Now I think I Know...turns out 30% of Oncologists are drunks and druggies
Gus
I Always Wondered Why My Onco Carries... - Advanced Prostate...
I Always Wondered Why My Onco Carries A Brown Paper Bag
Written by
gusgold
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27 Replies
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Reading the summary is likely to give you some sympathy for what these folks are up against.
I didn't choose to pay to see the whole article. It would certainly be important to know the details of the alcohol abuse--in particular, what percentage drink during working hours, as you think yours does, Gus.
As to drugs, what the summary mentions is younger oncologists using sleeping pills, as many of us need to do, so big deal.
Another thing I'd be interested in, but not enough to pay for the whole article, is marijuana use. Frankly, I would view away-from-work marijuana use by oncologists positively. It's a valuable stress-reducer & sleep aid. It helps people avoid using or abusing alcohol, opioids & other problem drugs.
• in reply toNeal-Snyder
From stage 4 metastatic Gleason 8 to no signs & -0 testosterone.Ive done it all except Chemo & surgery. Not a candidate.All palative care only.Done at least 3 rounds of 60 grams in 90 days of high grade canary oil. Currently on maintanence dose 1/2 a gram per day orally.Firm believer in all forms of cannabis.
Neal-Snyder• in reply to
That's great! What exactly is the canary oil you're taking?
• in reply toNeal-Snyder
So sorry spl. Check. Canaby oil..high grade organic hash oil, called canaby oil..Google Rick Simpson oil for cancer
Neal-Snyder• in reply to
Please tell me more, Lulu--I'm really interested in every detail. Did you have to work your way up to a therapeutic dose? What dose did you start with, how often & how much did you increase, & did you take it more than once a day?
My experience has been that I get way too high with that kind of CBD:THC ratio to use it any time over an hour before bedtime, & I wasn't even at what they said was a therapeutic dose.
So I would really love to know exactly how you pulled this off. Thank you very much!
Neal
There's a much better free article about the research on Medscape. Take a few moments to get yourself a free account. Click on Oncology on the left side. It's the headline story.
This study actually looked at multiple studies in various countries. But it has very little depth, & leaves you wanting to know much more than it can tell you.
That said, if you're interested, it's still worth getting a better idea of what the study's findings were than the Wiley article provided.
One more thing. I mentioned in my first post above that the summary said 20% of younger doctors used sleeping pills. The actual term was hypnotics, but when I looked on the web, that translates as sleeping pills. But it didn't make sense to me that younger docs needed those more than any other age. And as I said, marijuana wasn't mentioned.
When I read the longer article, there was no additional info. So I googled "Is marijuana a hypnotic?" Most of what I got was about marijuana helping with hypnosis (as you might guess).
But I did see references to marijuana as being part of a larger category of sedative-hypnotic drugs, or depressants in terms of internal activity, & not of course causing depression.
I think this is just one more weakness of this study's effort to squeeze useful info out of multiple, disparate studies. My interpretation is that younger docs were more likely to have a smoke to relax in the evening or at bedtime. I'll bet those that did were much less likely to be problem drinkers. As I said before, I'm all for oncologists (or any other stressed professionals) benefiting from cannabis use away from the job.
Hi
Let's remember that you can find a few bad apples in any professional. I find my oncologist to be an angel and there are a lot of them out there. Quite honestly they keep me alive
I couldn't agree more, John. I worked around doctors, lawyers, social workers, licensing analysts & investigators, law enforcement officers, psychotherapists, nurses, educators & others. In every profession, there was everything from angels to assholes, brilliant people to people who didn't seem bright enough to pass exams, committed & devoted hard workers to uncaring lazy folks. I can't remember anyone who seemed to be abusing substances on the job.
A substance abuser is not necessarily a bad or uncaring person, especially if the substance abuse doesn't affect his or her work. Substance abuse may represent only a bad decision about how to deal with very real & substantial stress.
There's a big difference between substance use and substance abuse; none of us would want a doc, or a car mechanic or anyone else whose work we need to trust, to be anything other than at the top of their game when doing that work!
I completely agree! Using a substance on your private time, in a way that isn't a problem in your personal life, is very normal for doctors & other adults. (If someone is on call, that's not private time.) Even going beyond use to abuse during private time is not our issue if the doctor, mechanic, etc., is at the top of their game when we're relying on them.
That is a sweeping generalization and damnation which you imply involves all oncologists. It appears to be from a small university in the U.K. I think doctors working there have a different set of social problems.
As a retired American physician and now a PC patient I took some offense to this sweeping generalization. I spent 9 years on a state Board of Medical Examiners and we rarely saw an oncologist with these kinds of problems. I also practiced in a huge group practice (Kaiser Permanente) where we had many internal quality controls and resources for our physicians. My daughter now practices there and I receive my care there. I can assure you no one can hide addiction in a large group with multiple peers.
Stess and burnout are real for all physicians but self medication is highly controlled. Worry about the guy who practices alone-there probably is a reason! The issues will grow much worse in our current political situation as the politicians meddle with the payment system and really have no idea how to solve the inherent issues.
After some 45+ years of involvement with the medical profession I can confirm, as per your notation that alcohol abuse exists. As a patient I have yet to come across it - I have seen it as you say more commonly among older,members in independent practice. My 2nd ,GP when I was 11 yes old was alcoholic. Later I came across a GP with alcohol and self medication problems. In a private hospital an alcoholic surgeon and in the NHS as a patient for PCa. I have noted no abuse. Safety for the patient in teams of doctors and nurses.
Gus said 30%. The study is actually a review of the research literature involving multiple locations, & it does present that 30% figure for problem drinkers, although it's not clear if that many are problem drinkers at work.
I agree with you in many ways, DenDoc. I've been a Kaiser patient since I was young, & I've never thought any doctor, nurse or any other Kaiser employee smelled or acted as if he or she had been drinking or was high on drugs.
Like most attorneys in CA, I read the summaries of attorney discipline cases regularly. As you suggest for physicians, the problems mostly occur with solo practitioners. It was often clear that the problem attorney was a problem drinker, drug user or gambler.
Thanks. I know attorney discipline is tough too.
Glad to hear you are happy at KP. I was fortunate to be able to start in Denver when KP expanded her in 1970. Great to help shape it and see it succeed.
That's really nice to hear (& I guessed right about DenDoc). My wife & I have noticed that since the '80s, Kaiser personnel (definitely including receptionists) in CA have become friendlier & more customer service oriented. We thought the administrators were screening applicants for that type of person, & probably also providing customer service training. The doctors who seemed like scientists with no bedside manner seem to be gone & the doctors now are much more personable & caring. The receptionists who deigned to look up at you eventually & bark "Whadda YOU want?" are gone & the receptionists now promptly greet you with a smile & pleasant words.
But our niece went to work as an OB-GYN for a Kaiser hospital in the area several years ago, & she recalls no such screening or training. Do you have any insight about this? Maybe you & others managed to shape hiring in Denver right, right from the start? I'm baffled about how this amazing transformation could have happened in the Bay Area & LA if there were no guiding hands involved.
Being an alcohol abuser for a few years I don't feel one can hide the oder in a Drs. office, one can pick up on that without a lot of help. And I feel the Dr. to Dr. in the hallways would be just as evident.
At My local clinic, I am on my fifth Oncologist in 10 years, I believe the others got out of the business, or moved to other fields, it has to be hard, I have noted no alchohol on my Oncologist ever, but once I was traveling and needed a small town Doc, I was disturbed to smell the whiskey on his breath, I found it very upsetting.
I have sympathy for oncologists. What a tough line of work. Doctors want to heal. Oncologists are dealing with a deadly foe -- cancer -- and lose too many patients to it.
Maybe the bag is full of cash from his pharmaceutical rep.Unfotunatly, if advanced you probably will not be able to escape Western medicine with its side effects.
Stop it - I thought you got eaten by a gator
That's a news worthy story - you first said the gator bit a hole in the boat - so which is it now ?
Stay safe 😂
It is newsworthy, Nal, & I'd like to see your clippings.
I'm still worried about you. Do you at least see a veterinary oncologist?
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