Just prescribe the damn meds!

[BlaqueKatt]

Odd. I thought RubyStars said pretty much what I did. That she already knew what her problem was because she'd had it numerous times before, and that having a doctor tell her she didn't know how her own body works is dismaying.

No she said "regular Dr always gives antibiotics for bronchitis", new Dr. said "it's viral", she complained because he "couldn't know that without a culture", yet regular doctor never gives a culture, just the antibiotics, when according to the links I provided, bronchitis is always viral. (new dr "should do a culture to prove virus", but reg dr doesn't ever have to prove anything because he writes a script, holding new doctor to a standard that reg dr doesn't have)

It's the same as an SC demanding "manager X" because they'll do what I want them to without question, and manager y is mean because they say no. And yes I've witnessed a patient screaming at a doctor because their child had an ear infection(which are 99.9% viral), and her normal doctor always gives antibiotics, the new doctor was apparently, a fraud, of questionable parentage andhaving sexual relations with his mother. All because her regular doctor didn't want to deal with her rage, so he wrote an unnecessary script every time, and any other doctor got the tirade, because "not giving script=bad doctor."

[morgana]

yes but that's not saying "dr. x gives me antibiotics without a culture to determine if it's bacterial or viral, dr y won't and so he's stupid" which is what was being referenced, not rare medical issues.

Odd. I thought RubyStars said pretty much what I did. That she already knew what her problem was because she'd had it numerous times before, and that having a doctor tell her she didn't know how her own body works is dismaying.

I thought that was pretty much what the OP was saying, too. I guess I misunderstood.

[BlaqueKatt]

I do not doubt that antibiotic misuse is a big problem. But sometimes the patient does know her own body.

yes but that's not saying "dr. x gives me antibiotics without a culture to determine if it's bacterial or viral, dr y won't and so he's stupid" which is what was being referenced, not rare medical issues.

[morgana]

Just to play devil's advocate here . . . If I go to the doctor with a snotty nose and a cough, I *DO* need antibiotics.

I don't get colds. I do, however, get sinus infections. No, they are not viral. Yes, they are bacterial. No, they don't get better if I try to 'wait it out'. If I let it go for ten days or two weeks so that my 'cold' will go away (because the doctor is concerned with antibiotic misuse), I wind up in the hospital, where they have to give me antibiotics anyway.

And yes, I've argued with doctors about it. I've changed doctors over it. Sometimes they don't get it until I mention that the ENT says I have what's called a 'retention cyst'. English translation: I have what amounts to a boil inside my sinuses.

I do not doubt that antibiotic misuse is a big problem. But sometimes the patient does know her own body.

[Sapphire Silk]

As someone that's been colonized by MRSA(it lives happily in my nasal cavity, for now, not bothering me thank goodness), I get very upset about antibiotic misuse. I contracted it when my mom was in the hospital, and I was there 14 hours a day for a week, it will never go away, and if I get sick enough it will take advantage of my weakened immune system.

There are two types of MRSA patients.

Those who have it.

Those who are gonna get it.

I've had so many sucky patients in the ER who insist antibiotcs "cure" their colds.

No they don't, dammit! You were just already getting better when you got them.

[BlaqueKatt]

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.

and not to be rude, but your regular doctor has no way of knowing it's bacterial without a culture, but that's ok because he's giving you what you want. Bacterial bronchitis does not exist, an opportunistic bacterial infection on top of viral bronchitis occurs in less than 10% of patients*. The new doctor is more concerned with antibiotic misuse, and your regular doctor is more concerned with "customer service", and giving you what you ask for to keep you happy.(hint they mayo clinic says antibiotics are NOT appropriate for bronchitis)
NIH fact sheet bronchitis

Acute bronchitis almost always follows a cold or flu-like infection. The infection is caused by a virus. At first, it affects your nose, sinuses, and throat. Then it spreads to the airways leading to your lungs.

Sometimes, bacteria also infect the airways. This is called a secondary infection.
Symptoms usually go away in 7 to 10 days if you do not have a lung disorder.

*source

As someone that's been colonized by MRSA(it lives happily in my nasal cavity, for now, not bothering me thank goodness), I get very upset about antibiotic misuse. I contracted it when my mom was in the hospital, and I was there 14 hours a day for a week, it will never go away, and if I get sick enough it will take advantage of my weakened immune system.

[morgana]

It went just great! Got everything I wanted!

[Sunshine]

Luck!!!!! Happy thoughts to u

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.)