Never visit your doctor alone. It is strongly suggested that you always visit you doctor with a family member or a very good friend. Never be in the examining room alone with the doctor. This will not only keep the doctor honest - but to aid you in terms of memory. One of the first things that it is recommended that you do is to begin and maintain a medical journal or diary. In this diary or journal you should note your daily medications, descriptions and summaries of your doctor visits, descriptions of the symptoms of your disease and some record of their frequency and intensity, and other such manifestations of the disease.
These notes will help both you and your doctor - as well as provide good information to your family or support group. In this way - it is possible to track the progress of your disease and the effectiveness of treatments. Every patient that contracts a neuropathic disease should attend an orientation and learn not only the material that is being alluded to here but to learn to begin and keep your most important diary-journal. Further - there should be strategies for dealing with difficult doctors and guidelines for dealing with workman's compensation and insurance issues.
MEDICATION
Knowing that proper and sufficient medication is an absolute requirement for the treatment of any neuropathic disease - demands that you become conversant with the major varieties of available medications. To learn the functionality of hydrocodone-bases versus oxycodone-based medications and to learn of the side effects and the benefits and liabilities of each category. To learn of the mixtures that are available - as in some hydrocodone medications - there is acetaminophen. It is important to know that most drugs such as aspirin and acetaminophen - are called NSAIDs - Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs. It is important to know that there are undersirable side effects that directly affect neuropathic pain. NSAIDs shut-down the production of COX-1 and enhance the production of COX-2. This is most undesirable for pain control. Thus - NSAIDS actually tend to increase your pain - and not relieve it at all.
