← Return to How to Avoid Quacks and Snake Oil Treatments

Discussion

How to Avoid Quacks and Snake Oil Treatments

Just Want to Talk | Last Active: Oct 31, 2021 | Replies (9)
Comment receiving replies
@user_cha272278

Don’t search on internet! Who am I going to call? Myth busters - Medscape. (My neurologist MD and PhD, says to check out things in Medscape. It is free, jargon free and PEER reviewed. ). Look for Meta-studies (a major Study of several studies,) that are evidence based. Always look for WIIFM ( what’s in it for me) articles which look at “cherry picked” studies to support whatever they are selling.

Find out if Insurance is Provided for the service/product

Look for FDA approval. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Truly, see YOUR doctor.
Basically, you don’t know-, what you don’t
Know! A while back I broke my neck. When I woke from a coma five weeks later in the hospital l could not hear. My neurologist clearly explained how several sets of nerves in the inner part of my brain had been shaken up by the “neck breaking”?impact. I thought it was Closed Head TBI.

Dr Ron. Your well-being is my commitment

Jump to this post

Replies to "Don’t search on internet! Who am I going to call? Myth busters - Medscape. (My neurologist..."
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Aug 8, 2018

Hi Dr. Ron @user_cha272278,

I use Internet searches a lot and don't find a problem with it. There is a lot of information available but like I think you are saying is that there is both good and bad information out there and how do we discern what's good. You brought up some really good points about looking for FDA approval, seeing if insurance is provided for the service or product and discussing it with your doctor.

My problem is that there are a lot of doctors out there that do not always have the latest information on research FDA approved or not. I will always discuss major treatments or supplements/drugs with my doctor or pharmacist but in the end, the decision to buy and try lies with me and not the doctor.

You are spot on -- you don't know, what you don't know. So it's up to you to find out using every tool available to you including doctors, pharmacists, medical journals, FDA, NIH and other websites...and my favorite Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com) where I can find both good and bad research information to evaluate or discuss with my doctor.

Thank you for your insight!
John

VIEW AND REPLY