Skepticism, Science & Pseudoscience

progressoid

(50,743 posts) Wed Jun 1, 2016, 03:42 PM Jun 2016

17-year-old diabetic boy dies after stopping insulin injections on advice of acupuncture therapist

The deceased, Subash had been taking insulin injections twice a day, for the past five years. Initially, he was taking insulin shots four times a day, which was subsequently decreased to twice a day following treatment.

Jagadeesh, the boy’s father told The New Indian Express that his son was tired of the injections and wanted to stop taking it. Their family friends advised them to go for an acupuncture therapist.

Balamurgan advised the boy not to take the injections and that he would be healed through acupuncture. On May 20, Subash fell seriously ill and the family contacted

Balamurugan who said that it was normal and his health was getting better. The next day, he became unconscious and was declared dead when he was taken to a hospital.

Balamurgan told TNIE, “There are numerous patients whom I have cured. This case is one in a thousand and I do not guarantee saving life. They started taking treatment only after accepting my suggestion to stop the insulin injections.”

The family is reportedly yet to take any legal action.

http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-17-year-old-diabetic-boy-dies-after-stopping-insulin-injections-advice-therapist-43974

5 replies

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17-year-old diabetic boy dies after stopping insulin injections on advice of acupuncture therapist (Original Post) progressoid Jun 2016 OP

"Numerous patients he's cured," my ass. Archae Jun 2016 #1

There's a lot going on here Warpy Jun 2016 #2

Yeah, it sounds like they wanted an east solution. progressoid Jun 2016 #3

No, and when something's life threatening, you need Warpy Jun 2016 #5

the kid he could reduce---NOT STOP--the number of injections per day. AlbertCat Jun 2016 #4

Archae

(46,798 posts)

1. "Numerous patients he's cured," my ass.

Reply to progressoid (Original post)

Wed Jun 1, 2016, 03:48 PM

Jun 2016

I' like to see his "treatment" tested properly, not just "Take my word for it," or the usual testimonials.

Warpy

(113,130 posts)

2. There's a lot going on here

Reply to progressoid (Original post)

Wed Jun 1, 2016, 05:59 PM

Jun 2016

The kid was 17 and wanted to be like everybody else and really wanted to stop taking care of his illness completely. The parents went to a guy who claimed to be able to treat diabetics and the guy told the kid he could reduce---NOT STOP--the number of injections per day. Chances are very good the kid just stopped them. Teenagers are a notoriously tough sell when it comes to taking care of a chronic illness that sets them apart from the other kids.

I'm not sure the parents would even have a case in the US, where they are apparently not living.

This whole thing is just sad. It would be nice to have a regulatory agency overseeing this stuff and which would discipline Balamurgan for overstepping his bounds because he was not an endocrinologist and was incapable of treating diabetes. It's likely not going to happen in India, where the names would indicate this took place.

progressoid

(50,743 posts)

3. Yeah, it sounds like they wanted an east solution.

Reply to Warpy (Reply #2)

Thu Jun 2, 2016, 08:09 AM

Jun 2016

Sadly, some things in life aren't easy.

Warpy

(113,130 posts)

5. No, and when something's life threatening, you need

Reply to progressoid (Reply #3)

Thu Jun 2, 2016, 01:42 PM

Jun 2016

to take care of it properly, no matter if you're a kid and it makes you feel like a freak. His parents should have kicked him in the slats and continued to ride him about taking care of it properly instead of finding a quack who told him what he wanted to hear. Taking him to a hospital when it was clear he was getting severely ill would also have been a good idea.

I don't know how quacks manage to instill such total confidence in their victims but they do. Telling the parents that the kid's condition was normal when he was clearly about to die would get the quack hung up by his scrotum here, no matter whether or not the parents were blaming themselves instead of the quack.

Teenagers being what they are, the whole thing was made worse than it had to be.

AlbertCat

(17,505 posts)

4. the kid he could reduce---NOT STOP--the number of injections per day.

Reply to Warpy (Reply #2)

Thu Jun 2, 2016, 10:31 AM

Jun 2016

Why is a quack telling the kid to do anything? Reducing what actual doctors, not woo practitioners, had determined to be the correct dosage is in no way acceptable.

Acupuncture is complete crap. But go ahead...blame the victim.

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