Flushing of system

[bbalfour82]

Hello all. My dad has lupus and has been doing excellent so far combined with his medication. We’ve just moved and his new doctor wants to do a complete flush of his system and after that to take him off his meds for a while to see how he does. My question is will this be safe? He actually forgot to tell the doctor he has lupus. He’s been on blood pressure medicine however.

[AgedCrone]

Didn't the new doctor ask what medication your Dad was on?

Has your Dad asked his previous GP to forward his records to new GP?

If not, go back with a list of his meds & tell him who prescribed them...& why!

Some GP's like to diagnose for themselves, but if someone is doing well on their Lupus meds.....I'd tell him I'd like to continue as is unless something changes.

I'm sure a GP wouldn't take a patient off drugs if he knew they had Lupus.

[PMRpro]

I think maybe making sure the new doctor is FULLY aware of his medical history would be a good start! They don't always read all the notes - just look at the general medication and take a dislike to the set of BP meds or whatever and decide they'd like to be "more modern".

[AgedCrone in reply to PMRpro]

How true !

There are about 6/7 different doctors at my GP surgery, I am fortunate (?) to look very healthy. After explaining to a couple of them wny I really do need to take BP meds, & yes I really do have RA, but being on RTX I'm lucky enough not to need oral Dmards, I have written a brief medical history on a card, & as soon as one of this motley crew of GP's start trying to cancel a med I hand it to them.They don't like it...but it saves a lot of time explaining why I take each pill.

Oh for the days when you saw the same GP every time! Despite receiving a letter saying all " elderly patients " have been assigned a personal named GP.....the receptionist at my surgery looked at me as if I was losing it when I asked to see my "assigned" GP!

[PMRpro in reply to AgedCrone]

Left hand, right hand... But when it suits them you can ONLY see your "assigned" GP or - in the older days - the GP whose name was on your registration card.

I'm not coming back to the UK - here I have one GP who works single handedly in her practice. You turn up at some point during the surgery opening hours and wait to be seen. When you go in you KNOW everything you need to have considered will be dealt with, even if it takes an hour. Everyone knows it is the same for them when they need it and only the people who really need her ministrations will wait! I can phone or email her and ask for a renewal of prescriptions - and they will be sent directly to the pharmacy in the village. If I need a home visit - she will come during the half of the day she isn't in the practice. And she does OOH duties!

[AgedCrone]

Yes I have friend living in France & her GP visits every week to give her an injection.

I had Labrythitis & was Vomitting & couldn't stand up without falling over & the receptionist at my GP here argued I should get a taxi. Then when the GP did come, having got lost on a 5 minute drive she prescribed the wrong drug & only prescribed enough of that for 24 hrs instead of a week.

The senior partner did apologise.....unfortunately there is nowhere else to go!

Ah well...things can only get better!