Who Do You Trust More....your Dr, Pharmacist Or Dr Google

[jaideeguy]

Over more than a decade here, I've had a lot of contact with Dr's, pharmacists and after many wrong Rx's, i double check with the pharmacist and then confirm with Dr Google on Wikipedia or a few med/drug sites. All in all, I think that the Dr's mostly wrongly Rx, as I have caught many mistakes in the appropriate meds , dosage rates and if in doubt, they over prescribe.

I'd say that they are correct barely 50%.

In all fairness, I do trust Thai Dr's with their surgical skills and use their diagnostic equipment, but interpret them my self with the aid of the best Dr on the planet....Dr Google.

Do others agree or believe that Thai Dr's are magical and all knowing Gods??

Edited February 7, 2013 by jaideeguy

[jamhar]

I don't even trust the Dr's in the US, let alone here.

Dr's see hundreds of patients, As hard as they may try, its difficult to give necessary attention to each unique case.

"In god we trust, all others we verify"

I always consult Dr Google lol

[HeijoshinCool]

Thai pharmacists! Ha!

In my town I asked the "pharmacist" for aspirin, stating it was for lower back pain (she asked).

"Sorry, Thai people don't like."

"Uh, okay, but I'm not Thai. So, have any?"

"Aspirin is no good for you. Only paracetamol is good for back pain."

"Paracetamol has little anti-inflammatory action."

"I have paracetamol. It's very good."

[krisb]

Ive noticed Thai Dr's seem to prescribe quite heavily. Even Thai Nurofen is double strength than here in Oz.

However Thai doctors are quite good and to go against their decisions because of google would be foolish. I would try a second doctors opinion though.

[Hedghog]

Your so smart,why aren't you called, Dr jaideeguy.

I will stick by my Doctor,rather than some random internet site.

[krisb]

Thai pharmacists! Ha!

In my town I asked the "pharmacist" for aspirin, stating it was for lower back pain (she asked).

"Sorry, Thai people don't like."

"Uh, okay, but I'm not Thai. So, have any?"

"Aspirin is no good for you. Only paracetamol is good for back pain."

"Paracetamol has little anti-inflammatory action."

"I have paracetamol. It's very good."

Paracetamol would be good for back pain, but if you have done the 4 year university course in pharmacy than perhaps your right.

[transam]

When our lad was 15 he had a doctors check up with the other kids at school. The doctor looked at his finger nails and told him he will have a heart attack and get cancer . Boy did that shake the family up.

Sooooooooo, l think you know my thoughts on your question. .

[NeverSure]

I don't think I need to worry too much about opinions written on the Mayo Clinic's site and it never hurts to double check. I check that against WebMD. Hey, they are just opinions, but a couple of times I have learned important things from them.

Do I think doctors are human and can make mistakes? Of course. I even made a mistake once myself. (I thought I was wrong but I wasn't hahaha.)

[HeijoshinCool]

Thai pharmacists! Ha!

In my town I asked the "pharmacist" for aspirin, stating it was for lower back pain (she asked).

"Sorry, Thai people don't like."

"Uh, okay, but I'm not Thai. So, have any?"

"Aspirin is no good for you. Only paracetamol is good for back pain."

"Paracetamol has little anti-inflammatory action."

"I have paracetamol. It's very good."

Paracetamol would be good for back pain, but if you have done the 4 year university course in pharmacy than perhaps your right.

No, but I was a paramedic, and a PA.

The anti-inflammatory is essential for lower back pain.

[h90]

Thai pharmacists! Ha!

In my town I asked the "pharmacist" for aspirin, stating it was for lower back pain (she asked).

"Sorry, Thai people don't like."

"Uh, okay, but I'm not Thai. So, have any?"

"Aspirin is no good for you. Only paracetamol is good for back pain."

"Paracetamol has little anti-inflammatory action."

"I have paracetamol. It's very good."

[pattayadingo]

When our lad was 15 he had a doctors check up with the other kids at school. The doctor looked at his finger nails and told him he will have a heart attack and get cancer . Boy did that shake the family up.

Sooooooooo, l think you know my thoughts on your question. .

I recall that finger nails can show signs of present and future illness, so I looked it up on the internet......

clubbed nails are a very dangerous condition that warns of severe lung, bowel, or liver disease. If you notice your nails have skin that appears to have swollen, or the nails themselves have puffed out around your fingers seek medical help immediately.

There are a variety of other illnesses that can be diagnosed from your finger nails too, so don't dismiss the idea out of hand totally.

[transam]

When our lad was 15 he had a doctors check up with the other kids at school. The doctor looked at his finger nails and told him he will have a heart attack and get cancer . Boy did that shake the family up.

Sooooooooo, l think you know my thoughts on your question. .

I recall that finger nails can show signs of present and future illness, so I looked it up on the internet......

clubbed nails are a very dangerous condition that warns of severe lung, bowel, or liver disease. If you notice your nails have skin that appears to have swollen, or the nails themselves have puffed out around your fingers seek medical help immediately.

There are a variety of other illnesses that can be diagnosed from your finger nails too, so don't dismiss the idea out of hand totally.

I looked at his nails and any lady would love them. Took him to our local hospital and the doctor looked at him and his nails and .

End of story.

[HeijoshinCool]

My GF has skin under her nails from my back.

Will she live?

[jamhar]

My GF has skin under her nails from my back.

Will she live?

uhoh, she has skin from my back also!

j/k

but i did like your post!

[Paangjang]

When our lad was 15 he had a doctors check up with the other kids at school. The doctor looked at his finger nails and told him he will have a heart attack and get cancer . Boy did that shake the family up.

Sooooooooo, l think you know my thoughts on your question. .

Girlfriends mum told me my hands were too hard (i was roofing at the time) she said this would cause kidney and liver pains in later life. BTW she's not a doctor, shes a rubber farmer. Hands are soft again now (roofs finished) so she says i might be okay afterall. What the...?

[chiangmaikelly]

I google everything. The Thai Visa posters are the worst source (not the med forum) of information I have ever run across for drug information. Not only is the information wrong but 180 degrees wrong. I guess it is good to see differing opinions but it kind of reminds me of two astronauts saying, "ya all can't trust those aeronautical engineers now can ya." I'm always connected. Even in the hospital I can google on my phone. The Thai military doctors got a bit upset with me as they were unused to anyone asking them questions. I told one doctor to wait for a minute after all I was paying the bill and he informed me that I was paying for the room and the meds but he was free so no he was not going to wait.

[David48]

My GF has skin under her nails from my back.

Will she live?

Man ... you should get that looked at at once!

[kevvy]

I had this disease which nearly killed me , and when I go to the Doctors here 3/4 have not heard of this , I tell them all the other names and they still don know ....Dr Google for me

Methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)(staph)

[jaideeguy]

Your so smart,why aren't you called, Dr jaideeguy.

I will stick by my Doctor,rather than some random internet site.

Yea, call me Dr J.......

Seriously, only a fool would blindly trust a Dr who has studied medicine taught in a foreign language and some still can't even speak plopper Engrish. There are some excellent Dr's here, but some just go by the book [that they can't even read] and we know how ea$y it is to get a degree here.

I do find that the pharmacists here in the larger shops do have a better understanding of the drugs that they sell.......dosages, side effects etc and quite often their English is better than the DRs and on more than one occasion have questioned the Dr's Rx.

I do have a short list of the best Drs here in CM and most are on the pinned topic of the CM forum. There are some world class Drs here, but it takes a lot of searching to find them.

Oh Hedghog, the 'random internet sites' are the Mayo Clinic, Web MD, Wikipedia and other reputable sites that the Drs should refer to, but most often don't.

Edited February 7, 2013 by jaideeguy

[arthurwait]

Google > pharmacist > most Thai doctors.

Went to an after hours clinic of a doctor who works for one of the expensive hospitals to get some anti-depressants. While waiting I had a look at their range of other goods they were selling. Magic hair restoral cream and an anti-ageing cream called I kid you not ' The best cream' for 1000 Baht the size of a small match box.

This was a clinic exculsivly for depression. How many people go there with issues about their looks and they are trying to rip them off ? I think the idiot doctor put my disdain to her down to my depression. Didn't bother taking the follow up appointment card or paying 1500 for the 20 pills. Got 100 of another brand for 170 B at a large pharmacist.

Another one from that hospitals rivals , a baby doctor, sat there tellig us that our son was allergic to cow baby milk and needed to drink baby soy milk, you know the one, yep the one her clinic was decorated with. 2 other doctors laughed when I told my wife to ask them about it.

Edited February 7, 2013 by arthurwait

[slapout]

I always look for and then count the number of good luck charms the doctor and chemist are wearing. If in my observation, they seem somewhat overloaded, I go elsewhere. I normally use google, and self perscribe at a chemist, The family, wife/daughters, I take or send to the doctor

[jaideeguy]

I always look for and then count the number of good luck charms the doctor and chemist are wearing. If in my observation, they seem somewhat overloaded, I go elsewhere. I normally use google, and self perscribe at a chemist, The family, wife/daughters, I take or send to the doctor

Same same here....I have 'the 3 day rule' that if it is a minor issue like runny nose, I give it 3 days to pass and then I take them to the dr or pharmacy and I usually know exactly what they will Rx....same same almost every time.....paracetamol, decongestant and [mostly useless antibiotics], but at least I'm absolved of fault by taking them in.

[utalkin2me]

Thaidoctor is an oxymoron.

Being older now, I have a very good understanding of how the system works. Certain (insured) people go to the doctor every time they get a runny nose. This kinda blows it for everyone else because insurance prices go through the roof as a result. The non-insured never go to the doctor, even if they are in extreme and even life threatening cases. And when people do finally venture into the doctors here in Thailand they are pretty much screwed from the get go. This has to be one of the best places to be a doctor in the world; no accountability on a pretty good salary.

[transam]

Thaidoctor is an oxymoron.

Being older now, I have a very good understanding of how the system works. Certain (insured) people go to the doctor every time they get a runny nose. This kinda blows it for everyone else because insurance prices go through the roof as a result. The non-insured never go to the doctor, even if they are in extreme and even life threatening cases. And when people do finally venture into the doctors here in Thailand they are pretty much screwed from the get go. This has to be one of the best places to be a doctor in the world; no accountability on a pretty good salary.

Do tend to agree, BUT, private medical stuff is the same the world over, perhaps the USA is the worse for millionaire Doc's.

[chiangmaikelly]

Thaidoctor is an oxymoron.

Being older now, I have a very good understanding of how the system works. Certain (insured) people go to the doctor every time they get a runny nose. This kinda blows it for everyone else because insurance prices go through the roof as a result. The non-insured never go to the doctor, even if they are in extreme and even life threatening cases. And when people do finally venture into the doctors here in Thailand they are pretty much screwed from the get go. This has to be one of the best places to be a doctor in the world; no accountability on a pretty good salary.

I guess you have never been to a Thai hospital or clinic in Thailand. 30 baht. Everybody goes for a runny nose.

[Tywais]

Ever since I was given a prescription and when I asked the doctor if there were any side effects, he said none. After a couple of weeks I had several odd things going on - dry mouth, can't sleep, and more. I took a look at the makers of the meds site and they had something like 20 possible side effects and I must have experienced half of them. So yeah, I do research the meds now as my trust was thrown out the window with that. I use proper sites though such as mentioned WebMD, Mayo, and the meds companies.

What makes it even more annoying, I found out later the hospital has all the catalogs for all meds listing side effects, counter indications, dosages, etc. but he couldn't be sussed to look it up. So trust at your own peril.

[pattayadingo]

Ever since I was given a prescription and when I asked the doctor if there were any side effects, he said none. After a couple of weeks I had several odd things going on - dry mouth, can't sleep, and more. I took a look at the makers of the meds site and they had something like 20 possible side effects and I must have experienced half of them. So yeah, I do research the meds now as my trust was thrown out the window with that. I use proper sites though such as mentioned WebMD, Mayo, and the meds companies.

What makes it even more annoying, I found out later the hospital has all the catalogs for all meds listing side effects, counter indications, dosages, etc. but he couldn't be sussed to look it up. So trust at your own peril.

I've always looked up wiki or similar for side effects, especially after one doc gave me painkillers that were bad for people who'd had a previous heart attack. Not all doctors know about them here in Thailand or back home yet the data is available to them.

Back in the UK in my local surgery they have specific doctors for specific problems - heart, for example. They seem to be better informed, or at least keep more up to date.

[Bangkokhatter]

The problem I find with Dr. Google is I usually come away feeling worse because I discover I've actually got a life threatening disease, rather than a bit of wind

[Tywais]

The problem I find with Dr. Google is I usually come away feeling worse because I discover I've actually got a life threatening disease, rather than a bit of wind

Been there. From my previous post regarding dry mouth. Researched it and the possibilities were unnerving. So added anxiety to my list of symptoms.

[infinity11]

OP

Thailand related topic?

bwahahahaha