30 Doctors Share The Stupidest Thing They've Heard From People Who 'Read It On The Internet'

That people with negative blood group are born genetically stronger and more immune to diseases.

For f**k's sake, Brad.

So much COVID disinformation!

I enjoy teaching my patients about their health. It took me countless hours of studying in medical school and many more hours than that in residency to figure out how the body works, so I’m not usually surprised if patients are confused about things.

However, since the start of the pandemic, I’ve actually had to keep current on the latest disinformation just so I know where these questions are actually coming from.

I had a guy a few weeks ago come in with a Post-It Note with the word “Ivermectin” written on it.

I felt like I knew where this conversation was going, but I asked: “Why do you want a prescription for ivermectin?”

“Just to have it…”

“Is this some treatment for COVID?”

“Yeah, I read online from some doctors (WHO???) that it can boost the immune system and treat COVID.”

“Sir, ivermectin is a treatment for intestinal parasites. It does nothing against a virus like the coronavirus. Further, I actually treated people in the hospital with COVID and rounded in our ICU and none of us have ever prescribed ivermectin to treat seriously ill COVID patients.”

“But I read online from these guys—and they’re doctors—who said it works…”

After five minutes of back and forth like this, you just need to stop, cut them off and tell them you’re not prescribing their medication and move on. There’s 20 other patients on the schedule today and I can’t fight this battle right now. Good luck, man.

Not a doctor. As a transplant recipient, I have to take immunosuppressant medication for the rest of my life. There are studies that some people do come off them completely, but it’s such a huge risk to take that it may trigger organ rejection.

A family member of mine still can’t grasp how a life saving surgery provided by western medicine which initially saved my life, is still keeping me back from living my life. He suggested that I get off my immune suppressants because I am a cash cow for big pharma.

Two main contenders:

Young adult woman comes in with garden variety UTI symptoms. She's terrified and distraught. Apparently good old Dr. Google told her SHE has prostate cancer.

A different young woman comes into the ER complaining of painful urination and blood in the urine. This time Dr. Google informed her she most certainly has bladder cancer.

(Dis?)honorable mention: "healthy" adult guy, refused Covid vaccination, who I'm admitting for hypoxia from Covid. Demanding I treat him with ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Because the internet says they are magical cures.

Almost forgot about one from residency. Fellow has severe heart failure (functioning at 5%) and a giant blood clot in his heart that could cause a stroke/death at any time. Refuses an implanted defibrillator because "electromagnetic waves will poison his brain and heart". Refused to take warfarin (a blood thinner to dissolve the dangerous clot) because it's "rat poison" and demanded to be prescribed Coumadin instead. For those who didn't know, Coumadin IS warfarin. He also subjected me to a long rant once about the horrible doctors who wanted him to take "chemotherapy" for a UTI. The "chemotherapy" was ciprofloxacin, a commonly used antibiotic for, among other things, UTIs.

The people who swear that eating a Ph balanced diet will fix their problem. ¨I only eat alkaline foods and feel so much better. Of course I don´t have to check my blood sugar. That a1c number does not tell you anything¨ as I am wrapping up their dying diabetic ulcered foot. Your body stays in Ph balance on its own because anything outside of 7.35-7.45 is a steep quick slope to death.

Had a pt prescribed nuvaring for birth control to be inserted vaginally. Ring lays around the cervix. She came in complaining it was too tight and needed a bigger one. Shows wrist, pulling on tight ring to show how was cutting off blood supply to hand 😑

Not a doctor, but a nurse. I had a brief (16 months) stint as a sexual health nurse. So, apparently this bro had read about some people using xylocaine (local anesthetic) to prolong their erection. He failed to read that it also numbs the area. He used a full tube of the gel and managed to rub himself raw.

Conversation I had with a doctor a few days ago:

Me: "So I was told that if I can identify what food I am eating that is giving me gout I can avoid it and won't have as many flare-ups, is that right?"

Doctor: Literally laughs out loud "aaaaaaaaaaa no. Evidence for dietary based management of gout is very sketchy at best. Take the pills. Where did you even hear that?"

Me: "Your nurse said it to me...?"

Not a doctor, but work at a doctors office. One of our patients said “I do my own research. I know more than the doctor!”

Not a doctor but went to an urgent care for concerns about an unusually high resting heart rate and just high heart rate in general which was very worrisome but kind of expected (as well as feeling kind of unwell overall) after being on 50mg strattera for ADHD and depression. The NP said that it was likely from strattera being a stimulant, to which I replied that it was a non-stimulant that I was prescribed for both depression and ADHD symptoms but was curious about if my increase was normal. She looked annoyed and said “look I think I know that ADHD medications are stimulants mmkay? And I’ve read about strattera online: it’s not an antidepressant” and I said “okay well my psychiatrist specifically put me on this medication to help depression and ADHD as a non-stimulant.” She responded with “I’ll get you a printout of your visit and info to know about your stimulant.” She returned without info about my “stimulant”, so I asked innocently about the strattera printout and she responded “have a nice day” with some attitude LMAO