/r/badmedicine

Photograph via snooOG

This is a subreddit to post and discuss examples of outrageous misinformation and misconceptions about medicine, on Reddit and in the media.

  • Is the CDC hiding the fact that Ebola is airborne and about to wipe out 90% of the human race?

  • Are vaccines a conspiracy by Big Pharma and The Illuminati to turn us into sterile, autistic, mind-controlled slaves?

  • Could that cancer be easily cured by a combination of lemon juice, positive thinking and staring at rainbows?

  • Do these questions make you want to tear your hair out and scream in frustration?

  • Welcome to BadMedicine, a subreddit to post and discuss examples of outrageous misinformation and misconceptions about medicine, on Reddit and in the media.

    Badcademics Association Member

    Rule 1: No voting in linked threads.

    Rule 1a: If posting reddit threads/comments use np.reddit.com in the link or (better still) use the RedditLog tool to link to an archived version. This will also prevent content being removed/edited later.

    Rule 2: No personal medical advice/stories. Requests for personal medical advice or accounts of experiences of medical problems or treatment by yourself, friends or relatives will be removed. Try /r/AskDocs or see a doctor.

    Rule 3: You must include an explanation of why the post is an example of bad medicine, either in the post or in a comment. Your post may be removed if this is not done.

    Rule 4: No abusive or bigoted behaviour will be tolerated. Users may be banned without warning for violating this rule.

    This is a subreddit for lighthearted discussion and mockery. For more serious discussion of medical misconceptions, pseudoscience and scams visit our sister subreddit: /r/HealthySkepticism.

    Other related subs:

    /r/badmedicine

    529 Subscribers

    0

    Don’t use Tamiflu

    Here’s my story. While Tamiflu does list skin issues as a side effect that is the only information given. How sever or is it long term or treatment? No information on that. I developed what my derm calls dermatitis a little while after taking tamiflu. Skin issues or eczema does not run in my family. I’ve never had any skin issues prior. It’s been over 6 years I have been suffering now and it is debilitating!!!! My entire body, the skin is so inflamed, that everything and anything touching my skin makes it burn and itch! Imagine falling into a pile of cactus or like you have paper cuts all over your body!! It itches but also burns. That soft loose thread in your clothes, well for me it feels like a sharp needle poking at me. I can’t shower too often bc it makes it worse. I can’t wear pants anymore, skirts only. Oh and the solution? Allergy meds to lower my histamine. It works. But now I have to take allergy meds daily or suffer daily. All because I took tamiflu one time. I’m so angry. I wake up often scratching myself. I have to always take time to put lotion all over me. Sticky lotion. I’ve had to change my soap my detergent the material of my clothes bc of this. Don’t take tamiflu it’s not worth the risk. And I’m very healthy with no medical issues. In fact both my pcp and derm ran hundreds of tests to rule out various diseases and illnesses and they found nothing. It hasn’t gotten any better other than I am able to take showers every few days now as I learned I need to blast cold water and stand shivering under it. It’s ruined my life. On another note it has been found that it causes hallucinations, self harm, and suicides. In fact Japan banned it back in 2007 when kids started jumping out of windows and other suicidal acts. Yet it’s still on our shelves. Sigh.

    3 Comments
    2023/01/12
    07:01 UTC

    1

    Unusual Urges

    1 Comment
    2022/05/10
    19:59 UTC

    1

    [COMEDY VIDEO] Mad Portraits: Gwyneth Paltrow, the Goddess of Woo (AKA I Accidentally Made a Sleep Paralysis Demon)

    Hey all! I thought I'd post this here, IDK if anyone is interested.... but it is a video I just made making fun of Gwyneth Paltrow and her stupid 'medicine' peddled by goop... I didn't know if this would be a good place to put it, but I thought it would fit. Hope you enjoy!

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=-lbpQMqXab0&feature=youtu.be

    0 Comments
    2020/03/10
    03:07 UTC

    1

    Please tell me this medical advice is a joke 😂

    0 Comments
    2020/02/21
    03:46 UTC

    2

    You went to school for what...

    Not really a medical professional yet, about to get my CVA, but I know the basics.

    Aunt has breast cancer, pretty bad. Golf ball sized lumps in both breasts. She elects to have a double mastectomy. They do the tissue fillers and stuff and after she comes home she has to take off work due to fever and pain in her left breast. She goes to her oncologist, but the oncologist refuses to see her cause he’s too busy so she sees the NP. The NP examines her and looks at her and says “I think you have mastitis”

    1 Comment
    2019/12/28
    18:30 UTC

    5

    Medical Medium is going to get someone killed.

    The author is crazy and reccommeds that individual listen to his diet, ignore what science tells us and possibly stop taking meds.

    1 Comment
    2019/12/27
    02:10 UTC

    3

    [Video] Inside the Fake Science Factory - Predatory conferences, publishers and "scientists"

    1 Comment
    2019/12/26
    18:47 UTC

    6

    My Old Doctor Doesn't Know How The NHS Works... Strong Language.

    I went to my doctor to ask for an Autism assessment and her words to me where 'The NHS do not do assessments for that... A university will have to do it' which is complete bollocks. She also said, and I quote, "You look normal" like, how the fuck am I supposed to look?

    The NICE guidelines have how an assessment works in it woman! Seriously!

    9 Comments
    2019/03/11
    14:18 UTC

    8

    Lie to your doctor in order to get hormones and sex reassignment surgery!

    2 Comments
    2018/08/29
    06:37 UTC

    4

    Why is no one talking about Jillian Epperly?

    She's got this..."concoction" containing water, salt, and moldy cabbage. She is telling people to drink a gallon of it a day, and she's ACTUALLY convincing people that it's healthy for them. Not just healthy, she's claimed it can grow back limbs, cure cancer, EVEN turn you straight if you're LGBT!! Epperly has a cult-like following, is under investigation by the Ohio Attorney General, and has a Dr. Phil episode filmed and should be out soon. People have DIED on her so-called protocol. I'm surprised there's next to nothing on Reddit about this.

    4 Comments
    2018/05/15
    10:41 UTC

    2

    Testosterone has no effect on personality or strength, just boobs.

    1 Comment
    2018/04/30
    20:28 UTC

    6

    Idiot doctors

    4 Comments
    2016/04/10
    20:47 UTC

    12

    "ebola is as life threatening as chicken pox"

    5 Comments
    2015/02/18
    23:19 UTC

    11

    "Those were real doctors, not psychiatrists."

    6 Comments
    2014/12/07
    03:06 UTC

    8

    Turns out we've had a cure for cancer all along.

    3 Comments
    2014/11/08
    07:06 UTC

    7

    Crosspost to r/CollectYourNobelPrize for extra shaming!

    When you see a "science discovery" or post, that if true, would be an automatic Nobel Prize?

    r/CollectYourNobelPrize is just that. Lax rules, shoddy moderation, plenty of shame for those whose articles you post.

    2 Comments
    2014/10/30
    05:14 UTC

    13

    A whole TIL thread on ADHD. The inevitable occurs. (X-post from /r/badpsychology)

    ADHD was inveted by american pharmaceutical companies to sell Ritalin.

    The amount of people who use adhd as an excuse for their bad parenting is unreal.

    Childhood behavior transformed in a way to make money for big pharma.

    Funny how this disorder is almost never diagnosed outside of the US, but more than 1 in 10 American kids have it. Perhaps you should examine the relationship of medical practitioners and pharmaceutical companies a little more closely.

    Ever noticed, that the further you get away from Western culture, the less cases of ADHD you get, until there are practically none ? You want to know what I think caused kids to start getting ADHD ? Taking away the leather belt and wooden spoon. That, and Dr Phil and the pharmaceutical industry. Just dope your kids up to the eyeballs with psychoactive drugs they give axe wielding maniacs in mental institutions for the criminally insane, and go watch Dr Phil for some advice on parenting. ADHD is a load of bullshit.

    ADHD isn't real

    Whenever someone describes to me the symptoms they experience as a result of ADHD all I can think is, "oh you mean normalcy?"

    I really don't understand how ADHD is a 'disorder'. If a kid is hyper or just disorganized, how is that a mental problem? Sounds like that's just who they are. Nothing wrong with it. Is this just an excuse to take some pills?

    I've never in my life seen or heard about a girl with ADHD. Is this just a coincidence or is ADHD less common among woman?

    What a total load of bullshit. Nothing more than a scam to get our children hooked on legal amphetamine. It's interesting that ADHD started to be diagnosed in droves about the same time diet pills with amphetamine, which were insanely popular, became illegal in the 1970s.

    =-=-=-=

    Explanation:

    ADHD is very real independent of any problems of diagnosis or public perception associated with it. Most of the stuff presented here lacks the sort of evidence that psychologists and neuroscientists have gathered in studied on the condition and the ways it manifests, is outright conspiracy theory, or reliant entirely upon personal prejudices or anecdotal evidence that doesn't belong in any serious discussion on the condition.

    This comes up in /r/badpsychology a lot, so I'm not sure how much more explanation it requires.

    http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml

    http://www.reddit.com/r/BadSocialScience/comments/2i73fc/so_apparently_add_adhd_aspergers_dyslexia_bipolar/

    http://np.reddit.com/r/badpsychology/comments/2i7k3b/in_which_aspergers_add_bipolar_dyslexia_and_more/

    http://np.reddit.com/r/badpsychology/comments/2gu92z/ugh_adhd_in_children_no_just_no_they_are_children/

    http://np.reddit.com/r/badpsychology/comments/2cv9dn/adhd_dont_real/

    http://np.reddit.com/r/badpsychology/comments/25v64s/terpers_claims_that_adhd_is_a_not_real_disorder/

    3 Comments
    2014/10/21
    19:40 UTC

    Back To Top