“My cardiologist said beta blockers were so beneficial, he thought they should be added to the water supply.”
Good grief, my quack alarm went off when I read that. Those drugs can cause depression. Is he in denial of that side effect?
Beats me. I realized that I was not seen as an individual with unique features but something called a patient.
Similarly, I was given a chemical stress test, as opposed to nuclear, that had the effect of nearly knocking me unconscious. As I put my head down to try to get blood flow back to my brain, he kept telling me to keep me head up, which made matters worse. I’d dump him if there was a cardiologist closer to where I live, but I’ve noticed the same tendencies with my GP. Aside from surgeons, I don’t have much respect for medical practitioners.
One quack doctor put me on a high dosage beta blocker. Side effect: I could not exercise. I use to race bicycles before I went on that.
“But everyone your age should be taking these drugs”
“At your age, you should have more realistic expectations.”
Yet peer review now shows that beta blockers should not be anywhere near first choice medication for hypertension. They have there place, heart failure, post heart attack, etc.
It’s the same with statins, where some doctors are prescribing statins to patients above a certain age - and having low cholesterol - as a “preventative measure”. Statins have there place, yet are prescribed nearly indiscriminately.
I changed doctors to one who would rather see me back on the bike more, and tends to be conservative as far as prescribing medications - dietary changes first if possible. His view was if I am that physically active, beta blockers would be counterproductive.
Good grief, my quack alarm went off when I read that. Those drugs can cause depression. Is he in denial of that side effect?
He should get together with a psychiatrist I know who thinks lithium is so great it should be added to the water supply.