# On the doctor-go-round



## debodun (Jul 19, 2014)

I've been having abdominal pain for several weeks. I had an appointment with a nurse practitioner who ruled out urinary cause by doing a dipstick analysis (but no microscopic or culture) and "female" problems with an ultrasound. She then said I should follow up with my OB-GYN and my primary doctor. I just feel that since she couldn't reach a diagnosis, she was fobbing me off on these other doctors. Opinions? How many doctors have you ever consulted with for the same problem? I am so frustrated with doctors!


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 19, 2014)

I don't like to go to doctors, and luckily I haven't had to very much, I don't even do the annual preventative x-rays, etc. that they try to push down my throat.  Years back, before menopause, I had some pain and excessive bleeding.  I don't think it was fibroids or anything, but they did a D&C scraping, and all was well after that.  Did they check your liver?  I think if the pain is on the right side, just under the ribcage, it may be liver related.  Every doctor has their "specialty", so passing you around like that seems standard practice nowadays.


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## debodun (Jul 19, 2014)

About a year before my mom passed, her abdomen swelled up so much it looked like she was pregnant with quads. She begged me to take her to the ER. The doctor there seemed to think it was a liver problem, but blood tests were negative for that. All they could do was aspirate the ascites which was clear and amber colored - looked like apple juice. Mom never had a repeat of this problem nor did the doctors ever get a diagnosis of what caused it.


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 19, 2014)

Liver problems are the main cause of ascites, but when her liver checked out okay, they should had investigated further to see what was causing it.  My condolences for your loss. :rose:   http://www.emedicinehealth.com/ascites/page2_em.htm


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## Lon (Jul 19, 2014)

debodun said:


> I've been having abdominal pain for several weeks. I had an appointment with a nurse practitioner who ruled out urinary cause by doing a dipstick analysis (but no microscopic or culture) and "female" problems with an ultrasound. She then said I should follow up with my OB-GYN and my primary doctor. I just feel that since she couldn't reach a diagnosis, she was fobbing me off on these other doctors. Opinions? How many doctors have you ever consulted with for the same problem? I am so frustrated with doctors!



I don't blame the Nurse Practioner. Abdominal Pain? Not an easy thing to diagnose in a male or female without  a specialist consult and additional testing.


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## WhatInThe (Jul 19, 2014)

You have to be careful. A lot of doctors know each other and if they see you are from a friend/colleague they find a way to get rid of you or back their finding. I find this particularly true among dentists in certain communities.


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## Denise1952 (Jul 19, 2014)

debodun said:


> I've been having abdominal pain for several weeks. I had an appointment with a nurse practitioner who ruled out urinary cause by doing a dipstick analysis (but no microscopic or culture) and "female" problems with an ultrasound. She then said I should follow up with my OB-GYN and my primary doctor. I just feel that since she couldn't reach a diagnosis, she was fobbing me off on these other doctors. Opinions? How many doctors have you ever consulted with for the same problem? I am so frustrated with doctors!



I get passed around, but I feel different about it because I think that a doctor that can admit they don't know, is better than a "know it all" that could botch or send you home with some pill that may or may not work.  I think it works both ways though as well De.  I was so frustrated in the hospital last week, for what I thought was going to be a routine "day operation" turned into 4 days 3 nights because of several people communicating, or not, about what to do with me.  

Have you made a note of what you've been eating?  Anything different?  Hopefully no sacharin, I am deathly allergic to that and took a few days to determine where my pains were coming from.  The day I stopped the Sweet and Low (made w/sacharin) was the day my pains subsided.  Not a doctor, just know there are some things we can check on for ourselves while we are waiting for answers from doctors


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## d0ug (Jul 19, 2014)

Think about gluten intolerance I have had problems with health for 70 years and no doctor ever told me I listen to a doctor ND on the radio who described all my symptoms and said a gluten intolerance. I have been gluten free for two years and the list of ailments have all gone away. There is no reliable check for gluten intolerance but if you go 100% gluten free for 3 months and see how you feel. There is a video call cereal killers on youtube it will tell you where to find gluten in foods.


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## Lon (Jul 19, 2014)

The advice from people responding to this post is worse than being passed from doctor to doctor and could be injurious to your health. Stick with the professionals and you will live longer.


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## Denise1952 (Jul 19, 2014)

Lon said:


> The advice from people responding to this post is worse than being passed from doctor to doctor and could be injurious to your health. Stick with the professionals and you will live longer.



Not always, and that's a fact.  Some of the alternatives to drugs and doctors work.  I never tell anyone to "not" go to a doctor, but there are things we can research and try on our own that are not harmful like checking to see if sacharin is giving you stomach pain.  Just my opinion.  I just had "professionals" mis-communicating my "facts" like my cardio thought this was my first pacemaker.  Then another advising cardio thought I had the original put in in 2005, not true, 1997.  There is more where that came from.  I'm just saying, even professionals are human, they make mistakes.


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## Denise1952 (Jul 19, 2014)

d0ug said:


> Think about gluten intolerance I have had problems with health for 70 years and no doctor ever told me I listen to a doctor ND on the radio who described all my symptoms and said a gluten intolerance. I have been gluten free for two years and the list of ailments have all gone away. There is no reliable check for gluten intolerance but if you go 100% gluten free for 3 months and see how you feel. There is a video call cereal killers on youtube it will tell you where to find gluten in foods.



This is another thing a person can try that is not harmful.  Good for you Doug  Oh, and another thing to those that think alternative medicine is crap, or home remedies.  I suffered headaches for years, and guess what, now that I actually drink enough water, maybe 2 headaches a year.  It's worth the research to me.


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## d0ug (Jul 19, 2014)

Lon said:


> The advice from people responding to this post is worse than being passed from doctor to doctor and could be injurious to your health. Stick with the professionals and you will live longer.


Are these the same professional that prescribe vioxx that killed near 1/2 a million people. They are now listed as the number one cause of death in the US


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## Denise1952 (Jul 19, 2014)

d0ug said:


> Are these the same professional that prescribe vioxx that killed near 1/2 a million people. They are now listed as the number one cause of death in the US



Which brings to mind the Seldane that was prescribed to me for a year, and directly as a result, heart problems.  It was removed from the shelf, a little late for me, but thank goodness it helped others avoid it.  This list goes on.  I'm not saying there isn't a time and place for conventional medicine, I believe I would not be alive if it weren't for this pacemaker, I'm just saying, if there is an alternative it's worth researching, to me anyway.


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## debodun (Jul 20, 2014)

Also what annoys me is they you always have to go back for a "follow-up" consultation. Why can't doctors just call and tell you you're a hypochondriac?


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## d0ug (Jul 20, 2014)

They don't cure you so you need to go back and get more drugs and other drugs to counteract the first drugs. It is a business and they want to keep the money flow.


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## Jackie22 (Jul 20, 2014)

debodun said:


> Also what annoys me is they you always have to go back for a "follow-up" consultation. Why can't doctors just call and tell you you're a hypochondriac?



I agree on this....just adds another office visit to their bank account.


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## debodun (Jul 21, 2014)

I've been to three HCPs now and although they can see I have a problem, none can give me a diagnosis or what to do about it. I think because my symptoms do not fit pat with any one diagnosis, they can't peg it down to one cause. It like hearing thundering hooves and assume it's horses - it could be zebras, wildebeests or elk.


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