Update on root canal

[Sierra]

I've been on penicillin for a week for an infected root canal. I stopped taking my mincycline mid-week after reading about how it can interfere with the effectiveness of penicillin. (My pharmacist confirmed that fact this morning.) Since I could still “feel the tooth” this morning, I wondered if a few more days of the penicillin might be in order. I called my endo and suggested it. At first he flat-out rejected the idea, but after consulting with his partner (an endo and pharmacist) and my pharmacist he decided that would be the best course of action. But he said I could go back on the minocycline, as it would interfere very little, if at all, with the penicillin.

I think I will, as some of my arthritis symptoms are slowly coming back, but I'm left with a swirl of very uncomfortable feelings after talking to him. Even though he's a young guy, He doesn't seem to like collaborating with the patient. Some of his comments were quite dismissive, especially about my getting information off the Internet. “A little information can be a dangerous thing” and “you must've been scared.” I said, “No, I just wanted to give the pencillin the best possible shot at getting rid of the infection.” I didn't tell him that I have a degree in journalism and a lot of experience with collecting and evaluating information. And…that it was me that found out about the drug that has put my arthritis into near-remission–it was never offered to me by the experts. He also minimized the drug reaction I had to the clindamycin he prescribed before the penicillin. He called it  “unconfirmed,” even though I saw a doctor while I still had the rash and it was confirmed. (I corrected him.) More on this, because I need to vent: that reaction was full-blown. I was covered in a bright red rash with coin-shaped hives on top of it. I was dizzy and did not feel well. I was on the phone with the pharmacist and this endodontist during the day, and at night, when it seemed to get worse, my husband called the on-call physician. I was told to rush to the ER if I had trouble breathing. I was SCARED! I saw the endo after this, and he said, “So, you had a little rash after taking the clindamycin…” I told him: “It was more than a little rash…” and described the reaction. So to have him minimize it AGAIN was hurtful.

Another thing, he wondered aloud if I actually had an infection to begin with, since my symptoms were “vague,” but then said that I probably did, since I've seen improvement on the penicillin.

Bottom line: He is not someone I can trust, and the question remaining is, how soon will I end our relationship?

Sierra

[Parisa]

I'm sure you'll replace him as soon as you find someone better.  For now, you've managed to get what you need even though you had to pay for it with his condescending comments. 

I don't know what it is about medicine that attracts so many rigid thinkers.  Maybe by only admitting A+++ students to med school, we have eliminated the out of the box thinkers with compassionate bedside manners.

[Author]

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