About my dissatisfaction with my ADHD medication. I've tried the most well tolerated one, and the side effects were terrible. Now, I have an appointment to go tomorrow to tell him that I also really hate the second one. I feel bad, like I'm failing somehow, and I feel that he's becoming impatient with me.
Any tips on how to make him listen and understand?
Thanks!
2007-03-08 01:04:17 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
Also, english speaking doctors are in short supply where I live, so just finding another is not really an option.
2007-03-08 01:05:40 · update #1
First, you have every right to express problems or concerns about a current care treatment. How can your doctor treat you if he DOESN'T know what is going on?
Come prepared. Help yourself by listing the key points you want your doctor to know. That way, if you get nervous, you can just read them to him and/or review the list to make sure you didn't omit anything. Be assertive. If you appear timid and passive, the doctor will assume control of the situation.
I don't know your age, but if you are young, you could also bring an adult who is comfortable representing your needs to the doctor...in other words, act as your advocate.
Finally, don't accept any rude/insenstive comments from your doctor. He WORKS for you. Sometimes when they are in a hurry, doctors don't realize how they come across to their patients. If he says something inappropriate, firmly but calmly draw the comment to his attention and tell him that the comment was not appropriate and not appreciated. Usually, one such confrontation like that is all that is necessary. After all, doctors don't want to be sued...not that I'm saying you would do that, but they are highly sensitive to that risk.
2007-03-08 01:17:07 · answer #1 · answered by kathy_is_a_nurse 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay, some medication take time to slow down those side effects, 2 to 3 months and than the medication isn't so bad. If you gave the medication at least 3 months, and you still feel terrible, the doctor should understand that you've tried it and it isn't what you want. There should be a lot of supplies out there for ADHD, so don't worry, I'm sure your doctor has heard from other patients that many medications aren't working for them!
2007-03-08 09:09:40 · answer #2 · answered by DrPepper 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to tell your doctor! If you're not satisfied with the reults or the side affects bug you/make you feel terrible, there's something wrong! I've tried 5 ADHD drugs, and I'm currently on my 6th. I'm very happy with it. You just have to experiment. Not every drug will be okay with you. That's why there's a variety of different drugs. I felt bad every time I went to my doctor, too. She was very kind about it, but it got to a point where I was just *expecting* the medication to fail. Luckily I held in there.
He should understand already. If he's becoming impatient with you, you might want to consider a new doctor. What happens with you, will be different for someone else. Good luck though! :0)
2007-03-08 09:16:50 · answer #3 · answered by kisk29 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Doctors have already heard pretty much anything you can tell them. You have to tell your doctor the truth if you want to make any progress. If your doctor really acts impatient with you, or you aren't comfortable with him, you need to find a new doctor. This isn't a problem with you, it's a problem with him. The job of "doctor" means that you need to be willing to listen to whatever health concerns your patient has so that you can be sure you're treating them correctly.
So you feel more confident, write down what you want to talk about with your doctor, and what specific problems you're having with the medication.
2007-03-08 09:09:27 · answer #4 · answered by KyLeth 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi! You don't have to take any medication which doesnt agree with you, hon.
Everyone's system is quite different and the best medication for each individual is sometimes found through trial and error!
YOU aren't failing, and an experienced doctor knows that sometimes a person has to switch medications in order to find the one which works best for them.
It's a good thing to tell your doctor if your medications aren't working for you.... hang in there ok?
2007-03-08 10:31:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really need to be honest with your doctor, if the medication is not working for you ,you need to tell him. You are not failing in anyway, it maybe that your doctor is failing you by getting frustrated with you. ADHD is something that needs to be controlled IF it is affecting your lifestyle(school, work, or family). I have a friend that takes medication for it and she is going to school to be a family physician. If she does not take her medication, she can do all the studying she wants but none of it will stay with her. But she is completely different when she is on it. Try asking your doctor for samples of medication, before you get a prescription, to see if it works for you.
2007-03-08 09:16:05 · answer #6 · answered by Maria E 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Please don't feel like you've failed your doctor. This is your body and your health and your doctor should want to help you find the best medication for your situation. You need to be strong and direct and just tell him "this medication is not working for me" (be it due to unbearable side effects, or whatever) "and I need to try another one". Perhaps you can ask him to go over each possible medication to best choose which one is right for you. I wish you luck and I hope the everything turns out ok.
2007-03-08 09:12:29 · answer #7 · answered by Bridget V 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, tell him I am sorry to be a bother but the medication's symptoms are very severe with me. I don't have a very high pain thresh hold and medications seem to react strongly in my system. I need to start at a low dose on whatever new medication we try and this one is not going to work.
My son is on the patch Daytrana. It is new and so far his only symptom is a little skin irritation but its not that bad because he is only nine and he doesn't complain about it hurting or anything. And this medication starts off at 10mg and goes up in increments of 5.
2007-03-08 09:12:25 · answer #8 · answered by Jamie M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He's your doctor, you shoudn't have to worry, he's there to help you. If you are uncomfortable with him, well that is not fun.
Did you try to research the meds online. Like what is available. You could post a question on yahoo, to know who is on certain Meds, ask about their side effects, and maybe if you tell the doctor yourself which one you would like to try, he would be less impatient with you. Remember that nobody else knows you better than yourself. Go on WebMD.com I heard it's a really great site. Good luck
2007-03-08 09:10:39 · answer #9 · answered by bubuane2000 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Don't compromise your health just because you think you're inconveniencing your doctor! That's his job! Even if he does get impatient with you, you have every right to expect him to find a medication that doesn't give you horrible side effects! Just be honest, and try to keep your patience even if he loses his. Good luck!
Sorry, I don't normally use so many exclamation marks.
2007-03-08 09:07:27 · answer #10 · answered by They call me ... Trixie. 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋