When Doctors Refuse to Acknowledge Diet.

My husband has cut out all the bad foods and still has extreme pain without medication. Unfortunately, diet doesnt help everyone.

I had similar issues. I specifically asked my doc about diet. She asked if I was disciplined enough to cut out all the things that caused my discomfort. I said no. She told me the I could cut all those foods out of my diet, take meds, or deal with it. Cutting everything out of my diet would have been tricky. Sometimes foods like tomato based foods about take me out. Other times that don't bother me at all. I took the prescription, probably the same thing you were offered. After a couple of days I quit taking it because the side effects were worse than the original symptoms. Now I use an over the counter that I take only when it is bad. Otherwise I use Rolaids or Tums. Slight changes in my diet have helped, but I also want to be able to eat the things I enjoy.

Glad your gerd has resolved. I try to stick with doctors that go the light touch in terms of meds and testing. Food can fix a number of things but I am not one to turn my back on modern medicine when better eating, rest and exercise don't set things right.

Regards
F. B.

I work in food science and I go through this all the time. To be fair, there are plenty of doctors coming to realize that nutrition is a problem especially with our modern diets and our food growing techniques. Other doctors don't know much but the good ones at least admit that they never had a class in med school. Still others are clueless.

In defense of doctors, we live in a society where people love to file lawsuits, and malpractice insurance rates are high. If a doctor fails to give a patient a "treatment" (prescription, test, procedure) and something happens, he or she may get sued. Patients also lie (or forget) about their actual diet and exercise practices. Patients are also incredibly impatient for results. You wouldn't believe how many people I work with who are unwilling to give it 60 days for a major turnaround with a chronic pain condition or autoimmune disease. Even if they've had something for 5 or 10 years, they're unwilling to stick to a dietary answer. You had results in 2 days - that is great, but it's not the norm. So if they had sent you home to do that and told you to wait a month, what would you have said? Most of them can't give the follow-up by phone they would like to, because they don't get reimbursed for it.

So in general, our medical system deals very well with acute diseases including all forms of treatment, but poorly with chronic illness because our doctor's offices (often owned by hospitals or groups with a profit motive and restriction, much as a law firm has "billable hours") are set up for a visit, a diagnosis and a treatment. They don't have the support network that people may need for long term or alternative treatments/therapies. That's where people in alternative careers (but still science based) come in - like me.

You got lucky with elimination diets and throwing in some herbs - but not everyone gets it that fast on their own. In fact, most people don't. I work with GERD all the time, for example, and most people don't get results that fast, especially if they've had the condition for a while or there is damage. Some of us work differently too, not requiring elimination of everything that people love to eat - partly because it can be hard to identify the culprit(s), and partly because people don't want to give everything up! And they shouldn't have to.

So I'll just say that I work with tons of doctors and scientists who DO see the role of diet and natural remedies/supplements (IF IF IF they are scientifically proven and derived from a reliable source and remembering that "all natural" doesn't always mean "safe"). The AMA conceded over a dozen years ago that people have to supplement and cannot get what they need from their diets - but not all doctors read that or follow it.

I'm glad to see that you feel a balance is needed.

Honestly I think they prescribe the meds because a lot of people simply lie when they say they're going to change their diets. You know how many times a day a doc hears oh but I "tried" diet and exercise but it's not working?
So sure, maybe look for a new doctor but also keep things in perspective, I mean you were proactive and made yourself healthier and your doctor didn't actually make you do anything you didn't want to do so its all good, right? The patient always has the final say in their treatment.

My brother was on blood pressure medicine for years. He decided to cut carbs out of his diet because who needs them😊 and he is now off of blood pressure meds. I had no idea before this that diet could effect blood pressure.

So happy for you!!!

I'm glad that worked out for you. Do keep in mind that a person can do everything you did and still have GERD. It is possible, as some people are simply born that way.

High blood pressure and high cholesterol are other examples. Yes, diet has more of an impact than some of us would like to believe (i do love my chocolate), but nothing is 100% diet related. Genetics does play a role, and I'd hate for someone to feel like a failure when diet alone doesn't completely resolve their health problems.

It's great that you've had success. I think doctors are trained to prescribe medicine and that's what they do. I would do the same as you have. Make dietary changes to see if I had relief. Giving your body the opportunity to correct itself is always the best idea in my opinion. Our bodies are incredible, complicated machines.

My dad had an experience where he knew something wasn't right in his body. Specialists kept telling him he was getting older and that's all it was. I told him he knew his body better than anyone and to keep going until he found someone to help him. A cardiologist did a stress test and ekg both normal. He went in for a heart cath because he was going to have shoulder surgery and told them he knew something wasn't right. The cardiologist said he would do a heart cath to make absolutely sure there were no issues. Guess what? 3 arteries were over 90% blocked. If my dad had taken the first cardiologist's advice I'm sure a heart attack would've followed.

Sorry to be so long. I just want to encourage you that you are your best health advocate. You know your body better than anyone.

Blessings!
L.

I know of an older lady that was put through a giant battery of neurological testing because she was dizzy and pulling to the side when she'd walk.
SHE was otherwise healthy. No meds except a nip of baby Benedryl before bed to help her sleep ( which her PCP was aware of).
Tests showed nada.
SHE herself researched Benedryl long term effects in a desperate attempt to find a cause. Dizziness. Bingo.
Ridiculous.

I only go to my PCP for injuries or if I'm 99% sure I need an antibiotic. If I had something serious like cancer I have no doubt that she would aggressively send me to excellent specialists. But for general whole-body health? She's not my go-to resource. Conventional doctors just aren't trained well enough on this and don't get reimbursed by insurance companies to do long visits. They are trained that medication and surgery are the best options for many ailments.

I see a chiropractor who does applied kinesthiology to help me with diet and supplements for overall wellness and weight loss. I've had migraines for 25 years and the best my regular doc could offer was to give me a free pass to take large quantities of ibuprofen as needed and if that stopped working, she would put me on a prescription but recommended delaying that as long as possible because of the side effects. My chiro cured my migraines with a simple digestive enzyme supplement.

Good for you for taking charge of your health! GERD, as you've probably learned, is often caused not by an excess of acid, but by not enough acid. Restoring your gut health naturally, with the right foods and herbs, will allow your body to find its balance again.

Yes, plenty of doubting. My dad has an IBS diagnosis--- took him 20 years of suffering 'in his head' (they thought) and a lengthy hospital stay to finally get that validation.

I went to see a doctor several years ago about some IBS-related symptoms I was having. He wanted to put me on Prozac. I decided to wait until after the colonoscopy results, thanks. The GE gave me no guidance on diet.

A few months later, a girlfriend emailed me an article on FODMAPS foods which tend to cause gastric distress for IBS folks. Duh, guess what helped?! ..... Not the doctors, my girlfriend and her curiosity and an extra second of thought. :)

Doctors are great for some things, however, I've found you have to do a lot of good, reputable research on your own...
The only thing I get stumped on for triggers now is migraines. Have you read the list of triggers? Ha-- LIFE is a migraine waiting to happen, apparently. My doctor (obviously not Prozac guy!) now is great for what I see her for, but when it comes to my gut, well, I know more about what works and what doesn't than she does. So it's up to me to be proactive in how I eat.

Hello
Glad you are feeling so much better and are on the mend!!
YES!!! many of the doctors disregard nutrition as playing a vital role..
In my case, I felt like I was becoming anemic... and with that, I kept getting strange cravings, basically for bland tasting things.. sounds weird, but dried pasta because it tasted dry and well, cardboard like..
I began to suspect that not only was I anemic (I also had about 9 out of 10 symptoms) but possible beginning to suffer from pica ...
I went to the doctor and she immediately before even having a blood test done said, well you don't look that bad to me.. proceeded to look in my eyes, which in her opinion didn't look white enough to be too anemic..
all the while, I had been having lower energy than usual, despite napping.. heart palpitations, palor of my skin, dried skin and hair.. the list goes on, including CRAVINGS that unlike others in the past, I was having a difficult time controlling..
again, she insisted that probably wasn't the case.
turns out, I was/AM anemic.. however, she wouldn't officially diagnose pica..
well even if not pica, the anemia CAN make you begin to crave all sorts of things.. basically, your body is looking for ways to fulfill itself from the lack of redblood cells and so on..
anyway, I suggested to the doctor that perhaps greens could help me and or beet juice and other vitamins and minerals.. instead, she prescribed the american red cross diet.. which in part is ok.. but IF you are trying to build back up your blood, she definitely can't do that diet alone.. bottomline, this isn't the first general practitioner I visited who basically didn't even consider nutrition as a means of healing..
you definitely have to be your own health advocate..
additionally, the docs proved useless in helping me with perimenopause, this includes eyedoctors too, whom seem to have no clue that PM can cause DRY eyes and hence, eye irritation and vision problems to a lesser or worse degree.. in that case, once I again, I had to do the reading up on it so as to find a way to heal my body..
docs have their place.. but often times, it doesn't include the place of ones nutrition.. you are right, they'd rather medicate than education and dare you happen to know more about your body than they do... they can be resentful and treat you like you have no clue..
I could go on and on.. :)

I find this very odd and would urge you to find another PCP. I would question if these drs are up to date with their knowledge.

I had the exact opposite experience. I was diagnosed withi GERD A few months ago. My Dr gave me a list of foods to avoid. She put me on a common med and told me to take it for 6 weeks to allow my esophagus to heal. But she stressed that I should not take it longer than that and after the weeks were up I should be able to control it with diet. If I had problems ewhen trying the diet, I should come back to her because staying on the med long term for GERD should be a last resort.

I think this just falls under common sense. We can't expect doctors to be 100% responsible for our bodies - they're OUR bodies after all. We need to educate ourselves and know what is going on, too. Sadly many doctors probably are most well versed in pharma and so that is their go-to, over diet or lifestyle changes. I've heard that this isn't a big topic in medical school (pure heresay).

I agree with Fanged Bunny, there is a place for modern medicine, thankfully for you this wasn't necessary, but you have to keep perspective and know your own body. In this case I'm glad it worked out so great for you.

I don't think family physicians are trained that much in nutrition and diet. Thinking of my diabetic friends, their family physicians didn't have a clue how to counsel them. They go see a dietician.

I see a gastroenterologist who is very familiar with the role diet plays. So I can't say I've run into that myself.

I have a relative with colitis - has had it for years. He has never once changed diet to see if it would improve. Ridiculous. That's his fault. I think doctor's can't rely on patients to treat themselves through diet. So they are quick to prescribe medications knowing it will have an effect. Of course they should mention diet as well (mention all forms of treatment). The good ones tend to - our family physician does. But I know lots don't.

Good thing you googled :) I hope it stays cleared up for you.

yes. yes. yes.
our family doctor (who sucks, i'm going to find a new one) is exactly like this. anything brought to her means a new px. nothing else.
i take my in-laws to her too, and their list of medications is frightening. and for all the issues they encounter (in their 80s with many health conditions) it's always a new med, or tweaking the doses on the current meds.
i hate it.
khairete
S.

Oh honey, I hear you! It has been a while but I spent 18 months in the care of various doctors and specialists trying to figure what was wrong with me. Too many symptoms to list...but bottom line was they couldn't find anything at all. Just an irregular white blood cell count and an under-active thyroid. 18 months of tests, appointments, drugs, time off work...and no diagnosis.

Then one day my dear friend asked me what I was eating, offered me a different eating plan and voila, no more symptoms. With in the year I fired my pharmacist an have not even put an aspirin in my body in over 9 years. All because I changed my diet. The doctors didn't even once ask me. They simply did what they were trained to do, throw a pill at the problem.

I am glad you figured it out. I am glad we both did! :)

I am glad that food is helping. I have been doing research on GERD also, and found that in England and other European countries, they actually use Hydrochloric Acid supplements. Most reflux is actually caused by not enough stomach acid, not too much, so if you add more acid then the food can break down and won't sit in the bottom of the stomach pushing acid on top up your throat. We have been using it, as well as a friend of mine, and we are all off of the prilosec, zantac, tums, etc. Awesome stuff! Oh, and it's not too expensive. You might be able to eat all those yummy foods you had to cut out too. I agree food is a good fix!

Updated

I am glad that food is helping. I have been doing research on GERD also, and found that in England and other European countries, they actually use Hydrochloric Acid supplements. Most reflux is actually caused by not enough stomach acid, not too much, so if you add more acid then the food can break down and won't sit in the bottom of the stomach pushing acid on top up your throat. We have been using it, as well as a friend of mine, and we are all off of the prilosec, zantac, tums, etc. Awesome stuff! Oh, and it's not too expensive. You might be able to eat all those yummy foods you had to cut out too. I agree food is a good fix!

I think part of it is that Doctors are not dieticians. I know that DO's tend to think more "holistically" in that they are more "big picture" in terms of looking beyond symptoms to other areas like stress, diet, etc. But I think they'd still refer to a dietician.

Also, doctors can manage medication, but diet is in the control of the patient. It would be nice if they all worked together seamlessly. I don't know about GERD, but it's possible that diet isn't always the cause and they have to address that first, then go to diet once other stuff is eliminated?