Any medics in the house ?

[Sa Skimrande]

I ask are there and medics in the house that can answer an online question for me;

 

Why is it if any information one searches for on medical matters online American websites is where it's at and they are free with their information, yet UK websites one is

 

a) lucky if one can find one

 

and

 

find one that isn't patronising ?

 

As a website I do use for my questions the website detects where you are from and asks if you wish to stay on the American site or be directed to the British website which I understand Boots the chemist sponsors. I have learned to stay on the American site because of the level of information the American website is free with where on the British website there is not as much detail and it always ends up with;

 

Book an appointment to see your GP

 

( and does anyone know how difficult that actually is just to answer a question - it's a waste of time, as GP's are always complaining about people bringing up trivial matters that can be sorted out by OTC treatments. Oh and it has just taken 19 days to see my GP, I 'd have been stuffed if the query was urgent ).

 

And all this because of my attitude to wards my medical care where I will not tolerate Doctor knows best as in the past they clearly didn't and I was fobbed off for 22 years over one issue until I found out what it was myself and forced their interest. But my view of my medical care is I work with them as I am perfectly capable of understanding medical matters thanks to Doctor Google.

 

But my view of the NHS as far as I am concerned is a cross between the US system and our system in that I work with the GP regarding my own health care.

 

But why no UK medical websites that are useful like the US websites ?

[Mannify]

I don't know, it's a pain. I'm sitting next to a student doc right now. In a few years time, I'll just phone her

[Mannify]

My sister just admitted that she pretty much passed her progress test based on watching House.

[Sa Skimrande]

What I do suspect is the closed shop mentality just like every other profession, they will talk to their own, but woe betide talking a non professional that is beneath them and if people want information, then they have to show the proper respect and approach professionals via off line organisations, as this country the UK is all about professional bodies and if you are not in the club, we are not talking to you.

 

The US has a different healthcare system where the majority have to pay for their medical assistance that means the customers have to have the knowledge, as they are paying for it, where here because we pay for a health care via taxation you do what the doctor says as their job is just to make people well and you really don't need to know what the problem is just as long as you are made better so you can go on being productive and paying taxes.

 

But perhaps this attack is because I am still furious at past doctors for getting it wrong by doing nothing about something which has caused me twenty odd years of anguish as right back in the year 1990 I was pulled for depression and the medics found out why and they did nothing about it. In 1998 I tried again and got a bit closer by doing my own research on the hypothalamus and pituitary function pre internet, but with the test results in front of them they still failed to spot a problem. I tried again this year, a final attempt to find out why because I had ascertained the cause of my depression was the same as it always was, I had just forgotten and again I researched with the internet this time and got the reason myself requiring only one test to prove and lo and behold I was right and now medics are asking why it wasn't spotted before, exactly, it was not as if I wasn't trying to find out what it was, my med records prove. And now because of I am being tested for all sorts of stuff, which could have been sorted out years ago or even stopped from occurring in the first place, including the depression which has been debilitating where I have been off work for five years which has seriously depleted my self confidence, what the job centre report is the biggest problem in getting long term unemployed back to work.

[Mike_GX101]

It's amazing what the hypothalamus does - it controls body temperature, thirst, hunger, responses to fear and sleep to name but a few and I thought a few years back I too had some kind of hypothalamus disorder. It was that or the next down the chain which is of couse the pituitary gland. As it turned out all my body need was HRT and it's amazing because a little boost further down the chain has a feedback-effect which helps further up.

 

If you are doing any kind of research though Sa - make sure you use more than just websites. Go to the library and find texts on the subject. There's plenty more out there still besides the internet you know.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Mike_GX101

[Sa Skimrande]

It was the library in the past as I did not have internet until seven years ago, but my research when I do research is always Google Scholar beta because of what peer reviewed work can be found there, I learned that one at college, anything credible will be on Scholar. but I also understand from people in the know Google is failing in that it's search function is not as good as it used to be, so it's Dogpile and DuckDuckGo I also use where they find stuff Google just plain misses.

 

But yes, years back I needed to find out why it was I seemed to have a lack of interest in some things which was causing issues in my marriage and so how I got there i don't exactly know, but I started researching the hypothalamus and in particular the pituitary function there understanding the feedback loop that is supposed to be there to regulate hormone production and so I explained my theory to the doc and he ordered the tests to come back with what I expected, but it stopped there and I was told I just had to try harder, and my ex will have to bear with me. But the results way back then I understand now is the second most indicative diagnostic criteria for something and I could have been on androgen replacement fourteen years ago, but that doctor was not the only one that failed me, the initial doctor when I was in the military could have also have found it 22 years ago as I did endocrine tests back then as well, but I understand androgen replacement therapy might have iffy results in an armed environment.

 

And so I have tests coming up, blood sugar because of the freezing extremities to point of when I get cold I become lethargic and sleepy and also fainting spells I have, but what I am looking forward to, is the endocrine testing as I mentioned to my GP, I am beginning to think the depression is biological not mental as I do suspect the thyroid and parathyroid through what those glands produce and may not be producing due to inadequate feedback. Of course even if the origin of the depression is biological it is no doubt over layered with lots of mental stuff by now, but I will pick them apart, once the biological is taken care of if it is. But to me there is no point whatsoever medicating for depression if one does not know the cause as the meds they work for a while then they don't, thus requiring higher doses or even further experimentation with other medications and all the fun side effects they bring.

 

But just to think all this could have been sorted out 22 years ago or at the latest 14 years ago and here I am approaching middle age and all the medical fun that brings, where I understand even if androgen replacement is necessary, it won't happen if there is prostate issues.

 

I am angry and I do feel let down, but I have tried to tame that emotion by thinking maybe it is I had too high an opinion of doctors in the past, maybe it was I was judging them by my own standards, where in my profession, I was on the ball all the time and self taught I never stopped learning, as to stop learning is boredom with me and i know what boredom does to me.