Tired Of Doctors Disagreeing With Each Other

[SpinnyC]

Lately I've felt more like a ping pong ball than a patient. As time has gone by each one of my specialist has recommended I add another type of specialist i.e. the cardiologist thinks I also need a neurologist, the nuro thinks I also need a gastroenterologist, ext.

So now I have this whole team of various specialists but all they do is disagree with each other. They disagree on treatment plans, medicines, potential causes of my Pots. And my favorite thing is when one specialist says the results of a test suggest a problem in another speciality and tell me to make an appointment with that doctor. But when I do the other doctor completely dismisses what the first doctor said and acts like it's the most ludicrous thing they've ever heard .

I'm tired of being batted back and forth between doctors. And very tired of acting like the messenger in a bag game of telephone.

Anyone else wish there was some sort of Uber Specialist... or a magical medical office where you could see all your specialists at the same time during one big super appointment.

[Zap]

I have been dealing with this very problem myself. It is terrible - until the system is changed to not reward this type of behavior, it will be commonplace for too many of us. Those that find good doctors are lucky, as they are willing to try things instead of disclaiming all responsibility.

If they aren't part of the solution, they are part of the problem - period.

[boymommy3]

I know exactly what you mean.....since December I have seen my GP, cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, and getting ready to go back to my gastrooenterologist. Seriously....it's ridiculous!

I just wish that a a group of docs who know about POTS/Dysautonomia would put together a practice with each of these types of specialists involved so that they could work closely together and as a team be able to treat the WHOLE person!!!! Wouldn't that be nice!

[Joann]

I think there are too many "specialists" out there. And they are too specialized, so if you don't fit in their little area they can't help you. And with this type of problem we seem to have problems that cross over many systems in our body. So no specialist can seem to address our entire problem they want to choose one symptom and treat that instead of looking and the entire picture!

So sick and tired of it all. Just today I had a doctor's office call me and tell me the exact opposite of his associate. One is a neuro and one cardio. They are associates for the same clinic and they can't agree!

[Tobiano]

So frustrating. Dealing with POTS alone is hard enough... then add on all this.

[ukwildcat]

I agree. They send you to one specialist after another. Some doctors just want to get rid of us and some doctors would like to help and don't know how. I don't know if it is a problem with everyone but doctors want to keep doing the same test over and over. It just cost my insurance and myself more and more money. They keep on saying they don't know the standards the test were done. I understand that test can be done under different standards, an MRI can be done in different % of slices( I know not medical terms) but why if two RA test come back positive then why do we need a third, lets move on and either test more in depth or for something else. I decided Pots patients just don't fit the standard many times so hard to dx, I guess. Doctors act applaud when I ask questions. When one said who cares if we test again your insurance will probably pay for it, I think that may be one thing that is wrong with our health care today.

[ramakentesh]

its because no one really knows much about these disorders so conclusions are often based on experience with patients and inference.

[Libby]

ukwildcat - one reason is they over-test is because if they don't, and you end up suing them for whatever reason, you can use that as leverage in the malpractice suit. Defensive medicine, at its best (sarcasm). Every patient is a potential lawsuit.

Studies have shown that it's much more effective to just care about the patient. We generally won't sue someone we like, even if an error is made.

[SpinnyC]

Lol well at least it makes me feel better to know I'm not alone . I honestly think my doctors mean well (because the ones I've run into that just want to disregard what's happening or brush me off have already been relieved of their duties). I really believe they send me to those other specialists because they want to try and give me the best care possible. I think the problem is a combination of what some of you have said here- specialists that are too specialized, symptoms covering so many areas of the body, not enough knowledge about the condition.

It's just so frustrating from a patient perspective to be tossed back and forth and to have doctors openly disagreeing and disregarding what another doctor has said. It doesn't boost my confidence in a doctor if I'm sitting in from of him and he almost laughs at the opinion of another doctor I already respect. ARGH! I feel like they should all be talking to each other and as a team decide on what to do.

Boymommy3 I LOVE LOVE LOVE your idea about someone putting together a practice with all the various specialist who could work as a team. We'd probably all move there ASAP... and that got me thinking we'd have a Pots Town LOL.

If there was a Pots Town this is what I imagine it would be like...

There would always be a shortage on mobility scooters in stores.

There would be so many handicapped parking spaces some of them wouldn't actually be close to the door anymore.

Buildings would have a lot more chairs and recliners strewn about

All the floors would be carpets with lots of padding (good for fainting)

Gym memberships could be priced by the minute instead of the month

You could stop and get an IV practically anywhere

Salt would probably cost a lot (due to supply and demand)

The closest ER would actually know the heck Pots is!

And the place would practically be a ghost town first thing in the morning and on hot days

[Mydoggielovesme2]

How Funny, and we would all have bumper cars, so we all could still drive.

[boymommy3]

SpinnyC.....that is hilarious!!!!!

[SpinnyC]

Thanks boymommy3 and mydoggielovesme the whole Pots Town thing has been popping into my thoughts now and again and came up with a few more things to add.

At first I was going to say it would have a really fantastic shuttle service but I love the bumper car idea too funny! Or maybe it would be the perfect place to test out the automated cars that drive themselves!

Gatorade would probably build their first ever bar

There would be compression garment boutiques and outlet stores

Delivery services would be a huge industry

And doctors would definitely make house calls!

[Angela]

how funny, i was just talking about potsville to someone the other day. and I agree about differences of opinions, even the neuro's (4 so far) I have seen disagree on eeg's and seizure like symptoms/explanations etc.

[SpinnyC]

I posted a new "If there was a Pots Town" post in the chit chat forum... if anyone else wants to add their two cents in about what a Pots Utopia would be like