The "Ask Doctor Donohue" who has a syndicated column in the newspaper where people write in and ask questions?
A reader wrote that they went to Massachussetts for 2 months, and her 11 month old got very sick a few weeks later and was diagnosed with Babesia.
The brilliant doctor replied that Babesia is from a tick bite, and he said if there's no symptoms you don't need to treat it ( duh, the woman listed her kid's symptoms. He needs treatment ).
And he said it's treated with Clindamycin ( not sure how it's spelled ), and that it is very easily treated and nothing to worry about.
He said NOTHING about having the poor kid tested for Lyme.
I've always thought this guy was a pompous, arrogant jerk who gives out terrible medical advice, but this is ridiculous.
He acted very surprised that the baby's doctor came up with this diagnosis and said he must've just read about it, but that it's a temporary illness.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
This doc or duck is in our paper every day also.
One reader ask how to treat lyme. His response was lyme was easy to diagnose and easy to treat and was caught every time by every doc that saw the symptoms of it.
Another reader asked how to treat 'chronic' lyme. His response was chronic lyme is almost impossible to treat so just catch it early and not let it turn chronic.
He acted amazed that anyone would GET to chronic stage because good medicine docs catch it every time and cure it every time.
I agree on some common subjects he 'MAY' know what he is talking about,,,but not lyme.
I am sure this is just a pen name and not a real name to a real doc. MY search for him thought he may be from state of Florida.
Forget why but that what I thought years ago. I scan his column mostt every day to see if he has lyme or co's advice to people and see If I agree.
He is just another IDSA doc/ woefully mis/under/educated in OUR world. He is a bit pompous, not always but at times.
I think that comes with the territory of column writting/doctoring combo. Authority in his mind, anyway.
Posted by Hambone (Member # 29535) on :
He always gets my blood pressure rising when people write in about aspartame, and he says it's completely safe and all the hoopla about it is bunk... and that it's safe because "I use it everyday".
I react badly to aspartame. One of my good friends gets a migraine everytime she has aspartame.
I guess I've just had more than my share of bad doctors who have that smirky look on their faces ( like his photo that accompanies his column ). I find him very condescending to some folks at times. He answers some of them like they are stupid.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Yeah, he's the basic duck. Thankfully, our newspaper doesn't carry his column!! I have seen it from time to time and he quite often says stupid things.
He's not the only dr who thinks babesia will just run its course. What these drs are missing is what happens when you combine babesia with LYME and/or bartonella. It's a mix that NO ONE gets over easily.
As for aspartame... I agree! My husband reacts badly to it. I always warn people if I see them using it. I tell them it will "fry their brain." I'm pretty tactful!
A friend of mine told me about a lady she knew who used to come into a tea room several times a week. Her health was going downhill steadily and she either ended up on a walker or was about to be.
Finally, she found out it was aspartame doing that to her!! She had been baking with it daily and adding it to just about everything!
She stopped it and regained her health!
Posted by Camp Other (Member # 29797) on :
I imagine the doctor also said nothing about blood transfusions, and how the baby cannot donate blood for their rest of their lives.
This is common sense. Testing for Lyme disease, too, would be common sense. This isn't even an issue of controversy - it's an early and clear-cut case of infection.
Incompetence.
Posted by carly (Member # 14810) on :
Wow, when I was a kid there was an ask Dr Donohue in the local paper. I read it for awhile then decided he was an idiot. My mother thought so too (a nurse).
Since I'm now 41, I'm guessing it's not the same "Dr Donhue", but his successor. Same handlers, though.
I can't believe he thinks aspartame is ok!!! That is just plain nuts. Nobody thinks that stuff is OK.
I wonder how many people take this advice?? There is a whole world full of stupid people.
Posted by Hambone (Member # 29535) on :
quote:Originally posted by carly: I can't believe he thinks aspartame is ok!!! That is just plain nuts. Nobody thinks that stuff is OK.
Not only does he think it's ok, he defends it very passionately. You'd think he owns stock in it or created it himself.
Posted by apljack (Member # 14233) on :
Nope, don't like asparatame. Or, ignorant doctors for that matter.
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I have seen it from time to time and he quite often says stupid things.![[lol]](graemlins/lol.gif)