Which type of doctor have you found to be the LEAST helpful? (POLL)

[sometexan84]

Which type of specialists (and/or doctors) have you found to be the least helpful in terms of ME/CFS and related symptoms?

Who are the worst... in your own personal experience. Think, expectations vs outcome.

Let me know if I missed an important physician type and I'll add it.

As for me, the ME specialist I spoke w/ was Dr. Myhill. Her, and the functional med docs are very much about nutrition, and that just is not something I am interested in. I know others are into it, but I personally find it useless.

And I find Endocrinologists to be a one trick pony.

Also, Infectious Disease docs regularly let me down.

 

[5vforest]

Oh hahaha I thought you were asking for names of doctors.

Edit: I would vote but I'm afraid to skew the results as I have only seen some of the above specialties.

 

[sometexan84]

Oh hahaha I thought you were asking for names of doctors.

Edit: I would vote but I'm afraid to skew the results as I have only seen some of the above specialties.

Thx, I changed to "type of doctor", hopefully it's more clear.

It's ok, I haven't seen all of those. There can't be many people that have. Def not a super scientific poll

 

[Judee]

You forgot to add, "None of the above."

Although, I will say one optometrist (not the ophthalmologist) made me feel better in one thing he said. I was still worried about MS because of my double vision and anascoria.

He said that if I was developing MS reds would look grey and gave me an example of that.

Why is it the doctors with the least amount of "education" end up being the most compassionate?

As to the ME/CFS doctors, I just haven't had any opportunity to go to one otherwise I might have been able to check that box.

It's ok, I haven't seen all of those. There can't be many people that have. Def not a super scientific poll

That's okay. Trying is never a bad thing.

 

[sometexan84]

You forgot to add, "None of the above."

Although, I will say one optometrist (not the ophthalmologist) made me feel better in one thing he said. I was still worried about MS because of my double vision and anascoria.

He said that if I was developing MS reds would look grey and gave me an example of that.

Why is it the doctors with the least amount of "education" end up being the most compassionate?

As to the ME/CFS doctors, I just haven't had any opportunity to go to one otherwise I might have been able to check that box.



That's okay. Trying is never a bad thing.

Whoops, I guess I can't edit the current answer options, was going to change to "Optometrist / Ophthalmologist"

 

[Judee]

Whoops, I guess I can't edit the current answer options, was going to change to "Optometrist / Ophthalmologist"

That's okay. Please don't pressure yourself!!!

I was being a tiny bit facetious about the "none of the above" part.

I'm feeling a little pessimistic about ME today.

You're doing a good job. Please don't feel discouraged by my comments.

Edit: We will triumph over ME and technology!!!!

 

[sometexan84]

That's okay. Please don't pressure yourself!!!

I was being a tiny bit facetious about the "none of the above" part.

I'm feeling a little pessimistic about ME today.

You're doing a good job. Please don't feel discouraged by my comments.

Well thx. I shan't be discouraged. Perpetual optimist here.

 

[Zebra]

Just the name of this thread made me laugh out loud.

Hands-down: neurologists and their neuromuscular subspecialist brethren.

I can say this with some authority, as I have been referred to 6 different ones in the past 7 years. Several of which I saw for (useless) follow-up appts.

I can't imagine a more arrogant or more dismissive specialty.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Hands-down: neurologists and their neuromuscular subspecialist brethren.

can't imagine a more arrogant or more dismissive specialty.

One Million Percent agree.

 

[BrightCandle]

Of the 50+ I have seen not one of them has been of any use to me so, its hard to judge between useless and useless. I mean I guess my GP is the worst because they were the ones that plied me with SSRIs to break down my resistance to exercise and ended up making me severe but if I hadn't stopped the ME/CFS specialist they would have made me much worse. It is like asking me which of my torturers was worse, they all tortured me in different ways.

I think neurology is the only ones to have any positive effect at all, the drug they gave me while making me more disabled did reduce my headaches. But I still view the overall interactions as net negative.

 

[sometexan84]

this makes me less excited about my new neurologist I'll be seeing on the 9th....

thanks a lot guys

 

[Abrin]

Which type of specialists (and/or doctors) have you found to be the least helpful in terms of ME/CFS and related symptoms?

Who are the worst... in your own personal experience. Think, expectations vs outcome.

Let me know if I missed an important physician type and I'll add it.

As for me, the ME specialist I spoke w/ was Dr. Myhill. Her, and the functional med docs are very much about nutrition, and that just is not something I am interested in. I know others are into it, but I personally find it useless.

And I find Endocrinologists to be a one trick pony.

Also, Infectious Disease docs regularly let me down.

Strangely, the Infectious Disease doctor I once went to see was the best doctor I've ever encountered ever because he was the first doctor to tell me that people in his field know they know next to nothing. He was also the only doctor I've ever met that had no doubt that I had ME/CFS even though he couldn't diagnose me in an official capacity.

 

[Woof!]

Hands-down: neurologists and their neuromuscular subspecialist brethren. I can't imagine a more arrogant or more dismissive specialty.

Ooooo....I couldn't agree more. When the neurologist at a fancy teaching college with an "excellent" reputation pulled out a WWII-surplus metal device to plug into my leg muscles, it didn't take an Ivy-league medical degree to know she knew nothing about what was going on with me. I high-tailed it out of there after 5 minutes of her experimentation. (If I wasn't so desperate for a diagnosis at the time, she would never have gotten that 5 minutes!)

 

[Jyoti]

Hands-down: neurologists and their neuromuscular subspecialist brethren.

I have had such a variety of experiences with this particular specialty. One wonderful woman (who started off as a PT and then went to med school) who said "I hate seeing patients like you because I have no idea what to do to help you but I KNOW what you are living with is both real and horrific." That meant a lot, even if there was no help forthcoming. She ordered every test I asked for and fought with my insurance company valiantly to get them to pay for stuff. Now I have a neurologist who is also a long-time dysautonomia specialist and he does everything himself--takes BP with cuff and watch, weighs you, writes his notes in a spidery hand. He is down to earth and really compassionate. I feel lucky to have found him.

But I have seen the other sort too.... Very unpleasant. My point--they may not be a go-to for us, but they are not monolithic.