When your general doctor frightens the life out of you.

[Suzanne]

I went with hubby, to ask for blood tests to check my thyroid and whilst there, he took my blood pressure and said it was a bit high.

I then, got test back and he said that my platelets were too low and refused to entertain that it could be risperidone that is doing that and got me to go to the hospital to have further blood tests, to see if there is something wrong with my blood.

Anxiety kicks in big time and my mind goes into overdrive. Logic told me that it was not serious, but decided I probably have cancer and so, tried to settle my mind on that outcome.

Wanted so badly to cancel the appointment, but hubby wouldn't and so, we went to it and woah, the dr said, on looking at my test results that there is NOTHING WRONG with my blood. That my platelets are in a good place and said that yes, it probably was the medicine causing the little drop.

Just wish anxiety would go away for good.

 

[Bolletje]

I'm sorry you're feeling so anxious. Being a medical doctor I sort of bounce between taking everything with a grain of salt and being a massive hypochondriac. Or to be more specific, I am a massive hypochondriac, and then I explain my own hypochondria away until I'm convinced nothing's wrong. And sometimes I don't see a doctor when I really should. I've always been on top of my own medical charts and I've never been really worried until some time ago when I was on lithium and became violently sick. I was immediately terrified of having a lithium intoxication, because I once saw a patient who had serious permanent brain damage from a lithium intoxication (note: this is incredibly rare). Luckily my psychiatrist picked up on this and told me to get my bloodwork done immediately and reduce my dosage afterwards. Nothing was wrong with my bloodwork, I was just experiencing severe side effects. But I spent a night hyperventilating fearing my brain was going to be fried.

 

[Suzanne]

I'm sorry you're feeling so anxious. Being a medical doctor I sort of bounce between taking everything with a grain of salt and being a massive hypochondriac. Or to be more specific, I am a massive hypochondriac, and then I explain my own hypochondria away until I'm convinced nothing's wrong. And sometimes I don't see a doctor when I really should. I've always been on top of my own medical charts and I've never been really worried until some time ago when I was on lithium and became violently sick. I was immediately terrified of having a lithium intoxication, because I once saw a patient who had serious permanent brain damage from a lithium intoxication (note: this is incredibly rare). Luckily my psychiatrist picked up on this and told me to get my bloodwork done immediately and reduce my dosage afterwards. Nothing was wrong with my bloodwork, I was just experiencing severe side effects. But I spent a night hyperventilating fearing my brain was going to be fried.

Although not a dr, I do know a bit about the body and generally it helps with hypchondria, and this time, like you say, boucing between the both.

 

[Streetwise]

I'm sorry you're feeling so anxious. Being a medical doctor I sort of bounce between taking everything with a grain of salt and being a massive hypochondriac. Or to be more specific, I am a massive hypochondriac, and then I explain my own hypochondria away until I'm convinced nothing's wrong. And sometimes I don't see a doctor when I really should. I've always been on top of my own medical charts and I've never been really worried until some time ago when I was on lithium and became violently sick. I was immediately terrified of having a lithium intoxication, because I once saw a patient who had serious permanent brain damage from a lithium intoxication (note: this is incredibly rare). Luckily my psychiatrist picked up on this and told me to get my bloodwork done immediately and reduce my dosage afterwards. Nothing was wrong with my bloodwork, I was just experiencing severe side effects. But I spent a night hyperventilating fearing my brain was going to be fried.

Its amazing how the human body adapts ,I took a cocktail of painkillers and sedatives ,which was perceived as suicidal but I was blissfully physically pain free for two hours, then back to crap .I think ive suffered from the overdose my anxiety is worse .

 

[Peter Morrison]

Suzanne, glad you got good news. Medical test anxiety is the worst. I have always believed that the patient knows themselves better than anyone. Your logic was right. Congratulations!

 

[BraidedPony]

I was told "to get my affairs in order" by a doctor when I was in the hospital.
Well, that was 1984, and I'm still alive and kick'n.

 

[Suzanne]

Suzanne, glad you got good news. Medical test anxiety is the worst. I have always believed that the patient knows themselves better than anyone. Your logic was right. Congratulations!

Thank you so much for this.

I have thrown away the medicine my psychiatrist prescribed me and just hope, that my husband does not find them, otherwise all "hell" will break loose.

Sadly, I have to make out to my therapist that I am still taking risperidone, otherwise, he will prescribe yet another one to me. But will be completely up front and say I cannot take the anxiety one, because the side effect is too severe. A little tiredness is fine; but this tablet made me feel drugged so much, I could barely open my eyes and yet, I was amused to note anxiety was not there, but I reason that it is not worth it and on advise for hubby, I took too seditif pc ( the generic name) for several natural plants together, to ease anxiety. I had taken a couple when under extreme stress, that caused a terrible dread inside of me and did not work, but my husband reasoned that, perhaps they will work this time and happily, they did work a bit, but not for long, so then, I turned to my God, Jehovah and begged Him to help me and I tell you, the dread just vanished and only a bit of anxiety on being at the hospital.

Lol, I was like a child who received a present, when the specialist said that all was fine and believe it or not, but he was non plussed by my dr's reaction and stated that it is probably due to meds that caused the platelets to deminish someone and huh, I already suggested that to my dr and he said: nope, not at all and rather attribute my isses to cancer, for he checked me for lukiemia ( excuse bad spelling).

I have to be my own "doctor" otherwise, I know I would be in a dire situation as twice, I could have died if I had not taken matters into my own hands.

 

[Suzanne]

I was told "to get my affairs in order" by a doctor when I was in the hospital.
Well, that was 1984, and I'm still alive and kick'n.

I hear a lot of elderly ones are told: no point attending to you really, is it, since you are old anyway!

My dr was shocked to see that my thyroid is normal, because the information clearly showed I had stopped taking the chemical medicine and well, not knowing at that point, my results, I admitted sheepishly that I had stopped taking it, expecting him to say: no wonder they are elevated, since you have been like that and instead, I had to ask again, if I heard right, when he said: wow, they are normal.

I chose to be quiet about the natural thyroid I was taking instead, but obviously that is what balanced the hormones out.

My dr is a young man, but is dead against natural medicine and even refused to give me gkinko belobia for my legs ( always have walked for circulation issues), saying that they are very dangerous and instead gave me a presciption for stockings, which ok are great for the winter lol but do NOTHING for the circulation.

I am learning to only say what is necessary, although I failed yesterday.

 

[Running Girl]

Gotta be your own doctor, yeah. Especially when you consider the cost of expensive tests and hospital stays, and your doc isn't the one paying the bills. My husband had slightly elevated liver enzymes and his dr insisted it was fatty liver disease. Ordered an ultrasound, Etc. He said "I think its cause i took tylenol around the clock for a headach just a couple days prior to the lab". Score 1 for hubby, zero for doc.
We also have to make difficult choices, especially as we get older, and also with psych meds in general,. Choices between the side effects and the need for the treatment. Choices around what constitutes quality of life. In our opinion, not the opinion of the medical status quo . I have osteoporosis but wont even discuss taking any of the horrible meds recommended for treating it. I'd rather break a hip, thank you very much.

 

[Judge]

"Drug therapy" through a physician can be so beneficial. And yet so precarious- even potentially lethal at times. At various times I've experienced all three results. Not a pleasant way to discover you're very allergic to Penicillin.

Yes- with much of any doctors so willing to throw out a battery of medications at you, hoping that one of them will work without hurting or killing you, indeed at times you must "be your own physician". It's a fact.

 

[Monachopia]

Honestly, doctors should be careful about giving a diagnosis before they're 100% sure, it can set off all sorts of anxieties to spiral into awful places.

I've been having health anxiety for a couple of months, it's honestly awful. I have a lot of pain in my chest/upper back and limbs so I keep thinking my heart is giving out even though the ECG was normal. Then anxiety is making me feel like I can't breathe a lot of the time too and I have to somehow not freak out.
The worst thing is when the brain starts inventing things, like suddenly thinking I'll develop a sudden deadly allergy to something I've never had problems with.

Brains are stupid sometimes.

 

[Pats]

My mom had pulmonary fibrosis and it was nothing for her oxygen level to drop. I took her to one of her dr appointments and the male nurse checked her vital signs and oxygen, which had dropped to around 80% after walking from her seat to the nurse area. He was all panicky and said she'll be admitted into the hospital. I was like, "No, she won't." He kept trying to convince me that she would. She wasn't.

I get irritated at my doctor. She would have me freaking out if I listened to her. I just say okay and go on. But a 10 minute visit, I'll end up billed $90 - (so much for medicare that doesn't pay any of it), so I'll go in and look at her notes. The more things they treat during the visit, the more the can charge, and she's written that we discussed all these things that we didn't. According to her notes, you'd think I had spent an hour with her. (And this was supposed to be my free yearly check up).

 

[Streetwise]

"Drug therapy" through a physician can be so beneficial. And yet so precarious- even potentially lethal at times. At various times I've experienced all three results. Not a pleasant way to discover you're very allergic to Penicillin.

Yes- with much of any doctors so willing to throw out a battery of medications at you, hoping that one of them will work without hurting or killing you, indeed at times you must "be your own physician". It's a fact.

I don’t know if this is the same generally in the USA !but !in the UK doctors treat you like a criminal if you don’t want to take the drug they prescribe straight away !the condescending way the doctor turned his computer screen to me and said there is the list of drugs choose !because I said I didn’t want to take one particular sedative that would been associated with suicidal ideation disgusts me!

 

[Streetwise]

My mom had pulmonary fibrosis and it was nothing for her oxygen level to drop. I took her to one of her dr appointments and the male nurse checked her vital signs and oxygen, which had dropped to around 80% after walking from her seat to the nurse area. He was all panicky and said she'll be admitted into the hospital. I was like, "No, she won't." He kept trying to convince me that she would. She wasn't.

I get irritated at my doctor. She would have me freaking out if I listened to her. I just say okay and go on. But a 10 minute visit, I'll end up billed $90 - (so much for medicare that doesn't pay any of it), so I'll go in and look at her notes. The more things they treat during the visit, the more the can charge, and she's written that we discussed all these things that we didn't. According to her notes, you'd think I had spent an hour with her. (And this was supposed to be my free yearly check up).

There used to be a mindset that British healthcare was the best in the world, I don’t think many people think it is now ,The system in the UK degrades me !because I don’t pay them an exorbitant fee ,I am not given a decent amount of respect as usual not enough importance is given to psychology ,writing what you like because you don’t think the patient will ever see it is not healthcare , it’s as bad as Queen Elizabeth II saying what has that ‘girl’done now !after Diana Spencer threw herself down the stairs, ‘cold’!!!!! You’d like the UK they won’t pay for tests I still like to know what they get paid for