When did you decide to take your health into your own hands?

[Beloved]

I’m really appreciating this thread. It makes my heart hurt, but at the same time it’s really validating. It’s also empowering….it gives me hope that there may be solutions to some of the challenges I am facing that bypass these systems that treat me and others so inhumanely.

I am a member of multiple groups that are the target of harmful and potentially life-threatening unconscious bias from medical professionals. I am so routinely dismissed by my doctors and my concerns are so often minimized or ignored. I feel like I'm walking a tightrope whenever I talk to my doctor. I don't want to be labeled as a hypochondriac or as difficult in some way, because I'm having a physical problem that is meaningful to me but that they don't care enough to even investigate.

So, I don't seek the medical care I need or I hesitate for months or years sometimes. I wish there were independent, cost effective solutions for things beyond medications - like MRIs and lab tests and such. I'd love to talk with someone about my body who I felt safe with and who really cared about me. I experience this when i pay out of pocket to see a private pay physical therapist or an acupuncturist or a bodyworker or a psychotherapist, but I rarely experience that quality of care and attention and safety with a medical doctor.

I'm totally new here. Given that this is a forum for people who are, as the original poster suggested, taking our medical care into our own hands, I wonder if there are resources that are accessible on this site or its subforums where people discuss how to access other aspects of medical care in similarly empowering ways. If anyone knows of anything like that, I would welcome guidance and direction.

Anyway, thanks, everybody, for sharing.

 

[nikos]

I think its always the problem that came up with doctors. Hard to find one to trust especially if u are in Europe, then when you change address its hard to find a doctor from the start , end its even harder when new doctor cancel old prescriptions. So when they decide that you no longer need pain killers even if uou desperately need it , there is no other choice than try to find IOP to fill the gap .
There is also the growing problem of doctors who have no access to drugs from foreign countries . My country has no great options and variation in many drugs that are common in most countries .

 

[Jakey]

It was insomnia that finally did it for me. I developed infrequent bouts of insomnia a few years ago. I had smaller bouts with it a long time ago and my doctor prescribed Ambien. I took it so infrequently that it lasted years. So, I go to my current doctor and she gives me trazadone. Doesn't work at all. She says double the dose, again does not work at all. I ask for Ambien, oh no! That stuff is terrible, I won't prescribe that! Okay, how about a benzodizapine, nope! Also bad! Okay, then what are we doing here? Shall I just continue to be a walking zombie even though I know how to use these medications in a safe way? But they are happy to load you up on tons of medications for every single tiny ailment. Then you find out years later that those drugs aren't efffective and probably hurt you in the long run.

 

[jaders]

It was insomnia that finally did it for me. I developed infrequent bouts of insomnia a few years ago. I had smaller bouts with it a long time ago and my doctor prescribed Ambien. I took it so infrequently that it lasted years. So, I go to my current doctor and she gives me trazadone. Doesn't work at all. She says double the dose, again does not work at all. I ask for Ambien, oh no! That stuff is terrible, I won't prescribe that! Okay, how about a benzodizapine, nope! Also bad! Okay, then what are we doing here? Shall I just continue to be a walking zombie even though I know how to use these medications in a safe way? But they are happy to load you up on tons of medications for every single tiny ailment. Then you find out years later that those drugs aren't efffective and probably hurt you in the long run.

Yep. They just do not trust people any longer. People who have shown repeatedly that they don’t “abuse” these meds but that they are effective, yet doctors still withhold helpful medicines.

I’m SO GLAD when folks do find ways to get what they need despite these fascists. I only wish we could tell them that they’re the ones driving a thriving black market instead of dispensing safe medicines.

 

[Jakey]

I agree. They need to form a relationship with their patients so that they can understand their needs and how they manage the medications. I mean, prescribe 30 of them and see if I come back 30 days later asking for a refill or asking for higher strengths immediately etc. They are doctors, they are supposed to be smart enough to figure this out. I think the regulatory agencies have scared them senseless too.

I wonder how many people died from opiates (fent) they got on the street after they were abruptly cut off by their doctor instead of working with them on a plan? And, many of these people weren't druggies, they were people who needed that medication because it worked for them and they could live a somewhat normal life. It was no shocker that OD's went through the roof right after they cracked down on prescription opiates.

 

[heavymetalviolet]

Not a good idea for people with good
health plans and good providers.
If somebody has no coverage or weak coverage
with bad medical providers then the risk may
be worth it. Luckily so far I have not even had to
think about making such a decision.

I don’t know if it’s the area I’m in or because I’m a woman, but doctors have consistently been dismissive of my pain/anxiety. I found one good doctor who recently retired. I had a torn labrum in my hip once, which was surprisingly painful. A lot like nerve pain that would radiate down my leg, the doctor told me after looking at me in the office I was fine and he would bet money I didn’t have a torn labrum. I had to beg just to get an mri and I ended up having two separate tears. He put that I was drug seeking on my chart just for telling him how much pain it caused (I didn’t even ask for meds as I was just taking advil and Tylenol). I think a few bad doctors have made me cynical, unfortunately. I agree with you though, much less stressful to go pick your meds up at a pharmacy!

THIS. I had endometriosis and fibroids among other things, and lemme tell you, there are a TON of doctors out there who don't take any of that seriously. Several put that I was drug seeking pain meds. One (with me sitting on his table fully clothed) asked why I was frigid and didnt just go get pregnant (I hopped off the table, told him to get bent and stormed out), and most threw birth control pills or hormones at me or wanted to do exploratory laparoscopies that did absolutely nothing. I had one treatment lap that helped a little but ultimately it came back. I went through a double digit number of doctors before I finally found a sweet, kind man who looked at all my records and said, honey, why hasn't anyone ever told you about a hysterectomy? I burst into tears. FINALLY someone wanted to listen. No one else had before that. But yeah, MANY doctors will blow you off if you are a woman. It's just anxiety or whatever and they dont want to deal with it.

 

[Just Alex]

Any doctor who's not living and practicing in a bubble, should NOT be surprised one bit that patients treat themselves.. Go over their heads and get what they need rather than to be billed for an Rx for an OTC drug. I'd literally rather they spit right into my face than Rx me an OTC drug. That shit is an insult

 

[heliarc]

@Just Alex I remember one time getting an Rx from my PCP for 800mg ibuprofen (the big fat footballs) and another time getting one for Vitamin D3 after he reviewed my blood work and found it was low. Yeah sure, so I should just walk right past the 2 dozen different OTC versions of Vitamin D on my way to the prescription counter in the back of CVS so I can get the 'really good stuff' instead...

If any doc ever thinks I should receive an Rx for Vitamin D again it better include an all-expenses paid trip to Aruba for sun and fun!

 

[heavymetalviolet]

@Just Alex I remember one time getting an Rx from my PCP for 800mg ibuprofen (the big fat footballs) and another time getting one for Vitamin D3 after he reviewed my blood work and found it was low. Yeah sure, so I should just walk right past the 2 dozen different OTC versions of Vitamin D on my way to the prescription counter in the back of CVS so I can get the 'really good stuff' instead...

If any doc ever thinks I should receive an Rx for Vitamin D again it better include an all-expenses paid trip to Aruba for sun and fun!

Funny, my GP just put me on D3 also as he noted I was VERY low in my bloodwork and he was worried about my bones plus the impact it would have on my immune system (hey, maybe that's why I was sick for 4 months last year!). Who knows.

 

[CoralSpringsPete]

mine was about xx -can't remember for sure- years ago reading some libertarian article online by Jeffrey Tucker. That got me going down the rabbit hole and researching various online pharmacies. Took the leap lol by buying some bitcoin, like $100 worth and took the risk to order from a site in India.

 

[heliarc]

Funny, my GP just put me on D3 also as he noted I was VERY low in my bloodwork and he was worried about my bones plus the impact it would have on my immune system (hey, maybe that's why I was sick for 4 months last year!). Who knows.

Maybe they're thinking is that you'll take it more seriously if you actually receive a written script, even if they know most of their patients will just buy the cheapest OTC version of vitamin D they can find.. It can't be just on potency alone because a few months ago I bought Rite-Aid brand D3 gummies that were a whoppin' 5000 IU each. And you know with gummies you can't just eat one, so I get about a months worth of D3 in the span of about 30 seconds...

But I think it's true that most people -especially up north this time of year, do need to supplement to get enough Vitamin D. They say older people need more, too, for whatever reason.

@CoralSpringsPete I just checked AllDayChemist -it's sold out. Might have to resort to the dark web.

 

[dmp336]

I never really made the cut and dry decision to “put my health into my own hands”. In fact, I don’t recommend anyone take full care with no doc intervention. My choice to begin my search was on forums just like this one. At the time, it was the late 90’s, OxyContin hit the shelves with no abuse deterrent, so a lot of innocent lives were lost or ruined. I was in a car accident and suffered from a TBI. They started me on oxy 20 twice a day. After a few weeks I started to notice the pain was getting worse, so the doc rxd me roxicodone 30mg for “breakthrough pain”. I think their motto back then was “Eliminating patient pain decreases amount of time spent being bothered by a patient who is in legit pain. Therefore over medicate Than under under medicate

 

[dmp336]

I started ordering online in 2009. Back then I could order on a pharmacy website, fill out an online questionnaire and a prescription would be supplied along with my meds which would be delivered the next day. It wasn’t too long after that those options were no longer available and I had to start ordering from IOP’s. That’s around the time I found this site.

I had a similar beginning. I already posted about being rx’d unlimited OxyContin in late 90’s. In the early 2000’a, all you had to do was fill out your name and address, and under reason needed, It was always oh my C3 is herniated, or L4 is causing sciatica. Then the “dr” would call you within 15 minutes and say “You need 120 tablets of 10/325 Watson norco, you are not selling these to someone else are you? Ok, then 4 tablets daily, have a good day!”
Now imagine that times 100, to the point forums like this one couldn’t keep up with the new LEGIT AND CHEAP sites popping up. My choice was hydrocodone once I became dependent, and I’d get #120 for around $200 from ten different websites all coming from Florida. I made sure the USPS stayed in business back then and getting 2-3 bottles of pain medicine per week, and the postman totally knew lol

 

[Violets]

@sweetpea123 The time my doc made a big deal about phentermine being a 'drug of abuse' and treated me like an addict when I checked on my scrip renewal. Although I should thank him because there are much more effective and recreational things for those who opt out of the gatekeepers.

I feel that. I have had panic attacks since I was 12. My doctor made me go to a cardiologist and get a 24 hour holter monitor done at the age of 26 (and in good health) to make sure I didn’t have a heart condition causing my very infrequent panic attacks. Once I jumped through all those hoops I got prescribed 10 Ativan and was told I couldn’t get a refill for 6 months. The war on drugs has really pushed doctors to an extreme the other way and we all get to pay the price.

I literally feel like I was reading my own experience. I felt like I just was never going to be taken seriously.

 

[Davey Crockett]

After talking to my pharmacist about the generic klonopin I was getting and how the orange .5 mg made by Advag was inferior to the yellow Teva .5's. He explained the tolerances allowed (by FDA?) and they are given more wiggle room than I thought possible. He also said that with most meds, like the fenofibrate I take for my blood tryglycerides,for example, that you do not feel the drug, and the tolerances allowed would take care of the condition. But he said it did not surprise him that I could feel the difference as Teva was, and maybe still is the largest manufacturer of generic meds in the world. I asked Doc if I could get my script bumped up to 1 mg, and explained why. He said no. I did not want to double dose every time I took it and run out to fast. That is when I began to supplement my script through IOP's.

 

[dmp336]

After talking to my pharmacist about the generic klonopin I was getting and how the orange .5 mg made by Advag was inferior to the yellow Teva .5's. He explained the tolerances allowed (by FDA?) and they are given more wiggle room than I thought possible. He also said that with most meds, like the fenofibrate I take for my blood tryglycerides,for example, that you do not feel the drug, and the tolerances allowed would take care of the condition. But he said it did not surprise him that I could feel the difference as Teva was, and maybe still is the largest manufacturer of generic meds in the world. I asked Doc if I could get my script bumped up to 1 mg, and explained why. He said no. I did not want to double dose every time I took it and run out to fast. That is when I began to supplement my script through IOP's.

I’ve heard the “purple is better than yellow, and triangle one are the best”. You are right to be surprised about the wiggle room. It has nothing to do with the generic or brand. A lot number is marked on a thousand bottles a second, thus on a .5mg tablet could contain as low as .4 mg. This also means, however, sometimes the wiggle room is in your favor, say like .6mg.

I totally BELIEVE you though lol, especially with sensitive doses like kpins are. I prefer my teva green 1mgs, but sometimes I get blue ones and I swear they suck lol. I think pretty sure it’s Placebo Effect, combined with this “wiggle room” that makes all of us that go manic when the pills look different!

 

[HostToast]

@Davey Crockett I assumed I was going nuts, I've been getting generics for years and my script was always filled with teva but as of a few months ago myla was the brand I was given and its close but just not the same

its insane that any manufacturer is able to get away with being noticeably different from the advertised dosage

 

[onlyareader]

@sweetpea123 Essentially for me it was a matter of necessity. I needed it for the pain but my doctors were very conservative and would give me stingy small amounts.

 

[Skats]

Within the last year

From mental health to physical well being I was getting the run around on doctors who visually didn’t care. It was either take a Prozac for my anxiety or take a Prozac for my low testosterone.

Luckily it’s 2025 and since then I have conquered both needs by getting TRT clinics and the forever meds to make feel like a HUMAN again.

 

[cajunbulldog]

Manage my own pain since 2022.