My mom has been contacted by a doctor in China. Is it a scam?

[DaughterCaretaker]

My mother has CKD and has been contacted by a doctor in China who can supposedly give her treatment of some sort that isn't available in the United States.

I'm fully aware that other countries have better treatments for various illnesses than we have in the United States because they have to to through years of testing to pass through the FDA, etc etc. But this all seems too weird to me.

This Chinese doctor even gave my mother's phone number to a former patient of hers, who called my mom (left a voicemail, we weren't home) to vouch for this Chinese treatment. Which, in my opinion, is very unprofessional. I don't know doctor/patient confidentiality laws in China, but it's just plain tacky to give out people's phone numbers.

I'd love for my mother to have some miracle cure, but I'm a cautious person by nature, and I'm not going to watch my mother fall for a scam.

I searched Google but didn't find anything.

Your answers will be very appreciated.

[Celtic]

Your mother would be wise to ignore any such contact. I would be very concerned if my telephone number was compromised in this way. Definitely a scam - someone out to make money fraudulently.

[Stevo99]

That’s got scam written all over it,

Just some Chinese doctor contacting her out of the blue ??

[DaughterCaretaker in reply to Stevo99]

Not out of the blue. My mother had gone onto a CKD website like this one and was asking questions in the forum there, and that's where the Chinese doctor found her.

[Celtic in reply to DaughterCaretaker]

That forum obviously wasn’t moderated. Tell her to stick to forums such as this one or that of Patients Experience - both strictly moderated and with a reporting system.

[Mariapalmer]

If you can’t find any info on the doctor at all then it’s a scam you’ll always find something on google for a doctor somewhere!

[Sally10255]

ignore that doctor

[lowraind]

I asked a question on one also. She called my house and has emailed me several times. I just ignore it.

[DaughterCaretaker in reply to lowraind]

What doesn't make sense is that they're approaching us, not the other way around. Like they're desperate for patients? Lol, doesn't make sense.

[lowraind in reply to DaughterCaretaker]

Desperate for money?

[Bunkin]

I have done that also. I know they have that treatment in China but you have to go to China. I have tried finding the treatment here as I’m near Houston but haven’t found it yet. I have been taking some herbs that have lowered my bun and creatinine a little. Will see what labs are next month

[whitey123 in reply to Bunkin]

What herbs are you using, what quantity and if in pill form what brands? Thanks !

[Bunkin in reply to whitey123]

They are from planet Ayurveda. There are 3 different bottles of herbs and one that’s a powder you have to boil. I’ll let you know in September if I feel it’s doing any good. Last lab bun and creatinine went down, GFR remained the same but doctor was pleased. It kept me off dialysis for 2 more months so I’ll take it😀prayers for your mom. God can do anything!

[htpi1543 in reply to Bunkin]

Hello Bunkin

I am reading your 1 year old post in which you mentioned about Ayurvedic meds/supplements

I am doing similar Ayurvedic meds for the last 2 months and have seen minute improvement/ stabilization in creatinine and slight improvement in GFR (1 point).

I am 75 and GFR of 19, creatinine 3.09. Potassium Phosphorus is ok, BUN 27

On plant based diet.

Please share your long term experience with Ayurveda

Hope you are doing well

Bless you

SAM

[Bunkin in reply to htpi1543]

Hi there. I am not doing the planet Ayurveda anymore. I didn’t see that much improvement with it. I am however still taking all my supplements. I’m still not on dialysis yet and it’s been over 4 years. I attempted the plant based diet but couldn’t stick to it but I applaud you if you can. Really the only thing I’ve stuck with is the program by Duncan Capicchiano. Except for the food. I don’t always stick with that. What gets me through? It’s prayer. Without it I wouldn’t have made it this far😀

[RickHow]

I too had such an experience. This "doctor" repeatedly kept sending me messages in forums and off line. I kept telling her to go away. It took a long time to be rid of her. Of course it sounded interesting. When you have CKD you are open to learning all you can (I am 68 yr old male. Had one kidney removed last year due to cancer. Remaining kidney gives me eGFR of 39 to 41. Most recent ultrasound shows my remaining kidney now has "increase echogenicity" (I don't know what that is. How serious. My doctor just tells me that it means it is not healthy. But gives me no prognosis). But these doctors from China are all over the internet. My belief is simple. If such a cure exists, in any country, does anyone really believe that our own doctors would not be providing the same treatment?

[WYOAnne]

If there only was a cure for CKD?@#! If so, the whole world would know about it, thinking of our news media now. If this doctor is pursuing your Mom, it's a scam and are just after your money and your belief that there is a cure out there.

Take care. Don't put anything into your body that is not approved by your doctor - herbs, supplements included. What works for one person may not work for your Mom and may even do more harm.

[kellyon]

Just ignore it, there are so many scam phone calls today! I got a few calls from unknown number last month. I checked its phone code here areaphonecodes.com/china/ , it was someone from China too. But I never answer calls from unknown or private numbers.

[Hidden]

I've been there a few years ago and though it's expensive, the results were very satisfying. I have made posts on this forum subject to the care in the hospital I was in for 2 weeks. The Chinese have been treating kidney diseases for over 3,000 (three thousand) years and pretty much know what they are doing. If only our doctors had a little less Hubris and fda gestapo, they could learn a lot from other cultures. Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital is the one I was in. You are right to be skeptical and should do as much checking as you can. So far, the people on this forum that call Chinese kidney treatment "scams" simply do not know what they are talking about. They are speaking entirely from ignorance. Some may be scams but dare to learn.