# Shouldn't we be able to trust our doctors?



## Saoirse (Mar 16, 2010)

I went to dinner with a good friend of mine tonight and we got on the subject of the doctors and medication.

A few years ago, she went to her doctor with a few problems. She was active and ate well but gained weight super easy and was not able to lose any. She did a few rounds of a hardcore acne treatment but still had acne and there were a few other things bothering her as well. Her doctor immediately told her it was in her head and put on a depression medication. Pretty soon afterward, my friend switched doctors. Her new doctor took one look at her list of symptoms and said she was having problems with her thyroid. They ran tests and got her on a new medication and now she's doing great.

What the hell? Why would a doctor just put her on a random medication without running some tests?

Also- why are doctors so quick to put people on meds? My friend said that for a while in college, she was up to 12 pills a day! Why are people so dependent on medication without even considering more natural approaches? Another friend was having mild anxiety issues, but instead of jumping on an anxiety med, she decided to try other ways. She goes to therapy, is trying yoga and other things.

Im not saying that chemical meds can't be helpful and they truly do benefit some people, but doctors seem to just hand them out!

end rant.


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## moore2me (Mar 22, 2010)

Saoirse,

It's like the saying . . . Trust in Allah, but tie down your camel.

Let me say that I prefer to go into a doctor's office having done some research on what my problem is (or what I think it is). If multiple visits are involved, I research what the doc has told me and will also read the toxicological info on the medications (if any) I am prescribed. I have had some adverse reactions to medicines and a couple of them were life threatening. One reaction was so rare that only by accidentally reading about it in the manufacturer's literature was I able to know what was happening. (And, no it was not something that could have been created by the power of suggestion.) I think we should bear the responsibility of being an educated consumer.

And think of doctors like you do people who get drivers' licenses. Most drivers are good. There are a few who have problems. Some drivers have trouble when they are compromised by mental or physical problems. Medicine is a field that moves very fast. It takes a nimble mind to keep up with innovations. Not all doctors were at the top of their class. Some were just average. Some had to work really hard to just pass. Just keeping up with one field (say diabetes) takes dedication for even a smart doctor.

Then there are other problems that could distract the doctor's concentration. Can you imagine how hard it is keeping up with surgery skills as you age and your hands start to hurt? How about fighting the temptation to take pain medicine when your back hurts or when your legs are sore from standing all day? What happens when you are afraid of catching the dangerous influenza that is going around or don't want to bring it home to your family? What happens when you have a new baby at home and you have been up all night? My doctors also have to work on call rotations at night - so some days they have had no sleep the night before.

I have listed just a few of the things that can short circuit your 15 minutes with the doctor. There are others too. It's not that the doctors are bad most of the time (exceptions do exist ie. Mengele), it's that conditions sometimes are subpar or not good for doctor/patient interaction. Or, the doctor is better suited for another branch of medicine (Medical Examiner?)


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## Dr. Feelgood (Mar 24, 2010)

Everything Moore said. :bow: Plus, doctors and nurses seldom see people at their best: they see people who don't feel well, who feel needy, who want a piece of them...and I suspect that can get to you after a while, even if you're a saint. OTOH, if you can keep in mind that (1) this doctor is a person, (2) he/she wants things to go smoothly, (3) he/she wants to be appreciated, at some level, and (4) what can I do to smooth things over and make this interview easy/pleasant for him/her? you can be the patient that he/she looks forward to seeing and perhaps takes a little extra interest in.


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