I haven’t helped my care management a lot by moving 2 times in 4 years and having to change all of my doctors each time. Seems doctors read last report and just carry on without doing their own assessment. Occasionally one treats you like a brand new patient.
I have been in SC for a few months now and my first labs just came back with my LDL at 133, High vs 100 ideal, but I am pleased it has maintained & improved gradually from ~160 it was 4 years ago when the statin I was on was stopped. I most definitely have been watching my cholesterol. My PCP I had 4 years ago stopped the lowest dose statin because my liver enzymes increased significantly and she didn’t like the uncertainty of statin/Neuropathy link.
Yesterday morning I had a message from my mail order pharmacy that a prescription for that same low dose statin that was stopped 4 years ago is on its way. I later got a portal message from my new PCP saying “ Hi, your cholesterol (210 total, HDL and triglycerides fine) is higher than ideal, and I think it’s better for heart health to try a statin to lower it, so I’ve called in a prescription for you to try and we’ll monitor it”. I have never had a blockage and don’t have high BP, and my cardiologists have been ok with my 240 (now 210) total cholesterol.
It’s not her fault I have moved, and I like her so far, but I have history that needs to be reviewed, and portals help me gather the relevant data and notes to make sure she has what she needs to maybe reconsider her decision. Does she really want to repeat an identical statin experiment from 4 years ago to see if we get different results, at the expense of liver enzymes getting abnormal again and possibly hurting my PN?
I have an appointment with my new cardiologist next month to get care established and of course will use my orientation time to ask his opinion of my heart health and statin. I most certainly will not take a pill before then. I am afraid to go through that experience again but want to respect my new doctors thoughts on my care. In the meantime, the statin is in the mail and I have a message into my new PCP to just absolutely make sure she understands the thinking that went into my old doctor stopping that statin 4 years ago and why my doctors since then decided to keep me off statins as well.
The point is as you’ve made - we have to be on our toes, research & advocate for ourselves, or at least keep up with our own history, which the portals help us do. An egotistical doctor might be angry at my questions, but I have to believe most doctors would be appreciative that I have a need to understand their thoughts on balancing my health risks. If only things were so simple that what might help one issue a little didn’t come at the risk of further handicapping you or diminishing the function of another vital organ…