Thank you, I needed that.

I tried to explain what I fear may be a damaging med side effect (my inhalers seem to be causing airway irritation) to my bleeping pulmonologist 5 weeks ago. I returned yesterday for a routine CT scan follow up and he said "What meds are you on?" He either did not remember my complaint or pretended not to in hopes he could distract me. He doesn't chart things that he feels are trivial either. He's very into 'evidence based medicine', if he can't test for it or it isn't the most likely scenario as far as he is concerned it does not exist. I have spent the last year observing this and trying to make sure it was actually occurring, it is.

The article hit home in another way. The med is also causing stomach irritation so I have been having to take Zantac which makes me short of breath in higher doses (a big deal when you have 45% lung capacity). I told him that too last visit and he ignored it and got mad and flounced out of the room. Dyspnea is not listed as a side effect on the package or in the drug sites I looked at but there are FDA reports of it. I hate this man, I asked to see one of the others in his practice and he said "No'. My only alternative is a 70 mile drive to another city and I don't keep a car anymore so it would be pretty hard. Plus if I became critically ill I would end up in the hospital being take care of by him anyhow.

judi