I Don’t Believe Your Product Will ‘Cure’ My Lupus

Sometimes when people learn that I have lupus, they tell me about someone they know who was cured by taking a “magic potion.” Multilevel marketing companies are the worst — whatever disease you happen to have, their product will cure it.

We’ve all heard an anecdote about someone just like you who drank a potion or took some pills and, within a short time, they were feeling so much better that they quit their prescribed medications.

Don’t get me wrong — if I thought that these products would genuinely help, I’d be all over them. No one wants to get rid of lupus more than I do. But I have a hard time believing that there is a cure out there that my doctor doesn’t know about. If it was as simple as drinking a particular liquid, you can bet that he would be aware of it by now. News like that would travel fast.

The health food store owner tells me that I need more minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, and iron. It happens that she has a pill that will fix me. Another company tells me if I mix their powder in my water bottle, I’ll lose weight. I — so badly — wanted that one to be true, so I tried it. Let me save you $36 — it didn’t work.

I’m trying to eat better. I’m working on cutting gluten and refined sugar from my diet. It’s not easy, but it’s not as difficult as giving up potatoes — even knowing that they could be contributing to some of my inflammation doesn’t make it any easier to abstain from them.

Though I didn’t believe that all of my aches and pains would disappear when I made improvements to my diet, I do think that losing weight will help me to feel better. In the past, when I lost 40 pounds, I had less pain in my knees and hips.

My weight loss didn’t happen overnight — I had to work at it. The pounds didn’t fall off like some of these products claimed they would. While stories of “miracle” solutions have been around for years, the internet has made it easier for people to spread these tales and to recruit others to help disseminate the news.

Many people are so desperate for something — anything — to make them feel better, they are willing to believe in a “cure.” They want to trust that if they just hand over some of their hard-earned money, their symptoms will ease. For a few dollars more, they can become a distributor and sell the cure to their friends and make lots of money. What more could you ask for? Feel good and get rich at the same time.

Unfortunately, most often that’s a myth.

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Note: Lupus News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Lupus News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to lupus.