Something doctors should try

Doctors should try the medicines and withdraw from them before they become a doctor. What a novel idea!!!!

If I understand correctly, you're suggesting doctors should try medications on themselves first before prescribing? If that is correct, it's a ridiculous idea as it has no bearing on what you'll experience from taking the medication. For example, suppose you were to take Seroquel. Given that you're diabetic, you may become hyperglyemic, however, if a non-diabetic doctor were to try Seroquel, they may not experience that side-effect and wouldn't face possibly risks of DKA. In other words, it's meaningless. Additionally, the dose-response curve for the doctor may be completely different for you and different for a different doctor. If you extend it to non-psychiatric medications, then you're suggesting oncologists should try chemotherapy despite not actually needing it just to get a taste of what it's like.

I do however think they should try a few meds. Afterall they test meds on healthy people and I assume the doc is healthy?

Some docs that have zero empathy skills could then maybe start understand what they put people through.

When I was put on a med that made me almost unable to MOVE, my doc thought I was a wimp and should just toughen it out.... Yea moving is optional.

But I'll settle for the classic side effects like nausea and akathisia.

I guess it's one of those things where you could say "time to give them a taste of their own medicine" but it isn't actually their own lol.

OTOH, as Elaine on Seinfeld explained on why it's so hard to switch a player to "your" team when they're playing for the other team, they do have access to the equipment 24-7, so there is some truth in the OP - this is why frinstance we need more women in medicine, so we don't have men telling us how to give birth.

Now i have experience with this one cause my boyfriend has a real bad back. Not a 'pretend' bad back to get pain killers either. he has had two operations, gone for shot and done absolutely everything he can. his injury was so severe that thet had him on a pain patch at the same time as the other meds. well he was trying to get himself off of all of his med and had manage tget down t just three pills a day. But now the pain is back as bad as ever but the doctor won't give him even close to what he needs. he has to spend every day either lying oh the couch or sitting in his recliner. it is awful for him because he loved to be active and now he can move cause he is in so much pain

Ya know that's a great idea! I'd love to see one in particular having HORRIBLE withdrawals. He's a real arrogant creep -- he's my neurosurgeon who said that I "can't be in pain cause he "fixed me". Boy I wish him a day in my shoes and a day of withdrawals! Grrrrr.

Well, there are 2-sides to every coin. I wish MDs would stick with meds known to work rather than prescribe newer ones recommended by pharmaceutical companies that are not as well tested for side-effects in the long-run. The older meds are also usually cheaper.

I don't know how practical it would be but I wish doctors had to undergo any medical test they send a patient to have done to know what it's like.

I totally agree that doctors should have to take whatever med they're prescribing. Then they'd give more thoughts to the nasty side-effects instead of minimizing them they way most do.

Most doctors only know what the drug reps tell them about the meds they're selling them, and you know they play up the benefits, and minimize the side-effects.

when i first this idea i wasn't sure of it at all, but actually it's quite cool!

i know i'd like a few of my past doctors to try that- especially the thick ones.

heh

But if they don't have the condition they are taking the medication for what would be the point? To be honest they know of the side effects and withdrawal symptoms these drugs have - they see more than enough people affected so if thats not going to make them more empathetic i don't think making them take the drugs will. Just my thoughts.

I'm the OP and I was talking about psychiatrists, although I forgot to put that in there. I think especially with anti-depressants, it would give them a much better idea than just by observing their many patients. I was on 150mg of Effexor, and after I complained of some nasty side effects, he told me to taper off by taking 75mg for 5 days, and that should be it. !! After the brain zaps and dizziness and anxiety issues, I decided to halve the 75's, and finally quarter them. Now I'm off, although I'm still dealing with smaller brain zaps.

Once I told him about the brain zaps as I was coming down from Zoloft. He acted like he never heard of such a thing. ??

Ok, you judge.

The concern I have is that it's all based on the following assumptions:
1) The psychiatrist will have an adverse reaction.
2) The adverse reaction will be unpleasant.
3) The adverse reaction will be the same or similar to what you experienced.
4) The psychiatrist will show more empathy.

It also seems to be revenge-driven rather than having them do this for the good of the patients.

Maybe we could just stimulate the bad effects. Before doc is allowed to spew "would you rather be fat and happy, or thin and unhappy" they'd be required to walk around in fat suit for let's say a month. If they dismiss sexual side effects... kill their libido...

and as for the nasty stuff... yeah could be done too somehow.

but i guess you cannot make people reasonable and sympathetic anyways...

I was prescribed Carbamazepine for three days and it made me so sick for one month. He suggested another medication and I said back to him..... only if you take it first.

Now he asks me to check things out on the CMI to see what I think first.

Eliminate the doctor's libido if they dismiss any sexual side-effects screams of trying to get vengence or "justice". In any case, going to such extremes to ensure doctors experience all the negative side-effects has a huge drawback: what if the doctors need therapy? On one hand that may be viewed as going down the same path as patients, but on the other hand, it prolongs care for actual patients.

Additionally, as more medications are being developed, it would place doctors in a never-ending cycle of taking the medications and enduring negative side-effects. It leaves a lot less time for them to practice at their peak performance. In the end, a likely complaint of patients is they're not getting the ideal care they want, which is the very same complaint that is happening now.

I agree that some doctors don't treat patients with proper dignity, dismiss complaints of symptoms and give a treatment that makes seemingly no sense, even to other doctors. The problem is, not all doctors are like this, some of them are quite reasonable and sympathetic. Unfortunately, the OP's suggestion casts all doctors as unforgiving, unsympathetic and devoid of care for their patients.

well, not all doctors take the "I doctor, you crazy, take your pills and STFU and if you don't want to take them it's symptom of your illness". I think we are speaking of the 'tards.

and no i don't want a vegeance... I see it as sending rich brats to volunteer in Africa. Changes their perspective. You cannot miss something you have. It's easy to speak of "fat and happy" when you are fit and atheletics and it's the others who are fat.

Doctors get payed vacations and extensive bonuses if they get rid of an amount of pills at once. They are in bed with many pharmaceutical companies. If someone is cured, they lose steady payment.

I also agree.
I once asked my T how she can understand what I can be going through with regards to depression and bipolar...she said that's what she's trained on. It's soooooooo not the same

I happen to like my doctor. He's a cool old fellow. But I have no revenge issues. He's done nothing but try to help me. I think if he tried an anti-depressant before he dispenses it, he'd have a better idea, that is why I posted this. Guess what? It's not all about revenge issues.