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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by KimK on March 22, 2000, at 19:36:06
Has anyone seen an Osteopath for psych problems?
I'm finally dumping my Pdoc (the one who took me off my Parnate/Dex combo). My insurance only pays for a Pdoc to do "medication management" and then my counseling has to come from someone they can pay less. So I'm not changing therapists.
Anyway, the new Pdoc they gave me is an Osteopath instead of an M.D. Someone told me an Osteopath is "a chiropractor with an MD degree" and that they don't like to prescribe drugs. So why would they send me to him for medication management?
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
KimK
Posted by Chris A. on March 22, 2000, at 22:44:22
In reply to OSTEOPATH for Pdoc?, posted by KimK on March 22, 2000, at 19:36:06
Kim,
I doubt that you'd know whether a pDoc was a DO or MD unless you happened to see the degree behind their name. Their residency training is equivilant. This site should help answer some of your questions. There is a female DO pDoc in with several MDs in my community. If ever I have the need to change she just might be my first choice, as she has an excellent reputation in treating those with my diagnosis.
http://www.am-osteo-assn.org/Consumers/whatdo.htm
>
Best wishes on a god fit.Chris A.
Posted by JohnL on March 24, 2000, at 0:45:22
In reply to OSTEOPATH for Pdoc?, posted by KimK on March 22, 2000, at 19:36:06
An osteopath is a real doctor. Medical school and everything. But they specialize in the musculoskeletal system. They sometimes specialize in a second field as well. Like my family doctor. He's an osteopath, but is also a MPH. Master of Public Health. He works in a family clinic and deals with just about everything. He's also fairly good with psychiatry, mixing TCAs+SSRIs, Wellbutrin+SSRIs, stuff like that. He's uncomfortable with Lithium or MAOIs, but he's pretty good with basic psychiatry.
Posted by Elizabeth on March 26, 2000, at 0:55:38
In reply to Re: OSTEOPATH for Pdoc?, posted by JohnL on March 24, 2000, at 0:45:22
FWIW, I met a pdoc when I was in Santa Barbara a couple years ago who was a DO. He seemed ocompetent, including with things that were relatively experimental.
Posted by allisonm on March 28, 2000, at 20:51:49
In reply to OSTEOPATH for Pdoc?, posted by KimK on March 22, 2000, at 19:36:06
I have been seeing an osteopath weekly for medication AND therapy going on three years now. I like him very much. He seems to know the latest on medications and he's helped me tremendously through our sessions. He is a clinical assistant professor in the psychiatry department at the university here and he is in private practice with 5 or six MDs and PhDs.
allisonm
Posted by Snowie on March 29, 2000, at 23:21:44
In reply to Re: OSTEOPATH for Pdoc?, posted by allisonm on March 28, 2000, at 20:51:49
I've never thought about using a DO-pdoc for medication and therapy. Are DO's able to prescribe benzos and other drugs? My current MD-pdoc doesn't do therapy. He makes the big $$$$ by quickly moving his patients in and out, much like a revolving door. That puts steak and lobster on his table, but it doesn't do much to help me. My brother and father (who are both MDs) don't think highly of DO's ... they consider them medical school rejects. However, I will consider this option. Thanks.
Snowie
> I have been seeing an osteopath weekly for medication AND therapy going on three years now. I like him very much. He seems to know the latest on medications and he's helped me tremendously through our sessions. He is a clinical assistant professor in the psychiatry department at the university here and he is in private practice with 5 or six MDs and PhDs.
>
> allisonm
Posted by Chris A. on March 30, 2000, at 0:42:07
In reply to Re: OSTEOPATH for Pdoc?, posted by Snowie on March 29, 2000, at 23:21:44
Snowie,
There are many DOs who never wanted to MDs. In my community we have a couple of pDocs, one DO and one MD, who are married to each other. Twenty-five to thirty years ago there was very strong division between the two schools. Now they work together very closely and a DO is chief of staff where he wouldn't have been allowed in the door fifteen years ago. Whether a doc is good or not depends on the individual. The doc that's done the most harm in my locale graduated from a top ivy league school, so a lot of people trusted him without investigating. Find out where, and what in, a doc did their residency. Are they board certified or board eligible in their specialty? What are their particular interests and areas of expertise? Do you have any source of recommendations from other patients? Some offices allow for get acquainted interviews, although I'm not sure managed care has encouraged them. I prefer a pDoc who rates high on the compassion scale, but can still level with me when it is for my benefit.Hope you find a good fit.
Chris A.
Posted by KimK on March 30, 2000, at 1:24:56
In reply to Re: OSTEOPATH for Pdoc?-to Snowie, posted by Chris A. on March 30, 2000, at 0:42:07
I went to my new DO/Pdoc yesterday. His "welcome to the practice" brochure sounds just like any other doctor. I really did like him. But after discussing my history, he told me that his area of expertise was more therapy than medications and that I really need to find a psychopharmacologist. ARGHHHHH!!
My med prescription ran out the day of the visit to what I thought would be my new doctor. So now I'm on NO medication with NO Pdoc. And I'm going out of town for a week, so I can't even begin to deal with convincing my insurance company to give me more doctors' names (they only want to give me one name--the next one on their list) and then calling all of them until (if) I find one who considers themself a psychopharmacologist. I've got major social phobia problems when it comes to the telephone, so this will really be an ordeal for me.
I am so depressed it's all I can do to get out of bed every day. Why do insurance companies make it so difficult for us to get HELP!!!
KimK
Posted by saint james on March 30, 2000, at 1:33:35
In reply to Re: Visit to OSTEOPATH/Pdoc ARGHHHH!, posted by KimK on March 30, 2000, at 1:24:56
> I went to my new DO/Pdoc yesterday. His "welcome to the practice" brochure sounds just like any other doctor. I really did like him. But after discussing my history, he told me that his area of expertise was more therapy than medications and that I really need to find a psychopharmacologist. ARGHHHHH!!
>
> My med prescription ran out the day of the visit to what I thought would be my new doctor. So now I'm on NO medication with NO Pdoc. And I'm going out of town for a week, so I can't even begin to deal with convincing my insurance company to give me more doctors' names (they only want to give me one name--the next one on their list) and then calling all of them until (if) I find one who considers themself a psychopharmacologist. I've got major social phobia problems when it comes to the telephone, so this will really be an ordeal for me.
>
> I am so depressed it's all I can do to get out of bed every day. Why do insurance companies make it so difficult for us to get HELP!!!
> KimKJames here...
Can't the DO reccomend someone or at least give you a refill till you find someone ?
j
Posted by KimK on March 30, 2000, at 1:56:14
In reply to Re: Visit to OSTEOPATH/Pdoc ARGHHHH!, posted by saint james on March 30, 2000, at 1:33:35
>
> James here...
>
> Can't the DO reccomend someone or at least give you a refill till you find someone ?
>
> jThe DO gave me one recommendation, but he's not on my insurance plan. The DO said he wouldn't charge me for the visit since he couldn't help, so I don't feel like I'm really his patient and don't know how that plays out with giving me an RX. And I just CAN'T handle the phone right now. I wish doctors had email. (But they probably never will because it would be too hard to bill patients for the time they'd spend reading it.)
KimK
Posted by Snowie on March 30, 2000, at 6:33:13
In reply to Re: Visit to OSTEOPATH/Pdoc ARGHHHH!, posted by KimK on March 30, 2000, at 1:24:56
Kim,
That doesn't make any sense at all after what all the others have said. If a DO is a REAL doctor, he or she should be able to give you a scrip. I'm beginning to understand more why I see posts entitled "My Pdoc Died Yesterday" ... once you find a good one, it must be devastating to lose him or her.
Snowie
> I went to my new DO/Pdoc yesterday. His "welcome to the practice" brochure sounds just like any other doctor. I really did like him. But after discussing my history, he told me that his area of expertise was more therapy than medications and that I really need to find a psychopharmacologist. ARGHHHHH!!
>
> My med prescription ran out the day of the visit to what I thought would be my new doctor. So now I'm on NO medication with NO Pdoc. And I'm going out of town for a week, so I can't even begin to deal with convincing my insurance company to give me more doctors' names (they only want to give me one name--the next one on their list) and then calling all of them until (if) I find one who considers themself a psychopharmacologist. I've got major social phobia problems when it comes to the telephone, so this will really be an ordeal for me.
>
> I am so depressed it's all I can do to get out of bed every day. Why do insurance companies make it so difficult for us to get HELP!!!
> KimK
Posted by allisonm on March 30, 2000, at 20:34:24
In reply to Re: Visit to OSTEOPATH/Pdoc ARGHHHH!, posted by Snowie on March 30, 2000, at 6:33:13
It sounds from your description as though he can write scripts, but that this is not his realm of expertise -- he does psychotherapy only.
My DO psychiatrist has given me scripts for Effexor, Zoloft, Ativan, lithium, Remeron, Wellbutrin, he's ordered blood tests, EKGs, all that stuff.
Kim, do you have a regular primary care physician who could write a perscription for you in the interim?
allisonm
Posted by Elizabeth on March 31, 2000, at 5:07:12
In reply to Re: Visit to OSTEOPATH/Pdoc ARGHHHH!, posted by KimK on March 30, 2000, at 1:56:14
Kim,
I think a lot of people have trouble calling people on the phone. I know I do, and so does my boyfriend. Any ideas/insights about this?
Posted by KimK on March 31, 2000, at 16:10:38
In reply to Re: Visit to OSTEOPATH/Pdoc ARGHHHH!, posted by Elizabeth on March 31, 2000, at 5:07:12
> Kim,
>
> I think a lot of people have trouble calling people on the phone. I know I do, and so does my boyfriend. Any ideas/insights about this?Is there a name for phone phobia? I don't mind babbling here--but I am so afraid of babbling on the phone and sounding like an IDIOT that I get myself all worked up and end up doing exactly that. My therapist offered to call my insurance company if they won't cooperate with me; but I *hate* the thought of being so helpless I have to impose on someone else to make phone calls for me.
(And, of course, I'd have to call them myself first to see if they were cooperative--hah.)I've only seen my primary care physician once (only lived here 18 mos) so I'm not comfortable calling and asking for a prescription. Thus I'm medication-less by default since I'm going out of town tomorrow for a week.
KimK
Posted by Ketan on May 19, 2000, at 20:38:28
In reply to Re: Phone Phobia, posted by KimK on March 31, 2000, at 16:10:38
Phone phobia could be a early sign of agoraphobia, which means "fear of open spaces", but applies to those who begin to avoid anything that causes them anxiety. The doctor that you saw has a point, treating depression with drugs works, but it won't cure the problem long term unless you add therapy to the treatment.
Be aware that some drugs for depression need to be tapered off, and you could start to feel quite odd if you stop 'cold turkey'.
Good luck,
A concerned Osteopathic medical student
Posted by Dylan T. Kenny on May 19, 2000, at 21:54:09
In reply to Re: Phone Phobia, posted by Ketan on May 19, 2000, at 20:38:28
A quick note.
My poor little dog, a old female golden temple
mutt mix, absolutely shrieks when the phone rings, could this be related? Hmm...
This is the end of the thread.
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