For the record (the medical record)
I know I've posted my medical trials and tribulations on my journal frequently. I know there have been people worried that I may be self-medicating or skirting around the fringe of medicine because I truly am taking quite a few medications. I just wanted to maybe assuage some people's worry and set the situation clearly, and show that my doctors all know about each other, and work together, and that I'm not getting conflicting prescriptions or dangerous interactions or anything because of so much differing medical attention. So I'm going to break it down. (If you don't care/aren't worried/interested, feel free to skip. This is just for those who are concerned.)
First line of defense I have a really good PCP who knows every medication, prescription or OTC*, that I take, and sees me regularly to monitor them as well as do a physical exam every year. She also manages my reflux problems and my chronic urticaria (which has only flared up a few times in recent history)
I have a psychiatrist who also knows every medication I take, including OTC, and he prescribes me my psychiatric medications for bipolar, anxiety, and ADHD. I see him once or twice a month, depending on whether we're changing dosages or changing medications. He's very on top of what I'm taking.
I have a (new!) neurologist who is aware of all of my medications, including OTC, and gave me some recommendations for my psychiatrist for things to change/try with my medication to address my Tourette's Syndrome. (This is very recent and I haven't given his notes to my psychiatrist yet--I see the psychiatrist later this week.)
I have a hematologist who I see about 3 times a year to make sure my blood levels (vitamins, minerals, etc) are where they're supposed to be and make sure my iron doesn't bottom out again like it did in 2009. Or course, he also has the complete list of what I take.
And then I have a dentist, who of course prescribes things like pain medication when I have things like my recent extraction done, or removed a bone spur.
Those are my doctors who I see on a regular schedule, (or close to it). In the past year or two I've also needed specialty doctors on a few occasions:
I've had an orthopedic surgeon perform surgery ( coccygectomy, ( post surgery summary) which required pain meds for several weeks (it hurts a LOT to sit when your tailbone has been cut out!).
I also saw a gastroenterologist in 2010 when I had a minor GI bleed. He diagnosed me with (a minor case, I was led to believe) of Barrett's Esophagus which was probably caused by my severe reflux over many years (that my PCP has under control these days, as mentioned above.)
In recent years I also needed an MRI and a CAT scan to check my jaw (TMJ, slight arthritis) and saw an oral and maxillofacial
surgeon. He recommended against a surgical option at this time, but said that my chewing on the right side of my mouth only (no lower left molars) was causing the problem. Now that I have the partial denture plate and can chew on both sides, the hope is that the muscles on both jaw joints will normalize out and I won't get bouts of TMJ anymore. That doctor put me on pain meds and muscle relaxants (I think that's what they were).
So yes, I talk a lot about my medical issues, but my doctors aren't all working blind. They all know about each other and know what each other is prescribing. They all know the medication regimen I'm on at any given time and watch out for me. Even when I went to the MinuteClinic in CVS they sent a copy of the report of everything they said and did to my PCP who put it on file.
*I include dietary supplements in this category.
First line of defense I have a really good PCP who knows every medication, prescription or OTC*, that I take, and sees me regularly to monitor them as well as do a physical exam every year. She also manages my reflux problems and my chronic urticaria (which has only flared up a few times in recent history)
I have a psychiatrist who also knows every medication I take, including OTC, and he prescribes me my psychiatric medications for bipolar, anxiety, and ADHD. I see him once or twice a month, depending on whether we're changing dosages or changing medications. He's very on top of what I'm taking.
I have a (new!) neurologist who is aware of all of my medications, including OTC, and gave me some recommendations for my psychiatrist for things to change/try with my medication to address my Tourette's Syndrome. (This is very recent and I haven't given his notes to my psychiatrist yet--I see the psychiatrist later this week.)
I have a hematologist who I see about 3 times a year to make sure my blood levels (vitamins, minerals, etc) are where they're supposed to be and make sure my iron doesn't bottom out again like it did in 2009. Or course, he also has the complete list of what I take.
And then I have a dentist, who of course prescribes things like pain medication when I have things like my recent extraction done, or removed a bone spur.
Those are my doctors who I see on a regular schedule, (or close to it). In the past year or two I've also needed specialty doctors on a few occasions:
I've had an orthopedic surgeon perform surgery ( coccygectomy, ( post surgery summary) which required pain meds for several weeks (it hurts a LOT to sit when your tailbone has been cut out!).
I also saw a gastroenterologist in 2010 when I had a minor GI bleed. He diagnosed me with (a minor case, I was led to believe) of Barrett's Esophagus which was probably caused by my severe reflux over many years (that my PCP has under control these days, as mentioned above.)
In recent years I also needed an MRI and a CAT scan to check my jaw (TMJ, slight arthritis) and saw an oral and maxillofacial
surgeon. He recommended against a surgical option at this time, but said that my chewing on the right side of my mouth only (no lower left molars) was causing the problem. Now that I have the partial denture plate and can chew on both sides, the hope is that the muscles on both jaw joints will normalize out and I won't get bouts of TMJ anymore. That doctor put me on pain meds and muscle relaxants (I think that's what they were).
So yes, I talk a lot about my medical issues, but my doctors aren't all working blind. They all know about each other and know what each other is prescribing. They all know the medication regimen I'm on at any given time and watch out for me. Even when I went to the MinuteClinic in CVS they sent a copy of the report of everything they said and did to my PCP who put it on file.
*I include dietary supplements in this category.