Hyperthetical medical question

[bopdude]

A 'What if' type thing, here goes.

What if you were being asked to have a third test done for something of the same name, i.e. you were being tested for agent x, you've been tested twice and the results were slightly high, your now being asked to go for a third test.

Do your alarm bells start ringing ?? so they are !!!!!

So, being wide awake now you decide to look up the test you've been asked to repeat again on the ol' faithfull WWW, with me so far ( hyperthetically )

So, the WWW shows up 10 possibilities out of these 10 you can narrow it down to 1 'probable' outcome, you look closer. In your one 'probable' outcome there are 13 symptoms, out of the 13 you have a deffinite 8 with a couple of 'could be's'

Do you have agent x ??

What would you think, no use worrying and wait untill or bend over and kiss you a55 goodbye

[Pia]

Try not to speculate on what the internet says, it tends to scaremonger more than anything when it comes to reading up on medical conditions, i'd try not to worry!

[Paul]

I'd wait and see what the specialists say before I got worried. I've been for a number of cholesterol tests over the last 6 months. After the 1st one a specialist sugested I might have to go on medication to reduce my "very high" cholesterol level. After test 2 and 3 my own doctor was that bothered that he didn't worry about giving me the results of the tests until my partner had to go and see him about a migraine issue. (My levels were already lower and still falling.)
If after your 3rd test your still testing positive for something then sit down with a doctor/ specialist and discuss it, if you then want to look into all the gory detail online then fine but don't worry yourself into even more health issues by looking online and taking worse case scenarios as an indication of what will happen to you.

[aliferste]

As much as the net is a good thing to seek info it is also a very bad thing when you have symptoms. In the last 3 years I diagnosed myself with bowel cancer and mild tourettes
Both untrue !

[bopdude]

LOL, of course you are all right, there's no need for panic, I'm not getting myself overly worked, just go with the flow

[dilligaf1701]

Originally Posted by bopdude

LOL, of course you are all right, there's no need for panic, I'm not getting myself overly worked, just go with the flow

It was nice knowing you dude

[bopdude]

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

It was nice knowing you dude

Cheers I ain't going anywhere until LAN 3

[Angua]

Trouble is GP'S have to know a little of everything. For example on their 4 years GP training they spend a total of about 7 minutes learning about narcoleptics, hardly gives them a chance to recognise let alone diagnose some of the the more obscure illnesses which may have very smilar symptoms to something straightforward.
It is a well known side affect of worry (and reading about things on the net) that you will get more symptoms which could be X (a severe illness) when you actually have something simple and easy to treat provided a sure diagnosis is made, which is probably why you are having so many tests.

[joggerspark]

definately wait for the results...

[Salu]

It very much depends on the test you are "hypothetically" having done. Some tests are not 100% indicitive but just a guideline. We are taught that we should never just rely on path results but to weigh the results with our clinical findings.
Some tests can have false positives/negatives and should only be used as a pointer and not a diagnosistic indicator. For example the rheumatoid factor....

Also depending on what stage of a certain disease process a patient presents one may not be able to diagnose it as it may be only subtle and not barn door. You may be being asked to have this test repeated to exclude something rather than prove something.

Many possibilities, happy to discuss further on PM if you wish...