It's all about "doctor-worship", and I don't mean that as a slight against MDs.
Only against the Oprah crowd that runs to them for everything.
I've had this discussion with various family members recently. I suffer from seasonal allergies, it used to start in July and go right through until the end of September. These days it's these last two weeks in August and that's it. I haven't taken anything for them for 6 years. I refuse to take anything except water for a headache, and I'd rather suffer through two days of illness than be all hopped up on something that just masks the symptoms. The way I figure it, the less I take, the more effective it will be when I actually need it.