Month: June 2010

Patient: My son has suffered daily for the past 3 years with itching over his entire body and at one point covered in hives. He has seen just about every type of doctor except an immunologist. He is currently being treated by a dermatologist in NYC and has been for the past year. He has been on a regiment of antihistamines which have run their course it seems. He just started a prescription for Cellcept. After reading the possible side effects I have been totally freaked out. He started taking this 3 days ago and this morning said he feels worse than ever. His entire body from the top of his head to his feet is bothering him. At one point this dermatologist said his body was producing antibodies that were attacking an infection that was not there. Does this sound right to you, and should he be seeing perhaps an immunologist ? I am sick just watching him suffer every day, going broke with endless medications that don’t seem to work and may possibly do more damage.PLEASE HELP!

Doctor: Hello & welcome to Health.is.edu ,

Just wanted to know of a few things before we deal with your answer:

How old is your child

Has any trigger point evaluation been done for him

Any other illness

Have you sought a second opinion

Thanks.

Patient: Hello Dr. James

My son is 27 years old. He has had numerous blood work tests, only factor out of range was TSH at 6.83, done by a few different doctors; GP, another dermatologist who gave him steroids that didn’t work, many topical cortisones until they realized it was systemic. He has been tested for allergies, tried a bland diet of chicken, rice and water for 6 weeks, with no change. Otherwise healthy thank God except for slight thyroid deficiency which he is being treated for with 50 mcg of Levothyroxine.

Doctor:  Your son has ‘chronic urticaria’, which is not amenable to steroids. It is time that why it happens – the ‘trigger’ should be searched and excluded. For this allergen testing is required and common allergens will be tested one by one. Hopefully one shall be found and thereafter your son will be free from chronic urticaria. Sometimes it becomes difficult to know the precise cause and then maybe he will have to see an immunologist.

I am placing a link from the Mayo Clinic’s site on the subject which will provide you more authenticated information. Please have a look.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-hives/DS00980

Best wishes.

Patient: Is it legal for doctors to write out prescriptions for people they have never met in person, but the doctor has their medical history faxed to him and then they speak over the phone about the issues? Is this a legal way to obtain a prescription?

Optional Information

Age: 34, Male, Alaska

Already Tried: Reading different laws passed by the courts and such. It seems this is an iffy area, but if the doctor does have a copy of a persons medical records and then has a telephonic conference it almost sounds like this is starting to be taken as a bona fide doctor/patient privilege

Doctor: well it depends on the doctor . some would nt give prescription unless they have seen the patient . other may give out prescription if the patient are referred by some fellow doctor. for an altogether new patient no one should give out prescript.

Patient: would you write the prescription after just a phone visit. Society is getting crazy with all this technology. I could basically have a doctors visit in my house over my web cam.

Doctor: no, i dont.

Patient:  I wasnt asking you to. I was just curious to know where you stood on the issue. It seems to be a good sized battle these days in the courts. People are entering pleas of guilty or not guilty on video court. It just seems like that is the way we are moving in society. So I guess there is no exact right or wrong on that yet? Its just about how you feel ethically doing it at this time and as it becomes more common practice those barriers will break down and it will be normal.

Doctor: well i dont think this will be allowed in near future as the laws are becoming more strict and less freedom for physicians to do what ever they like. Continue reading Can Doctors write prescriptions after online or telephone visits?→