Self Diagnosis And Treatment.

[sceadugenga]

How many foreigners living in Thailand type symptoms into an internet search engine and then go and buy the recommended medication over the counter rather than go to a doctor?

I realise that this procedure has it's limitations if you're in too much pain to crawl the keyboard and stuff like Interferon can be hard to come by even in Thai pharmacies but it seems to work ok so far.

[dumball]

When I go to a doctor for a check up or diagnosis , I go on the net to check for side effects etc BEFORE i put anything in my body , should I have doubts about side effects and the longevity of them , I return to the doctor . One has to do this for themselves as not all doctors are aware of all side effects , some of which can be quite debilitating , in Canada , the pharmacy is oblidged to give you this information along with medication , the pharmacist can give you alternatives so you return to your doctor armed and ready .

[jomomojo]

I check online as a matter of habit no matter who the Dr is or where he is from. However, the Internet is not always the best source of medical information and different sources often have conflicting information. If you think your doctor is not giving the correct diagnoses, get a second opinion.

I have a couple close friends who are Doctors in the US and they'll be the first to admit that they don't always know what the best course of treatment is. It is not that doctors are necessarily incompetent, it's just that the human body is a complex system and diagnoses is as much art as science.

However, I've been fairly impressed with the Doctors here. Haven't had any major health issues, but when I have been sick, they were very helpful. My only complaint is their habit of overprescribing antibiotics. Antibiotics should not be given for a cold or flu (they're viruses, not bacterial infections) and overuse of them can unbalance your internal system (they do kill the 'bad' bacteria but they also destroy the 'good' bacteria, which plays a major role in maintaining your health).

My non-professional advice is that if you are proscribed antibiotics, try to make sure it is for a bacterial infection. How do you know if you are sick because of a bacterial or viral infection? Hmmm...ask your doctor ; )

[kurnell]

I've been self diagnosing and prescribing for 15 years. Reckon I qualify as a doctor by now.

[JayF]

However, I've been fairly impressed with the Doctors here. Haven't had any major health issues, but when I have been sick, they were very helpful. My only complaint is their habit of overprescribing antibiotics. Antibiotics should not be given for a cold or flu (they're viruses, not bacterial infections) and overuse of them can unbalance your internal system (they do kill the 'bad' bacteria but they also destroy the 'good' bacteria, which plays a major role in maintaining your health).

My non-professional advice is that if you are proscribed antibiotics, try to make sure it is for a bacterial infection. How do you know if you are sick because of a bacterial or viral infection? Hmmm...ask your doctor ; )

I agree. When I first got here I came down with Tonsilitis (which I get at least once a year). Shortly afterwards, I came down with an eye infection. I did some research on the internet and found that certain viruses can cause tonsilitis and conjunctivitis together. I sneezed one night, which burst a blood vessel in my eye (crying blood = pain and panic). I went to the hospital late at night, they numbed it, patched it up and gave me an appointment with an ophthalmologist the next day. Great service.

I couldn't help but question the doctor when he told me it was a viral infection and nothing too much to worry about, it should clear up on it's own, but still prescribed (sold me) me a course of antibiotics. I didn't complain too much, two trips to the hospital cost me a bargain 1,800 baht.

[ZenHillbillyPoet22]

I went to Saint Louis hospital a few months back to get a persistent sore throat checked on. The doctor gave me Xanax and told me to smile more...