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Best way to ask doctor for specific med?

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Posted 12/30/2013 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I want to try a low dose of amitriptyline to see if it will help me. I've never asked a dr. flat out for something and am a little unsure how to approach this. Any advice?
Posted 12/30/2013 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
I took Nortryptyline, didn't help. What is your excuse to get this one, depression?

Mine was headache, plus borderline depression. I made a case, with stress, UC (low serotonin in GI system) and little connection with headache. The Neurologist gave a very small dose (Amy* increases weight, so I got Nor*), Took it for a month or so, didn't help, decided to go with meditation instead.
Posted 12/30/2013 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
I'm interested in it for the gut slowing and help with cramps and also sleep. I have IBS on top of the colitis, I believe my ibs is worsening my symptoms right now.
Posted 12/30/2013 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
I was just talking about this subject to the gal that does caregiving for my son -

if you are going to ask for something, be prepared with why you want it, what you know about it, and what you expect to happen -

if the doc disagrees, he needs to tell you why - the days of docs saying jump and the patient asking how far are over - if your doc won't even listen, it's time to go shopping -

good luck -
Posted 12/30/2013 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks soy stud, good advice. I will ensure I'm prepared to answer questions to back up my request.
Posted 12/30/2013 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
Just straight up ask them....I do it all the time and usually they go, "I didn't think about trying that" tell them why you might think it will help. Remember GIs deal with ALOT of problems, not strictly UC! They don't know, or remember everything. Usually, my GI just says, "what do you want?" They know this disease blows

Post Edited (nightside of eden) : 12/30/2013 4:34:17 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/30/2013 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hee hee, oh, nightshade. You made me laugh out loud! "They know this disease blows". Thanks for the input. Glad to hear its not uncommon for patients to ask for a specific med.
Posted 12/30/2013 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
I explained to my GI a couple years ago that I am a moderator of a UC forum and have learned so much from other people with this disease. I said that I had heard of a few different things that I would like to try (lomotil and bentyl) and while I don't need them to the degree others do, I am glad that I asked for them. She has also said she will give me steriod enemas/suppositories if I ask for them before prescribing prednisone if and when I flare next.
Posted 12/31/2013 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
I am quite lucky and our local family GP is like a drug vending machine. Everytime i visit him, he writes scripts for almost anything i want without much questioning. Overtime, I've asked him for a script for Colestid (bile sequestrant), Questran, Tramadol, Xanax, Amitriptyline, Cymbalta, Flagyl, Valium, Panediene Forte, Lomotil.
Posted 12/31/2013 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
My GI definitely wouldn't give me that. Last time I went to the GP, I wanted to get a bunch of stuff refilled and I thought since she was a GP, she would handle all my refills. Boy was I wrong. I left there without a single refill. I went to the pharmacy and I told them I thought everything would be submitted and they laughed. Guess it's never that easy. I think if you want something, often you need to go to a GP or you need to go to a specialist that has experience with that thing. I have gotten depression meds from the neurologist for migraines. I've gotten anti-anxiety meds from the psychiatrist, GI meds from the GI, birth control from the GYN... I used to have a GYN who would was very confident and knowledgeable and she was open-minded to prescribing many things a GP would but I doubt she would refill my klonopin. It's really frustrating having to go to so many doctors to get different stuff. I need to find one GP who will refill all this stuff. I have actually stopped taking stuff due to not wanting to go in to see the doctor.
Posted 12/31/2013 2:25 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the great input guys! Not so sickly- wow, sounds like you're getting the run around. My GP had no issues prescribing me refills from my GI. I figured I'd have better luck asking my GI for the amitriptyline since I need an off label script for it (at low dose it's commonly used by GIs for IBS symptoms) if he won't do it I will ask my GP, or see what GI suggests instead.
Posted 12/31/2013 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
My GP was a life saver these last couple months without a GI... (tho my CRS as a GI was useless anyways)

I went in to my NP and straight up told her I was still flaring and very upset with the CRS, whom she warned me about when i got assigned her for my colonoscopy.

I spent almost an hour talking with my NP that day. So grateful. Walked in with balsalzide written on a piece of paper (advice on $$ from this forum!) And told her I wanted it. She didnt feel comfortable prescribing it so she met with my GP (who ive only met once... digital examination of my rectume before referring the colonoscopy)

An hour later I got a call from my NP... prednisone and balsalzide scripts would be at the pharmacy as soon as I completed bloodwork.

Be your own advocate, be strong. Be smart. Be confident.

I did call back and ask for anti-spasmatics and/or rectal meds but got shot down. Still happy for the first victory tho!

And seeing a gastroenterologist in a couple weeks so im sure I can get rectals then. :)
Posted 12/31/2013 9:38 AM (GMT 0)

toomuchpoopin said...
I'm interested in it for the gut slowing and help with cramps and also sleep. I have IBS on top of the colitis, I believe my ibs is worsening my symptoms right now.


The med you are asking won't help with these issues. Do not stuff your body with something that won't help. Don't know how old are you, but if you are less than 40 or even 50, this is not a time for experimentation, enough life left ahead.
Your best bet is Acetaminophen with Bentyl to regularise your bowel (Add N-Acetyl Cysteine, if you go Tylenol route). Start taking Mg-Citrate so that if there is any constipative side-effect, it will be fixed. Plus, majority of us are Mg-deficient, it will fix that too. You never know what mineral deficiency can do. Whatever religion you follow (or not), consider meditation (although there is nothing religious about it, many folks think it on that line). There is a lot of evidence coming up that meditation helps with epigenetic modifications.


MaxMilian said...
I am quite lucky and our local family GP is like a drug vending machine. Everytime i visit him, he writes scripts for almost anything i want without much questioning. Overtime, I've asked him for a script for Colestid (bile sequestrant), Questran, Tramadol, Xanax, Amitriptyline, Cymbalta, Flagyl, Valium, Panediene Forte, Lomotil.


Certainly, not my type of medical professional. I would not go to him unless I don't have other options. Who takes responsibility if something goes wrong?
My PCP won't even refill my hydrocortisone enema, when my GI was going through some rough time with her family and was on vacation and I suddenly went into flare (and he knows everything about my condition). But I respect his decision. He doesn't treat my UC and hence he will not prescribe (I didn't know then what was going on with my GI, I was just informed, she is on vacation).
Posted 12/31/2013 3:17 PM (GMT 0)
I take nortriptyline and was given it many years ago for pain management, when I was in chronic pain from my UC and nothing else helped. It DOES help with sleep as well, which was great, since I was also on prednisone and had terrible insomnia, even at a dose as low as 5 mg....but it does make you more sensitive to the sun. As for constipation, what is constipation??????? The generic is a super cheap drug. I take 50mg. It really did NOT stop my pain; the best effect I received was that it enabled me to sleep and it did sort of remove a layer of not feeling well.
Posted 12/31/2013 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
Delta, thanks for your insight. Given some of the other meds out there I'm not too concerned about 20mg of amitriptyline. It's been shown to greatly help some with ibs who suffer from over reactive gut/mind connection. I'm not saying its going to help with the colitis. I will have a discussion with GI re: pros/cons or alternatives.

Moss piglet- thanks for letting me know about your experiences with nor trip.
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