Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Illness Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes
Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Migraine Headache Multiple Sclerosis Prostate Cancer Ulcerative Colitis

View Conditions A to Z »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

View Forums A to Z »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Conditions
    • Allergies
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Illness
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Migraine Headache
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Support Forums
    • All Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

When Doctors Aren't Specific...

Support Forums
>
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
Keriamon
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 2976
Posted 9/20/2006 10:08 AM (GMT -7)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14895343/site/newsweek/

An article on how a doctor's politeness can actually cause patients more distress about their illness.  A doctor's being vague about an illness--"you may develop this", "it's probably this"--especially a serious one, tends to make people think the worse.  (Sound like some people on here???)

The thing to take away from this article is that we the patients need to be exacting of our doctors if they don't do it themselves.  We need to ask questions like "'Probably IBS?'  Can you tell me the odds that it is just IBS?  80%?  90%?"  "'Might make me sick?'  What exactly are the side affects and what percentage of people experience each side affect?"  These are all questions that doctors should be able to answer, but for whatever reason they don't volunteer.  A doctor may truly feel, 100%, that you have IBS, but then he tells you that it's "probably IBS", just to make you feel better or to cover his own behind in the very off chance that he is wrong, leading some people--even a lot of people--to worry that they may have something even worse because he left the door open.  And side affects are always listed by drug companies and doctors should even have access to information on about how many people develop each side affect; my Depo Provera insert, for instance, contained that sort of information; I know doctors have books they can look it up in.  What sounds worse: "This may cause diarrhea" or "Only 1-2% of people taking this get diarrhea"?  If anything worries you, always, always ask for clarification.  Heck, if you're worried about having undetected colon cancer, ask your doctor what the odds are that you--given your age, sex, lifestyle and family history and the tests you have run--may have it.  He may tell you that the odds are 1% that that someone like you  has colon cancer and a thousandth of 1% that they missed it given the tests that they've run.  Wouldn't that make you feel better? 

profile picture
MommyKimmie
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2006
Posts : 45
Posted 9/20/2006 2:26 PM (GMT -7)
That's so right! It took me YEARS to be diagnosed! My parents always got answers that were so vague, and even when they pushed it still got no definate answers. And still now that I am an adult and go to the dr for this, I get no straight foward answers. Even when I take my kids to the dr. Right now I am debating whether to get my 3 yo tested for IBS cause he has symptoms every now and then, and when I tell his pedi. she just says it could be something he eats, it could be gas, she doesn't really recomend testing cause it's expensive... etc. I think I may have to step it up and be a little more assertive about getting answers from my drs. Thanks for the great info!
-kim
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply




HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
FacebookFacebook TwitterTwitter PinterestPinterest LinkedInLinkedIn
© 1997-2021 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved. Our website is for informational purposes only. HealingWell.com LLC does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.