Doctor Reacts To Try Guys | Zach's Mysterious Illness

Zach Kornfeld from The Try Guys suffers from an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis. I realize it's a mouthful, so today I decided to react to a couple videos Zach as posted on the Try Guys channel as well as back on the Buzzfeed channel about his medical journey dealing with chronic pain, his experience with the medical system, and the reality of living with the disease to this day. We also discuss inflammation, Scoliosis, MRIs, Humira, physical therapy, Are there any other Try Guys videos you'd like me to react to? Let me know down in the comments if Ned, Eugene, Keith, or Zach has done anything else you'd like me to talk about!
I LOVE reading your comments and take your suggestions seriously. If there’s a subject you want me to discuss or something you’d like for me to react to, leave a comment down below. Many of my videos have been born out of suggestions directly from you, so don’t hold back!
-Doctor Mike Varshavski
ZACH'S VIDEOS
I Have An Autoimmune Disease • The Try Vlog: • I Have An Autoimmune D...
i'm getting worse (autoimmune update): • i'm getting worse (aut...
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* Select photos/videos provided by Getty Images *
** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional **

[@LeilaDancer]

"We treat patients, not lab values" should be said by a lot more doctors.

[@sleepybun908]

Seriously!!!

[@fireflyhaze4938]

And yet how many doctors would that statement be true for? Very few in my experience...

[@rey-yac]

Amen! I don't know how many times I've seen a doctor and we are going over my lab results and they say "Everything is normal" And I'm screaming inside no it's not!

[@stephanievance6472]

💯

[@andij605]

Yeah, I'm so glad I'm from Eastern Europe, we have soo many doctors there who understand that lab results are just one of the many pieces of the puzzle. (Though they are underpaid and overworked like crazy, so it's still hard to get help. BUT at least they don't just label you with the first diagnosis they can think of, most of the time.) I moved to "the West", and here it's pure madness. The doctors here only have like one or two specializations at most, and they have ZERO clue about anything beyond their own specialization (except select few awesome docs). They're oh-so-proud to practice evidence-based medicine, yet they don't care to look at anything beyond a select few lab values. (I can't even get them to do a full blood panel, something which is normal to do every single year in many countries, to monitor tendencies and establish our own personal baseline, instead of just looking at one point in time randomly and assuming those wide "normal" values are our normal.)

[@husseneluis9163]

Zach: "i had really bad back pain basically my entire life!" Doc Mike: (enthusiastically)"Perfect!"

[@shaywhoop4040]

Doctor Mike is the Sherlock of medical practice

[@chloestewart28]

I read this right as he said it lol.

[@carringtonpilon1310]

0:08 for the meme

[@near5148]

@No 🔥 no get out

[@vishi9842]

@No 🔥 get a life

[@unforgrettable]

I teared up when he said: "We treat patients, not lab values." It is always disheartening when a doctor tells you that you are perfectly fine based on numbers but you still have pain. It makes you feel crazy. It makes you feel like you're making a big deal out of nothing. It makes you feel like they're telling you to shut up and quit wasting their time.

[@twilightgirl921]

I've been sick for 11 years now and I can't tell you how many times I have heard your labs are fine so you're perfectly healthy. Whenever I pushed they would just tell me it was all in my head or I just was doing it for attention. Alot of time has been wasted because of this, we need more doctors with Dr. Mike's mindset

[@candicecart9786]

Find a different hospital ... also many GPs/family docs are not as good as specialists ... I even had one tell me (who I think was filling a quota) when I was a teen that blood clots can’t travel! Ummm that’s like basic medical school 101- like day 1 🤦‍♀️🙄 (I had a bad reaction to BC they were trying to put me on to control my periods and I was worried (and so was the nurse on the med line that I called before her putting me in as an emergency add-on in general med) that I had clots bc my legs cramped up so bad) - I still pushed for an ultrasound and even the tech was super serious that it could be clots... luckily it wasn’t (or they dissolved prior to colter ultrasound- maybe bc I had some aspirin) ... but blood clots are serious and this dope had no idea 🙄🤦‍♀️ There will alway be mysteries (the docs still don’t know why I had such a bad reaction... a few years later a decent doc talked me in to trying a different BC and I had bad reactions as well- not as bad as before, but within a week I was losing lots of hair, lost 10lbs (which I was happy about), got bad acne, and then I got the leg cramping again- like to the point I couldn’t walk during a cramping episode that lasted 30 minutes to 1 hour 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@bennettbrown5605]

I can tell you for sure that one of the biggest things with labs and interpretation of them is having or establishing a baseline, there are baselines we go off of, but it's not infrequent that people's baselines are different and that can lead to misinterpreting the results and thinking they're normal when they're not. Additionally normally only a few initial tests are run, and depending on the illness, they may not even be an effective way to measure or check for it. Don't blame the lab people or phlebotomist, blame the Doctor!

[@Whynotcreate]

Omg same. I'm just waiting for the day they tell me I have terminal cancer. I have so many symptoms but they don't want to hear more then 1per visit🙄😒

[@lorrainesanchez328]

I understand your pain and frustration. This has happened to me too. When I was 17 I had 103 fever for over a month and the only thing doctors kept saying is that I have appendicitis, I don't or else I would be dead now. I kept going from doctor to doctor to figure it out and they always said the same thing, "you are healthy." We took a suggestion from the secretary of a doctors office to go to a rheumatologist and found out I have sjogrens syndrome and psoratic arthritis. I have it in control now. The point of this is don't give up. There are good doctors out there, it just takes A LOT of searching.

[@hunterurban5465]

I'm going through this right now, it's awful. Hopefully you get relief soon

[@aaaaaaaabre]

"We treat patients, not lab results" As a clinical chemist, I cannot stress enough how many times I have had this argument with certain physicians, which is extremely concerning in itself.

[@user-zp3xc4to1t]

after every semester in uni, I give blood for test, every time results come out to be rather fine Then, fix my extreme exhaustion and muscle pains that last up to two months, despite having a ton of rest But no, results are fine

[@Maricarrrr]

This!!!

[@parisinthe30sx]

@@user-zp3xc4to1t you may have CFS. Chronic fatigue syndrome. It took me years to get a diagnosis. Fibromyalgia also cause similar symptoms

[@sammanthaford3982]

@@user-zp3xc4to1t If you get a 'fever' or sick and then significant pain, fatigue and continuous flu-like symptoms, it's constant fatigue syndrome (which may also be triggered by malnutrition/nutrients not getting to connective tissues). If the pain starts after a car accident/major and sudden shock to the body . . . then it's fibro.

[@fionazelmann7541]

that's what happens when people pursue that job without any passion to help people. their mentality is actually better suited to task based work but they pursue a job in a medical career for the status and money. so they basically see people as robots in a sense. like math, they want the solution to always be what it is. these numbers in this combination come to this solution always. that isn't what health is like though. so instead of being able to adapt and figure out things (like a mystery in a sense) they are set into "the numbers say this so the solution is this" despite the evidence that that is not the answer.

[@00kidney]

I'm really glad he was eventually referred to a rheumatologist that was actually to diagnose him. Knowing that you have an illness that cannot be diagnosed must be incredibly scary.

[@PrescottSF]

Hello, kidney doc

[@PrescottSF]

Also, yes it is scary

[@MirageEspejismo]

It is scary. I'm in that exact same place right now. Thank goodness my doctor listened and I have been referred to several specialists so we can find out what is going on with me. 5/2022 Update: My rheumatologist finally figured out one of the things that's happening with me and have started a different treatment on me. I have high hopes. 🤞

[@ihavenolife7240]

WHY ARW YOU IN EVEEY VIDEO I SEEEEEE

[@dpalmerama]

I've got a friend that had really bad lung issues, and breathing coughing etc. Somehow she got seen by a rheumatologist, and they quickly looked at her information, and after a few questions, were able to correctly diagnose her with sarcoidosis.

[@Accio_Eloise]

I cried watching Zack's video when he released it. I have so much sympathy for him. but MY GOD did he use his platform well to get this information out there. It teaches people not to ignore their ailments and that medication and physio is not a quick fix. You have to work if you want to feel better. I loved it.

[@HexenkoeniginVonAngmar]

Yeah. At the end of January I managed to somehow pinch a nerve in my back for several days and the pain was terrible. I was also Covid Positive at that time and my doctor's office told me to come in when I was negative. I ended up going to the ER and was put on several pain medications so I would use my leg normally instead of limping so my leg would get streched again. I had tried limiting doing so because of the pain. I was the support to go to some physicist or sth along the lines (idk if that's the correct translation) but I never did because the pain killers helped immensely. It wasn't a money problem since I live in Germany, it was a me-problem. Now, over half a year later, there is still some stiffness in my leg and it kinda feels like sore muscles after doing sports when in sit on the ground with my legs streched out the same length in front of me, especially when leaning over my legs. Not to mention trying to touch my toes when standing and not buckling me knees. It's by far not as bad as Zach's pain, but even minor stuff should not be ignored as I have had to figure out.

[@kittykatgaming8296]

I’m a female, and have Ankylosing Spondylitis as well. It’s rare as a female and wasn’t diagnosed until I was 32. It’s so painful and it really sucks. I feel so much for him.

[@thegrabber3021]

Hiii omg you okay? Did u go to hospital and get treated and cured or?

[@dixiecup6668]

@@thegrabber3021 it's a chronic condition, not curable. There are treatments for autoimmune conditions but no cure.

[@MinnieMouse8270262]

Is there specific reasoning as to why it’s more rare in females?

[@fabr5747]

@@MinnieMouse8270262 In fact, it seems that there is not much of a difference betwwen men and women. BUT, and that's the real problem. Let me do an analogy with a heart attack. Do you know what are the symptoms of a heart attack (try genuinely to think about it before reading the next sentence). Chances are that the symptoms you think about are symptoms for males heart attacks (left arm pain, shortness of breath, nausea, ...). For women, the symptoms are different, and not well known. There are common symptoms such as indigestion, shortness of breath, and back pain, sometimes even in the absence of obvious chest discomfort. Reality is that medical science has focused a lot on men for studies. There is the bias due to the fact that doctors were mostly men. But we need also to understand that today's social environment is different than it used to be 50 years ago, where a lot of the science comes from. Professional deceases occurred mostly for men, men would get more frequently injured, would have more pain related issues, etc... And there was the idea that women should be protected from any studies because they carried babies. So it's not only "deep machist biases", but just a different time. But no matter the intention behind, this needs to evolve. Coming back to women with AS. Same as for heart attacks, the symptoms are not the same. Men are more likely to have fusion between vertebrae, and x-ray sign of decease progression. And it has long been the verification factor to define whether someone has AS or not. For women, this evolves much more slowly. Women tend to have more pain / inflammation where tendons and ligaments attach to the bone, while men tend to have it more at the joint. Women's back pain tend to be to the upper / middle back, while for men, it tends to be in the lower back or sacro-illiac joint. Women also tend to have more fatigue and morning stiffness. Now, let's go in more details regarding this decease. It is a vastly under diagnosed one. And most people diagnosed with it have gone from doctors to doctors for on average 7 years before having an answer. Is it because doctors are bad? Partially, as Dr- Mike explains, not listening to patients and their body is a huge mistake. BUT it is also because this decease evolves slowly. It is also because the labs can only provide minor clues to what is happening, such as a genetic marker that is in most people suffering of AS, BUT 20% of the population has that genetic factor... And regarding this, I'm in Europe, so that value is probably related to Caucasians, and again it shows a bias regarding the quality of treatments if there is no study to understand what changes depending on ethnicity (and not only races). So for men as well it is tough to get a diagnosis. There are only clues that could lead a doctor to that direction. But that's it. FYI, I have AS, I'm a man, and am one of the rare man having the "typical female" AS symptoms. So it has been a nightmare to get to a diagnosis. But the diagnosis only helps a bit when there is not much to be done anyway...

[@kittykatgaming8296]

@@fabr5747 you said it better then I ever could… my X-rays don’t show it much yet… but my pain is unbelievable. It’s frustrating!

[@IraSpain]

As a woman, my experience with doctors when it comes to pain, is also the "nothing to see here - pain is normal" experience. Especially when it is an unreasonable amount of pain that is related to your menstruation - doctors would not even check if there was something wrong, just give me more painkillers. And when I fainted because of the pain, the thing I heard most was "that is not possible". Like, my friend brought me to the hospital because I feel face first into the table, but sure, I am imagining all of this!

[@purpleheatherr]

It’s a real challenge to find a good doctor who will take us women and our complaints seriously. 🙄

[@LaurieSwenson]

That sucks. :( My daughter has terrible pain during her periods from what she assumes is endometriosis but has never gotten much help from doctors. Last year, she crumpled to the floor because of searing shoulder pain and then her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. She was better when she came to moments later, but this is her life once a month. I don't understand why doctors would think something that happens to lots of women is "not possible."

[@aburke0823]

I had a very similar experience when my disease reared its head, and most female chronic pain patients do. I was called a hypochondriac, hysterical, a drug seeker, on and on and on. It wasn't until an orthopedic surgeon saw my disease at work during a surgery (what should have been a 2 hour surgery took almost 6 hours) that I had my first medical advocate, and learned to be my own advocate. Don't stop until you find a medical professional that will join in your advocacy. I wish you nothing but the best 👌

[@meghanripple223]

Thankfully my doctor took my pain seriously and diagnosed me with endo and/or pcos; but growing up all I heard was “that’s just how it is in our family.” I thought it was normal until I was 24 years old.

[@ceruleangel]

The first doctor to listen and take my fibroids seriously was the obstetrician I started seeing this month. Apparently, debilitating pain for me was completely acceptable, but the risk to my baby finally made them a real concern, enough that someone started talking treatment options. I've been in pain for twenty-six years thinking it was normal. Crying in the bathroom at school, bleeding through my clothes all the time because I'm actively hemorrhaging, calling off work because I can't think through the pain, and then feeling guilty because I was "weak," all to be told that "well, that's what all women go through." I was thirty five when someone finally told me that no, it wasn't.

[@justcallmejessz3712]

The thing about pain is it demands to be felt. You never get used to pain. Ever. You get used to being in pain. It's not the same. It's exhausting. It hurts.

[@julieannelovesbooks]

Exactly this. I’m in constant pain, but you never get used to it, it never fades away into the background. It’s always there, ever present. But I don’t hope to wake up without pain anymore. I know that for the foreseeable future I will be in pain.

[@noyes1973]

right

[@yellowhouse4911]

Very profound, Augustus Waters

[@kingzingo1784]

I kind of wonder why pain exists? Yes, it's our body's way of warning us something is wrong. But why couldn't it be a less painful sensation that accomplished the same thing?

[@julieannelovesbooks]

@@kingzingo1784 It wouldn’t accomplish the same thing if it was less painful. That’s kind of the point. But if you look at evolution I don’t think we were supposed to be in pain all the time. But people lived much shorter lives and I don’t think chronic illnesses were a thing among cave people. So people weren’t in pain all the time.

[@Abbyj19]

I went to the ED a few years ago with pain on the left side of my face, the dr at the time told me and I quote “stop wasting our time, you’re a DRUG SEEKER and there is nothing wrong with you, go home.” (I don’t use drugs) The pain persisted and refused to go away but I was convinced there was nothing wrong with me because a doctor told me so. A couple weeks later of this pain every day and I had enough, I saw a different doctor and she referred me to have an MRI scan on my head. They found one of the blood vessels behind my ear had lopped itself around a nerve and each time the vessel pumped blood it was hitting the Trigeminal nerve and causing the connected nerves down my face to be affected . I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia and was scheduled to have the MVD procedure. Always get a second opinion!

[@jerritbaker]

As someone with AS, it's encouraging to see the disease talked about. The condition really makes you feel isolated. On the outside we often look fine, when in reality we are often struggling daily. Like Zach said, since treatment, I've been ok. But our definition of okay is different than that of many. We have baselines of pain. We are fatigued constantly. The person I once was I consider dead. Accepting who you were physically, mentally, and even emotionally is someone that you may never see again is heartbreaking, but almost necessary to carry on

[@Ikigai_Hinoki]

I feel exactly the same as what you have said. You end up having to go through the stages of grieving for the person you used to be.

[@AnkylosingSpondylitisMan]

Totally agree with this!

[@ivaniellcalderon6279]

Exactly, I left the sport I loved due to the illness. Not because of the pain, it was the acceptance that was awful. Yoday I still feel lost and havent had as much direction in life since I left baseball. On the other hand this illness has made me become very physically fit.

[@jessesearles4893]

Exactly, accepting the “new me” is extremely hard.

[@paw_prints_in_the_paddock]

Many thanks for reinforcing the importance of doctor transparency, especially when we as patients are already apprehensive and anxious. Very few things in life are worse than suspecting a physician is "sugar-coating" or holding back information. That heightens the anxiety a hundred-fold. Maintaining trust in the provider-patient relationship is definitely way more important and helpful in the long-run.

[@Lilian040210]

I have a 'fun' salad of illnesses and I gotta say the not knowing what's going on with me is probably killing me more than having to tolerate some sort of pain every single day...

[@Laundrey1]

I think a lot of Drs are afraid to be sued these days. Even so, they need to establish trust in the patient, too. My Dr is like this and is wonderful. It’s so great when a Dr truly cares.

[@caitieg6998]

At 21 years old, I had surgery due to a lump on my neck. When I woke up, my parents informed me that the ENT said it was a benign tumor on my artery. Bonus points, apparently he also told them I was lucky, because in most cases, someone my age with a lump in that area was cancer. Not ONCE, in ALL the times I saw doctors, or got a CAT scan, did ANYONE mention cancer as a possibility. Not. Once. I was pissed when I found out because the ENT hid it from me, but, for some reason, felt it was OK to tell my (an adult) parents. He never mentioned it at the follow up either. I was complaining about it to my dad a few weeks later, and he looked at me and asked "would you really have wanted to know?" I told him, yes, yes I would have. Because if I DID have cancer, it would have come out of nowhere. I wouldn't have been able to mentally brace myself at ALL. It's a huge jump going from "maybe a fatty deposit or cyst (which my family is prone to)" to "you have cancer" Not to mention the betrail I felt knowing this doctor was OK telling my parents, but not me...the adult patient. It's been over a decade. I don't think I'll ever feel ok about how it went down.

[@AnkylosingSpondylitisMan]

Excellent comment 👌

[@teelakovacs208]

You are right, 100% With my anxiety I want to know MORE of the plan: steps, procedures, changes, etc., not less! Even though the information can be emotionally painful, give patients the kindness and respect by giving them the truth. Minimizing, patronizing, wild divergence from prior medical actions are harmful. I am not a medical professional, but I am a human. Doctors are too. Use those respectfully- super knowledgeable brains of yours to explain the what's and why's and show your humanity. It's the golden rule, right? Be kind even if it adds to your already tough day, with a great bedside manner and you'll have grateful patients and families that will remain loyal for a very long time.

[@kittyandrews27]

Currently recovering from a radical hysterectomy due to “being dramatic,” “depression,” and “not exercising enough.” According to my other doctors the diagnoses are actually pronounced “endometriosis,” “endometriomas,” and “Adenomyosis.” My test results and scans mostly looked normal. Until I happened to have an abdominal ultrasound with several 9/10cm cysts there was nothing solid and so nothing was “real.” Open me up to find complete obliteration of my abdominal cavity. One month before my wedding and the possibility of having children was suddenly a pipe dream. Now, just over 6 years later and the fight is over, not even embryo adoption a possibility. Just the hope of less pain and better quality of life. My labs look great though.

[@cheekyb71]

I'm in exactly the same scenario only my hysterectomy was in April 2021, and I was diagnosed at 16 (in 1998) with endo - so EVERYTHING was "endo" and therefore "normal" which gave them an excuse to write me off for years... We need to remember doctors aren't even taught female physiology in med school, they learn male anatomy, male nerve patterns, male muscle function, male bone structure, male blood vessel structure - with just a section on the DIFFERENCES for female bodies (uterus, ovaries, breast tissue, etc) not the actual differences in female physiology (how female bodies work). They don't learn female pain, and they are often frightened to admit their shortcomings: doctors like to be seen as experts yeah? It is improving though - but as an endo and adeno sister who also couldn't have babies, I grieve with you xoxoxo

[@Cali_Flowers]

If not one kind of adoption, maybe the other kind is in your future 🧡

[@jamieculp8291]

OMG, it is such a pain to get a non-emergency hysterectomy. I've waited almost 20 years for them to approve me for one. I finally got a physcian to agree I need one because my uterus is so jacked up, but now I have badly controlled diabetes (which I did not have 20 years ago when I first wanted a hysterectomy for my pain and weird bleeding) and have to wait until my A1C is below 8 to get one. Bleh!

[@ladyethyme]

As a person who had a hysterectomy due to Adenomyosis….. I understand. The pain is….mind boggling.

[@jennymiles8609]

I had to have a radical hysterectomy at age 29 in 07’ after begging to have a exploratory laparoscopy done for severe abdominal pain and massive bleeding. Was told by a male doctor that I was just being dramatic and that I was a drug seeker because I had a abnormal reaction to Toradol and needed narcotics for the pain. My regular Gyn went in and found my Fallopian tube had adhered to my abdominal wall and was peeling off making me hemorrhage. Six months later my uterus hemorrhaged and again I was blown off by a male doctor until I literally crashed on the ER floor.

[@WytchieBytch]

Despite the fact that I was reasonably in shape when my symptoms started to get to where I couldn't ignore them, my pain and I have constantly been written off by doctors "your labs look good, lose weight" despite having a history with eating disorders (one doctor decided to prescribe me a medication BECAUSE it curbed appetite, after I told her I starved myself as a teen and have to fight the body dysmorphia and restrictive eating impulses every single day, she literally told me "well if it works...") and despite both allergic and exercise induced asthma, chronic headaches which are aggravated by the aforementioned asthma, and severe pelvic pain that radiates down into my legs, I am treated like I'm just a lazy piece of 💩 who doesn't want to be healthy by doctors. So many of them just stop listening as soon as they see my BMI. I literally had pneumonia misdiagnosed as acid reflux once because the a-hole doctor made a judgment about me based on my size. Really wish more doctors treated their patients, not just a number on the BMI chart 🙄

[@fabr5747]

Crazy... Reminds me of myself with a different angle. I've had chronic pain due to AS for 17 years now, since I was 16 + 2-3 years as a child. At 22 years old, I was referred to "a great specialist"... I was suffering psychologically because of the pain, the lack of sleep, and all the effect it had on my life, the challenges with studies, etc... During the discussion, I mentioned that I was studying engineering in a top university with a very difficult program, and asked me weird questions, such as "so you like math", and from them, his attitude changed, and basically made the assumption that I was in pain because of some psychological issues. And that I had some psychological issues because I was some kind of a genius that had all the negative aspects of the genius brain. First, I wish I was a genius... Unfortunately, far from being the case. But mostly, he didn't listen, had no interest in the timeline (that the psychological issues were coming after the pain for years, not the other way around). And the worst for me, he made one assumption at some point (which is fine, that's their job, finding clues to what can be the problem), but with that one assumption, he just asked question to confirm it, completely ignoring the ton of other elements that I was trying to throw at him. He ended the meeting by giving me a prescription for "something to make me feel better", not even telling me what it was. I was so mad, I left the office, gave him back the prescription, and never answered to any of his calls. So by reading your story, knowing mine, I just come to the conclusion that doctors are sometimes not focusing on our health, but they are just judging us with a superiority feeling, and indeed acting like we don't want to get better ! I think in your case, the problem is not just that he focuses on the BMI number. He does so with probably some superiority feeling, and therefore disregarding you as a human and a patient, not worth of his time. Just change the doctor if you can ! And more important, take care, hope you are doing better !

[@imperialchalice]

Wish you were everyone’s doctor, cause yes, I’d be confident to say that 90% of doctors treat lab values and NOT patients.

[@fabr5747]

That's when you are lucky and even pay attention to the lab values ! You have way too high expectations !!! (irony)

[@hamsanandini7647]

His hips are almost completely fused. He's been quite transparent in his recovery, you should check out his other videos about this.

[@BannerThePonyboxer]

His SI do you mean? Or like the ball and socket joints of his hips?

[@randomheadful7190]

@@BannerThePonyboxer she must mean SI joints. I have ankylosing spondylitis and the actual hip joints are not what fuses, it’s the SI joints.

[@hamsanandini7647]

@@BannerThePonyboxer I think they mention it in one of the chiropractor's videos where the chiropractor says that his hips are almost completely fused.

[@CamillaZahn]

Where can I watch new videos from his journey? I’m wondering how he is nowadays.

[@hamsanandini7647]

@@CamillaZahn it's on the try guys channel

[@cd2290]

My grandmother always said “if you don’t move you will get old”. There’s a lot to unpack in that small sentence but as I’ve aged into my 30s I’m already seeing how right she is about being active to have energy and strength. She lived to be 96.

[@scribblebee5412]

My great-grandma was the complete opposite, drank, worked in a smoke-filled pub as a pianist (so she sat down a lot) and loved cream cakes...she lived to 100 The mortician didn't believe us, he thought she was in her 70s 😅 Not saying your point isn't valid, I just think it's funny that she defied all odds

[@NTdredd]

@@scribblebee5412 Strong Genes, right in your great grandma!

[@gloomybarrel6812]

I was an active child but unfortunately for me, my metabolism pretty much died when I was 12 years old. I started dealing with fatigue at the same time (it’s chronic at this point, I have to drink caffeine to just stay awake and I’m only in my early 20’s). I’m going to get checked for Psoriasis, since my doctor believes I have it and one of the symptoms is fatigue. I may also have another medical condition, this one’s much harder to diagnose but my mom and I believe I have it because I fit it 100%, which also has fatigue as one of the symptoms. I’ve had several issues with my body already in life. Hah, that’s my life being from a family with really bad genetics.

[@lucyandecember2843]

o.o

[@scribblebee5412]

@@NTdredd oh yes she did, but tbf none of my family look our age. The other day a we had a door to door person (can't remember what) ask me if my parents were around...i'm in my 20s So I told him no and shut the door 😅

[@michaellaward3418]

This video changed my life in March. On the day this video was released I was hospitalized with acute renal failure after some disturbing medical mistakes, so I ended up watching it about a week later after I had recovered enough to 'safely' go home. But I was experiencing some bizarre new pain and stiffness I didn't have prior to being hospitalized and had no effective way to manage it anymore. I've been hearing about Zach's journey for a while as a long-time Try Guys fan. But the way you talk about AS in this video perfectly pieced together the puzzle that was my life at that time. Two days later I saw my rheumatologist, got the HLA-B27 test, and was scheduled for an MRI. My mom has AS without the sacral pain, so I had no idea that's where it usually starts! I also previously thought I escaped AS simply by having hEDS which often times feels totally opposite of AS for all the hypermobility in my lumbar spine and pelvis. It's now 3 months later and, though some questions still remain, I'm on appropriate treatment and no longer suffering so much. I just NEVER would have put two-and-two together without this video.

[@Print229]

"That's not adequate medical care." Welcome to the real world, doc, where this is the treatment most of us get -especially if you're elderly, female or a minority.

[@shadowtheimpure]

Or poor.

[@olanaowen7320]

Or overweight, even when they KNOW it's due to medical factors.

[@LuxValkyrie]

Obviously he made those comments condemning this medical care. If only there was more he and compassionate doctors like him could do to change our deteriorating healthcare system.

[@mendesarmy1235]

God help you if you're all three lol

[@sammykenny]

Or have any diagnosed mental illness! “It’s just your anxiety!” Even I know that I wouldn’t be losing control of my limbs bc I’m anxious 😬

[@shannoncleveland]

As someone who lives with fibromyalgia, I totally get where Zach was coming from. Chronic pain is miserable, and though there are varying levels of it I think those of us who live with it can all relate. It's lonely, scary, fatiguing, makes communication difficult to those without it. I'm glad Zach talked about his story because the more people recognize chronic pain as not just an "older persons issue" the easier it will be on us. I have an invisible illness and disability within a 26 year olds body. Don't judge me, hear me

[@crystellegriffith7725]

I'm 21 and I had Fibromyalgia since I was a kid. Nobody really understood, my boyfriend know after 3 years how it's like and with the videos of Zach, more people can understand and stop the stigma

[@fionacoin5329]

Yes! This message right here!

[@yeetpea5302]

Yes! This! I've been disabled since I was 18 with mysterious chronic back pain. I'm now almost 23 and the cause is still unknown. The doctors dropped my case and simply said "🤷‍♀️ Try some physiotherapy". Yeah, tried that and it did nothing. 🤣 And because there isn't really a "cause" for my pain, a LOT of people think I'm lying or exaggerating. Incredibly frustrating, I must say. I've come to understand that if you're young and have a disability, most people will think you're just being dramatic.

[@jparrish6360]

I’m there with you. I’ve had fibromyalgia, migraines, panic attacks, and depression since I was 8-9 years old.

[@fionacoin5329]

@@yeetpea5302 yes! So it gets to the point where you're often scared to say anything about it so you just suffer in silence. 😟

[@sinclari1]

I hope the buzzfeed guys see this. Validation for chronic illness feels like (at least for me) is really important.

[@ivanaxoelle]

the try guys actually have not worked for BuzzFeed since 2018 - they have an independent production company of their own, and zach has actually made more videos about living with chronic pain, you might be interested in checking them out

[@YaGotdamBoi]

Same, especially when you experience medical gaslighting for any number of reasons, having that validation of your pain is so so important for your mental health. It changes a lot, tbh.

[@kellysthilaire]

Zach is one of the reasons that I decided not to ignore my pain anymore. I have what is called CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome) and I’m in pain 24/7. And I started getting used to it and because of that, I started ignore my pain. When I watched Zach’s video, I realized that it’s not normal to ignore the pain even if I’m used to it. So I have to thank him for that.

[@roryqpotter8242]

The comments section on Dr. Mike’s videos always get me emotional. It’s heartbreaking to see so many people who have been treated badly by doctors.

[@oscargill423]

"We treat patients, not lab values." This hits harder than I think it should.

[@Kat-qr7hv]

I had a doctor tell me “It doesn’t look that bad on MRI, but we can’t see your pain. So if it hurts, it hurts, and it needs to be fixed.” And I was shocked that he didn’t send me away

[@sarahmoon-sapp1195]

@@Kat-qr7hv That's what you call a real doctor WHO LISTENS! So many invisible chronic illnesses, yet what do the sufferers hear so disgustingly often? "I mean, you don't LOOK sick..." You're blessed to have one of the good ones on your side. ✌🏻❤️🤷🏻‍♀️

[@DoctorAzmain]

As a doctor, I often see patients with chronic pain, and I know myself what it's like. (I've seen Zach's video before.) It affects EVERY single waking moment of your life, and sometimes you can't even sleep. Chronic pain is such an awful obtrusive miserable feeling and can dramatically reduce quality of life. Pain is useful to alert us to hazards (e.g. not putting your hand on the stove), but everyone deserves to live a life free of the useless chronic pain! It's not always curable, but reaching a diagnosis can at least help towards managing the pain!

[@peacefuldoves]

I have Cluster Attacks. Worst pain in world. Its destroyed my life. Oxygen therapy helps, but tied to flat. No life. Took 14years of trainee Neurologists to get diagnosed. What you say is such truth. Chronic pain is miserable and soul destroying as nooooo cure. Add fibro on and APS syndrome. Boom.. even more agony. Thanks Dr. For writing it affects every part of life 😢😭😭😭😭🇬🇧

[@KopiKuceng]

Hello dr. Azmain. Imglad to see other doctor in the comment. I alreasy write this in the comment section and hoping anyone could get me an answer. But, I got a question for you. Since I was 10 years old (now i was 13) I got this pain on top of my feet. I have never ever get injured in foot. The pain mostly at second toe. It happen at night (rarely happen at day) and its last until the next morning. I barely get sleep because of it. When it start to happen, it occured at least once in 2 to 3 week. But last year it happen just for 2 to 3 times. Since it doesnt really happen now, the pain started to go to the ankle. When ever I streched there is a loud crack bone noise.i dont know if it dangerous but whenever i do that it does help to reduce the pain. I hope you can help me.

[@jg6332]

It really does affect everything! Chronic pain invades the centers of the brain that art closely tied to emotion. You can’t turn off the screaming alarms telling you you’re in danger. It’s debilitating for so many

[@AmbersGamez]

This is actually true! Glad your a doctor!

[@chriscampbell2679]

It effects every sleeping moment as well. It effects me 24/7

[@juliar2462]

My bf had to be taken into hospital twice, barely conscious. He had a septic shock. He's had awful joints pain for a few years now. After checking with doctor this is EXACTLY the answer he got: your results are fine. And you don't have diabetes (he knew he doesn't have, he's a bit overweight and so the doctor wanted to check it herself. I said "he had a septic shock, there must be something wrong?" "Well, he had it then but he doesn't have it now, so it's good"

[@thegeorgiemoore]

for some reasons many doctors are horribly educated on sepsis. even before i went into septic shock i had gone into the doctors office each day for three days in a row telling them that something was wrong and each day they said it was just a cold, and to stop worrying. until the last day where i went in told them (through notes on my phone since I could not talk) that I couldn’t breathe right, couldn’t talk, felt like I was freezing but had a fever, my bones and internal organs felt like they were being simultaneously stabbed and electrocuted, only for them to finally check my vitals and tell me i had to go to the hospital. i asked if they would ring an ambulance, but they told me to take an taxi as whatever I had was not life threatening. they had to help me to the taxi because by that point I couldn’t walk properly. i went unconscious almost immediately after entering the hospital. if they knew literally anything about sepsis they would’ve known it was that and called an ambulance, but they didn’t. instead for days they told me to take cold medicine and to not worry.

[@ohmygoshsosh1182]

This is the same reaction I got after being in the hospital for pancolitis (total colitis aka swelling/inflammation of the colon). Continued boughts of colitis, and yet I recieved the same reaction from every gastro in my County/City area. Started seeing a doc about an hour away and she's been finding issues that they never would've found because they didn't care to look. Missing ganglion cell, hirschsprung's, gastroparesis, gerd, ulcers, etc.

[@sourcherrytaurus]

Treating the patient and not the labs is so important. I ran into this with my “mild” anemia that affects me so much more with POTS

[@niharika198911]

As someone with fibromyalgia, that took a long time to diagnose, who heard a lot of “nothing’s wrong, you’re good” from a lot of doctors, I’m so glad to you made this video

[@alenava9567]

Can I ask what type of specialists did you seek to get diagnosed? I’m sure my mom has fibromyalgia but her doctor keeps giving pain meds that just make her sleepy and depressed. Thanks In advance :)

[@XypherMage94]

I’d really like to learn more about someone’s experience with fibromyalgia. My understanding is that it has to do with how the brain (and nervous system) interpret and experience stimuli that should not be painful as pain. If so, that sounds terrible.

[@Miss_Distress]

@@XypherMage94 yeah just think sensitisation. If you are stressed enough for long enough, the brain finds it easier to get stressed (you become sensitised to it). Same thing with pain. Very simplified explanation but yeah. If you want to know more about it, the book “explain pain” is helpful.

[@yulana990]

@@alenava9567 For a fibromyalgia diagnosis you have to go to a rheumatologist. They do several blood tests and often also body scans to make sure every other potential cause is out of the question, and then test certain pressure points on the body that give pain to fibro patients. If you have the minimum amount required you get the diagnosis. I've had it since 11yrs old and am now 21, and got diagnosed at 13 when I finally saw a rheumatologist, but keep in mind even with a diagnosis there's not much they can do. There are some meds for pain, but most of depression meds and for many patients the doctor might refuse to give them cause of side effects. Personally they still refuse to give me any even though I had to quit highschool cause of the pain and am stuck at home from pain lmao. If you think she has it, maybe get her to start going to a physiotherapist already and start fitness slowly as it has been shown to help decrease pain when you build more strength up. It is however VERY hard to even deal with the pain, so swimming and yoga is a good start! I hope you and your mom find out what's going on"

[@yulana990]

@@XypherMage94 Sadly enough fibronyalgia is not fully explained yet, so there's no 1 known reason. Most recent research has shown that fibromyalgia does cause patients nerves to be WAY more sensitive and even from simple stress start flaring up. Personally I die from pain when I have a cold, flue, just stress, bad sleep, just coughing or moving bad already hurts etc. It differs per person though, and some only have pain from heat and others from cold, others from both warm and cold weather like me etc. Its a shitty disorder + also pretty often misdiagnosed sadly enough as some doctors don't test properly. And seeing how most patients are female at 70%+, you already know it will get researchrd even less as all medical researches are very much focused on males. It might take years to find out more at this point, and right now many doctore STILL dont take it seriously and many insurance companies dont even accept it as a real chronic illness. But yes, for now it seems to be related to the brains and nerves in some way, but much is unknown.

[@LexMeRep]

Doctor Mike: "We treat patients not lab values" My doctor 5 years ago: "Your lab is fine you probably need new glasses that's why you have a non-stop headache for over 3 months now" Glad I didn't believe her, I'm over a cerebrovascular surgery, a deep vein thrombosis and apparently almost died of hypokalemia and all these 3 was in within 2 months.. I get extremely anxious over my own and my family's health since then, but thankfully I have a new good doctor.

[@DeBuppy]

Health anxiety is no joke.

[@ellefitzpatrick6339]

I hear you. I was discharged from hospital with a wrong diagnosis for abdominal pain. They booked me in for a colonoscopy. Still had abdominal pain and was back in the ER in two weeks. Correct diagnosis was a few things: portal, mesenteric and splenic vein thrombosis, acute pancreatitis, a neuroendocrine tumour, and last but not least hepatic infarction where part of my liver died most likely due to the thrombosis. The pain was caused by pancreatitis and the thrombosis. (I say singular thrombosis because it was one mammoth sized blood clot.) Luckily the clot had recanalised but now I’m on anticoagulant medication for the rest of my life, and I’ve had to stop my dmard because of its effect on my liver. Also being screened for liver cancer every 6 months. Tumour is inoperable at this stage because of its positioning close to the spleen and they would have to remove that as well. I’m now doing better but have to remain vigilant.

[@moondaiandtrashpandadeluxe]

Exactly. Irl docs only care about lab values not actual symptoms. And if you're female and heavy, everythung is blamed on hysterics and obesity

[@ramonalouise2701]

As a woman and a teenager who has suffered with chronic pain for between 5-6 years now, this video makes me incredibly happy. Several doctors have dismissed my symptoms or have seemed to think i’m exaggerating about my pain. I was an athlete, a kid who was active 24/7 and had the hopes of going pro in my sport. Now, at 17, i quit my sport 5 years ago and can barely carry my backpack for school without pain. There are days where I can barely get out of bed, days at a time that my mobility and ability to live my normal life is restricted because of my pain. Just this week I had to leave work early because of my pain as i could barely stand, walk, or sit and doing so caused me immense pain. I’ve missed 2 days of school this week simply because i cannot walk across campus or carry my backpack. I’ve been to my PCP as well as two orthopedic specialists in hopes of answers and many ER visits with no answers. What i have gotten is muscle relaxers that did not help me, pain meds that did not help me, X-rays that i have protested against knowing they will show nothing as it is not a skeletal issue, MRIs with no conclusions, and months of physical therapy that have not helped my pain in the slightest. There are times when my back hurts so bad that breathing hurts, taking deep breaths hurts. My legs, arms, and hips go numb which is incredibly painful especially in my hips, my legs and fingers tingle and often get the pins and needles feeling, when my back hurts i tend to lose certain mobility in my legs. That’s a new thing btw, just started happening in the last few months. When i was at work i was lifting my leg to adjust it while i was sitting because it would not move on it’s own. I am so tired of dealing with this, i just want to be able to live like every other 17 year old and i don’t think it’s fair that i am facing the reality that i could easily wake up immobile or paralyzed one day from doctors simply not listening to what i’m saying.

[@VanessaLol421]

I'm so sorry about that. Are you okay now 🥺

[@visual_honey]

Hope you are ok ❤

[@fabr5747]

Hey ! I'm a guy, in Europe, reading this, and having the feeling to read the story of my youth. I wish I had a great encouraging story to tell you, but instead, I have mistakes I've made that I want to share with you, because if you can avoid it, maybe the outcome will be better for you ! I've had chronic pain for 2-3 years between 9-11 years old. It went away, came back when I was 16 years old, since then, I haven't had a second without pain, I forgot what it is. I also was a very active person, athletic, being good at my sport, receiving offers from pro teams (the European sport system isn't through schools / universities). I was amazing, and I loved my sport, it was my life, and it made me genuinely happy. During those years (16-22), I knew as you do that all those tests and so on would not find anything, because the first didn't show any issue, doctors would not listen to what I describe, etc, so I had very little trust. Unfortunately, I met a girl, I was in love, and she encouraged me to follow doctor's advices to lower the pain and solve it. Deep into me, I knew it was a mistake. But she pushed me to (with good intentions though). The result is that they encouraged me to stop doing sport saying that it was the cause of the trouble. WORST advice ever. They pushed me to extend that period, up to the point where I am not able to restart, because the pain is unbearable. So I lost the one thing that made me happy, the one thing that brought me a sense of achievement, no result. SO, if you think that sport is needed for your body, and doctors say the opposite, don't listen ! Unless they have a good scientific proven explanation. But if it's "let's try this because we haven't", just run away. Other aspect... I've been given opioids as the only solution to lower the pain. It is now a long term use, I can't live without it, but my brain hasn't been as sharp. It affects my professional career as much as the pain does. So it is just a short term tiny relief, but nothing more. Don't get trapped in thinking that it is a solution. Over time it will become a source of problems. And last advice, which is maybe more on the private side... If you can enjoy some things, do it now. You don't know how it will evolve, it might get amazing, and everyone wishes you that. But it can go very bad. Depression, dark thoughts are very very common with chronic pains. Over time, the social life gets affected, you might not be understood by some people. It is tough on relationships, really tough. Seeing someone suffering, and not being able to help is a terrible helpless feeling for your potential partner. And it affects what you can do together. It can affect sexuality a lot, but also all the basic activities in life. And last but not least... Loving someone doesn't make one happy. Seeing someone suffering tends to take a big toll on partners ! Over time, I've decided to stop with relationships. I've had opportunities with beautiful souls, and gorgeous women, but my condition affects me so much that it would affect my partner. And for 2 of the women I knew, I really loved them, but decided that the best way to love is letting them having a happier life with someone else. And I'm fine with that, especially as they are in a happy marriage, with beautiful kids. BUT for you, whatever you can enjoy today, go for it. You don't know how it will evolve. If you have the strength to love, do it, for sport, enjoy, to see friends, to spend quality time with your family, travel, eat great food, etc... Energy is scarce with chronic pain, don't lose it on conflicts with anyone, try to avoid people bringing you down. Listen to your body, your life desires, dreams. But don't imagine that "everything is going to be ok", cause it's not something that you can expect. And because of that, you have to enjoy whatever you can NOW. And realize that the small things in life can really bring joy. P.S. Check that link regarding Ankylosing Spondylites, the symptoms for men and women are not the same, and many doctors know AS with the men symptoms, much less the women symptoms. It might be a common case of medicine studying men more extensively than women... Take care

[@Shadow-zf5uc]

Numbness and tingling sounds like your nerves are being effected. Please keep seeing doctors and pushing for answers. Ask for referrals to a neurologist and a rheumatologist from your primary care doctor and if they say no ask them to document in their chart why

[@user-wh5ir4fo4r]

@@Shadow-zf5uc I agree. I have nerve issues due to my spine being crooked.

[@cicelybega5419]

I will never be happy to hear someone else is experiencing this, but I do appreciate you sharing your diagnosis and experience. We need so much more awareness of this disease.

[@lizthedisjointedzebra692]

I have Ehlers-Danlos, and I empathize. It's so frustrating and scary not knowing what is ruining your life.

[@ameliereneegabyclement5502]

Same here ! It's good to see more and more awarness on social medias so people can finally at least trust you

[@joanhoffman3702]

I have hEDS. Greetings, fellow unicorns! I had scoliosis that wasn’t discovered until I was 26. Fun times.

[@BumbleBee-bp7du]

I have been dealing with chronic pain, migraines, joint pain, stomach issues, nerves issues, fatigue, etc for so many years, but all these doctors that I had been seeing couldn’t seem to figure out what was causing everything. I finally got referred to Mayo, and the doctor is almost certain I have this. I actually suspected this at some point, but after I mentioned it to another doctor, they were like, “no” after looking at me for like five seconds. It is considered a rare genetic disease, so not many doctors are very educated about it. I’m getting a bunch of testing done to check for hole in the heart, my arteries in my brain, X-rays, etc. Praying for help soon! I’m 36, and this has been going on without proper care for waaaay to long! My mom was a ballet dancer and could pop in and out her shoulder, and my brother can fold his legs BEHIND HIS HEAD! I have a super flexible spine and arms.

[@isabellaidaandersen1638]

@@BumbleBee-bp7du are you talking about EDS? Or the thing Zach has? And what's the criteria your doctor are thinking is matching it? Because I have the same issues you're listing - and I've met a specialist doctor who has patients with different types of EDS, but according to Swedens criteria chart from 2017 I don't fit in it completely... And I'm still very certain I have it because I'm very similar to what my mother had problems with in my age, and she has cEDS, and my twinsister (not identical) has hEDS. 😅 I'm frustrated from all the pain and problems and that no doctor is listening or taking me serious. I have some other problem as well.

[@breannthorne-stanzell5990]

Also an EDS zebra (hEDS). It took 20 years to get a diagnosis. I’m now almost 31. I started looking for a diagnosis at 10.

[@noizeemama3697]

Thank you for addressing the issue of doctors ignoring the patient. I have had this issue throughout my life and now in my late 50s, they still won't listen. New problems creep up and they continue to blow us off. And for that, we get charged almost $300 for 5-10 minutes of their time...blowing us off and not listening nor adding the issue to our records.

[@KatalinaKristina]

I don't pay them when I don't get the service I paid for. I make a scene in the lobby and humiliate them for being scams getting my money when they don't heal me.

[@noizeemama3697]

@@KatalinaKristina You are awesome. I have gotten some charges reversed and a couple of times refused to pay and won. I should do more of what you do!

[@4evaspic]

Thank you for showing this and bringing awareness for ankylosing spondylitis ❤️ I’ve been suffering from chronic pain for over 15 years and just now, at the age of 30, I have my diagnosis. I’ve had so many doctors tell me I was fine, or that my pain was mild scoliosis. So happy to finally have a team of doctors who listened and are helping me live a better quality of life ☺️

[@itskaraelizabeth]

“Oh your labs look good, dueces ✌️” 😂 definitely had this happen. Went into a doctor with costal condritis and the on call doc pressed so hard on my chest that i started sobbing and said “heart burn, take a tums”

[@spir]

I had the same condition! Mine was caused by anxiety, and they just pressed me really hard, took blood tests and said “nothing is wrong, just rest”. I was off school for three weeks, my cartilage around my heart made fricking ticking noises and I was in agony.

[@ebbietee98]

“Heartburn, take a tums”. WHATT??

[@myenchantedlife5262]

Wish there were more doctors like Dr. Mike. It is so hard to find ones that want to truly listen. I was medically ignored for years while I tried to get help in the 90’s up till 2015-2017. A hernia ended up saving my life because a CAT scan took me down a “rabbit hole” of medical finds ( 2 rare cancers, several autoimmune conditions, atrophied organs, etc) I still have trouble with doctors who don’t see the value in improving my quality of life and say “Just be happy you are alive you are doing great” 😢. I have stopped trying to find my Dr. Mike because the search has only brought me to toadish doctors and mental exhaustion.

[@KatalinaKristina]

Doctors like that sleep well at night not knowing they're actively making a patient's life worse. They have blood on their hands.

[@macherie1234]

I've often had DOs as primary care physicians, rather than MDs, because I've found they're often more willing to treat an entire person rather than a specific problem or symptom. That said, my current PCP is an MD who trained in Egypt and has not only a whole person mindset but also enjoys collaborating with me to help me achieve the best health I can. From his videos, I'm sure Dr. Mike is the same way.

[@luhan7644]

I thought I am the only one who suffers without knowing what’s wrong with me… I asked 6 doctors with a lab result, I was told I am normal, nothing is wrong with me, and some of them even said I have mental illness instead of any other illness. I have so much pain that I began to feel like I have to live with this for the rest of my life, so I learnt to accept the pain, but it doesn’t get better. I just need someone to help me… I reached out for helps, but many of them are making me lose hope… People would laugh whenever I told them I am sick, and just laugh it off because they said and I quote “ a fat person like you sick? No way “ and they laugh. I’m just sharing my story here because I am really tired asking for anymore help, and I hope someone would believe me… at least don’t mock me, and properly diagnose me once with proper differential diagnosis and detailed explanation not just, oh because you’re a psycho that’s why you feel pain you shouldn’t feel… without even think for 5minutes and only based on CBC, biochemistry (electrolytes, mineral & vitamin), thyroid function test that wasn’t even what they demanded for because I took the test by myself since I am in a very very bad pain and vertigo most of the time🥲 I did the test because for the past 3months, I had a low potassium level, and needed to control again… and I am becoming weak and sick more often than before a lot. I hope you don’t feel alone about this situation 💙 sending lots of love to you!

[@elsagrace3893]

@@luhan7644 I got sick and tired of no help from doctors too. And being told labs are fine, it’s all in your head. I just stayed away from doctors for 20 years because they were not only no help but belittling as well. Then I developed Sarcoidosis which is even worse but the good thing is that it is provable by tissue biopsy. No one can deny now that I am suffering with a real disease.

[@Atlantya]

@@macherie1234 I’d love to know how you’ve found DOs that are more willing to treat the whole person. The three I’ve been to have been just as lazy as any MDs I’ve seen.

[@autumn_star11]

"we treat patients, not lab values" I could literally cry at this point in the video (at Zach's struggle and your point) I've been suffering from difficulty breathing for 3 years (since before covid, though getting worse throughout). I've gone through all the tests, and I was literally told that they can find nothing wrong with me. I'm 35 and I breathe like a 90 year old with copd at this point. I'm still on my journey for diagnosis, but thank you to all the doctors who push and search when the tests dont make sense with the patients symptoms!

[@GLGC688]

It could be mast cell related and there are biologics like Xolair that can help. Might be worth seeing an immunologist.

[@autumn_star11]

@@GLGC688 Ok so I've been reading about this since your comment..... this makes more sense than anything I've read so far. I'm going to be following up with my doctor about it soon. Thank you so, SO much

[@girlswantpockets]

Have they checked you for lupus? Because that's how they found the lupus I have. It was snacking on my right lung.

[@autumn_star11]

@@girlswantpockets interesting. they haven't, but I'll be adding that to my list with MCAS. If you dont mind my asking, and I totally understand not answering on such a public platform, but what was it doing to your lung?

[@magmafalse559]

@@autumn_star11 Russia is attacking Ukraine rn

[@rhov-anion]

About sending him to the rheumatologist: I went through nearly every test imaginable for chronic pain with nothing coming up, so my doctor sent me to a rheumatologist as literally a last-ditch "let's just try this and see." She pretty much thought I was making this up for attention (I was 15 and had this pain for 3 years). The rheum instantly realized I had fibromyalgia, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Sadly, at that time, there was no treatments for my fibro, and the meds out there now react badly with life-saving meds I need to take daily. So it sucks to know what's up but still having a baseline of "pain level 4" as my GOOD day.

[@visiblehuman3705]

Could I ask what symptoms you felt with fibromyalgia as a kid? I’m currently a teen with some issues that I’ve had for 6 yrs that haven’t improved and have tried so many different things but I’m wondering if it could be fibro.

[@connieh9581]

The pain of young people is routinely dismisses because you are young. Young people can and do suffer from the same diseases and conditions as older people. I’m so sorry you are suffering.

[@sophierobinson2738]

4? That’s good. At one time I was what I considered 15. Clothes touching my skin hurt. Th

[@AlexxWretched]

My doc saw one panel of good labs, clearly gave up, offered me a referral to a rheumatologist (probably to get me off her back), and then took 3 months and multiple attempts at contact to send it, just for the rheumatologist to deny my because my ANA was only slightly abnormal. I'm certain with every fiber of my being that I "inherited" fibromyalgia from my mom, along with major digestive issues going on that could possibly just be wicked IBS. The best help I've been given so far is an offer of acid reflux meds because like 3 symptoms common of many things overlap. Yeah doc, because acid reflux has given me full body pain, a permanent 15year headache, and serious insomnia, along with many other things, since I was a kid. Totally. Spent an hour last week pressure washing and then spent 3 days feeling like I'd been in a car accident and caught a nasty flu, totally acid reflux. My knees and fingers lock up sometimes and my arm muscles will randomly start burning while im laying in bed as if ive been holding a bowling ball above my head for an extended period of time. Totally acid reflux. Whether I get 2, 8 or 12 hours of sleep I wake up exhausted and just get more exhausted, totally acid reflux. I mean obviously it's just acid reflux since i experience morning nausea and have serious stomach pain after eating most foods, regardless of all those other symptoms or the fact that I never have heartburn. I hate doctors sometimes...

[@rhov-anion]

@@sophierobinson2738 I've been there. During a flare-up, I can only wear my husband's really nice silk shirt, and even that loose, ultra soft fabric hurts. Forget anything with a waistline or socks or constrictive garments. There's one plush blanket I got for Christmas from a friend with lupus who "totally gets it" and knew this would help. It's the only thing that can touch my skin on bad days. But if the blanket shifts, even as soft and fluffy as it is, it can hurt. I wish I could opt to be unconscious on those days, and for a few years I tried to drink myself unconscious, anything to escape the pain. I know that's NOT the way to go, but I was spiraling down. (I didn't have health insurance during those years and lost hope.)

[@Sillykitty88]

For a long time I was told by doctors that my pain was just anxiety lol Turns out I have EDS and one shoulder was subluxed for so long that muscles had atrophied and it took 2 surgeries to get it kind of okay again. The doc that actually helped me sadly retired so now I have the joy of trying to find a doctor that actually believes me when I say something hurts.

[@robotrabbit5712]

I was told my migraines were just stress and was given Ibuprofen for over 6 months. Turns out it was a brain tumor. A nurse suspected it wasn't just a stress headache issue while doing a PCR test on me, and sent me directly to the ER. My doctor did nothing for 6 months. Nurse needed only a minute with me to figure it out and saved my life.

[@taylorwilson909]

I can’t say how many times I’ve heard “labs good, deuces.” Figuring out chronic pain problems really is a full-time job.

[@Maricarrrr]

Mentally taxing, too. Sometimes I think, “am I overreacting” when I’m clearly in pain

[@taylorwilson909]

Yes! It’s like I’ve tried to make it not a big deal for so long just so that I can attempt to live my life. But I’m at the point now where I’m having to take disability in order to try different treatments/figure out what’s really going on. I’m a teacher, so I HATE not being able to be there fully for my students. The other thing I’ve heard is “well it could be this but that’s SUPER rare so probably not. Here’s some meds, bye.” 🙄

[@Miss_Distress]

Yeah one that I gave up. F*** doctors who don’t look at you after your labs come back decent, and physiotherapists who use a one-size-fits-all plan for people with chronic pain and those without, and wonder why you just get worse when you’ve tried to tell them exactly what you can and can’t handle. F*** making it my full time job to advocate for myself.

[@ecueto395]

Having to advocate for yourself constantly and having to deal with doctors that genuinely do not care or believe you is so exhausting. I’ve got multiple physical disabilities and that just makes my mental and physical health so much worse. If you don’t know the answer then figure it out, you’re the doctor I shouldn’t have to force you to do your job. It took me like 4 years to get someone to believe me about my pain enough to send me to a rheumatologist. My primary care doctor at the time didn’t believe in Fibromyalgia even though I fit all the markers and my father and youngest sister have fibromyalgia too she refused to look into my pain and she refused to send me to a rheumatologist. I went behind her back to another doctor and he immediately referred me to a rheum. During my very first appointment with the Rheum. she said that I had obvious fibromyalgia and for the first time I felt like I wasn’t crazy, like someone finally saw me and the pain I’ve had to endure while other doctors just acted like I was crazy. It was so nice to be told that I wasn’t crazy, that there was something wrong with my body. I literally started bawling because of the validation.

[@angmeg4343]

I started to cry when he said they should listen to the patients not just the labs. I’ve had hasimotos since I was 13 (yup old lady disease as a teenager) I’ve been gaslit for over 15 years since.

[@livingtorment7638]

If you don't mind, what is hasimotos?

[@Miss_Distress]

@@livingtorment7638 Hashimoto’s disease: a thyroid disease. It destroys your thyroid gland releasing a lot of thyroid hormone into your body causing hyperthyroidism. Then when its completely gone your body can no longer produce thyroid hormone so you swing to hypothyroidism. Then you need to take thyroid supplements to be “normal”. It’s a wild ride. Ask me how I know.

[@GabyRenjifo27]

Girl same, I have had hashimotos for 7 years and up until today I haven’t been able to get the proper help. It is a struggle, both physically and mentally and I truly hope we are able to get the help we need someday 💙

[@Annaraine]

Yeah I have Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. It sucks, but I finally have a primary care doctor that is thorough, listens, and treats me and not the labs. Phew! But yeah I’m only 23 and have a lot of joint issues we’re thinking probably Ehlers Danlos Syndrome as well. Autoimmune issues like to come in multiples.

[@cameron110]

I’ve had hashimoto’s since I was 7, and it’s crazy that just now at 16 im learning how debilitating it can be. Not that I haven’t had life-altering symptoms, but that I wasn’t told any of the symptoms I would have, wasn’t told what it was, wasn’t told anything about it other than “you have to take this medicine now”. I wish doctors wouldn’t just tell patients what the diagnosis is, but like actually explain what it is and how serious it can be

[@stephanievance6472]

I wish more physicians like you existed. One's who listen to their patients and try to help them. That has not been my experience or those of my family and friends. Especially when dealing with chronic pain. Thank you for the hope that there are still good ones out there.

[@zaraandrews600]

I have bad anxiety and every time I go to the doctors I just get told the pain is due to my anxiety. My last appointment took several months to get as the doctors are so full up at the moment. So when I went in for something else, I also wanted to discuss the bad back pain I had been having for several months. They did some tests on me for my original issue, didn't tell me what any of the tests were, even though I kept asking her to explain them to me. I think they did discuss it with me at the start of the appointment, but I was so nervous and uncomfortable for the appointment I wasn't really listening. Then the doctor just dismissed my back pain as stress. I had gone to a doctors about 20ish miles from my actual doctors as I couldn't get in, and spent the whole bus ride home balling my eyes out. The pain still comes and goes, but I am unwilling to go back about it. Several years ago I went to a doctors to see about trying to see whether I had autism. The doctor just turned to me and said I was talking fine with her, so I obviously couldn't be autistic. I had to fight with her to get put on the waiting list, and it did eventually turn out that I do have autism. This was also the same doctor that didn't pick up on my depression and anxiety, even though I kept going to her about it for a year. As soon as I saw a different doctor I got diagnosed.

[@Aeluron]

Depends on the doctor when it comes to mental disorder diagnosis's. Autism is one of them and the general doctor IMO is not the way to go. Psycologist is usually the way to go, psychiatrist for the more mental health related disorders(Anxiety disorder is one of them). I say this as someone with both mental conditions(Autism and Anxiety disorder). Anxiety can really affect everything you do.

[@Anny-sy9wn]

I'm also autistic and have back pain. I think the best thing for back pain in most situations is PT. Anti-inflammatory foods also help.

[@Jasmine-ml8er]

Dr. Mike, can you do a video on what each test is for and how they work? ie: cat scan, pet scan, mri, X-ray, etc.

[@russianvalkyrie2358]

Ooo I would LOVE to see this! Ive had xrays MRIs and I think a cat scan once but id love to learn about how they work and what they can be used to diagnose

[@BumbleBee-bp7du]

That would be awesome! I’ve been going back and forth to Mayo for testing, so I’d love this!

[@jordan6771]

I raised my voice and starting balling my eyes out at a rheumatologist when he told me all my results and scans came back normal. He basically told me it was all happening in my head and referred me to a psychologist. He said he sees kids with RA who are suffering and I should feel grateful my results came back with no issues even though he couldn't tell me what's wrong. I've had 3 major flare ups of bursitis/tendonitis/synovitis/tenosynovitis in the past 15 months. It came out of the blue literally overnight with no warning and effects me everyday. I can't sleep properly and my body hasn't reacted well to having to take long term anti-inflammatories. I've had to have steroid injections into my joints which I absolutely hate. My GP says it will likely have to get worst before I'm able to be diagnosed. I also paid a orthopaedic surgeon just to have a look at my scans who said he's seen people who are worse and it could be a couple of things but no clear diagnosis. I've had countless blood tests, scans, ultrasounds and I've even had MRIs. I'm 21 years old and can't get an explanation as to why this is happening to me or a diagnosis. I feel like I'm stuck in the body of an old person. I've spent thousands of dollars to just go around in circles and have medical professionals tell me it's in my head. I've given up chasing a diagnosis for the time being but still doing physio exercises in hopes that will help. I'm happy to see other people finally get diagnosed but it's so hard to wonder when my turn is going to be.

[@ScarletFlame666]

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I know exactly how you feel. You just get bounced from one doctor to another without every really getting anywhere. I hope things begin to get better for you.

[@luciamorenovelo8345]

I hope you find your diagnosis. When I got mine, my family was sooo worried, but I ws over the moon :)

[@NotAFanOfHandles]

@@luciamorenovelo8345 I know what you mean about being over the moon. I'm still trying to find a diagnosis for me. I asked for a full thyroid panel but got just two tests which, if you go by the updated thyroid guidelines, would put me at least in subclinical hypothyroidism. I'm planning on going back and asking for more work to be done. I don't want it to be any particular diagnosis (I just feel it most fits my symptoms), but once you _have_ a diagnosis - a good and proper diagnosis - you at least know _how you can treat it._ That's the point. That's what makes me feel excited, gives me hope - that if I can figure out what's wrong with me, I can finally do something about it more than just popping some acetaminophen when the pain gets to be too much.

[@natalierose2202]

I had a similar experience trying to find someone to listen to me. It's beyond frustrating and it makes you question whether or not it's all in your head, even though YOU know It's not. Not being believed by a professional, especially a doctor, is awful. And unfortunately, your GP is correct. It takes YEARS for diagnoses on certain diseases. But, I hope yours comes much sooner than that. Good luck! May you feel relief soon!

[@elizabethpiper1482]

I’m very similar, starting seeking diagnosis when I went away from college and everything got way worse and I lost a lot of mobility I got told repeatedly that I was fine and too young to be hurting. I don’t want meds or anything else, I just want to know what’s wrong

[@jennifermalin794]

I wish every doctor was like you ! Thank you for making this video. I hope if even one doctor sees it and puts into perspective how many times they say 'youre fine' that it will change the outcome for many.

[@lakep7798]

Excellent and informative, thanks, Dr. Mike! My favorite parts of this vid were when the guy would say he was feeling better or that things improved and a smile would come to your face. That to me communicates caring and compassion, two things medicine (and really the world at large) could use more of. ❤️

[@RenorFaer]

This is one I'd love to see a follow up on either checking out layer videos he's made about it or having him on to discuss! Zach has learned so much about his AS over the years and it'd be a cool discussion

[@FlagCutie]

Yes! Zach has taken quite a journey since then!

[@alamterbukaofficial3977]

🌱🌴🌷🌹🌿🍇🐦🐦🐦🐦🐓🐓🐥🐥🐔🐔I'm 3 MINUTES THE BRAIN SO WAS AWAY. THE COMBINATION OF THE SOUNDS OF WATER FLOWING THE BIRDS AND THE SOUNDS OF CHICKEN IN THE MORNING

[@darlenefraser3022]

Same here!

[@ivanaxoelle]

i second this!! was hoping dr mike would also react to the autoimmune update video he did on the try guys independent channel

[@brittanyreynolds6337]

As a physical therapist I evaluate numerous patients that have been told that their back pain is due to scoliosis (which was mild). I feel poorly telling them (only if their evaluation indicates of course) that scoliosis is likely not the source of their pain when they have been told that for so long. I really appreciate doctors such as yourself providing patients and the public with updated information that a diagnosis of scoliosis is not a nail in a coffin for everyone! Also ... "Labs good, deuces" 😂 love your channel

[@Z26production]

I’m also a PT, and I agree 100% with you! Or when I see teenagers with knee pain, and their doctor told them « it’s because you’re growing » 🥲🙃

[@amiablehacker]

@@Z26production Oh yeah, I heard that one. I had intense pain in my ankle for years, but it was off and on. I was a kid, I had a hard time describing it. But it was bad. Doctor said it was growing pain and it stopped as I got older so I thought she was right. Turns out it was probably sciatica pain! The pain came back when I got a physical job. I started to get regular massages, which has helped me a lot. But it makes me sad to think that I probably could have gotten treatment for that as I was growing, but I just suffered through it.

[@Z26production]

@@amiablehacker This so so sad 😕 I have so many patients comming saying they have had pain for a long time, but the doctor told them it was nothing, but when I treat them it goes away in 1-2 treatments 😐 People have to listen to their body, if something feels wrong, keep looking for an answer

[@amiablehacker]

@@Z26production Exactly, I agree. I make an effort to listen to my body now.

[@elsagrace3893]

Thank you physical therapist! I did my best to work with, unknown to me, Fibromyalgia for several years and finally couldn’t do it anymore. Doctors kept telling me everything was fine or giving me useless and painful injections of Novocain. Many physical therapists for about a year. Finally one physical therapist sat me down after I burst into tears crying that “it’s just not getting better and it’s spreading throughout my body!” She told me she suspected it was Fibromyalgia and gave me something to read about it. I had never heard of it. God bless her. Even after that I encountered doctors who said your labs are fine. Everything is normal. 20 years later I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. “Fibromyalgia diagnosis even can be a precursor to Sarcoidosis and I suspect many other Autoimmune diseases. Health care system is actually a disease care system. The goal is NOT out health. The goal is to save money. To increase wealth holdings of the corporations. To make money for the share holders. Patients health means nothing.

[@kimbautista5418]

I wish my doctors have the same approach as you when it comes to dealing with patients. It’s been 9 months and I’ve been suffering with pain almost every single day. No one can figure out why. You’re an amazing doctor, I bet your bedside manners are impeccable.

[@robynschwebe4768]

Thank you for your compassionate comments about chronic pain. I've had some, and it is rough and demoralizing when your doctor doesn't take it or you seriously. 'Compassion' should be a course that ALL doctors are required to take. Thanks Doctor Mike for reminding me that some doctors do care.

[@nikkilope5285]

I’m so glad people are talking about fibromyalgia here. An invisible illness that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Like Zach said, life hurts. Every single day is unbearably awful. The doctors that push you off because “your tests are normal” are extremely hurtful. Dr. Mike thank you for doing this video. Could you do one on chronic pain like fibromyalgia? That would be incredibly helpful. 💜

[@StephanieSlumdog]

Have you watched the video Zach did with Anthony Padilla about chronic pain? I have fibromyalgia too but literally everything he said resonated so much.

[@sarahmoon-sapp1195]

@@StephanieSlumdog I haven't, but planned to very soon. (No fibro or RA, but hEDS.) But I adore Anthony Padilla and think he's got good intentions for unheard voices to be heard, so I recommend not only that video, but all of his "A Day With..." video series. ✌🏻❤️🕯️

[@sousaphonist]

6:54-7:20 That is *exactly* the issue my late mother had! She'd developed Type II Diabetes and was seeing an endocrinologist and nutritionist to treat it, often during the exact same appointment, all in conjunction with her GP. They put her on some meds and her blood sugar stabilized to acceptable levels...and she was *miserable*! She went from regularly going to the gym for Zumba or Drums Alive classes 3-5 times a week, sometimes two classes on the same day, to having so little energy that there were days where she could barely make it out of bed! But the doctors just said "your numbers are good, your numbers are good", just congratulating themselves on how the treatment was working, and never once taking my mother's quality of life (or lack thereof) into account. It drove her to drop all three doctors, she tried to self-treat her condition by just paying close attention to her blood sugar levels and being careful with her diet. It wasn't until the last couple of years that she finally relented to find a new GP, who recommended her to an endocrinologist who actually listened to her, that she was finally able to find a medication that worked for her...but by then it was too late. Her diabetes had been masking breast cancer, which had managed to metastasize to her spinal column, making it so that she couldn't even tell when he was having trouble breathing. I firmly believe that, had the first set of doctors listened to her, we would've been able to get a handle on her diabetes earlier, we would have discovered the cancer when it first showed up, and she'd still be here today.

[@jennaolbermann7663]

My friend has this condition. It’s not something I had heard of before but I’m glad to see this video because it is so informative. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@LPdedicated]

Zack is so brave and open and I really admire him for that. I'm sure his videos have made a difference!

[@Blue-iv5fv]

doc, any advice for people who have been told "you are fine" one too many times by medical health professionals? how do we make someone hear our voice?

[@stifledbabsie]

And when you go to another doctor for a second, third, fourth opinion, you're accused of doctor shopping. My husband deals with that all too often. It's especially common with chronic illnesses that aren't visible. Any doctor would treat me just on sight, as my disabilities are visible, whereas, my husband's disabilities are mostly "invisible."

[@usagi1ify]

I would love to see a video on this! I am sure it is that the patient and dr are on different wavelengths and we just aren’t finding that common language, but dear god is it frustrating as anything!

[@lee_yuhhh]

this is a really hard one cause sometimes even when doctors admit you’re not fine they still won’t treat your condition. I’ve been told by two medical professionals that they’re 99% sure I have endometriosis (after almost a decade of suffering) yet I’m still not being treated for it or taken seriously in terms of my pain and how it effects my life. it’s the worst feeling ever, I empathise with you strongly friend 💕

[@roseywinter]

I can relate to this. I'm still not fully getting the help I need.

[@CaptainBuggyTheClown]

@@stifledbabsie Cant afford it. As a result just bare with it through life and hope nothing happens.

[@frostedsilver]

"We treat patients, not lab results" I wish more doctors were like you

[@ACMommy26]

Its amazing how many doctors out there are comfortable with just dismissing patients when they come to them in pain!! I was treated like a junkie every time I went to the doctor with my excruciating facial pain...one just told me to go back to the dentist, one told me to just take an over the counter pain med (that does NOTHING for this), I went to the ER finally and they literally ignored me for HOURS while I sat and cried and at some points even screamed in pain. I finally got one doctor to give me a referral to a neurologist and he diagnosed me with Trigeminal Neuralgia and put me on meds that actually helped! Its infuriating and honestly sad to think of how many people out there get turned away by doctors or treated like junkies when they are in pain! Its good to know that Zach finally got to a doctor that helped him, thank you Doctor Mike for posting his story!

[@haleyschaffer1339]

I wish more doctors were like this. I’ve been to countless doctors trying to diagnose horrible side pain and no one could tell me anything, or just flat out dismissed it. My partners been helping to take care of me for almost a year now.

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

He got so lucky, being sent to a rheumatologist who doesn't just look at you and say, "Well, its not rheumatoid arthritis, I'm not sure what you expect from me." because that's been my overwhelming experience as me, my PCP, and my ortho try to figure out WTF auto immune thing I have going on. We *KNOW* it has to be auto immune... all the evidence is there... but trying to find a rheumatologist who doesn't either "just treat the labs" as Dr. Mike so succinctly put it or who will actually bother to look at you when its clear you don't have RA feels IMPOSSIBLE. It's mentally exhausting and emotionally crippling in many aspects. I also get why Zach changed his diet... many of us who deal with chronic inflammation cut out any and every food possible to try and reduce the inflammation... but then we're chastised for not eating a balanced diet -OR- we end up binging because we've been so deprived of foods we enjoy. It becomes a catch 22. Eat foods that make you feel happy and bring joy but know they're contributing to the pain or don't and eat food that makes you feel sad and deprived and be in marginally less pain... is it even worth it?

[@Amandaklint]

A rheumatologist will get a lot of blood work prior to their diagnosis though. And some of those tests are not always covered. Cost me a pretty penny for lupus blood work just to come back positive for RA which I already knew I had since I was a teen. Though I know people who have been diagnosed with RA and are negative for RA factor and really just have inflammation. So some rheumatologist are just looking for more clients to charge.

[@KawaiiandDark]

I got luckily and found a good rheumatologist on my second visit They listened, told me what they suspected it is and what tests they need to do to confirm or deny if it's what they suspected it to be Did labs and imaging, but only the labs showed anything so they told me based on what they do know what I can do to help and to come back as soon as I develop any new symptoms They actually thought I had anklosing spondylitis too

[@XypherMage94]

@@Amandaklint rheumatoid factor is present in lots of autoimmune conditions (like lupus, sjogrens) and, contrary to the name, is not diagnostic of RA. A better test for RA is ACPA (anti-citrullinated protein antibody) which is more specific to RA, and often tested in conjunction with rheumatoid factor. Even still, up to 30% of people with RA test negative for RF and ACPA which can be very frustrating for doctors and patients. The big lab we look for in lupus is ANA (anti-nuclear antibody) which is also elevated in lots of inflammatory conditions. BUT since it is almost always positive in lupus, a negative ANA can help rule it out.

[@Miss_Distress]

I asked my rheumatologist if diet can help against Psoriatic Arthritis and he said “medication works.” There’s little evidence for food being “inflammatory “ or “anti inflammatory “. I believe the only thing with some evidence is turmeric, and that needs more investigation. Not to say a better diet in general won’t help though…

[@KawaiiandDark]

@@Miss_Distress yeah, I've just focused on having a better diet Summer is the worst though because the heat exasperates the inflammation, I can only be in the heat for an hour before it starts to effect me, and unlike the cold it takes me all day to recover from it So my SO is working on cooking more so that we are still eating healthy during that time

[@lucilemartin106]

I have fibromyalgia and I felt that guy when he said that living hurts. Hope he's doing well

[@amar.mohamed]

my mum has Trigeminal neuralgia... living hurts is exactly what it is.

[@LezUnicorn]

It's especially worse when the weather starts acting up 😭 as I always tell myself: It's okay it's just ✨Character Development✨

[@ming3627]

I love this!! Are you going to do another video for his most recent video about this?

[@MinniMoose1]

As someone with hypermobility spectrum disorder, i really appreciate that you say "we treat that patient, not the labs."

[@RC-te5ho]

Hey Dr. Mike! Can you make a video talking about people who have “long Covid” and what doctors are doing about it? As someone who has been living with chronic illness for many years, I was often dismissed by doctors when they either wouldn’t take my chronic fatigue and pain seriously, or they just couldn’t do anything to help. It seems like more research is being conducted now to try to help people with long Covid symptoms. This is great for the chronic illness community, but it’s frustrating that our chronic fatigue and chronic pain syndromes (among other symptoms/conditions) were not taken seriously until there was a pandemic. Anyway, I’d love to hear your take on the situation!

[@SevasTra1900]

THANK YOU! I have autoimmune and chronic pain issues and realized this as well.

[@smokeyangelav]

Yes, I had mono when I was 16 and I have never felt the same again. I once was a morning person but now I literally couldn’t get up to save my life, especially after having brain surgery for a meningioma. I have horrible migraines and jaw pain, nerve pain, etc. I also have ankylosing spondylitis so everything gets blamed on that and my brain surgery. Before I was diagnosed with those, the answer was depression. But my change was overnight, drastic, and a long time ago.

[@kimichan8981]

“We treat patients, not lab results” man if he could yell this at the physicians my family has dealt with over the years. My sister and myself most notably have a ton of medical problems that we basically have to break down crying for doctors to pay attention to us. I had a sore throat for over a year and am still healing from the damage. There are days where my voice is fine and others when I sound like a teenager again. It took so long for me to start getting help. Now if only they would stop lecturing me about acid reflux that I’ve had for the past fifteen years and have under control

[@fansiderc9302]

Doctors always ignore me because my “labs look good”. It took me a year or arguing with a doctor to get an EMG that proved something was actually wrong with my legs. By then my neuropathy was so bad mobility was almost impossible. It has improved now but other things have gotten worse. rumotologest just shook me off too… everyone has.

[@baileyknapp5537]

Love to hear Dr. Mike say that the body can heal itself. With good medical care and lifestyle/nutrition it’s amazing to see the what the body can do! It’s built to heal itself when we decrease all the negative forces on it like stress, toxins, and physical major and minor trauma. One of my favorite phrases from chiropractic school was “motion is lotion” for the joints.

[@autumnblueter2466]

I love how Zach is open and honest about his health as it really sparks discussions and helps others to not feel afraid to come forward and share themselves. He also he talked a lot about his OCD and as an OCD sufferer it's REALLY nice to see someone in popular media speaking out and helping to dissolve the (incorrect) assumption it just has to do with everything being "clean and organized". Bravo Zach, and thanks for spreading his message, Doctor Mike.

[@wiseoneedarra593]

Have you read Turtles All The Way Down by John Green? The author has struggled with OCD his whole life and this book is a fictional narrative where he tries to express how it feels to live with this disorder. He has also talked a lot about his mental health journeys on Vlogbrothers and Dear Hank and John.

[@gavman8]

Would love to see you go further into Zach's issues, they've changed and continued far past when he made this video!

[@gafgarian]

Agreed. I’ve commented on Mike’s video on frequent misdiagnosis with a suggestion to cover AS in more detail. My wife had the same issue where it took her until 30 to get properly diagnosed. She had 15 years of being told that it was growing pains or just in her head. It is intensely under diagnosed and the moment she was actually referred to a rheumatologist, she like Zach, met with him and told her exactly what her issue was. That moment of diagnosis was an immense relief. Knowledge is power.

[@Kat-qr7hv]

@@gafgarian I’m 26 and truly believe that I have AS. The symptoms all make sense with what I’m going through. Thankfully I was just referred to a rheumatologist so hopefully I’ll know for sure

[@wiseoneedarra593]

I agree, but also, it'll be a lot harder to follow up on. Zach hasn't made another succinct follow up video on his pain. The things we know are scattered through casual conversations about it on the TryPod and off-hand comments he makes in videos.

[@wiseoneedarra593]

Oh, I guess there are the finding relief for chronic pain videos though. I had forgotten about those.

[@593danika]

It's crazy hearing your take on how the doctors should help because I have the same condition that he does and I've had doctors tell me that my pain is in my head. Especially when my inflammatory markers are down; Despite the fact that I was in so much pain I was unable to get up from bed for the better part of two months, my doctor told me I had to practice "mind over matter" It's really difficult to constantly be told by doctors that I'm not trying hard enough to ignore my pain and that it's my fault. It was really refreshing to hear your comments on it and realize that there are doctors out there who care and want to help. I hope one day I find a doctor like that.

[@emmadrum4646]

as someone who has developed some sort of chronic pain through the past two years, most doctors not knowing what it really could be (i only JUST recently got a semi-diagnosis), it’s really motivating to hear that someone else was able to work through it with lots of PT. My pain doctor is getting me a referral for PT, so as a 15 year old with anxiety and depression- it’s really scary. but hearing Dr. Mike being so understanding about this and just trying everything he could to figure out what was wrong with Zack just off of what Zack is describing, I really wish more doctors tried as hard as you with their jobs :( Thank you Dr. Mike and I’m hoping I can finally go from constant pain everyday to it at least being a LITTLE less painful. :)

[@thenerdyflutist_]

I wish more doctors had your ideology. So many times I’ve been gaslighted into thinking my symptoms aren’t serious because 1) I’m a woman and they immediately deem symptoms as anxiety or “in my head” and 2) because my lab work shows nothing. All the while experiencing severe issues.

[@alaskastarr]

Yeah, been there done that, but what my fox wasn’t seeing was the cancer that continued to grow into stage 3B colon cancer, baseball sized tumor where I complained about pain for more than two years. After almost dying from a massive saddle embolism and multiple blood clots EVERYWHERE in my body they figured it out, I had an unknown genetic blood disorder that along with cancer created a perfect storm of clots. But days before I ended up in ICU I was told it was all in my head.

[@Tokki57]

I have the exact same autoimmune disease as Zach. I remember being shocked because his video came out around the time I was diagnosed. It made me feel not as alone in dealing with this. He also has an amazing video that basically said everything I was feeling when covid started. Since the medication that makes the disease progress slower also makes you immuno-comprimized. Thank you so much for covering his video!!!

[@gabrielkawa3477]

I really wish there were more doctors like you in the world, Mike.

[@kyraholt4869]

The acceptance point is spot on! I'll admit I first thought that I was just working too hard. But after years of pain, I was diagnosed with chronic pain. It took some time to accept that. But when I did I became stronger for it! So thank you for being a champion for chronic pain awareness!

[@Lena2light]

I had leg pain since I was 7 and headaches. At 14, I noticed my vision getting blurry, numbness, etc. I was 98% I had MS from my own research and comparing my symptoms. When I turned 30 (I finally found the courage to get myself checked out), I went to get an MRI because I just felt so weak and tired and had vertigo and other issues. My neurologist disregarded everything I said. Said I was perfectly fine, healthy, and have nothing to worry about. After he saw my MRI results, he gave me a call, and he sounded scared. He said that had over 20 lesions on each side of my brain-confirmed that I DID have MS. Doctors, LISTEN to your patients!!! Your paycheck won’t decrease if you listen to them and take care of them.

[@serenapenner3581]

I also have MS, it took a severe flare up and having paraesthesia from my bust line down, decreased motor control from my hips down and having extreme difficulty walking or standing to be diagnosed! Drs please listen to your patients, the first few actually wrote in my medical file that they thought I was drug seeking 🤬😤☹

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Argh. That dismissal of "drug seeking" seems to be such a thing in the US particularly, and it just frustrates me no end. It's honestly adding insult to injury! We don't WANT to have to take lots of painkillers.. we just want to be able to obtain something vaguely approaching a "normal" life & level of function! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Dr Mike makes an interesting point re the problem of opiates alone not being a good solution for chronic opinions sufferers though? In my purely personal experience, adding other neuro-active meds is often necessary because just muffling the pain doesn't make it go away (& sadly tends to get less effective over time 😔) Really, really hope the newer generation of docs are more like Dr Mike in taking a whole-person approach to treating patients, not just focusing on isolated symptoms and not really looking any deeper? The current commercialised medical care model & overbooking of doctor's schedules definitely doesn't encourage that though alas.

[@AnnieNYC1]

Healing doesn't mean end to pain, but it can mean much-reduced suffering. Accepting pain as part of one's reality is a liberating thing, in the sense, that one doesn't need to fight it all the time. We know what to do to help ease it, and we also know that the background noise of pain is not an alarm, but a feature. Good for Zach, and thank you to you, Dr. Mike, for normalizing good medical care and common sense.

[@macherie1234]

Yes! Sometimes complete pain relief just isn't realistic with chronic problems. I was born with developmental lower limb dysplasias and took opioid medications for 25 years, after NSAIDS caused ulcers in my early 20s. I hated the fuzzy sleepiness that complete pain relief caused so my goal very quickly became enough pain relief so that I could continue teaching and parenting. After my final joint reconstruction surgery, I easily weaned off the morphine onto Tylenol and then the Tylenol down to truly occasional use (and mostly for migraines not joint pain).

[@AnnieNYC1]

@@macherie1234 Yeah, learning to live with pain and accepting the chronic aspects of it as information (rather than alarm), is halfway to learning to adapt to it and have pain interfere less with one's life, even if it is still there. Medications are helpful when needed, but all too often they are still seen as a panacea when they are not.

[@iamallaboutfood7242]

This is so great to watch because I originally watched Zach's vidoe before getting diagnosed with hashimoto's and it's interesting how his experience is similar to mine in that we both got dismissed initially, both started ignoring the problem the moment we could and was also dismissed again when we returned to the doctor once our condition worsened...

[@Thalia_8D]

THANK YOU THANK YOU!! For the first time I actually see someone else going through exactly what I go through since I was in middle school. Doctors always shrugged it off like I am just too fat, have bad eating habits, or because I was young and i will get over it. THANK YOU Dr. Mike for this video. Without it I may never have known what to bring to my doctor when I ask for help. Dismissive is how almost every doctor I have had has been.

[@brennalucas1302]

Basically every doctor I’ve had just said “your labs look good, so deuces 🤷🏼‍♀️” 😂😂😂 I give my neurologist $80 for him to be in the room for LITERALLY 2 minutes(I timed it) just to tell me everything looks the same, see ya. So frustrating lmao

[@andij605]

They probably took the same courses the last gastroenterologist I ran into took. I stepped into his office for the first time ever, first time in that hospital ever, no tests, nothing. He didn't have my dossier yet. "Ma'am, it's IBS". I didn't even take a seat yet, and I thought he was joking, so I started laughing. I was like, you're funny, now let's talk about why I am here. But no, he was not kidding. "Women your age have IBS". I'm like, okay...? He was super serious. He managed to give me a diagnosis just by looking at me. And this was at some good hospital, a specialist with good ratings. (I even knew what my issue was, I just needed diagnostics tools to confirm the extent of the damage. Thankfully I healed from the damage within a few months. The "IBS" went away. And they don't understand why there is little trust in medicine as a science in some circles. Like dude, if you're just gona diagnose people by looking at them, after you spent a decade studying, then you learned nothing. 😂)

[@jg6332]

As a physical therapist, I kind of thought ankylosing spondylitis as a differential diagnosis right away. The differential portion of our training is sooo so important! We have to rule out possible diagnoses to get to more likely explanations and get care to our patients sooner. So glad Zach got treatment!

[@nickid4847]

I was too. He said he remembers this pain as a child which tipped me off

[@subifuwantto4882]

This was such a strong story for me, I have been diagnosed with severe Crohn’s disease and I’m in pain most days . But acceptance is key in living with a life long condition. And it’s nice to know others are out there with similar chronic conditions. Thanks dr Mike ❤️

[@travismarshall4937]

I have scoliosis and the pain was driving me insane, I was so weak. I said this is enough and every day put in hours of PT exercise walks good diet and avoiding sitting when I can. The pain has actually almost disappeared, but sitting still hurts. Keep positive and keep a healthy lifestyle! ❤️

[@BrigitteNP]

I struggled with pain for years among other symptoms. My primary tried to tell me I was just anxious and wanted to put me on anxiety medication. I know my body and I knew something was wrong. There is nothing wrong with having anxiety but I knew I didn’t have anxiety. I went to see 1 optometrist 1 Opthamologist for severe dry eyes. I asked them if there was a possibility I had Sjogrens and they dismissed me. I basically gave them the diagnosis on a silver platter and they still didn’t acknowledge my concerns. I went to an ENT for severe dry mouth because my tongue felt like sandpaper and all he could say was “use a humidifier”. Because I was fairly young and look healthy no one took me seriously. I decided to try IPL for my severe dry eyes and that Opthamologist decided to run lab work . Guess what, it came back positive for Sjogrens. Healthcare providers have to do a better job of listening to their patients. I’m a nurse practitioner and going through these struggles has taught me to always listen to my patients, acknowledge their concerns and take them seriously. I know there are some wonderful MDs and DOs but unfortunately the vibe I got from all the MDs I went to go see were “I know better than you, don’t tell me how to do my job”. If you’re a patient never stop advocating for yourselves.

[@breklein3338]

Omg me too!!!! Gave them the diagnosis multiple times on the silver platter and they gaslit gaslit gaslit! Asshats I could make millions for suing for the negligence…almost an RN and I will never ignore a patient…i have dysautonomia pcos cushings mast cell disease osteoepnia etc from sjogrens

[@breklein3338]

Also many of us are “seronegative” (negative ANA SSA SSB) but thankfully top specialists recognize the early sjogrens panel which is what I pushed for and came back very positive also got a nuclear med scan of my glands came back consistent with sjogrens

[@orighomisandediare4990]

Zach is the sweetest guy with an unfortunate condition. His zest for life makes us forget to pity. Mental resilience seems key to beating any form of motor neuron symptoms. Thanks for explaining clearly. You got this Zach!

[@rheanekagearashiwoods]

I've been trying to get docs to look into EDS or similar conditions for months because I was tired of being in 5-6 level pain on semi-flare days... I try to advocate for myself, but you saying what my doctors are saying is just pushing away the problem helps solidify that I'm doing my research and doing it well... 8:02 was a tear starter for me... "I feel okay - I still have a baseline of pain most days - I don't know that I'm ever gonna fully be 100% again"... The same things I have been starting to say on my journey to get help... I will not stand by and have doctors tell me my back pain is from scoliosis, and that my joint pain can't be anything due to not having arthritis... Thank you Dr. Mike for the content as always

[@laurensorelle9101]

I developed severe chronic pain at the age of twenty. (Nerve condition) I went from rock climbing everyday to barely being able to stand in one afternoon. After two years, my physical therapist was finally honest with me that there was no cure and that I was always going to have pain… BUT I had a choice, I could either a) Be in pain and sit on my couch or b) Be in pain and live my life. It was a hard thing to hear then; however, it was the greatest blessing. Movement truly is medicine.

[@meghanrowlands5782]

Thank you for acknowledging that baseline markers don’t define what I’m feeling! I have five chronic illnesses but the main ones that give me trouble are ulcerative colitis and fibromyalgia. Inflammatory markers are always the go to testing but this doesn’t generally show whether a flare up is occurring for me. I know when something is wrong, I live in my body. Often I have to fight to be heard and when I finally get told to do a calcprotectin test for UC to “confirm nothing is happening” I am flaring exactly as I said I was. One time I had ulcers in my duodenum but calc and inflammation markers were fine so I was pushed aside, unable to eat for a couple of months until I pushed for a gastroscope at my awaiting colonoscopy appointment. It’s tiring being chronically ill and with mental illness. I am treated like a hypochondriac even by the nicer doctors.

[@Tzara86]

Hey, have you tried edible thc? I tried cbd, didn't work. Tried smoking weed, didn't work. Ate an edible (2mg or 10 to 20mg, don't start out crazy) and my period pain stopped. I was eating advil constantly, heating pad, and my pain was so high that my pelvis would lock up and I had to keep my knees together to move it. Could barely sit on the toilet. I thought, this must be a fluke, but it worked the next cycle too. Fingers crossed for you. I know my grandma had fibro and the meds didn't work. She tried weed back when it was illegal and it worked for her.

[@beheroot]

@@Tzara86 have you been ad GYN doctor? That amount of period pain is not normal and if doctor says so - change doctor.

[@rhythm3359]

Finally a doctor even 100’s of miles away that understands that dismissing pain by saying it’s “just anxiety” is the worst thing a doctor can do. Thanks doctor 🙏🏻

[@els1f]

It's amazing how much faith Dr Mike has in his colleagues. "Why did they send him to the rheumatologist" dude flipped a mental coin and lucked out. Doctors don't give af about you🤣

[@peyswrld]

as someone who suffers from chronic pain it really is a major thing to be able to accept the situation you're in

[@AlbeenoCookie]

this was so nice to hear from a doctor, as a chronically ill person with hashimotos hypothyroidism who is constantly told by MULTIPLE doctors from MULTIPLE practices that my results are normal and then just shrugged at. Didnt realise how much that was affecting me til I started typing this out and got teary eyed. Wish i could find a doctor like doctor mike.... But i doubt I ever will

[@HPLA25]

I can totally relate to this. I'm still looking for the doctor that will take my issues seriously.

[@melissarichards4716]

Me too. Hashi's Hypo and other dx's. Synthroid does help, but I also had to change my diet and do a lot of mental therapy, and physical therapy and I am still working. Just like Zach. My advice to others is don't expect all the answers from doctors. And know the mind-body connection is real and valid. Mental disease/trauma can and will cause physical symptoms and it's not because we are crazy, it's because of stress.

[@jamieculp8291]

My mom has Hashimoto's too! I have hypothyroidism, but not from Hashimoto's. My mom had the best doctor even when she got sick (she has complex medical issues) and he became my doctor. He doesn't practice anymore, and I miss him. He was like House, only for real.

[@AlbeenoCookie]

@@jamieculp8291 its so hard to find a good doctor that its heartbreaking when they leave us!!

[@Lokitty-vk6xj]

I have hashimotos as well and I found for me that I didn't notice it at first, until I compared myself to others and I realized that I wasn't "normal". I am skinny but my stomach is bloated a lot. I already had anxiety and depression unrelated to hashimotos, but I found that when my hormones are already wacky (aka Periods) they are even more pronounced. It's hard living with a disorder, but we are strong and we got this, and we are so much stronger than we are given credit for!

[@mondflieder-]

"We treat patients, not lab results" - THANK YOU!!! I had graves disease, everytime I got to the doctor with my symptoms, they did tell me "Your fine, your lab results are perfect".. I got so many symptoms, I could'nt sleep, mood swings, anxiety, hair loss, was sweating like I would run a marathon, bad tremors and so on... Then I got the opportunity to change the doctor - got a thyroidectomie - it changed my life completely to the better! I'm so happy that doctors like you exist!

[@allys744]

This is frightening. I hope Zach is doing well and living his best life. I love the try guys. ❤️

[@ItsJustMe-nq1dg]

I was just diagnosed with this after 15-20 years of fibromyalgia and there is nothing wrong with you. Let me tell you this sucks! I am on Remicade Infusion. It seems to be helping with the stiffness. Only had 2 done. So will see. My doctor says lab results are usually normal. So docs need to listen to their patients.

[@TLJ1025]

I SERIOUSLY wish I could find a doctor like you. I've been dealing with back pain, hand pain, shoulders, wrists, pretty much every joint in my body, including my feet are always swelling, and painful. I can't type on a keyboard longer than 2 or 3 minutes without cramping and horrible pain. And every doctor just keeps saying there's nothing wrong with me that all my labs are fine EXCEPT for the inflammatory lab, those are always elevevated, but then they never figure out why, they just say I have some swelling that should go away on its own. And it's been 15 years of this going to different doctors, and even recovering from an opioid/opiate addiction from trying to manage my pain to even function. I can't even play with my kids. I used to take my now older kids to the park allll the time, and my youngest has had the worst of it with me not able to do anything with her. It's a major hindrance on every day life, sleep, work, and being able to do stuff with my kids. It makes me feel like a shitty parent that my 4 year old is couped up in the house all the time never able to do anything because I physically can't take her to the park or play with her.

[@downhomesunset]

I feel your emotional pain. I was well along in a career as a prominent watercolour artist. Now I can hardly look after the household and all its people and pets.

[@yez9475]

I feel bad for you

[@akila527]

I don’t know what chronic pain feels like, but I’ve had Osgood-Schlatter disease for about five years now, which means that I have pain in my knee for most of the time (there's basically a constant inflammation right below my kneecap so you can imagine that hurts). I’m glad this will go away by itself, because I can’t imagine living with something like this forever and I think Zach’s a really strong person for being able to accept his pain.

[@TankensteinMonster]

It doesn't always go away, mine has been around for over 30 yrs and it still hurts.

[@heatherbland4551]

that is actually chronic pain im pretty sure, i think its any pain that lasts longer than three months. might be a bit more specific but yeah :)

[@danielhall9340]

I had Thoracic-scoliosis and got surgery for it a year ago. But what Mike said about physical therapy being one of the best ways to help is so true! Thanks for this insight on it I had been looking for stuff about scoliosis for ages now.

[@louisasevier1034]

thank you for talking about acceptance when it comes to chronic health issues. I have a chronic illness--still undiagnosed--and I have chronic pain. I started having these health problems in 5th grade and I am close to finishing my freshman year of college. It can be really difficult for me to talk with my friends about my health issues because sometimes it feels like they think I'm giving up on getting better when I talk about how I hope I don't get sick or have a flare up at a specific time because it would mess with my schedule. I think it's just really hard for people who don't experience it to understand what it's like to always be in some amount of pain and to always be at least a little bit sick.