Help me with a question about essential oils vs homeopathic medicine

[dovrar]

I'm researching essential oils and from what I've been told, the longer you use them the less you need because the EOs work on a cellular level and actually help the body to heal.  However, with homeopathic medicine I know you're only supposed to use whatever it is you're using for 7 to 10 days max and then give it a break for at least an equal amount of time.  Anyone with a biochem backround that can help me out.

[WishboneDawn]

Homeopathic remedies are placebos. Any active ingredients are diluted to such a degree that they effectively no longer present. This is because of some beliefs that have no basis in science at all. Any one with a biochemical background will confirm this.

 

I don't know about essential oils but the explanation you were given sounds funny. Is be looking for evidence that they work in the first place.

[dovrar]

I personally have helped my husband fight off a pretty bad infection with oil of oregano, so I don't doubt that it works.  I also use homeopathic medicine with my children and have seen it work.  And while you could tell me that maybe my daughter who dislodged the bones in her wrist badly enough that we thought she had fractured it and was in so much pain she couldn't sleep was taken in by the placebo effect, I know that my bitty who had pain and a fever subside within an hour of using homeopathic medicine knows nothing of the placebo effect. 

 

Not trying to be snarky, but some of this stuff really does help and I'm just trying to find someone whose done their homework and might be able to explain it to me.  I  may not be explaining it well enough here on the board.  I'm new at all of this.

[Ipsey]

I personally have helped my husband fight off a pretty bad infection with oil of oregano, so I don't doubt that it works.  I also use homeopathic medicine with my children and have seen it work.  And while you could tell me that maybe my daughter who dislodged the bones in her wrist badly enough that we thought she had fractured it and was in so much pain she couldn't sleep was taken in by the placebo effect, I know that my bitty who had pain and a fever subside within an hour of using homeopathic medicine knows nothing of the placebo effect. 

 

Not trying to be snarky, but some of this stuff really does help and I'm just trying to find someone whose done their homework and might be able to explain it to me.  I  may not be explaining it well enough here on the board.  I'm new at all of this.

 

Are you sure you're talking about homeopathy?  The use of essential oils isn't the same as homeopathy.

 

Homeopathy is a placebo. It's taken some sort of "active ingredient" and diluting it hundreds if not thousands of times.

http://xkcd.com/765/

 

If homeopathy worked, it would be possible to overdose in some way. 

James Randi has "attempted suicide" dozens if not hundreds of times to overdose on homeopathic sleeping pills and never had any effect at all. 

 

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_randi.html

 

There are entire groups of people who participate in these public "overdoses." One member of our board has done this--though I can't remember who.  

 

Plus, one needs no nothing about the placebo effect to have it "work".  Not to mention that correlation does not equal causation.

 

I think have a few biochemists around here. I hope they see this thread!

[Learning fun]

I've experienced a lot of health benefits from both homeopathy and essential oils. I'm not sure that I could tell you the science behind them though. There is a huge gap between westernized medicine and wholistic medicine so unless you get a biochemist who is open to wholistic medicine you will probably get arguments on why its not real.

 

ETA Calling Homeopathy a placebo is more of a dismissal than a statement of fact. Because one person conducts experiments on one person (himself) does not prove any point. A comprehensive double blind experiment with only half of the participants receiving any benefits would point to placebo. This (to my knowledge) has never happened, which is what I mean when I say there is a huge gap between the two systems of thought. It's easy to dismiss the other side but unless there are some actual studies done its just conjecture.

[WishboneDawn]

I've experienced a lot of health benefits from both homeopathy and essential oils. I'm not sure that I could tell you the science behind them though. There is a huge gap between westernized medicine and wholistic medicine so unless you get a biochemist who is open to wholistic medicine you will probably get arguments on why its not real.

Homeopathy is western.

 

It was proposed by a German at the end of the 1800s. It was based on some now-outdated and mistaken thinking by one physician. It is not part of any cultures longer tradition of healing and medicines and should not be confused with things like naturopathy or conflated with natural or holistic medicine.

[WishboneDawn]

I personally have helped my husband fight off a pretty bad infection with oil of oregano, so I don't doubt that it works. I also use homeopathic medicine with my children and have seen it work. And while you could tell me that maybe my daughter who dislodged the bones in her wrist badly enough that we thought she had fractured it and was in so much pain she couldn't sleep was taken in by the placebo effect, I know that my bitty who had pain and a fever subside within an hour of using homeopathic medicine knows nothing of the placebo effect.

 

Not trying to be snarky, but some of this stuff really does help and I'm just trying to find someone whose done their homework and might be able to explain it to me. I may not be explaining it well enough here on the board. I'm new at all of this.

I don't doubt your stories. Saying homeopathy is a placebo is not saying it doesn't work. I once had a woman take away the pain of a bad burn by waving her hands over my injury. I didn't truly believe she was channeling entries our whatever she thought she was doing, but it had a placebo effect regardless and spread the pain. Placebos can be very effective for temporarily suppressing symptoms. They just can't offer real treatments or cures and that's something people should be away of, especially if there's money involved.

 

You also don't need to know about the placebo effect for it to work. My most powerful painkiller when it comes to my toddler's injuries is a kiss. He knows nothing about placebos but the kiss works every time.

 

I don't doubt what you said about oil of oregano either. Like a lot of plants, it has antibiotic properties. I was very sceptical of the "cellular level" line. I find that when people are very sketchy on the science behind something cells, molecules and quantum physics are terms that pop up like dandelions in order to make something sound "sciencey".

 

I think it's great that you're asking. I'm just giving you some of the information you may need. Keep asking! :-)

[Learning fun]

Homeopathy is western.

 

It was proposed by a German at the end of the 1800s. It was based on some now-outdated and mistaken thinking by one physician. It is not part of any cultures longer tradition of healing and medicines and should not be confused with things like naturopathy or conflated with natural or holistic medicine.

By. "Westernized Medicine" I don't mean "came from the west" but the standard way we treat illness. Generally homeopathy falls under the holistic umbrella, definitely under the Alternative Medicine umbrella.

[JumpyTheFrog]

I said this in another thread and I'll say it again. If homeopathy worked, based on all the drugs that get into the water supply, nobody would ever get pregnant, heartburn, depressed, ADD, or need Viagra.

 

Essentials oils, however, have actual ingredients in measurable amounts, so they may actually do something.

[tabinfl]

From http://www.1023.org.uk/what-is-homeopathy.php :

 

"The most comprehensive review of homeopathic treatments ever conducted was published in the medical journal The Lancet in 2005. The paper analysed every clinical investigation then published into the effects of homeopathy, and concluded that any apparent benefits from homeopathic 'treatments' were simply placebo effects."

 

ETA: That site also has good explanations of why homeopathy cannot possibly do what it claims to do.

[WishboneDawn]

By. "Westernized Medicine" I don't mean "came from the west" but the standard way we treat illness. Generally homeopathy falls under the holistic umbrella, definitely under the Alternative Medicine umbrella.

I think I'll still point out that it came from the west and was proposed by a western physician operating under mistaken assumptions in a western system. :)

 

It's been my experience that people seem to think it's got a long and honored history of practice somewhere and that tends to add a sheen of respectability that homeopathy doesn't deserve. It's wholly a product of all things western and deserves to be understood and measured in that context.

 

ETA: That homeopathy fails utterly when measured by the standards of western medicine doesn't mean it gets to be shuffled off to another category so it can get off lightly.

[Miss Marple]

I said this in another thread and I'll say it again. If homeopathy worked, based on all the drugs that get into the water supply, nobody would ever get pregnant, heartburn, depressed, ADD, or need Viagra.

 

:iagree:

 

To the OP:  you asked for a biochemist to help you understand.  Unfortunately since there isn't any real science associated with homeopathy, you're going to have a hard time finding one who will validate homeopathy (as pointed out by the study link another poster listed).  

[dovrar]

Are you sure you're talking about homeopathy?  The use of essential oils isn't the same as homeopathy.

 

Homeopathy is a placebo. It's taken some sort of "active ingredient" and diluting it hundreds if not thousands of times.

http://xkcd.com/765/

 

If homeopathy worked, it would be possible to overdose in some way. 

James Randi has "attempted suicide" dozens if not hundreds of times to overdose on homeopathic sleeping pills and never had any effect at all. 

 

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_randi.html

 

There are entire groups of people who participate in these public "overdoses." One member of our board has done this--though I can't remember who.  

 

Plus, one needs no nothing about the placebo effect to have it "work".  Not to mention that correlation does not equal causation.

 

I think have a few biochemists around here. I hope they see this thread!

 

Yep, I'm sure I'm talking about homeopathy.  I used arnica sublinguals for dd who hurt her wrist---(I mean jammed it hard enough that she set it afterward because there was a bone clearly our of place and the pain was going to make her puke) and tiny cold tablets for the baby when she's teething to help relieve sinus pressure and help her not be overrun with snot. 

 

What exactly is the placebo effect?  I mean, I've taken advil and not had it touch pain when I had every confidence it would work and then dh tried arnica for pain once only because I forced him to and was planning to go to the store and buy some "real medicine", but it worked and he didn't need to.  So how does this fit it to the definitions??? :bigear:

 

[Slartibartfast]

There is very little research on essential oils and homeopathy but there is MORE research on homeopathy than taking essential oils internally.

[dovrar]

I don't doubt your stories. Saying homeopathy is a placebo is not saying it doesn't work. I once had a woman take away the pain of a bad burn by waving her hands over my injury. I didn't truly believe she was channeling entries our whatever she thought she was doing, but it had a placebo effect regardless and spread the pain. Placebos can be very effective for temporarily suppressing symptoms. They just can't offer real treatments or cures and that's something people should be away of, especially if there's money involved.

 

You also don't need to know about the placebo effect for it to work. My most powerful painkiller when it comes to my toddler's injuries is a kiss. He knows nothing about placebos but the kiss works every time.

 

I don't doubt what you said about oil of oregano either. Like a lot of plants, it has antibiotic properties. I was very sceptical of the "cellular level" line. I find that when people are very sketchy on the science behind something cells, molecules and quantum physics are terms that pop up like dandelions in order to make something sound "sciencey".

 

I think it's great that you're asking. I'm just giving you some of the information you may need. Keep asking! :-)

 

An honest question as far as placebos are concerned- I've tried giving the baby teething tablets that were homeopathic and they did squat, after awhile I decided to try the cold tablets because sometimes teething can cause sinus pressure, runny nose and other "cold symptoms", those tablets worked.  Now, the little pills look exactly the same and the bottles look so much alike I have a hard time finding the right ones.  BUT the teething pills NEVER help (I've tried a few more times to see if it was a fluke, I mean, I already spent money on the pills, I should get something out of it) and the cold tablets always help.  I really am looking for an honest explanation of the placebo effect.

[Rosie_0801]

I've used essential oils for insomnia. Lavender doesn't work on me but majorum does. I've used some for mood at times, but the only one I've taken internally has been oil of oregano. Strong stuff that.

[Guest]

An honest question as far as placebos are concerned- I've tried giving the baby teething tablets that were homeopathic and they did squat, after awhile I decided to try the cold tablets because sometimes teething can cause sinus pressure, runny nose and other "cold symptoms", those tablets worked.  Now, the little pills look exactly the same and the bottles look so much alike I have a hard time finding the right ones.  BUT the teething pills NEVER help (I've tried a few more times to see if it was a fluke, I mean, I already spent money on the pills, I should get something out of it) and the cold tablets always help.  I really am looking for an honest explanation of the placebo effect.

 

I suggest Google.  :)

 

I "believed" in homeopathy for several years. I have more than one excellent book on the subject and enough "marshmallow pills" (the kids' name for them) to make your head spin. They don't do diddly. I can report a very few occasions when they "worked." This was part of the reason I continued to believe they *could* work. I did want them to work. But it was when I researched the "science" behind homeopathy that I had to conclude it could not work, except by placebo effect. 

 

My initial research was on Quackwatch. I'm not sure if that site is still around, but it *is* a scientific understanding of all things alternative. 

[Mergath]

I said this in another thread and I'll say it again. If homeopathy worked, based on all the drugs that get into the water supply, nobody would ever get pregnant, heartburn, depressed, ADD, or need Viagra.

 

Essentials oils, however, have actual ingredients in measurable amounts, so they may actually do something.

 

If homeopathy actually worked, a glass of tap water would probably be fatal. ;)

[WishboneDawn]

Dovrar - here's a link

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/placebo-effect.htm

 

:-)

[Learning fun]

ETA: That homeopathy fails utterly when measured by the standards of western medicine doesn't mean it gets to be shuffled off to another category so it can get off lightly.

Does it really need to be slammed? I've had it work for me when traditional meds left me wanting. Why not just let bygones be bygones?

[Ipsey]

Does it really need to be slammed? I've had it work for me when traditional meds left me wanting. Why not just let bygones be bygones?

 

What are you talking about? Bygones?

 

I'm glad you had some relief using homeopathy. There are many other types of placebos would have worked just as well in their place.

 

To say that homeopathy is a placebo is not "slamming" homeopathy. To say that best method scientific studies identify any affect of homeopathy as placebo is not "slamming." It's identification.

[Learning fun]

To say that homeopathy is a placebo is not "slamming" homeopathy. To say that best method scientific studies identify any affect of homeopathy as placebo is not "slamming." It's identification.

You're right, calling it a placebo is a label. Saying that it doesn't deserve to be called holistic medicine, is a slam.

[mytwomonkeys]

Are you sure you're talking about homeopathy? The use of essential oils isn't the same as homeopathy.

 

Homeopathy is a placebo. It's taken some sort of "active ingredient" and diluting it hundreds if not thousands of times.

http://xkcd.com/765/

 

If homeopathy worked, it would be possible to overdose in some way.

James Randi has "attempted suicide" dozens if not hundreds of times to overdose on homeopathic sleeping pills and never had any effect at all.

 

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_randi.html

 

There are entire groups of people who participate in these public "overdoses." One member of our board has done this--though I can't remember who.

 

Plus, one needs no nothing about the placebo effect to have it "work". Not to mention that correlation does not equal causation.

 

I think have a few biochemists around here. I hope they see this thread!

Well. If it works though, who cares. A biochemist can't make me feel better with an explanation, but a "placebo pill" does the trick, and I'm fine with that. Sometimes science doesn't need to support that I feel better every time I've taken oscillococcin. And it's not just me. It gets mostly amazing reviews because most people find it effective. Compared to the effectiveness of the flu shot, it holds it's own--so I'm not worried about why it works. I'm just thankful that it does & has no side effects.

[Onceuponatime]

I think we need to realize that if homeopathic medicine is only a placebo then  it is fraudulent and potentially harmful to those who may mistakenly place their trust in it when they should be seeking out more potent remedies.

 

I don't believe it is a slam to say something is not holistic medicine when it isn't even medicine at all. Most homeopathic remedies do not even contain a microscopic trace of the original component.

[JumpyTheFrog]

Placebo effect in a nutshell: Some patients are in the process/about to get better anyway, because their body is fixing the problem. For them, feeling better after taking a pill is a coincidence; they would've felt better soon anyway. For other people, having someone listen and sympathize about their symptoms and give them a pill helps their symptoms improve, even if the pill is just made of inert filler.

 

If you read the entry on Wikipedia, it mentions some interesting research showing that the placebo effect becomes stronger or weaker depending on factors such as the attitude of the doctor, as well as the features of the pill: size, color, shape, tablet vs. capsule, brand label stamped on it, etc.

[mytwomonkeys]

I think we need to realize that if homeopathic medicine is only a placebo then it is fraudulent and potentially harmful to those who may mistakenly place their trust in it when they should be seeking out more potent remedies.

 

I don't believe it is a slam to say something is not holistic medicine when it isn't even medicine at all. Most homeopathic remedies do not even contain a microscopic trace of the original component.

We should equally realize if they never worked no one would buy them. It is insulting to imply people that turn to natural remedies (including some homeopath OTC medicines) would place their trust in a Hylands product or the like & not pursue other treatments or medical attention.

 

Anymore than someone receiving Tamiflu & later returning to the doctor when they had no relief -- you wouldn't just receive that one treatment and assume that's all you can do now, even though you still feel horrible.

 

I only turned to more natural remedies after my son was ALWAYS sick and another rocephin shot in his little thigh was about to make me insane. I knew there were better ways and less harmful ways to tend to our health. That doesn't dismiss medical care, but it broadens my range of how to treat our health without taking antibiotics or receiving shots every time. Diet being the most important IMO and never prescribed once by my ped

[Ipsey]

My friend's daughter loves a specific Beanie Baby. She brings it to tests because she says it helps her to feel more relaxed and she does better on tests. She says she know it's not really magic or anything, but it's an emotional help.

 

I have a necklace that's somewhat similar for me.

 

We use these things because of their effect on us.

 

But, if we were to try to sell these items as a type of medicine because they soothed anxiety, I think that's where we fall into the problem.

 

If homeopathy were marketed as a placebo instead of medicine, I think that would be more honest, and we wouldn't have people confused about what is actual medicine that has predictable effects on the body.

 

I don't think it's necessarily unrealistic to hope that homeopathics would start to label themselves as placebos.  One of the fascinating thing about placebos is that they work even when the people taking them know they're placebos.

 

This thread caused me to recalled a conversation I had with a friend who actually has a Ph.D in biochem (we were friends together in high school and lost track of each other for many years. She's now a biochem prof in Korea!) I was on my FB asking my friends for suggestions they had to aid me with my insomnia. She suggested some sort of tincture. She said it was homeopathic, and therefore a placebo, but she said she liked it though and she said I could get some and put it in capsules, or I could drop it under my tongue (like she did) for "increased placebo power." (Her words. We had a good laugh). Fact was, she used this tincture knowing full well that it was a placebo, but that she liked to use it (just like I "use" my necklace on certain occasions). She said I could also just save myself the money and have some chamomile tea. Another friend of ours from high school (and a pharmacist) popped in and said he'd give me a prescription for "chamomile" tea, because that too would improve the placebo power--just having something prescribed makes people more likely to respond to it. (The then offered me something else through messages and not on my updates page. :))

 

I watched this a number of years ago and found it so interesting!  It's only 3 minutes, and worth a watch!

 

[Ipsey]

We should equally realize if they never worked no one would buy them. It is insulting to imply people that turn to natural remedies (including some homeopath OTC medicines) would place their trust in a Hylands product or the like & not pursue other treatments or medical attention.

 

Anymore than someone receiving Tamiflu & later returning to the doctor when they had no relief -- you wouldn't just receive that one treatment and assume that's all you can do now, even though you still feel horrible.

 

I only turned to more natural remedies after my son was ALWAYS sick and another rocephin shot in his little thigh was about to make me insane. I knew there were better ways and less harmful ways to tend to our health. That doesn't dismiss medical care, but it broadens my range of how to treat our health without taking antibiotics or receiving shots every time. Diet being the most important IMO and never prescribed once by my ped

 

Who is saying the homeopathics don't work? They can/do work--they work by the placebo effect. 

 

However, there is no active ingredient. They work on the mind.  

 

Placebo effect.

[Mergath]

Well. If it works though, who cares. A biochemist can't make me feel better with an explanation, but a "placebo pill" does the trick, and I'm fine with that. Sometimes science doesn't need to support that I feel better every time I've taken oscillococcin. And it's not just me. It gets mostly amazing reviews because most people find it effective. Compared to the effectiveness of the flu shot, it holds it's own--so I'm not worried about why it works. I'm just thankful that it does & has no side effects.

 

See, that right there is the nail in the coffin for me when it comes to homeopathy.  No side effects.

 

Every kind of medicine in the world causes side effects for at least some of the people who use it.  When you're putting something into the body to change the way the body works, you're going to see the effects of that change in multiple ways.  There's no getting around that.  

 

Homeopathic remedies have no side effects, no matter how much you take.  Why?  Because it isn't medicine.  Short of the placebo effect, it isn't having any effect whatsoever on the way the body functions.  

[WishboneDawn]

We should equally realize if they never worked no one would buy them. It is insulting to imply people that turn to natural remedies (including some homeopath OTC medicines) would place their trust in a Hylands product or the like & not pursue other treatments or medical attention.

 

Anymore than someone receiving Tamiflu & later returning to the doctor when they had no relief -- you wouldn't just receive that one treatment and assume that's all you can do now, even though you still feel horrible.

 

I only turned to more natural remedies after my son was ALWAYS sick and another rocephin shot in his little thigh was about to make me insane. I knew there were better ways and less harmful ways to tend to our health. That doesn't dismiss medical care, but it broadens my range of how to treat our health without taking antibiotics or receiving shots every time. Diet being the most important IMO and never prescribed once by my ped

My point is that homeopathy isn't natural or holistic. Those two terms mean something beyond, "not conventional medicine" and that meaning is devalued when things like homeopathy are lumped in with them.

 

Whether people might move on to different treatments or not is, for me, beside the point. Initially someone is still being referred to, passing money for and wasting time on something that will not work beyond, best case, some temporary relief of symptoms.

[mytwomonkeys]

Who is saying the homeopathics don't work? They can/do work--they work by the placebo effect.

 

However, there is no active ingredient. They work on the mind.

 

Placebo effect.

Well. I must have misread it, so I apologize. I felt the implication was they don't work & using them to treat anything was a danger because people will trust them and never seek any other care. I don't care what the science behind some of the homepath I use is, I just know what works. I love oscillococcinum for colds. I used teething tablets and earache tablets when my children were toddlers & they worked wonders. I also rely on poultices often & they are usually free since I keep veggies on hand often. :). I will always look for natural remedies first (including homeopathic) over antibiotics and prescriptions. Our current ped subscribes to both now & it has been a wonderful partnership

[mytwomonkeys]

My point is that homeopathy isn't natural or holistic. Those two terms mean something beyond, "not conventional medicine" and that meaning is devalued when things like homeopathy are lumped in with them.

 

Whether people might move on to different treatments or not is, for me, beside the point. Initially someone is still being referred to, passing money for and wasting time on something that will not work beyond, best case, some temporary relief of symptoms.

I misunderstood you. I apologize. And I agree. I do not view OTC homeopathic medicine equal to a naturopath - but I still like a few of the things I've tried and don't care why they work. :)

[mytwomonkeys]

See, that right there is the nail in the coffin for me when it comes to homeopathy. No side effects.

 

Every kind of medicine in the world causes side effects for at least some of the people who use it. When you're putting something into the body to change the way the body works, you're going to see the effects of that change in multiple ways. There's no getting around that.

 

Homeopathic remedies have no side effects, no matter how much you take. Why? Because it isn't medicine. Short of the placebo effect, it isn't having any effect whatsoever on the way the body functions.

I just don't agree that all treatments require negative side effects. I'm sorry you disagree. I don't care if people use homeopathic products or seek out any type of alternative medicine or treatment. I'm simply saying many that have used some homeopathic remedies found relief, and sometimes that is more sufficient than the biochemist explanation.

[Guest]

Recall, though, that the OP was asking about homeopathy from a biochemical standpoint. She didn't ask if some people here believe it works. She asked a specific question about its action. To someone who understands the background of homeopathy as not scientifically valid, that is like asking if tomatoes and corn will grow equally well in your garden on Mars. 

[Artichoke]

Yep, I'm sure I'm talking about homeopathy. I used arnica sublinguals for dd who hurt her wrist---(I mean jammed it hard enough that she set it afterward because there was a bone clearly our of place and the pain was going to make her puke) and tiny cold tablets for the baby when she's teething to help relieve sinus pressure and help her not be overrun with snot.

 

What exactly is the placebo effect? I mean, I've taken advil and not had it touch pain when I had every confidence it would work and then dh tried arnica for pain once only because I forced him to and was planning to go to the store and buy some "real medicine", but it worked and he didn't need to. So how does this fit it to the definitions??? :bigear:

 

I usually stay out of these homeopathic discussions since they're usually so divided, but I recently read an article on the proven effectiveness of arnica. It seems that arnica is only safe to take in a homeopathic ( diluted) form when taken sublingually . The link is from the University of Maryland Medical Center. I haven't researched the underlying research, but it includes several double-blind studies which purport that it's not a placebo effect.

 

ETA:

 

Forgot the link http://umm.edu/health/medical/alted/herb/arnica

 

Hopefully edited to be more clear. I really shouldn't post while cooking dinner.

[Ipsey]

OP, since we don't seem to have any biochemists around, I think my biochem Ph.D. friend would give you some input. If you message me, I'll give you her email (it  may take her a bit, since she just had her first baby a little while ago).

 

 

[MollyAnn]

In holistic medicine, not everything works for everyone or works the same way. Lavender Oil is supposed to be relaxing, for me it drives me crazy. If you don't have good luck with homeopathy that does not mean it is placebo.

 

Putting arnica gel on bruises and seeing them disappear, my baby calming down after teething tabs, my cats getting along after being given Bach Flower, and my kids noses drying up is not placebo. You can not placebo a bruise or a physical issue away.

 

There are more than 5 homeopathic remedies for morning sickness. It depends on why one is having morning sickness to find the correct remedy. Working at a health food store I saw many pregnant women go through multiple remedies before finding the one that helped. The remedy that worked for my first pregnancy did not work for my second, but did work again for my third.

 

I don't know the science behind homeopathic medicine, I suggest finding a homeopathic practitioner. Someone who can honestly help you and not criticize your chosen form of health care.

 

The thought that in order for medicine to be effective it has to be able to harm is flawed and shows an ignorance of holistic and natural medicine.

[MollyAnn]

See, that right there is the nail in the coffin for me when it comes to homeopathy. No side effects.

 

Every kind of medicine in the world causes side effects for at least some of the people who use it. When you're putting something into the body to change the way the body works, you're going to see the effects of that change in multiple ways. There's no getting around that.

 

Homeopathic remedies have no side effects, no matter how much you take. Why? Because it isn't medicine. Short of the placebo effect, it isn't having any effect whatsoever on the way the body functions.

Side effects are not criteria that establish the effectiveness of a medicine. They are drawbacks. A lack of side effects of one of the most meritorious aspects of homeopathy.

[Jann in TX]

Arnica is NOT homeopathic.  It HAS been studied and the scientific community knows how it works.  You can find the studies in the AMA journals... 

If anything arnica is 'naturopathic'-- meaning it is a naturally occuring substance (direct from plant with no processing needed (but most OTC arnica has been flitered...).  It is also dirt cheap... no money in it for the big drug companies.

 

I've been to several Drs who recommend arnica-- just do not apply it to open wounds-- arnica dialates capilaries so it can increase bleeding.  It has been found to support the lymph system-- reason why it helps bruises to clear and inflamation to deminish-- actual scientific studies have been done and have been formally anounced in medical journals. 

[Cammie]

I think I'll still point out that it came from the west and was proposed by a western physician operating under mistaken assumptions in a western system. :)

 

It's been my experience that people seem to think it's got a long and honored history of practice somewhere and that tends to add a sheen of respectability that homeopathy doesn't deserve. It's wholly a product of all things western and deserves to be understood and measured in that context.

 

ETA: That homeopathy fails utterly when measured by the standards of western medicine doesn't mean it gets to be shuffled off to another category so it can get off lightly.

 

This is interesting.  Homeopathy has been practiced in India since 1835.  It is WIDELY accepted here and people talk about their homeopathic treatments the same way someone in the US talks about taking a sinus medicine.  So is has a fairly long history in India and is certainly considered "respectable" by almost everyone.  I have many close friends who swear by it and will relate the successes they have had with the treatments (particularly in the area of allergies and sinus issues.)  There are LARGE homeopathy clinics dotting the whole of Bangalore.

 

So I would say, it is respectable (at least here), it does have a long history (here), and it has been adopted by the East no matter what it's origin was.

 

(Full disclosure - I don't believe in it, have never used it, have no desire to try it.  However, I think the discussion about the history of it is fascinating.)

[WishboneDawn]

This is interesting. Homeopathy has been practiced in India since 1835. It is WIDELY accepted here and people talk about their homeopathic treatments the same way someone in the US talks about taking a sinus medicine. So is has a fairly long history in India and is certainly considered "respectable" by almost everyone. I have many close friends who swear by it and will relate the successes they have had with the treatments (particularly in the area of allergies and sinus issues.) There are LARGE homeopathy clinics dotting the whole of Bangalore.

 

So I would say, it is respectable (at least here), it does have a long history (here), and it has been adopted by the East no matter what it's origin was.

 

(Full disclosure - I don't believe in it, have never used it, have no desire to try it. However, I think the discussion about the history of it is fascinating.)

Okay! I went to look that up. It was apparently brought to India by a couple of Germans so it does circle back to the west and likely to the same doctor that first proposed it.

[Cammie]

Okay! I went to look that up. It was apparently brought to India by a couple of Germans so it does circle back to the west and likely to the same doctor that first proposed it.

 

Yes it does circle back but it was HUGELY expanded upon by Indian practitioners and the use of Indian-origin treatments.

 

I would think that the acceptance and the almost commonplace use of homeopathic treatments here has probably led a lot of people to assume it is a non-Western medicine.

 

It has certainly been practiced here long enough, and has enough local history and practitioners to be legitimately considered by most here as a viable alternative to "allopathy" - another term I learned only after coming here.

 

People here will often relate the allopathic treatments tried as well as the homeopathic treatments tried for a particular problem.

 

My only point was that here, at least, homeopathic treatments are mainstream and respectable.

[Artichoke]

Arnica is NOT homeopathic. It HAS been studied and the scientific community knows how it works. You can find the studies in the AMA journals...

If anything arnica is 'naturopathic'-- meaning it is a naturally occuring substance (direct from plant with no processing needed (but most OTC arnica has been flitered...). It is also dirt cheap... no money in it for the big drug companies.

 

I've been to several Drs who recommend arnica-- just do not apply it to open wounds-- arnica dialates capilaries so it can increase bleeding. It has been found to support the lymph system-- reason why it helps bruises to clear and inflamation to deminish-- actual scientific studies have been done and have been formally anounced in medical journals.

 

I'm not sure if you're referring to my post or not, but I agree that arnica is effective and proven for healing. I should have added sublingually to my post when answering the OP since that was specifically the form of arnica that I was addressing.

[Mergath]

Side effects are not criteria that establish the effectiveness of a medicine. They are drawbacks. A lack of side effects of one of the most meritorious aspects of homeopathy.

 

No, side effects are effects which a medicine has on the body other than the one intended.  Many are unpleasant, but not all.  Drowsiness is such an effective side effect of benadryl that it's also marketed as a sleep aid.  Reduced acne is a side effect of many kinds of birth control, and I doubt you're going to find anyone who claims it's a drawback.

 

Whether the side effects can be considered a bonus or a drawback is neither here nor there, though.  All medicine has a side effect for at least some percentage of the people who use it.  Even chamomile tea has side effects. If something has no side effects for anyone, it's because it has no effect.  Period.  If you want to call a complete lack of effect on the body "meritorious," well, no one's going to stop you, but you're missing the point.

[WishboneDawn]

In holistic medicine, not everything works for everyone or works the same way. Lavender Oil is supposed to be relaxing, for me it drives me crazy. If you don't have good luck with homeopathy that does not mean it is placebo.

 

Putting arnica gel on bruises and seeing them disappear, my baby calming down after teething tabs, my cats getting along after being given Bach Flower, and my kids noses drying up is not placebo. You can not placebo a bruise or a physical issue away.

 

There are more than 5 homeopathic remedies for morning sickness. It depends on why one is having morning sickness to find the correct remedy. Working at a health food store I saw many pregnant women go through multiple remedies before finding the one that helped. The remedy that worked for my first pregnancy did not work for my second, but did work again for my third.

 

I don't know the science behind homeopathic medicine, I suggest finding a homeopathic practitioner. Someone who can honestly help you and not criticize your chosen form of health care.

 

The thought that in order for medicine to be effective it has to be able to harm is flawed and shows an ignorance of holistic and natural medicine.

Criticism is a good thing when it helps us evaluate claims and review how we make decisions.

 

Homeopathy works because it's a placebo. That's the science behind it. It will temporarily suppress symptoms for certain people. It will not cute or treat any underlying issues.

 

What's claimed in regards to homeopathy is that like cures like and the smaller the dose, the more powerful the effect. So coffee makes a healthy person jittery? Then it will cure someone suffering from the jitters. Only it must be diluted first. So the coffee is diluted but it is absolutely standard to dilute to such a degree that not even a molecule of the coffee is in the eventual solution or pill the is prescribed to the patient. I am not exaggerating. People were joking about what city water might do if homeopathy were real but the city water generally contains minute quantities of the birth control hormones pills and anti depressants that people flush down the toilets and yet that water contains much more of those then any homeopathic remedy would because the dilution would be so much greater.

 

Try it. Beer can make a normal person drunk so the homeopathic remedy for drunkenness or any symptoms of it (slurred speech, depression) would be to dilute beer until there is no molecular trace of it in the remedy and then ingest that. Would that make sense?

[Cammie]

Well...in the never say never category....my son fell off his bike the other day and scraped his arm.  We went into the home of a friend of mine who lives near the place he fell.  I cleaned the scrape, bandaged it up...and out she comes with the homeopathy "pills".  Popped 4 teeny tiny pills into my son's mouth and gave them to us to continue for a few hours.  I can't say they worked. I can't say they didn't.  I can say that I was thinking of you all the entire time!!

[Elohisa]

To Lumpy Space Princess! This post was 2 years ago, but is worth answering, for ignorance cannot stand when discussing things of the essence and importance such as this subject. You are obviously misinformed and uneducated about Homeopathy and what it is. You would probably have to study at least another 5 years which is how long it takes a Homeopathic Doctor in India to qualify and practice. Just for the Record India is one of the leading countries in the world and with 1 billion population that is 1/6th of the entire population of this planet,  most of which being treated by Homeopathic Doctors i.e. M.D. who are qualified Medical Doctors and chose to use only Homeopathy one would have to wonder where the hell did you get the info that  Homeopathy is a PLACEBO.

 

There are  fully HOMEOPATHIC HOSPITALS in INDIA and in Countries in EUROPE like ENGLAND, with ICU fully Homeopathic.  This MEDICINE, and I quote 'MEDICINE' is one the most sophisticated and effective MECINE on the Planet in India approved by the Government as one of the most effective MEDICINES.  It is in fact the ONLY medicine that actually 'CURES' without 'side effects' where allopathic 'drugs' are suppresants, and not only constantly interfering with the natural and intelligent human body but more often than not simply create more issues in the body, and therefore one has to really question it's efficacy.

 

There is NO DRUG that I KNOW OF that has NO SIDE EFFECTS, so if a DRUG is meant to CURE what is with the SIDE EFFECTS?  The reason is because the body can be cured if you apply ONE principle and that is the principle of "SIMILARS" this means that if a substance or something makes the body ill, when potentised it has the capacity by the power of the signature that it carries, to  restore the body back to Health.

 

Samuel Hahnemann who was the one who discovered Homeopathy, was a PHYSICIAN and a MEDICAL DOCTOR and he abandoned allopathy when he discovered the power of Homeopathy1

 

Just because you don't understand something, and you are obviously not qualified to know the difference between what is effective and what is not, and just because it does not 'add up' in the medical books it does not mean it does work.  There are millions of Doctors and Specialist around the world who USE HOMEOPATHY! I personally know of Doctors that have Homeopathic Treatments because they know it is more effective than drugs. What a shame you had to make such an incompetent remark, and misled the lady that was asking such a simple yet important question!

 

Please educate yourself before you mislead people and also please be aware that BIOCHEMISTRY is not the only composition of the body. There is a whole world and a field (which if you studies Quantum Physics) you would come to know which has to to with ENERGY and VIBRATION which is the building block of everything that is physical that must be taken into account when discussing HEALING, CURING and RESTORING body back to HOMEOSTASIS. This FIELD is an Intelligent system that operates far beyond the 'chemistry' of the body and that which you can measure with very simple and primitive instruments like the ones you use in your laboratories and by which you arrive to very limited conclusions.

[Bluegoat]

Any biochemist will tell you that the way homeopathy is supposed to work is simply a kind of imaginary chemistry with no basis in reality.  Like doesn't heal like, you can't transfer te vibrations or DNA from minute amounts of one substance to a carrier like water or alcohol by shaking, and if you could it would also make it possible to overdose on the substance being transferred. 

 

As far as EOs, I don't know much about how they are supposed to work, but I would be very suspicious of any explanation that treated them as if they all worked the same way.

[Bluegoat]

 

Oh darn, zombie thread.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Bluegoat

[Onceuponatime]

Oh darn, zombie thread.

It wasn't all in vain. You made me laugh. 😀