When it takes half a year or half your paycheque to see an endocrinologist, it’s really no surprise that we’re turning to the internet for advice.
If you’ve had bad experiences with doctors or suffered past medical trauma, googling “weird hormones everywhere help am I dying???” can feel like your only option.
On the other hand, maybe you’re feeling fine but your algorithm has figured out your demographic and decided that you really need to freak out about hormones right now.
Real doctors are busy, expensive, and sometimes rude, but there are plenty of charming people on TikTok who’ll tell you all their opinions about medicine instantly for free.
Unfortunately, a lot of them are also trying to sell you something, are well-meaning but don’t know the full picture, are being dramatic for clicks, or are kinda right in general but wrong when it comes to your particular body.
So how do you tell the difference between good and bad hormone advice?
The doctor trying to counter hormone misinformation online
Sydney endocrinologist Dr Isobelle Smith started her Instagram as a way to speak out about medical students’ mental health, but has since dived into endocrine education.
As a doctor, she has a theory about why endocrinology is such a hot topic for influencers.
“I think it’s because endocrine conditions are chronic conditions and women are more likely to have them.”
Chronic conditions are diseases that won’t kill you but can’t be fully cured. They don’t end your life, but they can definitely make it more annoying, painful, tiring, or embarrassing.
And because of medical misogyny, a lot of women have been told that their symptoms either aren’t real or aren’t important.
“There are a lot of women who are desperate for help … and the traditional healthcare system is often dismissing them and saying ‘Well there’s nothing we can do’” says Isobelle.
This dismissal is what pushes people toward hormone misinformation. When you’re rejected by the medical system, a friendly voice offering help – even a suspiciously robotic one – can feel like a relief.
“There are vulnerable patients with conditions that aren’t managed well by the public healthcare system” warns Isobelle.
“Can you blame them for going to the naturopath and spending $1000 on rubbish supplements, when the naturopath says ‘this will actually help you’ and the medical system says ‘you’re making it up’?”
Being a patient without losing your patience
If you reckon there’s something wrong with your hormones but already exhausted at the idea of wrestling with your GP’s online booking system, Isobelle has some tips on how to make it easier.
The public system is free, but you don’t get much say in who you see or when. In the private system you can shop around, but having multiple options can be confusing and you’ll have to pay a gap fee.
“If you’re waiting a long time to see an endocrinologist, call up some clinics and see if the waiting list is different” suggests Isobelle.
While you’re there, ask about the cost of a standard appointment.
“I live in Sydney and it’s so expensive – but if you drive a few suburbs over the cost of a private endocrinology practice will be half or quarter the amount.”
Now we have telehealth, you can now connect with endocrinologists across Australia – which is great if you’re looking for a particularly special specialist.
But even though endocrinologists are lovely, GPs can often be just as good, especially for checkups and maintenance. And they’re usually a bit cheaper and easier to book.
“See if there’s a GP who has a particular interest in your condition,” says Isobelle. “A lot of GPs are really good at specialty knowledge and really good at managing them.”
It’s not glamorous, but the best way to find a GP who knows their way around a hormone is through word of mouth, checking patient advocacy groups, and reading profiles on GP websites.
Surviving the hormone doom industrial complex
When it comes to online experts, Isobelle suggests starting with the basics: are they actually good at anything, and does anyone serious agree with them?
“When you’re looking at an expert online, it is really important that they are working in that field and are recognised by their peers.”
It’s not that doctors need need to work in threes like witches. Being connected to others and actively practising shows they’re not just some person with an opinion but in touch with the latest research and accountable to others.
“Someone might be a doctor, but hasn’t worked in 20 years, or never got trained in that specific field and isn’t really qualified,” Isobelle warns.
It also pays to look at motivation. Are they pushing a product or program? “Because in Australia there’s a reason why doctors aren’t allowed to own pharmacies – you have to have separation of prescribing and dispensing. There’s a narrative they’re pushing and that narrative is benefiting them [financially],” she adds.
It’s a normal thing a doctor gives you a prescription you pop down to the chemist to pick it up. But doctors and pharmacists being different people is actually really important. In our health system, doctors can’t tell you that a treatment is the bee’s knees and then profit from selling it to you.
This law stops doctors unethically prescribing drugs just to make money. Online, though, these rules don’t exist. Influencers can put on a white coat, tell you you’ve got a hormone problem, and then sell you the Hormonotron 3000.
Trust your instincts, but get a second opinion
The antidote to hormone misinformation isn’t to throw your phone out the window (wonderful as that might feel).
It’s recognising that while science doesn’t have all the answers, neither do randos on TikTok.
If you’re worried about hormones – your hormones in particular – focus on small, practical steps to make the medical side of things easier.
Start with researching GPs that will listen to you and take into account your unique physiology and medical history.
Doctors can be hard to afford, hard to get to, and sometimes hard to bear, while the internet is free and friendly and right there. But if you think there’s something off, insist on proper medical treatment – your body deserves it.
