Do I Really Need A Cardiologist?

[firewatcher]

I have a cardiologist. He does nothing other than collect my copay once a year, BUT, he has actually heard of POTS (which is a huge plus.) My previous cardiologists had not heard of POTS, and did not care to educate themselves either. I am torn between just dropping a cardiologist altogether or finding a new one. While I am stable, I have no motivation to put myself through the pain of "the hunt." But, if I have an issue, I know I'll wish that I had.

How helpful can cardiologists be?

Should I even bother to have one?

I really don't want to go to one and have them insist on a rigorous exercise program or monkey with my meds......

[puppylove]

Have you already checked to see if there is a POTS specialist near you? I got absolutely no where with regular cardiologists because I don't think a lot of them even understand it. I didn't get any real help until I went to a doctor whose practice was completely all about POTS and he is a POTS specialist.

[janiedelite]

I do get a yearly echocardiogram from my cardiologist because of my heart murmur and POTS. However, I only started seeing her because she does specialize in dysautonomia. I don't know if I would have pursued a cardio just to get my yearly echo done.

[jangle]

I told my cardiologist what to prescribe me.

Ill let you digest that statement.

[FarmerAmy]

Personally I would only go to a doctor if I felt like he/she could help me. I go to a cardiologist and she is helpful, but I get a lot more help from my psychiatrist. He seems to understand nervous system issues better. I would keep looking for a health care provider who better understands what you are dealing with. Just because you have a degree (i.e. an MD), doesn't mean you can actually help people.

[bunny]

I haven't seen my cardiologist in years. Other than initial tests and dx (which were useful), there's not a great amount he's been able to do for me. Quite disappointing actually, as he really did have a good bedside manner and was willing to listen. Once I was aware of what signs & symptoms were normal vs. when I should be heading for the ER, I didn't see a need to go with his recommendations (pacemaker and/or implantable defib). He also missed that my heart's ejection fraction (how much blood it actually pumps with each stroke) was substantially low, suggesting deconditioning.

My GPs (I have two, one for each city I spend a lot of time in) have been very helpful. If they don't know the answer, they're willing to dig deeper. They're also not condescending and understand that I do have some medical school training under my belt. I also acknowledge and understand the limitations of my knowledge vs. their years of experience. It's made for a great working relationship for all of us.

[L4UR3N]

I'm the same way. Havent seen my cardiologist other than for a yearly CXR to check for cardiomegaly. They have been largely unhelpful to me, and since I cant tolerate most cardiac meds, there is really very little they can do for me. That's not to say that a cardiologist who is familiar with POTS and (if your really lucky) even specializes in it would not be helpful, because look at Dr. Grubb .

I really think it just depends on the doctor. Technically the doctors who should be treating us are Neurologists, since it is not a cardiac problem, but a neurological one.....however most neurologists are even more clueless than cardiologists (in my experience). Its the Neurologists-- the very people who should be helping us-- who are most likely to diagnose you with a psychosomatic illness.

[bunny]

Rissy2d's comments remind me of a quote. "When your favourite tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." The medical version of this is often, "Pick your specialist, pick your disease."

A great classic example of this were the numerous GI doctors I saw with my GI malabsorbtion issues. ALL of them thought it had to be something structural and wanted to do (at a minimum) a colonoscopy. At most, some of the GI docs wanted to remove both the small & large intestine, confining me to a life of IV nutrition and a bag. Even with CD full of images showing no abnormalities, the GI docs refused to believe it. They all flat-out refused to test for bacterial sources. Not surprisingly (but scary) they couldn't tell me what the normal bacterial flora of the GI tract were supposed to be.

Every non-GI doctor I presented to thought it was bacterial/fungal/viral in nature. It ended up being bacterial. The non-GI docs weren't entirely right on treatment either -- they all focused on prescription antibiotics and anti-fungals. None of them bothered to test to see which organisms were causing issues. So they'd kill off one group of bacteria only to have another flourish. Even an infectious disease Dr got caught up in this line of thinking.

The ultimate solution ended up being removing the energy source (sulphur) from the bacteria using a 100+ year old remedy (Bismuth). Years of suffering, not to mention the expense of doctors + drugs + lost work time, were resolved by the 3rd day of a 10 day treatment of bismuth (~$20, ordered by my organic chem professor friend at a local Uni).

All of these doctors had their preferred tools (GI:colonoscopy/surgery , GP/Internal Med: prescriptions, Infectious Disease: prescriptions) and that's what they relied on. It's not good medicine, but it's human nature. You'll even see this pattern with auto mechanics.