Why trust the one professional who went through a decade of training and has my multi decade history over a group of people who spoke with their professional who went through a decade of training and doesn’t have my multi decade history?

Well if I have a bad reaction to a medication, my doctor can work with manufacturers to also prescribe a medication to prevent the problem, or a more generic drug without those effects. where a group of random people will do the equivalent of throwing shit at the wall and hope it sticks.

While I don’t think you should base your decisions on opinions from random people on the Internet, I also don’t think you should blindly follow your doctor.

I’ve seen many older doctors not keep up with more current treatments, or refuse to prescribe some things because their new/they don’t know about them.

I’ve also seen far too many people get into med school, who I wouldn’t trust to put a bandaid on.

That being said, your doctor should know what’s best for you (as others have mentioned). But there’s no problem with getting a second opinion/doing some research (legitimate research, not just stuff to prove your opinion).

Tl;Dr: probably trust your doctor, but be open to other (valid) opinions.

Main point is: why not let a large number of people who heard about a condition from their own qualified doctors help you at least scribble down some questions to ask your own medical folks at your next appointment? (But please avoid those crystal suppositories.)

Because:

1. You have no way of verifying their anecdotes ever happened, that they were prescribed and on the medication
2. no way of knowing other circumstances that affect medications, like drug interactions, or other unfortunate habits they might have had
3. they have no knowledge of your underlying medical situation
4. your doctor has 2 and 3, and should have access to studies in lieu of 1.
5. Internet Randos are inherently untrustworthy.
6. your doctor doesn’t get paid if you die.

Getting a second opinion is a very common thing for people with serious conditions. Not really sure what you’re on about.

Well, Yes. Your doctor does know better than the people sharing their experience online! Your own doctor knows how your body functions and will prescribe your medicine accordingly.

They will also make sure the medicine they give you won’t harm you or your body.

One very good example of what you’re describing is the people who were insisting that vaccination gives you magnetic blood during the Covid outbreak. I’ve become very suspicious about the wisdom of crowds.

Option 1 - trust the medical professional sat in front of me, looking at my health data and making informed suggestions

Option 2 - Trust the village idiots online who don’t trust doctors and would instead suggest many nonsense remedies

Yeah, the internet is an echo chamber. You get lots of bad advice here. And urban myths are regularly being upvoted to no end. Especially here on Lemmy.

Usually a doctor should know things, they studied medicine for years.

And there are people with certain attitudes… People who only respond well to arguments of authority… And people who have a different perspective on subjectivity/objectivity and the factual world. Lots of people just want to believe something. And they’ll search for any fake news supporting them or letting them believe whatever supports what they’re set on.

I’d say if you’re intelligent and know how to do research, and have the time to do so, look up things and learn things. If you can’t do that: Stick with authority.

And most importantly: Don’t ask on Lemmy or Reddit if you don’t want to talk to random people and listen to them.

Since this is an experience you had with a single person, here’s my take on it: That interaction was one moment to you, but the other person had a lifetime to develop that mindset.

I don’t know who you’re talking about, or what their ailment is, but they’ve probably been discussing it online for a while, and have probably gotten a LOT of medical recommendations. Some of them, great advice from people with experience, the rest are crystal suppositories.

They probably just wanted to stick to the topic at hand or vent about an experience without having to sift through a bunch of people telling them about meds they’ve already researched or why they should go vegan.

If your car is making a rumble noise, you take it to a mechanic who tells you its a failed wheel bearing. Do you then go and change the gearbox because you dont trust professionals?

Thanks for the great input everybody!