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Re: Reasons I am *not* always honest with my doctor

Posted by elanor roosevelt on November 5, 2015, at 19:36:35

In reply to Reasons I am *not* always honest with my doctor, posted by linkadge on October 15, 2015, at 15:54:52

Thanks for this. You are not alone. when i really start to go into the darkness i have meds that i import. nothing i would take all the time but enough to hold on to the faith that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I thought I would chime in on this topic as I am now taking lithium myself. Also, I am not always completely honest with my doctor - for a variety of reasons, that I feel are justified.
>
> For starters, if you want the lithium level to appear higher than it is, you need to take the medication 2h-4h before the test (this will maximize blood level). Also, you need to tell them that you last took it longer ago, than you actually did. For example, if you get the test done at 2 pm, you could tell them you last took it the night before.
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> I completely understand not being completely honest with your doctor. There are several reasons why I have done this (and continue to do this).
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> Example 1: I may stop a medication which is clearly making me feel worse. However, I will tell the doctor I gave it a fair trial. I have found with previous doctors, that I lose credibility if I jump ship on too many meds too early - even though many make me significantly worse.
>
> Another instance would be with my methylphenidate prescription (Ritalin). I take it occasionally (i.e. as needed). Many doctors don't like this with a stimulant, and would yank me off it, if I told them I was only taking it as a booster (as needed) med. However, doing this keeps me well.
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> There have been times I tell the doctor I am taking my meds when I am not. I do this because I want to continue seeing a psychiatrist and trying options. Because there are times that I feel normal off meds, the doctor may assess me as being well (in Canada, psychiatrist are hard to get and there is some push out the door, once you are stable)
>
> Another example might be fore diagnostic purposes. For example. I might consider my self bipolar, yet be able to stabilize my moods with say 300mg of lithium and perhaps omega-3 and other supplements. However, most doctors would not call you bipolar, if you only need 300mg of lithium. So, I might want a higher blood level, to ensure a "diagnosis" is in place, yet not want to take 900mg every single day.
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> At the end of the day, I have found that, when I am completely honest, and take my medications exactly as instructed, I usually end up much worse, and more impaired. So I can fully understand why somebody might want a higher blood level (for a test) yet not have to take that dose long term.
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> Linkadge
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poster:elanor roosevelt thread:1083314
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