I’ve been seeing this G.P. for three years and I’ve never felt very comfortable with her – she’s humorless and I kind of dread seeing her. She diagnosed some conditions (fibromyalgia, etc) that she prescribed a lot of drugs for; I was also seeing her for depression treatment.
Six months ago I decided that I was sick of taking so many meds and began seeing a psychiatrist. I am off all drugs except for prescription sleep med (chronic insomnia). I’ve lost 40 pounds, I’m not depressed, and I feel better than I have in years.
The psych and I tried a new sleep med this month and it doesn’t work well. I had refills from my G.P. for my regular med and put in a refill req to be filled in three days; I think that the pharmacy called her b/c there was a one-day overlap of the two drugs (they don’t check the requested refill date; my intention was not to mooch double drugs). Her office then called me and said that I had to come see the doc about “medicine concerns.” I made an appointment for next week, but I’m seriously considering changing docs instead – I feel angry and resentful about being called on the carpet and I’ve realized the depth of my dislike for this physician.
A doctor is someone you’re supposed to trust. I think if you have done so well without her and since you feel so much animosity towards you, it’s clearly time for a new GP. Perhaps your psychiatrist has a recommendation for you, someone she’s heard good things about?
Your GP/internist should be someone you are comfortable with, like your well-worn sneakers. I toughed out 2 years with a GP I loathed only because I knew I was going to physically move away from the area in a short enough timeframe that I dodn’t want to bother finding a new doc twice.
After moving, the new doc was so good and comfortable that we hated leaving her when we moved again.
Ask friends, ask the pshrink, ask your dentist who would be a good fit for you.
ETA: GPs are gatekeepers. Find one that is not afraid to send you to a specialist.
You’re right . . . I have baggage left over from childhood re: docs being God-like and not people one just fires (I’m 45). I really like my psych, it’s a good idea to ask her for a rec. Thank you.
I agree that your trust issues and non-rapport are sufficient cause to look for a new doctor. However, I don’t think you should be upset about her requesting a meeting to review your meds. That’s being a good doctor and not looking the other way when a patient’s status changes.
The ophthalmologists I work for don’t just pay attention to ocular-related meds; they ask our patients about their other meds too, for things like high blood pressure, diabetes, and so on. These diseases can have eye-related effects, but they also have strong effects on a patient’s overall health. These doctors have even (more or less gently) lectured patients who went off important meds without their doctor’s approval, and sometimes have called the patient’s doctor on the spot to discuss management of care.
It’s great that you’re doing well, but I can understand the point of view of the doctor that suddenly your medication situation is brought to her attention and seems wildly different from what it “should” be.
So I don’t necessarily discredit what your doctor did, but I think it’s a combination of your lack of trust in her care and your issues with doctor “paternalism” (for lack of a better term at the moment), that led to this point. You need to find a new PCP that you can relate better to, and proceed from there with more communication with that doc.
You are in charge. Don’t let doctors or the hospital push you around. As authority figures, many people tend to go along to get along. They don’t always know what is best for you. Sometimes it’s a technical error and other times it’s simply not the decision you would chose for yourself. When the coach loses his team, he needs to be fired.
My question would be: Should the OP notify this GP that she’s fired and should he say why? Or just find another, make an appointment and get all the charts sent over to the new doc?
I quit seeing my D.O. a couple years ago. I went in because my hands hurt and she focused on my high cholesterol. I kept begging for attention on my hurty hands, but she was all about putting me on statin drugs, which I thought was strange seeing as how she’s a DO and they tend to be more about diet and exercise than so quick to prescribe meds. A year later, I quit taking the statins because I’d lost 25 pounds and my hands still hurt so I just quit going back. Should I have told her? Or told her why?
Tell your doctor why you fired them!
How can they ever improve if they don’t know what their failings are?
As someone who dispenses A LOT of medication, I’ll let some patients order scripts early, when I make other come to see me every few weeks to discuss their medications.
Mostly it isn’t about the meds- it’s about the patient.
Do I trust them not to sell their tablets?
Am I concerned they might overdose?
Do I worry they don’t know how to take the meds and make mistakes?
Do I think there is a dependence or addiction issue?
If there is a concern about a 1 day overlap in meds, assuming that your GP has documentation from the psychiatirst that you are switching back to the old med (and sometimes letters can take a while to arrive, so GPs are acting on old info) it may be that the trust issues are mutual.
Meet and discuss your feeling that the relationship isn’t working out.
Then get a new doctor if there hasn’t been a satisfactory resolution.
Is your GP aware that you’ve stopped taking most of your medication, or is this news to her? It’s possible that she doesn’t know there’s a psychiatrist overseeing your treatment and is thinking “I have a depressed patient who’s stopped taking their meds, danger, Will Robinson, danger!” If that’s the case, she’s being a good doctor by asking you to come in and have a chat. Even if she is aware that you’re seeing a psychiatrist, as long as she’s your GP it’s reasonable for her to want to lay eyes on you herself when you’re making some major changes to your health care. Hopefully she’ll be impressed by the new happier, healthier you and send you on your way with a smile. (Er, if she’s physically capable of it.)
My doctor wants to see me yearly, sometimes twice yearly, just to check how I’m doing with some very light duty antidepressants that I’ve been taking for years. I agree with other posters that not having a good rapport with a GP is a valid reason to seek out a new one, but I wouldn’t interpret her request as calling you on the carpet. It’s pretty normal for doctors to want to check up with patients in situations like what you’ve described, and since you’re obviously much better she should be pleased.
Yeah, she’s not accusing you of anything. She’s just covering her ass. My mother is on a lot of different meds. She actually had to sign paper work about it. She got offended, but the doctor was telling us more about it and how they could lose their license over certain things.
Find a new doctor ASAP. I have an injury that has left me with lifelong chronic pain. Because of that I must see my doctor once a month at the minimum. Not only for a check up, but to get refills on the narcotics used to combat the pain. I had a lady doctor for about 2 years that I really never felt comfortable with. She seemed able in her ability as a doctor, but her personality sucked big time. Not to mention she always seemed somewhat indifferent to my pain and the problems I was having.
I searched around and found a doctor a few miles from my home that I have been seeing for a few years now. What a difference. He is not only understanding, but what a great sense of humor. I can honestly say that he is not only my doctor, but my friend. I actually look forward to our monthly appointments. It has made all the difference in the world and he took a real interest in my situation. He changed my meds and my quality of life is 100% better than before. You must feel comfortable with your doctor otherwise you are just wasting time and energy.
Get a new doctor. I’ve just started seeing a Primary Care Physician for the first time in many years, preferring to see specialists as necessary. But I needed a full round of tests done, and a single GP seemed logical, but finding one was difficult. I don’t know why, but the dullest of the dull seem to go into General Practice. I can’t talk to people who are unresponsive, don’t understand nuance, and have no humor. The guy I’m going to seems ok, and communicative, so maybe it will work out.
Actually a well trained Family Medicine physician can take care of about 90% of the health problems most people will ever have, including many, many chronic illnesses.
I’ve treated literally a few thousand folks with asthma, diabetes, hypertension, seizures, COPD, heart disease, thyroid disease, to name but a few. And a few of those patients had all of those diagnoses at the same time.
I know when to refer, and know when I’m the best doc to balance the various treatments for the various illnesses, as opposed to the specialist who too often sees only his narrow field.
I had a gent recently whose urologist put him on propecia, an anti-androgen, for prostate trouble, and then had his psychiatrist put him on testosterone, an androgen, for fatigue. I was the one who noted that combination made no sense.
To the OP: You need to trust your doc. But your doc may just feel legally & ethically obliged to see you at certain intervals if she is continuing to provide medications for you.