Re: Advice please! How to be assertive with doctor? (Long, sorry!)
From: Claire (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 29 Nov 2001 08:11:52 -0600 (CST)
Hi Chris,
I'm a PCOS sufferer from the UK. I used to take the contraceptive pill
Dianette (which I think is the Diana-35 that Kimberly refers too).
I had to come off it because of migraines but I just thought I'd let you
know that I was on it for about 10 years on and off and it worked really
well for me.
I had pretty bad hirsutism and it really cleared it up and worked
wonders. Especially on my face.
Doctors in the UK also prescribe Dianette for acne sufferers - and it
works really well. I had a friend (not a PCOS sufferer) with really bad
acne - Dianette cleared it up completely.
This is just my experience but I thought I'd share it with you.
When it comes to being assertive with Doctors I think that preparation
is the key. Do your research and get your aims really clear in your own
mind. What do you want to get out of your consultation? I always write
down what i aim to get out of a consultation. I also write down my
questions so I don't forget them. It's so hard sometimes when you have
so many questions and so little time in which to ask them.
Good luck.
--
Claire
At Thu, 29 Nov 2001, Kimberly wrote:
>
>Chris - I can't give advice about being assertive because I'm not too
>good at it either. My endo gave me ortho-tricyclin and I came home,
>read about it and was weary of trying it. I did and I lost one month of
>my life to a depression that was overwhelming. Then I decided to take
>things into my own hands, did some research and decided I wanted to try
>the anti-androgen BCP Diane-35 -which has been used for years around the
>world- since it is not available here I checked the net and found it for
>the same price I would have paid for the ortho (after insurance
>benefits.) It runs about $8 a month and I have had no problems
>whatsoever. When I went to my endo I told her I did not do well on the
>ortho and that I had discovered a BCP specifically for PCOS that is not
>available in the US and gave her the prescription info that was included
>in the box (which actually mentions PCOS). She said it was fine, wrote
>what the ingredients were to keep my file up to date, and that was that.
>There is a comparable BCP in the US now called Jasmin - you might want
>to tell her you have heard about a new BCP that many women with PCOS
>have had great success with - my endo, who had prescribe the ortho was
>even aware that it is new and being used for PCOS, so maybe yours will
>be up-to-date by now too. (it has anti-androgen aspects and I believe
>it came out in January, but I figure the Diane 35 is just as cheap for
>me anyway and has been in use for much longer, so I'll keep ordering
>from overseas). The best sight I have found for Diane 35 is anagen.net
>where you can order three months for $26, free shipping.
>
>--
>Kimberly M.
>
>At Wed, 28 Nov 2001, Chris wrote:
>>
>>Hi-
>>
>>I finally have a follow up appointment with my new endocrinologist. She
>>drew blood the last time, and my results were normal except for high
>>DHEAS (400), low estradiol (30), and a funky LH:FSH ratio (2:1). So
>>anyway, here's my question...when you know what drugs may help you,
>>*how* do you ask the doctor for them without seeming pushy? I have
>>really made great strides in the last few months with getting more
>>assertive, but I still have a problem with requesting drugs. For
>>example, when I left the lst appointment, she gave me a sample of
>>Estrostep bcp. I asked, "Wouldn't a monophasic pill be better?" And she
>>said no, she's had good luck with this pill. So what could I say? Well,
>>I got home and went into one of my research frenzies (!) and found that
>>Estrostep has one of the highest androgen contents of all the bcps.
>>(Acne is my main complaint of PCOS.) So I didn't take it. What I think
>>I need is a higher estrogen, lower progestin and androgen monophasic
>>pill for birth control (like Ovcon or Orthocyclen) and possibly a little
>>extra estrogen, (like Alora or Vivelle but NOT Premarin) to help my
>>fatigue and memory loss. I have read several articles that indicate
>>that Premarin is the most widely prescribed estrogen, but contains no
>>17-beta estradiol, which is our natural estrogen, and therefore many
>>women do better with actual 17-beta estradiol given transdermally. But
>>I can just see it now, she'll say, "Let's get you on a low dose of
>>Premarin and keep taking the Estrostep." So, do I lie and say I spotted
>>on the Estrostep (which I never took) and I'd like to try Ovcon? Do I
>>say my mom had bad results with Premarin (another lie, my mom never took
>>it) and I'd like to try a 17-beta estradiol? I hate to lie, but I also
>>hate to be pushy and act like I know more than she does. How do I
>>assert myself without sounding like a know-it-all? Help!!!!
>>
>>Thanks so much for your time-
>>Chris
>
--
Claire
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