Should you ever not listen to your doctor’s medical advice? The doctor-patient relationship is extremely important and one we rely on when we’re not feeling well.
But are there times when we should pass on their medical recommendations?
Many of our social media fans were eager to share some of their personal experiences:
Renee Myers from Detroit posted, “they continue to tell me to take benadryl for insomnia even tho I've been on it for over 20yrs. I'm now starting to see the long term affects on my brain, memory, so I've stopped myself. Horrible having chronic insomnia and now, I think, early signs of some form of dementia.”
I applaud Renee for listening to her body and knowing she needed to take control of her health.
Over-the-counter sleep aids are usually a temporary solution for insomnia. And they may contribute to cognitive decline because they contain antihistamines.
When you hear that little voice inside your head or get that gut feeling that something isn’t right, then you should listen to it.
If you feel your doctor is not hearing you, it’s okay to be your own advocate and politely ask more questions and share your concerns.
Let’s take a look at another Facebook post from Jill Stern. She wrote, “The Dr I took my daughter to for rapid heart rate tried telling it was anxiety and he gave her xanax. I argued with him that I know what anxiety looks like and that wasn't it. I didn't give my 14 yr old the xanax. I took her to another Dr and she was diagnosed with svt. I'm glad I didn't listen to the Dr and I'm really glad I didnt give her the xanax. It's awful that these Dr's are throwing the anxiety diagnosis around like it's the common cold.”
This Mom definitely did the right thing as Jill knew her daughter’s personality which was key in this situation.
SVT stands for Supraventricular Tachycardia which means your heart rate can beat very fast.
With this diagnosis, you may need medical treatment but would typically not involve giving a teenager a highly addictive drug like Xanax which could have serious consequences.
What I like about Jill’s experience is that she spoke up and then sought out a second opinion that lead to the right diagnoses.
Our last Facebook post is from Iona Lee Murrell-Dixon. She says, “Both my husband and brother blew off doctors advise(treatment) and mine. I tried to get them to comply with the doctors. They both passed away. Husband died form colon caner and my brother DVT/PE.”
This is really tragic Lee.
Please remember that physicians like me do have your best interests at heart. We do our best to offer the most effective treatments and advice to our patients.
I strongly encourage you to have a cooperative relationship with your healthcare provider. You should feel comfortable asking questions or asking for other medical recommendations if you don’t like what you hear.
I believe in teaching my patients how to advocate for themselves and loved ones- I always tell my patients, if something doesn’t feel right, let’s talk about it.
