3 ms·

So it was weird when my primary care doctor put me on a cocktail of pain killers, nerve blockers, and cortisone shots. I even tried acupuncture. But as my back

by kleiba 7y ago

So it was weird when my primary care doctor put me on a cocktail of pain killers, nerve blockers, and cortisone shots. I even tried acupuncture. But as my back began to improve in late June, I started to feel off. Sick to my stomach. Weak. Couldn’t sleep. I lost more than 10 pounds. [...] My doctor said I was fit and healthy and that there was no need to run any blood tests. He wondered aloud if this was all in my head. It never stops shocking me how different the American health care system is...

jotm 7y ago
It's really not exclusive to America.
- grecy 7y ago
  The figures say otherwise [1] "Americans are prescribed six times more opioids per capita than citizens in France, despite nationalized medicine in France allowing for easier access to healthcare and more healthcare visits per capita" [1] https://www.dentalcare.com/en-us/professional-education/ce-courses/ce560/comparative-opioid-abuse-rates-in-the-united-states-and-abroad https://www.dentalcare.com/en-us/professional-education/ce-c...
  - jotm 7y ago
    Ah well I thought the main point of that excerpt was that they didn't run blood tests and find the cancer sooner. Not the overprescription of medication.
- LilBytes 7y ago
  Well, based on my experience in the UK and Australia. We get blood tests on pretty much any occasion when we're unwell before we're subscribed to an array of opiates. Shit, I had my wisdom teeth taken out days ago and the dentist was apprehensive to give me anything stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol. Unfortunately, I think you're mistaken.
  - txcwpalpha 7y ago
    Anecdotally, my experience with the American healthcare system is the exact opposite of OP’s. I went through a bout of months of intense pain, seeing 7+ doctors. Each of them insisted on running (and re-running) blood test after blood test, even repeating blood tests that had already been done only days prior. In the end I had over 100 different blood tests done and the only thing ever prescribed was some heartburn medication. Other times, my primary doctor always insists on doing blood tests before anything else. The only time I’ve been to him and been prescribed something before getting a blood test was when I went in for a muscle sprain, and even then the prescription was for some pretty mild muscle relaxers. I’ve also had the pleasure of experiencing kidney stones, and even when in the ER for that the doctors were extremely hesitant to give me anything stronger than ibuprofen until they did multiple blood tests and imaging to confirm without a doubt that the opiates were necessary. I know statistics say otherwise, but I too am always surprised to hear stories about American doctors handing out opiates like candy.
  - jotm 7y ago
    Funny that you mention UK and blood tests. I was literally told I don't need one, so I went private for £100. I was right about something being wrong, too. Really can't generalize for the whole of UK, though, some parts are so deprived they might as well have no healthcare.
    - LilBytes 7y ago
      Yeah, absolutely. There's anecdotes almost for any situation proving a health care to be awful and great. My comment is mostly around the current opioid crisis in the United States of which there's an alarming amount of data to support. Australia also had, or more likely has quite the crisis too. This is not at all specific to the United States though, I use it as an example as it's demonstratively worse. In the last few years in Australia, opiates in it's over-the-counter (non-MD prescribed) forms have become controlled and are no longer available over the counter. https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-in-australia/ https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-in-austr... https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/australia-s-overdose-crisis-is-getting-worse https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/australia-s-overdo... Specifically regarding codeine: https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/here-s-what-happened-when-codeine-was-made-prescri https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/here-s-what-happen...

by kleiba 7y ago

jotm 7y ago

It's really not exclusive to America.

grecy 7y ago
The figures say otherwise [1] "Americans are prescribed six times more opioids per capita than citizens in France, despite nationalized medicine in France allowing for easier access to healthcare and more healthcare visits per capita" [1] https://www.dentalcare.com/en-us/professional-education/ce-courses/ce560/comparative-opioid-abuse-rates-in-the-united-states-and-abroad https://www.dentalcare.com/en-us/professional-education/ce-c...
- jotm 7y ago
  Ah well I thought the main point of that excerpt was that they didn't run blood tests and find the cancer sooner. Not the overprescription of medication.
LilBytes 7y ago
Well, based on my experience in the UK and Australia. We get blood tests on pretty much any occasion when we're unwell before we're subscribed to an array of opiates. Shit, I had my wisdom teeth taken out days ago and the dentist was apprehensive to give me anything stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol. Unfortunately, I think you're mistaken.
- txcwpalpha 7y ago
  Anecdotally, my experience with the American healthcare system is the exact opposite of OP’s. I went through a bout of months of intense pain, seeing 7+ doctors. Each of them insisted on running (and re-running) blood test after blood test, even repeating blood tests that had already been done only days prior. In the end I had over 100 different blood tests done and the only thing ever prescribed was some heartburn medication. Other times, my primary doctor always insists on doing blood tests before anything else. The only time I’ve been to him and been prescribed something before getting a blood test was when I went in for a muscle sprain, and even then the prescription was for some pretty mild muscle relaxers. I’ve also had the pleasure of experiencing kidney stones, and even when in the ER for that the doctors were extremely hesitant to give me anything stronger than ibuprofen until they did multiple blood tests and imaging to confirm without a doubt that the opiates were necessary. I know statistics say otherwise, but I too am always surprised to hear stories about American doctors handing out opiates like candy.
- jotm 7y ago
  Funny that you mention UK and blood tests. I was literally told I don't need one, so I went private for £100. I was right about something being wrong, too. Really can't generalize for the whole of UK, though, some parts are so deprived they might as well have no healthcare.
  - LilBytes 7y ago
    Yeah, absolutely. There's anecdotes almost for any situation proving a health care to be awful and great. My comment is mostly around the current opioid crisis in the United States of which there's an alarming amount of data to support. Australia also had, or more likely has quite the crisis too. This is not at all specific to the United States though, I use it as an example as it's demonstratively worse. In the last few years in Australia, opiates in it's over-the-counter (non-MD prescribed) forms have become controlled and are no longer available over the counter. https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-in-australia/ https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-in-austr... https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/australia-s-overdose-crisis-is-getting-worse https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/australia-s-overdo... Specifically regarding codeine: https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/here-s-what-happened-when-codeine-was-made-prescri https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/here-s-what-happen...