GIVING OUT INFORMATION

[Robinredbreast]

To all members

When giving out ANY information regarding diabetes, whether it's medication, foods or from your own personal experience. please ensure that you check and check again that the information you have posted is correct. As giving out misleading information or quotes (unintentionally) could put another diabetic in real danger. If in doubt, don't post.

Thank you

RRB

 

[wiflib]

So what do you suggest we post about then? We are all free to post whatever we want to and it's up to the reader to decide if what they read is valid or not.

 

[carty]

I agree with wiflib unless we put a disclaimer that we are not medically qualified to answer any question or give any advice then we cant really post
CAROL

 

[Robinredbreast]

So what do you suggest we post about then? We are all free to post whatever we want to and it's up to the reader to decide if what they read is valid or not.

Some diabetics can be in a bit of a confused. stressed or in an extremely worried state when newly diagnosed. As you can read from my post it's just a reminder to try and check and check again and no, members cannot just post what they like if the information is incorrect, misleading, inflammatory or even possibly dangerous. We are ALL here to try and help and support.

I know what is valid or not, as a long term diabetic, many may not.

Kind regards RRB

 

[hale710]

RRB isn't saying you can't offer advice, she's just requesting that we be sure what we are saying is correct before posting. It is good practise to add that you're not medically qualified also just as a reminder to the reader!

Particularly in the case of medication/insulin doses!

 

[Andy12345]

Lol this is too funny, the medical profession can't agree on anything, how would we check what's right? Wouldn't it depend on our source? For example... If we are researching advice on food... We can only advise carbs? Because that's what the doctor told me? Medication... Statins are perfectly safe... Doctor told me, testing bloods? Nah no need... Dsn told me, why bother having a forum, we just need an nhs leaflet, or am I missing something?


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[carty]

Where would we get the information validated before we posted because as Andy says no one agrees anyway and if we posted that this way etc works for us it could still be inapropriate for some ?
CAROL

 

[Kat100]

Interesting.....correct information is the right way to go...
However I do keep an open mind on anything I read, then I decide what is best for me......
When I joined this site I found it very conflicting and strong opinions from some....were a problem for me...
I am new with less than one years experience of being a diabetic...so it is hard to grasp all the correct information what ever that maybe....
The good thing about this site is support given to others and for me a sense of belonging....
Best wishes Kat

 

[Andy12345]

I get frustrated by the conflicting information, because when I was diagnosed I didn't want 20 different ways to eat for example, I just needed someone to tell me how to stay alive, low carbing for example, I believe in it so encourage newly diagnosed folks to try it because it worked for me, then 74 other posters will have there own way of doing what they do, now the newbie doesn't know which way to turn, I'm not necessarily right by any means, we all think we are, so what does the newbie do? It adds to the confusion, I have no idea what the answer is but I do know there is not correct information just opinions and experiences, so what now?


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[Unbeliever]

All we can say is -this worked for me -try it. Especially if the official advice is NOT working. Very often the patient doesn't know where to turn and can be acccused of non compliance because medical treatment is not working.

Regardig statins for example, three doctors in my practice disagreed abou whether I should coninue taking them or not.
In the hospuital a further pair disagreed. Should I toss a coin?

When diagnosed as I didn't need to lose weight a GI diet was recommended to me. I had been usig a GI diet for years so it was no longer working for me. That was all the dietary advice i received, Metformin had horrible side effects for me so I was advised to eat MORE carbs. Strangely[?][ my bg levels started to rise.[amazing] I was then put on all sorts of drugs which had no effect so I was accused of non-compliance. Then finally ,one of the drugs caused me to have a massive retinal bleed for which i am sill receiving treatment six years later.

Amazingly , I then lost all faith in tthe advice I had received and came here looking for answers. A Moderator suggested reducing carbs . My Hba1C fell by about 5 points almost immediately. Didn't do much for the reinopathy etc but thats another story.

We all wish very much that the medical advice for T2s reflected what we often have to discover for ourselves . This forum as well as catering for the newly diagnosed also exists ,and is very successful at, helping those who are not , at present, helped much by the NHS. I would suggest RRB ,that it might be helpful to put up large general disclaimers on the Board if you are worried about this issue. All we are doing is stating our own opinions to help others for whom the official advice often doesn't work.

 

[tonyS54]

People make mistakes it will always be the same on any forum, this is a platform for diabetics not a health professionals convention and lets face it they are prone to the odd gaffe or two.

 

[mo1905]

I agree with RRB's good intentions but on a public forum you can run the risk of putting people off posting at all. As many previous posters have rightly said, we're not doctors and not legally qualified to give medical advice. Having said that, 99% of my diabetic knowledge has been gained from asking questions here and reading. I would rather someone offer me a possible solution to a problem than to get no reply at all.


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[Daibell]

The problem is knowing what is 'correct'. We should as far as possible ensure that any information we provide has at least some scientific basis or indicate that it is what worked for ourselves with any relevant caveats. As the NHS, for example, provides diabetes guidance often which is not evidence-based then our postings may be just as valid although I hope based on real experience and some science. We certainly need to avoid anything that risks ill-health or worse. How is it , for example, that the NHS can sometimes advise T2s to have carbs with each meal when I was given a carb counting leaflet by my DN when I went onto insulin quite correctly indicating that it's carbs that raise blood sugar. Which advice is correct? The one based on measured science of course i.e. carbs raise blood sugar and not advice based on invalid 'facts' passed down thru health professionals who don't check that what they say is 'correct'. So, in summary let's be as correct as we can based on our collective experience.

 

[izzzi]

I think a Forum Moderator is more than justified to give us all a simple reminder to ensure that we double check what is written.
There is such a mess with various units and measures these days and all kinds of different diets which does cause confusion.

Robinredbreast has asked us to make sure what we have written is correct, surely that's good for the forum.

No individual can legally disclaim what they have written once they have sent.

 

[Kat100]

Theory to practice links which may effect us all is so hard because we all have our own ways of coping.....and trying.....there is so much evidence for and against most theories......so difficult to get it right.....

 

[fatbird]

I agree with RRB's good intentions but on a public forum you can run the risk of putting people off posting at all. As many previous posters have rightly said, we're not doctors and not legally qualified to give medical advice. Having said that, 99% of my diabetic knowledge has been gained from asking questions here and reading. I would rather someone offer me a possible solution to a problem than to get no reply at all.

If Doctors and diabetes nurses got it right we would not need diabetes forums.

 

[SamJB]

Am I missing something? Are we, or is an individual, being told off because of a particular incident?

 

[mo1905]

Not sure Sam. I'd hope it was generic and not a particular incident.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Andy12345]

someone counted the carbs in weetabix wrong lol :crazy:

 

[wiflib]

Out of all the fighting, loving, rudeness, nastiness, trolling and advice I have seen over the years, this really does take the biscuit. Let's all be sycophantic creeps and offer wishy washy threads and advice form now on, just in case someone gets a bit confused. Anyone would think this place is the pinnacle of information and knowledge the diabetes world, full of people who have the answers. Sheesh, nothing like placing oneself on a pedestal.

What we are left with is the oft used phrase 'what works for you' and a myriad of advice on diets and drug administration that means diddly squat, unless the reader bothers to take responsibility for what they re reading. If any diabetic using insulin shot up according to a slight miscalculation on here by another member, then they deserve all they get for being so utterly stupid as to not taking control of their own condition.

This is officially the very first flounce I have ever done and I'm doing it with as much hair flicking as I can but before I go I want to say a big thank you to Fergus, Eddie, Trinkwasser, Hana and all those I have forgotten in my rage at audacity of the OP to silence the people that actually post helpful and useful information. How dare you.

I have for years said that diabetes was the best thing that ever happened to me but it wasn't. It was coming here and wading through a plethora of posters opinions of what worked and what didn't. I shall say it again; I am eight stones lighter, have an HbA1c of 4.6 yes, you read that right, 4.6 on one metformin a day (it gives me little else but free prescriptions) and a blood lipid profile LOWER than the lowest range as advised by NICE, and I do it all by chowing down on animal fats, protein and veggies. I learned that HERE by engaging my brain and not blindly accepting everything that's written on the net.

That's all folks!