We all do, but...

>>>I went to the doctors office today because I had a migraine for the past three days and thought I was going to die.

You have every right to be cranky, not that being uncranky is an option under those circumstances.

>>>I am describing my pain when he asks about my allergies so I tell him what i'm allergic to. He then asks what if any drugs i'm allergic to. I tell him, pseudoephedrine, then he asks what happens when I take it. This is where I start to get angry, what does it matter what the side effect is? What like you don't believe me? My heart starts racing and I just don't feel well after that. What like you don't believe me cause you've never heard of it? Besides, its written in my chart that you're staring at, A--.

Sorry, but that's an important question. What kind of allergic reaction is important. And it's good that he asked.

>>>So then he asks what medicines i'm on including any herbs, I say yes and tell him that I am on high dosages of two particular herbs that I have started as alternative treatment because traditional allergy medicine wasn't working. These are herbs are working by the way, better than anything ever has! His tone completely changes. He says, in a somewhat condescending tone, well we don't like to have patients take herbs because sometimes they contain "real" medicine, as opposed to fake medicine I guess, and its unregulated and we can't know exactly what they're taking.

Well, he might have worded that better but "natural" remedies do contain chemicals that can have side effect and can cause reactions with other medicines (both pharmaceutical and "natural". They are all chemicals. The problem with some of the herbal remedies is that the dosage is not standardized and you don't really know what kind of concentration you are getting. Again, it's good he asked. They didn't for a long time and then had problems with gingko reacting badly with heart medication (as both are blood thinners), etc.

>>>He then declares matter of factly that I have a sinus infection to which I say, "but i'm not congested at all. I don't feel any swelling and I don't feel any drip, are you telling me its possible to not feel any of these symptoms and still have a sinus infection?" He says,yes. I don't know if I buy it, I am neti potting everyday and can actually smell for the first time, well, ever!

Yes, you could have a sinus infection. Neti helps clear the nasal passages and can unblock the opening of the sinuses, but sinuses are spongy tissue and neti isn't really rinsing that out. Your sense of smell is unrelated to your sinuses. It's very easy to get an infection in your sinuses.

>>>He says I want you to see an ent to see what medication he might be able to prescribe or maybe he can sensitize you, I'm like, I have an ent in Texas that I work with, but I guess a world renowned ent isn't good enough if he's not on the Upper East Side. So, don't know if I want to get the prescription for antibiotics. I trust my normal doctor so maybe this guy is just an aberration. I just need to vent. Also, why are doctors in this city such snobs? Do they mean to be this way or are they just complete jerks? Side note, please excuse the bad grammar and possible spelling typos. My head still feels like it has a heartbeat...

I had this problem with a doctor in Texas. I went two him two different times and he put me on Humibid (now known as Mucinex) and by the end of the week I had full blown bronchitis both times. What a quack. (Yes Dr Stansny I'm talking about you...maybe if you worried about your patients as much as you did your affair with La Bartoli I wouldn't have gotten so sick...and yes I did say that out loud).

I'll be honest. I have gotten the best care from GPs and NPs in this city. No BS and they actually listened to what I told them (like what meds I know don't work for me) and everything was fine. The specialists? Who's that quack that used to write for CS? Big waste of time and money (HUGE waste of money btw...$300 for a scoping?)


Houndentenor

"Get the trash off the street and back on the stage where it belongs." -- Bette Midler