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In a bad flare and my doctor hates me

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/12/2014 9:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone. So, this is my first time posting here and I need some help. A week ago I was "let go" from my job of 14 years and after receiving that news I immediately went into a type of shock and depression and went directly into a super bad flare up and it's just not getting any better. I'm having a lot of blood in my bms and really painful bloating and gas with lots of diarrhea and I feel horrible. I've put off calling or going to the ER because I feel that my Crohns Specialist hates me and doesn't give 2 cents about me. My regular Specialist changed careers 3 years ago and I got stuck with a new doctor and she is so cold and uncaring. She wont listen to my concerns and when my blood pressure is up and my heart rate is raised she asks me why? I just look at her and say "Well, I don't know, you tell me". When my red cells are low she asks me why? I always say "I just don't know". I was just to see her for a check-up 2 weeks ago and she said that my navel was prolapsed and I asked her what that meant and all she did was look at me and she wouldn't say a word. I had to look it up on the internet when I got home. Anyhow, I've had Crohns for 10 years (diagnosed) and I take asacol, azathioprine, iron, calcium, fish oil and a multi-vite. Any idea's would be appreciated on how to get this flare under control would be great. Thanks and sorry for the long post.
Posted 5/12/2014 10:33 AM (GMT 0)
Beetleboy, welcome to HW and sorry that you are suffering. Sorry too that you have to deal with such an inconsiderate doctor. I don't know what is the meaning of a naval prolapse but I think it requires medical attention. Why don't you go to the ER? IMO, you definitely need to change your doctor and find someone else who is more caring and supportive.
Keep us posted and hope you feel better soon :)
Posted 5/12/2014 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
are you in the uk?
Posted 5/12/2014 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
In the US unfortunately
Posted 5/12/2014 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
So I don't understand the way you talk about your DR. Your "Crohn's specialist" is a GI that you hired. Fire her and go find someone else. There is no reason for you to stay with a DR you co not like who does not take your concerns and questions seriously.
Posted 5/12/2014 8:41 PM (GMT 0)
I've been to many doctors in the past months. The nurses, receptionist and doctors would treat me very badly. They would not care when I said to them that I had lost so much blood. I guess, only a few genuine, honest doctors would treat their patients well; the rest do it for money.

I underwent a second upper and lower GI endoscopy last year. The inexperienced doctor took many biopsies from the scarred area of my terminal ileum which resulted in random bleeding for many months. In fact, he didn't conduct any of the tests properly. I was tired of being a slave to the doctors and listening to their crap.
Posted 5/12/2014 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
I think it's important to realize that many GIs don't know a lot about IBD. You say WHAT? Isn't IBD a terrible GI disease? Yes, yes it is. However, most GIs are busy (from what I can tell) doing screening colonoscopies on all the baby boomers that are now over 50 years old. Many have little to no experience with the complicated nature of IBD.

Hopefully you have at least one doctor in your life (your PCP or your OB/Gyn, if you're a woman) that you trust and have a good relationship with. This is the DR you talk to about how to find a good GI. You ask your trusted DR to give you three recommendations. And then you ask them to tell you whether any of those DRs treat more than a few IBD patients.

Then you go out to your friends and you ask them "do you know anyone with UC or Crohn's?" Can you give me their number? Then you cal those people and get references to their DRs.

You can also find out where the local support group meets. Go to the CCFA website. Use those resources to find a good DR.

It took me 3 GIs to get a good one. This is not an unusual problem. But it is also not an impossible one.
Posted 5/13/2014 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
I am a 44 yo male and I guess I never thought I could switch specialists that I was assigned 10 years ago after a big flare ended me in the ICU for 3 days because I was losing so much blood and my health was slowly deteriorating up to that point for years. Now I see a Rheumatologist Specialist that treats my other Auto-Immune related problems, such as Ankylosing Spondylitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Osteopenia. All this has caused my hip and knee to need replacement (which I couldn't do before because I needed the income that my job offered me and I struggled for years and years trying to keep that job), but now I don't know where I stand with anything really. I have went through so many PCP's in these last 10 years and they all seem to move on to other hospitals after I get all set up with them, so at the moment I am without a PCP. I have also been diagnosed with depression years ago, which I left untreated because the drugs that the PCP at that time prescribed to me made me feel like my head was hollow and lagging behind everything that went on in the world around me. I believe the drug was called Buspirone(?). So, I stopped taking that and everything got a lot better until now. I'm going to try a new PCP really quick (hopefully before this flare puts me in the hospital). I just have so many stress factors gnawing at me at the moment and I don't know which one to handle first.... And thanks for all replies kazbern, minnietoty and Usher. Much appreciated :)
Posted 5/13/2014 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
If you like your rheumatologist, this is a good starting point for you to find a good GI (and a good PCP). Rheumatologists have to work with other doctors all the time, so you can have a good conversation with yours about the different characteristics of the specialists in your area. Make sure to get a list from your insurance provider about who's on the plan so you don't waste your time.
Posted 5/14/2014 12:00 AM (GMT 0)

kazbern said...
So I don't understand the way you talk about your DR. Your "Crohn's specialist" is a GI that you hired. Fire her and go find someone else. There is no reason for you to stay with a DR you co not like who does not take your concerns and questions seriously.

Nitpicking point: there is no reason for you to stay with a doctor you do not like in the UK as well. We can change doctors. If we have the money (or healthcare insurance), we can even go private.

But otherwise, agreed with you entirely.
Posted 5/14/2014 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
You are exactly right NCOT. I was going to suggest that he ask for specific NHS coaching if he was in the UK, just to help him get to a different specialist.
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