[BadCookie]

I have a health condition that is just as serious as MS (and is similar to MS in some ways). None of my doctors (over a 20 year period) ever suggested that I change my diet, but for me, changing my diet is the closest thing to a treatment that I will ever see. I WISH that somebody had suggested that I change my diet, because if I had done it years ago, I might not have progressed as far as I have. So I'm sorry if the guy I responded to has had tons of people suggest to him that he should change his diet, but for me, it was the opposite. No one suggested it. I tried it on my own, out of desperation and despite my doctors poo-pooing the idea. And it worked. I guess I got lucky, but there are lots of stories just like mine.

The fact is that doctors are often NOT that helpful for people with complicated neurological conditions (no one knows this better than I do!), so some of us are left to fend for ourselves. Given that that's the case, I don't see what's so terrible about asking someone whether they have tried a treatment that some people have found to be effective. My perspective is that an elimination diet is worth a try for anyone with an autoimmune or difficult-to-diagnose neurological condition. That opinion is based on a lot more knowledge and personal experience than you have assumed it is, but it's true that I didn't make that clear in my comment.

The only reason I even responded to MyBunny was that he said that he was having "a hard time finding hope." I thought that if there was even a sliver of a chance that my suggestion could help him find hope, then it was worth getting downvoted to oblivion. But if my voice is merely one of a chorus that have suggested the same worthless idea to him, then for that I am sorry.

Ultimately, I do see your point, and thank you for your perspective, but I don't think that I can entirely agree with you.

[SwellJoe]

Apologies for making assumptions about where you were coming from. I may have gotten a bit preachy and reactionary. We're both obviously coming from a place of wanting to be helpful.

Though I still think the advice to only offer treatment suggestions when asked is always sound. The Internet seems to exacerbate the problem of overwhelming amounts of unsolicited advice, which can breed its own sort of despair.

[msie]

From my experiences in a hospital I've seen doctors that can hardly spend any time with a patient and it's really up to the patient and their advocate to look out for themselves.