I’m mixed on this. My primary care internist and his nurse practitioner know my mental illness and all my prescriptions, but I generally don’t tell specialists or dentists about my AP medication or my illness.
I just don’t bother with specialists like eye doctors and so on, or my dentist. I think it’s likely that they would dismiss my symptoms or think I’m a hypochondriac if I did disclose. I’d probably tell a neurologist or if I was in a hospital for any reason, but most of the time I don’t think it’s relevant so I don’t disclose.
When I used to give blood, I’d disclose and it tended to be a nightmare. They’d ask stuff like so you’re on this medication, and? And I’d be “and what?.. I’m fine.” Are you sure? “umm… yeah, I said I’m fine.” I mean what did they expect me to do, give them a run down of my side-effects or tell them my life’s story? I should have said something like, “I’m fine, I just bleed from my eyeballs, and pee fire.”
My doctors and dentists know. I have been seeing them for years but it never comes up and they treat me just like any other patient. My dentist knows I’m on Medicaid and that I have a limited income and takes huge amounts of of my dental bills. But my family has been seeing him since I was in seventh grade! I was referred to to a kidney specialist in our county hospital about 6 years ago. I saw him once and after he examined me he said, “Oh, I see you have paranoid schizophrenia.
How are you doing with that”? We talked briefly about it. He was real friendly. But I still have no desire to disclose to anyone who doesn’t have to know.
My GP knows as I get my repeat scripts from him. I will mention what medication I’m on to pharmacists mainly for any conflicts of medication to over the counter medications. . Not that’s ever helped me. Other doctors only if they ask. Mostly I just keep it to what medication I’m on though.