As far as pharma goes, it’s just straight capitalism, tossed lightly with cronyism. But really there’s not much financial incentive to curing disease, and if you look at some of the drug pricing schemes that have happened recently, it’s pretty clear. Wall Street has found new exciting ways to make money off of regular people by buying patents to drugs that treat obscure diseases. Then they hike drug prices tens of thousands of times above manufacturing cost, because what are you going to do about it? Not take this pill that keeps you alive? If that’s not bad enough, you can read about cases where they’ve found cures for diseases, patented them and never manufactured them because there aren’t enough people who have it to make it worthwhile, and nobody will take it once they’re cured.
Anyway, the capitalist business imperative of pursuing maximum profit vs the moral imperative of protecting human life are at odds in the healthcare system. At least in the US, we still have to come to grips with how we’re going to deal with it. Drug companies will do whatever we let them do, including flooding West Virginia with opioids during an epidemic. Dealing highly addictive drugs is great business, as is holding people’s lives at ransom by charging $300k/year for patented life-saving meds.
Man it’s truly frightening. I’m a pretty cynical bastard but I guess I’m pretty naive at the same time.
Before all this I really believed that doctors were highly educated specialists and that they’re magical experts who should know what to do. After sitting in a waiting room for 2 hours to talk to a guy for 2 minutes and leave with a script for head pills I was just blow away. Then I started reading…and reading
I also never would have believed the government would have allowed things to get to such a state. Then I learn that pharmaceutical companies do the trials for their own drugs and the government just approves them after. They don’t independently verify these trials?? WTF
So these companies just keep modifying their trials until they get the results they want. Read about the original trials for prozac…a few of the people committed suicide. The German government originally said there was absolutely no way they would approve that drug and there was no evidence of its efficacy. A few years later they come back with magical new trials and hey, wonder pill!!
I guess I just can’t believe that people of ‘science’ would ever be involved with something so shameful, but the information is all there for is to see. I guess lobbying has a huge part in this as well.
The most despicable part is the fact that they’re giving these drugs to children and creating millions of kids who will either be drug addicts for life or suffer with horrific side effects and consequences of lazy prescribing. What a travesty.
There are some bad apples for sure, but in general, it’s not the people working in the medical field that are the problem. Soldiers get into the military to protect their countries, but they aren’t scheming how to obtain hegemony over oil in the middle east. It’s almost always incremental decisions made by people very distant from the actual work itself that results in amoral, dysfunctional results.
Whole I agree with that wholeheartedly, I think it’s also relevant that the majority of practicing doctors don’t do much ongoing professional development, and largely don’t keep up with current research.
Look at how resistant they were as a group to changing their thinking on H. Pylori and HPV, for just two well known examples. Or the fact that nearly all modern medicine is based almost entirely on study of males, and largely ignores that there are some very significant and relevant biological differences between male and female.
That’s obviously not borne of maliciousness, but it’s also not without consequences.
It’s not the biggest issue, but it does exacerbate the problem.
that is the way most business works, they want all the money,praise or whatever is at stake, and no responsibility what so ever. That is why the need for all the lawyers. why, who else could run, ruin, pillage and plunder the entire country (perhaps world) from the inside/out with the stroke of a pen/tongue whichever may be needed?
Ya i always want to try and believe in vast conspiracies because they’re interesting or whatever, but in the end it’s just for money. It’s ALWAYS money. Get that paper!
Sounds like the doc you saw is crap, if you were out my way I could recommend a good one. If he/she is a walk-in doc - forget them.
You need a regular GP with a practice & they are becoming hard to find now.
The Corporate docs (the ones working for private businesses) are in my experience basically useless as well, not much better than the walk-in docs.
Thanks, ya it was a walk-in doctor. He really was in a hurry lol. I guess it’s understandable to some degree when there’s tons of people waiting but it seems asinine to give 100 people shitty care vs actually talking to say 50.
I’m sure many of the others there walked out unsatisfied as well and ended up going back to the doctor, what a counterproductive system.
There were several good doctors in my family but they’re gone now which is a shame because I’m sure they would have properly sorted me out!
This this was what I was hoping someone else would mention. I’ve described most of these issues over the years on here in different threads. I learned a couple of things. I’ve been tested as a kid for hyperthyroidism, but I was negative. In 2007 on black Friday I discovered that my high metabolism got even faster. Before that I managed to weigh 150lbs max at 5’11". Now I’m 6’1" and 130lbs average and currently 140lbs max. I’ve increased it from 117-127lbs last year. I did this after having to go to the hospital for a concussion. I’ve had my blood drawn my whole life. They all think I’ll freak out, but it’s just a quick sting and no matter how much time after it’s just me feeling colder not in pain. Anyways I wound up passing out from the start of my blood being drawn. They ran tests and I was severely deficient in potassium. They needed to give me 3 of the yellow potassium pills. Things are massive like depakote. I’ve been making sure to eat a lot of potatoes as I seem to have an allergy to the ethers in ripe bananas (banana bread I can eat with minimal issue), protein, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, sodium (somehow not eating enough), vitamin A, carbs, fats(not oils), and I’ve been working on fixing my microbiome in my gut as I have IBD issues in my family described as random autoimmune issues we all get. It’s helped significantly for how much I have to eat and how frequently I get hungry and a appetite at the same time. I’ve never run into my facial hair or body hair growing faster, but I’ve found the hair on my scalp grows fast enough that people tell me I’m lying when I say I need a haircut every week or my hair starts curling out of control and I can feel every flick of it curling. Damn things feels like itching powder on my head when they curl. It grows at about a inch a week until it gets to about 5-6" long and then slows down to a few mm a week after that. Though hair growth speed can be just genetics. It goes through a initial burst followed by a slow growth and shedding phase. We all have a maximum length of hair and it’s different for everyone based on those factors.
What I’m getting at is after I found out what my primary deficiency was I was able to get my body out of a constantly emaciated state and I’m finally gaining weight by regaining muse mass I never thought I’d see again. I was officially diagnosed with severe anxiety from my neurologist funny enough after he had me do a bunch of tests over a month span including a ambulatory EEG at home for 2 days. I went in for seizures and left with relief in the end. My seizures I’ve been describing have been low co2 from hyperventilating as I don’t freak out outwardly until it becomes involuntarily. My diagnosis I trust as it was backed by EEG scans both at home and at the hospital. I cut most stressors out of my life, worked on my nutrient issues, and I’ve finally been talking to my doctor about my issues. Even though slowly I’ve started to regain control over my body thanks to that. I haven’t weighed myself this week, but I’ve been feeling more like I used to when I was 150lbs. My anxiety hasn’t been as bad, I’ve been losing balance only from my sciatic flares now, fog brain hasn’t happened much anymore only showing up when I get anxious that day, and the petite Mal seizure like feeling hasn’t reared its ugly head in months now. My IBD issues are still here, but much less frequent and mostly triggered by my mild lactose intolerance. described to me as a milk allergy I had as a baby I got over until I asked them directly about it being lactose intolerance. Something I asked as a teen and got a no. Turns out she meant yes.
I’ll have to ask if they can run more tests for my thyroid as I don’t enjoy having a 26-28 inch waistline. They don’t make male pants my size. I have to buy women’s jeans to not wear a belt that hurts my sciatic nerve. I used to have a 30 inch waistline once. I want that again.
I e o the conclusions several years ago that having good health was my responsibility. I had a real issue with LEXAPRO and had to do a purge diet for some months.
It’s the same reaction I still Get From my Dr. He always seems To want To sell Pills.
He hated it WHEN I STARTED MEDICAL MARIJUANA. A YEAR LATER MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS DOWNMY GERD IS GONE AND IM NOT TAKING PAINKILLERS.
You definitely need a second opinion. Your below the reference range for TSH based on the numbers you posted. Most people should be somewhere mid range if they have a healthy thyroid.
The fact your doctor didn’t order more testing to investigate should be a red flag to find a new doctor and not go back there. There not all the same , you can still find good doctors out here.
You can always pay to have your own labs done if your convinced it’s your thyroid.
Alot of that sure sounds like thyroid. Have you been to endocrinologist?
I’ve been slowly putting on weight over the last year. It’s ridiculous but it’s almost like a job, most people obviously have the exact opposite issue. I found using the cronometer app on my phone helps to keep on top of it. Also adding butter and coconut oil to just about everything is a good way to ram some calories in there.
Did they suggest why your potassium got so low? Also did they test your B12 levels?
Sorry you’re having so many problems it sounds pretty crappy, keep fighting and seeing new people of necessary.
Thanks. Ya I just sort of took his word for it and gave up on the thyroid angle, but now that I look back and see the numbers I’m a bit pissed that he didn’t investigate further. I’ll definitely get to a different doctor.
That’s neat that you can test your own I didn’t know!
It might take a bit of effort but keep looking for a new doctor until you find the right one. I know it’s a serious hassle but when you find the right doctor , it will be worth it.
I learned that most Docs don’t advocate for you and the ones associated with a big medical group tend to practice under the same model of keeping you coming through the door.
That website is 100% legit too. I’ve used it more than once. You pay, print the order and go right to Labcorp to get your labs done. I would consider it.
Yes it’s a very vague measurement and there’s alot of disagreement about what numbers are normal. The old school way was to measure temperature, heart rate, blood pressure as well as CO2 output several times a day (before after meals etc) and apparently that is much better indicator of what the thyroid and your metabolism is actually doing.
It’s just stupid to assume that say 4.0 is a good number for everybody, maybe they were at 2 their entire life in which case something would clearly be off.
My wife’s struggling with the numbers as well. She wants to put weight on, but never can. She doesn’t feel sick or anything, but she just can’t ever gain any weight. I told her the best thing she can do is request a blood test every single time she goes to get a physical so she can track it over time. Even if you’re healthy now, get blood tests every year. When something goes wrong, you will want to have that kind of medical history available.
Ya that’s a good call for sure. I have like 35 years of nothing then this lol. When I was seeing double years ago I mentioned there were thyroid issues in my family (because my mom told me to haha). He literally looked at me and said ‘your eyes arent bulging so it can’t be that’, I’d be willing to bet my numbers would have been fucked then too.
Maybe she could get a few of those home tests and do them when she feels off and/or normal to establish some baselines. Also you can do things like measure your temp/blood pressure when you get up, then eat and measure again. Read Ray peat he describes how to do this and what to look for.
Unfortunately not that I remember, but a majority of that day is foggy.
They just suggested bananas in my diet before being informed that I’m unable to eat ripe ones I’ll stick to a heavy potato diet.
As for b12 I’ve never been tested for it, but anecdotally I’ve noticed a strong mood change when I take b12. Not as strong as a rare steak, but there might be other reasons for the steak.
I’ve found that if I don’t feel like potatoes nutritional yeast is amazing. I actually add it to nearly everything now alongside msg just to make sure I eat enough regardless of appetite. A heavy dose of umami and my mouth demands more ASAP.
I keep exercise to a minimum as no matter how much I eat a hour walk makes me lose a pants size.
I’ve found that constantly snacking, making sure I get my vitamins, and like you said adding fat bombs has been the only way I’ve managed to gain even a little control over my body.
this was what I was hoping someone else would mention. I’ve described most of these issues over the years on here in different threads. I learned a couple of things. I’ve been tested as a kid for hyperthyroidism, but I was negative. In 2007 on black Friday I discovered that my high metabolism got even faster. Before that I managed to weigh 150lbs max at 5’11". Now I’m 6’1" and 130lbs average and currently 140lbs max. I’ve increased it from 117-127lbs last year. I did this after having to go to the hospital for a concussion. I’ve had my blood drawn my whole life. They all think I’ll freak out, but it’s just a quick sting and no matter how much time after it’s just me feeling colder not in pain. Anyways I wound up passing out from the start of my blood being drawn. They ran tests and I was severely deficient in potassium. They needed to give me 3 of the yellow potassium pills. Things are massive like depakote. I’ve been making sure to eat a lot of potatoes as I seem to have an allergy to the ethers in ripe bananas (banana bread I can eat with minimal issue), protein, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, sodium (somehow not eating enough), vitamin A, carbs, fats(not oils), and I’ve been working on fixing my microbiome in my gut as I have IBD issues in my family described as random autoimmune issues we all get. It’s helped significantly for how much I have to eat and how frequently I get hungry and a appetite at the same time. I’ve never run into my facial hair or body hair growing faster, but I’ve found the hair on my scalp grows fast enough that people tell me I’m lying when I say I need a haircut every week or my hair starts curling out of control and I can feel every flick of it curling. Damn things feels like itching powder on my head when they curl. It grows at about a inch a week until it gets to about 5-6" long and then slows down to a few mm a week after that. Though hair growth speed can be just genetics. It goes through a initial burst followed by a slow growth and shedding phase. We all have a maximum length of hair and it’s different for everyone based on those factors.
I’ll stick to a heavy potato diet.