3 /5 Catherine Partheniades: I came into CitiMD with severe flu-like symptoms. I had a fever but took Tylenol before leaving, along with Sudafed to help me breathe a little. My biggest struggle was a persistent, painful cough that wasn’t improving.
I saw the PA, who was pleasant, listened to my symptoms, and ran some tests. He confirmed it was the flu, and then the doctor came in. Instead of offering real treatment options, he just told me to rest and drink fluids—which I had already been doing for days. That’s exactly why I came in: because home remedies weren’t enough, and I needed real medical help.
I tried to explain how bad my throat hurt, the pain in my chest, and how I was coughing up green phlegm, but the doctor didn’t seem interested. He barely acknowledged my concerns and just repeated the same generic advice: “warm fluids.” Again, I had already been doing that. Clearly, he didn’t want to listen.
When I asked how I was supposed to rest when I couldn’t sleep due to nonstop coughing, he prescribed a basic cough suppressant (just one level above OTC) and an inhaler. But my cough is productive, not asthma-related, so the inhaler made it worse. I still can’t breathe deeply without triggering intense coughing, and despite the medication, I’m still coughing up green phlegm.
Yes, I know I have the flu, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have something else going on too. The doctor dismissed my concerns instead of truly evaluating my symptoms. Telling me I’d “be fine by tomorrow” was not only unrealistic but also dismissive of what I was experiencing.
I probably won’t return to this location, and if I have to, I definitely won’t see this doctor again. I want to work with medical professionals who actually listen to their patients rather than brushing them off. The front desk was very pleasant and PATIENT with me as I struggled in between coughing attacks so i was appreciative of that. But the quality of medical care wasn’t up to my standards.
