[Kitty]

Ever since I had my less-than-positive appointment with my Neuro last Friday I've been thinking alot about his demeanor and other complaints that MSer's here have voiced about their own Neuro.

Do you think that our Neuro's are intimidated by those of us who do alot of our own research and study of the DMD's? Are they threatened by the fact that we ask alot of questions? Know alot about the different new drugs on the horizon? Want to actually be involved in our treatment and the decisions for our treatment?

That's the conclusion I've come to and worry that I'll just move on to more of the same. Same old attitude....different doctor.

Why is it such a bad thing to want to be involved in your own health care? Is he scared that I might know more about MS than he does? I do have an advantage.......I actually have MS and know what I'm talking about. I know how I feel on the Interferons. I know how I feel on some of the meds that are supposed to help me. I know the side effects and how they affect me personally. Maybe they don't affect others the same way. I only know how they affect me. So I'm not arguing with my doctor because I want to be right......I'm telling him how it affects me personally. If I'm prescribed a new med he'd better believe that I'm going to research it to death before I take it. I'm not just taking his word for it. He's never been on it!

I'm just totally frustrated with this whole scenario. Don't doctors work for us....the patient? It's at least supposed to be a partnership......not a dictatorship.

[mrsD]

It's not a bad thing to do your homework.

But since Neuros can be so arrogant, and uninformed of some of what you might find yourself, and , you just might know more than they do at some point. Also many of the big neurological diseases have little treatment options, and what there is can be not terrific, and also very expensive.

Neuros have tons of attitude. Absolutely little bedside manner and we see it at PN forum all the time.

Finding one who is secure with themselves is difficult. They often think of themselves as the "top of the heap" and act accordingly.

The ones at the teaching hospitals tend to be a bit better.

[Blessings2You]

Also, from talking with my PCP (whom I love), sometimes your doc sees you after he's already seen X number of patients who insist on treatments they don't need, refuse treatments they DO need, go to message boards and diagnose themselves with diseases that don't exist, etc.

That doesn't excuse rude and dismissive behavior!!

I've had good experiences with my PCP as far as asking, "Is this a good med?" "Could my husband have this?" "What if I don't do that treatment?" He knows I'm not necessarily challenging him, just getting info.

I just have to believe that there are neurologists out there that are like that, and can tell the difference between a patient who is actively involved in his/her health care, and one who wants to be the doctor. I hope I'm right!

[SallyC]

The only 2 Neuros that I met without an attitude and had the best bedside manner was, my very 1st Neuro and he was young and wonderful.

My 2nd Neuro was my 1st Neuro's partner in the 70s and SHE was the greatest, and the best. Maybe because she was a woman and understood my needs, but She never looked at me like I had 2 heads. This was in the 90s.

I have not met a Neuro with these qualities again....ever and I've seen a few.

[Jomar]

I think you describe any doctor....

It rare to find one that really will work with you instead of dictate their preferred protocals...

[Kitty]

It's hard not to wonder if they're getting a kickback from the drug companies because they push certain meds more enthusiastically than others.

[Debbie D]

And I have also noticed that my insurance company "rates" the docs...the docs that get the best rating seem to order the least amount of testing...they keep costs down (my current neuro gets a high rating). At our peril though?

I have had some in the health profession state in their opinion the neuros are the most arrogant in the bunch. So far, at least in my case, I've only met 1 who didn't give me attitude...but he also wasn't specialized in MS either...he was a stroke specialist.
My first neuro, who oversees my inlaws, actually decided to charge patients if they call in for a prescription that has run out of refills and needs a new script!! He charged my inlaws $25...I heard him tell his nurse, "If people are going to interrupt my day seeing patients with this, then I'm going to charge them for it." The $%^&...
If my inlaws didn't like him so much, we'd be gone.

[NurseNancy]

i wouldn't like doing business with that type of dr.
i usually come in (to any dr) with Q's on things i've researched.

i gave my cardiologist a hard time before starting my heart meds.
he actually went to the drug rep (OY) to get more informed.
and once when i called the office for the 4th time his receptionist said, in a lighthearted way, "Ms Judy, are you researching again?"

you don't have to leave your dr to look around. you can have a short interview with a dr to think about changing. lots will do that.

yes, you're right.

[barb02]

Kelly, My neuro is very different from the way you described the neuro you see. When I was first dx, he recommended I read about MS at the NMSS website He tells me about current therapies and new ones in the pipeline, and then asks me if I have read anything else about them. He considers my opinions. He also asked me to send him copies once of a few studies that he had not seen. I have taken other information to him and he reads it and discusses it with me. for example, I remember discussing an article on statins and MS once with him. I think most neuros are going to strongly suggest DMD'd therapies to patients. It is not in their nature to do nothing or to agree to a therapy that has no scientific evidence to back it up. That is how they are trained.

He is retiring in December. I am concerned about finding a new one. I guess I should also add that I do not know if he treats all of his patients this way. I think the fact that I am a college professor may have some impact on his behavior. I do not go to a MS clinic. But he seems to be one of the few neuros around here that sees a lot of MS patients.

[Dejibo]

I didnt like my local neuro. he was very dismissive, and originally told me I was "too old to have MS" I went off to the big girl MS center and they said "you have had it a long time!" and I loved the staff! then...staff changes, they find this glioma in my head, and shift me over to a neuro surgeon who specializes in MS. He pushed hard to get me on Ty, now this was after the other side of the clinic told me some scary things about it, and how I should take the JC virus test first...this guy really seemed to be on the take from the TY company to me. All of a sudden this place went from ZERO taking it to half of the patients being on it.

This guy lasted about two years and then we got a whole new team in. The new lady is very sweet, but very dumb. She is amazed when I tell her I am NOT taking your meds. I am NOT doing an MRI every six months. I am NOT going to look into Gylina till its been on the market at least one year. That folks would not be dropping dead from it. she was so clueless she said "oh, no one has died from that drug." um..do you read???! So, I allowed her to be clueless and I moved on.

She recently left, and now I have yet another new guy. Very sweet man, he really is quite awesome, but he pushes hard for me to get on a DMD train. I sat him down and said "look, this is the way its going to be. I am NOT going to take your DMDs, I am NOT going to do steroids unless its for my optic nerve, and I am NOT going to do six month MRIs. if you can handle that I will be back next year or will call if I have an attack." He was stunned.

I see a local neuro for most of my care. Amazing man. He listens, he is kind, and when I say NO to the DMD he says, "i would prefer to see you on something to fight with, but I understand your choice. You are well researched, and are not just whining, you are well educated, and know what the risks are that you are taking." He gives me meds as I request them, and knows that I wont request them unless im struggling.

so, as you can see, just in MY little life there have been a revolving door of Neuros and I get a different attitude from each. Makes me crazy that they are not all on the same page. Please dear God let them all figure out that we are HUMAN and that we dont all react the same to these drugs. Some of us have bad depression, some of us see no effects. some of us die! Some of us are too scared to try anymore.

I say go get a new one! and if he is a jerk, get a another new one. Lather, rinse repeat till you find one that YOU like and listens to you.