Sunday, May 27, 2012
Sunday, July 20, 2008 Rick4036 asks

Q: How long should you wait to change doctors if BP is not under control?

Mother-in-law, 73 years old, has Hypertension and is a diabetic! 8 months ago a lot of personal issues took place and her Blood Pressure started to go very high. After many trips to her Doctor, specialist, and Emergency Room she is still having high Blood Pressure readings which have not been controlled by medication. She is still have headaches on the top of her head when readings are high. In the morning her readings are normal but as the day moves on her readings jump high. My suggestion to her was to find another Doctor, any thoughts?   

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Martin Cane, M.D., Health Pro
7/26/08 10:00pm

 

Rick4036,

 

Thanks for your question.  I'm sorry to hear that your Mother-in-law is still having problems.  Has anyone discussed this situation with her doctor, and asked what may be going on.  She's also been seen by a specialist and still her pressure is high. 

 

Just because a patient is still having symptoms, does not mean the doctor is doing nothing, or he/she is delivering improper care.  Sometimes, when physicians do everything possible, patients still have problems.  It's time to have a meeting that includes the doctor, patient, and interested family members (preferable "next of kin") and openly discuss: how she is feeling: her lack of response or failure to improve; what might be causing her continued problems; what testing has been performed; and, what options are still available.  A specialist consultation could also be discussed at this time.  Once you have all of this information, then you can make an informed decision whether your Mother-in-law is receiving the care she needs, or if the time has come to find another physician.

 

Best wishes.

 

Martin Cane, M.D.

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By Rick4036— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 07/20/08