4 ms·
I have hypertension, as well as diabetes. I wanted my cardiologist to test me for hyperaldosteronism, because I had read it was not uncommon and could be a fact
by bradknowles 3y ago
I have hypertension, as well as diabetes. I wanted my cardiologist to test me for hyperaldosteronism, because I had read it was not uncommon and could be a factor in hypertension that continues to get worse and worse, without an obvious explanation. He refused, saying that it was the job of my endocrinologist to do that test.
So, I talked to my endocrinologist and he said it wasn't a normal test they do, but he was happy to do it if I wanted it. Well, the test came back positive. So they sent me in for a CAT scan of my adrenal glands to see if anything was obviously abnormal there. Which came back negative. So, now they want me to do a salt test to see how bad my hyperaldosteronism is, so that they can give me the right amount of the drug for that condition.
But the key thing that set me off was that original article that said this was now recommended by cardiologists as a standard screening test. Maybe only 10% of patients have this problem, but it's common enough that it's still worthwhile screening for.
So, why didn't my cardiologist screen me for it in the first place? Why didn't my endocrinologist screen me for it without me having to explicitly request it?
I'm pissed.
I don't want to sue anyone for malpractice, or even mention that word to any of my doctors. But I do want to convince them that they really do need to screen for this condition.
Meanwhile, I'm going to continue to follow this diagnosis to see where it goes, and if they can help me get my blood pressure under better control.
- corethree 3y agoYou don't know how these doctors view you. They view you as a "non-expert" as one commenter put it. Basically you're stupid to them and your thoughts are pointless. The only way to convince them is to sue. But there's nothing worth suing here for, you got the test. You can only sue if damage was done, then the doctor would be responsible for blocking the test when you explicitly requested it.
- bradknowles 3y agoI need to find a doctor who can be a more active partner in helping me diagnose and address my problems. If you have any suggestions in the Austin area, please let me know.
- kelipso 3y agoBest bet would be make a lot of money and get a concierge doctor haha. Otherwise you're what, probably a 10 minute a month appointment to them and whatever happens to you, they can add it to their statistics.
- mda 3y agoIt seems they usually test for hyperaldosteronism if they see the obvious signs like low potassium levels. Maybe they did not observe this at the beginning?
- bradknowles 3y agoMy endocrinologist did mention that my potassium levels had tested out as normal. That is certainly true.