[Victoria'smom]

I only see pdoc 3-6x a year and have access to his crappy nurses line. I'm use to seeing pdoc 12+x a year in my old state. Does anyone else have to go months between visits whether well or not? They seem to want you to use IP in between. He'd be a great pdoc otherwise he reads T notes and everything but his availability sucks. The problem is I think all pdocs around here suck with availability. If you do go through this too how do you deal with the in between?

[WibblyWobbly]

I'm sorry that you have to wait so long to get in to see your pdoc. I don't have that problem, fortunately. My pdoc goes to my preferred hospital first thing in the morning, then PHP, then to his practice after lunch. I see him every 2—4 weeks and he can squeeze me in on the same day if I need it. I'm not sure if it's just him or if it's like that with all the pdocs in my area. I'm in a huge metro area.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I do have limited access to mine via email and I see her every 4 weeks. She adjusts her schedule so that I can see her the same day I see my therapist who is 75 minutes from home on the way up to her which cuts the drive time a bit.

But to get this I drive 2.5 hours each way. If I could even find a medicare provider around here who isn't the one dr. I know takes Medicare but is an absolute idiot (professional experience) I would not have nearly the access. I also wouldn't change because my pdoc is excellent and I have a strong relationship with her and she cares and works hard to help even when helping isn't so easy. The last 2 months she's spent 2 hours each time with me, just trying to find something/anything that will really help me. So I make an effort on purpose (I also do not think I would find anyone nearly as competent with my hard to manage case as she is around here; I'm in the middle of nowhere and before I saw her couldn't find anyone who would even take a bipolar patient at all).

Since my pdoc took a new job and has cut her caseload drastically and doesn't see patients at all at least 1 day per week I can't get in early very easily between scheduled visits (at least not the one time I asked; I'd never asked before) but I know that if we were communicating and she thought I needed to get in she'd make time for me.

Until this year it's been easy b/c I had some leeway with dose adjustments with at least my AD. It used to be my AD and AP but my AP dose is maxed out and after I was on suicide precautions that included strict monitoring of my access to meds by my therapist for 2 1/2 years I lost some of that privelege. So now I have to contact her if I want to change things but there is only one thing to change (my AD dose and it doesn't have much variability allowed so there isn't much need to change it). I can also call and request something like today I requested a lower dose of hyrdoxyzine because it has been strangely sedating and her secretary takes care of that.

The other thing I get for going so far is that I'm a huge hospital with 58 pdocs and then another big bunch of residents. So if my pdoc isn't available and it's an emergency, like the time I took my bedtime meds in the morning b/c I just picked up the wrong pillbox, there is always some pdoc who can respond. (in that case I had to answer questions to prove I wasn't trying to overdose in the most pathetic way ever). That's let me develop a relationship with the IP dr (who is leaving tomorrow )as well as my own, which makes IP a lot better.

It's a long day with 5 hours of driving an a long appointment but totally worth it.

[Nammu]

I go to a county clinic now and how often I see the pdoc depends on how I'm doing. If I'm not doing well they make it one or two months with a pnurse in between if I'm well it's every three months. Ifs it's in between appointments there is a crisis number or walk in, but during the walk in you may or may not see your pdoc or any pdoc it depends. When I've had private pdoc they have more availability and phone access.

[DysphoricManicMom]

I do not have access to my pdoc out of her office, but in between scheduled appts I can call and get in sooner. She just asks me if I feel ok going a month or if I think Ill need to see her sooner and she also reiterates that I can call before next appt if I need to.

I see mine every 3-4 months as long as I'm stabile. If I've got to get in earlier, I can schedule an appointment. Preferably, the longer the better.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I go every six weeks right now but I can call the clinic with concerns however I end just having to wait for my appointment anyway. At least this time I did. I was so stressed and anxious I didn't tell her everything going on

[scatterbrained04]

My pdoc is very available. I can get ahold of him easily and get in quickly if needed. I have his cell #. I've never had problems. However, I pay out-of-pocket, as he does not take insurance.

My son's pdoc is a lot less available, but he accepts our insurance.

As more and more pdocs stop accepting insurance, those that DO become less available because they have so many patients.

[Unrigged64072835]

My pdoc is very hard to get a hold of. If I have an issue between appointments I have to call the call center (where I'm always in the queue), and hope I can reach a nurse who isn't seeing another client. Then I get to play phone tag, through the same freaking call center, with the nurse so I can find out what I'm supposed to do. No wonder I go to IP so much.

[cashart10]

I'm so sorry; that is terrible! I also see mine every 2-4 weeks and he can fit me in same day if I need it. He will also answer calls, texts, and emails. But, he has his own private practice. He is the only doctor. He does have tons of patients though. I don't know how he does it. He saw me when I was 15 for 5 years and now (mostly) again for about the last 3 years so he kinda treats me like one of his kids. I like that. We have A very close relationship.

[unaluna]

I see my t 3 times a week, but i see my pdoc every 2 or 3 months. He works days in a prison so seeing him on the fly isnt really an option; he sees private patients one night a week and is available by text. But my meds havent changed THAT much over the past 15 years. 2 meds pretty much the whole time at varying doses, 2 more meds added then subtracted.

[Edgar's Mom]

I'm in Canada so it's different here. I'm very lucky to have a good doctor, as many of them are so booked with patients it's hard to get in.

I usually go once a month, but I think I've gone as long as two when I've been well. Right now he has me coming in once a week because he's worried about me and wants to keep a close eye on me.

Our doctors here are usually not available by phone or email between appts as far as I've ever heard. I can't even imagine that.

If I go into crisis and it's during his regular hours I could try to call his office but chances are he'd be booked. I'd likely have to go in to emerg and see whomever was on call.

He does time on call as well so if that happened I might see him. So far the once a week has been enough, but I've come close to going in to emerg a couple of times in the past couple of weeks. I was very close to being suicidal last week... not just ideation but considering it seriously feeling compelled. My hubby was here and I managed to hang on, but that would have been a situation to go in.

I hesitate to do that because in emerg here you wait for hours and the regular doctors in my experience years ago were never sympathetic for psych patients. My experiences were horrid. So it is very unlikely that I'd ever go in that way.

When I hear about people having their doctor's email and cell # it seems very strange to me. It's pretty cool though :-)

I see mine every two weeks if not doing well and every other month of I'm doing well. I have his direct voice mail and I can call him anytime. He always calls back on the same day usually within an hour or two. He does not use nurses. I think we are in the same State, maybe try another Pdoc ? Maybe your T can recommend.