@jakedduck1 @colleenyoung Leonard, you took a few words out of context without also including the rest of the statement. It said to "not disregard your doctors just because of something you read here on the Mayo Clinic Connect forum." I would appreciate it if you state things completely rather than just what you wanted it to show so that you could jump on your soapbox and pontificate. The guidelines do not say disregard your doctor period. Each person obviously has the choice whether they accept or not accept the diagnosis or treatment a doctor may state. Education is key in anything.
Ginger

@jake- I'm also going to step in here. You are simply wrong in this case. You can not give medical advice to anyone's specific illness or disease, nor prescribe medications. This is exactly what you did without giving a prescription out. You were specific in the names and doses. Questioning your doctor and going against his advice is fine for you to do, but it isn't fine to suggest that others do that. Actually it's dangerous because, no matter how much you think that you know, you just don't know enough to do this without a medical license. You can tell people what has worked for you. It's like being highly religious and telling someone the right way to pray- you just can't do that.
Jake if you can't distinguish between what is advice and what is medical advice then just stop giving it out.
It's not up to you to cure the medical field's woes. Do it for yourself but not for others.

Hi @jakedduck1 Thank you for sharing your point of view and giving me the opportunity to elaborate. I concur with your statement that patients have the right to question medical advice. You are the expert in you. You are a partner in your care. Thus to question and evaluate is your responsibility. Everyone must carefully vet and evaluate what they read online, learn from online forums like this one as much as they evaluate the advice given to them by family, friends and neighbors. Likewise, it is an activated patient who asks questions of their medical professionals in order to make informed and shared decisions. Getting second opinions can also play an important role in decision making about care.

I agree with @gingerw that the context of the statement must be considered in full "Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the community." The information shared on the community can be used to help initiate discussions with medical professionals, to question, to bring forward new approaches, research or ideas, or to seek a second opinion.

Always question and ask questions. Decisions are ultimately yours to make.

Not every member, especially someone new to the community, knows that Connect is a patient-to-patient forum. Sometimes, people come specifically for the Q&As with providers https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinars/ Thus, you'll notice many members will preface their responses with phrases like "I'm not a doctor, but what worked for me..." We share our experiences, tips and knowledge within the context of our experience. And here I agree with you again, Jake. Patients and family caregivers know things. They know a lot about their conditions, treatments and living with chronic illness. They learn first-hand how to navigate the tangled health care system and how to manage their health at home. As patients and fellow travelers, we can share, learn, teach, and advise. But we cannot tell people what they should or must medically do. Therefore, I appreciate it when you phrase your advice as "you may want to try XXX" as you have done.