[maggyjo]

I am depressed and anxious and basicly miserable. My meds are not working and I don't feel like my Pdoc gets it or maybe just finds me too difficult. So when I went to T we talked about it. I was given a rx for ativan in the past but Pdoc didn't renew it and I was afraid to ask, also I am having all kinds of stomach and weight issues from the meds I am on. Not to mention they are NOT working! T asked if I would like her to speak with Pdoc. I was shocked. I didn't think she was able to do that. At first I refused to agree, I have a hard time letting people do things for me. Finally T said I am just going to talk to Pdoc. She wanted to get back to me in a few days, But I refused to let her call me so we will talk at our next appt. Has anyone had a T talk to their Pdoc? Did it help?

Maggy Jo

[Hope-Full]

Hi Maggy Jo,

My T has permission to speak with all the members of my health "team" which is comprised of my general doctor, my nutritionist, my psychologist, and my therapist. I have found it to be immensely helpful, as this way, I don't have to relay information between the four of them, and I know that they are getting exactly the right information needed to help me. My T (and all the other members) always tells me when they've spoken or emailed or whatever, and gives me the jist of the conversation.

It does sound strangely intimidating, to have your T and pdoc speaking about you, but if you trust them both, then it really is in your best interest. While I might know that my meds aren't helping the way they used to, my T can better articulate what is actually being observed and relay that to my pdoc. While my nutritionist and I talk about my energy level and food intake, I'm not necessarily going to understand the underlying feelings, which would never be properly addressed if my nutritionist didn't communicate with my T. Same goes for my doctor, too. She may look at my bloodwork and know that something is low, which she then relates to my nutritionist, who helps me adjust my diet accordingly.

Sorry, long winded reply, but I hope it is helpful!

[Ygrec23]

Originally Posted by maggyjo

I am depressed and anxious and basicly miserable. My meds are not working and I don't feel like my Pdoc gets it or maybe just finds me too difficult. So when I went to T we talked about it. I was given a rx for ativan in the past but Pdoc didn't renew it and I was afraid to ask, also I am having all kinds of stomach and weight issues from the meds I am on. Not to mention they are NOT working! T asked if I would like her to speak with Pdoc. I was shocked. I didn't think she was able to do that. At first I refused to agree, I have a hard time letting people do things for me. Finally T said I am just going to talk to Pdoc. She wanted to get back to me in a few days, But I refused to let her call me so we will talk at our next appt. Has anyone had a T talk to their Pdoc? Did it help? Maggy Jo

Absolutely did help. No question. You see, T gets to observe you in a professional manner much more frequently than does pdoc. Pdoc's actual, in person visits with you are so few, with so much time in between, Pdoc really cannot diagnose you correctly under those conditions. The best you can hope for in that situation is shoot-from-the-hip diagnosis; nothing considered, nothing really scientific. The more direct communication between T and pdoc, the better and more accurate will be pdoc's prescriptions for you. Me, I always have an effective HIPAA waiver both in favor of T and in favor of pdoc. So they have standing permission at all times to communicate with each other about me and my meds. I would seriously urge you to consider the benefits of such an arrangement. Take care!

[googley]

I found when my pdoc and T talked it was very helpful to my treatment. They were able to talk to each other about their concerns about what was happening with me when they came up (they didn't very often).

All you have to do to allow your pdoc and T talk to each other (if you decide to) is to sign a release to let them talk. They will both need a copy of the release (though they may each have their own forms that they want you to fill out). And the forms are for legal reasons.

You can decide to let them talk or not. And if you decide to let them talk, you can always rescind the consent that lets them talk at a later time.

[Wysteria]

Dear MaggyJo,

This is completely normal and they should be able to work as a support TEAM in my opinion and be able to communicate readily. My T and pDoc already knew one another and work well together and have oftern spoken to each other about either crisis situations or when meds don't seem to be working or when pdoc thinks that my therapy needs to go in one direction or another..whatever. I definitely would sign the releases especially since your T is offering to help speak up for you as to your needs for med changes to help you. Like the others said, if something happens that you don't like, you may rescind the permissions at any time. You can also specify the length of time that the release is for. Normally they last about a year I believe. Always better to have more perspectives and lots of input when making these kinds of decisions...

Best wishes in your healing..hugs.

Wysteria Blue

[WikidPissah]

T and PDOC are in the same office, so I signed releases to begin T. I HATE when they talk, it makes me nervous and I feel like they speak badly of me or complain about me to each other. This is most likely not the case, but it still freaks me out.

My T and Pdoc talk to each other about my status and treatment semi-regularly. Sometimes I'm in the room; sometimes I'm not. It has never really bothered me. They are both competent, caring professionals, and they have my best interests in mind. It is a definite plus to have your healthcare providers all be on the same page.

It's pretty common and can be very helpful.

[missbelle]

Gosh I should hope that my "T" and pdoc communicate. When you go to the Dr or the "T" they have you sign a consent form to do just that. I would definately want good communication between the two. When you spend 15 minutes with the pdoc it is not enough time to share all your issues

[laceylu]

My T reads pdocs notes before session and pdoc reads her notes before my appt. I even told pdoc to refer to the notes so I did not have to say all the stuff I did in T all over again the next day. Having done it the other way where T and pdoc did not communicate made my treatment harder for me. Everyone was not on the same page causing problems and mis communications.