Would you change doctors?

Went to urologist checked my blood results. He said the PSA was elevated to 5.5 to check if it was just a infection, he gave me he gave me Sulfamethoxazole. The dosage was on the label as 2 by mouth twice daily for 10 days.

And told me to get another blood test and come back the week after the blood test and he will see if the psa was lower.

When I took this drug, I got every possible side effect, weak feeling, dizzy, diarear , my entire lower groin area had aches and pains.

I called the urologist office , and got an assistant, and he told me to continue to take the medicine as the results would be far better than the discomfort I was getting.

Went into the urologist office yesterday.
He told me the PSA was still the same, so no infection, and he wanted to do a biopsy of my Prostate next Tuesday.

I explained that I still had ill effects, groin pain, stomach pain, soft stool, and he asked me what medicine I was taking, and he went to look it up and he could not find what he prescribed to me on the records.

He said “stop that drug immediately” and I explained back to him that I used the 10 days prescribed, and had not been on it for another 10 days. (Should he of known this as well?)

While walking out of the room and bringing me to the front counter, I asked him again what the name of the drug he gave me and he said a different name (not the one he prescribed)

I went to CVS to have the prescription filled for the pre and post of the biopsy, and one of the drugs was the one that gave me trouble again. Sulfamethoxazole.

I do not trust him, as he made several mistakes right out of the box.

I requested another referral for a different doctor, and different company.

I just was wondering your thoughts on this matter.

Find another service provider.... If you have a question about him... u will never feel comfortable.... move on

Agree with the others! Doubtful you'll ever be comfortable with him.

Cheers, Doug

I agree with everyone, I just called my family doctor and told him to get me a new Urologist stat. (not even the same company or practice)

It's simply amazing, huh?

I agree.

I had a similar experience in that my uro gave me someone else's chart, had to call in for help, etc. Some of these guys might just be going through stuff at a particular time (divorce, their own depression, etc). Best to get someone you are 100% comfortable with.

If you open up your profile or state your location in a reply, perhaps osmeone in your area can recommend a new urologist.

Many doctors have very tight appointment schedules and can get quite brusque when they have wall-to-wall patients. This is especially true at HMOs, I think. It's not a good excuse, but it does help to understand how it works these days.

I've found that most doctors do not review your charts until you get there. I agree with PDA that your doctor probably referred to it by the brand name, but wrote that it could be filled by the generic name.

These days, responsibility falls more and more in the patient's lap. You get that responsibility whether you want it or not. It's up to you to ask for and keep copies of your medical records and the medications you are taking. For example, when your doctor was giving you a scrip for an antibiotic for the biopsy, you should be telling him not to give you Bactrim because of the bad reaction you had. Should he know? Of course. Yet it's your life, your health, and ultimately your responsibility to speak up and assert yourself.

I've found it helps a lot to ask questions and get answers in writing. Often, medical offices will have email communications available, which can help. I prefer it to telephone, where you play phone tag and wind up talking to some assistant of unknown capability. Also, we are in a transition time for electronic health records. They are being phased in in the US, and many doctors are not yet used to finding and entering info into it. Eventually it will improve recording and access to info.

- Allen

I agree with compiler - you may have an allergy to sulfur-based drugs. These are not used as frequently nowadays, since the newer antibiotics get more publicity/face time with the medical community via advertising. My wife is deathly allergic to sulfa-meds, since she was a child.

Regarding the doctor - I agree that it is time to find another one. Anytime you lose confidence in a doctor it impacts your mental health and likely your physical health (directly via possible medical errors or indirectly via psychological aspects.)

I had a great surgeon, but after the surgery he couldn't remember whether or not he prescribed antibiotics to me for an abscess in a couple stitches, even though he had seen me and talked to me about the problem multiple times (he hadn't). He did not seem to listen to what I told him (my wife got mad and finally just kept asking the same question until he finally answered it). As a result I am looking for a new urologist who can hopefully be more oriented on the patient and act as my advocate going forward.

Just a note to tell why I chose my surgeon. I had my records sent to him a few weeks before my first meeting. I drove 3 hours to have my first appointment with him. I waited approx. 2 1/2 hours in a packed waiting room for my turn to speak to him. He does surgeries 4 days a week and has only 1 office day a week.

When he came in the examining room to meet my wife and I, he shook hands with us and starting talking to me like he already knew me. "Large tumor you have, several men I met today are like you".

He had read my records and knew my disease like I was the only one in his office that day. He showed confidence he could help me with my PCa. He was very soft spoken, confident in himself and reassuring to my wife and I.

It was the first time in weeks that my wife felt better about my DX. There was no changing our minds, he was the man to do the surgery.

He was supportive of my side effects and already had ED and incontinence seminar planned for the day my catheter was removed. He has been there for me since day one and it is why I still drive 3 hours once a year for follow up. His office is like "HOME" to me when I walk into it.

Yes I have had and continue to have SE's from the surgery, but if I had them with him, I would have them with other doctors as well.

You have to feel like your doctor is working in your best interest at all times.

Bill from Florida