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Neurologist follow-up after pain management Dr nightmare!!

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Posted 3/15/2013 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I saw my regular neurologist today. THANK GOD!!!  It was only 5 minutes into our hour long discussion that he had his eyes closed and was shaking his head at the PM Dr's "technique" and medication regimine and he said "Well, at the very least, had you listened to him, you would have been in a coma!!"  That's what I thought.  He said his idea of putting someone on a starting strength of 50mgs of amatriptyline is CRAZY and dengerous. We actually chose to forgo the amitriptyline for now. Ambien was working just fine with no side affects. Why change it?  I am going to try the Gralise. But I'll start out at the lower dose. AND he gave me samples to try before dumping a ton of $ into it.

Upon neuro exam, my REAL neurologist couldn't get my arm reflexes (either one) to react so that goes inline with the arnold chiari and reverse curve of C-spine problems. So, I have a 2 page script with instructions for an MRI of C-spine and the juncture of spine and skull. Very curious how this will turn out.

OK, gotta eat dinner. I'll continue in a few :-)! So glad I went today!!! :-D!!

Posted 3/15/2013 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad you got a second opinion right away. I hope you're not planning to go back to him ever.
Posted 3/16/2013 7:21 AM (GMT 0)
Good grief!!

Well, at least you got some validation from your own neurologist. I'm glad you have him in your corner. I really think some doctors are just control freaks. As in, they want to control other people.

It's good that you went with your gut. Sleep well!

Debbie
Posted 3/16/2013 1:32 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad you saw your neurologist. Just the fact the PM didn't believe in fibro would have had me packing my bags. Then the fact he was taking you off all the medications your other doctors prescribed would have sent up red flags for me. That obviously did for you, too, and that's great! Now, start feeling better soon.

Sherrine
Posted 3/16/2013 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
That is one thing that always makes me a little nervous. Each specialist is focused on his/her own field. This can cause problems when there are multiple, over-lapping disorders. If there is a good PCP watching over this, or the patient is a good self-advocate, then there is a lower opportuniy for issues to pop up.

For instance, when my sister, who had fibro and cancer, among other things, went to her cancer hospital, her doctor there was not treating the fibro, and wouldn't authorize the pain killers. It took some time to get the pain management people up to her area to
adjust the meds so that fibro pain was being addressed.

It is always good to have other eyes see thins, but a radical med change is never a food idea without oversight.
Posted 3/16/2013 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
Do you ever feel as though being a patient puts the added responsibility of checking out meds and dosages, looking for drug interactions and possible side effects? I'm always checking stuff out and questioning things. I remember the old days before any of my conditions...meds were prescribed for an illness or infection and I never questioned things...now it is just the opposite. It is good to be proactive, but sometimes I feel like if I'm not checking... will something get overlooked?

Maybe I'm a control freak :)

Hugs, Robin
Posted 3/16/2013 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I remember that, how simple it all was then! And no worrying about health insurance, either....

Debbie
Posted 3/16/2013 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
HA! I live on drugs.com. I check every little thing I put in my body.  I have a very "sick"..  "best friend" that pops pills for every little ailment that comes her way. When I started to get sick from my gallbladder she said "Oh, I take bonine. Works like I charm"..  knowing we are on one of the same medicines (or at least were) I said "Holy crap, you can't take that stuff. There's a major interaction with our topamax!!"  She doesn't check. She just pops..pops..and pops some more. I bet if she knew what her medicines were doing to her and she took things properly, she'd be a lot healthier than she is.  She's married. I use that term very loosly. She couldn't get pregnant for years. Still hasn't but she's finally given up trying (thank GOD). I firmly believe God won't let her get pregnant. If she's that careless with her body, imagine what she'd do to a child!! UGH!!

Sorry, THAT was totally venting..lol!! Anyway, yah, I LOVE my pharmacist. Know her well. We are both always on top of things with all my meds. The Dr's really aren't that knowledgable about what reacts with what, etc.

I'm starting the gralise (time released gabapantin) tonight. Scared to add another pill but REALLy want more relief. so here goes!! Wish me LUCK!! He told me to take it with dinner explaining that it'd help me sleep better at night and give more pain relief during the day. Any comments on that??

 

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