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Old 11-23-2014, 10:35 AM   #41
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Old 11-23-2014, 10:37 AM   #42
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I pay people for their expertise, to then ignore it, or say 'I am smarter, and I don't agree' just doesn't make since to me.
I pay for expertise too but with important medical stuff I am paying for access. Doctor's "expertise" over the past 20 yrs has been shown to be poor at best. Mostly it's just watching TV and telling me what the man on the commercial says: New disease, everybody has it. You need drugs. And always the lastest ad campaign.

Ultimately I will be BLAMED for being soley responsible for my health. Why on earth would I simply bend over for just another businessman who happens to be a doctor?

Ten yrs ago when I stopped lowering cholesterol and stopped getting aerobic exercise and in general stopped going to the doctors every time I had chest pain and shortness of breath My health improved. My expenses dropped massively. I will never recover the lost quality of life which for some reason I am not supposed to blame on the doctors. If I am paying for expertise it's supposed to be HIS fault. That's what it means.
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Old 11-23-2014, 10:43 AM   #43
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Basically, hiding our heads in the sand doesn't keep us from growing older and eventually dying. In order to achieve a good quality of life in old age we need to fight the health issues and negative effects of aging head on! IMO seeing a good and competent doctor regularly and following his instructions in every detail is a no-brainer as we get older.
I agree with this for the most part but, in practice, it can be difficult to decide on what constitutes a good and competent doctor. For example, many doctors are hell bent on statins and the approved clinical guidelines push them big time. I have decided for myself that I will not follow the guidelines which will likely push me onto statins based on age regardless of beneficial changes I have experienced due to life style changes. My current doctor actually agrees with me on this (and she shares the general approach that less is more) but I am not sure that I would reject a doctor who didn't as long as I found her to be knowledgeable and open to discussion. I currently have a monitor in my chest looking for for possible afib (my symptoms could be cause by intermittent afib and my brother definitely has it with similar symptoms). Based on my otherwise perfect heart health scores my current cardiologist would not yet put me on an anticoagulant if monitoring discloses that I have it but a few years down the line he would. Even on something that key, I plan to look very closely at the risks/benefits in discussion with the doc and make my own decision.
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Old 11-23-2014, 10:45 AM   #44
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It's important to be an active player in one's medical treatment.
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Old 11-23-2014, 11:02 AM   #45
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I agree with this for the most part but, in practice, it can be difficult to decide on what constitutes a good and competent doctor.
Well, if you don't have a competent doctor, then I think it's crucial to make the effort to find one. IMO none of us are brain dead and we can and should be able to decide on criteria by which to decide whether or not a doctor is competent.

For me, an outstanding US medical education and association with a major hospital are bit pluses, as are strong recommendations from other doctors I respect, strong recommendations from friends whose judgement I believe to be excellent, and my own observations and opinions during my first few visits to a doctor (and can we communicate well?) are all helpful.
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Old 11-23-2014, 11:26 AM   #46
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I had a physical two weeks ago. I brought up a couple of problems my doc has seen in patients hundreds of times in real life besides her education, continuing education, multiple board certifications, etc., etc., that I have seen only once in real life and a few dozen times on the Internet (I like to say I am webmd-certified). We discussed, she advised and prescribed, and problems are already resolved.

DH recently told his cardiologist he wanted to stop statins. Cardiologist explained in detail why he prescribed them but said do what you want, it's your body, we'll check in six months. DH changed urologists last summer when he was told to just live with getting up six times a night, recurring bladder infections, etc. New young urologist treated him surgically within a month. Completely changed DH's life.

I guess I don't understand wholesale doctor bashing. Go find a new doctor if you don't like or trust yours, or treat yourself if that's what you want to do, but no need to tar all the MDs out there with that brush.
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Old 11-23-2014, 11:31 AM   #47
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For me, an outstanding US medical education and association with a major hospital are bit pluses, as are strong recommendations from other doctors I respect,
I like recommendations from nurses. They see everything that goes on behind the curtain, and are less inclined to circle the wagons around a doctor or even a treatment of questionable value.
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Old 11-23-2014, 11:44 AM   #48
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3. If you don't trust your doctor, and you question his/her judgement, then you need a new doctor.
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Old 11-23-2014, 11:48 AM   #49
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Wow, great post!! I would add to it but I think you have covered everything I would have said, and then some.

Basically, hiding our heads in the sand doesn't keep us from growing older and eventually dying. In order to achieve a good quality of life in old age we need to fight the health issues and negative effects of aging head on! IMO seeing a good and competent doctor regularly and following his instructions in every detail is a no-brainer as we get older.
One thing I am not so sure about. Once my derm was bragging to me about how wonderful modern medicine is, and how we would all likely be dead if it weren't. I happen to come from a big family, and we always were close to the ancestors. Many of these people never once saw a doctor, unless perhaps for a fracture. If they survived childhood, made it past the post WW1 flu epidemic, didn't get shot in a war and didn't die in early adulthood from TB very many of them lived as long as people do today, and for all but a very short downtrend as they neared death they were healthy, fully competent adults. I can remember visiting "aunts and uncles" in their 90s. Of course women had the added risk of childbirth, which was meaningful but has little to do with pills.

So I think medicine is fine, but mostly oversold. I definitely would not want to get my old hip back, and that surgery is only 50-60 years old. And I sure am glad that when I needed surgery, anesthetic agents and expertise were highly developed. More than a few people had a leg amputated on a glass of whisky and "biting the bullet".

Ha
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Old 11-23-2014, 12:59 PM   #50
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I take the fifth. According to the labels it enhances the effect.
So funny.....
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Old 11-23-2014, 01:46 PM   #51
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I take a very lose-dose ACE inhibitor for my borderline HTN. I also take 2000 units of Vit. D-3 daily. I have never felt that any of my docs have pushed medicines in support of big pharma. Quite the contrary.
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Old 11-23-2014, 02:12 PM   #52
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OP here. Sorry for starting this and disappearing, was distracted and forgot to get back. Thanks for great discussion. I do not really have a doctor and have never been prescribed anything other than antibiotics and such for injuries (which I took).

I am hoping that my older years will be the same as my younger years. My examples in real life seem to all be seeing doctors and taking medications so was wondering about the experiences of folks here. Thanks again.
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Old 11-23-2014, 02:15 PM   #53
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I take a very lose-dose ACE inhibitor for my borderline HTN. I also take 2000 units of Vit. D-3 daily. I have never felt that any of my docs have pushed medicines in support of big pharma. Quite the contrary.
With respect to drugs I don't think many people take issue with the good intentions of doctors. What everybody is complaining about are bad studies, missing negative studies, and the lack of head to head studies of equivalent drugs. Doctors are often the victims.
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Old 11-23-2014, 02:26 PM   #54
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If the spirit of the OP's post was to be skeptical of the easy way out and relying on drugs when a bit of hard work or self-discipline will suffice, I share his skepticism with our scoeity's reliance on meds.

That said, I'm a huge fan of better and longer living thru chemistry...as I suspect the OP will be the first time something goes really wrong.

Trust me, when your heart suddenly decides to stop working like it used to, those little pills look like a great idea!

Getting old sucks.
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Old 11-23-2014, 02:36 PM   #55
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I am hoping that my older years will be the same as my younger years.
I have news for you. Good luck with that!

How Health Declines with Age
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Old 11-24-2014, 08:02 AM   #56
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my own observations and opinions during my first few visits to a doctor (and can we communicate well?) are all helpful.
Plenty of quacks are good communicators. Doesn't mean you should buy what they are selling.
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Old 11-24-2014, 08:27 AM   #57
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I understand the OP blurt about meds. after my heart attack 10 years ago, I was on 8 different meds (the usual one size fits all cardio package). My successful plan to get off as many of the drugs as possible included determining the criteria used for prescribing the drugs and working via lifestyle changes to make my test results more acceptable. I approached every blood draw like I was preparing for a test or exam. It was a long term plan, but after 5 years I was off of 4 of them. In October this year, the Dr. took me off of the beta blockers. I now only take a statin at the lowest recommended dose. I'm not saying I'm in great health, just saying I focused my cardio rehab efforts to try to eliminate the reasons for prescribing me drugs.
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Old 11-24-2014, 09:15 AM   #58
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I'm on two blood pressure and two asthma medications thanks to bad genes on my father's side. I also take Celebrex for arthritis and some pain meds as needed when cortisone injections wear off just to make life bearable. I've had my doctor for 8 years and her knowing my history has been invaluable, but the past few years new regulations are more concerned with abusers than those who truly need some medications.


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Old 11-24-2014, 11:00 AM   #59
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I've had my current doctor for over 20 years, and I have developed great confidence and trust in his diagnosis and treatment. He's definitely not a pill pusher. His #1 prescription for treatment of most ailments, is lifestyle changes (exercise, eating habits, weight management, etc.). He does prescribe medications to control and alleviate ailments, but also regularly monitors his patients' progress, and adjusts or eliminates their medications accordingly. He takes the time to listen, encourages you to ask questions, enjoys hearing about your activities, hobbies, and travels, and shares his own as well. My Mom and quite a few of my friends go to him, and are of the same opinion.

If you don't like your current doctor, or don't trust his diagnosis, opinions, judgements, or prescriptions, go find a new doctor! I did 20 years ago because my old one didn't care to listen to his patients, and handed out prescriptions for everything under the sun, without proper testing or diagnosis. He never even checked my b/p, because I wasn't "old enough to have high blood pressure".....WHAT Quack-quack-quack!!! BTW, he had been my doctor since childhood. When he finally retired, I didn't bother getting my medical records from him, because I figured they weren't worth the paper he wrote them on.

I'm on two meds, one for high blood pressure, and one for high triglycerides. My b/p before starting the med, was 191/94. It is currently 114/60.....consistently! My triglydes were, IIRC, 249, and are currently 84. Because of changes in my eating habits, exercise, and weight loss (down 70# in past 12 months), my Doc cut my triglyde med dosage in half, and my eliminate it completely after my next visit and blood work in a couple of weeks!

Would I ever consider just stopping taking my meds on my own, without major cause, or without talking it over with my current doctor? Never! YMMV
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Old 11-24-2014, 11:29 AM   #60
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I am on some serious vitamin therapy. Doctor has me taking 10,000 IU vitamin D plus multivitamin. He's trying to manage some of my blood chemistry - trying to boost vitamin D, iron and vitamin B12.

He also, just last week, told me to cut out the gluten. This is because I have thyroid antibodies attacking my thyroid. I was very surprised that he wanted to try this (or look for other food sensitivities if this doesn't work) instead of just prescribing some hormone to supplement my (slightly) underperforming thyroid. So I'm really going to give it a good try even though it's a drastic change in diet. And maybe getting gluten out of my diet will help me drop that 20 pounds I should lose.

And he started me on progesterone because my (still pre-menopausal) hormone ratios are out of whack.

So I am officially on drugs now.

I have had to create a system, because it's very hard for me to remember whether I have taken my pills.
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