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Luckily, she has a new posting, Understanding How Your Deductible Works which can help clarify some of that. Please follow the link to learn more.
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ByroneyView Thread
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The WebMD Community StaffView Thread
what does MD stand for in your post? i'm sorry to be so ignorant.
i wanted to do some quickie internet research, but i also wanted to make sure i'm looking at the right topics!
-- susie margaretView Thread
why don't you call the dr's office, describe your symptoms, and ask them if you should come in today or if you should make an apptmt for some other day (soon!)?
-- susie margaretView Thread
have her see a hematologist and go from there. i hope you and she can get some more info that way. you might also suggest that she be given tests for vitamin deficiencies.
-- susie margaretView Thread
i am in the middle of similar problems, except with a different company and different meds. my health care ins switched mail-order pharmacies, and since then every order has been a nightmare -- the old mail-order pharmacy did not transfer all of my Rx to the new mail-order pharmacy, i've had to get new Rx for anything i take that is a controlled substance, they sent liquid instead of tablets for two Rx, they didn't give the correct phone numbers for faxing in an Rx, etc., etc. now i dread it when i have to call them and straighten out yet one more thing!
i don't know what the answer is for this, except to try and be patient with the people on the phone; it's not their fault they weren't properly trained, and i'm sure they are as frustrated as you are. i've decided that if there is one more screwup, i will write to both my employer (thru which i have my health care ins) and probably the head of the dept for fulfilling Rx at the mail-order pharmacy (or even the pres of the mail-order pharmacy or the board of directors), and complain. i have only about 20% faith that either of these will get any action, tho!
whenever i call and talk with someone, i keep a record of when i called, the person(s) i talked with, their dept, what my Q was, what their answer was, what extra steps i had to take, etc., etc. this doesn't give me very much satisfaction, but it does create a paper record. i also ask the person to read back to me the info we've exchanged, esp phone numbers, name of meds, etc., etc.
i comfort myself by believing -- probably foolishly -- that for every mess i have to straighten out, that is one less mess that i will have to straighten out later! surely there can't be an infinite number of messes!
anyway, i send my sympathies and hope that all will fall into place soon.
-- susie margaretView Thread
I think you would get more and better replies if you posted this in the WebMD Pain Management Community here: http://exchanges.webmd.com/pain-management-exchange
Many people there have been through similar experiences and can share how they handled it.View Thread
you are entitled to get your medical records, with certain exceptions for psychiatric info. the dr's office is entitled to charge a reasonable fee for copying.
often the easiest way to switch your records from one dr to another is to have your new dr request them from your original dr. you may have to sign a release, but i can't think of any reason why you would not want to do that.
i don't know of any "legal issues" that would have to be resolved in order to get your medical records or to change drs.
-- susie margaretView Thread
Just let me say this now. MAN, WHATEVER!...U Got....Rich, Broke, High, Low, White, Black...U Got someone special, etc. Better Appreciate ALL of it NOW, Every Day. U Don't know when it can B "Snatched" away from U and U, can B Stuck, Alone, Wondering What? Am I going to do? We ALL, take thing's for "Granted", I did. NOT, anymore people, Not.
Ok, so first, I need to know WHAT a Dr. would prescribe "Thiophene" for (ex, High blood pressure, Anxiety, Adult ADD, Depression, Chronic Pain, etc.) It was recently listed on my "Med's List" by a Dr. and I need to know "Why"? NOT! What it's "Chemical composition" is. I can't even find "It" here on "WebMD" and I'm getting concerned. So what, is "Thiophene" supposed to "Correct, Address"?
Also, how does one go about finding an "Anonymous, Honest and Compassionate" (Oh, almost forgot, no charge too, on S.S. after REALLY terrible thing) "Patient's Advocate". Someone that can be trusted. I have some things to either work out with a couple doc's, or get new one's. I Just want to Literally B, "Taken Care Of". Life has become difficult enough. I am too afraid to "Speak Up". I REALLY, Really, need help.
I thank you all in advance for your helpful responses,
and may God Bless you and your's!
"GratefulMan"View Thread
i'm not quite sure i understand what you're relating. do you mean that your ex-wife gave permission for your two children to be medicated for ADHD and that this is a decision you disagree with? or do you mean the children's dr took legal action to obtain a court order to medicate the children against your or your ex-wife's will?
second, what do you mean by "primary legal guardianship"? do the two of you have joint custody, or is it that your ex-wife has sole custody but you have visitation rights, or what?
your state's family law will determine the propriety of any of these circumstances, and different states have different laws. to get an idea of your options, therefore, my suggestion is that you consult the lawyer who handled your divorce or another lawyer who specializes in your state's family law.
i send caring thoughts to you and your family. please keep us posted on how all of you are doing.
-- susie margaretView Thread
i couldn't tell from your response whether or not you found the two communities i recommended. you can reach them by clicking on the blue titles in my post.
-- susie margaretView Thread
unfortunately, we have no expert for this community, but even if we did, no one can diagnose you over the internet.
are these test results from your dr? you need to talk with him/her about what they mean, and the fact that so many of these readings are out of normal range suggests to me that you should call him/her the first thing in the morning.
i send you caring thoughts and hope you can get some answers quickly.
-- susie margaretView Thread
i am not a medical person (see PS1), but from what i have been able to find, you may want to consult a different dr.
goulard's extract is a watery solution of lead subacetate (PS2) with antiseptic, antiinflammatory, and astringent properties; it is named after its inventor, the french surgeon thomas goulard (PS3). until the early 20th century, it was used for bruises, sprains, blisters, and other types of wounds. however, its use has been generally abandoned because of the development of more effective astringents, the possibility of lead poisoning thru its absorption at raw spots, and concern that it may cause cancer.
you may want to ask about pain in your testicle in our men's health community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/mens-health-community , where there is an expert on-board, or in our urology community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/urology .
finally, you may also want to take a look at the webMD articles on testicular disorders, http://men.webmd.com/testicular-pain-and-injuries-directory?catid=1006 (a list of articles is shown under the green title "medical reference").
i hope you will improve soon.
-- susie margaret
PS1 -- i welcome, solicit, and indeed beg for correction, amendment, or replacement of any inaccuracies in this post.
PS2 -- an acetate is a salt of acetic acid; this has a particular chemical meaning, but even tho i've skipped back and forth among several websites, i can't seem to simplify the definition beyond this. the terms keep getting more complicated instead of less! i welcome elucidation from someone more knowledgeable!
PS3 -- the info i've found has the date 1784 associated with it; i don't know if this is when it was invented or the birthdate of its inventor, or what.View Thread
i answered your Q about suboxone and upcoming surgery, but somehow my response got lost. it is at http://forums.webmd.com/3/chronic-disease-and-disability-exchange/forum/953 , tho.
sorry for the mixup!
-- susie margaretView Thread
you are on quite a cocktail of meds, and i'm wondering how many drs are prescribing things for you. perhaps it would help for you to make a sort of chart of what seem to be related symptoms, the order in which they appeared, the meds you take for each, and the dr who prescribed them.
then start over, so to speak, by going to just one place and trying to get an overall re-evaluation of your meds regime. have you considered this? perhaps there is a clinic with a team approach where you live?
-- susie margaretView Thread
there are several formulations of alka-seltzer plus, and their active ingredients are slightly different (see PS). all of them except one, however, contain an antihistamine, many of which have drowsiness as a side effect --
-- alka-seltzer plus oral -- aspirin for pain/fever, chlorpheniramine for antihistamine, phenylephrine for nasal decongestant; http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-54990-Alka-Seltzer Plus Oral.aspx?drugid=54990&drugname=Alka-Seltzer Plus Oral&source=2 ;
-- alka-seltzer plus cold oral -- aspirin for pain/fever, chlorpheniramine for antihistamine, phenylephrine for nasal decongestant; http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-991-Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Oral.aspx?drugid=991&drugname=Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Oral&source=2 ;
-- alka-seltzer plus cold/cough oral -- acetaminophen for pain/fever, chlorpheniramine for antihistamine, dextromethorphan for cough suppressant, phenylephrine for nasal decongestant; http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-1901-Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold%2fCough Oral.aspx?drugid=1901&drugname=Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold%2fCough Oral&source=2 ;
-- alka-seltzer plus flu/body oral -- acetaminophen for pain/fever, chlorpheniramine for antihistamine, dextromethorphan for cough suppressant, phenylephrine for nasal decongestant; http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-1072-Alka-Seltzer Plus Flu%2fBody Oral.aspx?drugid=1072&drugname=Alka-Seltzer Plus Flu%2fBody Oral&source=2 ;
-- alka-seltzer plus night-time oral -- aspirin for pain/fever, dextromethorphan for cough suppressant, doxylamine for antihistamine, phenylephrine for nasal decongestant; http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-15316-Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Oral.aspx?drugid=15316&drugname=Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Oral&source=2 ; and
-- alka-seltzer plus sinus oral -- aspirin for pain/fever, phenylephrine for nasal decongestant; does not contain an antihistamine but does have drowsiness as a possible side effect; http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-15874-Alka-Seltzer Plus Sinus Oral.aspx?drugid=15874&drugname=Alka-Seltzer Plus Sinus Oral&source=2 .
one problem with using an alka-seltzer plus formulation for sleep is that its effectiveness may wear off in time so that it no longer works; a related problem is that after a while, you might not be able to sleep without it. in addition, both aspirin and acetaminophen are known to have stomach irritation and/or stomach bleeding as a possible side effect if used for an extended time. finally, various alka-seltzer plus formulations interact with many other meds; if you are taking other meds, you need to check on this (look under the tab "interactions" at each of the cites above).
you might also want to post this Q in the sleep disorders community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/sleep-disorders-exchange .
-- susie margaret
PS -- i am not a medical person; i welcome, solicit, and indeed beg for correction, amendment, or replacement of any inaccuracies in this post.View Thread
So there seems to be a lesson that you shouldn't always be frank with your doctor. I know that this may sound like a lousy thing to suggest, but the fact is that it looks like it's going to cost me $425 to not have said that I didn't notice anything.View Thread
Have high blood pressure but can't seem to take anything for it without a reaction. Tried all the "prils", Ace Inhibitors and Beta Blockers. I take hydrochlorithiazide though. Had a bad reaction earlier last year to Statins. Some days I am fine with good endurance and then the next day, can hardly walk a block without being wiped out and totally out of breath, heart pounding & my lower back killing me. All my tests have come back normal to near normal. I can go sometimes for several days feeling fine and then go several days struggling to do much at all. Don't understand why it changes so drasticly from day to day. I am 58, male. Besides Insulin and the Hydo., I just take vitamins, C,E, Gingko, Fish Oil, and sometimes potassium, calcium and magnesium.View Thread
before i get to my -- admittedly -- quickie internet search info, let me refer you to several previous webMD community discussions of hypocalcemia, because they contain some preliminary background info (see PS1) and because i think you will benefit from others' experience that we already have access to --
-- "hypocalcemia," http://forums.webmd.com/3/chronic-disease-and-disability-exchange/forum/348 ;
-- "hypocalcemia," http://forums.webmd.com/3/chronic-disease-and-disability-exchange/forum/793 ; and
-- "hypothyroidism," http://forums.webmd.com/3/chronic-disease-and-disability-exchange/forum/347 .
if you think you might be interested in participating in research on meds for hypocalcemia, a list of clinical trials is at http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hypocalcemia%22 ; it also shows whether the researchers are still recruiting volunteers.
the primary treatment for chronic hypocalcemia is oral calcium supplements (PS2), which may take the form of calcium carbonate (PS3), calcium chloride, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, or calcium lactate. the most commonly used calcium after thyroid surgery is calcium carbonate, but some people have trouble absorbing that and may want to try calcium gluconate or some other incarnation instead. stay away from calcium phosphate salts.
calcitriol -- active vitamin D (PS4) -- may also be used to supplement calcium; it promotes calcium absorption in the intestines and calcium retention in the kidneys. however, because calcitriol is expensive and has to be taken several times/day, other vitamin D formulations are often substituted for it, for example, ergocalciferol and dihydrotachysterol (PS5). ergocalciferol is the least expensive choice and is long-acting.
if your serum magnesium is low, your hypocalcemia will not improve unless the magnesium deficiency is treated as well, so you need to check on your magnesium level.
finally, and this is astonishing to me, but the NIH genetic and rare diseases info center will apparently answer individual Qs about certain conditions, hypocalcemia among them, http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD/EmailForm.aspx?PageID=4 .
let me add one more thing that i think is more important than anything else i have said here -- if you feel that your dr is not taking you seriously, perhaps it is time to get a second opinion or find a different dr altogether. there is no point in your spending time, energy, and money on someone who does not listen to you or is not responsive to your concerns.
i send you caring thoughts and hope this helps. please keep us posted on how you are doing.
-- susie margaret
PS1 -- i am not a medical person; i welcome, solicit, and indeed beg for correction, amendment, or replacement of inaccuracies in my previous posts or this one.
PS2 -- webMD info on calcium in general is at http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-781-CALCIUM.aspx?activeIngredientId=781&activeIngredientName=CALCIUM&source=2 .
PS3 -- calcium carbonate is the main ingredient in tums, which is why your dr said to take them.
PS4 -- webMD info on vitamin D formulations in general, including calcitriol, is at http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-929-VITAMIN D.aspx?activeIngredientId=929&activeIngredientName=VITAMIN D&source=2 .
PS5 -- webMD info on ergocalciferol and dihydrotachysterol is also at http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-929-VITAMIN D.aspx?activeIngredientId=929&activeIngredientName=VITAMIN D&source=2 .View Thread
below is an explanation of the relevant science as i have extrapolated it from an admittedly quickie internet search tonight. however, you should keep in mind that i am not a medical person (see PS1). you also need to know that i am assuming your diagnosis is pneumonia; is this correct?
when the body is infected with bacteria or some other toxin, the immune system produces antibodies as a defense. IgG stands for "immunoglobulin G," the most plentiful class of antibodies. it appears in the blood in response to bacteria, viruses, fungi, and foreign particles.
to determine the presence/level of bacteria or other toxins in the blood, various tests will measure the presence/level of antibodies; these tests are called antibody assays (PS2). from what i understand, the term "antibody assay" is a blanket reference to tests that measure antibodies; it does not refer to a particular brand or test technology.
chlamydophila pneumoniae (also denominated c. pneumoniae, previously called chlamydia pneumoniae) is a particular kind of bacteria that can be identified thru IgG antibody assays. tests for chlamydophila pneumoniae are used primarily to diagnose pneumonia but are sometimes indicative of other diseases as well. however, because the term "IgG antibody assay" does not refer to a specific brand or test technology, it is impossible to report the accuracy of any of these assays unless you know the specific test that was used. do you?
the preferred treatment to combat chlamydophila pneumoniae is 100 mg doxycycline -- an antibiotic -- twice/day; however, since your dosage makes you nauseated, you might want to ask your dr about a second approved protocol, which is 100 mg doxycycline once/day (do not change your dosage without talking with your dr first). other antibiotics (PS3) can also be used to treat chlamydophila pneumoniae, so you might want to ask your dr about those in addition.
i don't know what to advise you about the necessity of getting an x-ray or other type of diagnostic radiograph (PS4). do you have some doubt about your diagnosis? a chest x-ray can confirm a diagnosis of pneumonia. other tests often used to confirm a diagnosis of pneumonia include blood cultures, urine tests, sputum tests, chest CTs.
i send you caring thoughts and hope you will be feeling better soon. please write back if i have misunderstood your inquiry, and i'll give it another go-round!
-- susie margaret
PS1 -- i welcome, solicit, and indeed beg for correction, amendment, or replacement of any inaccuracies in this post.
PS2 -- chlamydophila trachomatis (also denominated c. trachomatis, previously called chlamydia trachomatis) is a particular kind of bacteria that can be identified thru IgG antibody assays; tests for chlamydolphila trachomatis are often used to detect sources of infection in women or men that might be interfering with fertility.
PS3 -- my personal experience is that antibiotic therapy for any illness always causes a yeast infection, but i don't know if that happens with everyone. in any event, yeast infections can easily be treated with over-the-counter meds.
PS4 -- a radiograph is the image produced by x-rays, gamma rays, or other types of radiation.View Thread
Thank you for the references - I am intrigued by these books and will be looking for them. Please keep posting and stay in touch, after all this is a community and we can all learn from each other.
Thanks for your honesty and courage in telling your story, it really made an impact on me, and I would like you to know that.
God Speed to us All.View Thread
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