DS's heart rate was in the 180s-190s (usually 140s) and mine was 140+. She tried to tell me it was stress and not the fifty thousand meds they were giving me. I even let them give me everything they wanted. I just wanted to know what it was, what it was supposed to do and what the possible side affects were. And yes, I'm like that about everything. My CNM is great about explaining everything - both the benefits and possible complications - and why she is/was recommending whatever it is.

emilykristene2006 · December 2009

Kori- Why have I never thought to do this??? I have wasted hundreds of $ filling prescriptions just to end up not taking them after reading info on them. Great advice!

amiamish · December 2009

Good advice Kori! I love pharmacist too, they've helped when the old pedi wasn't helpful and caught when they messed up the dosage too.

KoriBrett · December 2009

I should add - unless there are allergies you already know about, then obviously tell the doc. They loved me, too, I'm allergic to sulfa and when I was bfing and sick it threw the doc for a loop HA lol

hopefulmom · December 2009

You are obviously one of the exceptions. Most people that go to the doctor want to leave with something. They get pissy when the doctor tells them they have a virus and nothing will make it go away except time. They paid their copay and want to walk out with a script in hand.

If you know you have a sinus problems why bother going to the doctor? A lot of times doctors can only treat the symptoms. They assume you have a sinus infection but it could actually be allergy related. If they see nasal swelling they will prescribe a steriod, if they feel it is truly an infection (and not a virus or allergy causing your symptoms) they order an antibiotic, and if you have a cough (even if it is caused by drainage) they might order a cough med to use at night (because everyone knows sleep is healing). As for the saline rinse (never heard of one that is actually a prescription...they are OTC).

BTW...holistic medications work BEFORE you are sick. I used to work for a holistic physician. Even he would give an antibiotic if the person already has an infection because the holistic approach is too late at that point. I've heard him tell patients this before.

belle204 · December 2009

i also do what kori does. by no means am i trying to substitute the pharmacist for the dr. but i almost always find the pharmacist is more patient and helpful.

Zenya · December 2009

I take the prescriptions and then consult Dr. Google. Asking the pharmacist is a good idea. I guess I would do that if I had further questions or if it was for a serious condition. I never really have serious health issues.

emilykristene2006 · December 2009

Hopeful- you're right. Many people I know go expecting to leave with something. I went to make DH happy because he's mad that I won't even take OTC meds. He just wanted to know that my lungs were clear and I didn't have something worse.

It was not a saline rinse it was a nasal spray that I assume had meds in it. I guess kind of like Afrin?

I didn't know that about Holistic Medicine. I found a practice that works with patients who have thyroid issues. Looks like I need to do more research.

hopefulmom · December 2009

Yep...the nasal sprays can be an RX...although they do have some OTC.

There are a lot of holistic docs that also practice regular medicine. The one I worked for was a DO (doctor of osteopathic meds). He was one of 4 in the practice...there were also MD's as well. It was a large practice (8 doctors and 3 PA/NPs.

camrude · December 2009

hopefulmom:

You are obviously one of the exceptions. Most people that go to the doctor want to leave with something. They get pissy when the doctor tells them they have a virus and nothing will make it go away except time. They paid their copay and want to walk out with a script in hand.

MH has seen this time and time again. He's had patient complaints filed on him because he won't write the script the patient wants/thinks they need/read on Google or Web MD.

I'm sorry you are having Dr. issues. Hopefully you can find one that you feel comfortable with.

joy143dh · December 2009

I guess I've always assumed that a doctor is more of a doctor of "medicine", not really a doctor of "healing", so my expectations are usually met when they prescribe me drugs.

JOEBunny · December 2009

Look for different doctors. I don't have this problem with any of the 10 or so doctors we see on a regular basis. I also find that pharmacist know a lot more about meds than doctors. I even call poison control to ask them about meds that I need to take for my neck and arms, since the doctors and pharmacist don't know nearly so much about the meds and their impact on BF DS.

The doctors will give meds, but I don't get the scripts filled unless I really need them and the doctors don't think I am not compliant.

kittycarr · December 2009

I have sinus infections back to back and initially assumed allergies. Nothing helped. I finally had enough and my doc ordered a ct scan, gave me two weeks of Biaxin and a follow up ct scan two weeks after the end of Biaxin. Still showed a problem so she referred me to an ENT who pointed out to me that given the scar tissue and amount of blockage, it's obvious I've had sinus problems my entire life pretty much and that it is not allergy related. He said that since there is no reconstruction needed for my septum, all I need is cleaned out.

He said I could spend my life with nasal sprays and neti pots or have the surgery. Me opted for the surgery. I will do anything for general anesthesia.

Skruffy · December 2009

i want the name of that vicodin handing out doctor!

Bellisimo · December 2009

Hopeful is right! Sooooo many times people come to DH in the ER already self diagnosing themselves and requesting particular meds....like they know what in the hell they're talking about. I think maybe SOME physicians lack patience, but not all. Some find it quite humorous when patients come in guns a blazing demanding certain meds which are NOT first line therapy....antibiotics are a prime example. First line therapy for a sinus infection is not antibiotics...but you can't tell a layman that! I think some Dr.s get jaded by the constant questioning of their professional opinion based on FACTS. You've gotta understand that for every compliant patient out there, there are probably a dozen or more that are noncompliant. They'll leave with the appropriate script but unsatisfied that they didn't get what DR. Google suggested they obtain. Medicine is not so cut and dry like that. A lot of factors go into a Dr.'s decision on which drugs to prescribe to treat certain ailments. You have every right to ask questions...but second guessing can sometimes offend. It'd be like going into a restaurant and seeking the recipe for the perfect meal you just consumed but then suggesting to the chef that he change up the ingredients to your liking. Not saying AT ALL that that's what you've done....just trying to give you an example of how Dr.s sometimes don't appreciate being instructed on how to treat you. There's a fine line. Some Dr.s have zero tolerance or patience but others will take their time to hear you out and THEN inform you as to why they chose the therapy that they did OR why your suggested therapy is just not gonna cut the mustard so to speak. I can tell you that there have been MANY instances where I've questioned MH's decisions and each and every time he's been able to back up his choose therapy with reasons based on fact and modern medical guidelines. Trust me, he gets questioned on the daily by the nurses that work for him. If it were left up to them...people would die left and right in the ER due to lack of understanding of standard protocol and practicing procedure. It's just something that you'd have to understand in order to "get it".

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