Here are some tips on how to make the most of a visit to the doctor. Prepare for the visit. By making a list of questions you want to ask. You can use the one I provide to help you get organized. bring an up to date list of all prescription and non prescription medications, including herbal or dietary supplements, and topical medications, that is those that are applied to the skin. This is especially important if this is the first visit with this doctor.
Having someone along to take notes remember details remind about questions is invaluable. It is often not easy to think clearly, especially when talking about difficult subjects or feeling rushed. A second person can act as an advocate. It is important that the doctor know of any difficulties you're having in following instructions affording the medication Side effects, or feelings of being too dependent on a medication. These are hard topics to bring up. It may be embarrassing to talk about them, but they need to be addressed for optimal health.
Don't let embarrassment compromise health once a year, get a brown bag review in which you bring all medications to the doctor for scrutiny. schedule some extra time for this. Before you leave the doctor's office, speak up if there are any unanswered questions. If you didn't hear or understand something The doctor said. If you're not sure you'll be able to carry out the treatment plan. Let the doctor know what things stand in the way.
It is easy to feel too rushed to address these concerns. Remember, no matter how busy your doctor seems he or she wants to do the best job possible for you. Recently, some concerned health professionals have started a D prescription movement. D prescribing is the plan and super process of reducing or stopping medications that are no longer of enough benefit or maybe causing harm. The goal is to ensure that a medication regimen is truly maintaining or improving quality of life. Med stopper is one deep prescribing resource.
I have included a link to a video that shows a real life example of somebody using it. A daughter starts questioning the number of meds her mother is taking. She goes to the med stopper website, and I've included their address as well and enters the names of all her mom's meds and the conditions for which they are being used. The program analyzes the data and produces a list that rates all the meds in a traffic light format. Red means the drug is probably doing more harm than good and should be stopped if possible. Green means the drug will most likely be beneficial.
The way it is being taken. Yellow is somewhere in between. The daughter then uses the list to Discuss medication changes with her mom's doctor. You could also ask your local pharmacist to review the medication list. In Canada we have a program in which the pharmacist can come to the home to do this. Remember to always include vitamins, Herbes, and other supplements.
Just remember that while a site like med stoppers is a great way to start your exploration, it is dangerous to stop medications or even to taper them on your own. The doctor may have a very good reason for staying with a certain med. So always take that next step and consult with your doctor. And resources. I have also included a link to the Canadian D prescribing network. This is a great resource, even if you're not Canadian, with fact sheets and brochures on many aspects of the issue.
They offer information about common problem medications, as well as non medical alternatives to risky drugs. As a matter of fact, I use a lot of information from this website in the next section, which is on non pharmaceutical ways to decrease the need for medications.