Do you believe that homeopathy works? - Page 2

[barefoot mama]

Originally Posted by belltree

I don't know - I was seeing a homeopath for years when I was a teenager, other people loved her, it never did me any good. Animals and babies can be influenced by placebo as well.

Try a different homeopath (if you are ever interested again, that is). Not everyone resonates with everyone else. Many homeopaths do very well with lots of people, but run across others once in a while that they just can't figure out.

[marimara]

No, I don't think homeopathy works. It has never worked for me or for dd. I have an open mind and have tried numerous times and it never works. And the basis of homeopathy makes no sense at all to me. I have had success with herbs and vitamins/minerals though. I always reach for natural treatments first.

[Valrock]

Absolutely! When nothing would cure my thrush, Coconut oil did. When it seems nothing will calm DD from teething, chamomile does! I haven't used a topical antibiotic salve in months in this house and we've all had better results on our cuts, scrapes, burns, and bruises from homeopathic products than we ever have before!!!

I am totally sold.

[marimara]

Originally Posted by Valrock

Absolutely! When nothing would cure my thrush, Coconut oil did. When it seems nothing will calm DD from teething, chamomile does! I haven't used a topical antibiotic salve in months in this house and we've all had better results on our cuts, scrapes, burns, and bruises from homeopathic products than we ever have before!!!

I am totally sold.

Wait, since when is coconut oil and chamomile homeopathic? To me that is herbal and food based healing not homeopathic.

[Valrock]

Originally Posted by marimara

Wait, since when is coconut oil and chamomile homeopathic? To me that is herbal and food based healing not homeopathic.

LOL maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about . Disregard me.

[barefoot mama]

Originally Posted by Valrock

LOL maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about . Disregard me.

This is a common issue in homeopathy. Many people don't know what it is and think that herbal or other natural remedies are homeopathic.

Glad you found something that helped though!

[pixiepunk]

i find it interesting that a lot of people say they don't believe it works because it didn't work for them or someone they know. but you'd never hear someone say, for instance, "i don't believe in chemotherapy because it didn't get rid of my cancer, i think it's just snake oil." there's almost no treatment, allopathic, homeopathic, herbal or otherwise that is going to work for every person in the same way. we're all biochemically different. some people with allergies respond to claritin, others to zyrtec, others to benadryl, others don't respond to any of them. it doesn't mean they aren't all effective statistically at treating allergy symptoms, and no one completely understands why people respond so differently to the same treatment.

also wanted to add a couple of experiences we've had combining allopathic and homeopathic treatments,i mentioned in my earlier post that my old pedi prescribed homeopathic treatments a lot. a good friend of mine had breast reduction surgery a couple of years ago and her plastic surgeon prescribed homeopathic arnica before and after surgery to prevent bruising and swelling and promote healing. and after looking online at all the pictures of the bruising and such that people experience after breast reduction, she was astonished at how very little bruising she had. clearly there are learned medical professionals out there who are using homeopathic treatments with great results in their allopathic practices. people who clearly are in a scientific "show me proof" frame of mind, and who have seen that proof repeatedly in their medical practices.

as i said before, just because you don't understand how something works (or refuse to believe the explanation of how it works) doesn't mean it's bunk.

[ann_of_loxley]

I know it works.

When DS was younger he got a bad cold - it turned into a chest infection. He-would-not take-anything. As I try and live consensually, I am not one to force. Holding him down screaming and kicking to pour some liquid 'medcine' down his throat when I had not tried everything was not going to be my plan of action. I had not try a homeopathic remedy. So why not? I bought it. He took it! (he happily takes them now and says yummy! hehe) The next day I saw immediate results. His chest infection and cold were gone in just a few days!

Mind over matter results might work for me - but he was a baby (this was way before he was a year old!) - he did not know what I was giving him or why. I saw the results - and that is not all in my mind! So I am hooked now. It is mostly all we use. I won't hesitate to use a pain killer though along side a h. remedy if we are in pain. I know I like to take a little bit of something myself when I am ill to help me sleep at night. But that only helps us to feel better - it doesn't cure us.

I also wanted to add that I have a friend sold too. My DS often gets conjuctivities with a cold - One day she said her DD was ill and was going to take her to the GPs as she was now getting sticky eyes. I said 'Wait - try this' - and it cleared in a day! She is rather impressed. I have tried my BM for is and used OTC medicines for it - but nothing has worked as fast as my homeopathic remedies!

I also often get sinus infections (since having my tonsils removed when I was about 11 years of age). I am used to them and can see them coming from a mile away by the slightest of symptoms. I now use a homeopathic remedy when I notice one is brewing and can head them off before they get started. I have not had a sinus infection in nearly a year (and I normaly get them every two months!)

Homeopathic remedies get very specific - if its not working, I find that is because its not the right one for me. I have a good friend though who is studying homeopathic remedies and she is very helpful with me in finding a treatment when needed!

My husband is still a skeptic of course - but if he can't shake something after I week I usually say 'of for goodness sake, just take this all ready!' - and after him mumbling that its rubbish he takes it and the next day, whatever has been causing him to be 'ill' for the past week or so, is usually all cleared up. It is certainly not a placebo for him - he doesn't believe it works...but it alway somehow strangly does lol

[belltree]

Originally Posted by barefoot mama

Try a different homeopath (if you are ever interested again, that is). Not everyone resonates with everyone else. Many homeopaths do very well with lots of people, but run across others once in a while that they just can't figure out.

No, thank you. I have a natural (herbal), holistic doctor now, who started out with classical medicine. I understand these concepts, they make sense to me, they work for me, and my husband.

[marimara]

Originally Posted by pixiepunk

i find it interesting that a lot of people say they don't believe it works because it didn't work for them or someone they know. but you'd never hear someone say, for instance, "i don't believe in chemotherapy because it didn't get rid of my cancer, i think it's just snake oil." there's almost no treatment, allopathic, homeopathic, herbal or otherwise that is going to work for every person in the same way. we're all biochemically different. some people with allergies respond to claritin, others to zyrtec, others to benadryl, others don't respond to any of them. it doesn't mean they aren't all effective statistically at treating allergy symptoms, and no one completely understands why people respond so differently to the same treatment.

also wanted to add a couple of experiences we've had combining allopathic and homeopathic treatments,i mentioned in my earlier post that my old pedi prescribed homeopathic treatments a lot. a good friend of mine had breast reduction surgery a couple of years ago and her plastic surgeon prescribed homeopathic arnica before and after surgery to prevent bruising and swelling and promote healing. and after looking online at all the pictures of the bruising and such that people experience after breast reduction, she was astonished at how very little bruising she had. clearly there are learned medical professionals out there who are using homeopathic treatments with great results in their allopathic practices. people who clearly are in a scientific "show me proof" frame of mind, and who have seen that proof repeatedly in their medical practices.

as i said before, just because you don't understand how something works (or refuse to believe the explanation of how it works) doesn't mean it's bunk.

Hey- this was a poll and we have the right to answer it and state why.

Arnica is plant that has been used for ages in the treatment of bruises among other things but as far as I understand, homeopathy products are extracts (from plant, animal, mineral) and are heavily diluted. So much so that there is not likely to be any original extract in it. So, the water remembers what was in it? Is that the basis of homeopathy?
From most of the studies I've seen, like another pp said, most of the effects seem to be coming from the placebo effect, which is testament to the mind/body connection but I don't think there is any real science behind homeopathy. But if you think it works, that's all that matters

[Periwinkle]

Originally Posted by barefoot mama

About homeopathy:

It won't work if it isn't the right remedy. It isn't as simple as "I have a headache, so I'm going to take "x" remedy", or "My baby is teething, so I will give "y" remedy". Sometimes you can luck out and get the right remedy that way, but most of the time, you have to look at each case individually.

But this is how 99% of people who claim homeopathy works miracles use it. I think most of the time, it's "I have ailment X" and you go to the natural foods store and look at the little Boiron blue capsules or whatever and you go... "hmmm let's see... facial acne... farting-excessive... ah here it is! fever-high" and you go to check out. I mean, most of us are not spending hours with licensed, experienced homeopathic doctors in order to make our selections. Sure some are, but I'd bet dollars to donuts most are NOT. And yet it still works miracles...

[Periwinkle]

Originally Posted by pixiepunk

i find it interesting that a lot of people say they don't believe it works because it didn't work for them or someone they know. but you'd never hear someone say, for instance, "i don't believe in chemotherapy because it didn't get rid of my cancer, i think it's just snake oil."

I think this is being fairly disrespectful of our data-gathering and decision-making processes. I don't know about you, but I'm a Pub Med junkie, and can read journal article after journal article from randomized clinical trials to come to my own conclusions. It's not just about whether or not it's worked for ME. Then there's the inability to explain - scientifically - how it works. When you give someone some water that used to have a substance in it but none of that substance remains, you're giving someone... water. And I don't think it's a stretch to say that when you bottle up that water and sell it for $20 with a fancy label on it, it's snake oil.

[barefoot mama]

Originally Posted by Periwinkle

But this is how 99% of people who claim homeopathy works miracles use it. I think most of the time, it's "I have ailment X" and you go to the natural foods store and look at the little Boiron blue capsules or whatever and you go... "hmmm let's see... facial acne... farting-excessive... ah here it is! fever-high" and you go to check out. I mean, most of us are not spending hours with licensed, experienced homeopathic doctors in order to make our selections. Sure some are, but I'd bet dollars to donuts most are NOT. And yet it still works miracles...

I know what you're saying here, but it really is meant to be used with an experienced practitioner, especially when working on chronic conditions. It takes years of study and practice to be able to prescribe remedies correctly.

ETA: The way that the studies are set up only works for macro doses of medicine, they don't work to "prove" homeopathy because this system of medicine is so vastly different from allopathy (western medicine) and herbs.

[the_lissa]

Originally Posted by Periwinkle

I think this is being fairly disrespectful of our data-gathering and decision-making processes. I don't know about you, but I'm a Pub Med junkie, and can read journal article after journal article from randomized clinical trials to come to my own conclusions. It's not just about whether or not it's worked for ME. Then there's the inability to explain - scientifically - how it works. When you give someone some water that used to have a substance in it but none of that substance remains, you're giving someone... water. And I don't think it's a stretch to say that when you bottle up that water and sell it for $20 with a fancy label on it, it's snake oil.

Exactly/

[tmaue]

I have a hard time picking the right remedy for myself so the only time I have gotten it to work for myself was with poison ivy and when I smashed my finger in a door. It was very easy to see it work in these situations.

I have had it work for my children and once for my husband. The sicker someone is, the better it seems to work. Specifically if you are dealing with a mental/emotional symptom to work with, it makes it easier to pick a remedy. I do not use it for things like colds and coughs because it is really hard to nail down a remedy in these situations. But for a flu with a high fever where someone wakes up with hallucinations, Belladonna works great for.

I agree with the idea that you have to have the correct remedy or nothing will happen. It takes a certain amount of knowledge to be able to come up with the correct remedy though, which does not make it user friendly. Also there are different ways to prescribe homeopathic remedies and I believe dosing in water is the best way.

[JayGee]

Homeopathy was the only thing that got rid of my nasty post-birth hemmorhoids. And quickly, I might add. DH has also used homeopathy to help him get rid of sinus infections. I certainly believe that it works.

[k9sarchik]

Well when there are double blind studies showing it works. It's hard to say that it absolutely doesn't work. http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/c.../full/nem143v1

[*Erin*]

i voted yes, even though i think it sounds like utter hooey. we used homeopathy very successfully several times. i think not every remedy works for everyone all the time, though.

[PlayaMama]

Originally Posted by barefoot mama

I know what you're saying here, but it really is meant to be used with an experienced practitioner, especially when working on chronic conditions. It takes years of study and practice to be able to prescribe remedies correctly.

seriously? this is why i said no. while i understand specialized knowledge takes time and effort to acquire homeopathy has a little too much of that, "well, you couldn't possibly understand why or how this would work... so trust me, i know exactly what you need."

i like to think/research for myself and homeopathy just doesn't offer that option. not that people that use homeopathy aren't thinking for themselves..i'm not sure how to say it.

for example, i go to the doctor, she says i have to do X, i go home, think about it, does it make sense to me and what i know of biology, does it feel right? what do the studies say?

i can't do that with homeopathy because it's just "too complex".

[barefoot mama]

Originally Posted by PlayaMama

seriously? this is why i said no. while i understand specialized knowledge takes time and effort to acquire homeopathy has a little too much of that, "well, you couldn't possibly understand why or how this would work... so trust me, i know exactly what you need."

i like to think/research for myself and homeopathy just doesn't offer that option. not that people that use homeopathy aren't thinking for themselves..i'm not sure how to say it.

for example, i go to the doctor, she says i have to do X, i go home, think about it, does it make sense to me and what i know of biology, does it feel right? what do the studies say?

i can't do that with homeopathy because it's just "too complex".

No, no, you absolutely should research for yourself. You can treat yourself in acute situations, and the good thing about that is if you choose the wrong remedy, no harm done, as long as you don't take it too much.

It's in chronic cases that you really must use a homeopath. Even homeopaths can't treat themselves that way-- it's impossible to be objective. I believe it's the same way in the western medical profession. My sister is a doctor and she says she can't treat herself because she feels the same way.

Homeopathy really is very complex, but there is nothing to prevent anyone from learning about it. There are many books available that give you basic information, and many more to move on to from there.

Actually, when you say "you couldn't possibly understand", I am reminded of countless (non-homeopathic) doctors who have said that very thing to me. Any homeopath worth their salt will take time to explain to their clients what is going on and why.