# What's the worst medical advice you've ever heard? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2016, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043 "2016-10-09T10:51:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/41 "2016-10-11T12:28:24Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > I think,as a general rule, one can assume that if a person is suffering from a medical condition, the idea of going to a doctor has already occurred to him, and been given some rational consideration based on his own knowledge of his medical history and a full awareness of the progression of symptoms, before anybody else uselessly and gratuitously says “go to a doctor”. > > In my lifetime, my conditions did “just go away”, and for those that didn’t, the idea of going to a doctor occurred to me on my own, without the advice of casual acquaintances who couldn’t think of any other way to express their not-very-heartfelt sympathy… Except that people who aren’t me can see things that I don’t. My husband once hurt himself when he dove in a lake and landed on his shoulder. He insisted that his shoulder was fine, that he didn’t have to see a doctor for it, and that he could just ride it out until it felt better. I insisted that he go to the ER. Good thing for him that I did because the ball of the joint was broken in three places and that had he not gotten medical care when he did, he was looking at a far worse injury. As for me, I’m laid up for the next two weeks because I ignored a sore ankle. I assumed it was just a flare-up of an old injury and that ibuprofen and rest would be enough. It was a flare-up, but the injury had gotten much worse over time. When a co-worker saw me limping, she told me to see an orthopedist pronto. We tried conservative treatment, but it wasn’t enough. I had surgery to repair the injury last Friday. Ignoring the problem made it a lot worse. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/42 "2016-10-11T15:32:28Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I had a botched cataract operation. A second operation seemed successful. When I saw my regular opthalmologist and told him the whole story, I mentioned that I had recently seen a lot of black spots in that eye. “Just floaters, nothing to worry about.” When it got really bad a couple months later I decided to see the surgeon. Detached retina. Although it was repaired it detached again. It was repaired again and, instead of using an air bubble to keep the retina in place while it healed, he used an oil bubble. In theory, that could be taken out, but he claimed there was a 30% chance of another detachment. So I live with a permanently obscured retina. I think that if the first doctor had told me to see the surgeon immediately, it would not have been so bad and I would now have normal vision. I should emphasize that I don’t really know this but strongly suspect it. I am currently going thru the same sort of thing. Blank spot in the middle of one eye, went to the eye doctor, he immediately referred me to the eye surgeon who said “good thing you came in right away”. I had the gas bubble put in place. Retina detached again. Gas bubble, plastic buckle to hold the retina in place, lasers to clear away scar tissue. Retina detached again. Oil bubble, more lasers. Next month I go back to see if it worked. I started with a blind spot in one eye. Now I can hardly see out of that eye at all. And the eye doctor wants to leave the oil bubble in place for at least six months. So it doesn’t always help to go to the surgeon immediately. Getting old sux. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/43 "2016-10-11T18:46:43Z")
A few years ago I had a bad tooth abcess and was forced to see a dental surgeon at a shady outfit. His extraction was extremely rough and ended up punching a hole into my sinus cavity. I went back twice, they took x-rays, and insisted there was absolutely nothing wrong (and, to boot, accused me of seeking Vicodin). I finally went to the ER after green infection – along with anything liquid I drank – was pouring out of my snout, my fever spiked at 103, and I could barely walk. X-ray and CAT scan clearly showed the sinus puncture and a massive infection. I had sinus surgery the next morning and was on massive IV antibiotics for a few days afterward. So, the worst medical advice I had was from an incompetent dentist. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/44 "2016-10-11T19:22:31Z")
I once worked (briefly) with an employee who turned out to have some odd medical advice. While on break one day, she ‘caught’ me cleaning some smudges off of my glasses at the break room sink. “What are you Doing!? You’ll Wash The Medicine Off!!!” 😕 She was Totally Serious. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/45 "2016-10-11T19:42:30Z")
“Get your prostate checked” [https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/prostate-cancer-early-detection](https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/prostate-cancer-early-detection) “Get a mammogram” [https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/breast-cancer-early-detection](https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/breast-cancer-early-detection) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/46 "2016-10-11T20:21:02Z")
My SO being told she’s diabetic. Four months after the blood work was done. :smack: Blood work which showed a glucose level above 800. :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/47 "2016-10-12T12:46:15Z")
Sounds like pretty good info, albeit not exactly advice. Real late though. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/48 "2016-10-12T13:03:43Z")
“Peppermint Tea will cure everything” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/49 "2016-10-12T14:26:32Z")
“You have situation depression. If you don’t take prescription anti-depressants for it, you’ll wind up on street drugs!” So if the doctor prescribes it, it will have a different effect from the same drug gotten on the street? And how do drugs help with situation depression. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/50 "2016-10-12T14:43:13Z")
Well, yes, it will. The doctor will be controlling dosage and monitoring for improvement. The drug dealer is less concerned about such things. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/51 "2016-10-12T14:54:13Z")
Taking heroin (or alcohol) to treat a problem for which the doc might have prescribed Xanax is another risk of the self-medication approach. The “same drug” assumption is an assumption. OTOH, **Annie** ’s overall point surely stands. If the cause of your symptoms isn’t medical, medicating it isn’t the right answer. “Doc, my job has me breathing radioactive iodine fumes all day; I think I have radiation poisoning.” “Here son, take these potassium iodide pills and go back to work.” NOT!! Which is all about the underlying darn good idea to treat the cause, not the resulting signs and symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/52 "2016-10-12T14:55:05Z")
Yes, I agree with the underlying point. I just take exception to the second sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/53 "2016-10-12T16:23:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Sounds like pretty good info, albeit not exactly advice. Real late though. Good advice would have been “get yourself to the hospital ASAP” right after those results came back. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/54 "2016-10-12T16:29:10Z")
That quack would rather push pills than actually help anyone and didn’t even bother to push pills until months later in this instance. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/55 "2016-10-12T16:40:39Z")
Wow! Sounds like somebody should be reported to the state board of certification. Or worse. I hope things turned out OK-ish. I’d prefer to say “turned out great”, but I don’t want to dig into an old wound or add my clueless insult to the doc’s negligent injury. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/56 "2016-10-12T16:59:24Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > “Get your prostate checked” > > [https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/prostate-cancer-early-detection](https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/prostate-cancer-early-detection) > “Get a mammogram” > > [https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/breast-cancer-early-detection](https://www.harding-center.mpg.de/en/health-information/fact-boxes/breast-cancer-early-detection) Some context might help. From what I understand, they’re just starting to push some of the exams off by about 10 years or so because of false positives. “Don’t get a prostate exam/mammogram” isn’t the case. In fact, I know two people (one prostate cancer, one breast cancer) that were never checked and went from ‘this hurts’ to dead in about a year. Obviously we’ll never know, but I have to wonder if getting screened earlier in life would have caught it. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/57 "2016-10-12T17:09:00Z")
When I was a kid I fell and broke my arm. I was literally screaming in pain. My sister told my parents that broken arms don’t swell up, so my arm must not be broken. My folks decided that they didn’t need to take me to the doctor. Fortunately my screaming through the night apparently convinced them to take me the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/58 "2016-10-12T17:32:46Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Wow! Sounds like somebody should be reported to the state board of certification. Or worse. Yep. He’s still in business, though, just not quite in the same location. > [@](#): > > I hope things turned out OK-ish. I’d prefer to say “turned out great”, but I don’t want to dig into an old wound or add my clueless insult to the doc’s negligent injury. Well, it finally convinced her to find a new doc. 🙂 Her glucose level is still high but nowhere near where it had been and she’s lost some weight. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/59 "2016-10-12T17:50:06Z")
BTW: one of the pills pushed by that quack was [Lipitor](https://www.drugwatch.com/lipitor/diabetes/). ---
**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:** [October 12, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043/60 "2016-10-12T17:50:27Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > “You have situation depression. If you don’t take prescription anti-depressants for it, you’ll wind up on street drugs!” > > So if the doctor prescribes it, it will have a different effect from the same drug gotten on the street? And how do drugs help with situation depression. If your situation is causing you disabling levels of insomnia and/or anxiety there are medications that can, for lack of a better term, “take the edge off”. At which point, if things go well, you can get sufficient sleep or calm down enough to deal with the situation and get to a point where your situation is no longer causing you such problems, at which point you can discontinue the medications. That’s the theory - actual practice yields a wide range of results, not all of them satisfactory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-medical-advice-youve-ever-heard/768043.md?page=4)