doctors' reactions to when you tell them you use AAS?

[xtinct]

First, I think everyone should listen to pyrros dimas. Your doctor is most likely not going to rat you out to law enforcement, but once you admit to using illegal drugs and your insurance company finds out about it, you could have some problems in the future. Wouldn't it suck if they deny you coverage just when you need it the most. Even if in the end everything gets straightened out, why go through all that shit when it's easily avoidable?

Second, buffdoc, I think that I am speaking for most people here when I say that a good doctor deserves (and almost always gets) a lot of respect. The problem is that there are so many doctors who do not live up to that standard. So, what do I consider a "good" doctor? A good doctor should listen to me, at least consider what I am telling him, not misrepresent (or outright lie) about treatment options, and resist the temptation to shot from the hip when he does not really know what to do. Unfortunately, many doctors (if not the majority) I have encountered have failed to live up to that standard. They refuse to listen to me (cutting me off before I am even done describing what's wrong), they refuse to consider anything I suggest (and considering all the pharmacology, physiology, and biochem classes I have under my belt, let me assure you that my suggestions are usually quite reasonable). Worse yet, I have met doctors who are plain wrong about the applicable medical facts, or who straight out try to mislead me about the available treatment options. At worst, they are outright llying to me, at best they are incompetent or are trying to mislead me. So when I get upset and say that many doctors are arrogant pricks, that is who I am talking about.

 

[Goat Ass]

look i don't tell a soul in real life that i am using Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) because i am a paranoid mofo. so why would i tell my doc??? couldn't he if he was an asshole, tip me off to the feds?

 

[xtinct]

look i don't tell a soul in real life that i am using Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) because i am a paranoid mofo. so why would i tell my doc??? couldn't he if he was an asshole, tip me off to the feds?

Well, it depends. There is something called the physician-patient privilege, which allows the patient to prevent the doctor to disclose information acquired from the patient for the purpose of treatment. Sounds good, but the problem is that there are so many exceptions to this privilege. For example, often the privilege applies only to past, but not future conduct. Also, sometimes the privilege does not apply in criminal trials. So the bottom line is that while it is unlikely that a doctor would report his patients to law enforcement, you may not be able to stop him if he decides to do it anyway.

 

[buffdoc]

First, I think everyone should listen to pyrros dimas. Your doctor is most likely not going to rat you out to law enforcement, but once you admit to using illegal drugs and your insurance company finds out about it, you could have some problems in the future. Wouldn't it suck if they deny you coverage just when you need it the most. Even if in the end everything gets straightened out, why go through all that shit when it's easily avoidable?

Second, buffdoc, I think that I am speaking for most people here when I say that a good doctor deserves (and almost always gets) a lot of respect. The problem is that there are so many doctors who do not live up to that standard. So, what do I consider a "good" doctor? A good doctor should listen to me, at least consider what I am telling him, not misrepresent (or outright lie) about treatment options, and resist the temptation to shot from the hip when he does not really know what to do. Unfortunately, many doctors (if not the majority) I have encountered have failed to live up to that standard. They refuse to listen to me (cutting me off before I am even done describing what's wrong), they refuse to consider anything I suggest (and considering all the pharmacology, physiology, and biochem classes I have under my belt, let me assure you that my suggestions are usually quite reasonable). Worse yet, I have met doctors who are plain wrong about the applicable medical facts, or who straight out try to mislead me about the available treatment options. At worst, they are outright llying to me, at best they are incompetent or are trying to mislead me. So when I get upset and say that many doctors are arrogant pricks, that is who I am talking about.

Bro,
You're absolutely correct in your assessment of many docs, especially in the era of managed care, which has probably done more than anything to erode the patient-doctor relationship. Me and my wife and kids are patients too sometimes, and I've seen it all, believe me!
I simply object to the blanket condemnation of all physicians that crops up on the boards from time to time. This is the same kind of stereotyping which outrages us as, say, bodybuilders. I'm sure you'd agree that there are many BB's who are also arrogant pricks, but would we like to hear that applied to our sport as an accross the board characterization? Of course not.
Considering there are a fair number of us docs on the boards and as mods, I just would like it to stay civil and individual. Often it degenerates into "non of these assholes know anything or give a shit", which I know personally to be untrue.

 

[xtinct]

Buffdoc,

I completely agree with you. Almost all of my bad experiences with doctors have occured in the context of managed care.

I can appreciate that it bothers you when people make overly broad statements attacking doctors. Even if you know that they are not talking about you personally, it still stings a little to see your profession attacked like that. It's too bad, but somehow that is how it always turns out -- the people who stand on the right side usually get to listen to all the complains that are really targeted at the less respectable members of their profession.

 

[buffdoc]

Buffdoc,

I completely agree with you. Almost all of my bad experiences with doctors have occured in the context of managed care.

I can appreciate that it bothers you when people make overly broad statements attacking doctors. Even if you know that they are not talking about you personally, it still stings a little to see your profession attacked like that. It's too bad, but somehow that is how it always turns out -- the people who stand on the right side usually get to listen to all the complains that are really targeted at the less respectable members of their profession.

Thanks, bro, for considering my perspective. Your obviously a perceptive guy, and it comes across.
And I abhor the way medicine has become; my father, and his father, were all physicians. My dad got out early because it had gotten so bad, even 15 years ago. I'm sure my grandfather, who practiced from the turn of the century until his death, is spinning in his grave ;-)

 

[house1]

buff, its too bad that there are not more people like you around for us to turn too !!!

your top notch in my book brother

 

[buffdoc]

buff, its too bad that there are not more people like you around for us to turn too !!!

your top notch in my book brother

You're too kind, my friend!
Seriously, I do really appreciate the good words.

 

[simpllyhuge]

does any one know about the new privacy policy in ny? i think its for all of ny, but any way every time i go to docs in manhatten they give me a new privacy policy, i never read it i guess i should have.