Johns Hopkins | Arthritis Information

I am think of going for a second opinion about my arthritis. My family doctor thought it would be a good idea.

I don't want my rheumy to know.

Can I go without records and get a new work-up?

Also if anyone has been there could you give the name of a rheumy that you dealt and with and perhaps a bit of information.

I don't want to burn any bridges with my current doctor at this point.

Thanks a lot.

I would think that your medical history is very important. What if the new doc wants to prescribe something you've already tried and have found doesn't work? Your blood tests may show misleading information that the new doc may misinterpret; since he has no other info to go on.

I too am looking for a new RA doc; but I want her to know that she is giving me substandard care. Perhaps it will make her aware that I am unhappy with her in a way that words have failed to do so far.

I really appreciate your reply. I can give lots of oral information and my rd has sent reports to my family doctor after every visit, so I think I can access those.

There are not many rheumatologists in this area and I need to know if she is doing all that she can do, she very well may be.

Although a physician shouldn't be offended by a request for a second opinion, I think some of them are.

Again, I really appreciate your response.

Dotty, first off your RD shouldn't be offended if you wanted a second opinion and if they were, I'd look for another RD. Access the John Hopkins site and go to the rheumatoid arthritis site and you should be able to get all the information you need. Do you live close to Baltimore? If you do, then your primary care doctor may be able to help you with a referral, they may know someone at JH. That area of Md and DC have some great RDs. LindyI live about 3 hours from Baltimore, Lin B, so I could oerhaps even have a doctor from that area as my RD.

My family physician is fairly new to me, although she mentioned Johns Hopkins, she didn't mention giving me a referral.

Thanks for your input.

They charge an arm and a leg for you to see them,they act like gods and you are afraid you may hurt his feelings? Whats wrong with you?Dhttp://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/anemia/anemia_all.html

Dotty, let us know if you decide to go to JH and how the appt. went. Also the above link is to NIH's site for anemia. It's worth a read because it also talks about the right diet when your anemica. It's an easy site to read, lots of info and it's from a reliable source of info. Lindy

LinB2011-04-04 13:20:20

I'll let you know. Thanks fot the link. By the way my RD was at NIH. That really impressed me.

Hi Dotty, got my posts mixed up. The anemia site at NIH is for another post.....just ignore it and I'll put on other post.

If your family dr is willing to send records, you should be ok. When I started having the cardiac/lung issues, my rheumy referred me for a second opinion. He wanted either Duke or Hopkins(Harvard was another option, but way to far away!). These facilities are top notch and leading research facilities. Being well known brings alot of referrals. You may have to wait months, so if this is something you want to do, the sooner you can get the referral the better.

It would be best if your current RD can talk to the new one. I'm assuming your health is declining, and you don't want to do anything that might hinder an accurate diagnosis. Is your family dr frustrated at how things are going? I know at the bigger university hospitals, they get hundreds of referrals a week. Many of them have a review board that meets weekly and they decide who to see and when. Having your current RD argue your case and your need to be seen might speed up the process.

When you are able to have an appointment, I hope they can give you the answers you need. I have been so incredibly impressed with Duke and the quality of the drs I have down there. I hate driving close to 3hrs for appointments, but it has been so worth it. Luckily the Drs down there are willing to email and exchange cell#s with the drs up here. Obviousy for acute problems, I'm not going to get in the car and drive.

Regardless, it does sound like you need a new rd. Unfortunately, this is a dr that you will be seeing for years. You need to be able to trust the dr and have a good working relationship. You deserve to feel as healthy as possible.

I am so pleased that you would respond to my post. I have read your posts and am aware of your issues and i'm truly impressed with your courage.

Actually, my health isn't really declining. I have an issue with my feet that is ongoing and I can't seem to get any answers.

So, I think it's time to move on.

As I was leaving she said the small amount of prednisone I'm willing to take may not be effective as my disease is progressing.

I didn't say anything, but in retrospect, i wasn't really aware of that and should have asked some questions.

If it's progressing, it seems like that should be addressed.

Thanks again for yor your response.

Dotty I totally understand where you are coming from. When I was going to change doctors, I really didn't want the new one to see the old records. My thinking was that I wanted him to have an unbias opinion on what he thought was wrong. If they both agreed, no problem I would get all the records he wanted but if the didn't, I wanted him to look and see what he thought might be wrong and not go by someone else's treatment plan. Like you, I was scared and didn't want to burn bridges in case I had to stay with my old RD for awhile longer. Ended up not needing to contact my old doctor because I had kept really good records on my on. In the end, I did let my old rhemmy know I would not be coming back and why. I send the best wishes to your on this journey and hope you find answers...
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