Journal BarbaraHudson's Journal: Ask Slashdot: Crowd-sourcing to counter medical malpractice 19
My endocrinologist (I'm on hormone replacement therapy) has been lying to me for 5 years. It's only after another doctor ordered additional tests to find out what might be contributing to my fatigue and depression that the truth came out. My endo had been giving me only 1/4 the recommended starter dose for HRT. I confronted him, telling him that I had never consented to non-standard treatment, and would obtain the missing medication illegally if he refused to fix the problem. He only increased the dose to 1/3 after a very heated discussion. I obtained the missing estrogen elsewhere and thoughts of suicide have disappeared. Now, in what looks like either retaliation or an attempt to keep from being second-guessed, he's removed estrogen levels from my blood tests.
I've never crowd-sourced or crowd-funded anything before, but it seems to be an effective way to at least draw attention to the problem. Hopefully the slashdot hive mind will have some ideas.
fire his ass (Score:2)
He's apparently both incompetent and now hiding information. I don't understand why you're even considering sticking with him. Switch to another one ASAP. Also I'd suggest you report his ass to the relevant medical board.
I'd also suggest a lot of reading and regularly collecting data of your own if you have any doubt. At least here in Phoenix, there are places where you can go and pay out of your own pocket to get any kind of blood test without needing a doctors note or whatever.
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As far as blood tests go, I can ask my GP to do them, and she will, again no charge. That's not the point. He apparently purposefully removed the test. It's been there for years. It's a red flag, one that calls out for further investigation.
As for firing him - not a chance. I want to hold his feet to the fire on this, and the code of ethics requires HIM to find a replacement that I find acceptable. Obviously after this experience I will be very, very picky. He can't just fob me off on someone and wash his
What is his reasoning? (Score:2)
It would help if you said what his reasoning was for the lower levels. Is there a chance of cancer or other issues developing? Why are you still with him instead of seeing the other doctor who recommended higher doses? And did the other doctor give any reason why the first one might go with lower doses?
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First, there was no "other doctor who recommended higher doses." The protocol has been pretty standard for decades. He is fixated on something called the Womens Health Initiative from 2002, which was supposed to be the biggest, best study of estrogen, menopause, and women's health.
Selection bias
They halted the study because of increases of health problems among participants. Turns out that the study, in an attempt to be "the biggest", ended up with a seriously distorted cohort. The study was supposed to
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1) You state, in the original post, "It's only after another doctor ordered additional tests," yet you reply here and say, 'First, there was no "other doctor who recommended higher doses."' Can you clarify this?
2) You spend a lot of time talking about the "Women's Health Initiative." Why don't you answer my other questions? You've had multiple suggestions of trying another doctor. I asked why you didn't. So that comes back to, "Why are you sticking with this doctor if he's a problem?"
3) Sorry, but meno
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1. The other doctor is a psychiatrist, not an endocrinologist. He's been treating me for depression, but after 3 years and various medication, nothing worked as expected. It was only when he ordered tests to see why that I also got hard copies of my previous tests at the same time. So no, he's not treating the hormonal imbalance - it's out of his area of expertise. It was easy to find the standard treatment doses, and I've bumped myself up to them, and feel a LOT better.
2. I want this fixed. I've got an a
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"So what are MY qualifications for coming to those conclusions? For one, I can read."
Yeah, that makes you more qualified than someone with 3 years of med school and years as an intern and years or decades in medical practice.
Seriously, that does NOT make you qualified to read the results and draw conclusions. I used to teach in a psych hospital and, later, in other treatment settings. "I can read" was NOT enough to make it possible for me to diagnose illnesses or to second guess the psychiatrists or socia
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If you can't read and understand that, you're a moron.
Problems sounds like you. (Score:2)
Here is what seems obvious to me.
1) If you don't like the treatment the doctor is providing, the FIRST thing you do is get a second opinion. If it differs, drop the old doctor and get a new one. To my knowledge, the only medical system that prevents this is prison based,in which case, you need to sue.
2) If your new doctor also refuse to give you the treatment you desire, then chances are likely the problem is you, not the doctor. But I would still try a third doctor, but be prepared for the same sto
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I agree with this NPC, you should think about what is the best way forward for you now. That's the most important thing, getting yourself sorted out and your transition moving along.
If you want to sue him the key thing that will determine success or failure is his explanation of why the dose was so low. If there is a medical reason that isn't completely stupid then chances are you will get nowhere, because he will say it was his expert opinion based on the information he had at the time.
Even just getting hi
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Psst - my birth certificate already has the right gender marker on it, but thanks for the concern :-) That's not the issue. A better description would be in reply to this question [slashdot.org]. The depression of the last 3 years was probably preventable. My mood is certainly far better now that I've illegally obtained extra estrogen. But I'd rather do it legally and in accordance with current standards of practice, and have it properly monitored.
Misleading me for the last 5 years is malpractice (can't give informed con
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I see things a bit differently. I certainly don't need a second opinion - the test results back me up that he's doing it wrong. Getting him to acknowledge that and change his methods is desirable because it fixes the problem not just for me, but for others as well.
I don't want money, and I don't want him punished - I want this problem fixed. The problem is far more extensive than I've laid out here - see my reply to this question [slashdot.org]. Other parts of the world have moved on and now recommend HRT instead of tryi
Medical Malpractice (Score:2)
Suing for medical malpractice requires time and deep pockets. A medical practitioner can never admit wrong if they wish to be covered by their malpractice insurance.
What you are describing isn't uncommon. Some doctors will go off-protocol because they are following a study that is looking like it has better results. Other times, they don't agree with the treatment at all.
We have had a similar case in Australia recently involving chemo under-dosing. [abc.net.au]
If this example is anything to go by, the under-dosing was
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Thanks for the advice, but my motivation is neither (a) nor (b). I want this fixed - it affects all women who reach a certain age and who are denied HRT. And it certainly has negatively impacted me. Even if I ultimately go to another doctor, I'm not letting this drop, because, as you pointed out, under-dosing is more common than you'd think (and the lack of informed consent is crazy stupid, as well as criminal - there are laws about causing harm, either by doing something or neglecting to so something - the
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My buddy slashdotted health concerns in 2004 (Score:2)
And he got lots and lots of feedback.
His plea [slashdot.org] for help got all kinds of opinion, and in the end, he found the right treatment for a very serious, difficult to diagnose, illness.
The similarity you share is that you both understand exactly which medicine you need to feel better. Estrogen for you and Mega-antibiotics for Pat definitely seemed to be the cure. Instant improvement. The problem was that the doctor's diagnosis could not justify the prescription, which is to say that the misdiagnosis is the probl
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I remember that (read it under my original account). I'm leaving in 5 minutes for my appointment with him. He can hardly deny he is in the wrong - the study that freaked everyone out was unrepeatable, and subsequent studies addressed his concern about increased risk of stroke by showing it actually decreases the risk - just don't use horse hormones and don't smoke. Kind of hard to ignore - it was on the news a couple of weeks ago, along with another one about the link between one of the drugs he prescribed
Can't you get a new doctor? (Score:2)
I'm not sure how health care works up there, or what the laws are. Can you sue?
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Sure I can sue. That's not the route I want to go. I just want to fix this sh*t. Saw him today, and he really doesn't listen. "Your blood pressure is high." "Of course it's high. I'm angry as all heck." "I want you to take something to lower it." "Remember the last time, 5 years ago? Had to stop it because it gave me depression and suicidal thoughts, and the FDA has 23 suicides linked to it?" Gives me a prescription for another drug - from the same class!
A bunch of other stuff with me talking and him not r