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My Life with Diabetes

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F

Fandange

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Hi All,
I have been reading a very interesting book by Jan de Vries which discusses complimentary medicines to use along side orthodox ones. Has anyone else read it, or tried any of his recommendations? Or maybe someone has actually been treated by him.
I am going to do some independant research on his suggestions before I invest and try them out on my boys, but I am encouraged that there are things that we can do ourselves to help and ease the effects of this condition.
Comments, please.....
 
As someone who tried to take a rational, scientific approach to health, I'm very suspicious of some of the methods he promotes on his website.

There are also some there that seem to be nothing more than common sense dressed up as something mystical. Hot stone massage for example. That would benefit anyone.

Some of the techniques have been repeatedly shown to have no scientific benefit when properly controlled trials are performed. I'm sure there will be other posts contradicting my view.🙂

All this said, Im a great believer in both the placebo effect and in a positive attitude in general. If you believe something will make you feel better, it often does. As long as you're not doing or taking anything to harm you, it can only be a good thing, as long as someone isn't making a profit from your belief.

I would be very careful about using any of these methods on children since they can't always share your own faith in some of the methods unless there is a proven benefit and you can be sure of no harm.

Just my opinion, and I hope I've not gone further than you expected.🙂

Rob
 
Fandange said:
Hi All,
I have been reading a very interesting book by Jan de Vries which discusses complimentary medicines to use along side orthodox ones. Has anyone else read it, or tried any of his recommendations? Or maybe someone has actually been treated by him.
I am going to do some independant research on his suggestions before I invest and try them out on my boys, but I am encouraged that there are things that we can do ourselves to help and ease the effects of this condition.
Comments, please.....
Click to expand...

I have read this and I was pretty horrifed by most of it, I must admit. Personally, I would steer well clear of him and his ilk, he appeared to me to be one of those extremists peddling numerous 'supplements' and I'm very sceptical of some of his claims. If you were to go down that route I think that you would be setting your boys on a very restrictive and obsessive path which they do not need to go down given the success of available conventional therapies. Just my opinion of course! 🙂
 
Does everyone just rely on insulin and prescribed medicines to deal with their different types of diabetes?
 
I've never taken any supplements, although I've never had any tests for deficiencies. That would be my first task if I thought there was something wrong that the prescribed medicines weren't treating.

Lifestyle changes can sometimes do more good than anything a doctor can prescribe. Or there are some things that I just put down to being me. The odd ache and pain, etc. 🙂

Rob
 
Are there any specific things that you're worried about and want to find something that will help sort out ?

Rob
 
Fandange said:
Does everyone just rely on insulin and prescribed medicines to deal with their different types of diabetes?
Click to expand...

I take a multivitamin each day. I think a balanced diet, confident carb counting/dosing and probably a pump are the best way to manage Type 1. Because diabetes is a huge potential market (300m worldwide, at least) there are so many claims for herbal this and supplement that. The best (worst!) I have come across are drinking acid, pig sushi and whipworms.

I'm not totally dismissing the efficacy of some herbs and supplements, and if they can be successfully incorporated in the diet then alls well and good. Cinnmon, for example, has been mentioned recently - but I might add it as a flavouring, not consume huge doses in capsule form.

It's always worth expanding your knowledge of what's out there, but always be prepared to take it with a pinch of low sodium salt!

I read a book not so long ago by a man claiming to be a doctor (bogus qualifications) who had discovered some aspect of cell biology apparently unknown to the scientific community. This man has sold thousands of copies of something that is utter claptrap to the worried and vulnerable. I find that deplorable and exploitation of the worst kind.

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=10494

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now! 🙂
 
Agreed. Very well put Alan. 🙂

There are so many exploitative money-makers or self-deluded gurus out there that it's hard to sort wheat from chaff.

If the NHS could get away with treating everyone with tap water and offal, it would certainly do so. At least the Daily Mail wouldn't be able to blame diabetics for costing so much money ! :D

Rob
 
Yes, but not all doctors are in it for the love of mankind, either. Pharmaceutical companies are multi-national corporations that have close connections with govermments, back-handing hospitals and doctors to favour their products.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that the boys have the insulin that they need to live. I am simply investigating other ways of complimenting their treatment. Surely if we take responsibility for our own health by eating and drinking to fuel our bodies in the way that they need, we will be doing the world a favour.

I don't think it is healthy to write something off as quakery any more than I think it is healthy to take as gospel everything you are told by the medical fraternity. Research, discussion, recommendation and instinct are all important.

But we all have the opportunity to make our own decisions without fear of judgement or critiscism, right?🙂
 
Fandange said:
...But we all have the opportunity to make our own decisions without fear of judgement or critiscism, right?🙂
Click to expand...

Absolutely Ange, my apologies if I came across as dismissive or aggressive. I read M. de Vries book a few months after diagnosis and his was one of the first that struck me as being quite heavily weighted in favour of his own particular specialism and potentially dangerous if read in isolation.

Certainly, there are many in the 'official' medical world that are equally, if not more, self-serving and you need to be on your toes at all times. I know from having met you and your boys that you would take a very responsible and well-judged view of any claim. My concern sometimes is for those less well-informed who may be despairing of their situation and misled into believing an eloquent, but unproven solution.
 
I would only want to urge extra caution where the treatment is not for oneself. It would be easy for anyone (we're all human) to be biased towards a certain methodology and believe that it is best for our children despite them having no means of informed consent.
Obviously, as Northerner said, you are not in that category and are prepared to sift through both sides to see what's good and what isn't.

I tend to believe that the medical profession as a whole, like the scientific community, form a consensus based on best practices and are mostly in it to give a positive outcome using methods that are tried and tested as being not only effective, but safe and, mostly, cost-effective.

The pharmas do conspire to push their drugs but they are regulated by various authorities who (I hope) keep their greed in check. I don't believe that treatments used 200 or more years ago are going to be any better unless there is evidence from clinical trials. Homeopathy has been shown many times to be ineffective, as has accupuncture recently. But they are available if anyone wishes to try it. I wouldn't judge anyone for trying it as there are lots of things that modern medicine can't treat, so sometimes there is literally nothing to lose and lots to gain.

But, as said, I personally wouldn't seek out alternatives unless I suspected the prescribed treatments were deficient.

Rob
 
Fandange said:
Yes, but not all doctors are in it for the love of mankind, either. Pharmaceutical companies are multi-national corporations that have close connections with govermments, back-handing hospitals and doctors to favour their products.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that the boys have the insulin that they need to live. I am simply investigating other ways of complimenting their treatment. Surely if we take responsibility for our own health by eating and drinking to fuel our bodies in the way that they need, we will be doing the world a favour.

I don't think it is healthy to write something off as quakery any more than I think it is healthy to take as gospel everything you are told by the medical fraternity. Research, discussion, recommendation and instinct are all important.

But we all have the opportunity to make our own decisions without fear of judgement or critiscism, right?🙂
Click to expand...

I found a book by Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) extremely instructive when trying to determine whether the claims of various people deserve any credibility or not. There are plenty of charlatans out there quite eager to prey on the good intentions and instincts of others, unfortunately.

Andy 🙂
 
Andy HB said:
I found a book by Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) extremely instructive when trying to determine whether the claims of various people deserve any credibility or not. There are plenty of charlatans out there quite eager to prey on the good intentions and instincts of others, unfortunately.

Andy 🙂
Click to expand...

I think that Bad Science should be recommended reading for anyone who comes into contact with scientific studies, press reports etc. An excellent book! 🙂
 
Some of his targets have tried or threatened to sue him.

He exposed Gillian McKeith's non-medical qualifications and she was forced to drop the Dr from her title.

Rob
 
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