Ignoring NHS advice is often advisable

[raranah]

They just always seem to be way out of date.

I ignored the advice its safe to have x amount of units a week and I had nothing.

I ignored the advice to avoid nuts while expecting and for the first year. Reports say this could increase risks of allergies.

Both of these the advice has / is changing and I feel very vindicated.

They are still pushing low fat stuff, loaded with sugar and artificial sweeteners. I'm sure this advice will be outdated in a few years.

[CantSee4Looking]

Also I complained and was essentially white washed as they had to think of the doctor's career. Complaining doesn't always get you anyway. But to be told the career was more important not to have a blot on it rather than just to admit he is human and that they would offer alternative/ restorative treatment and fix the issue is not on. Tbh if they had just gone with proper treatment and a bit of extra support and training that would have been more than perfectly acceptible.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Slight aside from the main thread topic, but speaking of unexpected nasties in medicines: I recently had to take antibiotics that were encased in a pork gelatine coating. I'm vegan

I took them, but jeez. I had to read the very tiny print to discover this fact too.

[nightsky010]

YANBU. Providing you've done your research and know you're correct.

Doctors are often wrong and they are some of the most arrogant fuckers I've ever met as a profession on the whole.

I once had one give me a bunch of information which I knew to be incorrect (they were saying a certain problem was viral when I knew it was bacterial). They got really arsey when I told them they were wrong. As I was leaving the room at the end of the appointment they shouted after me and told me that they had made a mistake and had been reading the wrong page on patient.co.uk! So in that instance, I'm very glad I ignored their advice!

[CantSee4Looking]

We also had a problem with milk in medicines for anaphylatic ds. Number of meds that has been wasted as they can't re-issue then is stupid. Thankfully have a very good pharmacist who now lets me check the ingredient leaflet before he issues anything and then harasses the GP to get a suitable replacement on ds' before. I will be up shit creek without a paddle when we move.

[CantSee4Looking]

*replacement for ds

[Yseulte]

I ignore all my GP's surgery's pressure advice to have a flu jab.

I have an illness that affects my immune system and the last, in fact the first, time I had one it completely fucked my immune system. My consultant immunologist told me never to have another one, or any other vaccination until I'm well.

I'll take my chances with flu.

[nightsky010]

Not forgetting of course that some NHS advice will be politically motivated and not actually in the best interests of the individual.

[Lollipopgirl8]

I wouldn't ignore my advice if I tell you retina is falling off and you need an operation to reattach it!

[nightsky010]

Lollipopgirl8 but hopefully you one of the doctors who knows what they're talking about!

[Wiifitmama]

I would just like GP's to admit when they do not know something. My husband has a diagnosed rare condition. Only a few specialist doctors for it. His medication was discontinued and instead of the GP saying he didn't know what alternative to prescribe, he prescribed something which actively made my husband's condition worse.

[VagueIdeas]

I ignored the advice its safe to have x amount of units a week and I had nothing.

Well, it's hardly as if the NHS actively recommended that you drink in pregnancy, only that 1/2 units 1/2 times a week isn't t thought to be harmful.

The guidance only changed because no one seems to know what a single unit of alcohol actually is, and as a result, were drinking too much.

Personally I chose not to drink at all as well. But I didn't pat myself on "ignoring guidelines". I wasn't ignoring guidelines - I was actually following them and then some.

[letsgetcake]

One of the problems with gps is they only know a certain level about most things. Gps need to start being more active in signposting to professionals who are specialised in the area. For example, anything dietary a dietitian would have the most up to date advice, a physio for anything muscular/skeletal, a speech and language specialist for swallow or speech problems etc. Although you are limited with drugs you could maybe talk to a pharmacist that although cant prescribe, know most about the drugs and should be able to explain side effects etc best.
I personally found there psychological support during depression (just gave me a leaflet) was poor so I wish now id asked to see someone specialised in that area!

[CantSee4Looking]

You would have had a long wait lets physio is around 8wk waiting list, the specialist I was referred had their department closed and I was referred back to the GP. Services have suffered unfortunately.

[jorahmormont]

The waiting lists for specialists are huge though, as cantsee says. I was rushed through as an emergency case to see useless specialist the other week and it still took 8 weeks - normal waiting list time is 36 weeks. Same for physio, I was put through as urgent because of the subluxations and dislocations and that was 4 weeks, usual wait is 16.

[CoteDAzur]

How can ignoring advice be advisable?

If it were, then you would surely ignore the advice to ignore the advice.

[BeyondThirty]

My geneticist appt took 8 months for initial nurse assessment, then another 11 to actually see the specialist.

My OT referral took just under a year as she had just gone on maternity leave when it was requested and there was no temp cover.

[VestalVirgin]

Actually there's growing evidence that people with type 2 diabetes can be cured by following a low carb high fat diet, but Uk drs generally advise low fat and medication.

I wouldn't say it can be cured, but I do know people who control their diabetes with a low carb diet. It is shocking this is not common knowledge.

@CantSee4:

Ugh, that's horrible. "Science says you can't have reactions, so shut up" ... one would think he won his doctor title in lottery.

I totally agree, doctors should a) acknowledge that they cannot keep up to date on everything and b) do the research needed if they have to prescribe medication to someone whose illness they don't know enough about.

Maybe the don't have enough time for that ... though in that case, that should be fixed by the government paying more for that kind of thing.

After all, one would save millions on insulin, etc. if only diabetes was kept under control with the appropriate eating habits. (Assuming disciplined patients, which is not so very likely, but I do think some would control their diets simply because they're afraid of needles)

[letsgetcake]

Yes actually waiting lists for specialists is ridiculous, although I still believe its where people should be signposted too. In an ideal world (I know it wont happen) more funding should be put towards the specialists, reducing pressures on gps and making sure people get the correct advice. The lack of funding and long waiting times (and the difficulty in getting regular follow up) I think all makes the specialist care not as efficient as it should be.

[RB68]

It sends the resistance into remission because it is impacted by the amount of fat around the pancreas. But this ignores the fact that the pancreas could be faulty in insulin production and assumes its all about resistance to the insulin.

Even with appropriate eating habits its possible for blood sugars to be out of control/too high - e.g. if you have an infection it impacts blood sugars and blood sugars impact the infection so it becomes circular. The liver dumps blood sugars first thing in the am - you haven't eaten for 12 hrs but still experience a spike albeit influenced by the day before. If you have d&v its a nightmare.

I don't think they clearly understand diabetes related illnesses yet, as proven by the fact that in the last few years at least two more types have been identified as possibilities. But also as you say standard advice is low fate low sugar and use sweetners which personally does nothing for me or my sugars. Caffeine also ups mine and there are a number of other triggers other people have that are out of the ordinary - in fact diabetes as a whole seems very personal