This will be brief (for once!) I promise :) I went to see my GP and had a short list of things to go over and we managed to get them all covered with no real frustrations or upsets. The easy part was just getting my pain medications refilled for the next three months. He still doesn't want to switch me to breakthrough med #2 as he thinks it's a "dirty" drug. No mention that I had been on it for like 5 years and have never had an issue for it. At the last appointment he was confused as he asked me who prescribed it to me last and I told him that he was the last. He is fine switching between slow-release #1 and #2 but only wants me to be on breakthrough #1. Back then he told me that I could increase my dose as I was only taking one or two doses a day (which generally means it's time to change things up) but that I could take four to six doses a day (yet only gave me 100 pills for three months). Anyways that will be the challenge for the next appointment.
A few days before the appointment I had a scary incident where it felt like my head was going to explode it felt so full of pressure. I have had this before but this night I was getting slight blackouts on the edge of my vision, my eyes actually hurt and my ears kept throbbing. I heard there was a medication that would help with headaches and help with the pressure feelings. So I asked my doctor about it but he read it interacted with one of my other medications (which could be stopped if I had to) and read that it was a migraine medication. Out of nowhere he comes out with "these won't help you, you don't have migraines you have pressure build up headaches". My jaw just about dropped!! We spent years trying to figure out the headaches and it was only a few years ago that my internist confirmed that they were because of the neck issues. So I have my doctor saying that my headaches are from pressure build up in my brain!! It's so funny how when you drop trying to get someone to understand what is going on, is when they come out with it all on their own. So anyways, he agrees to try something else for headaches and actually wants to put me on a different AD as it is supposed to have less side effects. I am mainly wanting to get rid of, or at least decrease, the dry mouth issues as I hate having dental work every year (and already know I will have to go in again which is a horribly defeating feeling). He doesn't want to change the meds though until the weather stabilizes. This is twofold a) depression is bad this time of year and he wants things to be less depressing weather (if that makes sense) and b) with the big changes in weather that will affect the headaches as well so it's not the opportune time to work on headache meds. I am totally fine with this as long as he is willing to put this in action when the times comes.
Lastly I asked him about getting a new bone scan done. He turned and looked intrigued and asked why. I told him how my old rheumy liked to get one done every two to three years to keep on top of everything and to see if there are any changes in the bones or joints that are occurring that we could use for preventative instead of dealing with them when they become a problem. Surprisingly he also thought it sounded like a good idea and had the receptionist get one set up. And that was the entire appointment. I know it doesn't seem like much but to get all those issues addressed in one visit was very productive.
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