Meet Nurx NP Lindsey Plato-Johnson

At Nurx we love to introduce you to the amazing medical providers on the other side of your phone or computer screen. Even though you don’t communicate face-to-face, they give just as much (or more!) attention and care to your treatment and prescriptions as the providers you’ve seen in-person do. So we’re excited for you to meet Lindsey Plato-Johnson, a Nurse Practitioner who focuses primarily on migraine treatment and is also deeply experienced in care for sexual health and primary care. She received her BSN and MSN at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, a DNP (doctorate of nursing practice) at Chatham University and has a special certification in headache medicine from the National Headache Foundation.

When not caring for Nurx patients Lindsey is a busy working (and homeschooling!) mom living in Maryland with her husband, two kids and dog. Her favorite activities are spending time with family baking, hiking, biking, gardening, reading, and learning about new things. On top of all of that, she teaches in a graduate program as an adjunct professor. 

What do you like about providing migraine care?

Nothing makes my day more than hearing from a patient that they have their life back, or that they were able to achieve a special milestone (be it one week without a migraine, a month without a migraine, or a wedding day without a migraine). 

How long does it typically take patients to figure out the migraine treatment plan that works for them?

This really seems to vary. For some patients we find that magic formula with the first prescription and they go from having over 15 headaches per month down to less than 4 per month within just 6 weeks. With other patients, it takes a little more tinkering and a lot more patience. In either case – we are going to keep trying until we get it right! With Nurx, you get easy access to us to let us know what is working and what’s not working, so we can make quick changes in the treatment plan. 

How do you help patients figure out the right migraine treatment?

We assess their needs based on the symptoms they are experiencing, the number of headaches they have per month, what they have tried in the past, and what other conditions they might have. After taking these factors into consideration, we apply an evidence-based approach to tailor treatment to their needs. Our goal is to optimize their treatment as quickly as possible. 

What do you wish every patient knew about taking care of themselves? 

I wish patients knew that the best way to take care of themselves is to become active members in their care. Patients truly improve their health when they take an active role, ask questions and make changes in their lives. 

What health advice would you give your younger self if you could? 

Start tretinoin now – include your neck! 

What are some common health myths or misconceptions you hear?

A common misconception that I hear from patients is that they tried everything to treat migraines. But in the past few years, many new treatments have come out to treat and prevent migraines. Now is the best time to get your migraines under control. 

What’s something that people are often embarrassed about, but shouldn’t be?

Those of you with tweens and teens – talk to your kids about sex in a healthy sex-positive way! It is always a little awkward, but it is better to have those awkward conversations earlier than those harder conversations later. Don’t be embarrassed to ask your medical provider anything – really – we have lots of information and want to share it all with you! You really won’t shock us, I promise! 

What do you think patients worry too much about?

Patients worry way too much about gaining weight on medicine and birth control. In most cases, there is no weight gain on medicine, and when there is – it is really minimal. Don’t let the fear of gaining just a few pounds keep you from an effective treatment. There are many ways we can reduce the effect of weight gain. 

What do you think patients worry too little about?

Patients worry too little about STI (sexually transmitted infections) risk. The CDC recommends routine screening for STIs and many people mistakenly believe that symptoms will be present. In most cases, symptoms are not present, which is why screening is so important.  

What are the types of things patients tell you through Nurx that they are too scared or shy to tell an in-person provider?

I feel like the perceived anonymity of the computer and the lack of a “time limit” like you would have in primary care allows for people to express themselves more freely in telemedicine than they would in a brick and mortar office. I often hear from my patients that they are expressing the challenging impacts that stress is having on their lives right now. Whether it is due to the loss of a family member, or kids being quarantined, or working from home, or losing a job – there are a lot of stressors and I think sometimes people are afraid to give themselves some credit for having to deal with that. The reality is that stress plays a key role in our health outcomes, and it is important to at least acknowledge it so that we can start to address it. 

What do you wish more people knew about telemedicine?

I wish people knew that we are not robots. When you receive a response from me, it is actually from me, likely working in my home office, sipping on coffee while responding to patient messages. I take a lot of pride in being able to provide a personal touch. 

This blog pro­vides infor­ma­tion about telemed­i­cine, health and related sub­jects. The blog content and any linked materials herein are not intended to be, and should not be con­strued as a substitute for, med­ical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any reader or per­son with a med­ical con­cern should con­sult with an appropriately-licensed physi­cian or other healthcare provider. This blog is provided purely for informational purposes. The views expressed herein are not sponsored by and do not represent the opinions of Nurx™.