Homeopathy is bogus

[Begonia]

moviezombie - gonna read it right now. You are right about some foods not combining well. I've always been extremely fussy about what I can eat and when - goes right back to early childhood. Some foods just have always made me feel yucky when eaten at the wrong time, or together. This will be a very interesting read for me!

I am trying an alkaline diet right now, and have always eaten low-fat and was a vegetarian for years. While raw salads used to be fine, I am lately finding they can make the problem worse. I don't believe I have IBS or Ulcerative Colitis, but my Mom and brother did and do. We have digestional issues in our family it seems. My sister has been diagnosed with NERD, which once I stopped laughing, found out stands for Non-ulcerative esophageal reflux disease. Off to read!

(Thanks again MZ )

 

[hlmr]

Whoa.
People believe in all kinds of stuff.
A third of all humans believe a virgin had a baby.

Just saying, what's not groovy for you may be groovy to someone else.

You've found out that Homeopathy is not for you.
Fine.
Don't wreck it for others who like it.
People vary.

Kenny, I don't get you. In the ghost story thread, you snarkily comment on people who believe in ghosts. Here, you snarkily comment that people should have their own beliefs.

 

[Begonia]

Ara Ann - I do take probiotics, but have not taken the enzymes. I'll sure give them a go. The elimination diet I have not strictly tried, but I may have to at this point. Sometimes things go down well...for a time. I think the elimination diet will allow for this. Also what used to be okay, may not be at this point. Getting all of your suggestions give me the strength to give them a go...

Mqlove - I agree, it's hocus. Alternative therapies I have used for years, but in my mind, homeopathy is snake oil. Don't even get me started about the little sugar balls in those damn vials.

If you haven't watched that vido from James Randi, you gotta see that. Gawd do I feel like an idiot, but then again, I'm rather glad I went into it with an open mind. I think I can honestly say it's hogwash, and a lucrative hogwash at that. Well, most hogwash is lucrative to somebody. I would hate to think that some of this stuff is being touted as a cancer cure or the like .

The other references I'm going to look up tonight .

 

[movie zombie]

just don't try all the new suggestions at once! they could all fail yet if one was tested over the course of 3-6 weeks by itself, it might have worked. tempting as it is to jump right in, take it slow. do you keep a log of when, i what combo, with what food or not, what time, which food, etc, you're eating? you could add notations re what you're trying and any perceived differences. i have had to do that for my thyroid condition......

 

[anitabee]

well, my parents-in-law and sis-in-law are homeopathic freaks! (interestingly enough they are british. weird!) i don't feel bad posting my opinion here.

HOMEOPATHY IS A SCAM!

yessiree! it's a money-grab. the amount of money my family members spend is astronomical. homeopathy is almost cult-like. a lot of these people have blind faith in this field. it seems like every second conversation is about their homeopath and their ails and how much their homeopath helps them. sad thing is that they've been avoiding medical doctors to treat serious conditions. they're retired and not living on much but they continue to spend hoards of cash on this brand of "medicine" that isn't working.

they're not only into homeopathy, but also naturopathy.

 

[Begonia]

I hear ya anitabee. Similar testimonial.

I'm not saying all Brits/descendants in my hometown are into homeopathy, but a good many are, and they are...well as you said, cult-like about it. Kinda spooky really.

My sister-in-law comes back town, from where she lives in England with her British husband, and the first thing she is calling for is "do you have any this or that" (all homeopathic preparations).

Those have been my experiences with homeopathy.

I did use to take 'Rescue Remedy', another homeopathic treatment. Liked the name and the idea behind it. Did I notice a lick of difference? No. Give me accupuncture, or a good walk and a supportive shoulder anyday over that.

 

[iLander]

I think the tinctures in homeopathy are too diluted to do much good.

But then I see a nitroglycerin pill that's smaller than a baby aspirin, and it can start your heart in seconds.

So, who knows.

My question is: why did you spend so much time and effort on it without researching it first? My MD doctor has to deal with my "prove it" attitude before I will take anything he prescribes.

Here's what real MD's have told me over the years, which I have ignored:

You have skin cancer (nope, just an infected mole)
My DH has bladder cancer (nope, just a polyp)
You have anemia, you must have internal bleeding, run to the hospital! (nope, don't eat a lot of meat and just started taking iron, I'm fine)
My DH; DR said his neck would be fine with some stretching exercises and head traction gear. Turns out, No, that doesn't cure a shattered disk.

Be skeptical of ALL things medical. It's easier in the long run.

 

[movie zombie]

yep. prove it and i still might not use it because i may have found an alternative that works for me and i'm not impressed with the side effects of what you want to prescribe.

yep. research research and research some more. 9 times out of 10 i already know what the problem in and merely need the dr to confirm it. in some cases i do need the med, too.

the thing is that even if they whip out studies with facts, those facts may only be pertinent to a group of males aged 40-60. not a lot of studies done for women.......

as in all things, let the buyer beware.

how's it going, Begonia? found anything you want to try to releave symptoms and perhaps get to the cause and not just manage the pain?

 

[Begonia]

Hey MZ

Starting an elimination diet. Checked out some of those sites, some very interesting articles on the one (forgot what it's called, but put it in favourites). My kids are home for spring break (2 weeks here - yikes!) so haven't had a chance to check the others, which I actually plan on doing tonite. I like to take notes, so I have to do all that when I have a quiet house (doesn't happen too often in Casa Begonia )

Doc wants me to try another PPI, which I may have to do. I have gotten a referral to a specialist, and surgery may be an option ( I have a hiatal hernia - no clue how that happened - childbirth?), and before I would get that done, I would like to exhaust all options. Plenty of time before I see the specialist to try some other holistic stuff, and then (if no relief) give that last PPI (prevacid) a go. Giving the PPI a go is mostly a formality. I've tried several PPI's and H2 blockers. Same stuff really: more stomach pain, headaches, dizziness, nausea and not much relief from other symptoms.

Thanks for asking MZ.

Say, how are the putty tats?

 

[movie zombie]

Casa Begonia: i like the sound of that!

thanks for asking re the cats. Rusty is resting well and trying new foods. Harley is loving the new foods even more so. they are enjoying lounging in front of the wood stove........

 

[LAJennifer]

I agree that Natural Remedies differs greatly from "Homeopathy".

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html

 

[mrs taylor]

just sayin'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/homeopathic-medicine-_b_1258607.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197128.php

the study in the Lancet that everyone loves to cite was also retracted.

 

[Haven]

I think you'll find people who have found comfort and healing from every different modality that exists out there.

My husband is a scientist practitioner, he studies biomechanics and focuses specifically on the foot. He left the field of occupational therapy after several years because he believed it was ineffective as a whole and didn't gel with what he knows to be true about the human body based on science. HOWEVER, he would never say OT is bogus because, for whatever reason, it does work for some people. He would be terrified if I took up yoga or some other practice that puts the body into extreme positions, yet he would never say yoga is bogus, because again, it works for some people. Same with homeopathy.

Some people find great relief from visiting a hypnotist. Others think it's bogus.

I would never let a chiropractor touch me, but my godmother has found enormous relief from pains in the hands of a chiropractor.

Sometimes, it takes more than science or facts to heal. Sometimes people just need to believe. I'm not interested in denying an ailing person that relief, no matter how bogus I think her modality of choice is.

 

[ksinger]

Homeopathy is bogus. I thing homeopathy is a big crock of $#%t!

!

I think you owe an apology to those here, perhaps lurkers, who feel they benefit from Homeopathy.
Perhaps some here work in that field.

Well Kenny, you pretty much nailed it as a belief and not real medicine, if you're demanding a apology for someone's supposedly hurt feelings about someone thinking homeopathy is hokum.

People may vary (god knows you tell us that every chance you get) but selling someone what amounts to an ineffective substitute in lieu of a medicine that might actually be empirically proven to work, is pretty unethical in my book. And I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of making those claims, but I know there is some level of FDA regulation of such.

As for homeopathy, it IS hokum.

"Depending on the dilution, homeopathic remedies may not contain any pharmacologically active molecules,[19] and for such remedies to have pharmacological effect would violate fundamental principles of science.[5][20] Modern homeopaths have proposed that water has a memory that allows homeopathic preparations to work without any of the original substance; however, there are no verified observations nor scientifically plausible physical mechanisms for such a phenomenon.[20][21] The lack of convincing scientific evidence to support homeopathy's efficacy[22] and its use of remedies lacking active ingredients have caused homeopathy to be described as pseudoscience, quackery,[23][24][25][26][27] and a "cruel deception".[28]"

The placebo effect, however, is pretty well documented.

And yes, I have some experiential knowledge of it too, as my mother took it as she was dying from ALS, for symptom relief. Her symptoms got worse and she died from them. It was cheap and didn't hurt in this case, and I did not even attempt to deprive her of the little hope she had, but no amount of hope or belief changed the worsening symptoms or the final outcome.

 

[monarch64]

I think you'll find people who have found comfort and healing from every different modality that exists out there.

My husband is a scientist practitioner, he studies biomechanics and focuses specifically on the foot. He left the field of occupational therapy after several years because he believed it was ineffective as a whole and didn't gel with what he knows to be true about the human body based on science. HOWEVER, he would never say OT is bogus because, for whatever reason, it does work for some people. He would be terrified if I took up yoga or some other practice that puts the body into extreme positions, yet he would never say yoga is bogus, because again, it works for some people. Same with homeopathy.

Some people find great relief from visiting a hypnotist. Others think it's bogus.

I would never let a chiropractor touch me, but my godmother has found enormous relief from pains in the hands of a chiropractor.

Sometimes, it takes more than science or facts to heal. Sometimes people just need to believe. I'm not interested in denying an ailing person that relief, no matter how bogus I think her modality of choice is.

Wonderful post, Haven. Many practices have worked for many people throughout history in terms of healing and Kenny's mantra of "people vary" is very fitting, in my opinion, in that regard.

Ksinger, I also agree with you as far as ethics and the issue of practitioners profiting from people's blind trust/faith.

My philosophy (not that anyone asked or cares) is that NOTHING is certain in life, and the more often I remind myself of that FACT, the more at peace I am, day to day. So tough to remember that, though, when everything is going swimmingly and BOOM! Curveball.

 

[lulu]

I found this in the Telegraph and thought you'd find it interesting.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/alternativemedicine/9151606/Homeopathy-biologically-implausible.html