Doctor's visit, when your doctor doesn't seem to get it

[chri'stina 190]

Prepare for a long story/rant. Could be boring!

I went to the Dr this morning for a skin issue I've been having. A couple years ago I had something called tinea versicolor on my shoulders and neck. It's a skin issue that happens when too much yeast gets on the outside of your skin. It makes little dry pink patches of skin that seem to lose any oily-ness. Anyway that was back in college and I went to the DR at college and they diagnosed me easily, and I just had to put prescription strength nizoral shampoo on the spots. It cleared up right away. I had it again a little while later, again the nizoral cleared it up. The Dr said she knew no real reason that is happens, but it seems to happen more in humid places like Florida. It's simple to get rid of though.

So a couple years go by and I have it again on my neck, and this time also my scalp is really itchy. (not lice people! I checked... ). So it appears to be seborrheic dermatitis(itchy dry scalp, not normal itch...kind of like adult's version of cradle cap except you can't see the redness/dryness as much, similar to tinea) as well as tinea versicolor on the back of my neck again.

I went to the Dr this morning for it. I explained everything clearly. There was a nurse in the room who had to repeat everything I said loudly to the Dr because he was hard of hearing. I told them my past cases of tinea versicolor...he looked at my head, neck, and back. He said I had bites all over my back. Um no, my back is pretty clear except for maybe 3 little pimples on my back! And my back doesn't itch. So anyway he doesn't say much to me. He tells the nurse stuff and has her start writing prescriptions. I'm wondering a little because she writes 4 prescriptions...4??? I still thought he is treating me for what I told him. Then he leaves the room and the nurse has to tell me in detail what he diagnosed and what the prescriptions are.

He diagnosed me with postscabetic dermatitis...a skin allergy/rach because of mites! All the prescriptions he gave are for killing mites and creams for the remaining rash. They asked if I had pets....nope I don't. Does my family have pets, they asked, nope they don't. Does your husband have any itchy areas....no again. I basically fit none of the symptoms.

I did my best to stand firm saying, "I don't think this is right"...and again explaining everything. Still, they stuck with their thing. He did no tests on me to prove anything. The medicines he prescribed together will cost probably 50-60 plus they want me to spray borax around the carpet and do a bunch of other dumb stuff. They also want Sujeet to put a cream all over himself. They said in every nook and crevice from your neck to your feet. Umm, funny since Sujeet has zero symptoms of it. Also the prone areas for mites is waist, armpit, under chest, all places where I have NO rash nor itchiness.

So...after getting home and boiling inside over a Dr's visit that did nothing to help my real problem I decided to call back and again argue my case. It's something I wouldn't usually do cuz I'm wimpy! But I made myself do it, saying all the symptoms of the mite thing that I don't have...I have lots of symptoms of the seborrheic...why cannot I be treated first for the seborrheic and then try the other treatment if that is not it. It would be really cheap to treat the seborrheic. One prescription. Not so cheap for the thing he diagnosed. The nurse said, after you try this treatment....and if it doesn't work, then he will try treating you for seborrheic dermatitis. Sounds like maybe he needs more patients or more visits?

I'm just so annoyed!! Even though we have insurance, who wants to pay a co-pay of $25 for total ####### info. Anyway I called the Dr's office, a nurse said she'd talk to the Dr and call me back. If they don't prescribe what I needed in the first place, or if they don't say they will do a test to confirm what he said, I'm not going back to this Dr. And you can be sure that I have researched what he said I have, since getting home, and I don't fit it at all!! I don't get it. And I fit the symptoms perfectly for the other thing. You'd think if he thought I had possibly 2 totally different things, he would have done some test right in the office. Then I would be convinced one way or the other.

crappy #######

Let's see what they say when they call back.

Edited May 1, 2006 by stina&suj

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Way too many doctors are idiots. I feel your pain, I am going through a similar "issue" with my doctor as we speak.

[CarolineM 0]

How annoying! I HATE that. I have an issue with my neck - told the doc EXACTLY what is was but he's making me go get xrays anyway - just more money.

But your situation sounds so frustrating I hope it's GOOD news when they call back

[chri'stina 190]

Way too many doctors are idiots. I feel your pain, I am going through a similar "issue" with my doctor as we speak.

I'm sorry about that! It is very frustrating.

How annoying! I HATE that. I have an issue with my neck - told the doc EXACTLY what is was but he's making me go get xrays anyway - just more money.

But your situation sounds so frustrating I hope it's GOOD news when they call back

thanks! I hope so too..

[Dixie_Peach 1]

I would have walked out of there without paying...

sorry stina that you are having such a crappy day!

Also hope that the Doctor will at least LISTEN to you this time...

Lynne

[Ban Hammer 13,635]

time for a second opinion

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I would have walked out of there without paying...

sorry stina that you are having such a crappy day!

Also hope that the Doctor will at least LISTEN to you this time...

Lynne

Every doctors office ive been to makes you pay the copay upfront... before you realize the doctors an ID10T.

[chri'stina 190]

time for a second opinion

definitely...

[almaty 19]

same here..they have you pay the co-pay..wait a hour and see the doctor for 5 minutes..and this is the best health care in the world..accordinfg to some ,..yeah right

[Mand 1]

If he's not prepared to listen to you, try and get a new Doctor.

I have been seeing a Family Practitioner here for my pregnancy, as they basically told me to cancel my OB appointment, and they would deal with my pregnancy. TThey said that it is becoming the norm for Family Practitioner's to look after pregnancies. I stupidly took their word, as I really had no idea how things work here.

Well, I just haven't been happy with this Doctor at all. I asked him about recommended sleeping positions for later on in the pregnancy and his response was "I don't know anything about that"!!! Talk about not filling me with confidence! I only recently looked him up...I know, I should have done this earlier...he's only a 1st year resident, with a Degree in Biology and 1 year medical training. Needless to say, I re-booked the OB this morning and am getting my records transferred tomorrow. Already, I feel much better.

Go with your gut feeling Stina, it's generally the right one

Edited May 1, 2006 by Mand

[Dixie_Peach 1]

I would have walked out of there without paying...

sorry stina that you are having such a crappy day!

Also hope that the Doctor will at least LISTEN to you this time...

Lynne

Every doctors office ive been to makes you pay the copay upfront... before you realize the doctors an ID10T.

I forget AS that in larger areas, that they do make you pay upfront. In that case, I would not have left that office without getting the doctor to listen to me. I have found that some doctors think that they are God and know everything already WITHOUT listening to the patient's alarms, comments, thoughts, etc... without even getting any background... seems like some are just ready to make a diagnosis and shuttle you out the door...

Thankfully, I have a doctor here who doesn't do that... he actually listens to the patient... and discusses the issue with you. I have no idea what I will do when he retires tho!

Still wishing you the best stina...

Lynne

[PsychoKat 0]

First off I would say it's time to get yourself a new doctor. BTW don't be afraid to call any prospects for a Doctor you might consider and request an interview before putting your health in their hands. If it's a good Doctor they will allow the interview, at least those I've dealt with will. The first time I did that I was afraid of stepping on toes and very uncomfortable but it was for cancer and I needed a doctor I felt comfortable with for life.

Interesting about having to pay the copay before you see the Dr, it might be because I've gone to the same family practice doctor for more than 1/2 my life but I don't deal with that until leaving his office.

[chri'stina 190]

When we arrived we were the only patients(my mom came with me because I have no car and needed a ride). It was pretty fast but I walked out annoyed.

He himself never said my "diagnosis" to me, he just was mumbling to the nurse and telling her which prescriptions to write. The nurse is someone I actually know, though not very well and haven't seen her in years.

I said, why does this occur more in some than others. I was referring to what I THOUGHT he was talking about. Nope, he was talking about mites.

Something else that's priceless...some of the Q's he asked.

Do you meet with the public?(not more than any other person)

Do you shake hands often? (not really)

Do you hug people?(ya, my family..and friends..?)

He was like, ah...and I was wondering why he was asking silly Q's.

yes sir, I am a human.

The nurse says...when you get the cream, you and your husband have to cover your entire bodies with it and let it soak in. I thought, wow Sujeet will really love putting medication all over him because of his wife's skin issues. They kept trying to say "your husband may have it too but is not showing symptoms..." "It could be from your house...." I said no, it's been going on awhile for me and in 2 different houses, no other itchy areas on me either or my husband.

Then, you'll love this...

The nurse said it can happen if you travel a lot (which I don't!). Also she knew I went to India to meet Sujeet but it was in 2003.....she said even on that trip you could have picked up some mites and it not show up til now. I almost laughed really hard when she said that, because it was so dumb.

actually I didn't have to pay the co-pay til the end...but I still paid it...

If he's not prepared to listen to you, try and get a new Doctor.

I have been seeing a Family Practitioner here for my pregnancy, as they basically told me to cancel my OB appointment, and they would deal with my pregnancy. TThey said that it is becoming the norm for Family Practitioner's to look after pregnancies. I stupidly took their word, as I really had no idea how things work here.

Well, I just haven't been happy with this Doctor at all. I asked him about recommended sleeping positions for later on in the pregnancy and his response was "I don't know anything about that"!!! Talk about not filling me with confidence! I only recently looked him up...I know, I should have done this earlier...he's only a 1st year resident, with a Degree in Biology and 1 year medical training. Needless to say, I re-booked the OB this morning and am getting my records transferred tomorrow. Already, I feel much better.

Go with your gut feeling Stina, it's generally the right one

It true, it does feel better when you do what you feel is correct. I hope your OB doctor is much better!

[PsychoKat 0]

Thankfully, I have a doctor here who doesn't do that... he actually listens to the patient... and discusses the issue with you. I have no idea what I will do when he retires tho!

Still wishing you the best stina...

Lynne

Haha you sound like me, in regards to your Doctor. I've been with my Family doctor since I was not yet 22 years old, when my daugther was born I knew he also was trained in pediatrics and he's been her Dr from the moment she was born. I've often said I don't know what I'll do when he retires ... but he's in the process of taking care of that issue for me

His son is now a Doctor (god I remember when he was a little kid), and my doctor has him working in his office and mentoring him

[faith 0]

He basically told you that you have scabies. Just to let you know, you don't have to have pets or know anyone with pets to get scabies. They are mites that burrow under your skin and cause a rash. The creams suffocate them and kill them and then you are cured. IF IF IF the doctor (who sounds like an idiot) happens to be right you will need to wash all your bedding and pillows, if you have a comforter put that in a huge garbage bag and seal it up tight so there is no air in it if you can't wash it... and leave it for a week or so. Vacuum your house really good and if you can steam clean your carpets do so. It is likely that if it is scabies it would be more than just you in the house that gets it.

However, the doc seems like an idiot. I'd get a second opinion. If it IS scabies you need to treat it... but if it's not you need to find a doc that will listen to you!