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I’ve found that I easily find better, faster, and more accurate information just googling my issues than seeing a doctor. Basically every sickness or illness known to man is searchable on the internet. Not only that, but there are forums where people who have had similar issues who can share their advice. The only time I do see a doctor is when I need medication, and then I go in already knowing what is wrong with me and basically telling him what I need. A few times I even had to correct a doctor about an ADD medication because it wasn’t a medication primarily used. But he still should have known.
and when you have complications from self diagnosing come back and tell us. What you are saying is the reason so many should not depend on the net. It is fine to do research after you have been diagnosed so you can better understand your ailment. I am sure glad I am not your doctor, I think I would have dismissed you as a patient. And while we are on the subject, where did you get your medical degree? if you can advise the doctor on how to treat you, it only makes sense you have medical background or maybe you are my brother, he soulds about like you.
I haven't read through this whole thread to see if anyone has suggested this, but WebMD Symptom Checker is a good site to use, better than just googling random sites.
I’ve found that I easily find better, faster, and more accurate information just googling my issues than seeing a doctor. Basically every sickness or illness known to man is searchable on the internet. Not only that, but there are forums where people who have had similar issues who can share their advice. The only time I do see a doctor is when I need medication, and then I go in already knowing what is wrong with me and basically telling him what I need. A few times I even had to correct a doctor about an ADD medication because it wasn’t a medication primarily used. But he still should have known.
You do that. Your family will remember you for your behavior, and hopefully have fond memories of you.
I have googled symptoms and such on Google (I'm sure we all have) however, if I believed everything Google said then I'd be in big trouble because it has said that I've had cancer, heart disease, etc. Basically I'd already be dead! LOL
Google is good to check some health concerns, but definitely is not a substitute for a real doctor.
Problem is, people react differently to different medications. I used to go to a doctor when my back was out. I knew exactly which muscle relaxers worked on me. I would tell him what meds I needed. He told me, you know you are prescribing for yourself. I answered, but I know what works for me. He was a good enough doctor to go along with my choices.
On my last visit to him he told me he had just taken a treadmill stress test and got a clean bill of health. A few days later he died of a massive heart attack. He was the second person in my acquaintance who died of a heart attack within a couple of days of passing a treadmill stress test. Based on that I never agreed to take one. If a doctor acts like he knows everything and won't listen to your ideas or answer your questions, get another doctor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kitty61
If I haven't put in a day in doctor school I wouldn't be self-diagnosing. Telling a doctor what to or not to prescribe is like telling him his 8 years in University was a waste of money.
I guess you are on a slippery slope.
Problem is, people react differently to different medications. I used to go to a doctor when my back was out. I knew exactly which muscle relaxers worked on me. I would tell him what meds I needed. He told me, you know you are prescribing for yourself. I answered, but I know what works for me. He was a good enough doctor to go along with my choices.
On my last visit to him he told me he had just taken a treadmill stress test and got a clean bill of health. A few days later he died of a massive heart attack. He was the second person in my acquaintance who died of a heart attack within a couple of days of passing a treadmill stress test. Based on that I never agreed to take one. If a doctor acts like he knows everything and won't listen to your ideas or answer your questions, get another doctor.
I hope you mean you refused to take one because you question the tests reliability as a diagnostic tool, not because you believe walking on a treadmill will kill you two days later.
I agree with you that doctors should always listen to their patients. That’s one of the best diagnostic tools at their disposal.
I learned the hard way not to trust Google or any other search engine.
Routine blood tests showed anemia without an apparent cause. My PCP scheduled an appt with a hematologist, who also happens to be an oncologist.
Not knowing anything more than the information I just gave in the previous paragraph, I started online research. Oh no, it's cancer. No, it's not cancer, it's something else equally deadly. Oh wait, maybe it isn't cancer after all. But this page says it is. Oh God.
I spent an entire weekend obsessively Googling, miserable, certain I was about to die.
I talked to my doctor on Monday, who told me (gently) there are hundreds of possible causes for anemia. He understood I was scared out of my wits and that it was self-inflicted. The hematologist did a physical exam, checked my lymph nodes and said, "I really don't think this is what it is but I'm ordering bloodwork to check for multiple myeloma. I think what it really is is that you were sick and even more anemic but now you're bouncing back. I think your hemoglobin will return to normal in a couple of weeks."
She was right. I put myself through Hell over nothing.
I use web searches as an adjunct. If some issue comes up I may Google the symptoms to review the basic anatomy and physiology in order to narrow down what it PROBABLY ISN'T, and use it to create a list of the more important questions to ask my GP. Then after the appointment I go back online to educate myself about test results or suggested treatments. Check for home care and alternatives to what was suggested. Guess I view my healthcare as a partnership. It's up to both partners to bring something to the table in order to reach a result. Can't claim Dr. Google was right all the time, nor was it wrong. But then I have to remember that I have a biology-focused education, so much of what I read can be dismissed quite quickly as targeted baloney.
Web sites for medical issues are notoriously incorrect.
Use at your own peril.
well Ive seen doctors look up sites while Im in their office..
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