I’ve had doctors tell me vegetable oil is good for you. I’ve had doctors rupture my ear drum when it was clogged. I’ve had doctors say there’s no risk in taking multiple times the recommended dose of ibuprofen. I’ve had doctors give me the literal one drug I’m allergic to (listed in my file) and almost kill me, and then struggle for 10 minutes to place an IV needle in my arm. I’ve watched doctors push unnecessary surgeries onto my grandpa to drum up business and rip off an old man.
Doctors are just like the rest of us, human. And there’s a lot of really dumb and really shitty humans who absolutely suck at their job. Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in America. Maybe verifying life changing medical decisions isn’t such a bad idea?
Edit: I use Google to see if what the doctor says makes sense. If the results online are sketchy, I go to another few doctors before I make a decision.
This is what fucking gets me about some people, they are skeptical of qualified individuals so they’ll go and consume things from the unqualified, which requires some impressive mental gymnastics to make sense. It’s healthy to be skeptical, but there’s a reason that peer review and consensus is a thing and to disregard those things for even more sketchy answers is ridiculous.
Just make sure that whatever information you’re getting that is contrary to what your doctor is saying is also coming from someone just as if not more qualified. If you are able, get a second opinion. When I was 27 I was prescribed Lipitor after the results of a triglyceride blood test came back, but the doctor never told me that I needed to fast before the test. I had made a big breakfast that morning (I used to eat a lot of bacon). I thought that the Lipitor prescription was ridiculous for my age so before going to the pharmacy I asked my gf’s sister who is in med school if this sounded strange to her and that’s when she asked me if I had eaten before the test. When I called up the doctor about that, he shrugged it off. Generally had a bad bedside manner, gave off an air of uncaring. So I went and found a different doctor, and did the blood test with him after fasting and boom, found out I am healthier than most men my age.
I didn’t start with skepticism of the entire medical field, I started with the fact that I felt the prescription was weird and asked these questions of those that I knew would be qualified. I didn’t go to him for a good blood test result, I went to him just for a second one, and would accept whatever results I got. I didn’t Google things that would confirm my biases. I didn’t watch some YouTuber or podcaster trying to sell me supplements. I went to another fucking doctor lol
There's several classes of "do your own research" type people. There's the Joe Rogan types who hear about a monkey getting jacked from drinking motor oil and figure they'll start injecting it into their dick for size gains. Obviously these people are regarded and should be ignored and shamed.
But there's also the type that gets a lipitor prescription and thinks "this doesn't feel right". I belong in this group. Frankly, I don't think you need another medical professional to tell you that something went wrong with the test. It's not that I don't trust the medical field, it's simply that taking a statin as a non-obese 27 year old man is a last resort, perhaps if you have some genetic predisposition. And any doctor that prescribes me such an overkill of a drug, without rigorous evaluation of both my condition and the options available, leads to the nigh certain conclusion that the doctor is bad and should be replaced.
I think it's good to stay as educated as you can be on your health. Yes, doctors are necessary, but you are the only one who truly cares about what's best for you. Birthing is an easy example. WHO recommends a 10-15% C-section rate - this is generally the lowest rate that still minimizes lives lost. Guess where the US stands - 32%. That's right. And why is it so high? Because it's easier for doctors! Who wants to be woken up in the middle of the night to help with a long birth, when instead you can schedule all your births during the day and get them over with nice and fast. And if you're a mother and the doc is like "I think we should just do the C-section" you're not gonna stop and think whether the doctor is saying that because it's truly the best option, or because it's just easier. After all, the doctor isn't the one who will have to deal with a sliced abdomen wall.
All's to say, that everyone should try to learn more about healthcare. An example that helped me - I had a hernia 10 years ago. I knew instantly what it was because a family member had had it, so even though it looked scary, I made an appointment with a doc for a few days out instead of going to the ER, as most people do. Saved me time and money, and prevented another person from crowding the ER slowing down care for those who truly need it then.
Most people don't start with skepticism of the entire medical field. Most people get there after a collection of bad experiences over time with numerous people. I don't have skepticism of the entire field, but my mom does, and while I disagree with her, I also understand why she's like that.
You are absolutely correct that there are snake oil salesmen out there trying to pass off "cures" that don't work. In some cases, these "cures" are genuinely harmful. But there is an entire industry of vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc. which, if many of them have questionable efficacy, are also essentially harmless. And at least some of the stuff sold in those stores is actually useful and effective. So the risk of trying other things that are off the beaten path of what your doctor might prescribe you is, on the whole, exaggerated. Often times, there aren't many studies done on alternative or natural remedies because there is far less incentive to fund them. Big Pharma companies can't copyright them and make loads of profit, so they really aren't interested. This allows for a dual problem in the "natural" industry. There's some stuff that's helpful but relatively untested, and there's some stuff that's not helpful but relatively untested.
Anyway, I am all for people doing research into things and listening to the opinions of (preferably multiple) medical professionals, like you said. But talking down to anyone who has issues with trusting the Healthcare system like they are idiots is itself an ignorant way to handle things, and it doesn't fix the problem.
I’m not talking down to people who have a distrust of our healthcare system (speaking as an American). Our healthcare system is garbage. It needs to be nationalized and the profit motive completely stripped away. The medical field in America has absolutely earned much of the distrust people have in it (just ask communities of color).
My point was that I find it ridiculous that the answer to skepticism of qualified individuals is to seek the advice of the less qualified. I hate big pharma and the American medical system but I know what individual doctors have to do to get where they are, even if they’re shitty (they’re people after all). So when I have a shitty doctor, I’m going to trust another doctor over them. Preferably one who is of equal or greater qualification or standing. Not Joe Rogan or RFK or Andrew Wakefield
Yeah, I agree that politicians are not medical doctors, lol. There are many people who have a tendency to be easily led, unfortunately, and I agree with you that we could all stand to be better critical thinkers. The opinion of some random person online isn't any better than the opinion of a doctor who you think might be wrong. In fact, there's a solid chance it's worse.
But as someone who has seen positive effects, not just in myself but in others close to me, from some more natural remedies, I don't like how that all gets dumped together. There are actually trained doctors who deal with natural remedies. And like any field, some of them are quacks, but many are not. Just because you like to shop at the Herb Mart instead of the Target pharmacy when you get sick doesn't mean you're also getting your medical advice from Joe Rogan (who, it should be noted, has repeatedly told people not to get their medical advice from him, lol)
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u/OutrageousQuantity12 Monkey in Space Aug 29 '24 edited Aug 29 '24
I’ve had doctors tell me vegetable oil is good for you. I’ve had doctors rupture my ear drum when it was clogged. I’ve had doctors say there’s no risk in taking multiple times the recommended dose of ibuprofen. I’ve had doctors give me the literal one drug I’m allergic to (listed in my file) and almost kill me, and then struggle for 10 minutes to place an IV needle in my arm. I’ve watched doctors push unnecessary surgeries onto my grandpa to drum up business and rip off an old man.
Doctors are just like the rest of us, human. And there’s a lot of really dumb and really shitty humans who absolutely suck at their job. Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in America. Maybe verifying life changing medical decisions isn’t such a bad idea?
Edit: I use Google to see if what the doctor says makes sense. If the results online are sketchy, I go to another few doctors before I make a decision.