A neverending story....

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I really am not a doctor basher. Oh dangit...I don't want to be, anyhow. But I know I'm not the only one who seldom finds a doctor who sees the whole picture. Yes, it's "just" a sinus infection. But it's more than that to me. Here is the letter I wrote today about my experience, with names hidden to protect the not-so-innocent:

I am a patient of Dr. M. This is not about her. However, I did see her on June 13 for a sinus infection which included a very bad headache and sore, painful areas below and above my eyes which worsened when I chewed, plus pain all the way to the back of my head. She did concur and prescribed 5 days of levaquin. Since I had transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery to remove a pituitary adenoma several months ago, a sinus infection is doubly concerning. I have fought sinus infections for years, and use preventative measures. However, I feel I need to be seen by a professional when I can’t get rid of it or control it with no antibiotics.

The levaquin did work for me, but it took about 4 days before my sinuses loosened up enough for a little of the “crud” to start coming out. I went out of town for several days, and returned late yesterday (Friday). My sinuses have closed back up, are very painful, and my terrible headache is back. I thought it would be better to see someone today rather than wait until Monday to try to catch this before it got worse. I felt like, and still feel I did not have a long enough course of antibiotics. I am not trying to play doctor, but I do know how my body acts and am not stupid.

I saw Dr. X at the urgent care on ***** Avenue. I went there because it is also where Dr. M works during the week and thought it would be a continuance of care rather than starting all over. Dr. X said my right sinus was very congested and my left was fairly congested. However, since the levaquin didn't work, he said it had to be viral and I needed to use Flonase. I refused the Flonase and told him I knew I could not use it but could not remember why. He then wanted to put me on sudafed and steriods. I politely refused both telling him I could not take the sudafed due to blood pressure issues and I was already on steroids due to adrenal insufficiency from my pituitary surgery. I am trying to wean off of those, but adrenal insufficiency, especially when magnified by an infection, makes it tough. Well, he was very unfriendly/antagonistic, did not want to listen to my explanation, and told me I could just wait and see Dr. M. I was in tears. I told him the levaquin was starting to work, but I just needed a longer dose, I thought. He said I didn't need to "just be taking antibiotics to see if they might work". I was furious but courteous. I told him that I never "just took antibiotics" and took very few of them compared to most folks. He was not interested in any of my history. He walked out on me! He said, "You can get dressed and leave." I was never discourteous and I did not deserve that type of management.

As for the Flonase, GlaxoSmithCline, Inc. include the following in their studies:

Like any other nasally administered corticosteroid, acute overdosing is unlikely
in view of the total amount of active ingredient present. However, when used
chronically in excessive doses or in conjunction with other corticosteroid
formulations, systemic corticosteroid effects such as hypercorticism and
adrenal suppression may appear. If such changes occur, the dosage of
fluticasone propionate should be discontinued slowly, consistent with accepted
procedures for discontinuation of chronic steroid therapy (see DOSAGE AND
ADMINISTRATION).

(As a sidenote: All the studies of the effects of Flonase on the HPA-axis have been done with “normal” patients, not those with a compromised HPA-axis and/or Cushing’s Disease.)

I do not want to mess with my HPA-axis more than I have to. The repercussions are enormous and obviously not understood by Dr. X. I am already dealing with a tenuous balancing act trying to replace all the hormones lost due to a pituitary adenoma that was not caught for over 20 years. (Thank you, Dr. M for saying “endocrine” to me when I first saw you.) Each of these affects the other, and adrenal insufficiency is just one price I pay if these aren’t balanced properly. I realize this is a lot to understand in one office visit, but he should have treated me with more dignity and understanding. And he could have listened.

GlaxoSmithCline also says that Flonase is contraindicated with viral infections (which Dr. X said I probably had), yet he wanted to put me on it. I am at a loss to explain this, but perhaps would understand if he had taken the time to explain.

To summarize, I am in pain, will have no treatment until Monday when I can reach Dr. M, and I feel Dr. X was out of line.