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Created: January
1999
Jill Osborne
Revised: August 2001, May 2003
Diane
Manhattan- Lopresti
Consumer Protection & Alerts
For many years, IC patients have been subjected to a wide variety of questionable herbal and alternative strategies on the internet and in our local support groups. From distributors eager for new customers to well meaning patients who seek to help others by passing along questionable claims about herbal effectiveness, IC patients must seek to protect themselves by relying on clear, verified medical information.The key is education and understanding that anecdotal information (that received from an individual or those with an interest in selling treatments to you) is the least reliable form of health information to base your personal medical care decisions on. In contrast, information that is balanced and supported by research studies carries less risk and more confidence that claims of safety and effectiveness are reliable. This is called "evidence based medicine."
The strength of evidence from articles, books, websites, email and other sources of information can be rated on a scale developed by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research - http://www.ahcpr.gov/
|
Rating |
Evidence obtained from |
| A to A- (Most Reliable) | One or more randomized controlled trials supporting the claim or statement |
| B to B- | Well-designed controlled research studies supporting the claim |
| C to C- | Less valid research studies, such as comparative, correlational or case studies or the opinion of a single experienced expert. |
| D | An unbiased testimonial that reflects the pros AND cons of any particular approach |
| F (Least Reliable) | Anecdotal information, biased testimonials from patients or manufacturers, back-of-the-magazine", ads and TV infomercials. |
As you gather information on the internet, we encourage you to be wise consumers of your information. Many of the links below, courtesy of Quackwatch.Com provide essential tips on how to recognize quacks, as well as an independent analysis of some strategies previously mentioned in the IC community, such as colloidal silver, aloe, blue green algae, silver amalgam fillings and more. Despite someones best intentions of offering you hope and encouragement, they may also be offering you advice which is potentially dangerous to your health. Be skeptical!
IC Related Quckery Claims
- Acupuncture,
Qigong, and "Chinese Medicine" - Stephen Barrett, M.D.
- Colloidal
Mineral Supplements - Unnecessary and Potentially Hazardous -
James Pontolillo
- Colloidal
Silver: Risk Without Benefit - Stephen Barrett,
M.D.
Colloidal silver is a suspension of submicroscopic metallic silver particles in a colloidal base. Long-term use of silver preparations can lead to argyria, a condition in which silver salts deposit in the skin, eyes, and internal organs, and the skin turns ashen-gray. Many cases of argyria occurred during the pre-antibiotic era when silver was a common ingredient in nosedrops. When the cause became apparent, doctors stopped recommending their use, and reputable manufacturers stopped producing them. The official drug guidebooks (United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary) have not listed colloidal silver products since 1975.
- Rosemary's
Story - A Victim of Colloidal Silver
- Gastrointestinal
Quackery: Colonics, Laxatives, and More - Stephen Barrett,
M.D.
- Detoxification"
with Pills and Fasting - Frances M. Berg, MS
- Dietary
Supplements, Herbs, and Hormones
- Blue
Green Algae: False Claims and Hype
- The
Herbal Minefield - Stephen Barrett, M.D.
- Some
Notes on Aloe Vera - Beth Lulinski, R.D., Cathy Kapica, Ph.D.,
R.D.
- Index
to "Fad" Diagnoses - Stephen Barrett, M.D.
- The
Mercury Amalgam Scam - Stephen Barrett, M.D.
- Dubious
"Yeast Allergies" - Stephen Barrett, M.D.
- Don't
Trust Advice from Health-Food Retailers!
Related Organizations & Web Sites
- QuackWatch.Com
- Health Care Reality Check
Online
- National Council Against Health
Fraud, Inc.
- Online
Scams - A Message from the Federal Trade Commission
Understanding Quackery
- Health
Freedom - William T. Jarvis, Ph.D. & Stephen Barrett,
M.D
Quacks use the concept of "health freedom" to divert attention away from themselves and toward victims of disease with whom we are naturally sympathetic. "These poor folks should have the freedom to choose whatever treatments they want," cry the quacks -- with crocodile tears. They want us to overlook two things. First, no one wants to be cheated, especially in matters of life and health. Victims of disease do not demand quack treatments because they want to exercise their "rights," but because they have been deceived into thinking that they offer hope. Second, the laws against worthless nostrums are not directed against the victims of disease but at the promoters who attempt to exploit them. - Be Wary of "Alternative" Health Methods by Stephen Barrett, MD
- "How
Quackery Sells" - William T. Jarvis, Ph.D. & Stephen
Barrett, M.D.
Modern health quacks are supersalesmen. They play on fear. They cater to hope. And once they have you, they'll keep you coming back for more . . . and more . . . and more. Seldom do their victims realize how often or how skillfully they are cheated. Does the mother who feels good as she hands her child a vitamin think to ask herself whether he really needs it? Do subscribers to "health food" publications realize that articles are slanted to stimulate business for their advertisers? Not usually. - The National Council Against Health Fraud's Task Force on Victim Redress helps victims of quackery obtain the competent legal assistance they need. It also serves attorneys as a clearinghouse for information on the latest frauds and the experts who can help them prove their cases. Help is also be available to insurance companies and law enforcement agencies.
- Twenty-Five
Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers - Stephen Barrett, M.D.
& Victor Herbert, M.D., J.D.
How can food quacks and other vitamin pushers be recognized? Here are 25 signs that should arouse suspicion. - More
Ploys That May Fool You - Stephen Barrett, M.D. & Victor
Herbert, M.D., J.D.
"Alternative"" promoters are reaching people emotionally. What sells is not the quality of their products, but the ability to influence their audience. Their basic strategies are to promise the moon and knock the "competition." To one and all, they promise better health and a longer life. They offer solutions for virtually every health problem, including some they have invented. To those in pain, they promise relief. To the incurable, they offer hope. To the nutrition-conscious, they say, "Make sure you have enough." To a public worried about pollution, they say, "Buy natural." For ailments amenable to scientific health care, they offer "safer nontoxic alternatives." And they have an arsenal of ploys for defending themselves against criticism. To gain your allegiance it is not necessary to persuade you that all of the statements below are true. Just one may be enough to hook you. - Considering alternative therapies - National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine
- Testimony
against the Access to Medical Treatment Act (H.R. 746)
Should consumers, especially those with a serious or life threatening illness, have the right to any drug or alternative medicine even though it has not been proven safe and effective and approved by the Food and Drug Administration? Let me tell a story of what could happen if that were the case. In this age of media hype, it is plausible that literally millions of Americans could be persuaded to take a pill every day that they hoped would prevent cancer -- especially if it included some natural ingredient or a vitamin. - Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked - Stephen Barrett, M.D.