# Let your doctor know if you've been to certain areas.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540 "2013-12-31T03:43:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/1 "2013-12-31T03:43:10Z")
of the world where certain fungal infections are common, or have a certain infection. WHAT AREAS? WHAT INFECTIONS? WHAT FUNGUS? Did you get the thing I sent for you with whats her face? Now with that thing you should be able to start the thingamabob, just remove the defective doohickey first. Is there a reason these medication commercials have to play coy? ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Eel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@Old\_Eel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Eel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/2 "2013-12-31T03:50:25Z")
At a guess, Tongue-Butt Fungus. Very embarrassing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/3 "2013-12-31T03:54:39Z")
“Valley fever” in parts of California, and histoplasmosis along parts of the Mississippi River basin, especially in the St. Louis region. Some of those drugs are immune suppressants and can leave a person susceptible to this diseases. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/4 "2013-12-31T04:01:33Z")
Tuberculosis as well. I worked on a study with Humira, and we tested the subjects for TB before they entered the study and yearly throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/5 "2013-12-31T12:16:23Z")
TB is not a fungus. It’s still very serious, especially for the immune suppressed, but it’s not a fungus. For Americans, yes, it’s California Valley Fever and histoplasmosis. The latter usually affects the lungs, although other organs can be affected. I had a friend who was \*not \*immune-suppressed lose the vision in one eye to histoplasmosis but fortunately treatment saved the sight in her other eye. Histoplasmosis is also called Ohio Valley Fever and Cave Disease. Something like 90% of the people who have lived along the Ohio River and lower Mississippi have been exposed at one time or another. ---
**Author:** ![Private\_Bin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@Private\_Bin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Private_Bin)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/6 "2013-12-31T15:00:42Z")
Sounds like your doctor is afraid he’s being wiretapped. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/7 "2013-12-31T15:23:56Z")
They only have a few seconds in the commercial and it would take too long to list everything. Probably too long even in a printed advert. Failure to mention something would make product liability lawyers smile. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/8 "2013-12-31T16:43:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > TB is not a fungus. It’s still very serious, especially for the immune suppressed, but it’s not a fungus. Yes, it’s not, but the OP continued with “or have a certain infection.” ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/9 "2013-12-31T17:13:15Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Is there a reason these medication commercials have to play coy? Yes, the FDA. If they make specific claims for a drug, they must also state the side effects. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2014, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/10 "2014-01-01T06:45:53Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > “Valley fever” in parts of California… Fer sure, like, totally? This is _so_ bitchin’. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/11 "2014-01-02T19:18:22Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Fer sure, like, totally? This is _so_ bitchin’. You should see a doctor for that. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/12 "2014-01-02T21:00:22Z")
> [@Stormcrow](#): > > You should see a doctor for that. And tell him whether you’ve been to that place. Y’know, that place where they have…stuff. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-your-doctor-know-if-youve-been-to-certain-areas/677540/13 "2014-01-02T22:02:29Z")
Oh shit, I’ve been to a place where they have stuff! I need to go see my dr!