Working Caregiver- Caregiver Articles
Do you hold vital information from the Doctor?
Doctor's Visits - Improve Yours
An Open Secret in the Doctor's Office
Reading an article in the paper this morning made me, simultaneously, smile and cringe. I know I'm wrong and most of us do it! But what I was shocked to read is our Doctor knows it too! We lie to them!
Often, when standing in the examining room half dressed, I often wondered if they saw through my lies! I can almost hear them saying; how can that be, or oh, yeah, I'm sure.. if she used an inhaler (equipped with a device that recorded the date and time of use) and then compared that with what I reported in, there’s obviously no truth in her words or the electronic counter is broken. Gotcha!!! Famous last words of doctors.
We lie about how much we smoke and whether we're taking our medicine. The article went on to say that we underestimate how many drinks we have and overstate how much we exercise. Do we really? I doubt we underestimate any of that - we flat out lie!
Did you know that your doctor uses a rule of thumb? Whatever you say you are drinking, they multiply it by three? Now, I may fib a bit but multiply it by three! Hmm, I need to think about that one.
But the horror of lying to our doctor comes when we start to mix the prescriptions we take. I know the Workingcaregiver.com's Senior Care Pharmacist on Ask the Elder Care Expert helped correct my dad's medication for Alz. Dad was taking a specific Tylenol while on Aricept and Exelon which the pharmacist warned it can block the Alzheimer's prescription drug's effectiveness. Had I not told the pharmacist, we'd never have known to eliminate that over the counter drug. This is a good example to consult with your pharmacist on all medications your elders are taking. Senior care pharmacists are trained in medicine and their effect on aging bodies.
A senior care Pharmacist can help fine-tune drug therapy so you, your grandmother, your father, your neighbor can get the best possible results. Senior care pharmacists are about more than just managing medications. They are dedicated to helping people live better and longer lives.
In order to make the best use of your medicines, it's important to take an active role in decisions about your treatment, honestly, and to follow your treatment plan as prescribed by your doctor, and to watch out for problems and get help in solving them.
An aging body is very different than younger ones. They process slower and differently. Something that may not affect you, a 40 year-old, is tremendously different than one that’s twice your age. Ask your Pharmacist it could help save your elder loved one from a traumatic senior event.
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, is said to have warned his students around 400 B.C. that patients often dissemble when they say they've taken their medicine. But lying can lead to expensive diagnostic procedures and unneeded referrals to specialists. It also can have disastrous results.
Many people including seniors learn that lying to their doctor is a big mistake. If you lie about your medications; the ones you’re taking, the recommended dosage, when you’re taking them, and whether you're following appropriate directions. If you don't, you may be at risk of a fall. Some falls are due to a medication related problem.
Certain medications-such as high blood pressure medications, antidepressants, sleep aids, anti-seizure medications, and heart anti-arrhythmic medications can contribute to falls in the elderly for a variety of different reasons. Perhaps a drug causes dizziness in an elderly patient, and that patient has not been properly instructed on how to rise and walk while on the medication. Standing up too quickly could result in a fall. Or, perhaps a drug causes frequent urination, and a patient constantly gets up during the night. One of those bathroom trips could cause a fall, and possibly a hip fracture.
The article goes on to say that a young man could have ended up in a coma because he lied to his doctor about medications he was taking. Due to a wrist injury, he sought help with a specialist. Misguided pride, he said, kept him from mentioning the Xanax he was taking for anxiety. He didn't think the doctor needed to know.
The young man thought "well, he wasn't my regular doctor. He was treating my wrist." The doctor prescribed the pain reliever Vicodin and the young man took it on top of Xanax. The next few days vanished in a cloud of grogginess. He slept through ringing phones and alarms and woke up exhausted. His wrist pain was easing, but he could barely function. Eventually, he stopped the Vicodin, returned to the doctor and, under questioning, confessed.
The specialist questioned the young man why he didn't tell him? The specialist went on to warn the young man that he never would have prescribed Vicodin had he known. The young man now says, "in the future, I will always 'fess up'."
Maybe we're just trying to be good patients for our doctors. But that's a misguided and risky practice. Some researchers estimate more than half of patients tell their doctors they're taking their medicine exactly as prescribed when they're not. In reality, they don't like the side effects, can't afford the pills or didn't understand the instructions.
Some doctors are seeking approaches that encourage more honesty. For example; doctors are asking patients a series of questions to determine whether they're taking their medicine like; what medications are you taking, how often are you taking them, and then, are you experiencing any problem in taking your medications?
Remember the next time you visit your doctor, you're going there for help and your report will determine the treatment plan. Don't try to fool yourself or convince yourself of certain things. Give the Doctor some room to thoroughly question your health and procedures. And remember we need to be a little more honest.
Medicines: Use Them Safely
When you're at the doctor's office, make sure you review your medicine record and ask your doctor about any new information concerning your medicines. And each time you are prescribed new medication, find out the following information:
- What is the name of the medicine and why am I taking it?
- What are the brand and generic names of the medicine?
- What is the name of the condition this medicine will treat?
- How does this medicine work?
- How often should I take it?
- How long will it take to work?
- How will I know if this medicine is working?
- How can I expect to feel once I start taking this medicine?
- When should I take it and how much? As needed? Before, with, or between meals? At bedtime?
- If I forget to take it, what should I do?
- What side effects might I expect? Should I report them? How can I lessen the side effects?
- How long will I have to take it?
- What should I do if the medicine doesn't seem to work?
- Can this medicine interact with other medicines (prescription and OTC's including herbal and dietary supplements) that I am taking now?
- While using this medicine, should I avoid:
- driving?
- drinking alcohol?
- eating certain foods?
- taking certain medicines?
- Are there any other precautions?
- Can I get a refill? When?
- How should I store the medicine?
- If I don't take medicine, is there anything else that would work as well?
Source: National Institute on Aging
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health - www.nih.gov
2000
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