Homeopathy

A good post by Em444. Registered homeopaths are not out to con people - millions of people seek relief from homeopathic medicine every day, placebo certainly isn't always a bad thing.

Reply 22

groovy_moose

1

It worked for me when normal medicine didn't, and while i'm aware that effectively all you're taking is a sugar pill, if there's no actually drugs in it and it works, then that's just even better!

Reply 23

Adhsur

Why wouldn't you use it if it's not a con (i.e. it is meant to work)?

Ah well! I'll stop being pedantic :smile:

Nobodies proved that it doesn't work - especially with techniques such as acupuncture. And the people that practice it for the most part believe religiously in its merits. I don't think these therapists are out to con people, but nor would I use homeopathy myself.

Reply 24

timeofyourlife

A good post by Em444. Registered homeopaths are not out to con people - millions of people seek relief from homeopathic medicine every day, placebo certainly isn't always a bad thing.

Course they are. They just have a certificate on their wall that somehow makes them qualified to dispense water and sugar. It isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Homeopathy is not a science and not a medicine, it does not work as claimed.

It may be a combination of placebo effects or the bodies natural healing effect, but there is no physical way for the homeopathic remedy to actually do anything. You may as well prescribe holy water for cancer.

Reply 25

What about the homeopathic or home remedies that doctors reccommend in conjunction with regular meds? Why would they mention it if it was all crap?
For example my hayfever last year was appalling so my doctor suggested taking a spoonful or so of local honey a day from about March. i've done this and I've only needed my hayfever meds a couple of times so far. Normally my eyes would be streaming in may.
my mum was told by her doctor to try accupuncture, it doesn't work long termbut it does provide some short term pain relief.
Simple things can act as preventers, my doctor suggested drinking cranberry after I kept getting cystitus and having to have antibiotics so I did it and now I only get the occassional bladder infection. I'm not saying its all beneficial but it wouldn't have been round for thousands of years if it was all a load of crap.

Reply 26

Feefifofum

16

Well I don't know THAT much about it, but my godmother (who lives in another country so I hardly ever get to go and see when I need medicine) is a registered homeopath, and she has given me things in the poast which have worked. So far her anti-fly bite-reaction medicine thingy that she gives me is the only thing that can combat the swelling and awful reactions I get when bitten/stung etc. Don't know what's in it though :s

Reply 27

blissy

OP

viviki

What about the homeopathic or home remedies that doctors reccommend in conjunction with regular meds? Why would they mention it if it was all crap?
For example my hayfever last year was appalling so my doctor suggested taking a spoonful or so of local honey a day from about March. i've done this and I've only needed my hayfever meds a couple of times so far. Normally my eyes would be streaming in may.
my mum was told by her doctor to try accupuncture, it doesn't work long termbut it does provide some short term pain relief.
Simple things can act as preventers, my doctor suggested drinking cranberry after I kept getting cystitus and having to have antibiotics so I did it and now I only get the occassional bladder infection. I'm not saying its all beneficial but it wouldn't have been round for thousands of years if it was all a load of crap.

But honey and cranberry juice have nothing to do with homeopathy.

Reply 28

AMM

Course they are. They just have a certificate on their wall that somehow makes them qualified to dispense water and sugar.

IF you're referred to an NHS-associated homeopath by your GP, they will have received training in homeopathy. Whether or not homeopathy is all based on placebo or not is still up for debate. The BMJ is full of articles swinging both ways. I personally don't believe in homeopathy but I think that as the methods are so ingrained in our society with the corresponding build up of positive effect stories, their potential for positive placebo has become too big to ignore.

Incidentally, if conventional medicine doesn't work for an individual and a successful placebo effect has taken place using homeopathy I think this can only be a good thing.

It isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Homeopathy is not a science and not a medicine, it does not work as claimed.

it never proclaimed to be a hardcore science, but let's not forget that a lot of conventional medicines are based on herbs once used in a 'homeopathic' sense.

It may be a combination of placebo effects or the bodies natural healing effect, but there is no physical way for the homeopathic remedy to actually do anything.

that's your opinion, but by no means fact.

Reply 29

timeofyourlife

IF you're referred to an NHS-associated homeopath by your GP, they will have received training in homeopathy. Whether or not homeopathy is all based on placebo or not is still up for debate. The BMJ is full of articles swinging both ways. I personally don't believe in homeopathy but I think that as the methods are so ingrained in our society with the corresponding build up of positive effect stories, their potential for positive placebo has become too big to ignore.

Incidentally, if conventional medicine doesn't work for an individual and a successful placebo effect has taken place using homeopathy I think this can only be a good thing.

it never proclaimed to be a hardcore science, but let's not forget that a lot of conventional medicines are based on herbs once used in a 'homeopathic' sense.

There only exists one type of medicine, medicine that works, there is no such thing as alternative medicine, because if it works then it is medicine. If homeopathy works then show me overwhelming scientific proof. As it is all we have is a history of case studies and anecdotes that can easily be explained. After all if you try homeopathy and it works you'll go and tell the world, if you try and it fails then you are a lot less likely to tell people about it. Hence you would expect their to be more people actively expounding the wonders of homeopathy than those who expose it as a moneymaking con.

Reply 30

AMM

There only exists one type of medicine, medicine that works, there is no such thing as alternative medicine, because if it works then it is medicine. If homeopathy works then show me overwhelming scientific proof.

i never said that homeopathy works on a molecular basis, infact i said the opposite and that i didn't believe it was more than a placebo. it is, however, sufficient to say that there have been millions of satisfied patients during the last 200 years regardless of the mechanism of action.

As it is all we have is a history of case studies and anecdotes that can easily be explained. After all if you try homeopathy and it works you'll go and tell the world, if you try and it fails then you are a lot less likely to tell people about it.

if people "believe" that they are being properly treated, they will perceive themselves getting better faster. we already know that up to 70% of medical/surgical patients will report good results from techniques that we know today are ineffective (at the time of the treatment, both the patient and the physician were convinced that the treatment was effective).

homeopathy eases pain/disease in millions of cases, it's just the way through which it works being the main cause for debate.

Reply 31

timeofyourlife

homeopathy eases pain/disease in millions of cases, it's just the way through which it works being the main cause for debate.

Prayer does the same, should it be available on the NHS? Medicine is a science, associating with Homeopathy isn't a good idea.

Reply 32

AMM

Prayer does the same, should it be available on the NHS? Medicine is a science, associating with Homeopathy isn't a good idea.

Prayer doesn't need to be on the NHS :rolleyes:

I think the ends justify the means in homeopathy's case. If it's proven to be fake, then the placebo effect might start wearing off and i'd be more inclined to agree with you.

Reply 33

blissy

But honey and cranberry juice have nothing to do with homeopathy.

No thats why I said homeopathy and home remedies i was using that as another example of how small things which are not prescribed medicines and part of normal medicine can significantly help the body and prevent you from needing to consult normal medicine. Surely giving that you can argue that homeopathy can have the same effect. I'm not saying that homeopathy replaces normal medicine but I do think the two can act in conjunction and that there is a place for homeopathic medicines. Some herbs can definitely have an effect on the body. maybe some of it is a placebo but whilst it does have some effect there is a place for it.
I know a lot of people that have used stuff like st johns wort for period pains, and valerium(sp?) mild depression etc etc, if they feel like it helps them and relieves there symptoms does it matter whether or not it is actually medically proven to have a massive effect. If homeopathy keeps people from making unnecessary doctors appointments and wasting NHS resources then surely it has to be a good thing, if they are willing to spend their hard earned cash on it then I dont' see the problem.

Reply 34

blissy

OP

viviki

No thats why I said homeopathy and home remedies i was using that as another example of how small things which are not prescribed medicines and part of normal medicine can significantly help the body and prevent you from needing to consult normal medicine. Surely giving that you can argue that homeopathy can have the same effect. I'm not saying that homeopathy replaces normal medicine but I do think the two can act in conjunction and that there is a place for homeopathic medicines. Some herbs can definitely have an effect on the body. maybe some of it is a placebo but whilst it does have some effect there is a place for it.
I know a lot of people that have used stuff like st johns wort for period pains, and valerium(sp?) mild depression etc etc, if they feel like it helps them and relieves there symptoms does it matter whether or not it is actually medically proven to have a massive effect. If homeopathy keeps people from making unnecessary doctors appointments and wasting NHS resources then surely it has to be a good thing, if they are willing to spend their hard earned cash on it then I dont' see the problem.

My prob;em is with little sugar tablets with no ingredients. Not aromatherapy or little things that make you feel better - or even herbal remedies to an extent because they actually have ingredients.

I just felt terrible selling it to people - especially those who weren't convinced and had been told that £6.99 small bottle or arnica gel would help a bruise by a friend or something.

Reply 35

It is a massive con, why is it so expensive if it isn't a money making scheme?

Reply 36

blissy

My prob;em is with little sugar tablets with no ingredients. Not aromatherapy or little things that make you feel better - or even herbal remedies to an extent because they actually have ingredients.

I just felt terrible selling it to people - especially those who weren't convinced and had been told that £6.99 small bottle or arnica gel would help a bruise by a friend or something.

I've used arnica before and I have found that it does help bruising and redness of scarring, but I've never bought the tubes of the stuff from boots, its always been from a herbal shop and they give you some in a pot. my friend had a terrible black eye once it was so bad that she couldn't open her eye and she went to the little herbal shop and they gave her some of the stuff for free and it went totally within 2 days. So I'm guessing it probably has more of the active ingredients in it.

I agree some things are a con, you always get big corporations trying to make alot of money but it doesn't mean that all homeopathic stuff is bad. Look at how much money pharmaceutical companies make out of regular medicines you always get people trying to take advantage thats life. It doesn't mean that the principles behind it are totally crappy and founded in cynicism.

Reply 37

bone-machine

9

iv used it to control my anxiety and its great.

and anyone whos buying it over the counter is COMPLETELY going against the whole concept...they are meant to diagnose you and make a remedy completely suiting your character and symptoms

for instance when she was looking at my anxiety i was asked what form it took
how i felt when i was having a panic attack etc

and then i got a remedy that suited it

it might be all in the head..who knows until they actually do some scientific research

but my homeopath has treated cows and new born babies who wouldnt know what they were being given and supposedly it worked..so i think there is deff something in it...obviously not as strong as conventional medicine though...but far less damaging to the body

and certainly not a pile of **** as some of you harshly put

Reply 38

covered farm wagon

11

I'd give it a go. My doctor said he might refer me to a homeopath, and I told him I didn't believe in homeopathy, and he said "hmmm", so I thought about it at home, and decided I might as well give it a go. Although, if it's a placebo effect, I doubt it'll work on me because I secretly don't believe in it.

Reply 39