[Snoopy]

So, I had been listening to the radio this morning and for the first time heard this term - cyberchondria.

NOTE: This post is not directed at anyone, just something I have a strong opinion about

I have a long history of finding it annoying when people google symptoms.

In the case of MS it's very easy to put in certain symptoms and come up with MS. And, of course, some people then believe they have the disease and the doctors don't know what they are talking about when the patient is told they do not have MS.

If your interested about this subject here are a few links:


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...VGIU4R1OP1.DTL

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/te...5symptoms.html

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...les-lives.html

[Blessings2You]

Back in the day, it was harder for people with that inclination. They had to go to libraries, or buy one of those big fat Mayo Clinic books.

[SandyC]

I also think googling symptoms are a bad idea. All it does is give you every disease out there. Remember before the internet when they had those medical books? That was bad enough but the internet has opened a whole can of worms.

The only place Jim's doctor likes and will even consider as internet worthy is the New England Journal. He'll look things up in front of us if I ask a question. Or he simply calls his neuro friend in Cali who's a researcher. Sometimes he'll come to a site I suggest and has no problem letting me know if it's bs. lol I have invited him to come here on several occasions. I wonder if he lurks?

[Kitty]

I agree that it's a bad idea to google sx....but it's so hard not to if you're trying to figure out what's wrong.

I got myself all stressed out about my double vision before I got my MS dx. I was convinced I had a brain tumor. In all of my research MS never came up as a possibility. My Opthomologist was the one who mentioned MS.

When I finally got the dx......it was a welcome relief!

[soxmom]

I remember when I was pregnant with my youngest and on bed rest. I
had very high bloodpressure and the baby was lying side to side and very,
very high up(I cant remember the term.) My obgyn made me promise
not to look this term on the internet. I didnt until after he was born
and was so glad, I would have been freaking out. lol

I guess....see a doc is what we should do.

[SallyC]

I was a long term fully DXed MSer, before I knew who Google was..

I did go to the library, back in the 70s. You wouldn't believe some of the horrors that were written, in those old books, about MS. Much scarrier than google.

[PolarExpress]

I'd heard of MS, but it wasn't even on the radar till they told me I had it. Then I looked it up on webmd, because I knew so little about it. Not a good idea to self diagnose, but being able to look up info after the fact was a huge help.

[Blessings2You]

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing", but I think a lot depends on who is using the weapon, and how.

There is a vast difference between using the internet for research and reading something on quacks-r-us.com and buying into it.

You have to use common sense (there's the rub) about where you get your information. I've googled symptoms and general questions about things in life, and you have to be alert. Sometimes the "information" comes from another message board or somebody's personal blog.

I have a relative that tries my soul. She's always telling me about reading on some website that if I drank seventeen gallons of water facing east on Thursdays or something, my MS would go away, and I'd lose 40 pounds overnight to boot.

Maybe there should be more information about HOW to find reputable websites and do true research online, as opposed to simply googling a few words and saying "eureka!"

[DM]

I think I needed to see this thread, Snoops! I have been googling Osteo drugs and have been getting scared at all the side effects listed, which if true, will kill me faster than my Osteo.

My Neuro always told me to stay off of the medical websites and to just ask him if I had a question. But, he's as bad as the internet; yes MS, probably MS, yes MS, wait and see MS, Oh yes, you have MS, blah blah blah~ I finally gave up on him.

What B2Y??? Ya mean since I only drank 16 gallons of water; that's the reason I didn't lose 40 pounds last night? Now, you tell me!! *grin*

[Curious]

You also forgot to face east.

I will admit...I like webMd.