To growl at anyone who suggests a woo-woo cure for my incurable condition?

[crashdoll]

I'm not again complimentary therapies. I think they play a role alongside conventional medicine but I am sick to the back teeth of people who suggest ridiculous cures for my Rheumatoid Arthritis and another rare autoimmune condition. It's severe - I have joint damage, I am disabled by it and I need strong drugs to get it under control so I can have some sort of life. It may go into remission, it can be controlled but it's unlikely to be cured at this point in time.

I have no problem with people who say "my auntie has this and recommends ice packs and gentle swimming once a week". But I am getting fed up of "20 minutes of standing naked in the rain and you'll be cured".

I've done the nodding and smiling crap but it's not working. I don't want to be rude or swear because I know people are genuinely trying to help but I'm not a fan of woo 'treatments' and people just are not getting the message. AIBU to bare my teeth and growl a bit?

That's a bit mad!

I've just remembered the nurse when I was in hospital who told my friend that I didn't have asthma, I just had anxiety.

WTAF?

This thread is making me laugh so much, couldn't believe people could be so crass then I remembered a chalet maid telling my husband that his (rather serious) nut allergy was a 'lifestyle choice'

YADNBU.
This thread has cheered me up no end. I am also a sickly adult! I'm going to nick some of these.

Crashdoll: I took a couple of painkillers instead because the fairies unfortunately were not quite strong enough.
That made me laugh out loud!

I get the self-inflicted chestnut rather a lot! Such fun.

It's like people think they can treat you, or think you are making it worse yourself or something.

Why on earth would I do that?
Do these people think it's fun to not be able to breathe properly, and that if there was something I could do would help I wouldn't?

This remind me of the treatment suggested by a well meaning relative for ds's very severe speech disorders. She told me to get him watching 'Dora the Explorer' as Dora taught her friend's child how to talk.

As it happens, ds loves Dora and Diego, but a TV programme is hardly going to succeed where a speech therapist has failed!

Can I voice another side to this discussion?

I think that diet can have a very fundamental effect on people's health, and I have seen some amazing things happen when people change their diets very drastically. Occasionally, I see people struggling with health problems (or worrying about their children's health), and I think that they are damaging themselves with the food they eat. I never dare to suggest anything because I know that I might annoy people. I always just try to sympathise and understand how the person is feeling.

I KNOW that doctors receive no training in nutrition, and that there are lots of powerful companies who try to influence people against believing in the power of a very simple, clean diet. I never say anything because I assume everyone reacts the way people on here are reacting. Sometimes I wish I could try to help.

Someone upthread used 'worms' as an example of silly treatments.

Helminthic therapy is actually a real thing which is used to treat some auto-immune disorders, although it is still early days. (Wikipedia link for accessibility:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worm_therapy )

The difference between that and e.g. homoeopathy or 'energy healing' is that it is being researched by real doctors, who are trying to find evidence about whether it works or not, and would presumably reject it if it emerged that it did not.

(I find things like this fascinating. Parasites are amazing things.)

You know, I put a positive spin on things, I cope with my illness by taking the piss out of myself, I generally am to be found smiling.
What I do love to do is cook and eat. I'd be miserable eating a clean diet, whatever that may be.
I'm sure you mean well, but I need cheese and deep fried food in my life.

netto, i have asthma but luckily its not to bad most of the time but when its triggered by allergies its quite severe. my sisters dog triggers this so i mostly avoid. every single bloody time i go my family say 'its an allergy, take an antihistimine'. No mum they don't work. every time!! it drives me nuts, do they really think i would't take something that would stop the awful asthma attacks x

I love to cook and eat too, and I like to make delicious things. In fact I spend too much time and money doing just that.

Your response is exactly why I never open my mouth in RL about this- people would be dismissive and condescending.

With you all the way OP.

I have RA and have heard them all: raspberry vinegar, don't eat tomatoes, give up bread

You're probably best to keep your mouth shut. I've never deep-fried anything in my life and still ended up with heart disease. Munching on an apple in a hospital waiting room full of people three times my BMI did nowt for me.

Can I voice another side to this discussion?
Of course you may, claraschu, as long as I am allowed to consider such talk, woo. Yes, diet is of course an important part of health. Of course obesity is a killer, too much fat, calories etc are not good; we need nutrients. But a clean diet? Cleansing? Toxins? Woo.

But tell me more about these 'lots of powerful companies who try to influence people against believing in the power of a very simple, clean diet' - who are they and what do they say?

'Your response is exactly why I never open my mouth in RL about this- people would be dismissive and condescending.'

Clarashu I agree, don't say anything. Because (barring food related conditions such as Coeliac's disease) suggesting a change in diet to cure a very real and dangerous illness can be seen as dismissive and condescending.

OP you may not be surprised to know there's a similar thread on the allergy pages.

My DS has eczema and I've had no end of people's suggestions on how I can help it.

My husband has a heart condition and high blood pressure. He eats no cholesterol (he's almost vegan), doesn't smoke or drink coffee, and religiously exercises every day (145 lbs). It's a genetic condition, and he has tried to cure himself with diet, which has helped, but not cured him.

If he ate a standard Western diet, he would probably have had a heart attack, like his mother, in his early 30s.

I think food has a profound effect on health, but as I say I keep my opinions entirely to myself.

I don't see the slightest sign that anyone is interested, so bye-

YANBU!!!!!!!
if my mother tells me one more time that the yantra mat will help with DPs sciatica I am going to go insane. He has sciatica because two discs in his back have collapsed and are compressing the sciatic nerve. No amount of "re-alignment" and laying on a sodding spiky mat. Nor does normal painkillers, as we have discovered.

Funnily enough no-one has ever offered me a woo woo cure for my deafness. I shall wait with that hammer.

frankelly dont lose hope. you never know, it could happen. my best friend has polycystic ovaries (and didnt try any woo woo cures, she's still got them!) but does have a beautiful 9mo old girl. xx

Diet may help to control conditions, it isn't going to cure them.

DS has a fantastic diet but that is never going to cure his asthma!

...no amount of "realignment" and laying on a sodding spily mat is going to change that.

although it did help with my pregnancy insomnia.

Give them a big smile and tell them you're currently trialling the FOBIKY* programme. You can't give them any details because it's Top Secret at the moment.

I decided to do this after the locum at my doctors' surgery suggested I try a lavender pillow to cure my 30-year chronic insomnia problem.

(*Fuck Off Before I Kill You)

Sorry, I'm back for one last comment.

When my son was in 3rd grade in the US, he came home with a booklet of nutritional info sponsored by McDonald's. You can have fun seeing who has sponsored research into the need for dairy in our diets.

Pharmaceutical companies have huge power, and their motivation is not purely altruistic. If you start looking at how much money and other perks doctors in the US get from certain drug companies, you might be surprised.

And now bye for good-