Posted by bleauberry on May 31, 2011, at 16:02:34
In reply to Re: Anyone feel much better at night? » bleauberry, posted by zonked on May 30, 2011, at 19:39:53
I think your post highlights an all too common problem. That is, we turn over complete control of our health to someone else.
I talked to a psychiatric nurse the other day....a fellow musician. He says most patients make 2 big mistakes:
1. Expecting a doctor to know what to do (they don't, we just think they do)
2. Not incorporating spirituality into their healing.The best outcomes are with patients that do their own research, make their own decisions, and guide their own journey. The doctor is there to help and monitor, but by no means should be the one standing between you and healing. IMO.
As for the lab tests, I don't put much faith in them. A clinical picture is pretty good. Tests have too many false negatives, or gray areas (for example someone in low normal thyroid who is told they are ok despite obvious hypothyroid clinical picture).
It is the response, or nonresponse, of a trial that confirms or rules out a suspicion better than a lab.
Keep in mind, doctors do not have all the answers we wish they did. Furthermore, they are moderately restrained by insurance companies. In the above example, a regulator or insurance company could make trouble with that doctor for attempting to treat someone for hypothyroid because their labs were after all in the "supposed" normal range. Of course, the whole idea of a "supposed" normal range is another whole topic filled with flaws, almost worthy of writing a book all by itself.
> >Whether on meds or off, there are other things very important to focus on. My opinion anyway.
>
> I couldn't agree more, but just try getting most physicians to run the labwork required to rule out hormonal (or other!) causes to mood problems. Some doctors I've seen along this path began to treat me without bothering to check my thyroid gland!
>
> I've come back subclinical hypothyroid and with testosterone levels well below average for my age (but not in an alarm zone) and no doctor I've been able to see with my coverage will entertain the idea of doing anything about it.
>
> Sometimes I wonder if messing with HPA function would help restore me to functional. (Hell, my Mom has some Decadron she doesn't appear to need anymore! But no, I couldn't really do that. I wouldn't even know how to dose it.)
>
> -z
>
poster:bleauberry
thread:986666
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110529/msgs/986743.html