I play detective

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to ask you if you are your own detective with your health?

If something new pops up with me I look into it and see what could have caused it. For example being put on a new med by a doctor and experiencing a side effect. I look up drugs.com to see if what I'm experiencing could be a side effect of the new med.

The other example I've shared in here before is when I had a sharp pain in my chest that made it difficult for me to breathe. I went to a conventional doctor, had tests done, and he put me on an inhaler. Inhalers have never helped my asthma so the new one didn't help.

I went to see my chiropractor, he gave me an adjustment, and the pain was gone. He said one of my ribs was out of adjustment. After he told me that, I figured out how it all came about. I had lifted my 5 lb. weights in a different way when the pain began. I had brought them together across my chest. I immediately stopped doing that exercise.

What I'm trying to ask, friends, is when you're experiencing something new, do you play detective with your health?

 

Yeah, I think you have to. I was the one who figured out that Dairy was causing my IBS symptoms. My doctor was running tests and getting nowhere. My PA now asks me "What do you think it is?"

Have any of you experienced the opposite where you tell a doctor what you think it is (Like Robin with her gall bladder) and having the doctor get stubborn and refuse to believe it could be that? For decades after that experience I wouldn't tell the doctor what I thought it was but what my symptoms were and let him or her figure it out from there.

It is refreshing now to have a medical professional listen to me and even ask my opinion.

I use to not look up problems or look up side effects to meds. I thought I might put ideas in my head that wasn't there. One day I decided to cruise the net on the medical end of it. I was totally amazed how you could help yourself in a good way. So when I fell last week and injured my legs I went on line to see how to treat them. It gave me the correct answer. It save me a huge ER bill that night. Went to the Dr. in the morning and his direction was the same as the internent.

My mother in Law couldn't affort PT on her previous broken ankle, so we went on line and got vidoes on the same exact therapy the therapist would of showed you.

I think it's great tool now since dr's are spending less time informing us on treatments.

I try to play detective and learn as much as possible about my conditions and especially my meds as i have ended up in the hospital because of meds or lack of meds(both) several times. Unfortunately it all depends on the doctor and I have been looking for a good PCP every since mine had a heart attack and couldn't run both of his practices anymore. and before anyone tells me to drive as far as it takes, if i could I would but i can barely get out of bed to walk the dog on any given day, so this isn't an option for me. I have a good neurologist a good endocrinologist and one of the NP at my PCP's office is handling my menopause issues quite well, but my PM doc's and my PCP don't speak even though there in the same office! And forget about getting them to talk to anyone else and this is the 3rd time I've changed PCP's in 2yrs! I'm a little frustrated obviously, i like being a detective I have no desire to be my own doctor, thanks.

I feel that I need to research my symptoms in order to be able to describe them fully to my doctor. I also feel that we need to research and understand our meds fully. There are certain side effects of meds that our doctors aren't aware of, and interactions that pharmacists don't always catch. We all react to meds differently. I had a doctor who would not listen to my symptoms, (and, I think did not believe in fibro for many years). I now believe in having one who treats me like a partner in my medical treatment. I also take vitamins and supplements, and the internet is a valuable tool for this.

Hi Tina,

I'm sorry to hear you're not doing well. I was wondering why you feel ashamed of your dx?

I like what you said, that you are going to start taking care of it yourself but I didn't like the part so much where you said you're going to demand that something be done.

I haven't learned all that I have about helping myself naturally through my doctors, it's been through forums like this, reading up on fibro in books and online, and talking to friends who live a healthy lifestyle about how to help myself.

I think some count on their doctors too much to help them. We should be doing all that we can to help ourselves along with seeing our doctors when we need to.

Let me know what you think. I wish you all the best.

Iam so sorr almost, i didnt mean to offend anyone, iam just saying how i feel!!!!! Working in a dr office where for 5 years they would give pt the dx of fibro and then ALWAYS make fun of the pts with that dxs has been ingrained in my head, so when i was dx i was lke "oh no, here we go ", iam only trying to tell the truth. The dr office i worked in had 5 drs andthey all thought fibro was a way to give the pt a dx but they really didnt believe that there was such a condition. What i ment by demand is i have been going to this dr for about 5 years and the only thing she has ever suggusted to me was giong to a pain clinic, which i go every month only to get meds. I have been reading this forum for a few days now and most of the people on here have been put on some type of program from their dr,ie exercise, natural meds and even being send to a rh dr. My ins.will not let me go to anyone without a ref, so thats what i ment. I have been dragged along and feeling bad for so long that thats why i said demand. This forum has helped me so much, knowing there is hope to feel normal again and have a life. I have felt bad for 12 years and all any of my drs have ever done is stuff pill down my throat, i didnt even know there was more you could do, remember my knowledge of fibro is something to be laughed at, so i was embarrassed to say anything just kept feel bad and doing what they said cause i didnt believe i had a read illness and in the meantime was trying to find out what was really wrong with me!!!! I sorry if i made anyone mad but all of you have really opened my eyes, wow iam crying right now, thanks so much and please dont kick me off, i need you all so much!!!!!! LOVE TINA ---( THE BAD GIRL) .

Tina,

Sorry I may have come on a bit strong about the demanding. I didn't really mean it that way. I just wanted you to clarify where you were going with this.

There's no anger here or in this forum. We all care for each other and we're concerned and want to help.

Please feel free to ask more questions and to share more with us. It does help to talk. I call it clearing the air and this is a wonderful place to learn. We can never learn enough.

Good luck to you.

First, sorry did not see where you had posted the word almost in your post.
I would have handled your situation differently because i have trouble confronting some people and do not stand up for myself much. I am lucky enough to have a husband who will stand up for me when i can not. He is just now understanding some of the pain i have suffered. He is now at the age (we are now 48) and his back and shoulders are giving him pain, enough that he took so much ibruprofen last year i literally almost lost him to blood loss due to an ulcer.
IMO, you need to find a new dr, ask for a copy of all your medical records. Tell them you are changing drs and want copies for them. if they say they will send them ask new dr for copy, but try to insist on them handing them to you. make copies yourself. This way you know exactly what they have been doing and thier thoughts on your visits.
If you have anyone who can be with you at these times, take them. i have found when you have visits involving pain, having someone to verify what you are saying helps so much. of course, my husband is 6 ft and about 350 lbs so people tend to listen to him.
my biggest suggestion is to talk to your insurance and get recommendation. if they can point you to a dr that will help you, it means they might not have to shell out so much payments in the future.
I called bcbs several times. i now have cigna and have not talked to them about the drs.

we are there with you in spirit. Do what you have to do.