I have the hardest time with Doctors and Nurses

Yesterday I was in a lot of knee pain, as I have been for many weeks now , right one the most pain. I mentioned it to my cardiologist at my annual check up ..He said to take ibuprohen. He knows I had wls .I took 400 mg. of it , then started developing lock jaw on my right side of my mouth and I just happen to have a dental app.the same day. I could not open my mouth enough for the dentist to work on me. Nothing worked even trying to move it and stretch it hoping it would loosen up and open to be able to work in my mouth.. Well no luck. ok so I call the wls surgeons office to mention it to them ,  I was told it was ok to take nsaids as long as I monitor any stomach issues. Said in my pre op manual NOT to take nsaids post op.  Talk about confusion. I was so confused. All my doctors know by now about my wls. I try to trust that they know I am not to take nsaids after wls. I do remember one of the doctors telling me its ok to take nsaids just monitor any stomach issues. I have taken ibuprofen a few years ago with no problem same amount dosage.

I always get the feeling these doctors don't really know anything. I was in the ER last year when I had my heart attacks. 1 of them was when I was in the ER . I was given a nitro patch to open my arteries during my heart attack , that helped when I was out of severe pain I was given some grapefruit with some other fruits in a dish. I started eating all of it then went into another immediate full blown heart attack all while I was hooked up to IV and heart monitor machine. I was screaming so loud, anyway they had me on the highest mg. of nitro through my IV .. after finally getting it all under control I was able to relax and had my 9th stent put in. to make a long story short. I had filed a complaint with the hospital. Actually the staff had called me asking me about my hospital stay and I told them I was given grapefruit in my room, and went into a full blown heart attack. I didn't realize it at the time, your not to eat grapefruit while on certain medications. When I brought it up to the staff they totally denied that it was caused from eating grapefruit. I just wanted to scream, if I was in any condition to do so.Oh the things doctors won't tell you. Another incident quickly to tell you, last year when I was at home in the middle of a heart attack, the EMT saw me screaming on the sofa in pain in my chest. the Lady EMT thought I was faking my heart attack. Geeez the **** I went through and still go through.I love surgeons but hate doctors. I know ,I know its doctors that do surgeons. I Observe my body closely every day with everything I eat and do. My mouth is starting to loosen up a little today. I am my own doctor, the pay is lousy but I can't and will never take another nsaid. PeaceV Wendy

I never heard or seen any documentation that show that grapefruit interacts with Nitroglycerine.  were are any new recent study that show that? can you send me a link? 

I know that grapefruit can change how our body  process some medications...but not with ALL of them... I never seen any study that indicated Nitro is one of these meds.  

I would only take a NSAID if there was no other option.  My doctor treats my joint pain with steroids when needed.

Do you believe the heart attack was caused by eating grapefruit, or that it was just a coincidence that you were eating grapefruit when the heart attack got worse? 

There are medicines that you should not consume grapefruit juice with, but nitroglycerine is not one of those medicines (to my knowledge). 

Is it possible that the lockjaw was due to needing dental work?  The NSAID should have relieved lockjaw, not caused it. 

It's long been said that "A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient" likewise, a patient who acts as her own physician has a fool as her patient....  

You are your own best advocate for your health, BUT expecting a cardiologist to give you anything but common sense advice for knee pain is out of line....  

Like prior responses, I know of no studies contraindicating grapefruit with nitro.....neither cause or prevent heart attacks alone or in combination.  

Screaming also is not indicative of heart attacks....years in health care taught me that it's the quiet patients are the truly ill.

i would agree that it's important to avoid NSAIDs to protect our pouches, but just mentioning the fact that you do not take NSAIDs is enough.  Physicians are not experts in every field of medicine and charts quickly get very thick when you have multiple chronic conditions--plus their time with each patient gets shortened every day by payors....so you must be your own advocate....not your own physician.  

Don't be a fool.

Well said.

Lora

I can't say it better than naytapp.  Screaming is not normally an indication of a heart attack, largely because most heart attack victims don't have the breath to scream. So I can understand the paramedic.