ADVERTISEMENT

When we go to see a doctor, we can rest assured knowing that they are qualified to be treating illnesses, prescribing medicine and diagnosing diseases. They have completed at least a decade of education after high school and have endured rigorous training and testing to ensure that they know what they’re doing. 

When we log onto the internet, however, anyone with a keyboard and an opinion can feel free to spout whatever medical misinformation they like, so we should take everything we read online with a grain of salt. Thankfully, there is one page that’s dedicated to calling out irresponsible and inaccurate medical advice that’s shared online: the Bad Medical Takes Twitter account.

We’ve gathered some of the most ridiculous, hilarious and alarming posts Bad Medical Takes has shared down below, so you too can enjoy hearing all of the wacky ideas ignorant people felt the need to share online. Be sure to upvote the claims you wish were posted satirically, and then let us know in the comments what the worst medical advice you’ve ever received was. And then if you’re interested in another Bored Panda article featuring medical takes that are definitely not doctor approved, you can find our last story on the same Twitter account right here.

#1

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes , twitter.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
colintimp avatar
Colin Timp
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So nobody's ever died in childbirth or from pregnancy complications? Nobody has ended their life from post-partum depression?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

The Bad Medical Takes Twitter account initially launched in March 2020, which I can only assume came in response to all of the misinformation that was rapidly being spread about the COVID-19 virus. When the pandemic began, everyone on the internet suddenly turned into a medical professional, and with billions of desperate people around the world searching for hope and answers, false claims spread like wildfire.

But I can’t put all of the blame for bad medical advice running rampant online on the pandemic. The internet has been saturated with fake news long before 2020, so it only made sense for medical advice to make its way into the same category. But the difference between reading fake news about a politician and being told to shoot bleach into your veins is that the latter is extremely dangerous. So false medical claims deserve to be called out and shut down even more than your run-of-the-mill fake news.   

ADVERTISEMENT

You might be wondering how anyone in the world could possibly believe the claims shared on this list in the first place, and I’ll be honest, I’m wondering too. So to try to gain some insight on the topic, I consulted an article from Medical News Today exploring just how these false claims are perceived as credible information. And it turns out that there are certain factors that can cause a person to be more or less susceptible to believing medical misinformation.

One 2021 study found that people with a lower education level and individuals who have less knowledge of healthcare issues are more likely to believe inaccurate medical claims. Also, people who have a lack of trust in the healthcare system are more inclined to view alternative treatments positively and more likely to believe false medical claims. The study also found that participants who believed one false medical claim were likely to fall for even more as well, so perhaps they are just more gullible than the average person. 

#7

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
linda_48 avatar
Aunt Riarch
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's only one person in this exchange who I wouldn't trust not to drool

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes , twitter.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
livlisbon84 avatar
Olivia Lisbon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apparently a lot of politicians are under the same delusion when it comes to options in ectopic pregnancies.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes , twitter.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
vanburensupernova44 avatar
Buren
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm about to commit massive butchery to the extension of my central nervous system this afternoon.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Lead author of the study, Dr. Laura D. Scherer of the University of Colorado School of Medicine shed some light on the value of this study’s findings. “Inaccurate information is a barrier to good healthcare because it can discourage people from taking preventive measures to head off illness and make them hesitant to seek care when they get sick,” she explained. “Identifying who is most susceptible to misinformation might lend considerable insight into how such information spreads and provide us with new avenues for intervention.”

One of the most notable factors contributing to the spread of medical misinformation online is distrust in the healthcare system, and it might be becoming worse and worse over time. One survey reported that between 2017 and 2018, there was a 20% drop in the amount of trust the American public holds in their healthcare system. And globally, there was a 4% decrease in citizens’ trust in their healthcare systems. When people don’t trust the professionals, they start seeking outside, unverified information, which is likely informed by their own views and biases.      

ADVERTISEMENT

“We have witnessed a concerning shift over the last several decades where policy decisions seem to be driven by ideology and politics instead of facts and evidence,” American Medical Association president Dr. Patrice A. Harris said during a national address. “The result is a growing mistrust in American institutions — in science — and in the counsel of leading experts who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of evidence and reason.”

#13

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes , twitter.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
suuspuusje avatar
Susie Elle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is everyone talking about salts and nobody mentions the bacteria and viruses in ocean water

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
emilia-thi avatar
Moolia
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If other people being alive was such a problem for you, it was a mistake to have kept you alive 🤷

View more commentsArrow down menu

Another factor that might be exacerbating the issue of false medical claims online is the appetite that social media platforms have for fake news. While social media can be great a tool for sharing news and awareness of social issues, it can also be extremely hard to fact check what is being spread, and the more outlandish a claim is, the faster it will be circulated. In fact, one 2021 study from the NYU School of Global Health found that people who were primarily or exclusively using social media to track pandemic-related information were less likely to be practicing the most up-to-date public health safety practices. And another study from GoodRx found that being exposed to false medical claims online can negatively affect a patient’s health literacy. 

ADVERTISEMENT
#17

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
livlisbon84 avatar
Olivia Lisbon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve had the exact same incredulous facial expression for five whole minutes now, and this list isn’t getting any less stupid.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
ami-ainsworth avatar
Anonymous
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank goodness my broken leg is just a deception made up by dairy farmers!! Silly me thought I actually needed this cast. *circular saw starts up* /s

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
See Also on Bored Panda

Inaccurate medical information being circulated online is not only relating to COVID-19 and the vaccines being used to prevent it. Users might find misinformation about anything from smoking and drug use to claims about other vaccines, like the HPV vaccine, causing various health issues. Thankfully, many users don’t actually trust the claims they see, as only 6% of people said they trust information about COVID on social media sites in one survey, but it is still concerning how rapidly these claims spread. In fact, medical misinformation sometimes makes it to 87% of users’ feeds on social media sites. Even if only 5% of these people believe the claims, that could lead to devastating consequences. 

#19

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
ovataacronicta avatar
Ovata Acronicta
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. I'll get the flu vax in the other arm from the cov booster just to annoy Nathan in particular.

regan7794 avatar
Regan 7794
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thats what I did and this whole 'junkie' thing feels pretty good.

Load More Replies...
kimcharles4 avatar
Kim Charles
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hmm then as a diabetic I'm off the chart! 4 needles a day. Anyone know a good detox? Can I use crystals?

wendillon avatar
Monday
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Have you tried essential oils? Hun those things can cure EVERYTHING! Asthma? Snort this lavender! Bee sting to the nipple? Here, rub it with "Believe" by [shitty MLM]! Got a really bad case of huddlesnupiritis? Don't worry, daily doses of "Dragon time" by [shitty MLM] has you sorted~ /s

Load More Replies...
prince-amled avatar
xxratcatkidxx avatar
XrAtCaTkiD
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i think MAGA's are the worst kind of morons because they are ok with children getting gunned down and hate crimes.

Load More Replies...
y_slagle avatar
PickleRick
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Should read. "Are you glad to be classed as a junkie by a moron."

aliceimwunderland2000 avatar
Katrin Krueger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All junkies are just addicts because of their initial love for needles. They don't care about the drugs!

leodomitrix avatar
Leo Domitrix
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

how drunk or high does one need to be for this to make sense?d

elaine-nolan5001 avatar
She-Ra
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This tweet could make a person very annoyed. But one look at the hat sorts that out. The laughing commences.

colintimp avatar
Colin Timp
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So apparently diabetics are junkies too; because it's the needles that are the problem.

dolfinn avatar
2763MilesAway
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Man, I got all of the vaccines and I'm absolutely terrified of needles, but I guess I love them now.

emmabrown_2 avatar
Emma Brown
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For anyone interested, I did a little research into crackhead Nathan.....https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/33023-controversial-anti-vax-solicitor-nathan-buckley-suspended

emmabrown_2 avatar
Emma Brown
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Proud 'junkie' here, who also happens to have turned her kids into junkies too....hopefully this will continue through my generations....

marcoconti avatar
Mario Strada
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I need to see if they sell a foam computer keyboard on Amazon. Banging my head on my plastic one this frequently leaves waffle shaped impressions on my face.

ameliabrown_1 avatar
Amy
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're right, I am really tired of all this jonesing for my next covid shot

michelle_cherry avatar
Michelle Cherry
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

-Casually noms carrot- Yup, getting my fourth shot in October. I am a very happy addict who hasn't caught covid yet, or if I did it was so light thanks to the vax that I noticed nothing.

lisar_2 avatar
Leigh
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omg! I've had 3 covid jabs and the one injection everyday for 6wks! I have a needle phobia I am not a junky 🤣🤣🤣

cc_6 avatar
C C
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh no! I like to sew and do embroidery so I have tons of needles! Thank for enlightening me! I never knew I was a junky... did I spell that right?! Lol

stanflouride avatar
Stannous Flouride
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Been 33 years since I shot up heroin. I have had all the vax and boosters and get flu shots, shingles, etc. Maybe the only reason I don't get high from them is that I've built up a tolerance. Next time I get a flu shot I'll ask for a double dose. /s jk

deadrat avatar
Dead Rat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

According to Nathan, an alcoholic loves drinking, they are called drunks . If you drunk one our two orange juices or water, that makes you a drunk!

lamsar503 avatar
Sar ska
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that even if someone tried to explain to this dude his argument is illogical by “the fallacy of the undistributed middle”, it would be a totally futile effort. 🫤 Education is critical, friends.

20eclunie avatar
Bobetta the DG
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well I might be classed as a junkie for having the vaccines but at least I probably won't die from the diseases I'm vaccinated against

ninadavis avatar
Nina Davis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely! I'm a vaccination junkie that likes to LIVE! LOL.

jasminehammond avatar
J
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep, a junkie that doesn't have covid, thanks to vaccines!

abtverena avatar
Verena Abt
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My table has four legs. My dog has four legs. My dog is a table.

ellieeaton avatar
potato
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*dances to disturbia and flips you off* DISTURIBAAAAAAAAAAAA

fmc avatar
Niall Mac Iomera
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep all those junkies wish they could somehow get lots of needles without all that pesky heroin!

3rainbow avatar
EJN
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Remember that when in the future you are in an accident, taken to the hospital and refused pain meds because we don't want to make you a junkie.

ghoul72 avatar
Venic
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"A is B. Therefore B is A." There are questions on the SAT and ACT specifically to weed out this kind of incapability with basic logic. (That's putting aside the flaw in his premise that what heroin addicts love is needles, not heroin.)

michal_maslan avatar
Michał Osiecki
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I need another dose of vaccine right now! Otherwise Ill start selling my body to have money for another dose of covid vaccine!!!

j23blondie avatar
Jennifer Norton
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got both vaccines and the booster because I have asthma and am at risk of death from Covid, so if that makes me a junkie then fine... at least I am alive and healthy! What a douche!

thereader19 avatar
TheReader19
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay I'm taking up drugs or hard liquor, cause I'm now loosing the will to live

nicoleblom avatar
LCB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guess all women that go through IVF are awful junkies too then

mim8209 avatar
MimSorensson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh dear. Poor diabetics. Diabetes wasn’t enough, it also makes them instant junkies. (Well, if they the the type to need insulin shots obviously.)

kevinber avatar
Kevin Ber
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So tell me more about how heroin addicts love needles.....

shaunlee avatar
SheamusFanFrom1987
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Uhh, yeah. Better a living junkie than a potential dead dummy (no insult to mannequins, just Nathan here in particular).

levilandaulitewski avatar
Deux
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Along with my triple covid jabs and yearly flu jab, I get blood tests twice a month at my doctors surgery. I guess that makes me what's known as a Super Junkie!

versanmun avatar
Maria Veronica
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I need to stop reading this post, I feel overwhelmed for such idiocy

brightbunny avatar
Nicki
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh man...this is bad news...I have to give blood panels every 6 months for my doctor. I have been a junkie for most of my life. 🙄 WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!?!?

heather_talma avatar
Heather Talma
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate needles with a passion but am still fully vaxxed, what does that make me?

annemariemattheyse avatar
Annemarie Mattheyse
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm really enjoying still being alive since my recent bout with Covid. Bring on the needles.

ninadavis avatar
Nina Davis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely! I'm a vaccine junkie that likes to LIVE, thank you very much! LOL

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
fredneobob90 avatar
Huddo's sister
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So all that time scientists spent working out blood types and they could have just broken it into male and female blood? Thankyou random person on the internet!

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda

So what are public health agencies supposed to do to limit the spread of false claims online? Is it their responsibility to monitor social media? Well, it’s a delicate issue. “Social media can also be volatile: false information, sometimes maliciously created, spreads rapidly,” the Frontiers in Public Health authors wrote. “Thus, measures to counter misinformation and disinformation on social media channels during an emergency are necessary. Given that government censorship can deeply aggravate already existing mistrust, measures other than content removal is needed, as the public shares and reacts positively to factual information, especially if posted by public health agencies.”

#22

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
ner_diz avatar
Serial pacifist
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh my God, this person deserves to be locked in a cage with two male primates and rubbed with estrogen, just to see what kind of offspring they would produce.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

In 2021, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on medical misinformation, calling for actual healthcare professionals to use their own social media platforms to cut through the false claims and spread truth online. He also asked that healthcare agencies partner with trusted community members like church leaders and clinicians to make sure that the public hears accurate information from people they trust. He also noted that this issue cannot be solved overnight. Combatting medical misinformation online will be a long-term effort, so hopefully, over time, the public’s health literacy will be increased. And false claims online will become a thing of the past.  

#27

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
ovataacronicta avatar
Ovata Acronicta
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah, no, you're thinking of one of those substandard mannequins for drawing references.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

If you're not in the medical field, I hope you are getting a kick out of these ridiculous claims, and if you are a healthcare professional, I just want to apologize on behalf of the general public. I promise we don't all think this way. Keep upvoting the posts that you find most hilarious and facepalm-worthy, and then let us know in the comments what the worst medical take you've ever heard was. And if you're interested in laughing at even more horrible medical advice, don't forget to check out our last article on the same topic right here.

#30

Bad-Medical-Takes

BadMedicalTakes Report

Add photo comments
POST
nadiamontera avatar
Nadia Montera
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Extract from Wikipedia : Hexagonal water, also known as gel water, structured water, cluster water, H3O2 or H3O2 is a term used in a marketing scam that claims the ability to create a certain configuration of water that is better for the body. The term "hexagonal water" refers to a cluster of water molecules forming a hexagonal shape that supposedly enhances nutrient absorption, removes metabolic wastes, and enhances cellular communication, among other things. The scam takes advantage of the consumer's limited knowledge of chemistry, physics, and physiology. Gel water is referenced in the version of the hoax in which plants or animal fascia are said to create or contain a "fourth phase" of water with an extra hydrogen and an extra oxygen, despite the simple reality that this compound is neither water, nor stable—in other words it doesn't exist in any practical sense

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 46 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

See Also on Bored Panda