I am really overwhelmed by how to erase all the health information I have Googled...

[Sharon123]

God I am so overwhelmed.....
It started out with a few simple searches to figure out why I could be having stomach pains and fatigue and now a year and a half of obsessive googling later, my brain is filled to the brim with heavily in depth info about everything and anything that can cause any sort of symptom.

I used to think stomach pain was caused by a couple of things such as GERD or Ulcers, but now it can be anything: Histamine intolerance, SIBO, Tic bites, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome..... how the heck are you supposed to get tested for all of those things??? I have been to so many doctors this year I can't stop because each time I go on the internet there is yet another stupid thing someone is talking about that could be causing it.....

Do I get tested for tic bone diseases? Do I take antihistamines?

And then there are all those functional and naturopathic people with all these excessively complicated lists of causes like mold poisoning and heavy metal exposure. Do I need to get tested for that stuff?

There are so very many possibilities of stuff that I can have that are causing my issues that I feel like I will go crazy!!! I feel way sicker than when I started googling.
When I went to the doctor they said I have GERD and mild Gastritis. But all these people on the internet say that that's what their doctor told them too but it turned out to something else like histamine intolerance or something difficult to diagnose like that and I feel so overwhelmed....... Then there are so many people on the internet who say that you shouldn't trust doctors because they are dismissive and don't check anything.....

I am so stuck and I just can't get out of this headspace! My whole world has become so dark and scary.....

[NoraB]

God I am so overwhelmed.....
It started out with a few simple searches to figure out why I could be having stomach pains and fatigue and now a year and a half of obsessive googling later, my brain is filled to the brim with heavily in depth info about everything and anything that can cause any sort of symptom.

There's no such thing as a 'simple search' with Google and no matter what symptom you type in (and no matter how minor) Dr Google will try to scare the shit out of you! There will be stories of someone who had the EXACT symptom as you and their head fell off (not really) but you know what I'm saying? There will be someone who went to their doctor with a yellow toenail and their head fell off six months later (not really), but you know what I'm saying?

My advice here is NOT to Google anything aside anxiety symptoms (and how to control them) and pictures of cats & dogs being cute. Dr Google is literally the worst doctor in the Universe, and you are only getting part of a story from random people on the internet. It's either their own story, and they're leaving out (or not understanding) significant details. or they're talking about their best friend's cousin (several times removed) where what started out as an ingrowing toenail ended up in foot amputation, only they're missing the info where a forklift truck rolled over their foot, and it was the other foot. :huh:
When it comes to health, Google is like that Chinese Whispers game, as in the messages become twisted & unrecognisable after only a few 'whispers'. (In Google's case, it's clicks) What starts off as a minor headache ends up as an inoperable brain tumour, and in matter of seconds! (Do yourself a MASSIVE favour and refrain from Googling symptoms)

When I went to the doctor they said I have GERD and mild Gastritis. But all these people on the internet say that that's what their doctor told them too but it turned out to something else like histamine intolerance or something difficult to diagnose like that and I feel so overwhelmed....... Then there are so many people on the internet who say that you shouldn't trust doctors because they are dismissive and don't check anything.....

Doctors aren't robots and many (if not most) conditions present similarly to other ones. Unless there are red flags to consider, the usual approach is to run basic blood tests (to make sure nothing obvious is amiss) and usually a physical examination of the abdominal area. If nothing untoward if found on examination, the next step is to treat the patient for the symptoms they are presenting with (the doctor's years of medical training should count for something here) and to see how the patient responds to medication etc. The next step would be getting some other form of testing done or a gastro referral (or wherever).

(If it is the case that your doctor is 'dismissive' and you're not happy, then you have the right to second opinion)


My whole world has become so dark and scary.....

And all because you Googled your symptoms instead of going to see an actual doctor... (it's so easy to fall down the rabbit hole, and I know because I've been there)

[ErinKC]

Everything Nora said! The internet is not an unbiased representation of reality. People who post on forums and other sites highly over represent those who had something to wrong. People don’t often go on the internet just to say what a positive experience they had with diagnosing their stomach pain.

I was in a hysterectomy group on Facebook leading to my surgery and I had to stop reading it because it was all horror stories! But, then if someone would ask if people regretting their surgeries, 100s of people would comment that they did not! Those 100s were just reading in the group, not posting, because their surgeries went well - as did mine!

Googling is just the worst possible thing. Websites will have to present the worse case scenarios to prevent liability if someone relies on them for information. It’s so hard to stay away but so important!

I’m in law school and working at a law firm right now that handles a lot of medical malpractice. It’s really been tough on my anxiety, but I keep reminding myself that these are the rare occurrences, not the norm!