Questions to Ask Your Doctor

1. Is there a possibility the diagnosis is incorrect?  it does happen you know.
2. Are there any tests or additional tests available to confirm the diagnosis or to show the severity of the illness?
3. what organs of my body are involved and in what way?  will the damage to these organs be progressive?  if the damage will be progressive, be sure to ask the usual time course over which this occurs.  ask for drawings and such, also down to earth terms, to help you better understand what is going on with your disease and your body.
4. What other organs of my body can I expect to become involved as a consequence of this illness?
5. What are the possible ways I could have gotten this illness?
6. What are the possibilities of my passing this illness on to others, and in what ways?  should I worry about my family catching it?  what about sexual transmission?  how can I minimize the risk to others?
7. What complications am I at risk for and at what stage of the disease?
8. What symptoms or change in symptoms should I be concerned about?  you need to gain some perspective on you illness and not become obsessed with every little ache and pain or change in symptoms.   find out which symptoms are important, and which you need to watch out for.
9. Are there any organizations that can provide more information about my illness or help with the problems that result from my disease?   there may also be local support groups your doctor can direct you to.  he may also know of certain medical centers and research facilities who have compiled sources of information about your disease or who can inform you of new or experimental therapies.
10. What medications are available to control this disease?  do you ever conduct or can you refer me to someone who performs experimental or research trials?
11. What are the risks and benefits of taking this medication at this point in my illness?
12. If I am unable to tolerate this medications or if it is ineffective, are alternative therapies available?
13. How will I know if I am responding to treatments and how long will I need these treatments?
14. Is a transplant an alternative for me at this or a later stage of the illness, and would you recommend it?
15. Are there diet changes or other measures I can take to lessen the effects of the illness?
16. How frequently do I need to be seen by a doctor?
17. How do I contact you in an emergency?
18. Can I do any home monitoring of my illness that might reduce the need for office visits?
19. Will I be able to continue working?
20. Can I expect to have to take many sick days?
21. Will this illness affect my ability to obtain life or health insurance?
22. Ask questions about the specific hobbies, sports, family and social activities that the disease may have an effect on.
23. Will the drugs I am taking interact with other medications or impair my ability to have sex?
24. What are your recommendations regarding alcohol, smoking, aspirin/tylenol/motrin, other prescription or non-prescription drugs?
25. Will the illness or the treatment interfere with my ability to have children?
26. Will the disease or the treatment be disfiguring?  weight gain/loss, hair loss, etc.?
     

QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT TESTS AND PROCEDURES:

1. How will this test aid in the diagnosis or therapy of my illness?
2. Will I need to be hospitalized?
3. Will other tests need to be done, and if so what are these tests, and what do they involve?
4. Will I need other tests in the future, and will these tests need to be repeated?
5. Are there simpler or less risky ways to evaluate my symptoms?
6. What if no diagnosis is made, will you then simply observe me to see if the symptoms go away, or will you have to go as far as exploratory surgery?
7. Do I have any particular rick factors for any of the tests?
8. Will my insurance cover the costs of tests done either inside or outside the hospital?
9. Please explain to me exactly what you are going to do during this test before starting.
10. How long will these tests take?
11. Can I expect any unusual feelings, pain or sensations from these tests?
12. Can I get copies of these tests?
13. Will I need someone to drive me home after the procedure is over, or can I drive myself home?
14. What are the risks of this test, and how often do they happen?  am I at any risk having this test done?
15. Will I need to be seen after the tests are done?
16. Will you call me with the test results, or will I come back to the office to see you, and you will explain the results to me?
17. Are there special instructions to follow before or after this test?
18. How will I know if a complication is occurring?
19. What should I do if I experience a complication?
20. Are there any side effects I should be concerned about?
     

QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR MEDICATIONS

1. What types of drugs are used in this disease, and how do they work?

2. Why are you choosing these particular drugs for me?

3. What are the chances that the drugs I am receiving will cure me?

4. If the drugs do not cure my illness, what effect should I expect from them?

5. How long will I have to take this medication?

6. Can you give me a plan for what we will do if this treatment do not work?

7. What is the dosing interval, and what are the best days/best time of day to take this drug?

8. Are there any special instructions for taking the drugs?

9. Are there interactions with other drugs, food, sunlight, alcohol, etc?

10. What are the side effects of this drug, and how often will they occur?

11. What are the toxic effects?  be sure to clarify what the dangerous side effects are, how common they are, and if you are in a high-rick group and how to recognize it.

12. Is there a wide gap between toxic and therapeutic amounts of this drug?

13. If someone accidentally takes my drug, or accidentally take too much, what is the best course of action to take?

14. Can I take generic drugs?

15. Is there any other way to reduce the expense of taking this drug?  many medications are very expensive and are not covered under some insurance plans.  the cost may be a hardship on you.  many statess and pharmaceutical manufacturers have pharmacy assistance programs.  the manufacturers of interferon , Shering-Plough, have a program that can be reached by calling 1-800-822-7000.

16. What if I become pregnant while taking this drug?

17. Does this drug interfere with sex in any way?

18. Do the medications cause sterility?

19. Can the drug be stopped suddenly or doses missed without any ill effects?

20. What should I do if I suffer side-effects from this drug?
    

Our thanks to the National Hepatitis C Coalition providing this list