Homeopathy is total garbage?

Question

You realise this, right?

it's a blood purifier now? christ...

David S: I don't know which studies you are referring to (do you? honestly?) but the Lancet studied the 110 biggest homeopathy trials and found that any effect can be explained by placebo. It's not a medicine of course, if it were it would have to comply with all the regulations etc. that real medicines do. It has no effect, so can't cause anyone any damage (unless of course they are seriously ill and choose it over real medicine)

Answer 1

Putting your arrogant and belligerent tone aside, I think it would far more intelligent (as well as more open...) to state that it is not understood how homeopathy works, not that it doesn't. I treat myself, my children, my animals, sometimes even my plants, and my friends, family and co-workers who want it w/ homeopathy. It works FABULOUSLY for most conditions. I maintain that it also helped in saving my daughter's life when she contracted meningococcemia at 12 1/2 months of age. I gave her both Aconite and Belladonna. Had she been in a room by herself, I never would have heard her (She was too sick to cry.) and never would have woken to her shaking in my arms, so here's a HUGE plug for family bed/co-sleeping, too. She lost only 75% of her L foot and 4 of her left fingertips, as well as much of her mental functioning. Yeah. She has brain damage from this disease, but she's overcoming it. We know 5 people who died in our community that winter from meningococcemia and meningitis related illnesses. My daughter LIVED. Tell me homeopathy and longterm breastfeeding don't work. One of the ppl we know is a little girl who has no arms or legs and is missing part of her face from this disease. Yeah, tell me homeopathy doesn't work, you insufferable prat. Homeopathy cured me of the worst case of the flu I have ever had, and I am very, very rarely sick. It has helped me cure colds, flus, bedwetting, menstrual cramps, dyspepsia, diarrhea, vomiting, sore throats, coughs, gall bladder attacks, hives, excessively itchy insect bites, and a child who used to pick at himself until he bled. Politely put: Yer an idiot. Sit down and shut up. Now.

Additionally: Most of the medical schools in this country in the 1800's were, guess what? HOMEOPATHIC, including Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia, Johns Hopkins in Maryland, and Deaconness in Brighton, MA, I believe. Homeopathy was the most sought after, cutting edge medical training in the country for almost a century. The SOLE reason the AMA came into existence was to put homeopaths, midwives and later chiropractors out of business. It was a lobbying group and a trade union bent on the destruction of ALL its competitors (ALL of whom have better stats for patient beneficial outcome and well-being during and after treatment, btw...). Considering that some 900,000 people DIED last year (third LARGEST cause of death in the US, btw) from fatal drug interactions, unnecessary surgeries, medical incompetence and stupid, avoidable mistakes, does it not make IMMINENT sense to try alternatives before submitting oneself to cutting, poisoning and burning? Immunizations, folks, are a form of homeopathy. Check it out: Take a tiny bit of a substance that normally would cause a set of potential deadly responses in the body if it were given on a large scale, administer it, and watch then as the body forms antibodies to said substance. Works! Read Hahnemann's works and research. They are fascinating! Read Vibrational Medicine by Gerber and The Web That Has No Weaver by Kaptchuk (sp?). Nobody understands how acupuncture, acupressure, applied kinesiology, yoga, Oriental Facial Diagnosis, reflexology or iridology work either, for example, but they DO. There is an entire WEALTH of knowledge about healing, cure, well-being, right lifestyle that has been suppressed and disdained in this country, including cures for cancer. Isn't it about time we took HEALING out of the hands of those who would maim, poison, cut, kill and think they're doing us a favour? I am a woman who was 90% underdosed on heparin while pregnant in a multi-factorial high-risk pregnancy. If this had gone the other way, and I were 90% OVERDOSED, b/c some twit misplaced a zero, my baby and I would be DEAD and would have died a miserable death bleeding out of every orifice. The action of most pharmaceuticals is not completely understood, if at all. This is to say: it is known they work, but it is not understood how either. Learn to speak about what you KNOW, not what you think!

Answer 2

I get so tired of the spurious argument "Homeopathy works in infants and animals, so it can't just be placebo effect!"

These uneducated individuals who spout this nonsense are obviously unaware that Placebos "WORK" IN ANIMALS TOO!! Any animal researcher can verify this. The placebo effect is NOT dependent on some sort of active "belief state" on the part of the patient.

Homeopathy has NEVER been shown to be any better than placebo in ANY well-designed study. James Randi has a million dollars for any quack that can prove that it DOES work, but this prize has gone unclaimed for over 20 years! Hmmm. Geez, I wonder why ?

Another thing - homeopathy is NOT the same as herbalism. Herbal remedies may actually have some measurable effect. The biggest problem with herbals is lack of standarization. You never know (for sure) what you're getting. But that's a different topic altogether, it's just that so many people don't understand the difference.

Answer 3

The biggest problem with any "natural products" (whether it be herbs, homeopathy, vitamins, etc) is that different people will have different results from them. That's the reason that some people get so cynical from them... they don't see the big benefits that are purported.

David S points out the biggest proof that they are NOT just placebo.... they work in infants and animals (and I've only heard of once in a coma patient, so I won't comment on that either way).

The biggest issue is that supplement work to nourish your body and help with nutrition that may be lacking. Because of that, they work to help the CAUSE of a problem, while drugs work to help the SYMPTOMS of a problem.

If you have joint pain, that could be caused by one of a dozen things. If you try one or two of them and don't get relief from the pain, you may think that supplements don't work at all.
However, if you take the supplement that provides the nutrients that your body is lacking which is in turn responsible for the pain, you can completely eliminate the pain from happening in the first place.

In simpler terms, it's like maintaining a car. If you properly change the oil regularly, you typically won't have problems with the oil for a long time. If you don't change the oil (not give the required intake), it can affect your engine.... slow it down, make it hotter, and damage some of the metal inside.
The lack of that maintenance can cause trouble throughout the engine. The human body is very similar in that if you don't give it the nutrition it needs, it will break down and could affect other parts throughout your body.


Anyone that says natural supplements don't work at all are very uninformed and/or refuse to look at many MANY research documents that are available online and offline...... either that or stubborn and don't want to look (I was that way for many years) ;-)

I've actually tried many supplements since I was skeptical... some have worked well for me, some have hardly worked for me. I've found some that I am very happy with and get very good results from.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

No, you just haven't read actual research on it.

There are published studies showing benefit on people in comas, babies and even animals.

Placebo in a coma patient? I hope you really know your neurochemistry if you want to explain that...

Further, even if it is a placebo effect, who cares?

ALL pharmaceutical medications are toxic and have a known lethal dosage registered with the FDA. That includes all the over-the-counter drugs too.

If a harmless substance helps a person feel better for a tiny fraction of the cost of an expensive and toxic medication (and with NO toxic side effects), why should that be a problem?

Like with all things, homeopathy works for some and not for others.

Example: I had a bad allergy season this past year, and first tried a homeopathic tincture. Didn't work for me. I moved up a notch and used freeze dried Milk Thistle. That worked every day expect for one when I had a horrific attack in D.C. I took some Benadryl that day only. Because I so rarely use meds in the past 15 years, I've become very sensitive to them. I was able to get a response from a 1/4 pill of Benadryl.

I think that's appropriate use of a med. It was my last, not first, resort.

Point in fact, the highest performing pharmaceutical drugs have a 40% response rate, meaning that the majority of a sample will not have the expected results from a drug anyway.

I don't know about "blood purifier" though...I think the biggest problem with homeopathy is that most of the people who support it have no idea what it is either. LOL

Having a heavy technical and engineering background, I dismissed all forms of energy medicine as complete hogwash for a long time. Then, I decided to put my ego aside and actually look at it from the perspective of "ok, what's working here and when is it working?"

Of course if I only read the Lancet (which I subscribe to), I would have an outmoded Newtonian view of the world. But as quantum physics proved nearly 80 years ago, Newtonian physics does not apply to atoms, molecules or "waves."

If you’re actually interested in understanding, and not just stroking your ego by picking a fight in a group dedicated to the discussion of alternative medicine, then seek understanding. You may still conclude that it's not useful (at least for yourself), but if you have a midset of understanding instead of pure arrogance, new doors will open and you'll at least be able to appreciate the perspective of others.

Answer 6

So many people bashing you and so many of them are just plain wrong.
Apparently, having an open mind and the desire to understand something means that you should indiscriminately accept any nonsense that people throw at you.
Yes, there has been quite a bit of actual research done concerning the effects of homeopathic concoctions. And by research I mean the kind that follows the methodical, rigid standards that the scientific method requires. All of the research that I'm aware of suggests that homeopathy is nonsense.
Furthermore people seem to think that homeopathic remedies fit into the "natural" medicines category. According to S. C. Hahnemann, the grandfather of homeopathy, any substance at all is a potential homeopathic drug. And yes, he called them drugs. According to that logic, I could drink dilluted liquid plumber and call it a homeopathic remedy.
I'm still not sure why some people claim to take specific substances either (belladonna for example). The whole theory behind homeopathics is that the substance should be dilluted to the point that no trace amounts of the substance remain. Again refering to Hahnemann's own theory, compounds should be diluted to one decillionth of a single grain or to the point that not a single molecule remains. So in essense, people are taking doses of distilled water. And apparently experiencing miraculous results from this water.
Applied science may not be able to answer all of life's questions, but it remains the best tool that we have in our search for truth.
calyx156: I'm not trying to turn this into a private debate between us, but let me see if I understand your argument. You're implying that medical practices in the early to mid 1800's were beter than they are today. I don't necessarily believe that. I would argue that some of the greatest medical and scientific achievements in the history of mankind were seen in the 20th century. The double helix, and organ replacement for example. Medical science is currently getting closer to being able to grow organs in the lab for patients requiring replacement. I say Bravo to progress.
You're partially correct about the AMA though. They were and still are active in trying to combat pseudo-science and medical con artists. The competitors you write of also include all of the snake oil salesmen that were and are stealing the life savings from uneducated, misinformed sick people. I for one don't wish to return to the days when there was no proper oversight in place to keep the medical community somewhat honest.
Now for your list of supposedly effective alternative medical practices. Homeopathy, iridology, reflexology, chiropractics, and all the others share 2 distinct characteristics. First, there is very little empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of any of these practices. Second, and most disturbing, is that they were all based initially on some small amount of valid medical or scientific research. Let's just look at homeopathy. The premise of homeopathy is the belief that like cures like. As you pointed out, vaccinations/immunizations are an example of this. So far, so good. The problem with Hahnemann and others like him is that they then try to apply this property to EVERYTHING. Vaccinations only work for a handful of illnesses. Would you really try this with HIV, for example. Would you suggest to your children that they should deliberately introduce the HIV virus into their systems in order to prevent them from developing HIV/AIDS. I hope not.
Look, I'm not saying that any medical theories should be prematurely dismissed. I strongly support the testing of any plausible theory, no matter how absurd it may sound. I would love to find out one day that some physicist, chemist, or any medical researcher has confirmed and explained the effectiveness of homeopathy or chiropractics or whatever. But the fact remains that so far, there is little evidence to support these theories.
Again, I'm sorry for the rant and for pointing out your answer in particular, but I felt as though your comments needed a response.

Answer 7

whoa whoa whoa, are u an NHS doc coz if u are, you're not gunna want to believe it even if it happens right in front of you lol! it works for stuff ppl run to docs for like flu, hayfever, headaches, fever, calcium, iron, general debilities and yes, the list is endless! but isnt good for totally eradicating mental health and BIG illnesses but DOES help in providing the extra help on recovery and general salts that are needed for a quicker recovery, aiding the tablets given at docs but thats only MAJOR illnesses. it does wrk...maybe you're not giving them the chance coz u dont want to belive it.

Answer 8

It's rejected by the majority of medical experts. In many cases the active ingredient has been diluted so many times it is immeasurably low, hence the term "the memory of water" where some homeopaths say that the water molecules remember what was once in them.

I think it's up there with dream catchers and crystal healing but if the placebo effect works then people say the treatment works.

Utter rubbish in itself but there's no accounting for the power of the mind.

Edit: There are people here who appear to not know the difference between homeopathy and "natural" cures such as herbs, vitamins etc. Before you argue, get your facts right. They are NOT the same thing.

Answer 9

I agree 100%, but wow have I had a few angry responses to this comment on Answers! I have never really understood why so many people seem to prefer quack remedies and love wasting their money on them. Especially when these days there is so much information showing as you so clearly state, that they are no better than placebo.

A doctor writing for one of the mass of online medical journals I receive put it best when he said something like this. Homeopathic remedies are diluted so much there cannot possibly be anything left, and they claim the more dilute the remedy, the more powerful it is. It is like suggesting that you pour a pint of beer in to a reservoir and then trying to see how many pints of water you have to drink from it to get drunk.

Answer 10

That's wrong. I had homeopathy a couple of years ago cos of post-viral fatigue, and it really did work. I had it for a tic as well, that went away just a couple of weeks after. It depends on the person, but it DOES work.