Stopping your medications

I have many patients who tell me that they stopped their medications because they are “feeling fine now”.  Or they have “gone to the clinic” and been told they don’t have to take the medication anymore because their blood pressure is fine or their blood sugar is in the normal range now.

STOP!

Do not listen to this advice.  Please get another opinion. 

I have a patient now who was told to stop taking her multiple medications for her blood sugar because her levels were normal.  Her medicines included insulin (the shots) and two different types of pills.  Her blood sugars are now in the 400 range (normal fasting under 120, after meals under 150). 

I have been working with her some, but this is not my specialty.  We are down to about 250.  These levels are still UNACCEPTABLE.  She probably needs to go back on insulin – which requires someone who knows how to make those plans.  Generally speaking, this is not your local gynecologist.

Sort of FYI: other medications you definitely should not stop without getting medical advice include medicines for blood pressure, thyroid or any other hormone, any chemotherapy, antidepressants or any other medicine for your mental health.

If you are on hormone replacement from your gynecologist, you should talk to your gynecologist, not another physician about this.  We probably know more about the effects of hormones on your heart, bone, skin, bladder, uterus, hair, mental health and any other body part than any other type of doctor. 

We spend lots of years learning about this stuff.  We keep learning.  It’s required.  Besides, most of us think it’s kind of fun.  So ask a doctor about your medicines.  Not your mother, your sister or your neighbor.  Unless they happen to be a doctor. 

Unusual Assignment

Before I started this blog, I was writing for a web site called Associated Content.  It got bought out by Yahoo, and is now called “Yahoo! Voices”.  Since I haven’t written for a while, I had to update my information and reapply for “Featured Contributor” status.  The major reason for doing this is that it pays more. 

When you do this, you have to write an assignment on a topic that the editors choose.  I think they were intentionally being mean.  They picked:

How to Choose Between Home or Hospital Birth

It took me all afternoon to find a way to write an article that didn’t start with things like:

·        How stupid do you have to be to want to deliver at home?

·        What have you been smoking?

·        Do you want your baby to die?

I mean, really!  I spent 4 years in medical school, 4 years in residency, and have been practicing OB/GYN for almost 30 years.  Sheesh! 

What I finally wrote was “Choosing a Birth Location – Hospital vs. Home”.

I basically explained about all the reasons why you needed to have trained physicians nearby if things go wrong.  Then I talked about some of the things that can go wrong and when they do. 

We’ll see if it gets published or rejected.

Meditation “Dona Nobis Pacem.”

Meditation

Meditation may be thought of as a modern invention.  It is actually an ancient practice, going back to the Hebrews, the ancient Chinese cultures, and many other parts of the world.  The word comes from Latin.  It may mean the third step of an ancient form of prayer.

Modern science has studied the process.  There is concentration, relaxation, and an altered state of awareness as the brain waves shift from the right frontal cortex to the left frontal cortex.  Blood pressure is reduced, heart rate slows, respiratory rate slows, and oxygen consumption slows.  Seratonin increases, which decreases insomnia, depression and headaches.  Other benefits include less muscle tension and increased attention spans.

Where do we see meditation used today?  We see doctors using it in pain management and stress relief.  It is the basis of the Lamaze method of labor pain relief.  Any time someone has you breathing to help with a difficult or painful procedure – it’s a form of meditation.

Yoga is another organized form of meditation.  The stretching and breathing together keep you focused on your body, your posture and how you are feeling.  In fact, many forms of meditation have you concentrate on breathing.

What brought this subject up?  I had two concerts this weekend.  I realized how much singing is another form of meditation.  We sang several different settings of the Mass.  It takes intense concentration on breathing and on all the other singers to make the music be right.  It flows through the body and into the church, echoing and wrapping around all of us.  The organ leads and joins. 

For a few moments, we are all one.  It’s a transcendent experience. 

I hope you find something like this in your life.

We ended with the phrase “Dona Nobis Pacem.”

Give Us Peace.

If you PROVOKE PRINCESS 5

If you PROVOKE PRINCESS

Here’s your POTENTIAL PENALTY *

What we want to charge patients for:

Princess gets quite upset when you leave a phone number and it is either:

     *not in service

     *mailbox full

     *no answer the multiple times she tries to call you about something

     *the person that answers has no idea who you are, says they have had that number for years, then hangs up on her.

Personally, I want to charge you for Princess’ blood pressure medication.  I’m probably gonna have to give her some paid time off to get that blood pressure down – then you’re going to pay. 

*This is a recurring feature. Princess and I get certain patterns of phone calls that we find annoying. We would like to present them to you, with what we would like to charge for them. Unfortunately, we can’t. Charge that is. The phone calls will remain annoying. Princess says she could get rich if she could charge for all this stuff.