Was wondering if there was a place to talk about a few specific things on here.

nesf

Just thought I'd run this past a few people here before I go off and post something unsuitable somewhere

I was wondering if there really was a place on boards to talk about:

medications: the benifits of them, their side-effects, and peoples experiences with them. Obviously I have specific drugs I'd like to talk about, but I don't want to step on any toes, especially with regard to the whole staying well away from medical issues on quite a few of the boards here.

alternative therapies: especially with regard to complimentary therapies to be used in conjunction with medication. There is also quite alot of overlap with the above, in that these therapies can sometimes be used to alieviate side-effects and the such.


Are these topics ok to discuss on say the biology/medicine board? Or are they a no-go for this site? Am just really curious to be honest, I'm not dying with a need to talk about this stuff.

Is something like this better left to a blog do you think?

billy the squid

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=392
Biology Medicine

might want to make sure that what you wish to discuss is covered in the Charter though

Amz

Billy he asked if it was ok to discuss it on the Biology/Medicine forum indicating that he's aware of its existance.

billy the squid

sorry was distracted here while reading that and missed a line.

nesf

billy the squid wrote:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=392
Biology Medicine

might want to make sure that what you wish to discuss is covered in the Charter though

You know, I don't see any other way to take that except as an insult.

But I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant that way. So no biggie.

billy the squid

no one is out to insult anyone. well not me anyway. and I apologise if it looked that way.

anyway, having read the charter it would seem the above mentioned forum may not suit your needs.

nesf

billy the squid wrote:

no one is out to insult anyone. well not me anyway. and I apologise if it looked that way.

anyway, having read the charter it would seem the above mentioned forum may not suit your needs.

Yeah I'm sorry mate, have had a bad day, and am a bit on edge because of it. No harm done

As for the charter yeah, I read it quite closely before deciding to post this here. I really can't see a place to post about the topics in question on here, and I was wondering if they were topics that shouldn't be discussed on here, or that they just weren't catered for.

The lack of an alternative therapies board is both sensible and upsetting to me. I can see the reasons why there wouldn't be one, but as someone who has an active interest in massage therapy, I'd like to have a forum like that.

Anyways, sorry for reacting so extremely to what was obviously meant as a helpful comment. Again, it's been a bad day.

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

Gilgamesh

Nesf you might be better discussing those kind of topics at http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/, as they also have medical advisors moderating the forums there.
just a thought

WhiteWashMan

nothing wrong with asking a question.
after all, the stupidist question is the one that is not asked.

The Corinthian

WhiteWashMan wrote:

nothing wrong with asking a question.
after all, the stupidist question is the one that is not asked.

No, trust me, there are dumber ones. PI specializes in them.

As to nesf's query; do you really think it wise to seek medical consultation on an Internet bulletin board? I came across one prise idiot claiming that you'll always make money on property and advising the OP to jump into the market and buy, so I'd shudder to think what advice you'll get from the would-be doctors on Boards.

nesf

The Corinthian wrote:

No, trust me, there are dumber ones. PI specializes in them.

As to nesf's query; do you really think it wise to seek medical consultation on an Internet bulletin board? I came across one prise idiot claiming that you'll always make money on property and advising the OP to jump into the market and buy, so I'd shudder to think what advice you'll get from the would-be doctors on Boards.

Medical consultation? No mate, I've a psychaitrist and a consultant for that. I am not going to come on here and ask "Do you guys think I should keep taking my drugs?". Although yes, I can imagine the would-be doctors' advice on that and yeah I can imagine it would be scary. The important thing that would be happening would be: I would never come on here and look for a diagnosis. In fact, even though I involve myself in alot of my treatment, I avoid the trap that is self-diagnosis too. I have medical professionals to diagnose anything that might be wrong. Same with prescription, even though my psychiatrists and doctors talk at lenght to me about the potential choices of drugs (I have a good enough knowledge of pharmacology and particular drugs to take some part in this), and yes while they would ask my opinion on a drug or whatever, in the end of the day, the choice is made by them not me. This is comforting to me, since while yes I know a fair bit about medication and the like, I am not a trained professional and wouldn't like to have the deciding vote in my treatment. I like for my opinion to be taken on board, but I won't refuse to take different advice.

So no, I'm not looking for medical consultation here. But I do appreciate the very very thin line between what I'm talking about and it. Thus why I decided to ask the question first on here, rather than post it on a forum that I thought would befit it.

I was asking whether there was a place on here where I could talk about what life is like on long term medication, be it for any illness. It is not an uncommon thing and not a few people go through it on a daily basis. Living with the drugs is not exactly easy, the side effects are many, but being able to share experiences with others has definitely made it easier for me. Knowing that you are not alone helps.

As for alternative therapies, to be used in a complimentary role, as opposed to a replacement role, are not something that require medical consultation. I've ran this one past many doctors, and they have told me that so long as I'm still following their medical advice and not deisregarding it, then alternative therapies can only be a good idea. At worst they leave the situation unchanged. This obviously apples to therapies such as reflexology, acupuncture, acupressure, shiatsu, and the like. And NOT to therapies which advocate the taking of "drugs" (I don't care if they are "all-natural" they are still drugs m'kay) such as St. John's Wort. and the like.

See I don't consider the questions I want to ask medical consultation, but they are close enough to the line to make me stop and ask here first.

Thoughts?

nesf

Gilgamesh wrote:

Nesf you might be better discussing those kind of topics at http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/, as they also have medical advisors moderating the forums there.
just a thought

If I was asking something that I felt I needs a medical opinion, to be honest about it, I wouldn't ask on the internet.

I have doctors to do that with.

Just because someone has MD after their name does not make them correct about things, I have to be picky about my doctors, ie use specialists, because to be blunt about it, a GP doesn't know **** about the dosages I'm on and the therapies on.

The exact wording of my GP when I went in for a repeat prescription when I was between psychiatrists

"You're on a very high dose there. Um. Look I'm not going to touch it with a ten foot barge pole, I'm going to talk to a few people I know and try and speed up your referral to a new psychiatrist."

WhiteWashMan

i think ever forum should have a charter that reads 'we are not professionals, and nor is the advice you receive on this forum'

and you should make sure that any advice is 'experience or opinion' only, and not put forward as stated medical fact.

after all, if someone has trouble sleeping and somone suggests that they used xyz to get rest and it worked, then i dont see why that should be moderateed, edited, locked or deleted.
i think the people dont need protecting to the point where all moderators are doing is locking each thread because there is some close shave with a medical prescritpion or a fiotness regieme.

personally, i think there should be a disclaimer at sign up that states that you understand that while advice is given out and opnions held by people, when it comes to medical, health or sanity issues, go to a doctor, preofessional whatever. anything here is simply personal experience, 2nd hand experience, advice and opinion, and as such, should be treated as such.


actually, i think thats a very good idea.

nesf

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i think ever forum should have a charter that reads 'we are not professionals, and nor is the advice you receive on this forum'

and you should make sure that any advice is 'experience or opinion' only, and not put forward as stated medical fact.

after all, if someone has trouble sleeping and somone suggests that they used xyz to get rest and it worked, then i dont see why that should be moderateed, edited, locked or deleted.
i think the people dont need protecting to the point where all moderators are doing is locking each thread because there is some close shave with a medical prescritpion or a fiotness regieme.

personally, i think there should be a disclaimer at sign up that states that you understand that while advice is given out and opnions held by people, when it comes to medical, health or sanity issues, go to a doctor, preofessional whatever. anything here is simply personal experience, 2nd hand experience, advice and opinion, and as such, should be treated as such.


actually, i think thats a very good idea.

I agree, to a large extent with you. The sharing of opinion and experience on problems is a natural response of people. I'm sure everybody here has chatted to someone about an illness they both had and how they found the medical treatment, and about what they did themselves to help themselves.

That said, people in groups are idiots. There will always be one fool who throws away his cholesterol medication because he read that putting your bed facing north is a more effective way to decrease your cholesterol.

It's not so much the intellegent, aware posters that are protected by the no medical discussion rules but the small minority of idiots. There is nothing stopping two intellegent and knowledgeable posters discussing any topic via PM.

I really see the problem as being, not that a poster is trying to give medical advice, most of the time they are not. But some ****wit who disregards the warning about advice being opinion and not medical or professional opinion, and who goes off and hurts themself, and then trys to sue this site (if they can figure out how thats done). I'm pretty sure that such a suit would not be sucessful since the site has never made itself out to be a source of medical and professional opinion. But it would be a headache.

Maybe have a disclaimer upon joining the site saying,

"If I am stupid enough to take advice or posts on here as constituting medical or professional advice in any area, then I fully accept that I am an idiot and deserve what comes to me"

WhiteWashMan

i preferred the way i said tbh....

TerrorFirmer

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i think ever forum should have a charter that reads 'we are not professionals, and nor is the advice you receive on this forum'

and you should make sure that any advice is 'experience or opinion' only, and not put forward as stated medical fact.

after all, if someone has trouble sleeping and somone suggests that they used xyz to get rest and it worked, then i dont see why that should be moderateed, edited, locked or deleted.
i think the people dont need protecting to the point where all moderators are doing is locking each thread because there is some close shave with a medical prescritpion or a fiotness regieme.

personally, i think there should be a disclaimer at sign up that states that you understand that while advice is given out and opnions held by people, when it comes to medical, health or sanity issues, go to a doctor, preofessional whatever. anything here is simply personal experience, 2nd hand experience, advice and opinion, and as such, should be treated as such.


actually, i think thats a very good idea.

Makes sense, good call.

nesf

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i preferred the way i said tbh....

Yeah so do I

I bow to your superior eloquence

stevenmu

I suppose the discussion of some alternative therapies would be on-topic in the Spirituality Forum. Certainly discussing the ins and outs of a particular type of therapy, what's involved, how it works etc would be ok. Asking for recommendations for people who practices xyz would probably be ok too. I wouldn't be too happy about people asking how to treat particular problems though, unless an Admin were to ok it, I think we'd pretty much have to delete it for ass-covering purposes.

Sleepy

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i preferred the way i said tbh....

Nah, I think nesf said it better tbh:

nesf wrote:

Maybe have a disclaimer upon joining the site saying,

"If I am stupid enough to take advice or posts on here as constituting medical or professional advice in any area, then I fully accept that I am an idiot and deserve what comes to me"

One thing I think would be a very useful hack if it was possible would be a charter mod that would force users to read the charter when first entering a new forum. It doesn't seem that difficult a thing to code to me but my knowledge of coding is extremely limited tbh. I'm sure most Mods would absolutely love this feature if Cloud wanted some suggestions for the latest "Cloud 9" mod .