Diabetes patient suffers kidney decline after replacing prescribed medicine with online supplements

A 63-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes experienced a decline in kidney function and poor blood sugar control after abandoning prescribed medical treatments in favor of online products advertised as “natural” and “safe.” Driven by fears that conventional Western medicine would damage her liver and kidneys, the patient substituted her doctor-prescribed regimen with internet-purchased supplements.

Clinical assessments revealed that while her fasting blood glucose appeared stable, her hemoglobin A1c had risen from 7.5% to over 8%, indicating poor long-term control. Additionally, her creatinine levels increased from 64 to 83 µmol/L, and her estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) dropped from approximately 93 to 66 mL/min/1.73 m².

Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, a member of the Vietnam Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine Association, noted that patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and gout frequently abandon prescribed medications for unverified herbal products found online. He emphasized that medical prescriptions must be individualized based on age, disease severity, and organ function, and urged patients to consult doctors before replacing prescribed treatments with alternative products.