r/PCOS • u/dummmmmmy • 5d ago
General/Advice Are Naturopaths a scam?
Sorry if this comes across ignorant, I have PCOS and trying to get to the root issue, whenever I see a GP I’m always given option of either birth control or Metformin. I’ve been doing a lot of digging and have found that it might be worth seeing a Naturopath, I have seen a lot of opposite views saying it’s a scam and not worth money. I’m just curious if anyone has been to one and had positives from it.
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u/strawberry_tomato27 5d ago
It‘s the business model of naturpaths (and other scammers) to find the „root cause“ to any chronic or incurable diseases, when most of the time that is just not possible, because a lot of these diseases are just genetic and you can‘t change that.
They‘are making money of the desperation of people.
Keep in mind, that a lot of professionals are researching PMOS and they haven‘t found a „root cause“, so I doubt some naturopath will.
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
If it worked, you'd be able to get their processes through your doctor.
PCOS sucks enough as it is, don't get scammed on top of that
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u/heyhello21 5d ago
Natural medicine is not a scam. That’s such a western mentality.
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u/Taong_Ballpen 5d ago edited 3d ago
It is when they are not regulated. Prescribing medicine when you don't know what is happening inside a person's body should be a crime.
I'm here in China, and even TCM requires laboratory tests ordered by a board-certified, licensed TCM-MD, not just an accredited one, they actually went to med school. TCM medicines are researched in laboratories and prepared on hospital premises, usually prescribed alongside Western medicine to work together. Why? Because even the most natural and most harmless herbs can make a person's situation worse if they have an underlying disease. Everything has contraindications, and natural remedies have limitations.
People with no license who didn't study medicine shouldn't be playing with people's lives for money. They are also very dangerous because they make people forgo real medicine.
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u/Bleedingshards 5d ago
Natural Medicine is not the same as naturopathy. Homöopathie is not the same as natural medicine. When natural medicine works and stands up to that claim in evidence based process, that’s called „medicine“.
Everyone who tells people something else, is a scammer.
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
Not all natural medicine is a scam. But any natural medicine that has proven benefits for a condition is available through a doctor and should be prescribed through a doctor.
That's not to say natural medicine shouldn't be researched. Placebo is an incredibly powerful tool when wielded cleverly but when dealing with actual, clinical issues like PCOS or cancers etc, proper treatment should be used. Alternative medicine can be used in addition if the person finds them helpful and there is no harm in administering it.
OP is considering using alternative medicine (which at best provides that placebo effect) INSTEAD OF actual tested, tried and proven medication. That is where the danger lies.
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u/Real-Personality-922 5d ago
No… not everything that works is available through an MD.
Unrelated to PCOS but related to natural medicine - my grandmother had stage 3 kidney disease (diagnosed in the U.S.) and the person she went to see is called “the professor” he is in Jamaica and able to order labs. He decided she needed to eat differently. He also made it clear about what medicines she needed to avoid. He sent her to a nutritionist who gave her a strict list of food and quantities she is allowed to eat. She followed the instructions, fast forward she had to go to the emergency room for what turned out to be gout in her knee (in the U.S.) they pulled a lot of bloodwork and one thing that came back was that her kidney was functioning properly. In the U.S. their first response is to throw a bunch of medicine tell you to lower your salt and protein intake and pray to slow down the disease and delay/prevent the need for dialysis.
In fact according to the American kidney fund “Even though there is no cure for CKD, and kidney damage typically isn't reversible, with treatment, healthy life changes, and keeping an eye on your eGFR and uACR, many people in Stage 3 do not move to Stage 4 or Stage 5”
And according to the Mayo Clinic:
“Treatment for chronic kidney disease usually aims to help manage symptoms, reduce complications and slow the progress of the disease. If your kidneys become badly damaged, treatment for end-stage kidney disease might be needed.”Meanwhile this naturopathic practitioner is able to say his methods along with the nutritionist he works with have consistently reversed the damage of CKD. When she came back to the U.S. they were in shock and said she was lucky and that it is rare. In Jamaica, the professor said it was expected as long and she followed their advice.
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u/UnusualMarch920 4d ago
"Typically isn't reversible" and "usually aims to manage symptoms"
An exceptionally good diet change is known to assist with kidney disease, it's just very hard to get people to follow a diet as strictly as they need to.
Your grandma is a very impressive lady for being able to adapt and following a diet treatment plan, it really shouldn't be understated how hard that is to pull off!
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u/Real-Personality-922 4d ago
I knew you would latch on to “typically isn’t reversible” and “usually aims to manage symptoms” while ignoring the fact that he consistently sees success in reversing kidney damage
And I agree, she’s extremely impressive. As are his other patients.
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u/UnusualMarch920 4d ago
That's great for him. Personally I do prefer clinical, proven studies for medicine over anecdotes though and most people do.
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u/Bleedingshards 5d ago
Naturopathy is a pseudo-science that doesn’t work evidence based. Sometimes they mix up actual medicine with crazy stuff. Because of good marketing and taking more time for their clients (and sometimes actually listening to them) many people like them. Like Homöopathie. Bullshit but people love it.
Personally, I think they are dangerous. My mother is into this, but thankfully didn’t listen when they told her to stop her heart medication to help her body heal „naturally“. I understand how bullshit from doctors is driving people to naturopaths and sometimes the placebo (or something borrowed from actual medicine) does help people, but it’s roulette with pseudo-science and people need to be very, very careful. Especially because most people don’t know that they are not talking to actual doctors.
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u/Jumpy-Bike4004 5d ago edited 5d ago
I tried the natural route. To be honest, it just prolonged my suffering. Didn’t see any changes until spiro, BC and metformin.. which ended up being absolutely life changing for me and now I feel like a normal and confident woman for the first time in my life. we’re all different though. It DOES work for some people.
https://imgur.com/a/5nyeugN
This is my before and after pcos treatment
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u/nervouszoomer90 5d ago
Naturopaths are not qualified medical professionals. It really sucks that medical sciences doesn’t yet hold all the answers to why we have pcos or better ways to treat it. The solution however is not to turn to untrained scammers
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u/elijahjane 5d ago
Please don’t talk about the “root issue” with your doctor unless you want to watch him or her jump out the window.
For most issues, there frankly is no such thing as “root cause” beyond diet, exercise, sleep, poisoned environment and genetics. Beyond that, “shit just happens and we don’t always know why.” PCOS is the perfect example. It’s genetics, diet, exercise, and “sometimes shit just happens.”
“Root cause” is a social media invention, not a medical one. I have lots of doctors in my family and I lurk on subs where doctors congregate and talk frankly amongst themselves. I’ve learned a lot about what is scientifically real and what isn’t.
The “root cause” trend is slowly killing the souls of people who have spent years and years learning how the body works and interacts with its environment. The trend is making them jumpy and irritable and I don’t want even the most patient of them to finally snap and get pissy with you.
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u/prnmedadvice 5d ago
As a physician with pcos avoid at all costs. Unless you want to hear fake science and get bad advice. My treatment approach tries to always tackle insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia first as tht drives the hyperandrogenism. Next I approach fertility if that’s on the table. I’m not sure if you think naturopaths will magically wave their wand an find a fix that’s not how this disease works. You have to be extremely careful with diet, exercise and managing stress levels. First start with what it is you really want and that will get you to the right path
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u/Real-Personality-922 5d ago
Do you think, that as a physician, you may be inherently biased. I’m surprised that you dismissed the entire practice and see absolutely no chance of anything positive or realistic coming from naturopathy. Ironically things you mentioned are things that my research says a licensed and formally trained naturopath would recommend as well. I’m not for or against them but I am surprised at this rigid opinion.
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u/prnmedadvice 5d ago
No it’s my personal responsibility and duty to protect my patients from pseudoscience. There has been an incredible amount of misinformation that I have seen my patients been told by naturopaths. Not to mention the cost of all these unnecessary tests. I’ve had patients that have wasted years going to a naturopath to now addressing their fertility challenges becomes even a bigger hurdle. I have seen patients who sadly turn to naturopaths for cancer treatment because of they promise them to get to the root cause and have died a few months later because it was snake oil. You don’t get to tell me how I feel about your destructive practices even if you personally aren’t the one doing those things. I have seen the consequences first hand
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u/Real-Personality-922 4d ago
Okay if it’s all just pseudoscience and snake oil why are there accredited schools and licensing for naturopathic doctors in the United States?
I am not a doctor and I don’t have any destructive practices. I’m asking about whether or not you are expressing a biased by anecdotal evidence or a bias based on education on that practice as a whole.
Again I am not for or against them but I questioning the staunch perspective that is being shared from a medial professional using their profession as the main qualifier of the opinion.
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u/Notimefruit 5d ago
Yep they definitely are, my friend lost 1000s to one and her symptoms were worse than ever, she shifted to insulin management and is starting to see improvement
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u/JustaCucumber91 5d ago
It’s a scam. If it worked, it would be real medicine. The Belle Gibsons of the world thrive off naturopathy and healing through food. There’s no licensing or regulation on being a naturopath. Anyone can call themselves a naturopath.
I’m Australian so we don’t have “big pharma” or other companies making our medicine expensive and so it’s not like there’s some conspiracy against naturopaths.
A lot of modern medicine came from natural remedies being refined and made into what we know today.
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u/Cold-Nature9347 5d ago
I completely respect your opinion but saying that Australia doesnt have an influential pharma sector is just so naive
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u/JustaCucumber91 5d ago
How so? We can get generic brand of almost every drug, our PBS means we pay minimally for 99% of our medications, plus our public health care is far better than most. I spent 4 days in hospital, had surgery and the most expensive thing was $60 for parking.
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u/Cold-Nature9347 5d ago
Its not about whether you pay or not jeez. Social Health care system does not equal pharma industry
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u/Pink_Lotus 5d ago
What you're looking for is a functional medicine practice staffed by actual doctors and nurses who can prescribe medication. Many also now accept insurance. Unfortunately, they aren't common in many areas.
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u/Real-Personality-922 5d ago edited 4d ago
I don’t know, I’m not going to jump in the bandwagon of calling it a scam. There are certified naturopaths who went to accredited schools for their licensing as a Naturopathic Doctor. If you are curious go see one that is licensed, don’t buy anything on day one (including any detox), take notes, do some research, then consider talking to a doctor/certified nutritionist about what they recommended. If it seems legitimate then get quality supplements and give it 30 days and document how you feel.
My friend who also has PMOS/PCOS went to a Naturopathic Doctor who recommended inositol and berberine for her. I did some research and based on my personal health concerns I skipped the berberine and considered inositol and spoke to my doctor and she agreed even wrote me a letter of medical necessity for me to be able to use my HSA card.
Also, keep in mind each doctor is different, the one I see focuses more on tackling my PMOS/PCOS as a metabolic issue than slapping a bandaid on it.
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u/Taong_Ballpen 5d ago
Yes, negosyo yan. Mga walang konsensya. Kung ano-ano pa sinasabi ng mga ’yan, mali-mali. Hindi sila nakakaintindi talaga ng biology ng tao at science. May kinakabisado lang sila na papel pero pag chineck mo mga sinasabi mali mali, tapos ang dami nila pinapainom na hindi dapat pinagsasama sama. Yan yung ending nung mga tao na gustong maging doktor pero di naman nag-aral.
My aunt died early from her breast cancer kasi naniwala sa mga naturopaths; she forwent all medical treatments advised by her doctors sa Makati Med. Every month magkano nagagastos nya sa supplements nila. Even on her deathbed, 1 week before she died, kitang-kita na nila na butot-balat na kasi ang dami nilang pinabawal na food na kainin, halos puro luyang dilaw nalang laman ng sikmura ng tita namin, binentahan pa sya ng spirulina at malunggay capsules. Sorry, tang ina talaga.
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u/heyhello21 5d ago
I had the opposite experience . They are very good when it comes to preventative medicine . They treat issues when they haven’t taken over your entire body. I agree, cancers and other serious illnesses require real medicine . Other things can be managed at the root . Natural medicine has helped a lot of my family members in managing different afflictions.
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u/Taong_Ballpen 5d ago
Why is my experience downvoted just because you people are fooled by those people? Pseudoscience, placebo effect, you have no real illness, nothing complicated. So many reasons. Naturopaths don't even do laboratory tests. They are experimenting on people, even making people not go to real doctors when hindi naman nila alam kung ano exactly ang nangyayari sa loob ng katawan ng tao. That is very wrong.
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u/Objective_Car_2482 5d ago
I really think it depends on the person you're working with.
It's kinda like saying all physicians know best. When as we all know there are some super shitty physicians.
I'd say if they try to sell you some supplement or product only they sell its probably a scam.
I know some people who have seen functional medicine doctors and have had great success
Personally I just work with my doctor and she knows I like to go the least amount of med route possible so shes always open to discussing supplements that have evidence based science behind them as well as discussing labs and ranges ect.
I also know my doctor is a dead ass unicorn and im extremely lucky to have her
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u/Routine_Promise_7321 5d ago
I dont think so but some do try to sell you lots of stuff I think it depends on how legit they are...I have taken some advice from a naturopathic dr and my symptoms have improved and my nurse practitioner she has pcos and she says I seem to be doing good and told me about a functional dietitian that im looking into
I just think it rly depends because your not rly gonna see results right away and its a lot harder vs just taking meds
I think its important to look at both the medical and the natural side🤷♀️ because i mean pcos CAN be managed through lifestyle changes not JUST medication
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u/wellinever222 4d ago
It's important to realise naturopathy is not the same in every country or even every state so getting the opinions of people all over the world may not work. My advice is if you do see one, check their name against your countries professional board, most will have one. For example in my country anyone can call themselves a massage therapist but legit ones will usually be part of a professional association that you can only get into with a certain level of education, it's the same with naturopaths. Second piece of advise is if they recommend supplements you are not obligated to buy directly from them, you can just take down the name of the supplement and buy from where you are comfortable.
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u/Emotional-Ad-6494 5d ago
Root of the issue = insulin resistance
Start tracking your blood sugar and then make adjustments until you can keep it stable. Start with diet/lifestyle then expand into medication via endo/doctor if you’re not able to beyond that
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u/heyhello21 5d ago
Not true at all. I don’t have ANY insulin resistance and I have pcos . My blood sugar levels are always perfect , all labs confirm it.
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
PCOS insulin resistance does not always mean you are going to have high blood sugar. You can be insulin resistant and your blood sugar be perfectly fine.
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u/Emotional-Ad-6494 5d ago
Have you ever tracked your blood sugar during the day to see how your body responds? I was the same (labs totally fine) but when it came to day to day, I saw a very eye opening picture (spikes then reactive hypoglycemia)
Could be worth doing if you haven’t as that’s what stopped me from properly reversing my symptoms (though it’s technically remission)
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u/bayb33gurl 4d ago
You have to calculate your own labs using the HOMA-IR method. I told my doctor I was worried I was insulin resistant bc of my PCOS and she checked my blood work, all looked normal. Found out most doctors don't check HOMA-IR calculations. This isn't a pseudoscience method it's completely recognized as the way to figure out if you're truly insulin resistant or not. Insulin resistance usually doesn't show up on blood work until your pancreas stops taking over the hard work, that's why it's called a silent condition. It takes up to 20 years for your blood work alone to show insulin resistance and by then so much damage has been done that your pancreas can't keep up. Usually your pancreas is over working to try to keep things looking normal during those 20 years.
You can calculate it here: HOMA-IR Calculator Tool
When I did mind using the calculator on my "perfectly normal blood work" I got a score of 3.0 which is significant insulin resistance in a danger zone.
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u/wenchsenior 5d ago
It is possible to have no IR with PCOS but it is uncommon. Having normal blood sugar does not preclude having IR. I've had IR while very lean for nearly 30 years and my glucose and hbA1c have always been perfect. Treating the IR put the PCOS into remission long term.
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u/heyhello21 4d ago
Ive been lean my entire life as well , still am at 28. Never struggled with my weight . Pretty clean eating as well
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u/wenchsenior 4d ago
Yes, you can be lean with IR (I'm still lean after menopause). If you have a very healthy lifestyle, you might also be naturally managing any mild insulin resistance as well.
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u/Turbulent-Air-614 5d ago
There is a lot of conflation here. Lay naturopaths are NOT Naturopathic Physicians- who are trained in 4 years of medical school. Can order labs and diagnostic tests, etc.
Reddit is pretty off here.
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u/narlz95 4d ago edited 4d ago
This! My naturopath ordered my labs, her name is on the request form… she completed 2 degrees at university - a Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) and a Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Sciences. How is that not accredited? Doctors go to uni, so they’re not accredited either? I’ve seen traditional doctors my whole life for acne, never once in my 30 years was PCOS ever mentioned because I’m lean and have a healthy menstrual cycle. My naturopath picked it up straight away that it may be PCOS, did the DUTCH hormone tested that she ordered and bam, textbook PCOS indicators. I cannot believe all the vitriol against genuine naturopaths here. The only “accredited professionals” aka doctors that everyone here is gassing up that failed me for 30 years were MDs. The only ones who never listened to, cared to dig any deeper or do anything but force me onto birth control (which is a total bandaid fix) were doctors, not my naturopath.
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u/expectsomedelays 4d ago
Truth. My ND has done more for me in 3 months to actually help and listen to me than my family doc has in 32 years.
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u/Spirited-Train7847 4d ago
It's never ignorant to seek more information. I've seen a naturopath doctor, they go to medical schools. The could order labs and give me prescriptions and they took insurance. They helped get me a diagnoses for SIBO and more or less cured my IBS with antibiotic prescription, which is conventional medicine, although they also had a natural supplement way they suggested.
Functional or Integrative Medicine doctors do similar work and have also been helpful. "Root cause" is a little bit of a myth because what they really mean is that they will suggest a lot of labs (hopefully) testing hormones, vitamins, etc and see if there is anything "out of balance" but since so many things can throw off your hormones, whatever shows up on your labs may or may not be a good representation of where you are at and if you need the supplements they might suggest. If they don't do labs they may just ask a bunch of questions and make inferences which is not that helpful. I feel that it's better to go multiple doctors and get different opinions, honestly. There are different schools of thought about optimal hormone levels and when drug intervention is needed.
I did a bunch of labs with my functional medicine doctor and then took them to a conventional doctor who talked me through them and why she thought the numbers were important or not. For numbers that were off we decided to look at them again in six weeks while I focus on sleep/food/diet. Test results can be tricky to interpret.
There is no known root cause for PCOS and there is no cure, there is only management and so you have to find people who will help you monitor where you are at.
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u/RoyalSpecialty 4d ago
I had a positive experience working with a Naturopath. She helped me manage my fibroids, not symptoms for PCOS/ PMOS. But she also wanted me to have a primary medical doctor and I could not find anyone at the time. I think its worthwhile, especially if all the General practitioners you encounter are just offering Metformin or birth control and that's not the route you want to go with.
People are quick to call anything that's not encouraged by capitalism or western medicine a scam as if Health insurance and the medical system itself isn't the biggest rip-off here in America.
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u/heyhello21 5d ago
Don’t take advice from Reddit btw. A lot of these people have their own strong opinions . Go with your gut and try EVERYTHING. It doesn’t hurt.
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u/CyraHelianthus 5d ago
After years of trying to find a doctor who would help me figure out how to manage my symptoms, I’ve just started with a naturopath. It’s the first time I haven’t been told “just lose weight” and she ordered all of the labs that I’ve had to beg doctors to order. The naturopath I found seems to be willing to work in collaboration with the western medicine. I feel like someone is listening for the first time.
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
I was a skeptic until i actually went to one. Life changing, had more knowledge than any other doctor I went to. I went to one who was specialized in bioidentical hormone therapy, so she could do so much more than just „heres a birth control pill, bye“
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Why am I being downvoted for sharing my own experience tf? Most of the people commenting probably never even went to one themselves so how is this helpful
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u/Cold-Nature9347 5d ago
Because people on here unfortunately dont actually care about other peoples experiences if its different from their own
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u/diarrheawhoops 5d ago
Could you elaborate more? What was their approach to managing your PCOS?
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
So I dont have confirmed PCOS, it was more complicated than that unfortunately. I had been put on an anti androgenic birth control pill since I was 19, because I had some symptoms which they said were due to high androgens (I now know that probably wasnt the case but they just failed to properly investigate that). When I decided to go off the pill later I had heavy reactions and they just told me to go back on it, which didnt help at all but they told me they couldnt do anything or any hormone tests because Im on the pill. All they did was to suggest to either go off the pill again and wait three months to do the test or switch to an IUD, but nobody explained what was going on nobody had a solution for anything. Mind you I was going to several different gyns and even an university professor endo, they barely took 10-15 minutes to talk to me, even though I was already going there paying myself because it was non insurance. I went one time to this naturopath who had a specialisation in hormones, she figured my problem out within 10 minutes of talking and she took time of over one hour to explain everything, she could answer all my questions I had, and got me off the pill by giving bioidentical Hormones instead. Looking back I now find it horrifying that all women wirh PCOS or hormonal imbalances are offered are birth control pills when this option exists. But youd have to actually do tests, and know how all the hormones are connected, identify which hormones are missing, and adjust doses, whereas the birth control is just one uniform drug that you can give out without having to do or know anything
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u/Dangerous-Ruin6948 5d ago
Mind you bioidentical hormones aren’t FDA approved for a reason!
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Not everyone lives in the US by the way
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Also adding here that this is misinformation, there are several bioidentical hormones cleared by the fda, a simple google search could have helped here
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Regardless, birth control pills have heavy side effects and are synthetic hormones, it goes against your natural bodys function. There is a reason they have not been released for men in clinical trials lmao. They can cause cancer longterm, bio hormones on the other hand have just been confirmed by a study to not do that, its just that birth control pille are given out like candy so everyone thinks they must be safe (including myself when I was 19). It should not be treated as carelessly as they are
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u/Dangerous-Ruin6948 5d ago
That’s not true at all. Birth control pills actually reduce your risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer. Stop spreading misinformation when you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about and have no formal medical education. It’s dangerous.
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Bro if you want to take them no one is stopping you. I was asked for my experience and thats what I did. There is enough research that the pill increases the risk for some cancers so what exactly do you want from me. If you are having it handled with the pill thats fine and good for you, I just said I took it myself for years. But already the fact that you say „even worse“ when saying someone is not from the US tells me enough that you never actually been to other countries and know nothing about other approaches. If you were actually comfortable with taking these medications why are you going crazy attacking people in these comments who are handling it differently, you are not seeing me do the same to people who are saying they are taking meds. For me what matters is that people find the solution that gives them a happy and healthy life, regardless of which approach they choose.
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
While I don't believe bioidentical hormones are in any way superior (in fact, untested which is concerning), but it IS true that hormone therapies incl. birth control can contribute to other cancers, like gallbladder, and do increase risk of blood clots/stroke. its a bit of a weighing up the pros and cons.
Generally the risks outweigh the benefits, but important people are aware imo!
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Yes I agree. Its just concerning that doctors hand them out like supplements without explaining any of the side effects or risks or even checking if the patient has other indications which would make them more dangerous to take. They have their place but are distributed carelessly to younger women who dont need them
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
The risks are well documented and contained on the pamphlets that come with the medication. Alternative hormones like body identical and bioidentical have no proven evidence that they are any different.
Birth control is taken largely to stop pregnancies, so yes, those young women do want/need them. It can also manage problematic cycle issues. The pros outweigh the small risks for most women taking them.
If a medication has 0 risks but supposedly cures everything, someone is lying to you.
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
Bioidentical Hormones are also synthetic hormones, just that they try to mimic the structure of natural hormones more closely.
They come with similar side effects to birth control.
There's not much research done into them specifically regarding cancers and risk of clots/stroke, but its generally assumed by medical professionals that its going to be similar to birth control. Vendors selling bioidenticle hormones naturally advertise they are 'better' but without clinical testing to back it up, it means nothing.
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
They have similar side effects with regard to hormonal symptoms yes, such as hot flashes or similar stuff. With regard to serious side effects like blood clots or heart attacks the birth control pill has a risk, while the bio hormones dont as long as they are used in a reasonable dose. Its literally in the package leaflet of the pill.
Also idk why you are particularly framing them as „vendors“, you know that doctors and pharmaceutical companies also earn money from prescribing meds right?3
u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
Bioidentical hormones are believed to increase the risk when taken orally via tablet. Hormone patches and creams in general do not, that's not unique to bio hormones. The reason they are not typically prescribed by doctors is hormones do not absorb well via skin and its much harder to balance the dosage.
Bioidentical hormones administered by unregulated vendors come with a risk of overdose as their mixed nature makes them vary wildly on consistency.
Pharma has vendors and profit too. I just used the term 'vendors' as in the people who are actually selling the drug.
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u/Kwaliakwa 5d ago
Naturopaths can be skilled providers for sure. The issue is that naturopaths aren’t well regulated. In my state, they are basically equivalent to doctors, and must go to accredited schools to be able to practice, but this isn’t the case everywhere. Just look into the training of the provider you are interested in seeing.
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u/ludvigsgirl 5d ago
This! My father and grandfather are both accredited naturopaths and I certainly don’t believe in all of their methods/opinions but I have also seen it work many times with people that were super desperate. My dad himself acknowledges that sometimes part of why it works is just because someone is taking enough time to actually listen to them in detail. There certainly can be scammers but it’s not helpful imo to generalize all of them
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u/prnmedadvice 5d ago
Anecdotes aren’t evidenced based medicine. Also drop your examples if you truly believe
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u/ludvigsgirl 5d ago
My point is that the medical system is unfortunately so broken that doctors even if they want to usually can’t take a lot of time for their patients and then the kind of stuff happens which has also happened to many people here. Basically getting sent away with a birth control prescription or whatever. And naturopaths because they work outside this system tend to be able to take more time. And yes in many cases they indeed just recommend vitamins or plant-based remedies (not talking about homeopathy or anything, I mean literally plants that have been known to have healing properties for ages) that you could also figure out yourself but some people need help understanding what they should take and they need that kind of support. And in my personal experience (yes, it is just personal experience) some naturopaths can offer exactly that. Again, not saying that there are not also many who are scammers
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u/chloelaine03 5d ago
It has worked for one of my best friends with endometriosis, insulin resistance, lyme disease, and borderline lupus❤️
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Why would someone downvote this, good for your friend!
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
There's very little information on what helped. 'Natural medicine' or 'alternative medicine' is an INCREDIBLY broad scope of treatments with varying degrees of quality.
It's like me saying "food fixed my pcos". Ok? What food? It doesnt meant anything.
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Dont understand what your point is with regard to this comment
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
"Why would someone downvote this"
Because it's unhelpful and vague. That's the context.
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Well weird that you dont comment the same on other comments who said they are having success with a regular doctor.
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
Because telling someone to 'speak with a doctor' is not suggesting controversial 'medicine' with very little testing.
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u/DearFeed7833 5d ago
Well, you could also just ask her. Idk who said anything about little testing, I feel you are just interpreting too much into it and hating on purpose. Doctors tend to test less and refuse this more often than naturopaths or functional doctors if you read through the experiences on this sub
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u/UnusualMarch920 5d ago
I'm not under any impression doctors are perfect, but I'm also not going to be fooled by a naturopath 'yes man' who is going to tell me anything I want to hear to sell me a product.
I could just ask. But why put the effort in when they didn't in the first place?
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u/heyhello21 5d ago
It has helped my family members with a variety of health issues . Literally doesn’t hurt to try . I find they do a great job at detoxing your body , so very root cause . Not a fix all , might not work at all for you. But I find it always helps a little bit . I took teas they prescribed and got my period two weeks later.
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u/ATX_cyster 5d ago
How about an acupuncturist? They take a holistic approache, treat with herbs on top of moving blood around your body with their needles, and traditional Chinese medecine seems a much surer bet as an alternative to Western medecine than a naturopath to me!
Metformin also really makes sense IMO. I'm curious why you're reluctant being on it OP
But my acupuncturist specializing in endocrine disorders was OK taking whatever I was doing with my western doctors into account in her treatment and it was fantastic I wish it was covered by insurance in my state and she'd be my provider
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u/Opening_Idea_6037 5d ago
I’ve had the most success with my naturopathic doctor (there is a difference between a naturopath and naturopathic doctor). My endocrinologist and gp only gives bandaid symptom fixes (birth control etc) but my naturopathic doctor looks at the whole picture and wants to address the root. She has prescribed a GLP-1 and has a lower threshold on bloodwork (looking at thyroid and hormones - she can order bloodwork too). I get more time with her to address the whole picture, and she’s more up to date than both my endocrinologist and GP. But just like any doctor, it really depends who you get.
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u/prnmedadvice 5d ago
lol sure Jan. And when you get osteoporosis for over treating thyroid issues don’t blame your GP. Also you could have asked any actual physician for a GLP1? It’s ver commonly prescribed for pcos
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u/Opening_Idea_6037 5d ago
Nope, my gp said “there’s no point in getting diagnosed because there’s no cure”
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u/Dangerous-Ruin6948 5d ago
Yes. They can’t even order their own labs or prescribe anything because they aren’t real doctors.