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Comment by rdiddly | Hacker News Reader

When you already know what drug you need and just need somebody to sign a prescription, it's a very silly and awkward process to find a doctor, make the appointment, wait for the appointment, show up to the appointment, fill out the history forms and so on, meet with the doc, tell them you've got [disease] and the drug for it is [drug], let them examine you until they agree with your "diagnosis" of [disease], and let them recommend and prescribe [drug]. It makes you feel sorry for the doctor almost.

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I can certainly relate to this, as I have to see a neurologist every two years or so for cluster headaches. When a cycle starts, I need a prescription for medicine and oxygen immediately, because I'm getting very painful headaches every day for two months or so.

The problem is, my neuros keep retiring, so I have to start over, begging for an appointment from a new one who doesn't have anything sooner than three months out. When I finally get in, I tell them my previous dosage, and they write me a script.

I was advised in a situation like this to ask the receptionist to connect you with the doctor's nurse. Nurse is more available than doctor, and is more competent than the receptionist. YMMV.

I agree with this. Many of the supplements I get online are just as risky as anything a doctor can prescribe to me. I already know more about these chemicals and drugs than any doctor I have met. What's more, I have yet to meet a doctor that even cares about the supplements I take.

> What's more, I have yet to meet a doctor that even cares about the supplements I take.

Reminds me, some time ago I researched a supplement extensively before taking it. Then when it turned out to be helping me, I asked my doc if it was safe to continue taking it. He just Googled it, clicked on the first search result, and determined it was safe.

Yes well I am sure that's what the guy next to me when I was in hospital last year thought until he took supplements plus his prescribed meds and had 100% kidney failure.

Do you remember what supplements and meds he took?

Large doses of Zinc some reaction with his other meds and the hadn't told his GP about the zinc pills.

What were the results of the autopsy?

luckily they caught it in time though I suspect his daughter had some strong words for him.

what supplements, if you dont mind me asking? what what use? (if they are a medical condition and not health or "nootropic" feel free not to say)

It is a rather large list. I am reversing the cumulative damage to my body.

To add to the discussion however, I would include sub-components of supplements such as BioPerine which is just a commercial version of piperine. Several supplements I take have this and it changes how drugs are processed in the liver. Drugs that would normally have a small chance of minor side effects can suddenly have dramatic and unpredictable side effects.

> it's a very silly and awkward process to find a doctor, make the appointment, wait for the appointment, show up to the appointment, fill out the history forms and so on, meet with the doc, tell them you've got [disease] and the drug for it is [drug], let them examine you until they agree with your "diagnosis" of [disease], and let them recommend and prescribe [drug].

I'm with you up until all the people who "know" they need antibiotics for things that antibiotics don't work for. There's strong public health justification for putting a doctor in the loop on occasion.

+1. Obviously not every drug can be self-prescribed, and not every condition can be self-diagnosed.

Remember when you needed to go to a doctor to get a prescription for Fexofenadine or one of the many other antihistamines? Seems ridiculous in retrospect. We should limit ourselves to a year, maybe two at most, of prescription-required status for new drugs that should be over-the-counter, and only to get some experience (data). Some drugs should require a new N-year prescription every N years as patient conditions might change requiring examination.

>it's a very silly and awkward process to find a tech person, make the meeting, wait for the meeting, show up to the meeting, tell them your issue and the solution for it is [solution], let them examine your problem until they agree with your "diagnosis" of [problem], and let them recommend and prescribe [solution]. It makes you feel sorry for the tech person almost.

There is a reason why we have specialists. Yes, you could be your own lawyer, doctor and engineer but there are very good reasons they exist: to make sure you aren't doing dumb things they know better.

One can represent themselves. It might be dumb, but people should have the right to be dumb when they're the only ones getting hurt. That's why I have no problem with engineering requirements: when a bridge, airplane, whatever falls down and goes boom, it's not only the owner who's affected.

I'm an adult. It's legal for me to buy and drink bleach. It would be very stupid of me to do that, but I can. I should be able to do the same with prescription drugs, if I want to. Yes, including eating a whole bottle of warfarin and dying messily. It's my body and my life, not yours.

> One can represent themselves. It might be dumb, but people should have the right to be dumb when they're the only ones getting hurt...

The difference is there isn't a massive industry that will try to persuade consumers to do something as dumb as choosing to represent themselves pro se. There's no way for others to profit off that kind of stupidity.

On the other hand, the drug industry already advertises to consumers heavily to convince them to take prescription medication that they may very well not need. That kind of consumer stupidity can be very profitable, so the vultures will descend from the heavens to persuade people that the dumb choice is really the best one for them.

> The difference is there isn't a massive industry that will try to persuade consumers to do something as dumb as choosing to represent themselves pro se. There's no way for others to profit off that kind of stupidity.

Wouldn't you like to attend my seminar on the importance of representing yourself? Also, check out my book. And follow me on Twitter.

> Wouldn't you like to attend my seminar on the importance of representing yourself? Also, check out my book. And follow me on Twitter.

That doesn't happen, or at least it doesn't happen at anything close to the scale of prescription drug advertising.

Also, representing yourself pro se is a daunting, complicated endeavor. Buying a pill is not if you have the money, as you can clearly see with the supplement industry.

The average adult can be quickly and reliably trained to use bleach appropriately: "Should I drink bleach? No. Always no."

On the other hand, the average adult requires six or more years of education and training to manage warfarin appropriately.

I'm being somewhat glib for effect, but do you not see a critical distinction there?

In the interest of public health, we make all kinds of laws to protect people from things they cannot be expected to do safely. Why is it unreasonable to protect people from dangerous medications?

I'm willing to bet that very few people accidentally consume bleach or warfarin under the belief that it is beneficial.

However, it's far more likely that a layman gains cursory information about a drug and its effects, while lacking the specialized knowledge required to safely prescribe it.

In short, it's far easier to accidentally poison yourself with prescription medication that it is with bleach, and we have measures in place to prevent such accidents for a reason.

> I'm willing to bet that very few people accidentally consume bleach or warfarin under the belief that it is beneficial.

I believe that a number of children and adolescents tried to consume Tide detergent pods. [1]

[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/01/11/ti...

What exactly do you think constitutes an "accident"? Have you ever accidentally purchased a drug that required an over-the-counter interaction and consumed it?

Isn't that what the directions that are on every bottle are for?

Yes, and when you're left alive and disabled you should have the right to become a ward of the state.

> It's my body and my life, not yours.

I suspect @shub would disagree.

Far from being just for those trying to self-medicate, this process also applies to anyone who's been diagnosed by another doctor, but happened to move, or can't get their records for whatever reason, or whose new doctor insists on a full work-up regardless because they're not comfortable skipping it.

But medicine is dealing with your own body and I would argue that you’re the world expert on your own body.

This is the kind of logic that has brought us the plague of “As a mom, I know what’s best for my kids’ health and that’s why I’m not getting them vaccinated.” Despite what a charming mantra it sounds like, people are not automatically experts on themselves any more than on any other subject.

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