There was a time when my trust and faith in the knowledge of medical doctors was absolute. That ended three years ago, after my top-rated family doc retired and my records and account were taken over by a pill doc. As a basically healthy guy with no apparent maladies or symptoms (except for remaining cancer that my oncologist is keeping track of), I decided to have a routine physical - the first in about five years - and OMG, the things that were "found" that I immediately were required to take pills for! The first was for supposed high blood pressure that was high-end border line (the AMA has since adjusted the "limit" for persons of my age group) and he made it sound like my time remaining on this planet was exceptionally limited. Crestor for cholesterol control then immediately became the next drug "needed" in my pill diet for maintaining life. Well, life went on with no noticeable day-to-day change for three years, when suddenly I realized I was feeling as old as my 95-year-old dad was beginning to look. Fortunately, my same-age cousin, a newly retired medical doc himself, dropped by for a week's visit and suggested I drop the Crestor for two weeks. Within a single day, my chronic lethargy was gone. But there were other symptoms, besides having sore leg muscles that made it nearly impossible for me to walk a distance of two city blocks. My fingers and toes had been numb and tingly for weeks and my gray-greenish-tinged toes began to be pus-filled at the tips. That prompted me to revisit the medical clinic and, fortunately, my doc was not on duty, but a younger fellow was, who immediately scheduled me for four sets of tests to take place over the next week or so - extensive blood tests, MRI and CT scans, blood circulatory scan, etc. By this time, I'd quit the high-blood pressure pill, too. This one, apparently, was the culprit for the circulatory issues and had caused extensive liver damage, as well, but wasn't noticeable by me. Meanwhile, I was rescheduled for yet another, highly detailed CT scan, plus more tests. Within a week or so of dropping both meds, my feeling of health and high energy returned. The doc, BTW, had the nerve to sound angry on the phone when I informed him about quitting his meds! That was three years ago and now, being totally meds-free, I have never felt more in good health. At this point, I trust no doc who claims to be all-knowing in the medical field! What should be well-known to all by now is that "proven facts" and "suppositions" are readily manufactured and modified by the pharmaceutical industry to enhance drug sales and that too many docs have become mere drug "pushers." The same industry undoubtedly is responsible for the content of medical texts used to educate medical students, who then make a career of passing on such "knowledge" among themselves and to unwitting patients, who might thereby suffer.
If we look back a hundred years at what the medical profession expounded as factual at the time, there is a noticeable lot of pure bunk and I'm sure, that a century from now, the same will be said for our own era of medical knowledge. As an example of how truly ignorant some doctors can be, the top medical doctor in China some years ago (who also wore a military general's uniform) stayed at the lodge/B&B I owned and operated at the time. One morning, he was by the payphone in our lobby, attempting to make a call after repeatedly inserting Chinese coins and wondering why the phone was "inoperable"! Duh. Tells me a lot!