Ever been kicked out of Doctor's practice?
Has anyone here ever been kicked out of a Doctor's practice for non compliance by refusing a statin drug?
I got a phone call today from the nurse at my doctor's office telling me that my lab appointment for tomorrow has been changed to a fasting appointment. The GP has ordered a diabetic labs including A1C and fasting cholesterol.
I asked why the cholesterol test when I am intolerant of statin drugs because of some side effects? The nurse reminded me of the fact that my LDL level was out of control and my A1C at 6.1 wasn't very good either.
She then insuinuated that when a patient's levels are out of control that it makes the doctor and the practice look bad. I was told that 'they' (whomever they are) are putting the pressure on the doctor for all patients, especially diabetic patients, to be under control, and perhaps if I wasn't under control that I would be kicked out of the practice.
So.......now in addition to worrying about managing my diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol - I have to worry whether I will be kicked out of the doctor's practice too? I thought this was America, where we have freedom to choose what medicine we want to take? :(
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mayumi on -
If I let my evil twin do my typing, then I would be "banned" from the forum. :(
Only one flaw in accepting the statin prescription from the doctor. She faxes it straight to the drugstore. I have already tried every statin there is as of 2009 and had some horrific reactions to each of them. If I accept the Rx, then that means I have to pay for something I am not going to take. I can't afford that kind of wasteful spending as a Senior Citizen.
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Permalink Reply by Clare on -
I understand, right now the Wegman's supermarket is giving away free lipitor. Anyone who has a prescription can get 90 days of lipitor free of charge through April 27th. So I have stocked up on it. And I understand about side effects from statins, I was in pain for more than 5 years as a result of simvastatin and it took me forever to figure it out. It is only through reading info here that I now know what that evil drug was doing to me. I would tell my doctor that I was filling my prescription at the Wegman's for free or that I wanted to compare prices. Just get her to write it for you. If she is hell bent on you taking it, then she will just give you the prescription. You can fill it or not.
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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on -
If you had bad reactions to the statins you tried, then you need to talk to the doc directly about it. Not to Nurse Ratched (you're a senior citizen, you'll get the reference! LOL!). It is totally NOT unreasonable not to take a drug you react badly to. My cardiologist would love it if I took aspirin, but understands perfectly well that I get severe stomach pain for 3 days if I take even a baby aspirin. So, he sometimes forgets, and asks me about it again, and every time, I tell him about the pain, and he doesn't push it. So at least give the doc the benefit of the doubt, and go see him, tell him why you don't want to risk taking statins, and let him know that Nurse R threatened you. Maybe SHE's the one who needs to find a new doctor!
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Permalink Reply by donnadean on -
I also can not take any statins. I have very bad reactions. There are other meds for this. Not as good they say but is for me better than nothing.
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Permalink Reply by Stemwinder on -
If 6.1 is not in control I would like to know what is. This sounds to me like an uneducated nurse talking. I would have a serious talk with the doctor about this nurse and if that really is his point of view I would tell him/her I was looking for a doctor when I found him/her.
If this doctor runs his office by threats rather than by caring you will be better off without him/her. I once had a physician assistant tell me that if I wasn't more compliant then there was no reason for me to come back. My response was to ask if he could recommend another doctor.
I would not just write this doctor off automatically but would come to and understanding about how you feel about threats. Remember this was the nurse talking not the doctor.
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Permalink Reply by christy on -
Regardless of what kind of "quota's" Dr's need to meet regarding their diabetic patient's. People need to understand their are many reason's that are affecting the level of control one may or may not be getting. Such as the cholesterol, and how you say you have horrible side effects from the Statins. You shouldn't be required to take it, OR purchase it to say you are if there are extenuating circumstances.
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Permalink Reply by Clare on
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No you definitely shouldn't have to take it or buy it, but it is the system we live with and have to abide by. It is the system our physicians are also held to and although it sucks there is not a whole lot I can do about it. So I just smile and nod.
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Permalink Reply by Erin Huff Carper on
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I haven't been kicked out, but rather I "fired" my doctor once because of a lot of things, but the statin issue was the icing on the cake. They wanted me to take them, I had a severe reaction to them, and they kept pushing the "you need to do something about your cholesterol" thing. That particular doc treated all his diabetic patients with statins whether they needed them or not, and I wasn't having that. You need a doctor who listens and who works for and WITH you, not against you.
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Permalink Reply by Clare on
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I fired my endo for being an idiot and thankfully I have found a new endo who not only listens, but respects my ability to treat myself and respects me for having done it pretty well for 37 years. Lipitor does not affect anything besides my cholesterol so I am ok with taking it. Does my doctor push it on me ? no, but at the same time if it doesn't do any harm I am not going to argue. If it did give me the kind of pain that simvastatin did I would not take it.
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Permalink Reply by Mayumi on
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I took Crestor for 3 yrs and had beautiful "numbers". Then one morning in the summer of 2003 I woke up feel as though I had the flu. When the 'flu' did not go away after several weeks of excruciating muscle aches I saw the doctor. He stopped the drug for a month and then re-started again with the same side effects.
He tried a different drug, then another, and another - until we had tried them all including things like Zetia, Questran. The last drug he tried left me almost unable to walk and I had to lean on my husband just to walk into the doctor's office. Each time doctor stopped and re-started the statin it took me longer and longer to recover. What hurts the most now is that this doctor doesn't believe me and thinks I'm lying!
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Permalink Reply by PatientX on -
I had the same issues with statins. I tried 4 different kinds and every kind just made me feel worse. MY endo put my lipitor to the 80 mg and that turned my life into a living hell. The doctors would not listen to me about the migrane headache that I had for 2 years running or the bad muscle pain and the loss of memory. Finally i stopped taking the stuff myself. The crazy thing is they keep harping on my cholesterol numbers but my A1C is at a 7 and they seem to be fine with that. I check frequently my glucose number and I am at 200 and I tell my endo and goes in one ear and out the other. Seems to be more concerned with cholesterol than A1C. But I push back on the statins.
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Permalink Reply by Debbie on -
What is up with the Endo's worrying here lately about the cholestrol than the a1c? my cholesterol level were fine, the only problem I had was that my heart dr suggested to not take Norvasc along with Zocor due to side effects n it could mess with my anti-rejctions meds. So, I went to the Endo n told him what the Heart dr suggest n he got pissed. He said,'that I haven't had any problem yet since I been on it." I told him well, last week I just got back from Atlanta due to kidney rejection n they r not sure what really happen. So, he said, he would change my 40mg Zocor to lipitor. I was fine with that so he supposedly called it in at my pharmacy. However, to my suprise the dose is now 80mg! I am only 4'7" n weigh only 89lbs soaking wet! Would u give such a lg dose to your child n if the cholesterol labs r good? Cholestrol total was 157, LDL-P 621 Lipid Ldl-c 76, Hdl-c 73, Hdl-p total 29.4 which is a slight low. I call several times with my concern n all I get back from the nurse was that is what he wants u to take. I asked why for my cholesterol is fine n she said that he said he like to keep it that way. WTF! Their is nothing wrong with my lab work n my A1C was 6.5. Of course I didn;t say all that but I did let them know I was concern about taking that much. You cannot get in to see the dr until you appointment too. So, I went to my kidney specialist, took copy of my labs n told him my concern n he even said that, I have no business taking that much due to the one kidney transplant n for me to just cut them in half. so, that is what I am doing beings I got a second opinion from another dr. The point is why is the Endo not listening. I heard other clients complaining about the similar issues as well for he uses his degree authority that its his way or highway. Not too many diabetic specialist here so what am I to do?
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