(no subject)

[transformergeek.livejournal.com]

Bad frickin' cold.

Need doctor.

Who do I see?

Comments

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I've had really good experiences at the Harvard Vanguard on Holland. My Primary is Dr. Eleanor Hobbs, whom I like lots. I've also heard good things about the other 4 or 5 doctors there, except for Dr. Black, whom I've been told to avoid at all costs. But, I do highly recommend it, if you're able to get in and your insurance is accepted.

Here's the website:
http://www.harvardvanguard.org/locs/loc1.asp?ofc=Somerville

re: Dr. Black

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Really? I quite like him. What anti-recommendations have you had?

Re: Dr. Black

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I've heard that he's generally unresponsive, and unwilling to listen to patients. This comes from one friend ... I guess he didn't take her back problems seriously, and she ended up having major surgery, lots of shots, etc. etc. But, I have only heard this from one person, so it could indeed be an isolated case.

Re: Dr. Black

[dirty-devlin.livejournal.com]

I just made him my PCP and had my first appointment with him a few weeks ago. Funny that he was unresponsive to your friend, 'cause the one thing I liked most about him was that he was very attentive.

Re: Dr. Black

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that ... hopefully, it was an isolated case!

Re: Dr. Black

[siderea]

I had my second annual check-up with him in August, and I kinda have mixed feelings about him. He's definitely attentive, but I have to confess he hasn't actually been very helpful. Some of his responses to my questions have been pretty feeble.

I've been too lazy to change, but I'm thinking maybe I should get off my butt and do that.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

To go off topic a bit, what do you expect a doctor to be able to do for your cold? If it's just a cold they're not going to give you antibiotics, so you're spending a lot of money to be told to take decongestants and get plenty of rest and fluids.

(If you think it has developed into an infection such as bronchitis that's a different story.)

[transformergeek.livejournal.com]

I don't know what's going on with mt body, but it's been going on for eight fucking days. I can't fucking sleep, and I'm just going crazy. I also can't afford to take any more time off work. I've been doing the above, and I still feel like ass. I definitely think it's spawned into something terrible.

[marphod.livejournal.com]

There's actually now an anti-viral that some doctors prescribe, at the beginning of a viral infection (cold or flu). OTOH, IIRC, you need to start to take it within 48 hours of getting sick, which means it isn't likely to help, as by the time you notice your sick and get an appointment for the next day, its too late.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Some of them *will( give antibiotics, which is worse :/.

[dmcgettrick.livejournal.com]

Tank up on Vitamin C, Dayquil, Nyquil, Airborne and fluids.

[marphod.livejournal.com]

Zicam (Zinc spray) actually has a number of studies that show it reduces the length and severity of colds. Which is better than Vitamin C. Also, Eccinacea is commonly used.

[davis-denizen.livejournal.com]

Despite what Linus Pauling would have had you believe, Vitamin C has no effect on colds. Echinacea has also no effect. Regarding zinc, I would be curious what studies have shown this. There were "studies" showing cold fusion, but they were shown to be flawed.

[liza.livejournal.com]

Zinc and vitamin C, when taken at the start of symptoms, appear to reduce the duration of colds. Cedars-Sinai review of the literature: http://healthinfo.cedars-sinai.edu/library/healthguide/en-us/Cam/topic.asp?hwid=hn-1192004

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

WRT the zinc studies, most have attributed the effects to nothing more than placebo effect. But, hey, if you feel better, even if for no real scientific reason, so be it!

[dmcgettrick.livejournal.com]

Studies have also shown that Zicam causes loss of smelling and taste. So I guess it'll work great on getting rid of your cold and 2 of your senses...

[beezy515.livejournal.com]

I read up on Zicam and anosmia because of your post. It's quite disturbing. I have been a faithful Zicam user for the past few years, but I'm now having second thoughts.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Airborne is vitamin C, just a lot more way to take it.

[ravenword.livejournal.com]

Re: zinc, I suck on the Cold-Eeze lozenges when I'm sick. Mm, honey lemon flavor.

I go to Somerville Family Practice on Broadway. They take my insurance and are a 2-minute walk from my house, so everybody wins. Plus, the nurse practitioner I've seen there (Yael Myers) is really nice, and they actually got me a 9:45 appointment today when I called this morning at 8:30 to say I had pinkeye. Ugh, pinkeye.

Hope you feel better. My roommate's cold turned into walking pneumonia. :(