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ever try your doctor and can't get him??
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 123508" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>The sites Susie suggested are good. They can also give some more independent information, since the drug company's own leaflets can sometimes make it sound like the best thing since sliced bread.</p><p></p><p>However - starting at the drug company's own info on the drug is a good start, I find.</p><p></p><p>We've also got a publication service called MIMS, not sure if it's just Australia or if it's international. It's available to all doctors and pharmacists but I used to get my hands on one as well, it was very useful for info on contraindications, specific precautions, drug interactions, adverse reactions - the whole bit. You needed to know the abbreviations and the technical terms, although these days with a good online medical dictionary, you can learn a lot.</p><p></p><p>Technically I'm not supposed to have MIMS, but my previous GP was always happy to give me the previous year's publication. He knew of my many adverse reactions and was happy for me to have it, so I could double-check everything I was prescribed. A couple of times I found a potential for problems when the doctor himself hadn't realised. For example, when I was last in Emergency, on New Year's Eve, they wanted me to take antibiotics. husband had given them a written list of what I can take and what I can't (by sheer fluke he happened to have a printout handy and had given it to the ambulance driver, it's a copy of the paper tape I carry in a medallion around my neck). So the GP had, in writing, a list of allergic reactions. She came in to me and said, "We're going to start you on X, you should be OK with that one."</p><p>I replied that I wasn't sure, I thought I had problems with that one and she said, "it's not on your list."</p><p>It wasn't on my list, not by that name. It WAS the same drug, however, under a different name. I could have taken it and had a severe anaphylactic reaction. It was my concern, plus the nurse double-checking it against my list and using MIMS, that pulled the plug on it.</p><p></p><p>A drug is released under one name, but when the patent expires it can be sold under a number of different names. Being allergic to one is allergic to all - the chemical is the problem. Telling them, "I can't take aspirin," should mean that they won't try to shove Tylenol or Aspro down my throat either. mother in law can't tolerate any opiates - "Don't worry, this is only pethidine, you should be fine," she was told after heart surgery. The complications from having the wrong medication kept her in hospital for two months, when she should have been out in two days. This failure was not just the nurse - it was the doctor who ordered the drugs too. And yet - it was on her charts, she was also wearing a big red tag on her wrist that said, "no opiates". So I really do hear you on wanting to oversee and double-check medications when you are concerned.</p><p></p><p>I also hear you on wanting info in some sort of central database. Chances are there is something like that somewhere, but they will not be letting the general public have too easy an access to it because we're not medically trained and can get the wrong end of the stick. MIMS is the closest we've ever got, to anything like that. Plus information is always changing, new drugs are coming onto the market and others going off. Trying to keep something like that updated would be awful.</p><p></p><p>Part of husband's job is to keep track of a similar sort of database, which he wrote. It's not for medications, it's for other things, but he has to constantly track traffic of various substances as well as keep up with any related health and safety information. It's a huge job for him, also requiring cooperation with all other database users (which he doesn't always get).</p><p></p><p>easy child 2/difficult child 2's gastroenterologist reacted a bit to me, when he was telling us what he thought might be wrong with easy child 2/difficult child 2. He was explaining about the test she had to have done and she wasn't understanding, so I said it again in ways I knew she WOULD get - and the doctor just looked at me and said, "You know too much."</p><p></p><p>And now I have to see the same doctor! It will be interesting, for sure.</p><p></p><p>Keeping files on record - if you can, scan them. And make sure you back up those files onto a CD.</p><p>We have a filing cabinet next to the computer. You can also use one of those cardboard expanding files. I remember back in my student days, we improvised shelves out of boards and bricks. I've made bookends out of wine casks, cut on the diagonal and stuffed with books (especially good for kids books). You can use the wine cask method to keep paperbacks under control. You can paint over the labels, or cover them in plastic contact. I don't drink, but I use casks of wine in my cooking, I slowly accumulate more than I can use.</p><p>Just as the wine cask is an Aussie invention, so is the wine cask bookholder/bookend!</p><p></p><p>Good luck with the doctor getting back to you; or at least, you getting some answers.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 123508, member: 1991"] The sites Susie suggested are good. They can also give some more independent information, since the drug company's own leaflets can sometimes make it sound like the best thing since sliced bread. However - starting at the drug company's own info on the drug is a good start, I find. We've also got a publication service called MIMS, not sure if it's just Australia or if it's international. It's available to all doctors and pharmacists but I used to get my hands on one as well, it was very useful for info on contraindications, specific precautions, drug interactions, adverse reactions - the whole bit. You needed to know the abbreviations and the technical terms, although these days with a good online medical dictionary, you can learn a lot. Technically I'm not supposed to have MIMS, but my previous GP was always happy to give me the previous year's publication. He knew of my many adverse reactions and was happy for me to have it, so I could double-check everything I was prescribed. A couple of times I found a potential for problems when the doctor himself hadn't realised. For example, when I was last in Emergency, on New Year's Eve, they wanted me to take antibiotics. husband had given them a written list of what I can take and what I can't (by sheer fluke he happened to have a printout handy and had given it to the ambulance driver, it's a copy of the paper tape I carry in a medallion around my neck). So the GP had, in writing, a list of allergic reactions. She came in to me and said, "We're going to start you on X, you should be OK with that one." I replied that I wasn't sure, I thought I had problems with that one and she said, "it's not on your list." It wasn't on my list, not by that name. It WAS the same drug, however, under a different name. I could have taken it and had a severe anaphylactic reaction. It was my concern, plus the nurse double-checking it against my list and using MIMS, that pulled the plug on it. A drug is released under one name, but when the patent expires it can be sold under a number of different names. Being allergic to one is allergic to all - the chemical is the problem. Telling them, "I can't take aspirin," should mean that they won't try to shove Tylenol or Aspro down my throat either. mother in law can't tolerate any opiates - "Don't worry, this is only pethidine, you should be fine," she was told after heart surgery. The complications from having the wrong medication kept her in hospital for two months, when she should have been out in two days. This failure was not just the nurse - it was the doctor who ordered the drugs too. And yet - it was on her charts, she was also wearing a big red tag on her wrist that said, "no opiates". So I really do hear you on wanting to oversee and double-check medications when you are concerned. I also hear you on wanting info in some sort of central database. Chances are there is something like that somewhere, but they will not be letting the general public have too easy an access to it because we're not medically trained and can get the wrong end of the stick. MIMS is the closest we've ever got, to anything like that. Plus information is always changing, new drugs are coming onto the market and others going off. Trying to keep something like that updated would be awful. Part of husband's job is to keep track of a similar sort of database, which he wrote. It's not for medications, it's for other things, but he has to constantly track traffic of various substances as well as keep up with any related health and safety information. It's a huge job for him, also requiring cooperation with all other database users (which he doesn't always get). easy child 2/difficult child 2's gastroenterologist reacted a bit to me, when he was telling us what he thought might be wrong with easy child 2/difficult child 2. He was explaining about the test she had to have done and she wasn't understanding, so I said it again in ways I knew she WOULD get - and the doctor just looked at me and said, "You know too much." And now I have to see the same doctor! It will be interesting, for sure. Keeping files on record - if you can, scan them. And make sure you back up those files onto a CD. We have a filing cabinet next to the computer. You can also use one of those cardboard expanding files. I remember back in my student days, we improvised shelves out of boards and bricks. I've made bookends out of wine casks, cut on the diagonal and stuffed with books (especially good for kids books). You can use the wine cask method to keep paperbacks under control. You can paint over the labels, or cover them in plastic contact. I don't drink, but I use casks of wine in my cooking, I slowly accumulate more than I can use. Just as the wine cask is an Aussie invention, so is the wine cask bookholder/bookend! Good luck with the doctor getting back to you; or at least, you getting some answers. Marg [/QUOTE]
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