I misused LLMs to diagnose myself and ended up bedridden for a week
2 days ago
- #Lyme disease
- #medical emergency
- #AI misuse
- The author developed flu-like symptoms and a rash, initially dismissing them as non-serious.
- Instead of consulting a doctor, the author repeatedly sought reassurance from an LLM, asking leading questions to avoid medical consultation.
- The symptoms worsened, leading to severe neurological issues, prompting an urgent care visit where Lyme disease was suspected, with concerns of meningitis.
- The author underwent a painful lumbar puncture procedure (11 failed attempts before success) to rule out meningitis, experiencing extreme pain and subsequent complications like CSF leakage and severe headaches.
- After treatment with antibiotics, the author recovered fully but emphasizes the dangers of using AI for medical diagnosis and the irrational decisions fear can provoke.
- Key lessons include the importance of consulting real doctors for medical advice, the risks of self-diagnosis with AI, and the physical and financial costs of delayed treatment.