Do you go online to diagnose your disease?

[Nebulous]

Do you go online when feeling bad to diagnose your disease?

How does that usually work out for you?

[AgrippinaX]

I try not to. Generally medics advise against it in my experience, as the internet is full of disinformation and drama, but I can see how actually it might be helpful to be able to browse chat rooms, find some obscure symptoms that you know you have, helping you self-diagnose.

[WrinkledMind]

I'm a germophobic Virgo. So ofcourse I have. Several times. & it has never helped me. Not once.


I have been politely advised against doing it, sternly warned & in one case even reprimanded by one of my doctors (family doctor, dermatologist, & even a surgeon). Still I can't help it.

[honeykid]

No. It'll only lead to cancer or pregnancy and, as a male, that leaves cancer. :D

[Stirchley]

Do you go online when feeling bad to diagnose your disease?

Are you assuming we’re all diseased here?

[laxel]

I can check the info, but I never self-diagnose or self-treat.

[AgrippinaX]

I’ve been doing this against all reason recently and it’s only making me more terrified and stressed.

[ynwtf]

Not for myself, but I've often web-diagnosed my boss with narcissistic personality disorders.

[Captain Steel]

I go online to look up natural or home remedies for things I've already got.

[honeykid]

I’ve been doing this against all reason recently and it’s only making me more terrified and stressed.

Go and make an appointment. Even if it's not for a while, at least you'll get a proper answer and stop with the internet searches, as you say, it's doing nothing good for you. :)

[AgrippinaX]

Go and make an appointment. Even if it's not for a while, at least you'll get a proper answer and stop with the internet searches, as you say, it's doing nothing good for you. :)

Indeed — will do that.

[FilmBuff]

I don't know about self-diagnosing, per se... but the Internet can be very helpful in some cases, where you aren't 100% whether something is serious enough to see a doctor, in as far as at least you can see some possible causes for whatever's been troubling you (but not serious enough to warrant an ER visit or anything).

if it looks like it might be something serious, then of course you should pay the doctor a visit ASAP...

[AKA23]

I do use Internet research to diagnose myself, but I use evidence-based resources to make an informed judgment. I'm almost always right, but I then follow up with a physician to confirm. It can work! :)

[beelzebubble]

I am old school. I actually consult with the idiots I know. I once cured my migraines using the diet a woman I knew told me about.

[Miss Vicky]

I do. I know I shouldn't, but I do. Then I message my doctor about my suspicions.

I self-diagnosed my diabetes, but not by Googling it. I've been working in vet med for over 20 years and the symptoms for diabetes in people is the same as it is in cats and dogs.

[Stirchley]

I’ve been doing this against all reason recently and it’s only making me more terrified and stressed.

When my orthopedist brought up surgery for my broken wrist, I was too terrified to google it. Wayyyyy too terrified. He said today we probably won’t go that route. Praise Be.

[AgrippinaX]

When my orthopedist brought up surgery for my broken wrist, I was too terrified to google it. Wayyyyy too terrified. He said today we probably won’t go that route. Praise Be.

Very happy to hear that! Hope you’re continuing to heal.

I suffer from profound health anxiety for a variety of reasons, so it’s hard for me to know when I’m just having a moment of irrational panic and when I should go get something checked out. I’ve already removed a perfectly healthy mole for no reason whatsoever despite the doctors telling me there’s nothing to check, and now I have a scar and much (still more) irrational anxiety that I’ve somehow made it worse by testing this mole… it’s never ending samsara stress.

I am old school. I actually consult with the idiots I know. I once cured my migraines using the diet a woman I knew told me about.

What is this diet? Asking as someone genetically predisposed to migraines. Admittedly they’ve got much better over the last two years, but still a concern of mine.

[Stirchley]

Very happy to hear that! Hope you’re continuing to heal.

I suffer from profound health anxiety for a variety of reasons, so it’s hard for me to know when I’m just having a moment of irrational panic and when I should go get something checked out. I’ve already removed a perfectly healthy mole for no reason whatsoever despite the doctors telling me there’s nothing to check, and now I have a scar and much (still more) irrational anxiety that I’ve somehow made it worse by testing this mole… it’s never ending samsara stress.

Terrified of skin cancer. Dermatologist appointment annually.

[Yoda]

I mean, a little, sure. Who doesn't? Only real question is whether you just use it as a jumping off point or whether you start to use it as a replacement for actual health care, I suppose. But it's good for avoiding senseless, expensive visits for normal things. Maybe half the time you get a totally reassuring response that saves you time, money, and anxiety.

One example is that, when I lost a bunch of weight, I noticed a weird bump on my chest. Very freaky. Some quick Googling and I find out this is totally normal: there's something called the "xiphoid process" (seriously, that's not a sci-fi novel, that's literally what it's called) that a lot of people first notice when they lose weight because they can't feel it at a certain level of fat, kind of forget it was there, and then are shocked to find it when they lose that fat. Without the Internet there's a pretty good chance I'd have gone in for a checkup and asked about it.

[AgrippinaX]

Terrified of skin cancer. Dermatologist appointment annually.

Likewise. Still have moments of utter irrationality. These days I’m just terrified, full stop. Have a glass of wine (my job pretty much mandates drinking), then have a panic attack in the restroom that I’m giving myself breast cancer. Then I think I should have a kid to set it off which, god. I don’t know what to do about being constantly on edge about all this.

No one around me really gets it. My therapist says ‘we should accept we’ll all die someday’, which, as someone who used to have an invisible disability, you don’t need to tell me that, but still, what the hell do I do now? The terror is just overwhelming.

[Stirchley]

Likewise. Still have moments of utter irrationality. These days I’m just terrified, full stop. Have a glass of wine (my job pretty much mandates drinking), then have a panic attack in the restroom that I’m giving myself breast cancer. Then I think I should have a kid to set it off which, god. I don’t know what to do about being constantly on edge about all this.

No one around me really gets it. My therapist says ‘we should accept we’ll all die someday’, which, as someone who used to have an invisible disability, you don’t need to tell me that, but still, what the hell do I do now? The terror is just overwhelming.

I almost cancelled a trip to England one time because I was convinced one mole was cancerous. Dermo talked me down off the ledge, the mole was removed & pronounced non-cancerous & I had a lovely trip home.

[AgrippinaX]

I almost cancelled a trip to England one time because I was convinced one mole was cancerous. Dermo talked me down off the ledge, the mole was removed & pronounced non-cancerous & I had a lovely trip home.

Always best to get things checked out imo. Within reason.

[AKA23]

I think whether this can work for you depends on three things. One, how familiar are you with what sources are evidence-based and which are not, so you don't start to draw conclusions using a random website or youtube video, for example? Two, are you an anxious person, or a hypochondriac who tends to read a little about something and then automatically start flailing thinking that you have that condition, even when you likely don't? If yes, I wouldn't do it. Three, do you have the health literacy to understand what you are reading and accurately interpret the information? If you answer yes to one, no to two and yes to three, and can use what you find as a data point rather than as a be all and end all conclusion, I think there can be value in doing it. There are many times that I've gone to the doctor and shared the conclusions I came to based on my research, and we ended up being on the same page.

[beelzebubble]

What is this diet? Asking as someone genetically predisposed to migraines. Admittedly they’ve got much better over the last two years, but still a concern of mine.
It's difficult to remember. It was the nineties. It was called the elimination diet. You just eliminate known migraine triggers like aged cheese, cured meats and caffeine, among others .After awhile, you try them individually and whatever gives your the migraine is something you want to cut out.
I found that ham was kicking me in the head. My migraines weren't the classic migraines with auras and nausea. It was just horrific pain throughout my whole head. It was so bad I wanted cut my head off. Nothing would touch it and I was too incapacitated to go to the emergency room.
Ham was a huge part of my diet. I can eat it now within reason. But I had it for every meal and as a snack back then. I have a terrible diet. Luckily I am blessed with amazing health. My numbers like blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are immaculate. It's really not fair as I am fat and old.

[AgrippinaX]

It's difficult to remember. It was the nineties. It was called the elimination diet. You just eliminate known migraine triggers like aged cheese, cured meats and caffeine, among others .After awhile, you try them individually and whatever gives your the migraine is something you want to cut out.
I found that ham was kicking me in the head. My migraines weren't the classic migraines with auras and nausea. It was just horrific pain throughout my whole head. It was so bad I wanted cut my head off. Nothing would touch it and I was too incapacitated to go to the emergency room.
Ham was a huge part of my diet. I can eat it now within reason. But I had it for every meal and as a snack back then. I have a terrible diet. Luckily I am blessed with amazing health. My numbers like blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are immaculate. It's really not fair as I am fat and old.

That sounds familiar. I couldn’t last half a day without coffee, heh, but all the rest sounds doable. I try to stay off cheese, milk etc. anyway. Well, I’m glad your migraines are better.

[matt72582]

I wonder how many search just to see if others experience the same thing. Maybe it's to placate a trip to the doctor. Maybe they feel better if they see many others go through the same thing. Maybe it's to find tips on how to cope? I wouldn't go see a doctor, but I'll spend a few seconds reading how others around the world experience flu-like symptoms simply by coming in contact with others. I don't know if I've ever had COVID or not, because if I felt sick like I do now, I would stay home away from everyone, just like usual.

[Hey Fredrick]

All the time. I should have died a few years ago based on my research. As far as I'm concerned I'm playing with house money from here on out. Of course my doctor says I'm fine, a bit chubby perhaps, but what does he know?

[Sedai]

A physician who treats himself has a fool for a patient.

[beelzebubble]

That sounds familiar. I couldn’t last half a day without coffee, heh, but all the rest sounds doable. I try to stay off cheese, milk etc. anyway. Well, I’m glad your migraines are better.
Other people I know use caffeine to block their headaches. Caffeine dilates your blood vessels which can help with some migraines.

[matt72582]

Other people I know use caffeine to block their headaches. Caffeine dilates your blood vessels which can help with some migraines.


The best migraine pills I've taken were Fiorecet, which has caffeine. I still have a handful 8 years later. I only take them when it's a horrible one, and if it's the morning. But the biggest reason I don't take them is because I know I won't go to a doctor (for multiple reasons)

[AgrippinaX]

Other people I know use caffeine to block their headaches. Caffeine dilates your blood vessels which can help with some migraines.

That’s definitely the case with me. Then very hot baths in the evening which do the same.

[liscarkat]

I go on line to learn more, so if I think it might be something worth seeing a doctor about, I'll have a better idea about it when I talk to him.

[Stirchley]

I go on line to learn more, so if I think it might be something worth seeing a doctor about, I'll have a better idea about it when I talk to him.

Definitely go online first to gather all the facts & information. I like to be prepared for doctor visits of any kind.