Truth - or Consequences?

If you don't tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" about your symptoms or your condition, it's extremely difficult for your doctor to treat you properly.

I'm sure we have all slanted our answers to medical questions from time to time, but the consequences of doing that can be quite serious in some cases. So why would any sane person do it?

I knew one 60-yr old female cardiac patient who was otherwise very honest and trustworthy, but she nearly died because she was not being truthful with her doctors. She had very high blood pressure, which was seemingly uncontrollable. Because she only weighed about 90 lbs soaking wet, she ALWAYS took half the dose of any new prescription, but she never told anyone what she was doing. (For some reason, she thought she knew more about proper dosing than her doctors!)

This practice caught up with her one day! Her pressure was dangerously high, so the doctor DOUBLED her dose... thinking the previous dose wasn't high enough to be effective. In fact she had only been taking a half-dose. She felt a little guilty about her deception and became concerned about a possible stroke; so for once, she took the dose just as he prescribed. Well, I'll help you do the math.
From 1/2 a dose to a double dose was really about 4 times what she had been taking. Needless to say, her B/P dropped dramatically and she passed out. Luckily, she was a receptionist in a nursing home and her co-workers were right there to save her from herself. If this had happened at home, the lady would probably not have survived.

Here's an interesting blog piece about patients who lie to their doctors. These are mainly bipolar patients, but this misinformation problem can affect nearly everyone.

Most patients will swear that they are taking their medications exactly as the doctor prescribed, but they know better. Have you ever done that? It is a known fact that we are only about 50% compliant. Sometimes it's because we think we're more adherent than we really are, or sometimes it's because we just don't want the doctor to know we've been "naughty"! In either instance, it's not good for the doctor or the patient to work with the wrong information. It can have disastrous results.

But who or what are we trying to protect? Our self esteem? Not likely when we know we're being dishonest! Or is this some parent/child need to avoid punishment - such as a stop-smoking treatment plan that we don't want to follow, or a diet or exercise regimen, or whatever...???

In any case, honesty is the best policy when your health is concerned. Even if you have to come clean and admit to the doctor you have no intentions of doing what he just ordered. You've always had trouble cutting down on salt, have never been able to diet, and can't afford the time or money to go to a gym. At least he'll know what he's up against, and there may be other options, which you can both agree on... honestly!.

Plus you won't have the added guilt of knowing you're lying on top of everything, which could possibly do yourself more harm.

I'm a health care professional, and I can "honestly" say that I have not been totally honest at times. There - I've admitted it and I feel much better now. ; D