UK medicine ?

[Neil]

If you already know what ailments you have, why do you need the doctor?
If you can self diagnose via tinternet, I'm sure you're well capable of healing yourself far better than these incompetent quacks you keep meeting. Everything you need is in your laptop, drugs, counselling, everything!

Meds?

Besides, I'm sure Silverclaws isn't the only person who's experienced indifference, at times, from GPs or others within the NHS - even if some would just like to point and subtly deride him whenever the opportuinity presents.

plenty of dodgy sites to sell you the meds, pharmacies from canada, pakistan and mexico will all sell you pretty much anything you need delivered to your door.

Personally i wouldn't recommend self medicating, i mean i'm sure its doable i just wouldn't trust myself.

I know you can get meds available from international sites - but not everybody would want to do that.

Plus it's one thing to do some investigation into what you think is wrong - entirely another, to think you're sufficiently intelligent and educated to be able to prescribe (effectively).

 

[suburbanreuben]

Plus it's one thing to do some investigation into what you think is wrong - entirely another, to think you're sufficiently intelligent and educated to be able to diagnose (effectively).

 

[greenstiles]

Any local charities or services that could help with any anxiety you are feeling or advocate on your behalf if you feel you are getting a raw deal at times ?

 

[1duck]

I know you can get meds available from international sites - but not everybody would want to do that.

Plus it's one thing to do some investigation into what you think is wrong - entirely another, to think you're sufficiently intelligent and educated to be able to prescribe (effectively).

Thats the main issue for sure. I think they should give more power back to pharmacists, it seems in europe for most things I can just walk into a pharmacists and explain to them what the issue is and they will try sort it out, if its outside their range of expertise they refer you to a doctor.


Over here though it seems more like you go in and they instantly send you to the doctor. I trust pharmacists more than doctors, where i can deal with one.

 

[pete_mcc]

There are a lot more patient websites in America as there are less stringent laws on pharmaceutical companies offering support, information and money to those websites via DTC, or direct to consumer support. We have stricter laws that prevent pharmaceutical advertising which is a fantastic thing.

Personally I would not trust a majority of US based patient websites as they are in the most sponsored sites or 100% promotional sites, although unlike the UK no mention of that sponsorship needs to be made.

Yes, UK doctors don't like people who come in and tell them what disease they have as those patients often won't listen to alternative diagnosies that the doctor will have far more experience of, but doctors do like informed and concerned patients who are aware of diseases and symptoms. Meningitis deaths are down due to awareness, the NHS is running a campaign about lung cancer symptom awareness to reduce that, the government has received support to run ads regarding various other diseases.

Pharmacies should be a good first point of call as should nurses who are better trained in some areas than doctors (asthma, diabetes etc) and home diagnosis plays a place but don't go buying drugs online without a formal diagnosis from someone trained to do so and from a proper site as they will either be fake and could kill you or could be totally inappropriate and do you harm. Patient advocacy groups and local authorities are another great source of support, especially in mental health where patients are often mistrustful of doctors or other perceived authority figures, but go through the group not some website forum.

I've spent the last 16 years living and working in Pharmaceuticals in the UK, the EU and the US and will happily find fault in most healthcare systems with the exception of the Cuban system where it is free for all, where the doctors have the time, knowledge and the power and the patients are totally trusting in the intelligence and training of the doctor. Grass is always greener.

 

[Midlife]

Anybody who searches the web for health related info really should know about Archie Cochrane

Shaun

 

[suburbanreuben]

Is he the bloke the bear eat?

 

[Midlife]

Had the Cochrane Collaboration named after him...... evidence based medicine and all that


Shaun

 

[silverclaws]

Okay, we are constantly being barraged with advice to look after our diets to ensure better health, now some will research how to get fitter and more healthy via the web, so where is researching to better one's health via diet and fitness regimes any different from researching sniffles , colds, aches and pains. is that not looking after one's health ? Furthermore, does anyone trundle off to the doc with every complaint and not try to sort the problem out themselves ?

Okay, I got told there was no funding for what I need, because I need CBT as I have identified through keeping a journal, my crashes are due to faulty thinking, the coping strategies I have created myself to cope over the years, so through research I know what I need, but the GP has already said no chance, it is the chemical lobotomy or nothing, and those things were real zombie material and apparently I should have had a drugs review, but my GP forgot, so I was on those things for four years and in that time I achieved nothing, all they did was delay the issue.

Now I want to get better, so I research, leave it to the GP nothing will happen and I may well cycle so low one day that I might top myself, it came close this past week, as I am cycling lower each time, I notice this through journal keeping. GP's see someone fo ten minutes maximum and they can discern so much in that time, hardly.

Now I like the situation where a person is interested in their own health care and as they look after themselves what ailments they have I believe the patient should be involved as the ''doctor knows best'' attitude is just plain condescending and dangerous as GP's do get it wrong from time to time.

As to self prescribing, no chance was I taking the sleeping meds I was prescribed, as they are the type that one becomes dependant on, i.e. addicted, so I went on the net and ordered melatonin and that because when I used to jet time zones, melatonin was the only thing that could sort out the jet lag and it is known well by air travellers worldwide, but ordered off the net because it is banned OTC in the UK, it along with another very useful substance, I used to use; Kava Kava for general chilling and control of anxiety

Now I am sure the health service likes people who do not come to te GP surgery willy nilly for every ailment, because could you imagine what it would be like if they did, the NHS would fall apart.

 

[pete_mcc]

Most health authorities have a self referral service for assistance in CBT and other forms of mental wellness. Go direct to you LHA, alternatively look to a local patient support group. I did this when I wanted CBT support when I was recovering from 12 operations in 18 months which left me mentally tattered.

In many areas there are drop in centres who specialise in offering support to people who feel outside the system - recovering alcoholics, drug addicts, victims of abuse etc. All of these groups use CBT as a key recovery tool and they also offer this to others such as those with severe anxiety, depression and other issues.

The alternative is to elect to switch surgery. It is not as hard as it used to be as you are now concidered to be the customer rather than just a patient. You could also look at who in your practice specialises in mental health as there will be at least one GP and then ask for all future appointments to be with them rather than your usual GP.

There is help out there but you do have to go get it, budget cuts always mean that those that shout the most get the most and those who 'soldier on' get nothing.