Here’s a (very stupid) parody of the attitude as I imagine it from the most obstinate people with this view:
Well, my doctor says I need to take this medication, so that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t care what all those other people online are saying about their experiences with it. My doctor knows best, and I’m not going to listen to a bunch of anonymous strangers on the internet. They’re probably just making stuff up anyway.
Sure, I get that a lot of people had some nasty side effects or didn’t see any improvement, but my doctor assured me that won’t happen to me. He’s a professional, so I trust him completely. And I know he’s only trying to help, not line his own pockets or anything.
All those online forums and support groups are just a waste of time. What could a bunch of regular people possibly know that my highly educated, experienced doctor doesn’t? I’m going to take this medication exactly as prescribed and not ask any questions. My doctor is infallible, and I refuse to get a second opinion or consider any other options. Nope, I’m just going to blindly follow his advice and ignore everyone else. That’s the smart and responsible thing to do!
(Yes, this is extraordinary (and like I said stupid), and yes your doctor knows more than JoeRando420 telling you to buy homeopathic crystal suppositories. In fact I only have one user in mind writing this post, someone I forget who posted long ago about a condition I cannot remember. Hope they got better.)
Main point is: why not let a large number of people who heard about a condition from their own qualified doctors help you at least scribble down some questions to ask your own medical folks at your next appointment? (But please avoid those crystal suppositories.)
Edit: thanks everybody, read all your posts and they’re all great points! Glad I posted here. Thanks for reading something at least 80% dumb :)
Getting a second opinion is a very common thing for people with serious conditions. Not really sure what you’re on about.
Yeah it sure is, probably the top reason the parody was so dumb.
In fact I only have one user in mind writing this post, someone I forget who posted long ago about a condition I cannot remember.
I think they said they would block anyone who tried to offer any advice. But even they had probably had years and years of second and nth opinions.
Come to think of it, I think I’m also responding to someone who demanded anyone seeking care “listen to your doctors!“ in a way that seem to preclude the fact that there is a safe way to use the fallible input of anonymous strangers as a tentative guiding factor.
I’d say it’s a matter of what are the chances of bad advice. If something people on the internet are talking about is widely known, there would also be papers with research, and I’m better off reading that. If it’s a niche stuff, their talk on the internet doesn’t bear statistical significance anyway.
Sure, there are scammers and incompetent doctors, but I would rather ask several people with a medical license, than several thousand laymen that think they are competent enough to give advices
Good laying out the cost-benefit here.
there would also be papers with research, and I’m better off reading that.
I had this in mind: that eventually somebody links some paper where they’ve read the abstract… then it’s sensible to read the whole thing and see if it’s worth discussing with someone qualified I suppose.
Thanks 🙂
Thanks for the great input everybody!
I have no way of knowing if they actually heard anything from their doctor, or if they are a doctor if they claim to be. If I think it’s concerning, I’ll talk to my doctor whom I can verify is actually who they say they are about it.
It’s a matter of trust. I simply do not trust anyone I can’t actually talk face to face with.
Good point.
Would you take a risk when reading from someone who may be lying to you, to the point you would
scribble down some questions to ask your own medical folks
?
While I don’t think you should base your decisions on opinions from random people on the Internet, I also don’t think you should blindly follow your doctor.
I’ve seen many older doctors not keep up with more current treatments, or refuse to prescribe some things because their new/they don’t know about them.
I’ve also seen far too many people get into med school, who I wouldn’t trust to put a bandaid on.
That being said, your doctor should know what’s best for you (as others have mentioned). But there’s no problem with getting a second opinion/doing some research (legitimate research, not just stuff to prove your opinion).
Tl;Dr: probably trust your doctor, but be open to other (valid) opinions.
