Should I change GP's?

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I cane from the doctor this afternoon, totally upset. My current doctor just graduated from a med school in the Carribean, and is currently a first year resident. He raised all sorts of hell with me this afternoon about my A1C levels and the way my glucose numbers have been bouncing around. While my bg numbers were at 125 when I woke up this afternoon, I made the mistake at stopping at McDonalds this afternoon and getting a fish sandwich, a small fry and a medium Sprite. I know the Sprite spiked my glucose level, since they took a reading when I got to the office, ant it showed my numer at 475. This guy wants me off all meats, all juices, (which I cut out last time I saw him), all dairy (I've been drinking 1% sweet A milk to settle my stomach and get probiotics in my gut. I was hanging on sugar free and low fat Ice Cream for a while, and that started to give me gut problems), all fruits, all pasta (which I eliminated, except for baked macaroni and cheese and chicken wings once a week), all baked goods (the only bread I eat is oat bran bread maybe 1 serving every other day). I'm lucky to be eating something maybe once daily, as I really not been hungry. I know I should be getting out and walking more, but the ragweed been driving my sinus crazy. I should be getting on my stationary bike and riding it, but the only thing I want to do is sleep. He also raised hell about drinking Chamonile tea, which is the only thing that will calm me down and put me to sleep. I'm lucky to drink that stuff maybe every 2-3 weeks. The other thing he raised hell about is low blood pressure. Well, I don't salt anything, and they have me on atenolol and Lisinopril/HCTZ. I've also been raising hell about the tinnitus that keeps me awake most nights, as well as the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome I have with my wrists, and it always get blown off. What the hell else can I do? Lately, it seems anything I do or say pisses people off. It's bad enough being on SSDI, unable to find work, and having everthing crashing down on me. I'm ready to change doctors, from this newly minted MD to a DO that used to take care of my mother before she died 2 years ago coming up in 2 weeks. If it weren't for all the bulls*** you got to go through with Medicaid to change doctors, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

as an ex- MD, I can tell you that we don't get much nutrition education in med school. that aside, nutrition is a special interest for me and when I actually saw a nutritionist, she called me "very aware." this doc is giving you bad advice. you should ask for a nutrition consult. if the doc refuses, by all means, change docs. you already know that the sprite and fast food raised your blood sugar. the doc should give you credit for that. what this doc recommends is way too restrictive. and don't repeat your mcdonald's mistake. btw, fries are as bad as sprite for spiking your blood sugar according to a study they did a pitt med school while I was there. when I go (rarely) to mcD's, I get a sandwich, hold the sauce, get mustard, ketchup, pickles and onion, no fries, and a diet soda or unsweetened iced tea. I follow the Mediterranean diet (google for what it is and go to nlm.nih.gov - pubmed for proof of its health benefits). you might have to watch your portions on it. I don't and am a bit overweight. a dietician can help you with portion control. vegetarians do live longer, but it's a radical change and may not be necessary. whole fruits are definitely part of a healthy diet. restricting fruits beyond the necessary calorie restriction seems unwise. you'd be missing out on many beneficial antioxidants.

Oh we are so alike! Everything you said - except I'm retired *finally* - and especially when you got to the anniversaries. That's what my doctor doesn't understand, and will never understand - why I totally crash in September and again in December, and I need extra help in those months. And I find I have no credibility since I'm on SSRI's. Frankly, if you can't show them running blood, don't bother telling a medical doctor.

They can't do anything about tinnitus at all, but I wish they'd say so instead of remaining silent. I'm sure you've heard of white noise, that helps.

Carpal tunnel - that's another thing they're so vague about curing - I liked the cuff I got from the pharmacy to support it, and painkillers. The thing is, when my wrist throbs, so does the side of my neck. So, like, try telling that to a doctor. You know what she said? "Your wrist is not connected to your arm." She saw the look on my face and added, "Oh, I know it looks like it is."

Chamomile tea - what's wrong with that?

Your doctor sounds like one of those authoritative ones. You could try to put a stop to that. A doctor is no more than an expert who is there to advise you. Like a mechanic - if they say your carburetor's out of whack, you have to decide what to believe.

I'm curious about your having that lunch right before seeing the doctor. If I did that, it would be my subconscious saying, "F this crap." I don't have any right to assume you're thinking what I would be thinking, but I thought I'd give it for comparison. Maybe you were telling the doc to bleep off. In which case, good for you, except you then proceed to let his pronouncements in to upset you.

We're pretty much on our own, I guess. Unless we have a broken arm or something, they're good at that.

Here's something I've discovered - black cherry juice. I haven't looked up the sugar content because I don't care. It has a wonderful effect on my mood. I googled it and they said it has melatonin. I wouldn't go out and get melatonin pills (yet) but this is just juice. It's very concentrated so I put an inch in the glass and fill it with water. You might want to try it.

I wish you all the best. We all gotta stick together.

Agree with what CathyLynn said.

There are lots of things doctors don't know.

A good one admits it, and studies the situation.

A bad one denies it, refuses to listen to you, and throws a kitchen sink of orders at you (then blames you when you can't follow them all, or worse, you do follow them and the situation deteriorates).

Change doctors. I'm sorry about the Medicaid paperwork, but change doctors.

btw: I'm from north-central West Virginia, about 40 minutes due south of Waynesburg. Currently living in Beaver County. Tell me some Western PA jokes.

Oh look, celiac disease symptoms.

My carpal tunnel actually went away being gluten free along with my peripheral neuropathy. I'd quit the activities that worsened the carpal tunnel (my job) before then already, but it didn't get any better until I got my celiac diagnosis. Tinnitus is a form of peripheral neuropathy. (I know you say that happened after trying a medication. One of my celiac symptoms, serious bloating and a pain in my side, only appeared after I tried a medication too, birth control, and it stuck around after quitting the meds.) Diabetes, as an autoimmune disorder, is comorbid with celiac disease. Low blood pressure is another common symptom to watch out for. Mental disturbances of any kind can be a celiac symptom, as can lack of appetite. Lactose intolerance is another symptom, as is, obviously, any other digestive issue you might have. I'm very aware that perhaps all your symptoms aren't all related to each other, but they certainly can be.

Another thing, you're deluding yourself into saying you're following the limitations you've decided to follow on your own. If you truly want to avoid pasta and baked goods, you can't eat them once or twice a week, have bread every second day, and occasionally eat fast food. You need to be aware that you're failing at these goals, whether or not the goals actually matter.

I'm like to switch to your doctor actually! The city where I live has a disturbing lack of family doctors (I'm Canadian), and the only ones I've gotten in the past 7 years don't even care enough to bother to tell me to do things. At least this guy is concerned about you even if he's ignoring so many of your other problems.

I told all this to my psychologist during my session yesterday. He does disagree with the GP regarding Chamonile tea. I started talking to him about how I've been feeling lately, especially with the upcoming holidays, especially with all, the crass Christmas commercials coming on air, the shortening of the daylight, and he's here, uh-oh, this sounds like Seasonal Affective Disorder. He suggested I go back on an antidepressant. I flat out told him no way. I've been down that road 6 times in the last 20 years with Prozac (you can imagine the misery I would have gone through if I would have lopped off a 3-star general's head while I was still working on an Army contract at the Pentagon)' Effexor (which nearly wrecked my voice and gave me fits with tinnitus), amitriphyline (I was always feeling hungover on that stuff), citalopram (which made my weight balloon up to 400 lbs, continually kept my blood sugars out of whack, made me sleep for 3 days nonstop), buspirone (which didn't do a damn thing for my anxiety) and the real fun drug, Viibryd (brain fog, anhedonia, brain zaps, cognitive issues, RLS, suicidal ideation, tinnitus, etc. etc.). If you think I'm going down that road again, think again!