It happens more often than you think:

Why do patients lie? The examination room itself is an environment that discourages honesty, said Los Angeles psychiatrist Dr. Charles Sophy.

“You’re naked in a gown and you have a guy standing there clothed, with a coat on and there’s all sorts of things in his pocket. And you’re sitting there, basically naked “¦ that makes it hard to come clean,” Sophy said. On top of that, the doctor may be rushed and convey that by the way he or she asks questions.

Researchers say patients often lie to save face. They want to be “good patients” in their doctors’ eyes. Some researchers estimate more than half of patients tell their doctors they are taking their medicine exactly as prescribed when they are not. In reality, they don’t like the side effects, can’t afford the pills or didn’t understand the instructions.