How a trip to the ER teaches a dr. new things

restfulhaven · 03-30-2008, 05:55 PM

I'm was taking Metformin, Spiro, and Yaz. I don't know yet but will soon find out what I'm allergic to. I had a severe allergic reaction, and my mom & aunt took me to the ER. Hands swollen and my whole body in whelps. The ER dr. is wondering why I'm taking all of these meds. So I inform him I have PCOS, but you know I had to spell that out for him. I tell him what each medication is supposed to be use for and he is still puzzled. So after a few hours of waiting he comes back like a light bulb is on and he saids. I hate why you are in here, but I'm so happy you told me about your condition because I had no idea condition. He said because of what I told him about PCOS that if someone else come in with PCOS, he will definitely know what it is and how to treat the patient. He thanked me graciously!! That one more person who knows about PCOS!!!

I know I'm going to have to find other ways to work on my PCOS and I'm sure my endo is going to be baffled with me finding out I had an allergic reaction....the ER doc thought it may be the Spiro but until then I'm off all meds.

JosieFB · 03-30-2008, 06:13 PM

How can any doctor not know about PCOS, especially the younger ones that are usually working in the ER? Don't they learn about in in their gyn rotation in Med School? If they treat women they should all have to study about it!

restfulhaven · 03-30-2008, 06:47 PM

This guy was an old school dr. Even though PCOS is not new, some just don't know about it. I think he was more concerned with why I was taking so much medication.

Mindijean · 03-30-2008, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JosieFB

How can any doctor not know about PCOS, especially the younger ones that are usually working in the ER? Don't they learn about in in their gyn rotation in Med School? If they treat women they should all have to study about it!

Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you just how many doctors/nurses I've encountered that have no CLUE what PCOS is! It's more of a shock to me to find a doctor who is studied in PCOS!

Good for you for informing people!

threeblessings · 03-30-2008, 08:23 PM

My sil is studying to be a nurse. In fact she's on her last semester, and she didn't know about pcos either. That's why it's so scary to have to find a doctor to diagnose and treat pcos, because there are some that don't know about it.

februarystar · 03-30-2008, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JosieFB

How can any doctor not know about PCOS, especially the younger ones that are usually working in the ER? Don't they learn about in in their gyn rotation in Med School? If they treat women they should all have to study about it!

My partner's old flatmate is in Med School at the moment specialising in Paediatric Orthopaedics. He would often share with his flatmates what he had learnt that day at dinner - one day PCOS came up and my bf mentioned I had it, he spent a good hour or so with me a few days later wanting to know more about how it affected me so he knew past the face value of it all - ie the symptoms and how to make a diagnosis. I wish all doctors/med students were that passionate about learning more than just the textbook facts.

Eirenay · 03-30-2008, 11:11 PM

When I went in for my laproscopic surgery to find out what was up with my infertility, I was in the staging area getting my IV put in etc...the nurse comes up and says "You didn't put on your pre-op form that you are diabetic, so I've added that to your file."
I said, "I'm not diabetic."
She said, "You are diabetic, you're on metformin."
I said, "I'm on metformin, prescribed by the doc about to do my surgery as part of figuring out why I'm not getting pregnant. Metformin helps balance out hormones, testoterone for example, which can help women who are struggling."
She said, "No metformin is a diabetes drug, so you are diabetic. So next time make sure you check off the box that says you are diabetic on your surgical forms."
By this point I was getting frustrated. So I told her to call up to the doctor's office (his office is in the hospital) to confirm with him. Twenty minutes later she came back and says "I've removed the note about diabetes from your file."
Sigh.

februarystar · 03-30-2008, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eirenay

When I went in for my laproscopic surgery to find out what was up with my infertility, I was in the staging area getting my IV put in etc...the nurse comes up and says "You didn't put on your pre-op form that you are diabetic, so I've added that to your file."
I said, "I'm not diabetic."
She said, "You are diabetic, you're on metformin."
I said, "I'm on metformin, prescribed by the doc about to do my surgery as part of figuring out why I'm not getting pregnant. Metformin helps balance out hormones, testoterone for example, which can help women who are struggling."
She said, "No metformin is a diabetes drug, so you are diabetic. So next time make sure you check off the box that says you are diabetic on your surgical forms."
By this point I was getting frustrated. So I told her to call up to the doctor's office (his office is in the hospital) to confirm with him. Twenty minutes later she came back and says "I've removed the note about diabetes from your file."
Sigh.

I can't believe the nurse had the audacity to argue with you. Its not like diabetes is an obscure disease that no one has heard of or knows much about - you know if you've been diagnosed with it or not. I guess it comes back to my previous comment about medical staff needing to pay more interest beyond the textbooks.

calmwaters · 03-31-2008, 04:52 AM

I hope they figure out which med was causing the hives for you and you should forever stay far away from it.

I am impressed with the ER doc for being so interested in your medical history and inquiring about it, and especially for admitting he didn't know about it. Good job to you for being open with him. Now, I have to admit, I am a nurse and while I had vaguely heard of PCOS prior to being diagnosed, I had no idea of the implications of it and it was NOT taught in nursing school only 5 short years ago.

The thing is, PCOS is NOT a disease. It is a collection of symptoms unattributable to a specific disease. There are various causes and courses and treatments and outcomes, as we all know. THat being said, obvious as it is to most of us here, it just isn't as obvious to others because it is a syndrome of exclusion. Other diseases with similar symptoms must first be ruled out. If not positive for those, then PCOS it must be!

The nurse about the met, not smart, she was not open and listening to you and she should have been. However, metformin is NOT a PCOS med. It IS a diabetic medication being used off-label to treat some symptoms of PCOS, hence the firm mindedness of the nurse, assuming YOU must have been mis-educated about your medical condition (it happens all the time, sadly, patients not knowing what their meds are for!!!). It takes persistance and patience and the realization that your doctor may be thinking along a completely different line of clinical suspicions. Congrats to you!

StarofEvening · 03-31-2008, 05:01 AM

That is great that you guys have informed more medical staff about PCOS. I can't believe they didn't know about it. I guess I got lucky with my doctor.... she is the one that put the symptoms together for me and tested me. I had never heard of PCOS before she told me about it.

restfulhaven · 03-31-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmwaters

I hope they figure out which med was causing the hives for you and you should forever stay far away from it.

I am impressed with the ER doc for being so interested in your medical history and inquiring about it, and especially for admitting he didn't know about it. Good job to you for being open with him. Now, I have to admit, I am a nurse and while I had vaguely heard of PCOS prior to being diagnosed, I had no idea of the implications of it and it was NOT taught in nursing school only 5 short years ago.

The thing is, PCOS is NOT a disease. It is a collection of symptoms unattributable to a specific disease. There are various causes and courses and treatments and outcomes, as we all know. THat being said, obvious as it is to most of us here, it just isn't as obvious to others because it is a syndrome of exclusion. Other diseases with similar symptoms must first be ruled out. If not positive for those, then PCOS it must be!

The nurse about the met, not smart, she was not open and listening to you and she should have been. However, metformin is NOT a PCOS med. It IS a diabetic medication being used off-label to treat some symptoms of PCOS, hence the firm mindedness of the nurse, assuming YOU must have been mis-educated about your medical condition (it happens all the time, sadly, patients not knowing what their meds are for!!!). It takes persistance and patience and the realization that your doctor may be thinking along a completely different line of clinical suspicions. Congrats to you!

ITA!! That was exactly what had the dr puzzled. Metformin is a diabetic drug, informing him I was NOT diabetic but taking the meds for hormonal issues, he then went on to investigate what PCOS was.