I try not to contact/interact with my "primary care" Dr. The medications I am on for TN and chronic migraines are just too complex for their practice and all I do is make them nervous. I am a graduate student, so I am supposed to use Health Services on campus (according to my insurance). Luckily I have my Neurologist down in Boston who seems much more competent.
Sometimes, like yesterday for example, I feel compelled to contact my University's Health Services. Why?! I am going to blame the medications for that little lapse in judgement. So I have got this kinda rash thing potentially from Tegretol (the newest medication to the bunch). It was behaving like a typical allergic reaction, pretty mild, appearing and disappearing, changing locations, generally itchiness. But of course there is the worrier in the back of my brain saying "How does SJS start?!" This wasn't exactly the first time this reaction had occurred since starting the Tegretol two weeks ago, it had occurred two times before, but usually went away after about two hours. But I was feeling annoyingly itchy. I may have made the bad choice of paging my neurologist on a Sunday. It doesn't matter anyhow, because she never responded.
After several hours of wondering can I take Benadryl with this mix of meds, will all the drowsiness from all the meds combined make me stop breathing (so I worry a little, sue me), I decide to just call my school's Health services which is oddly open on Sundays.
I speak with a nurse who diligently asks about all medications I am on, why I am on the medications and what my symptoms are. She sounded like TN made sense to her. She tells me she is going to have to talk to a Dr. on staff and the pharmacy and call me right back.
4 hours later I get a call back from Health Services, and irritated that they took so long just let it go to voicemail.
"Hi LGHiker, I talked to a clinician here and they aren't really comfortable telling you anything based on the medications you are on. We aren't sure what medication is causing a rash, we suggest calling your prescribing psychiatrist. Talk to your psychiatrist, and if it gets worse you can go to the ER. Sorry we couldn't help you. If you need us tomorrow, we are open at 7:30. Bye."
Psychiatrist? We can't help you but call us tomorrow if you need us? Ohhhhhh Health Services.