Narrow-minded doctors?

sarabeth02
sarabeth02 Posts: 27 Member
edited December 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I'm wondering if anybody else has experienced doctors who take one look at you and decide you eat too much even before checking any medical history? I recently changed to a new doctor because I have PCOS and could not afford the doctor I was seeing. My friend recommended him to me, and said that she had identical symptoms and he was very kind and compassionate to her. He told her that her weight gain was just because of the PCOS, and nothing else. He also ordered blood tests and made sure that she got everything necessary to lose weight. Not so much with me.

The previous doctor I went to diagnosed me with PCOS and insulin resistance because the PCOS. She prescribed metformin and birth control pills. Because of this, I lost about 50 pounds. I was doing well before I couldn't afford to go anymore. I had to quit, and because of that I gained all of my weight back and then some, along with other symptoms of PCOS.

I went to this new doctor 3 days ago, and before he looked at my medical records, he asked me how much weight I have gained. I told him, and he looked at me point blank and said "It's because you eat too much." He did not order any blood tests at all and was not sure at the time that I truly had PCOS. He finally confirmed it with an ultrasound, but then brought everything back to my eating habits. I insisted that I don't eat often, or make poor eating choices, but he refused to listen to me.

I'm afraid that when I go back, he will still pin everything on eating habits. I've taken to writing down everything I've eaten so I can show him, but I'm scared that he just won't care. It's frustrating when the one person who is supposed to be on your side won't listen to you and will only narrow in on one thing. I don't know what to do.

Has anybody experienced this? What did you guys do?

Replies

  • trinoc
    trinoc Posts: 73
    That stinks! I'd print a report from here for the next time you go....that shows your daily intake, your exercise, and what your intake should be to lose x amount of weight. If he has truly closed his mind to the fact that you aren't completely eating your way into oblivion then he might be just not a good match for you as a doctor. One requirement I have is that my doctor listens to me and doesn't think I'm an idiot. He doesn't have to agree with me, and he can explain why, and we can have true discussion....but to summarily disregard whatever you tell him? No.
  • 2bFitNTrim
    2bFitNTrim Posts: 1,209 Member
    I've had good doctors and I've had bad doctors. Bottom line, if I didn't like one, I didn't stay too long. If I can't trust him/her to listen to me, then I'm gone. But it's not even "just" about trust, I have to feel comfortable to say or talk about anything too. He/she may be a great doctor, but if I can't connect with them, then again, I'm gone.
  • papergirl22
    papergirl22 Posts: 21 Member
    That stinks! I'd print a report from here for the next time you go....that shows your daily intake, your exercise, and what your intake should be to lose x amount of weight. If he has truly closed his mind to the fact that you aren't completely eating your way into oblivion then he might be just not a good match for you as a doctor. One requirement I have is that my doctor listens to me and doesn't think I'm an idiot. He doesn't have to agree with me, and he can explain why, and we can have true discussion....but to summarily disregard whatever you tell him? No.

    ^^^Totally agree.
    My doc told me for 5-7 years to eat 1000-1200 cals a day and exercise more, and I'd lose weight. In one year I did pretty much this...and trained for one half marathon, one 10k, AND a 100km bike ride...and gained 15#....

    When I complained....then presented 3 months worth of food and exercise logs (as well as told her I'd been off the antidepressant for 10 months that was her fall-back reason I wasn't losing) she FINALLY decided something else was wrong...go figure.

    She did some blood work and my fasting sugar was magically one point higher than it had been the previous 5 years which put me into the at risk for type 2 diabetes....so she put me on Metformin, Spironolactone....that was Nov 2009. In January 2010 I was down 7#....over the holidays without a single minute of exercise.

    I had been telling this doc for SEVEN years that something was wrong. It wasn't till I basically told her 'uh, try again...' at every 'reason' she gave me that I wasn't losing...she finally listened.

    She's no longer my physician.
  • SweetSammie
    SweetSammie Posts: 391 Member
    I had this happen. I had a doctor tell me "it was the sugar in all that yogurt." When I told her what I had been eating for a couple of months (p.s., it was sugar free yogurt -- this was pre-clean eating aspirations).

    She also said, "there is no excuse for dessert." (I mean, in a month I'd had 2 desserts).

    I took my records and left... and in retrospect I am proud of myself for that. That was step 1 in a journey of figuring out what being healthy means for ME.
    The next doctor told me I wasn't eating enough and was starving myself. She was concerned about how long I had been doing that... and gave me a meal plan, which I followed. I did not lose weight on her meal plan (honestly, when I realized that I wouldn't get bigger eating more, I ate... a lot more, though healthy, whole foods and not packaged diet cr-ap). That was a couple of years ago, and I really didn't gain... even though I tripled, if not quadrupled what I was eating in a day.

    The first doctor (the non-listener) talked a lot about "avoiding the legacy of obesity," and how hard SHE worked to not be obese because her entire family was, and how you had to just buck up and be hungry sometimes. The advice she gave was very damaging... I have a history of disordered eating, which she did not know about, but still. I think of it as a testament to my own increase in sanity and desire to be healthy that I RAN away from her.
    I think she had issues. I have my own issues, I didn't need hers, too.

    It's taken me about 4 years to get to where I am now -- where I am in a mindset to lose weight in a SLOW, HEALTHY way. I had to decide that I loved myself first -- every other diet I had every started was based in self-hate.

    If a doctor doesn't believe you, won't listen to you, basically refuses to offer you help, or investigate any causes for your problems... they aren't doing anything for you that you can't do for yourself. Find someone who will listen and cares.

    My current doctor said I am basically "Pre PCOS) I have cysts, not enough cysts to be PCOS :noway: , but I have many of the other -lovely- symptoms).She also said my healthy diet MAY be what is keeping me from developing PCOS. My blood work is normal, so I don't take any medication. However, my weight loss right now is in hopes of making it easier to conceive. When I told my doctor that I wanted to try to lose a little weight, she did recommend that I cut my carbs (I was already eating whole wheat/grain carbs). She also said if I have trouble conceiving, the first thing a fertility specialist would tell me is the standard - lose 10% of your body weight/get to a healthy weight... so may as well start now.

    My current doctor is very helpful and encouraging, and therefore I feel very comfortable talking to her. Someday, this doctor might be the person catching your baby when it comes out of your vagina (sorry if that's graphic) -- you need to like and trust this person.

    Feel free to friend me -- I really understand the problems you are having!
  • VanessaMFaulkner
    VanessaMFaulkner Posts: 82
    Many are that way. Perhaps next visit take a food diary...may help.
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