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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by wacky on November 7, 2006, at 18:21:32
I saw my pdoc yesterday and told him about missing a small dose of Effexor (37.5) and 60 mg Cymbalta last week. I got home from work and felt really weird. I was shivering, quesy, spacey and almost like I had the flu. I realized that I hadn't taken any of my meds and took them right away. I continued to feel worse - then went to bed early and sweated all night long. By morning I was fine. When I explained this to my pdoc, he said he "couldn't explain" it with missing the meds.
I KNOW it was the meds! Why would he discount it like that?
Am I wrong? Is he just used to dealing with people that complain a lot? I am really bothered by this and would like to hear others' thoughts on it.
Posted by med_empowered on November 7, 2006, at 18:45:31
In reply to PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by wacky on November 7, 2006, at 18:21:32
shrinks and therapists do this. I used to take Paxil, which is now notorious for causing god-awful withdrawal...I told my therapist about it. She was like "ummm..you must have caught a bug or something; Paxil doesn't cause withdrawal" Meanwhile, my prescriber was like "Oh, yeah, Paxil withdrawal can be awful..if it gets too bad, let me know; we'll put you right back on it" Argh.
Look at it historically; in the days of barbiturates, shrinks were saying addiction didn't happen and withdrawal was minimal. Same with benzos, stimulants, miltown, etc. The whole profession minimizes or outright denies pretty glaring problems with whatever it is they're busy RXing at the moment.
So..dont' fret. It does suck, but you're not crazy; your shrink is just following in a long tradition of ignoring or minimizing complaints from psychiatric patients.
Posted by Squiggles on November 7, 2006, at 18:57:50
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by med_empowered on November 7, 2006, at 18:45:31
Yes, that's a good explanation. If you're
lucky, you will find a whiz-bang psychopharmacologist to prescribe psychiatric drugs, but there are worse things in life if you don't. It's not an ideal world, and fortunately, if the issue becomes publicized enough, pdocs learn from that. The net has done a lot in this direction, but the information has always been there in the medical books and the pharmaceutical company blurbs-- just not paid attention to enough or taken so seriously. On the other hand, some things that sound alarming are not so serious.Squiggles
Posted by Phillipa on November 7, 2006, at 22:27:46
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS » med_empowered, posted by Squiggles on November 7, 2006, at 18:57:50
True but do they even bother to read the literature? Even the good ones I've had don't know half of what I do. I'm not bragging this is scarey. And you're not crazy at all. Love Phillipa ps crazy not to the starter of the thread
Posted by med_empowered on November 8, 2006, at 2:00:44
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS » Squiggles, posted by Phillipa on November 7, 2006, at 22:27:46
hi phillipa! I agree w/you about pdoc's (sometimes) ignorance....
whats worse is when they feel threatened. Like, I remember telling one shrink I'd tried cognitive behavioral therapy with so-so results. She was like "How do you know that term? Why do you know so much about therapy?" I mean..I dont know all that much; I read about meds cause they fascinate me for some reason, and I read about therapy b/c I was curious...anyway, the situation is ridiculous. They often want to be treated like Gods in their offices, but they dont even want to bother doing their homework.
Posted by elanor roosevelt on November 9, 2006, at 22:21:22
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by med_empowered on November 8, 2006, at 2:00:44
i think we need to lock all the docs up together for a week and give them ADs. Tell tehm there will be no side effects
Posted by ed_uk on November 10, 2006, at 15:06:04
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by elanor roosevelt on November 9, 2006, at 22:21:22
>i think we need to lock all the docs up together for a week and give them ADs. Tell tehm there will be no side effects
.......and then (after several months on Effexor), the meds should be stopped abrupty. We would tell them that there would be no withdrawal.
Ed
Posted by Quintal on November 11, 2006, at 19:15:14
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by med_empowered on November 8, 2006, at 2:00:44
> hi phillipa! I agree w/you about pdoc's (sometimes) ignorance....
>
> whats worse is when they feel threatened. Like, I remember telling one shrink I'd tried cognitive behavioral therapy with so-so results. She was like "How do you know that term? Why do you know so much about therapy?" I mean..I dont know all that much; I read about meds cause they fascinate me for some reason, and I read about therapy b/c I was curious...anyway, the situation is ridiculous. They often want to be treated like Gods in their offices, but they dont even want to bother doing their homework.
--------------------------------------------------
I had this experience with myself with my last pdoc. First time I met him he tried to switch me from Remeron to Zyprexa by claiming Zyprexa was an ordinary antidepressant. He looked panicked and actually blushed, then became angry when I asked him if that was the trade name for the antipsychotic drug olanzapine. He was a recent graduate and seemed to think he deserved to be worshiped like a hero for 'saving' me from my suffering.Two years later and like most of us on this board after much experiementation I have found little works for my problems. The pdoc seems to have taken this as an opportunity to discharge me with the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, so that now no self-respecting pdoc would ever willingly touch me again.
In his discharge letter to my GP he wrote 'As usual Jon seemed well and fine in himself. I have never seen any sign of bipolar symptomology in him. I think he has an unhealthy obsession with psychopharmacology and for this reason I am discharging him today'.
My GP takes his word as Gospel and seemed to take great pleasure in showing me this letter on the computer screen, taking extra time to hover the mouse pointer over the last sentence in particular.
I went to my GP to report an irritating rash which had developed on the inside of my elbows since re-starting Lamictal at 100mg a few weeks ago. She just rested her hand in her palm and gave me a knowing sardonic little smile while I tried to describe the problems I was having and showed her the remains of the rash.
She suggested that I 'challenge' myself with it again as Lamictal has proved helpful in the past and prescribed some hydrocortisone cream to rub on the now healthy skin where the rash once was.
I'm reluctant to take Lamictal again because as I'm sure most of you here know, the one side effect that causes docs to panic and requires immediate discontinuation from Lamictal is the dreaded rash. It seems to me that my GP was concentrating so hard on my supposed self-harm that she has walked straight into a potential lawsuit.
Sorry for the rant guys, but this goes to show how far pdocs can take their spite if they feel threatened or intimidated.
Posted by cecilia on November 17, 2006, at 3:35:16
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by Quintal on November 11, 2006, at 19:15:14
My theory is that a lot of pdocs have an inferiority complex because other docs don't consider them "real" doctors, and so they take it out on their patients. Cecilia
Posted by Quintal on November 17, 2006, at 11:29:25
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by cecilia on November 17, 2006, at 3:35:16
I agree cecilia. It seems to me that many pdocs also have hero worship complex. They seem to want to be seen to rescue and save us from our suffering, which is no bad thing of course so long as their treatments work and you remain compliant and submissive. Problems seem to start when they meet or inherit patients that do not conform to thier expectations.
Q
Posted by Squiggles on November 17, 2006, at 11:34:49
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS » cecilia, posted by Quintal on November 17, 2006, at 11:29:25
> I agree cecilia. It seems to me that many pdocs also have hero worship complex. They seem to want to be seen to rescue and save us from our suffering, which is no bad thing of course so long as their treatments work and you remain compliant and submissive. Problems seem to start when they meet or inherit patients that do not conform to thier expectations.
>
> Q
Hmmm... so it's a disciplinary problem, not
an epistemological one, lol.Squiggles
Posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 18:40:01
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS » cecilia, posted by Quintal on November 17, 2006, at 11:29:25
That happened to me here when we moved I asked the pdoc if he thought we would be a good fit and he said yes when your meds work. Like I could control them. Love Phillipa
Posted by Quintal on November 17, 2006, at 20:22:52
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS » Quintal, posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 18:40:01
They can be ignorant little @*%$! at times, as can anyone in authority I suppose. I sometimes wonder if pdocs really know how much suffering they can cause with one stroke of the pen, or push of a button. I hope you find a pdoc with more compassion then pride Phillipa.
I know they're out there somewhere because my first ever pdoc was a kind and gentle Bulgarian man who did a lot to help me get into college and moving forward in life. He was very secure and humble about his position and thanked me for introducing him to tianeptine - he was experimenting with it on me (joint project) and a few others right before he had a massive breakdown and had to leave the NHS.
They seem to have been recruiting a progressive series of borderline psychopaths ever since, I suspect to encourage all but the most helpless to flee and thereby cut the waiting lists.
You're lucky to have access to such a broad range of specialists in the US. Do you have to transfer your notes from the old pdoc or is it possible to just turn up and make out you're a pdoc virgin?
Q
Posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 22:00:08
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS, posted by Quintal on November 17, 2006, at 20:22:52
Boy that's a loaded question. Most of the pdocs I've seen have not wanted other pdocs notes as I think they like to form their own opinions on the patients themselves. But you must tell them that you have been treated in the past and give a list of meds you are on and have tried. One pdoc got old records. And a few years ago some pdocs were doing psychotherphy too. I had one that had legitimated massage therapists who you got a one hour massage before seeing him for an hour each time. He got in trouble for bilking the insurance companies. But it was pleasant while it lasted. Love Phillipa
Posted by cecilia on November 18, 2006, at 1:59:07
In reply to Re: PDOC DISCOUNTED SYMPTOMS » Quintal, posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 22:00:08
Unfortunately, if you're in an HMO everyone from the eye doctor to the physical therapist can read all about you. Which would be bad enough if it were accurate, but I've discovered that they often click the wrong button and voila you're listed with a disease you never heard of or a med you've never taken. I've been thinking of getting copies of all my medical records; I'd like to correct some inaccuracies I've stumbled upon, but I'm afraid. Sometimes, I've learned over the years, you're better off not knowing what people think about you. Cecilia
This is the end of the thread.
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