Well housecall doctors sent me a new guy. I am getting a bit worried about the constant turn-over. It seems there is a new doctor every MONTH lately.
He seemed nice, admitted that I had bad hormonal problems but then was rehauling all my medicines, stuff I have been on for 10 years. He was nice so gave him a listen to. They think my weight could be impacted even by the sleep apnea I have. We only get so much time with these doctors.
However I looked up the medications he wants me to go on...
One has a 1 in 100 chance of making you go blind, optic nerve deterioration! Keep in mind I am already mostly deaf. I cannot hear. So that alone to me is a deal breaker. I also could have allergic problems with this drug as it says on warnings, if you are allergic to so and so drug, do not take this. Well so and so drug put me in the ER.
One is a "black box" drug that causes thyroid cancer. I do not know why they want to monkey with the diabetes drugs. I felt I was doing fine. Sugars were not that bad.
The other is this odd drug for sleep apnea. I guess they think I will lose weight on it. It is not without risk, but then I wonder how what something that amounts to "speed" is going to do to a woman diagnosed already with anxiety.
These drugs have scary side affects, are less then 3 years old, all are VERY EXPENSIVE, and I never could replace if the insurance says "No".
I am in the position now of having to call this guy, hoping I can get refills for my normal drugs, fearing that everything is messed up. It has been considerable anxiety and stress. While sitting there, he told me these drugs will "take weight off", but then I have heard that all before even with Metformin. To me vision is everything, I do art and was an art teacher in my pre-disability life. They told me my bnp skyrocketed. That is your score for congestive heart failure. I ran around 20-50 and now its 700 and something and I think they made these choices in a panic? That almost sounds like fluke as congestive heart failure is a progressive illness. If my heart failure got that much worse, why didn't they hospitalize me? Why am I breathing normal? I even went outside in 83 degrees [it was dry with no humidity] and walked to the back of a Dollar Store without dying recently. That makes no sense either.
However if my heart failure is worsening, why do I not feel worse? My stamina is BETTER lately then anything, I bloat about the same level as before. With the sleep apnea, I found out that can raise the bnp blood test score, maybe that's why he wants me to go on the sleep apnea drug.
I am willing to try that one, to see how it makes me feel, but the others NO WAY!
I saw him end of next week and now have to wait til TUESDAY to figure this out over phone. Fears of not getting regular drugs bother me. I need to go see more doctors. I have to admit I am scared. I wish I had said STOP DON'T but never had heard of most of these medications. I can barely maintain and get medication now. What are these people doing to me?
I won't take a drug that can make me blind!
I feel more and more afraid of doctors. I really do. Even if they are nice to me. So many of the medications seem HARMFUL, especially the newer stuff. I may be in the position of telling this guy, take me to pallative land. I do not want to go on this stuff. Put me in hospital for Lasix IV if the fluids get out of control. Full stop. I have been very active, and part of me wonders if increased activity worsened me but do not know. I felt better. I am even clomping around wearing heavy Birkenstocks and carrying gallons of water I could not carry a mere year ago. [husband got gout so had to carry them] So who knows?
ReplyDeleteI wish you could find a compassionate doctor. They are out there—both my psychiatrist and my GP are wonderful—but hard to find.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way I would take a medication that has a 1 in 100 chance of causing blindness. The odds are too close.
What really makes me angry is how your hypothyroidism was ignored for so long. I also have hypothyroidism, but unlike you it was treated starting in my early twenties since I have a long family history of it. It is an illness that is very treatable—if caught in time—and the medication for it is fairly benign. But I'm betting the doctors looked at your weight and overeating, and blamed all your medical problems on that, instead of looking for real causes.
Yeah, tommorow I have to call and try and get my medicines put back the way they were. I refuse to take a medication that will make me blind and the anxiety I would have over taking something like that is horrendous. I am already deaf, and would not be able to function. I am angry too about the hypothyroidism. I tried to fight back but got no where. I am kind of scared now, because the medicines this guy prescribed me are so awful. I also am unsure if heart is failing worse, but I was under incredible stress last month, two falls, hurt knee and severe things on the financial front. I do not think this will help. I refuse to take a drug that causes optic nerve deterioration. I will have no life left then, and be unable to commuicate with anyone for you see I read lips to function.
ReplyDeleteIf he refuses, I will have to go get another doctor which is extreme stress as well. :( I hope I can get him on the [phone.
ReplyDeleteThe doctor called and talked to me. He is a nice guy. I told him I will take time to think about these drugs. He is good about that. I have to check into the water pill more and the diabetes one. I think he is trying to help but I hold him I have to take time with descions like this one. I probably will research the water pill more and the diabetes one and make sure the water one does NOT cause blindness.
ReplyDeleteI think if he is around long enough, I can discuss more with him and maybe work more out. I think too my health is so bad, the options probably are getting scarier and scarier and this is not his fault. He admitted my sugars are alright on the regular regiment but I know he was trying to have me get weight off for the heart failure so his intentions are good. I'll need time to do research on these things.
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