Doubting my Doctor

[Guest guest]

I really like my rheumatologist, but there's something that's been

bothering me, and affecting my trust a little. When I first went to

see her, I told her I had dry eyes. She gave me a sample pack of

Salagen and encouraged me to try it. This was at the end of our visit

and she was in a hurry, so we didn't talk much about it. When I got

home, I read the literature, and while a lot of the info. described

Salagen's effectiveness in relieving dry mouth (which I don't have),

it said absolutely nothing about dry eyes. With the new meds I'm on,

the idea of taking another pill was not appealing. And, my eyes are

not a huge problem; using drops keeps me comfortable and has become

second nature.

When I had my next visit with the rheumy, we talked a little about

dry eyes. Clearly, she had no notes in the chart about giving me the

Salagen sample. She said it was good I could manage with the drops,

because " there are meds that can treat it systemically, but you don't

want to take them unless you absolutely have to. "

Anybody else have experiences where you get conflicting info. from a

doctor you like?

Sierra