going it alone

Hello; this is my first post, so I'm not sure where to start. After several very unpleasant incidents I have a hate on for doctors and have not seen one in 3 years. I have end-stage osteoarthritis in my R knee, and about 4 years ago I started getting joint pain in my L knee. I went through a bunch of x-rays and blood work- all came back negative. Shortly after, I stopped seeing my doctor and have watched my symptoms develop. My biggest issue now is the pain,stiffness and tingling in my hands. After a scarey period of side-effects from anti-depressants and codeine 3 years ago, I stopped taking all pharmaceuticals, so i am looking for information to control my symptoms naturally.

Yes. Undiagnosed by a doctor, but I have unmistakable symptoms.

This is the response I was hoping I wouldn't get. I am a fairly intelligent person and quite capable of reading and making a diagnoses of the cause of my symptoms without the involvement of a doctor. I was hoping there were others like me who would prefer to treat themselves, but after reading the posts, it's seems most here are convinced life doesn't exist without doctors and big pharma.

I have never been 'helped' by any doctor, and in fact have been wronged more than once. The trust is gone forever, I think. I was just looking for ways to control the pain and discomfort without chemicals. I guess I'll keep looking!

Thank you for replying to me. I'm sorry if I came off rude...I'm just frustrated.