When did you decide to take your health into your own hands?

[sweetpea123]

I would LOVE to hear stories from anyone (but especially people who have been going this route for a long time). What made you decide to finally take your health into your own hands? What benefits have you seen? Any setbacks? Any advice for people just getting started?

 

[randalg]

@sweetpea123 The time my doc made a big deal about phentermine being a 'drug of abuse' and treated me like an addict when I checked on my scrip renewal. Although I should thank him because there are much more effective and recreational things for those who opt out of the gatekeepers.

 

[LeviDenim]

Not a good idea for people with good
health plans and good providers.
If somebody has no coverage or weak coverage
with bad medical providers then the risk may
be worth it. Luckily so far I have not even had to
think about making such a decision.

 

[sweetpea123]

@sweetpea123 The time my doc made a big deal about phentermine being a 'drug of abuse' and treated me like an addict when I checked on my scrip renewal. Although I should thank him because there are much more effective and recreational things for those who opt out of the gatekeepers.

I feel that. I have had panic attacks since I was 12. My doctor made me go to a cardiologist and get a 24 hour holter monitor done at the age of 26 (and in good health) to make sure I didn’t have a heart condition causing my very infrequent panic attacks. Once I jumped through all those hoops I got prescribed 10 Ativan and was told I couldn’t get a refill for 6 months. The war on drugs has really pushed doctors to an extreme the other way and we all get to pay the price.

 

[sweetpea123]

Not a good idea for people with good
health plans and good providers.
If somebody has no coverage or weak coverage
with bad medical providers then the risk may
be worth it. Luckily so far I have not even had to
think about making such a decision.

I don’t know if it’s the area I’m in or because I’m a woman, but doctors have consistently been dismissive of my pain/anxiety. I found one good doctor who recently retired. I had a torn labrum in my hip once, which was surprisingly painful. A lot like nerve pain that would radiate down my leg, the doctor told me after looking at me in the office I was fine and he would bet money I didn’t have a torn labrum. I had to beg just to get an mri and I ended up having two separate tears. He put that I was drug seeking on my chart just for telling him how much pain it caused (I didn’t even ask for meds as I was just taking advil and Tylenol). I think a few bad doctors have made me cynical, unfortunately. I agree with you though, much less stressful to go pick your meds up at a pharmacy!

 

[randalg]

Not a good idea for people with good
health plans and good providers.
If somebody has no coverage or weak coverage
with bad medical providers then the risk may
be worth it. Luckily so far I have not even had to
think about making such a decision.

I don’t know if it’s the area I’m in or because I’m a woman, but doctors have consistently been dismissive of my pain/anxiety. I found one good doctor who recently retired. I had a torn labrum in my hip once, which was surprisingly painful. A lot like nerve pain that would radiate down my leg, the doctor told me after looking at me in the office I was fine and he would bet money I didn’t have a torn labrum. I had to beg just to get an mri and I ended up having two separate tears. He put that I was drug seeking on my chart just for telling him how much pain it caused (I didn’t even ask for meds as I was just taking advil and Tylenol). I think a few bad doctors have made me cynical, unfortunately. I agree with you though, much less stressful to go pick your meds up at a pharmacy!

People need to start suing doctors for adding 'drug seeking' notes to charts. Bet that shit would slow down a bit then.

 

[rachelmagnolia]

Years ago, getting a prescription for anxiety and pain meds was not a problem. I didn't misuse it. I really really hated being treated like an addict. Being drug tested every month and having pills counted. The physician's assistants whose job it was to do this were like nurse ratchet. I only took 5 mg of hydrocodone. I really don't believe that all the narcotic deaths are caused by this and that if they let people take reasonable amounts of medication for documented conditions, overdose deaths would go down from people who buy fentanyl laced meds.

 

[jaders]

@sweetpea123 The time my doc made a big deal about phentermine being a 'drug of abuse' and treated me like an addict when I checked on my scrip renewal. Although I should thank him because there are much more effective and recreational things for those who opt out of the gatekeepers.

And wouldn’t you just love to go tell him all of that. I sure would!

These huge egos that play god with our lives - just would love to say “take your condescending attitude and shove it. What you think of me is no longer relevant.”

 

[jaders]

Not a good idea for people with good
health plans and good providers.
If somebody has no coverage or weak coverage
with bad medical providers then the risk may
be worth it. Luckily so far I have not even had to
think about making such a decision.

I’m surprised you say that? I have great coverage and definitely great providers, but they still don’t meet my needs adequately nor do they for a few other folks I actually have steered in this direction as well.

What do you consider the risks to be as far as one’s providers? Just curious.

 

[sweetpea123]

Years ago, getting a prescription for anxiety and pain meds was not a problem. I didn't misuse it. I really really hated being treated like an addict. Being drug tested every month and having pills counted. The physician's assistants whose job it was to do this were like nurse ratchet. I only took 5 mg of hydrocodone. I really don't believe that all the narcotic deaths are caused by this and that if they let people take reasonable amounts of medication for documented conditions, overdose deaths would go down from people who buy fentanyl laced meds.

1000%! I have always believed that as well.

 

[LeviDenim]

Well other than under prescribing oxy after a major
surgery last May my local providers are not
afraid to prescribe valium and Xanax as long as I
don't plow through them.
Before I ever even thought to ask them for the benzo
scripts I was using the OPs and IOPs at least monthly
if not more often. Now it is 3-4 times a year.
I do have very good insurance and my local docs have
been great. I had one retire, but his replacement at the
same office id very understanding.

 

[jaders]

Well other than under prescribing oxy after a major
surgery last May my local providers are not
afraid to prescribe valium and Xanax as long as I
don't plow through them.
Before I ever even thought to ask them for the benzo
scripts I was using the OPs and IOPs at least monthly
if not more often. Now it is 3-4 times a year.
I do have very good insurance and my local docs have
been great. I had one retire, but his replacement at the
same office id very understanding.

I hate to sound sexist but I do believe doctors seem to “trust” men more than women when it comes to prescribing. That’s a gross generalization tho.

I do think in general, getting scripts for either opiates or benzodiazepines is totally hit or miss (and way more often miss) depending on the doctor and their assessment of the patient. My doctor does prescribe me a very small amount of a benzo (not Xanax) along with fairly small amounts of a c3 opiate. I’m actually amazed that she does but I have been her patient for ten years too. I definitely fear her retiring…

 

[HostToast]

I'd been partially taking things into my own hands on and off for the past decade, my experience is that I'm a better judge of how to treat myself than most doctors. I only had one doctor that I felt really understood and cared enough to listen and prescribe what was necessary and make changes as needed in a timely manner. Unfortunately he moved his practice to another state a few years back and I haven't found a doc as good as him since. The final nail in the coffin was when I started getting back pain a little over a year ago and the pain has only gotten worse while they prescribe less and less.

I do get some useful meds prescribed and paid for by my insurance but I absolutely hate the whole song and dance I perform just to make sure I don't lose my scripts. For example I decided recently that I wanted to get off SSRIs since I've felt for years that the benefit was minimal and not worth the side effects, but if I told my psych I no longer want or need Lexapro I'm afraid he'd conclude I'd no longer need my valium so now its something I have to do myself and keep to myself. And once I'm off of them I'm gonna have to keep refilling the lexapro to keep up the façade. My primary care recently decided to put me on losartan because I had high blood pressure during one visit that occurred during a very stressful period in my life, I filled the script and stopped taking it after a few days then during a follow up visit I told her I hadn't been taking it and my blood pressure was normal. She responded by prescribing an increased dosage of losartan that I'm still not taking.
If I was following the guidance of these doctors I'd be dealing with the side effects of meds that aren't helping or outright just don't need while not having my actual problems addressed.

I hate to sound sexist but I do believe doctors seem to “trust” men more than women when it comes to prescribing. That’s a gross generalization tho.

I've never thought about that but now I wonder if there's something to it, I get a pretty generous valium script every month and all I've ever had to do was sign a paper once a year saying I'm not going to sell my meds and I'd submit to a drug test. Last time I signed I asked if I needed to go to the lab for a drug test and they just said "don't worry about it you're fine". Meanwhile my wife only gets 5 1mg xanax a month to be taken only when having a panic attack and they call her in twice a year for a random drug test, and they originally only gave her .5mg and gave her grief when she asked them to increase the dosage. Furthermore I have a history of drug abuse on my medical chart and hers is squeaky clean.

 

[jaders]

I'd been partially taking things into my own hands on and off for the past decade, my experience is that I'm a better judge of how to treat myself than most doctors. I only had one doctor that I felt really understood and cared enough to listen and prescribe what was necessary and make changes as needed in a timely manner. Unfortunately he moved his practice to another state a few years back and I haven't found a doc as good as him since. The final nail in the coffin was when I started getting back pain a little over a year ago and the pain has only gotten worse while they prescribe less and less.

I do get some useful meds prescribed and paid for by my insurance but I absolutely hate the whole song and dance I perform just to make sure I don't lose my scripts. For example I decided recently that I wanted to get off SSRIs since I've felt for years that the benefit was minimal and not worth the side effects, but if I told my psych I no longer want or need Lexapro I'm afraid he'd conclude I'd no longer need my valium so now its something I have to do myself and keep to myself. And once I'm off of them I'm gonna have to keep refilling the lexapro to keep up the façade. My primary care recently decided to put me on losartan because I had high blood pressure during one visit that occurred during a very stressful period in my life, I filled the script and stopped taking it after a few days then during a follow up visit I told her I hadn't been taking it and my blood pressure was normal. She responded by prescribing an increased dosage of losartan that I'm still not taking.
If I was following the guidance of these doctors I'd be dealing with the side effects of meds that aren't helping or outright just don't need while not having my actual problems addressed.

I hate to sound sexist but I do believe doctors seem to “trust” men more than women when it comes to prescribing. That’s a gross generalization tho.

I've never thought about that but now I wonder if there's something to it, I get a pretty generous valium script every month and all I've ever had to do was sign a paper once a year saying I'm not going to sell my meds and I'd submit to a drug test. Last time I signed I asked if I needed to go to the lab for a drug test and they just said "don't worry about it you're fine". Meanwhile my wife only gets 5 1mg xanax a month to be taken only when having a panic attack and they call her in twice a year for a random drug test, and they originally only gave her .5mg and gave her grief when she asked them to increase the dosage. Furthermore I have a history of drug abuse on my medical chart and hers is squeaky clean.

Oh there have been studies made that show not only do women get more scrutiny and are believed less, but the same problem often applies to poorer folks and people of color.

If you look up gender bias in healthcare, you'll find plenty of studies. And there was literally a DOCTOR who was a black female who's pain and concerns were dismissed by her white doctor and the female doctor DIED! Plenty written about that:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/24/us/black-doctor-susan-moore-covid-19/index.html

 

[HostToast]

@jaders wow, I guess I never really thought much about it. Only when I read your post did I think it made some sense based on my anecdotal experience.
Its wild to me that in this day and age there would still be an apparent bias based on sex, skin color, and financial status.
The role of gender is particularly perplexing because the majority of my doctors have been women and they never seemed to have a problem refilling my scripts, I wonder if female doctors also display gender prejudice at the same rate or degree that male doctors do. (or allegedly do, I've never read any formal studies on the matter but I sure don't find it hard to believe)
I wonder what the underlying thought process and psychology behind these doctors actions and if they're intentional or subconscious. Logically I'd think it'd be the other way around since substance abuse is much more common among men than women.

Like I said in my previous post my wife is given a tiny fraction of what I get and she doesn't have a history of abuse and more than one provider has treated her like a druggie even though she gets a whopping total of 5mg alprazolam a month. What bothers me even more is those are to be taken if/when she has an anxiety attack, they don't give her anything worth a hoot to actually prevent anxiety attacks. I guess I should consider it lucky that she's rarely had any episodes for a few years now because their treatment plan really doesn't do jack in a lot of circumstances. The implication from her doc is basically "Oh you had 7 panic attacks where you felt like your chest was going to burst last month? Well you have meds for 5 of them I guess just deal with the other two"
some aspects of our modern medical system is absolutely bonkers.

 

[calgal99]

I have been blown off, mis-diagnosed, given (very strong) medications that didn't work for me, pretty much every obnoxious maltreatment and poor diagnosis of every (just a few, but not insignificant) serious medical issue I've experienced, since I was a teenager (with horrible periods/cramping/etc. that turned out to be serious endometriosis with anemia). I HATE doctors, and I despise having to go for any medical treatment other than preventive medicine (I do get all the vaccinations, my choice/decision) or emergencies - I'll go to the Urgent Care or ER but I've totally given up on even seeing "my PCP."

I take very few meds, and I take zero daily meds. I. HATE. Doctors. (LOL.) And I truly believe that these doctors are mostly useless for most people, they are looking for a problem to "treat," not a problem to "fix" or "cure." And yes, they are worse with women patients than with men, that's pretty well proven at this point....

[Edit: And oh yeah, when I had some minor depression in my early 20's... holy shit. It took me 4 years to get a decent diagnosis, and I didn't even need "heavy drugs", but trying to get a single M.D. to accept that I wasn't just a Head Case... OMGOMG. I had to be my own loud advocate, for years. I. HATE. Doctors.]

 

[calgal99]

@jaders wow, I guess I never really thought much about it. Only when I read your post did I think it made some sense based on my anecdotal experience.
Its wild to me that in this day and age there would still be an apparent bias based on sex, skin color, and financial status.
The role of gender is particularly perplexing because the majority of my doctors have been women and they never seemed to have a problem refilling my scripts, I wonder if female doctors also display gender prejudice at the same rate or degree that male doctors do. (or allegedly do, I've never read any formal studies on the matter but I sure don't find it hard to believe)
I wonder what the underlying thought process and psychology behind these doctors actions and if they're intentional or subconscious. Logically I'd think it'd be the other way around since substance abuse is much more common among men than women.

Like I said in my previous post my wife is given a tiny fraction of what I get and she doesn't have a history of abuse and more than one provider has treated her like a druggie even though she gets a whopping total of 5mg alprazolam a month. What bothers me even more is those are to be taken if/when she has an anxiety attack, they don't give her anything worth a hoot to actually prevent anxiety attacks. I guess I should consider it lucky that she's rarely had any episodes for a few years now because their treatment plan really doesn't do jack in a lot of circumstances. The implication from her doc is basically "Oh you had 7 panic attacks where you felt like your chest was going to burst last month? Well you have meds for 5 of them I guess just deal with the other two"
some aspects of our modern medical system is absolutely bonkers.

Thanks for mentioning specifics that you have seen, yourself... none of this is amusing in the least. There is a ton of evidence that (most) medical professionals minimize the complaints of women patients, and if you happen to be a woman patient, it's beyond enraging....

 

[HostToast]

@calgal99 now that it has my attention I'm going to pay more attention to the matter, even thinking back I can recall several women I personally know and witnessed go through hoops just to get bad treatment. I always chalked it up to general incompetence in the industry since I've had plenty of poor excuses for doctors but not that I'm reflecting I can think of a few women close to me who got treatment that just didn't make sense when it came to any scheduled meds.
Years ago I took my mom to the ER because she was in so much pain she couldn't tolerate it, when we got there all they did was draw bloodwork and give her a shot of toradol and told her it was probably just a strained muscle and gave her a script for naproxen, literally a script for 2 dozen Aleve. Had to take her back less than 48 hours later because she was vomiting and getting worse and it turned out her appendix was about to burst and it had inflamed so much it was cutting off blood flow to one of her kidneys. They did an emergency operation and thankfully got it done before any permanent damage was done. I was in the room with her when they were talking to her about what meds to send her home with and she specifically requested anything but codeine since she always reacts poorly to it. She asked them to not give her codeine and told the doctor she handles Darvocet much better and would even take weaker painkillers as long as it wasn't codeine and they sent her out the door with a script for T3 codeine and APAP tablets.
Its like they didn't listen or didn't care, she wasn't fishing for drugs because she said she'd take a non-narcotic but she just wanted them to know codeine made her sick and I guess they didn't care

pissed me off, I raised a small amount of hell with one of the doctors when she was taken out of the room for some tests and they decided to give her some demorol instead

 

[jaders]

@HostToast. Sadly I think female doctors may be equally as hard on women, if not harder. I believe we all suffer from unconscious bias that's been ingrained since we were all little kids. I remember reading about a gender study where they were watching schoolteachers who were having the kids make May baskets and the kids would have to come up to the teacher's desk to staple together the final product. The teachers almost ALWAYS encouraged the boys to do the stapling themselves whereas they almost always would just automatically do the stapling for girls. I'm just mentioning this because it always struck me how unconsciously we all contribute to gender bias, and it takes a lot of mindfulness to see it within ourselves, altho most women can certainly tell you how they've experienced bias throughout our lives. (I could go on a rant myself... ) Not to say men don't also experience bias, but honestly it tends to favor strength and power in men, rather than weakness and passivity. Bias is not good for anyone, imho.

Your becoming aware of this issue just now illustrates to me how difficult it is to be aware of something you have never "lacked." I don't mean that in an offensive way at all. so I hope you don't take it that way. I feel the same as a white person. It's just impossible for me to feel what racial bias feels like when it's something I don't experience.

By the way - the word "hysteria" comes from the word hystera which was the greek word for uterus. The view that women are less stable and not mentally strong has been around a very very long time...

@calgal99 . I'm so sorry you've had such a miserable time with doctors! Despite being female, I do feel like for the most part I have not experienced a lot of negativity in this area. (All of my personal complaints center around my childhood - being a very athletic tomboy who wanted nothing more than to participate in all sorts of sports but felt denied access at every turn and constantly told to "behave like a girl..." I have such a chip on my shoulder regarding authority in general.)

 

[jenh22]

I started ordering online in 2009. Back then I could order on a pharmacy website, fill out an online questionnaire and a prescription would be supplied along with my meds which would be delivered the next day. It wasn’t too long after that those options were no longer available and I had to start ordering from IOP’s. That’s around the time I found this site.