That's a tough one... but a really good one!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... I was sitting in a (former) doctor's office asking about something I wanted to pursue. I can't remember exactly what it was (It wasn't something out there on the fringe; I'm generally pretty conservative, and was even moreso back then) but I'll never forget his response, cuz it burned into my brain (as well as burning my posterior... )

He said, "That's not in my belief system."

WHAAAAAA? His "belief system‽"

That was my first introduction to that phrase. Until then, I had always thought that medicine was medicine, and while doctors may hold different opinions on subjective matters, they were pretty much on the same page as far as objective science went.
(I'll wait for mrsD et al to pick themselves up off the floor.... )

The moral is, these guys/gals (doctors) can be just as opinionated, despite scientific evidence, as any of us.

I referred to the doctor above as my former doctor - not just because of the above incident, but for a lot of reasons; he just wasn't a good fit for me, so I, in effect, fired him.

The moral is, doctors work for us - not the other way around (though many of them see it that way). WE have the final say in any decisions regarding our medical care - not them.

Now, in fairness, from their perspective, half of the patients they see are below average (think about it), and they usually see/interact with most patients for only a few minutes a YEAR, so it's not all that surprising that they become jaded about certain things they see a lot of, and something they see a lot of is patients coming in with some article/ad about some vitamin, supplement, or new prescription drug* that will cure patients of just about anything, including "in-laws". There are some people (and I'm not talking about anyone here), who do take all kinds of supplements they don't need and could probably do without - some, even hypochondrial.

* Ask YOUR doctor if Progenitorivox is right for YOU!

Most doctors I know have no problem with things like daily vitamins (even if they don't believe they're doing us any good, they're not harming us) and there are many (like calcium for women) that are just plain a good idea, especially since the Industrial Revolution, which changed a LOT about what nutrients we get and how (but that's a whole 'nother ball-o-worms in itself).

So, while I can understand where your doctors are coming from, I don't agree with them.... entirely (but I'm just "some guy on the internet" - seriously!) My feeling is, if there's a good reason to be taking a supplement (and that's the tricky part), then there's a good reason to be taking it, along with, if it can't hurt to try it, then it can't hurt to try it (redundancies intentional). I do agree that supplements can sometimes muddy the waters (if taken willy-nilly), so we should be careful to document what we're taking, why, and provide the doctors with lists (all my doctors ask for such lists anyway - I keep an Excel Sheet that I can update/print off each time I go to a doctor).

How we add/discontinue supplements is important. It should be done one-at-a-time (with a few exceptions), and not too close together, so we can determine what, if any, effect they are having. It's probably also a good idea, if practical, to be tested before starting something, and again periodically, to determine if there is in fact a need to be taking/continuing it, and if there isn't, or there isn't any positive result/benefit from taking it, we should probably discontinue it so that it doesn't muddy the waters.

Bottom line - it's your body - your health - your life - your decision. How do you handle it? "Doctor, I respect your opinions, but I have researched this carefully, and I believe this is worth trying, and the potential benefits outweigh the risks." or words to effect. That's how I'd handle it, and have handled it.

Best Wishes & Good Luck,

Doc

Here is a video link showing how some doctors get their information:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfNULvGcMsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQYxZ...eature=related

and Merck even had FAKE journals made to convince doctors about their drugs and treatments:

http://www.lifescientist.com.au/arti...ical_journals/

I think I have seen some reference to doctors beliefs and training as comparable to cults in the indoctrination of new students. By the time a doctor leaves med school, his/her mind is trained to accept the drug salespeople and Big Pharma as their prime source of information in current treatments.

Nothing surprises me anymore.

Hi Mrs. D. Those are really scary and when you think about it there is no real way to change it. I actually thought that once a Pharm company came up with a drug and did the research the federal government took over and did their own research. This is why I am so scared of taking these meds. Also, most of them are fairly new so there are no long use studies done on them.

Dr. Smith,
Thank you for your words of wisdom. I do agree with doctors work for us but I know I don't act that way when I am around them. I need to work on that. I also like how you said to approach things with them. You also gave me some giggles. Thanks!

It think it's important to add that it's not (or shouldn't be) an ego thing about who's "boss". My doctors are part of my team, of which I am captain (yet my PCP is "manager"). I respect their opinions (ALL opinions are respected and considered), and am willing to do what I need to do to earn their trust and respect. It takes some considerable effort assembling a "winning" team that works well, but it is so worth it.

Attached is a schematic of a support network (team) showing relationship heirarchy.
© 2007 Used with Permission

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