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I need a new doctor.

At an appointment today, my doctor was patting herself on the back for treating her handful of covid patients with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. She started patients on these drugs as soon as they showed even mild symptoms (none of the cases were severe) and she believes that the treatment prevented severe disease and mortality. Thing is that I think her decision is influenced by politics. She is an older woman who I had seen for many years. I previously have mostly trusted her treatment, and I liked that she and her staff knew me. I could call in with a quick question or even get a prescription on a weekend for tamiflu, with out having to go in. In later years, she has discussed politics with me, even to suggest for whom I should vote and we actually have gotten into an argument on occasion. She has shown herself to be racist, having shared her theory of why people are different. She thinks people from specific countries are inherently smarter. On a recent visit she stated she believes that God intended for her to be a doctor and wants her to continue practicing. She has become somewhat deaf and forgetful and I sometimes have to keep her focused. Anyway so I was thinking of ditching her for some time now and had even made some visits with another doctor, who I eventually decided against, but with her views on covd treatments, I see a little more urgency.

Just venting here. Thanks for listening.

itsmedammit 8 May 19
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17 comments

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0

You live in Wadsworth, Ill. That looks to be close to Chicago. There has to be a Medical School in Chicago, go to their web site and look at the staff, find a doctor who is expert in the area you need, give then a call and talk to who ever answers the phone, Tell them your problem and see what they say. Ask for help, try to keep the questions as low key as possible. To put it bluntly, never underestimate the power in a stupid question. I get far more interesting answers by starting this way. People love to help. If Chicago is too far away, ask for the name of someone in your area. Wish you luck.

0

Run, don't walk, to the nearest exit and find a serious, mature doctor.

Yeah, the older she has gotten (in her eighties) the less mature she has gotten.

@itsmedammit A lesson to us all.

1

The best way to find a doctor is to find someone in the medical profession in your area and ask them who they would send their significant other to. Ask as many people as you can and take the one mentioned the most. Works better if you know someone who works in the medical profession. My mother worked in a hospital as a lead nurse, she would always ask a doctor who they send their wife's to.

That would be helpful if I knew anyone. 🙂

@itsmedammit Do you belong to any organizations? If so then probably that would be a good place to start. If not, do you know anyone who has said they have a good doctor? If you are really brave, it does not matter what position the worker has, janitors and clean up staff know way more than thought. Lawyers are a group who may have a thought on this, as would anyone else. It is against moral code to talk about the qualifications of a medical person, but if you are straight forward you might get somewhere. Give it a try, ask questions, your life may depend on it. You could call a doctor and talk to the receptionist asking about getting a second opinion. The tone of the receptionist may give a clue.

@dalefvictor I know how to go about getting a new doctor, but the bottom line will always be how I get along with the doc once I see him or her, so it will just be a matter of taking the time to check out a few. I have found that what works for others often does not work for me.

@itsmedammit I just got an Idea. Go to a library and ask the people there how to find a good doctor using the library resources. Anything you do to move in any direction will start the world to change so that help comes to you, all you have to do is avail yourself to it. Sounds really Woo Woo, it is from a quote by Goethe. One of the sayings I tried to get out of really bad depression. I have no idea how or why it works by it seemed to for me. In reality we no little as to how the Universe works, I have been trying for the past twenty years to get somewhere, I am finding little but I am learning. I know what works for me may not work for you, but all I can do is offer help. Thank you for allowing me to do that.

@dalefvictor I meant that the doctor that someone likes might not be one I like. It is a very personal choice, so the only way to know is to go and visit the doctors. I can research all I want but it doesn't matter till I get in to doc's office.

1

Id dump her asap.

I actually already had, but in a fluke complicated situation, had to default back to her for the time being. I hate the search for a new doc.

@itsmedammit I just found a doctor in NY -asked a friend for a recommendation and I love her!!!!

@sassygirl3869 Good for you! Always great when you find one that works for you.

@itsmedammit This line of posts gives a resource. It is about creating a network of people that can help you. Asking for help also is a great thing to do, that way the person asked is helping not protecting someone who might be bad. Just a thought.

2

thankfully my GP refuses to discuss politics or religion.

As it probably should be, but I have been seeing her for years and over time we came to discuss many off topic things. The hydoxychloroquine was the last straw.

@MissKathleen I think if it had just happened suddenly or with a new doctor, I would have. This is someone I have seen for many many years and had actually thought of as a good clinician, and liked.

3

Talking politics with a patient is unprofessional at best! You are not only in a "captive" position, but in a subservient relationship! Just terrible! Run!

Oh please, nothing subservient here. Over the years we have talked about a number of things that were off topic. Only in recent years has she gone rogue. She is in her eighties and I suspect her age has a lot to do with it. I had already left her, but , in a complicated situation, defaulted back to her. I explained it below to Lorajy, if you are interested.

I had been seeing her for a number of years and liked her. I did believe her to be a competent clinician. There are many good things about her. But I ain't taking hydroxychloriquine.

3

Yikes! run.

2

good idea !

Thanks!

3

Our relationships with our doctors are so intimate that familiarity is comforting (and often needed to get proper treatment), so I get how frustrating this must be for you. Plus, it's really hard to shop around for another one you like, particularly right now. But she's surely been building a case against herself, hasn't she? I'd be really irritated with her (Well, I'd be angry, but that's me.). Good luck in your search.

Thank you for understanding. I actually had left her for about a year or so but was unhappy with my new doc. I wound up going back to her for complicated reasons (as explained to Lorajay below), but the comfort of going someplace where I was known was definitely a factor. This last visit WAS the last straw.

1

I can't believe you've waited so long.

I hate looking for a new doc. I actually did leave for a year or so but was not happy with the new doc. Then I developed some GI issues that I didn't trust him to figure out and I was unable to get into the GI guy (it was around the holidays), so I defaulted back to her. I knew she would at least order the appropriate tests, to get the ball rolling, which she did. Coincidentally, when I saw her for the GI stuff, I had a serious respiratory thing going on, with a high fever despite being on Naproxen. She zeroed in on that and was concerned about the congestion and prescribed some antibiotics , including azithromycin. The amount of antibiotics seemed unusual but I was too sick to ask at the time. Well, I see now it was lucky that was before covid was on the radar. A month or two later and she would have tried pushing hydroxychloroquine on me!

7

This scene immediately came to mind.

That was my feeling yesterday.

6

GET ANOTHER DOCTOR........quickly.

Is msg working ??? Any time I send u one , after I click it disappears and doesn’t show . Is yours working ??

hmmmmmm.......No wonder I have not heard from you in a really long time..... I'll send you one now - see if you get it

Yup.

3

Even if all the studies on early use of hydroxychloroquine come back positive (and brace yourselves because they might) she was still doing it for the wrong reasons. And arguably she was breaking her Hippocratic oath since she has no evidence that treatment is effective for COVID-19 and plenty that it could have side effects far worse than not taking it at all.

PS. Isn't it actually illegal to prescribe drugs like this? Or is she just writing "lupus symptoms" in her notes every time?

Currently it is legal, just not recommended.

It's not just this drug that it happens with. It's common that physician's prescribe "off label" - for a purpose other than the approved medical use of the drug. The doctor is presumed to be monitoring the patient's condition.

5

Agree get a new one

bobwjr Level 10 May 19, 2020

Sigh, yea, not looking forward to the search.

@itsmedammit call your insurance provider, they have lists of doctors by area that are taking new patients. Get a few names, some get filled up instantly. Also talk to friends, the local medical association, social groups like the Senior center. My doctor of over 30 years retired (how dare he?!) I got another, then had to trash-can him for cause(s). Now finally happy!

@AnneWimsey Yeah, I've done all that and actually had left the doc for another that I wasn't too happy with. Obviously I gotta filter by insurance acceptance, but beyond that, you really don't know how you will get along until you have seen the new one a time or two. Very time consuming, and I am not that fond of docs in the first place.

Glad you found one you like, It is so important.

8

I agree .
The last 8 weeks has shown us that this drug shouldn’t be given without EkG prior to loading dose , then EkG two hrs after . The remain of the time on it ( 5 days ), pt should be w tele monitor on . On non lupus patients , this drug can cause severe arrhythmias , elevation of QTC s and I had 3 codes already , one we lost 🙁. I am so glad this did not happen to u !
And no , a doctor that argues w patient for politics , has lost control of boundaries . No , just no .
Pls find a new doctor ? My opinion .
Stay safe and healthy ♥️

Thanks. I don't know that she is not giving her covid patients EKGs, but she did say they were not in hospital. I wonder if Trump is being monitored?

Talking politics could be ok as long as she isn't trying to influence with her positioin. I have been going to her for many years and we often talked off topi. I is just in recent years that it has gotten inappropriate.

@OwlInASack it is still used for malaria. I guess there are a lot of strains of malaria out there. How about a nice G&T made with quinine?

5

I agree... time to find a new doctor.

Yup, just a pain to look.

6

Run!

lerlo Level 8 May 19, 2020

Lol.

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