BreezyFe

Hi all-

Some of you may know I'm going to see a cardiologist next week for occasional flutters. I received the new patient info form to fill out & bring with me.

Well you guessed it-I'm stuck on patient social history.
Use of alcohol: Never, Rarely, Moderate, Daily...What kind? How much?

At first I checked off Moderate. Then I was thinking of checking off Daily as well and side noting~recovering alcoholic. Or I can check off all of them & side note recovering alcoholic.

So many scenarios come to mind. If I put down recovering alcoholic, someone will see it when they input my information. I can leave it at moderate, & not answer what kind? or how much? And when the Dr. comes in after my "treadmill" testing to review my results, I could mention being a recovering alcoholic.

My primary knows of my alcohol history. I'm just leery with this Dr. because he's in a group practice in a town I grew up in and I know that there's a person (I don' t know her) from my town that works there who gave a recommendation for this cardiologist in a community facebook page. I know about HIPPA but its some people's nature to gossip. I am proud of being sober now even at the very early stages, so I suppose I shouldn't really care.

I do want my Dr. to know my history even if the flutters are of no concern. Just don't know how to go about it.

Thanks in advance...

Rar

Are you drinking now? If not and there's a line to add something, I personally would put, "none, formerly daily" (that is if you drank daily). If it's none now, I don't see the point of adding a quantity.

BreezyFe

no-not drinking now. Quit in Jan. but had relapse in Feb. (tried to escape feelings of father's passing in Sept. & his b-day was in Feb). A moment of weakness.
Thanks for the suggestion Rar.

Snowydelrico

I didn’t want it on my record how much I drank in the past etc.Maybe through paranoia.
I was trying to get life insurance and this could have scuppered things.
Or increased premiums.

Maybe this post isn’t helpful

Sorry to hear about your fathers passing.

BlownOne

If it were me, I'd be 100% honest about it. Excessive alcohol consumption can create cardiac issues over time. Your physician will know well enough to keep his/her mouth shut about it. In most medical facilities, breach of HIPPA can result in termination, even on the first offense.

entropy1964

I don't know if I've ALWAYS been totally honest about my alcohol consumption.....I wasn't even honest with myself let alone my dr.

But I have been totally honest for the last decade at least. I usually say on the form that I don't drink (because I don't) but I let the dr know the 'conditions' during the apt....I have never had any backlash from this honesty. I think not being truthful would have much bigger implications.

tomsteve

i think you answered yourself on what to do:
I am proud of being sober now even at the very early stages, so I suppose I shouldn't really care.

i have no shame in people knowing i USED to drink.

when i was diagnosed with cancer about a year into recovery, i made sure my drinking history was on my charts. it may have been needed to know how to help me.

D122y

Breezy,

I agree with tom. If you think it will help your recovery, tell the dr.

I told my dr. that I don't drink. I was prescribed BP meds for non drinkers. This is additional motivation to not drink again.

He didn't ask me how much I used to drink. I didn't offer. I sometimes drank daily, but not that much. Sometimes I drank weekly. It just varied.

I didn't start to feel really bad until I tried to quit. It wasn't as much physical really, it was mental. The physical may have been bad as well, but since I waited to see a Dr. for over 2 years after I quit, things got better.

I was eating terribly initially, but working out all the time. My sodium intake was over 4k mg daily.

Now I keep it at normal levels.

I sleep better now as well. I bought a nice new bed with all the money I saved not drinking.

Thanks.

Dee74

I'd be honest. It may well have some bearing on your current situation.

D

Forward12

You for sure don't want to play games when it comes to your health, be completely honest. List what your previous drinking was (Heavy daily drinking if that's what it was) and for how long, and just site note you are now not drinking.