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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by fachad on July 2, 2002, at 21:35:27
I had a horribly uncomfortable visit with my Primary Care Physician today.
I went for an annual checkup, but what was most on my mind was the nagging doubt about the safety and advisability of Dexedrine in someone in their mid 30s. I just wanted an MD who was not a pdoc to tell me that it is safe in medical doses.
Anyway, I told him I thought my heartbeat sometimes sounded irregular to me (it does) but he listened and it sounded fine to him.
I think I came off as very nervous, and he seemed to roll his eyes a bit at the ADD diagnosis. He seemed very disapproving about the Dexedrine, even though he did not comment either way on its safety.
And I think I made the whole thing worse because I asked for some Vicodin prn for back pain. He was the doctor that ordered the MRI that confirmed my herniated disk last year, but today I still felt like a druggie asking for pain killers.
He gave me the Vicodin, so he must not have had too much disdain. He is also going to have me do a 24 hr heart monitor to make sure nothing was missed in the office exam.
I just feel awful, and I hope he doesn't call my pdoc and suggest to him that I may be abusing my meds. I'm not, of course, but I know I came off very badly today, and I'd hate to have my pdoc even consider that idea.
Even that concern comes off as paranoid. But what can you do? Just vent, I guess...
Posted by oracle on July 2, 2002, at 22:36:38
In reply to Uncomfortable Visit with Primary Care Physician, posted by fachad on July 2, 2002, at 21:35:27
It sounds like you got good medical treatment but were
not treated very well. I will say my primary is excellent
and still will not discuss my psyco meds. I have tried.If this doc is not meeting all your needs, perhaps
you should find one that does. If you want to stay
with this one, you need to express these issues to him/her.
With a history of disk problems you should not have to beg
for medication.
Posted by judy1 on July 2, 2002, at 23:07:41
In reply to Uncomfortable Visit with Primary Care Physician, posted by fachad on July 2, 2002, at 21:35:27
Honestly I read your post twice and your doc sounded like he behaved in a very professional manner unless I'm missing something. Obviously he understood your concern about your heartbeat since he ordered a holter monitor, and he gave you vicodin without a lecture. I think like most of us when we ask for narcotics we get paranoid that the doc thinks we're addicts or something. You have a mdeical condition that warrents a narcotic and he gave you some. I think you may be projecting your own paranoia on him, and like I said that's pretty common. If I missed something here, please write and let me know. Take care, judy
Posted by fachad on July 3, 2002, at 1:26:12
In reply to Re: Uncomfortable Visit with Primary Care Physician » fachad, posted by judy1 on July 2, 2002, at 23:07:41
Thanks for taking the time to read my post.
I really think I was just projecting my negative feelings onto him.
I have been told my whole life that amphetamines are as dangerous as radioactive waste, and that they ruin good people and turn them into drug addicts, so it's hard to get over that uneasiness even though I know it's not true.
And every non-psy doc that I tell that I am taking Dexedrine gives me a look like "OMG, you're taking WHAT? Why are you taking THAT?"
That reaction does not help improve my comfort level with pstims. All I really wanted was for an M.D. who is not a pdoc to tell me that it was medically safe for me to take Dexedrine.
It's just that all those negative feelings had the effect of making me anxious, and then I came off like a nervous idiot, or some kind of hypochondriac, worried about my heart beat and such. Add to that I'm taking amphetamines and then turning around and asking for Vicodin!
It just LOOKS so bad, even though, individually considered; each concern was totally medically legitimate.
In retrospect, you are correct, he did order the holter monitor, and he did RX for the Vicodin, so I probably have nothing to worry about.
In general, I'm not an approval addict, but I have to admit that I do crave the approval of my doctors, both pdocs and GPs. Thanks for reassuring me that the paranoia around asking for narcotics is fairly common.
Now I’ve got to wait two weeks to get that holter monitor, and then see how the results turn out…
> Honestly I read your post twice and your doc sounded like he behaved in a very professional manner unless I'm missing something. Obviously he understood your concern about your heartbeat since he ordered a holter monitor, and he gave you vicodin without a lecture. I think like most of us when we ask for narcotics we get paranoid that the doc thinks we're addicts or something. You have a mdeical condition that warrents a narcotic and he gave you some. I think you may be projecting your own paranoia on him, and like I said that's pretty common. If I missed something here, please write and let me know. Take care, judy
Posted by fachad on July 3, 2002, at 1:44:48
In reply to Re: Uncomfortable Visit with Primary Care Physician, posted by oracle on July 2, 2002, at 22:36:38
> It sounds like you got good medical treatment but were not treated very well.
No, with a few hours hindsight I think the only abuse I was taking was from myself.
>I will say my primary is excellent
> and still will not discuss my psyco meds. I have tried.Yes, I get the feeling that GPs don't like to talk about psych meds.
I don't know if it's professional courtesy to stay out of an area that is not their expertise, or if it is that they can't say anything nice so they don't say anything at all. I get both vibes at times.
> If this doc is not meeting all your needs, perhaps you should find one that does.
Realistically, in this post-modern, post-HMO, bottom line, managed care system, a doctor that is generally adequate and reasonably available is a keeper for me.
>If you want to stay with this one, you need to express these issues to him/her.
I will, if I get a chance to talk to him this year. If all tests come back OK, I won't see him again until next year.
> With a history of disk problems you should not have to beg for medication.
To be fair, I didn't have to beg. He just asked me how many I would take in a month and I stammered because I really only take 3 or 4 per month, but I didn’t want him to write for that few. He gave me 20.
Posted by Schuyler on July 3, 2002, at 6:59:11
In reply to Uncomfortable Visit with Primary Care Physician, posted by fachad on July 2, 2002, at 21:35:27
Handling your GP is an art form. Luckily, mine understands a little about anti-depressants, but even so, he would not prescribe Ritalin for me unless a pdoc did it first. And my last GP wouldn't prescribe 50 mg of Trazadone to help me sleep until a pdoc did it first.
I tell my GP what I am taking, but I don't ask his opinion about what the pdoc has prescribed. I'm paying the pdoc to do that.
As for the reputation of dexedrine and pain-killers, they're not very dangerous if you take them as prescribed. If you play by the rules, you have a *right* to be treated with the appropriate med, IMHO.
Schuyler
Posted by oracle on July 3, 2002, at 11:06:35
In reply to Re: Uncomfortable Visit with Primary Care Physician » oracle, posted by fachad on July 3, 2002, at 1:44:48
> Realistically, in this post-modern, post-HMO, bottom line, managed care system, a doctor that is generally adequate and reasonably available is a keeper for me.
Glad you feel better about this.
Posted by Chloe on July 3, 2002, at 20:51:56
In reply to Re: Uncomfortable Visit with Primary Care Physician » oracle, posted by fachad on July 3, 2002, at 1:44:48
Hi Fachad,
I just wanted to chime in, cause you have been so helpful to me. I had a very difficult time with my gp. He could not believe the mountain of meds I was on. AND that I take 10 mgs of Valium per day! My gp thinks this is terrible and I should stop it because of it's additive potential(even though I have been on the same dose for 10 years.). In fact, he thinks I should quit ALL my meds, since I reported (foolishly) that I tend to feel depressed. He said I should just take Effexor. Huh? I am BP2.
Well, I have since learned not to disclose so readily all the meds that I am taking. I never mention the valium to any practioner that I am not extremely familair with and trust...I have also learned, that a gp is not a pdoc, and he had no business meddling where my pdoc is in control.
In your case, though, you went to him specifically for medical advise related to the Dex and viocodin. So I can see how this would be a stressful appointment. And how easy it would be to *think* that the gp *thinks* you are an addict or drug seeking. I am very glad you were able to get a thorough check of your heart with the 24 hour monitor, and that you got the pain meds that you need. All in all, I say well done in a difficult situation.
Chloe
This is the end of the thread.
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