Graves' Disease Support Group
Graves-Basedow disease is a medical disorder that may manifest several different conditions including hyperthyroidism (over activity of thyroid hormone production), infiltrative exophthalmos (protruberance of one or both eyes and associated problems) and infiltrative dermopathy (a skin condition usually of the lower extremities). This disorder is the most common cause of...
Can anyone give me some advice about how to handle an issue with my doctor's office? My propranolol prescription was about to expire. It had been written by my family doc, although my endo has been helping me tweak the dose. I called the endo's office to get a new script, but they said no, since my other doc had originally written it.
As per policy, I went to the pharmacy (on Thursday) and asked them to fax a refill request for it. They said they would, and they'd call when it was ready. I didn't hear from them, and finally went over there Monday evening. The pharmacist, who I trust completely, checked all the records and said they hadn't heard back yet. I called the family practice office ASAP Tuesday AM, and left a message on the machine, told them I was following up on the refill order, was frustrated that it wasn't ready, and asked them to please call me. Didn't hear back. I tried to call a couple more times, but only got the recording.
In the meantime, I ran out- bad, bad news. I woke up Wednesday with my pulse at 103 when I got out of bed, 127 after showering. Hands shaking, jittery, the whole disaster. I called again as soon as the office opened and left another message, this one pretty frantic. They called back 2 1/2 hours later, and told me they had taken care of it the day before! They also said they had just received the request from the pharmacy on Tuesday. No answer when asked why they hadn't called the previous day. They got a tiny taste of Graves Rage!
I went to the pharmacy immediately. The tech there saw me coming, and seemed to know I was going to be loaded for bear. She assured me that the request had been sent the previous week, and that it had gone through. (They had not re-sent it since.) She had to have had a call just a few minutes before I got there- no other explanation. I noticed later that day that the dates the prescription was written and filled was that day- not Tuesday as the girl at the Dr.'s said.
How do I handle this with my doctor's office? I have no doubt it was faxed over on Thursday, and that they overlooked it somehow. I'm also positive (by the dates on the bottle) that the girl who called me Wednesday was lying to me. I hate being lied to!! I really wouldn't have minded if they had called back Tuesday and told me that they had been out of the office, had been busy, or had just screwed up- which of us hasn't done that? Does the doctor want to know that her staff tried to kill me? (Quitting a beta-blocker cold turkey, which I had to do, is dangerous.) I don't necessarily want to see heads roll, but I don't want this to happen again, to me or to anyone else.
As per policy, I went to the pharmacy (on Thursday) and asked them to fax a refill request for it. They said they would, and they'd call when it was ready. I didn't hear from them, and finally went over there Monday evening. The pharmacist, who I trust completely, checked all the records and said they hadn't heard back yet. I called the family practice office ASAP Tuesday AM, and left a message on the machine, told them I was following up on the refill order, was frustrated that it wasn't ready, and asked them to please call me. Didn't hear back. I tried to call a couple more times, but only got the recording.
In the meantime, I ran out- bad, bad news. I woke up Wednesday with my pulse at 103 when I got out of bed, 127 after showering. Hands shaking, jittery, the whole disaster. I called again as soon as the office opened and left another message, this one pretty frantic. They called back 2 1/2 hours later, and told me they had taken care of it the day before! They also said they had just received the request from the pharmacy on Tuesday. No answer when asked why they hadn't called the previous day. They got a tiny taste of Graves Rage!
I went to the pharmacy immediately. The tech there saw me coming, and seemed to know I was going to be loaded for bear. She assured me that the request had been sent the previous week, and that it had gone through. (They had not re-sent it since.) She had to have had a call just a few minutes before I got there- no other explanation. I noticed later that day that the dates the prescription was written and filled was that day- not Tuesday as the girl at the Dr.'s said.
How do I handle this with my doctor's office? I have no doubt it was faxed over on Thursday, and that they overlooked it somehow. I'm also positive (by the dates on the bottle) that the girl who called me Wednesday was lying to me. I hate being lied to!! I really wouldn't have minded if they had called back Tuesday and told me that they had been out of the office, had been busy, or had just screwed up- which of us hasn't done that? Does the doctor want to know that her staff tried to kill me? (Quitting a beta-blocker cold turkey, which I had to do, is dangerous.) I don't necessarily want to see heads roll, but I don't want this to happen again, to me or to anyone else.
I make sure that I still have several weeks worth of beta blocker before I call for a refill. I have not had this happened to me. I am sorry it happened with you.
Would writing a letter explaining the situation to the doctors help you to make sure this situation does not happen again?
Do you feel comfortable taking the herbs such as Hawthorn, Motherwort, Lemon Balm, whatever, for your Graves' Disease? Or even take on a regular basis, Acetyl L-Carnitine?
You have a right to expect and to receive a good quality care from any doctors you see. This def should not have happened for them to put you in a danger like this.
{{{hugs}}} :-(
I have to say, being off the beta blocker for a day and a half made me realize that I'm by no means done with Graves'.
Melanie, I'm not sure who I talked to at the family practice office- I haven't been in there in awhile, didn't recognize the name, and was too ticked off to think to ask her to repeat it. I'm trying to decide if it's worth the $150 for an office visit to go talk to the doctor about this.
and make the clinical staff aware of how important this is to you, and how dangerous being without the med can be for you.
I would speak with the clinic manager. You will get some results.
What you went through with this was not only stressful but the way it was handled by so called professionals was Unacceptable. They should be called on it.
Also I wanted to add to something MM said. On her advise I tried Acetyl L-Carnitine and I really think it helps. I did more reading on line about it's use in hyper's after MM suggested it (I trust her judgement impecably but ALWAYS triple check anything I might want to take) and decided to try it. The bottle says to take more than I do. I take one caplet in the evening. I was taking one morning and evening, but I feel better on just the evening dose. I have run out without being able to go get more and I can FELL a difference. I believe in the stuff :)
MM, my pharmacy will only let you call in a refill when you are close to being out. Can't count how many times I've tried ordering(automated machines, oh how i love them) meds for my son and the recording says, ''it is too soon to fill this prescription''. Then I have to call the ped and have him put in a ne, RX. It's a pain!
Not if there were some left over previously from only taking the beta blockers as a needed basis.
{{{hugs}}} :-)
I was about ready to head for emergency or urgent care, but wasn't sure if urgent care would see me for what was turning into a cardiac problem, and in recent years any trip to the ER (in a one-hospital town) has taken 5 or 6 hours, and cost hundreds if not thoiusands of dollars. It's a real disincentive to go. (A couple of years ago I was in there with a kid with a badly broken arm and it took more than two hours and some begging to even get him something for pain.)
Anyway, I really like this family doctor so far, and want to try to preserve the relationship with her. I guess I'll have to make an appointment to go in and see her, as I assume she's the one who hires the staff. She probably knows nothing about this incident- was just given the paper to sign rather than being told, "Could you sign this for a patient we're trying to kill?"