Should Members Be Giving Medical Advice

I think of Dr. Oz as a quack. He's made some decent TV money for himself, I'm sure, though. I don't mind it when people discuss what works for them. We know that most of us are not physicians, though there's an implicit "disclaimer" there. I tend to cite sources (sort of), if I give medical advice. For example, running hot water (as hot as you can stand) on itchy poison oak welts really DOES stop the itching for several hours. I read about it on the internet, and it works!

I am open to advice, but always remember that it is just someone's opinion.

I believe that people should avoid to give medical advice. What many does not know, is that, if something goes wrong, they can be liable for giving dangerous advice.

I don't think there is any harm in stating what works for you - that's not exactly advice. Btw, what is IBS?

MEDICAL ADVICE IS HELPFUL AT TIMES.NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE IT.

I don't know what prompted this post but I had a rare cancer and I am not exaggerating when I say that I know considerably more about it than most general practitioners would. So if I give advice on that specific topic (and generally in a specialist forum - not here) it's sound and based on 5 years of reading around the topic. BUT if I see some moron on mylot claiming that cannabis oil will cure cancer, I'm going for the jugular and reporting the poster as a fraud and a charlatan.

There is nothing wrong with giving opinions or suggesting herbal remedies etcetera, but it would be rather foolish for someone to consider it to be sound advice. There are many medical diagnostic sites online, but common sense says consult your own doctor.

I think it is okay to mention the things that worked for you if you read about someone who has the same illness. It can be helpful to read about other people's experience, but it is best to do our own research online or discuss it with a doctor before we try those things.Things that helped other people might help us as well, but in some cases those things can be harmful for instanse if we have other illnesses or take other kinds of medication.

What works for the person giving advice may not work for you. The culture is different. The weather is different. The body system is different, and the cause of pain is different. If you want to seek advice in Mylot, be prepared for a lot of traditional treatment methods from all over the world. Some may work for you. Some may not. If you do not trust, then better not start a discussion thread about health issue, and do not read anything relating to health issue.

Telling someone what has worked for you, if the reader understands that every person is unique is the only way that any medical advise should be offered. In the end I think that as adults, we all know that we have to take all advise, medical or not, from a website with a grain of salt and to consult a doctor. Otherwise you are playing with fire and chances are you will be burned.

I don't think that people should be giving medical advice here.

I also don't think we should be giving medical advice. Now, asking for an opinion is a little different but even then you have to be careful. I posted something medical today and I don't remember if I asked for advice or was just stating facts. I really need to go back and re-read it because I don't want anyone to think I was asking for advice.

I wrote up an article on the other site about turmeric after studying several websites first. Even though it's supposed to be good for various things, I think you have to ingest a large quantity to get the desired results. It's too bad that you noticed a flare up of a different condition while using it, but at least you seemed to figure that out on your own. Most doctors and pharmacists won't recommend some of that for common ailments, but I think that's because they don't want to lose the kickbacks they receive from pharmaceutical companies. I found that I didn't like the taste of it in most of the foods I added it to, but I've recently started adding curry powder to certain foods that I eat and that's more palatable. I also found that more of the ingredients are useful for prevention of different aspects of aging. I still think I'd need to ingest a larger portion to do me the best good, but at least that's more palatable for me. It does contain turmeric, but maybe the percentage would be different and you'd be able to try that instead? I never noticed any benefit to my joints while using either turmeric or curry.

I forgot to say that I personally don't consider making suggestions for adding spices to ones diet would be considered as giving medical advice. While adding certain spices and specific vegetables and fruits to our diet would be beneficial, probably what most of us need to do more is eliminate the bad things like sugars and pop and such.

You are finding an herbologist or a naturalogist.

That sounds like herbal advice and not medical advice. Plus all you have to do is look it up. My opinion anyway. Thought you made a strong argument though.

If the person has experience of the ailment then I can understand why they re offering their opinion. However, I remain absolute in my belief that you shouldn't trust medical advice on the internet. I have seen some downright dangerous 'advice' given online.

I know I've offered advice when it comes to colds, but I always, I think, tell the person to check with their doctor. I know there was a person asking advice about something that I thought was serious and told her to get a medical opinion from her doctor.

I am not a doctor so no I shouldn't give medical advice other than something like " Maybe you should go see a doctor". I don't think mentioning a illness or something like that and what helped me is really medical advice, although some people might think so.

@BelleStarr I have wondered the same thing. I think at the very least the poster should disclose that they are not a doctor and cite their source(s.)