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Absurd 'Cures' People With Chronic Illnesses Were Told To Try

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Reddit user ProcedureMinute6644 asked: "People with chronic illnesses, what's the most absurd "cure" were you suggested by someone? and did you consider it?"

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Those suffering from a chronic illness often find themselves in over their heads with medication prescribed by their doctors.

Even so, many people add some homeopathic medications that won't be found at a pharmacy, but help them through their day-to-day lives.


While they are well aware that these treatments have no curative or even medicinal powers, they still feel better after using them.

Every now and then, however, someone might actually try to sell them a "cure" for their illness.

Something they'll likely have no interest in adding to their daily meds.

Redditor ProcedureMinute6644 was curious to learn about some of the silliest "cures" pushed on people with chronic illnesses, leading them to ask:

"People with chronic illnesses, what's the most absurd 'cure' were you suggested by someone? and did you consider it?"

Compressions Can Make A Difference...

"I had gout since I was in my early 20s."

"It's not fat or alcohol but hereditary, at the time, and in good shape."

"My father had it, too."

"He sprayed WD40 on his and swore by it."

"I did it because it hurt so bad I figured why not."

"It felt better, but I think it was the cold compressed air."

" Still laugh at that."- Big-Property-6833

Some Prefer Cream And Sugar

"Chronic migraine, was told to rub a lemon slice on my forehead."- amrob22

Um... Definitely Switch Doctors...

"Endometriosis."

"My doctor suggested I get pregnant."

"At 19 years old."- rudepigeon7

Who Does That Sutton Foster GIF by YoungerTV Giphy

Been There, Done That...

"I once had someone tell me that if I went vegan, my Rheumatoid Arthritis would 'go into remission'."

"I had been vegan for about 5 years by that time."- calipithecus

They Serve Their Purpose... This Isn't One Of Them...

"I have osteoarthritis in the lumbar region of my spine."

"The amount of people telling me I should see a chiropractor and get 'adjusted' is crazy."

"I mean, those vertebrae look like a freaking crown in x-ray and you want me to let someone try to crack my back?"

"I'll stick with my physical therapy thank you."- LeftatOrion

An Acquired Taste

"When I told my parents that I started taking antidepressants my dad suggested that I should eat one clove of raw garlic every morning instead."

"Didn't even know what to respond."- 0w3w

garlic cooking GIF Giphy

I Sense... That's Not Going To Work...

"Meditation."

"I have epilepsy."- Prestigious-Syrup836

You Name It, They Tried It...

"I have Type 1 diabetes."

"I've been recommended all sorts of things, including green juice mix, pink(?)."

"Smoothies, 'gut health' vitamins, and what have you."

"No, I have never considered any of them."

"The only thing that works--that has ever worked in the 35 years of my disease,--is daily insulin injections."

"I'm on a pump now that tests my blood glucose and auto-injects insulin when I need it."

"That's pretty snazzy tech."- FortuneTellingBoobs

ALWAYS SEE A DOCTOR FIRST!!!

"Cancer, twice."

"I had an aunt try and convince me on everything from coffee enemas to colloidal silver."

"She got breast cancer and tried all these remedies until it was too late and it spread to the other breast."

"She's now working with my oncologist."- fren2allcheezes

Good Will Only Goes So Far...

"Misdiagnosed with MS, and after 10 years of horrendously expensive, uncomfortable, daily/weekly injections, pills, infusions...found out it wasn't (instead is: Sjogren's Disease + Rheumatoid Arthritis...joy. /s)."

"Anyway: acquaintances, relatives, and colleagues would tell me to 'eat clean', do LOTS of hot yoga (uhmm, xtra bad advice for MS, btw...), check out so-and-so celebrity vitamins (ugh), 'have kids-- it will totally cure the MS!' and to just 'will myself to good health'. Riiiight".- Wrong-Sock1752

Red Hair Wow GIF by CompanyCam Giphy

Sodium? Never Heard Of It...

"Ditch my prescriptions medications (one of which is a hormone my body doesn’t produce enough of) for Himalayan sea salt."- ranch_life_1986

It's Different There... Or Is It?

"I'm celiac and I'd say 50% of the time it's brought up, I get told I should just go to Europe so I can eat gluten there."

"Gluten is gluten no matter where you go."

"I am not going to listen to someone who has zero experience with the disease I live with."- WavyLady

The Odds Of Getting Struck By Lightning...

"The Lightning Process."

"I have severe ME, am predominantly bedbound, and need a wheelchair to go out."

"ME is a complex neuro-immune condition, causing profound fatigue and post exertional malaise - a poisoned, flu like feeling after any activity physical or mental."

"The condition is usually triggered by an infection."

"The Lightning Process charges you hundreds of pounds to tell you it's all caused by negative thinking, and to say 'stop' every time you're experiencing a symptom."

"It basically teaches you to be in denial of a debilitating biological illness."

"And then it recruits its marks to tell others they were cured by it, to get new marks, and more money."

"My brother met one such mark, and introduced us."- veganmua

Lightning Thunder GIF by Tec de Monterrey Giphy

Success Not Guaranteed

"Someone suggested that I could cure my food allergies by going to a special clinic in California that fixes allergies with special tolerance diets."

"It’s really expensive and they only treat under-18s, and when I looked it up the founder was very secretive about his methods and apparently it only works for SOME people."

"I did not go to the clinic."- junkdrawertales

There's Letting It Out... And Then There's...

"Upon my first visit with a new GP, he told me I just needed to get my rage out and then proceeded to kick a trash can."

"For my crippling anxiety disorder."- TreeBranchImpalement

It's fine to partake in healing methods that serve no medical purpose if they put our minds at ease and improve our mental health.

If we're looking for results, however, always take your Doctor's advice.

...Unless their advice is to kick a trash can, in which case it's time to find a new doctor...

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