Just prescribe the damn meds!

[dakhur]

I take some serious insomnia meds. And I take a fairly serious dosage of them, one that would drop a mere mortal for several days but barely takes me down for 6 hours sleep.

I had to change docs early this year, due to my old one retiring. The new doc has decided that, despite my 12 years of records and reports, he wants to dramatically lower my levels over a month.

This means I have gone from having a script with 99 repeats, essentially a years supply, to having to see him every week. Medicare means the government pays for the visit, but it's damn inconvenient for me! And I suspect that, in another week, he'll try to deliver an ultimatum - either I go for another series of useless labs, or he'll stop my meds altogether.

I've tried everything outright of beating him over the head - I'm a long-term insomniac! I DO NOT SLEEP! Now shut up and just give me the damn scripts and let me get on with my life! These drugs work when nothing else has, so stop trying to solve an issue that I already know the solution for!

Really, it just infuriates me that he's going to want to reinvent the wheel for no good reason, other than to satisfy some perverted desire for complete control. There's no other reason to do this, at least not one that solves the problem for me.

Sorry - just needed to vent.

[Ree]

Insomnia really sucks!!!

Maybe he just feels that dependency on chemicals in order to sleep is not a good thing, and he thinks he can find a better way to solve the problem?

I know it's frustrating when you are on a regime that works and a new doctor upsets the balance, but sometimes, younger doctors feel they know better since there are so many changes in medicine that older doctors might not be up to speed on.
I've had the same doctor for my whole life, and I'm sure, if I was to switch doctors, my new one would change a whole lot of stuff that my other doctor has been doing as standard practice for me for many years.
Some changes, I might welcome, and some, I might not be overly impressed with.

[Teskeria]

And let's not forget he makes more money seeing you more often as he gets paid for the visits. Bet if Medicare told him he gets paid only for 2 visits a year, you would suddenly be getting 6 months worth of scripts at a time. (Why yes I am cynical. And yes I do know some doctors actually care about their patients. I had one once. He used an old incubator to keep his sterilized metal pap smear instruments warm for us ladies.)

[PepperElf]

And let's not forget he makes more money seeing you more often as he gets paid for the visits. Bet if Medicare told him he gets paid only for 2 visits a year, you would suddenly be getting 6 months worth of scripts at a time. (Why yes I am cynical. And yes I do know some doctors actually care about their patients. I had one once. He used an old incubator to keep his sterilized metal pap smear instruments warm for us ladies.)

I'm thinking you may be right about that. about the per-visit charges etc.

[BuffySummers]

The way medicare reimburses drs, though, he's probably losing money per visit in the long run. can you talk to him about his rationale for changing your regime?

[midnightaurora]

Since he's a new-to-you Dr., its possible he's concerned that you're addicted? And, of course, your desire to sleep semi-properly can be seen as drug seeking behavior (because, well, it is, in all honesty - you want your meds so you can sleep) which makes this fun for you. Is there any way to get retired Dr. to talk to new-to-you Dr.?

[dakhur]

The drug I take is only supposed to be prescribed for 6 months, and I've been on it for 9 years.

The kicker is that I tried everything else BEFORE this came onto the market. It saved my sanity, because the benzos' don't do anything for me.

And yes, I suspect it is because he gets paid a set amount for each visit. The dose is as low as it can go now, so I'll be interested to see what he proposes in my next visit Monday week.

[Kristev]

And he needs to know precisely what is going on. My mother told me once that doctors prefer the data from lab tests over all the testimony from patients, mainly because doctors tend to see their patients as clueless idiots.

She tends to surprise them when she goes, because when they try to talk down to her or confuse her with terminology, she can follow most of what they're saying. (I should explain. She was a nurse.)

[Sapphire Silk]

Hopefully the doc will change his tune once he gets to know you.

Bear in mind, there are a lot of drug seekers out there, scamming for meds. He may be trying to figure out which you are. Also, he does not know you and the kind of regimen you had with your old doc is unusual. It's not usually advisable for patients to take that kind of medication long term the way you are. He may be concerned about safe practice.

I'm not saying you don't need the med; I'm sure your old doc did a full work up and it seems to be working for you. I'm just trying to see the new doc's point of view.

Once he "gets it" he'll probably give you the long term refills you need.

Of course, he could be trying to maximize his reimbursement, but even Medicare would look askance at this after awhile, so I doubt that's it.

[FormerCallingCardRep]

Hubby is on a very heavy med regimine to control the nerve pain that he has due to the NF. He has had to change Family Doctors four times in the last six years and he has his NF specialist send the current Doctor a listing of the meds he is on and a detailed explaination as to why he is on the dosage he is on.

[dakhur]

UPDATE:

He's pleased I've managed to pull it back as far as I have, and glad I have a plan for the next month and talked about pulling it further.

However - today he pulled a fast one and only prescribed the half dose tablets I need for the next fortnight, after flanneling about how pleased he was with me. I didn't realise until after I got to the car and started breaking it for the bubble-pack for the next week.

Damn these docs are tricky these days!

[Rubystars]

I wish there were more online pharmacies where we could legally buy things like this so we didn't have to deal with these arrogant people.

Stupid people would kill themselves using it recreationally while people who knew what they needed because they'd been told so by a doctor could just get what they needed without the hassle.

I hate having to pay for a doctor's visit plus my medicine every time I get sick. Once every year and a half or so I need a Z Pack to cure bronchitis plus a Diflucan with it to prevent a yeast infection from the antibiotics and I have to go to the doctor's office to get a prescription. That's the entire reason I even go. I don't want his opinion, I know when I need these things just like I know when I need to take a Mucinex. If I could just buy them it would be so much better. One time my regular doctor's office was closed so I went to another one with the sole purpose of getting antibiotics and he tried to tell me it was a virus. He had no way of knowing that scientifically without a culture. He made me miss work, the jerk.

[alphabeats]

Ugh. This. It didn't happen the last time (though he did come home with a big bag o' drugs) but every damn time my husband goes to a new doctor they try to start him on the try-this-first inhaler instead of the one he's on.

[morgana]

I get to make my first visit to a new doctor on Monday. I need to have her inform my insurance that I need atacand, not lisinopril. I need to get a prescription for antibiotics. I need to talk her into putting me back on Cymbalta for the winter.

Wish me luck.

[Sunshine]

Luck!!!!! Happy thoughts to u