I get so fed up with going to the doctor's office. I haven't seen a doctor in probably over a year! Anyway, the nurse practishioner has me have blood work done. Of course that has to be on another day and taken at the hospital. Oh, my blood sugar is too high, take 250 mgs. of medicine, a half tablet. I go back in a few days, but had not taken the medicine yet and she knew that. I just complained about leg cramps. She sends me off the next day after fasting and they check my blood sugar and to check my electrolites. Don't know why I have leg cramps but my blood sugar is high take 500 mgs of the medicine. I haven't taken the 250 mgs. of the medicine yet, well you need to take 500 mgs. I am supposed to take half a pill, yes a half pill, 500 mgs. I give up. I am only going to take a half pill and in 3 months they will have the pleasure of sucking blood out of me once again!

Sue

Oh, don't you love it??

I've heard of Finacea, which I think is a topical treatment, but I don't know anything about it.

It's so unfortunate that your DH had to experience this!

I am curious to what your husband said to the Dr. after he asked such a stupid question. Talk about trying to blame the patient, or did Dr. not take good notes of your husbands' last visit...wow! Scary!! I hate predisone it makes me so hungry I could eat my fist. (side affect-increased appetite, and weight gain)

After many, many years of perfect skin, my husband developed rosacea. He had it for 15 years. He's fair skinned and of European descent, a common denominator with rosacea. He tried anti-biotics, Metrogel and whatever else the doctor threw at him. Nothing worked.

It affected the top of his head (he's bald), forehead, nose and cheeks. It was so bad that I forbid him to wear red as it just accentuated the problem. Christmas was always a time of battle for us. :-)

We were on vacation in Hawaii about 14 years ago and found ourselves walking through an open air market. All of sudden we hear a woman shout "I can help you with that skin problem of yours." We realized she was talking to us so we walked over to her stall to see what she was selling. It turned out to be Kukui Nut oil. A small bottle cost $8 so we said what the heck and bought it.

Once home DH started using it daily and within weeks all of the rosacea was gone and still is. Many years ago I wrote the woman who sold it to us and thanked her profusely. Hahaha, I just checked her website and see that she has me on it as one of her testimonials (among many others).

Now I can't promise you it will work but sure might be worth a try. The only place I can find it on the mainland is Hilo Hatties though there are a number of places online to order it from.

Jodi-

I am quickly losing faith in doctors. Friend has back pain. family doc sent him for MRI. Friend has pacemaker and can't have an MRI. What was this guy thinking?????

Linda

I don't have a family doctor.

So many of them try to diagnose/treat problems they can't handle, just because the insurance companies (HMOS in particular) get on their backs if they have too many referrals to specialists.

When I have a problem, I head straight to a board-certified doctor in that field.

Me to Monica. As long as they are in my plan. A visit to
a specislist is $35.00.

"The doctor looks at DH . . . . . and says, 'Why are you using this? Did you ask for it?'"

You said that your DH spoke to the nurse. "Doctor's nurse said to try Metro-Gel in addition to the oral meds. The office phoned in a prescription to our pharmacist."

Many of the staff in a doctor's office are authorized to call in prescription refills without even discussing it with the doctor, as long as specific criteria are met. Yes, I know this is a new prescription, not a refill. But, your DH spoke to a nurse. Many times specific staff members as well as the nurses are also authorized to call in NEW prescriptions for specific meds (and if the nurse is a Nurse Practitioner, s/he is definitely licensed to do this).

The nurse should have written notes in your husband's chart, detailing the phone call, and the called-in prescription. The doctor should have looked at the chart before looking at your husband, but most docs do that as they are walking into the treatment room, and the doc might have just started talking to your husband immediately upon seeing his condition, without looking at the chart. So, I can understand the doctor's reaction and questions.

The person I would blame is the nurse -- for not having brought it to the doctor's attention that a patient called and a new prescription was given.

MIL was ill once with virus..vomiting, diahria(SP, sorry), etc. Took her to ER, got IV, shot. Dr. said she'll still be ill, but push fluids, etc. Took her to our house, she was too ill to be home alone (mind you she's VERY contagious) Fast forward that evening. Begins again with vomiting, diahrrea (why can't i spell that word?0, call nurse line, she's 70+, I'm not sure when dehydration is bad, she's getting incoherent, I want professional opinion. Nurseline says bring her back for eval. Dr at ER is same one we had earlier. He looks at me and says.."I told you this could come back" , like I'm an idiot for bringing her back in...My husband looks at me in horror as I say to him....AND I CALLED THE NURSELINE AS I WAS UNSURE BECAUSE SHE WAS BECOMMING INCOHERENT, THEY SAID TO BRING HER IN SO HERE WE ARE. (I get kind of sarcastic and mouthy when people get sarcastic and mouthy to me). He just looked at me, said...oh, I guess you did the right thing, I said yes I did didn't I...they ended up admitting her. I don't let doctors treat me like I don't know anything or like I'm an idiot. I would have looked at that doctor and said NO, I DIDN'T ASK FOR IT, YOUR NURSE TOLD ME TO USE IT, IF THAT'S NOT IN MY NOTES, IT SHOULD BE. and then let him back peddle. I am responsible for my own medical care. People make mistakes, doctors are only people. If they make repeated mistakes, THEN I'd start looking at a new doctor.

Vickey-MN

I hope your husband informed the Doctor that it was his own nurse who prescribed it and then suggest that he discuss this with her. I'd be curious to know if she had added the new medicine to the chart. Vicky made a good point there. And who knows - the doctor might have even prescribed the same ointment.

Did your husband at least get an answer to his question about the long term effect of the oral medicine and the possibility of weaning off of it? That's a question for the physician not the nurse.

BTW - Do you know, for a fact, that the woman who you spoke to on the phone is, at least, a nurse practitioner, qualified to prescribe?

I shudder to think that a clerk is prescribing to patients over the phone...but you never know.

I have rosacea and Metrogel works miracles for me. It's a very common treatment for this skin condition, which is probably why the office was able to call in a prescription without checking with the doc.

It's unfortunate your husband had an allergic reaction to it, but I guess that can happen to anyone. I can't use Retin A because I have the same reaction.

Hope your husband feels better soon.

This is a board certified, 'highly regarded' MD. He's in practice with his wife, also board certified. I don't know if their 'nurse' is a licensed nurse practitioner, but...she's HIS nurse and when she calls in a prescription she's giving HIS licence, evidently authorized BY HIM. If she didn't note the Metrogel on DH's chart, is that the patient's fault? If the MD didn't *read* the chart, is that the patient's fault? Exactly who, if not the MD, 'prescribed' the Metrogel? This is *sloppy*!

If you call this office you can NEVER speak with or receive a call back from either MD. You have to first tell a receiptionist the whole problem, then -- if she feels like it -- she will pass you along to the nurse so you can tell it all over again.

My late MIL, an RN and hospital administrator, always said that dermatology is the ideal practice: Your patients don't die (do to anything you do) and they don't get well; you have them *forever*. Well, not this patient in this case.

We think the practice is so large -- and so lucrative -- that it is an assembly line. There's a nine month wait for another appointment should you need to cancel a semi-annual checkup -- even calling a month in advance to re-schedule.

Jodi -- Thanks for the Kukui Nut Oil tip. I'm ready to try anything, once DH gets over this nasty reaction. I've seen that stuff all over when we are on Maui. Does your DH have to keep using it, or did the condition clear up and stay clear? My DH is also very fair-skinned, with light blue eyes. His birthmom was Irish and birthfather Northern Italian. Years ago a dermatologist who was seeing him for precancerous stuff said he had the palest shade of skin. (He has to see a dermatologist regularly for screening. Too many years on the tennis team in HS and earlier days outdoors at a summer camp on a lake.)

Ordinarily I would have some blistering remark to relate to you: DH's reply to the MD. He'd spent time in the waiting room calming himself, reminding himself that getting angry wouldn't help him. He couldn't think of a reaonable reply to that stupid question -- only to say the doctor's office prescribed it; here's the (useless and worse) tube of Metrogel; now what?

Chisue, no, my husband has not used Kukui Nut oil in many many years. Once it cleared up, that was it. Maybe one flare-up years ago.

With Rosacea you're supposed to stay away from caffeine, spicy foods, sun, alcohol and probably some other things I'm forgetting. DH drinks coffee though not to excess. Has wine a few times a week but the real test is the sun. He plays tennis twice a day, is a tennis coach and when not on the courts, he's riding his bicycle. In other words, plenty of sun. He does use sunscreen but with that much time outside, I'm sure he is exposed regardless. Still no more rosasea.

Jodi-

Don't even get me started on health care. I'm still paying for that darn rash on my hands and feet since last November. I still have it and it's starting on my face now. Have seen at least 6 doctors and no one can still tell me what's causing it or how to make it go away.

I had seen one doctor for at least fifteen years. He prescribed something for me, can't remember what it was now, but the next time I saw him, he asked me why I was taking it.

ummmm...because you told me to

He says, "well, don't take it anymore"

Jodi, thanks for the 'rest of the story'. That's really encouraging. I'll get my hands on some Kukui Nut Oil first thing, and DH can try it after he's off the prednisone. Mahalo, mahalo!