Don’t Waste Your Money on Homeopathic “Remedies”
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Nick Harris I’m sure I’ll get some serious verbal abuse for this one, but I can stay silent on this no longer. I’ve been following this homeopathic trend for years now, and I am convinced that it is nothing but a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that delivers empty promises and fake cures. Worse than that, I think it’s dangerous, and it rips people off. (See also: Job-Search Scams That Target High Performers)
To understand where I'm coming from, you would first need to understand what homeopathic medicine is. It’s important to note that homeopathy should not be confused with natural cures. By that I mean herbal remedies, vitamins, minerals, and so on. No, I fully believe that our planet contains a wealth of natural cures that can do the body a world of good. My article about witch hazel is a good example of that.
Homeopathy was started over 200 years ago in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. It basically takes minute doses of what you are suffering from, and then dilutes it repeatedly in water. For example, if you have a cold and the symptoms are similar to those caused by Mercury poisoning, then 1 part Mercury is diluted with 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water. That’s your cure. And regardless of your symptoms, that’s the cure you are given. The premise is that water has memory, and the more diluted the remedy, the more powerful the cure becomes.
There are four general parts of homeopathy. They are:
- The proving. This is explained more below.
- Matching the symptoms of a patient to the proving and using that as a basis for the treatment.
- NOT giving the patient the substance found from the proving, but an incredibly diluted form of it.
- The final product (I hate to say medicine) gets stronger the more diluted it is.
Now, what’s a proving? Basically, you take a completely healthy person and give them a known substance. You then record any symptoms that arise from prescribing that substance by observing and asking numerous questions. And then you use that substance to reverse those symptoms. For example, if you give someone caffeine and they have trouble falling asleep, caffeine is used to treat people who can’t fall asleep.
Therefore, highly diluted caffeine becomes a sleeping pill! See what I mean by mumbo-jumbo?
You can read all about homeopathy on the ABC Homeopathy website and at Homeopathy.org. These are just a couple of the many sites devoted to the subject, and I don’t want anyone to think that my “oversimplification” of this medicine is not doing it justice.
The Big Issue — It’s All Done on Faith
Scientists around the world have tested millions of different homeopathic remedies ad nauseam. They have found no active ingredients within these cures. In fact, they are usually just water.
“Ah yes” the homeopathic practitioner will say. “But you cannot test for the efficacy of this medicine. You cannot test for something that is not picked up by modern scientific methods. You cannot test for water memory.”
How handy. You can’t test for the tooth fairy either, but I’m fairly sure that relying on one to deliver money for your old teeth will leave you very disappointed.
So if you cannot test for it, how can people who dispense these medicines stand behind them? Well, they have proof in the form of patients who have been cured by the medicines they prescribed.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t really stand up because in legitimate studies, the results of homeopathy fared no better than sugar pills and placebos. The water given by homeopaths is as effective as curing disease and illness as, well, water! What are the odds?
There are stories of people who swear by it though. And people make careers from this pseudo-science. How is that possible? Well, the mind is a powerful thing, so it is believable that we can cure ourselves if we actually believe something is working. But does that give these people the right to charge gullible people an arm and a leg for a bottle of water or packet of sugar pills?
Prove Me Wrong and Get $1 Million!
This is where homeopathy has the chance to prove itself, and if you practice it, please come forward and defend your chosen profession. James Randi is giving away $1 million to anyone who can prove that homeopathy actually works. It's all part of something called the 1023 Challenge, which I urge you to read more about.
Now, you can't just submit affidavits from people swearing it really did work, because that’s not evidence. No court in the land would accept that as proof. You need to submit hard evidence that homeopathic cures actually do what they are supposed to do.
I don’t see anyone coming forward though, and that’s because it cannot be proven. It’s the stuff of witch doctors and fancy imaginations.
For instance, thousands of people have proven the ineffectiveness of the homeopathic sleeping pills by taking a huge overdose of them. (The recommended dosage is two, by the way.) And the results?
No one died. No one got even remotely sleepy. Nothing happened to anyone because there are no active ingredients in these products. It’s all nonsense. The fact that there is an overdose warning on the pill box is laughable. You can’t overdose on nothing.
The Real Danger Here Is for the Patient
My biggest beef with homeopathy is that people with genuine illnesses put their trust (and money) into useless medicines. It’s dangerous to think that you can treat illnesses with anything that has been diluted so much that it is now just plain water. It’s wrong, it should be against the law and I for one would support any act that did so. In fact, there are some diseases that homeopaths and homeopathic remedies are not allowed to treat.
For instance: “In 1996, oncologist Vincent Speckhart, MD, was ordered to pay the widow of deceased patient Robert Rizzi $235,715. Rizzi's widow charged that Speckhart led her husband to believe that homeopathy was enough to cure him of his Hodgkin's disease after Rizzi refused further chemotherapy because of side effects.” You can read more about that on this page about legal issues in homeopathy. I have also posted some links to videos below that I hope will open your eyes somewhat. But please, if you have any kind of real proof that homeopathy works, let’s hear it. I will be the first to admit that I was wrong.
Somehow, I think that’s about as likely as a diluted caffeine pill putting me to sleep. So unless someone offers you real, hard evidence that homeopathic remedies actually work, don't waste your money on them. You'll sleep better.
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Nicely done post. I guess the jury is out and always will be on this one. :) I am for the idea that we can heal ourselves and if the placebo effect has worked for me, great. When it comes to saving money, well that's keenly important, too.
That is definitely a 'can of worms' you opened.
I can only give personal evidence. My family all suffered from nasal allergies. We took homeopathic drops provided by our health care provider and after 2 weeks all nasal allergies were gone and have not returned. (It has been over 5 years). We live in Houston, TX....allergies are a multi million $$ business here.
So, I would disagree, but everyone needs to read, research and decide for themselves.
As someone who took part in the homeopathic overdose on Sunday 6th Feb I am so happy to see this written about here. There is no evidence for it's effect and literally millions are pumped into this industry that could be validly called "big homeopathy".
I hope some people will read this and at least reconsider how and from whom they seek their medical advice.
Hey, Paul! I have written probably four versions of this article but never finished it because I get caught up in how angry the "homeopathic" industry makes me. Especially those stupid white sugar pills. Kudos to you for putting this out there - I'm going to send this to everyone.
Do babies lie? How do the chamomile homeopathic sugar pills work on an irritated baby when they're teething or have colic?
I don't practice "Homeopathic Remedies”, but I will say that they work... for people who believe in them. It's purely a placebo effect.
This is a great article; and as you allude to right off the bat, a lot of people don't understand what the word "homeopathic" truly means. Of course something that contains no molecules of any substance other than water is not "medicine". If it works for anyone it is the placebo effect, plain and simple. Which is fine I guess, but it can be dangerous if people are taking it for serious ailments.
A funny angle on this story is that recently in the UK it was decided that homeopathic remedies had to be proven to work if they are to be used on pets such as dogs, cats, etc. They can still be used on people with no proof however, which just goes to show that it's all in your mind!
I should clarify my reasons for getting upset over the practice of homeopathy - I was dating a wonderful man years ago who decided that he wanted to be a homeopath. He went back to school and then moved back to his country of birth. He now travels around the (incredibly destitute) rural areas of his home country, telling the tribesmen that he is a "doctor" and prescribing something called nox vomica to people for everything from cirrohsis to headaches. I can't even read his recaps of the experience anymore, thinking about these illiterate people who believe that they are getting actual care.
Now, for people who think that homeopathy has helped them, fine. I think it's the placebo effect, but the placebo effect can be very powerful.
I agree with you. I think there are merits to doing some of the things that homeopathic medicine offers, but usually in conjunction with other known medical procedures. The best thing that a patient can do is to make sure that they have a full understanding and knowledge of their situation, their options, and make the best informed decisions. If you don't trust your doctor, that's fine, but there's no need to leave the medical establishment altogether for that. There are so many resources available, second opinions, research areas, etc. that there are ways to make sure you're getting the best care. While putting blind faith in doctors is not the answer, neither is turning your back on the medical establishment altogether.
Thanks Andrea, and I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know this will get some hot-blooded reactions, and that's fair enough. It's a sore point for those who have chosen to follow this route. But you cannot practice this kind of "medicine," which is scientifically identical to placebo, and not expect criticism.
As I say in the article, prove me, James Randi and the 1023 Challenge wrong. Provide hard evidence. You'll get $1 million and we'll all be eating crow. If you say you have nothing to prove, I disagree completely. This is not a religion, this is a health issue. People are paying you for your products because they are sick and need help. Prove to them and us, beyond hearsay, that the expensive medicines they buy actually work.
Eh, it wasn't that I had to go through anything -I just feel so bad for the people who are told that they are seeing a doctor, when what they are seeing is a quack, you know?
Lots of discussion on the Facebook page about this as well.
My two cents:
I personally disagree with the author, but love the discussion! My own family has had great success with homeopathy, and while you can dismiss it as the placebo effect, it's still better than doing nothing! Most cases where we use homeopathy are due to traditional medicine saying there is nothing to do-ie the common cold, a teething baby, etc.
I think the author's concern is the lack of scientific evidence, and the faith some people put into alternative treatments INSTEAD of using traditional treatments, which IMO is very risky. Homeopathy (and other alternative therapies) should be used hand in hand with traditional medicine for the best results.
I'm grateful to have a doctor that understands that and offers homeopathy, and other alternative treatments in his office.
Homeopathy *is* doing nothing.
I hope you understand that homeopathy is nothing more or less than the placebo effect. In order for it to work, the person taking the "medicine" has to have an understanding of how medicine works, and believe it will help them even if it's actually doing nothing. So giving homeopathic "remedies" to a baby is doing absolutely nothing to help the baby. It's not relieving his/her pain.
At the risk of sounding flip, who cares? If the person taking the remedy, whether it's proven effective or not, believes that it is and as a result has a more positive outlook, that's worth plenty right there. Plenty of studies have proven the mind-body correlation particularly in the realm of cancer and deadly disease. Sometimes the best medicine for anything is hope and a positive outlook. The most powerful antidote to demise in the world is the human will.
I'm of the opinion that this would be valid if there weren't people out there who are gullible enough to believe that homeopathic "remedies" can help with actual, serious issues - not just hay fever, but something deadly.
I can see why people would WANT the feeling of hope that comes with these false promises, but I think honesty is always a better policy.
Kudos! Homeopathy is BS and I'm glad that it's being revealed in the mainstream as such.
50% of late-stage drugs don't pass the placebo effect either: http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/magazine/17-09/ff_placebo_effect?curr...
In cases where it's not likely to hurt you, I have no problem with people seeking out alternative means. However, I think that people need to be fully educated on the benefit and detriment to any treatment they seek and not be swayed too much by the 'works for me!' crowd or 'it's all garbage!' crowd. People are different. Case in point, my 5 year old was appeased by homeopathic ear relief drops. They didn't work at all for me.
Homeopathy isn't a field I'm versed in, but a theory question: If your body reacts to the amount of caffeine in the sleeping pill enough to more than cancel out the effects of the caffeine, could it not be possible? Yes, it should be tested, and still will likely not work for everyone. Kind of like 'negative calorie' foods, where your body uses more calories to digest something than it ingests from it.
Sorry Leia, but "Negative Calorie Foods" have been dubunked too. If you don't believe me, believe Time magazine. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1896439_18963...
Looking forward to my million dollars...
I am going to take up the challenge... A couple years ago I got a rash that was getting worse by the day... slowly, but surely... i went to the doctor... he said it was eczema... i knew it wasn't... he gave me a steroid and sent me off... i used the steroid cream and nothing.... so... rash is getting worse slowly but surely... it was on my face and can send pictures to prove it... anywho.... since I had no clue what to do... i was in a foreign country and a person advised me to go to the homeopathic doctor... i didn't believe in that stuff but nothing was working... he gave me the first medication... nothing happened as i expected... went back... second medication... next day... rash receeded by half!!!! Then I ran out of medication and it was coming back slowly again... then i figured out what it was... so i know how to make it come back... and i can show the homeopathic medicine working... ya for me!
Let us know how that goes Gus. Remember, real scientific proof is needed. They will want to run tests on the medication to see what it contains (if anything) and then I assume run those tests on other sufferers in a double-blind study. Remember, the placebo effect can be quite powerful, but that won't get you $1 million. Saying it worked won't do it either. If you bag the money, I will do a follow-up article with you.
Remember to prove it is actually the homeopathy curing your ailment it will have to be analyzed to show there is no actual medicine in it. The homeopath you used may actually be guilty of "hoemopathic malpractice" and giving you some actual compound in a concentration sufficient to react with your biochemistry - which then cured your rash. However this then is not a homeopathic cure.
From my point of view - Believing in a causal physical universe - there is no way one can win the challenge.
I had a weird rash once; finally got bad enough I went to the dermatologist, who prescribed some generic ointment. When I picked it up at the pharmacy, the pharmacist told me that dermatologists don't know what causes most rashes, so that was the treatment of choice, which sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. The rash finally went away for the most part, but I suspect it's some kind of viral thing that just has to run its course.
My current peeve is the homeopathic HCG diet, which not only gouges people for the magic drops but also puts them on a dangerous starvation-level diet (500 calories/day).
Absolutley great article. I love to hear bursts of reason in the world. I can't understand why homeopaths aren't terrified of all the "huge doses" of medicine they drink with every cup of water. Imagine all the memories a glass of tap has? How do they even expect to have any control of their concoctions? Our water has a few billion years of memory that comes with it. Who knows what your getting. Its a scary world for homeopaths...
As Tim Minchin (a comedian) says in his poem "Storm",
"If you show me
That, say, homeopathy works,
Then I will change my mind
I’ll spin on a f***ing dime
I’ll be embarrassed as hell,
But I will run through the streets yelling
It’s a miracle! Take physics and bin it!
Water has memory!
And while it’s memory of a long lost drop of onion juice is Infinite
It somehow forgets all the poo it’s had in it!"
Good article. I fully believe in herbal remedies (many synthetic drugs got their start as plant-based medicines, Valium from Valerian root, for example), and I think poor diet topped by vitamin deficiencies are behind a lot of common illnesses. That said, Im very skeptical of homeopathy, but I have tried a few homeopathic products (for nausea and persistent sinus problems), and I cannot lie: they worked. Or, at least I "thought" they did.
It makes no scientific sense, I know. However, the placebo effect is an incredibly powerful thing, and if homeopathy helps harness it. Great. However, I think it should strictly be relegated to minor, mild, low-level, hardly-worth-mentioning ailments.
I have to say, after all the comments today, this just about sums it up for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0&feature=player_embedded
I LOVE AND SWEAR BY colloidial silver. Since I've been using it, ALL my sinus and allergies have disappeared. Say what you will, the fact that I cleaned out my nedicine cabinet of ALL prescription medicinesand have been cold, sinus, sneeze, congested free for 7 years.
Thank God we live in America where we have freedom of choice. Homeopathy has worked for my family for years. I don't know why or how and it doesn't matter. Like another respondent noted, everything doesn't work for everyone. Like penicillin for instance...
Homeopathy has "worked" since its inception, for what it works for and for who it works for. My two cents worth.
I'd love to see an article here about the wide-spread over-prescribing of antibiotics. Is there one in the works? Or perhaps in the archives?
Thanks.
Very interesting...Marketplace (Expose type TV show, here in Canada aired on CBC) just did a similar story. They actually staged an overdose right outside a hospital & also had many of the "drugs/medications" tested and very little of the actual ingredient was even found in the pills.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2011/01/14/marketplace-homeopathy.html
A few notes:
- One reason many may have success with homeopathic treatment is that a lot of what is now branded "homeopathic" isn't. "Cold Eeze" is a perfect example. While labeled as homeopathic, it contains zinc in something like a 2x dilution, so there is actually zinc in the product, and there is at least a theoretical advantage of zinc on white blood cell mobilization early on in an illness. So, it's possible that Cold Eeze is helpful, but while labeled as homeopathic, it certainly isn't congruent with homeopathic theory.
- I work in medicine, and find it hard not to laugh when I get calls from parents who are frantic that their child has just gotten a double dose of some homeopathic medication. I assure them that if the child had guzzled 5 entire bottles of the product, I still wouldn't be sending them to the hospital, as there is no active ingredient. They would, literally, sooner overdose on water.
- The one that especially makes me cringe is Oscillococcinum. The company that makes it has to kill only 1 duck a year to get enough liver to make their tens of millions of doses. They dilute it to the point that there is not a single molecule of the duck remaining, and make about $35 million a year off the liver of that one poor duck.
I have cirrhosis and homeopathics got rid of 30 pounds of water weight when nothing else would.
I tried it a few years ago not knowing what it was and it helped me a lot. Im very sensitive to things, some things have worked in the past and some haven't, i dont expect anything when i heal i just receive.
To be honest i didint expect it to work in a deeper level with me. Im happy now and considering studying homeopathy.
Thanks for your article, i do understand what youre saying but the doctor didnt give me any pills before listening to my problems. It was the other way round, i told her the problem and i felt a shirt within the next couple of months.
Paul I like what you wrote about Witch Hazel and it seems to prove that some herbal remedies are useful. I think that there is some very reliable uses for homeopathic remedies, I hate to liable all of them useless water. I think that is a bit of a stretch. I do believe that there is a lot of fraud and over statements as to the effectiveness of the herbal remedies.
I thank you for your concern that a lot of the information being disseminated is full of crap. It is vital the people considering homeopathic research as completely as possible the benefits that may be possible. I would hate to think that there is a remedy that can help someone and they ignore it because someone told them it is all a farce.
In the long run it is as always buyer beware.
Dear writer
It is true, that with high dilutions there will not be a strong effect, and that chemists will not find an atom of the original material.
but homoeopathy can be done with mother tinctures and crude substances -- so if you have a problem to take something which cannot be found by chemistry, then tell your homoeopath, and he gladly will use material doses.
but really you don't seem to have problems using wireless transfer mechanisms, such as radios, TV's, even though you cannot see these radio waves directly -- but maybe its like that, you just don't ask yourself that question, and many people don't ask that question about higher potencies either, -- they are quite happy with the results and the benefits they receive from being treated homeopathically.
Hans Weitbrecht
HOMEOPATH
I come from a science background so have to admit the wiring of my brain has a hard time understanding how homeopathy works. However, considering we only use a small percentage of our brain it's quite possible that our linear thinking of how "real" medicine works is limiting, narrow and sometimes even arrogant. Just because I don't understand it and it doesn't fit into my understanding of how to measure proof - then it's quackery? Homeopathy might be placebo or a combination of placebo and something else that many of us are ignorant to how it works. There are some phenomenal minds out there and throughout history that may have tapped into something that most people can't understand. If you told people in the 1800's that 400+ tons of metal carrying hundreds of people would one day fly in the air - I think they would have thought it quackery. I'm sure most of us don't completely grasp how an airplane stays in the sky but we see it working and we believe it without someone having to do a double blind study to convince us of it's individual active parts. Nor would that be helpful because so many variables keep that thing in the air. In fact this isolation of active ingredients and other variables in conventional science in a world and body or interacting variables impossible to isolate - makes me questions the usefulness of much of science we stake our health decisions on. There are numerous limitations to the empirical evidence derived from scientific double blind studies so it's unfortunate that many people use that as their only barometer of proof or safety.
I'd like to also point out that some of the conventional drugs that make it to market do not fair better than the placebo group in the double blind, clinical trials - especially in the anti-psychotic/anti-depressant arena and I'd guess that many others don't either. Considering the side effects of some conventional drugs have destroyed lives - I think the lack of side effects with homeopathy is understated above. I've lost one family member to cancer who did all the conventional treatments and it was a crappy way to spend the last 7 months of his life. I know it helps some people and depending on the kind of cancer I had - maybe I'd do it however this idea that people using homeopathy for something terminal are avoiding life saving conventional treatments is misleading to say the least. For many cancers the conventional treatments are prolonging life by a period of months - and they deal with the horrible side effects.
I think people need to be careful how they share their opinions. If I ever get cancer I would likely not go the chemo/radiation route after watching my family member go through it - however I would never tell someone that it's crap if they choose that path. Knowing the placebo effect is such a powerful thing - I don't want my ego and need to be right to effect the outcome of any treatment for someone else. There are plenty of other causes out there to put our energies to where we know we are making a positive difference and not causing anyone harm.
My own personal experience with homeopathics has been that it works sometimes but I'm not always sure how to use them and people using them incorrectly, especially thinking more is better can make them less effective. The other consideration is that improper storage of them can make them ineffective so that could be a factor in why they don't work for everyone. Recently my husband and I both got flu at the same time. With some homeopathics, healthy food and a good sleep I was better in less than 24 hrs. My husband did the antibiotics and painkillers and is still a mess over a week later. He's doing the homeopathics now which are either slowly working or the antibiotics kicked in later or his body did - I don't know but he still looks awful. I'm guessing starting the homeopathics early would be more effective.
Lastly my daughter at 3 years old had a bad case of pinworms. I didn't want to use the oral pesticide for family health history reasons so was going the ultra hygiene way of clearing them each night and bathing her each morning which would take weeks to interrupt the cycle this way. I did this for about 4 days which was becoming too time consuming. Went to see a homeopath - gave her the medicine and the following evening not a sign of them. Interestingly they took longer to work the next time she had a case - but not sure if I administered them correctly.
I always thought Homeopathic doctors studied uses of natural herbs, minerals, etc effect on the human body and for what ailment they can be used for, how to do acupuncture, learned the bodies pressure points, massage techniques, then used ALL this information to treat a patient's problems accordingly.
Most homeopathic doctors want you to eat and use only natural foods and products.
I feel a lot of the problems people have in this day and time stem from what we put in and on our bodies. All the antibiotics, growth hormones, etc fed to cattle, chickens, turkeys, hogs, etc that are grown for our consumption surely have an effect on us, not to mention the pesticides and growth enhancers that are used on all the produce we eat.
I agree that some are no more than "witch doctors" but I also feel that with studying and learning the proper use and dosage of herbs, minerals, acupuncture, even yoga, massage and upper cervical chiropractic practices a homeopathic doctor can help a person, especially with autoimmune disorders.
If I had a broken leg, I'd go to an orthopedic doctor, toothache, a denist, etc., but if I was having problems my family doctor and prescribed meds couldn't help, I would try to seek out a reputable homeopathic doctor to see if he/she could find the cause of my symptoms and fix the problem. *Most doctors only treat the symptom, NOT the cause of the problem. A good example, I go to the doctor with a headache, he prescribes some type of pain meds to stop the pain, or give me antibiotics for a sinus infection, but does nothing to find out WHY I'm having the pain or getting the sinus infection.
I think Homeopathic Doctors have a place and use just as all medical doctors and specialists.
"I always thought Homeopathic doctors studied uses of natural herbs, minerals, etc effect on the human body and for what ailment they can be used for, how to do acupuncture, learned the bodies pressure points, massage techniques, then used ALL this information to treat a patient's problems accordingly."
And you would be wrong. Homeopathy is a different thing than other alternative medicine. Which is part of the problem, people don't know the differences.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeopathy
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy
Science, schmience. Science also cant prove that ghosts exist, but the one in my house would disagree. 1,000 years ago, science couldnt prove the earth was round, and 500 years ago science couldnt prove that the cause of the common cold was pathogens. It also can't prove string theory. Science is limited by technology and the time in which we live. Just because something csnnot be proven today doesnt mean it won't EVER be proven.
Isn't this what vaccines do? Vaccines give you a little tiny bit of the thing that makes you sick so your body can build up antibodies for it over time. then when you do get the "thing" your body can fight it.
Perhaps some homeopathic remedies work in similar manner and this is why it was thought to be a valid path of treatment - without a true understanding of what was happening in the body and no one ever bothered to note that most won't work because of this lack of understanding of what was really taking place in the body.
I have used homeopathic medicine for over 40 years. I am 62 years old and the mother of four children. Just slam your hand in a door or get it caught in an electric mixer. Immediately take Arnica 200x and Hypericum 200x every 5 min and you will see a healing that is amazing. Before the first little white pills dissolve the pain will just about disappear….within 3 doses of each your hand will be ready to get back to work.
I came to this post while I was looking for uses of Witch Hazel.
When I read this post my initial thought was “What a load of crap!”.
I totally disagree with the post. I have some personal experiences from which I have learnt that homeopathy mixed with natural remedy can make our lives so peaceful.
I was born in India but now I live in the UK.
About homeopathy, I have a problem of grey hair since my age of 4-5. Basically since I started understanding the things I know I have grey hair. At my age of 13-14 I thought let’s find out is there a remedy for this problem. I am talking about 1985-86 here. I was told that there is no allopathic medicine for grey hair in those days.
A homeopathic practitioner told me that there is a medicine but it takes around 7-8 years to completely cure the problem. I had no clue where would I end up but I thought let’s try. The main reason behind me trying is “No Side Effects!”. In around 2-3 years I could see the difference. But after around 4 years I had to stop taking the medicine because I was not able to go to the doctor every week due to other commitments. So, the problem came back. I still have the issue not because of the therapy but due to a mistake by me.
I am person who doesn’t go to a doctor for every silly reason. In the past 8-10 years I have been to doctor for around 5-6 times. Around 3-4 times for the same reason. Please read on. One thing I hate about allopathic medicine is “Let’s try this and if this doesn’t work then we’ll try something else.” And another one is, whether the medicine works or not but there will be some kind of side effect for sure!
Now let’s talk about 2010-2011. This is about homeopathic medicine with natural remedies can make wonders.
I had a horrible skin problem in these years. Not decease but a disorder. The problem was related to dry skin.
I went to the GP, I was prescribed an ointment and I was told that continuous use of the ointment can make the hair to grow really fast in the applied area and the skin may become very thin (some allopathic practitioners can guess which medicine it is! There was a question mark in my mind “Why?”). So, I have to be very careful and should stop applying the ointment after 3-4 weeks. In those 3-4 weeks the problem went away but when I stopped using the ointment the problem came back pretty fast.
I went back to the GP and I was told that the first did not work so let’s try another one. This continued for around a year or so. I was also told that skin problems are very difficult to identify. I thought basically I am being used as a “trial and error” dummy.
Then an idea came into my mind, I called up the same doctor in India regarding any homeopathic cure (that is what I could think of because the doctor in India knew about my body since long time). I was told that “Yes, there is a cure but it will take time to cure”. I was asked some basic questions about my life style, mental status etc (these are the questions asked by a homeopathic practitioner). Then I was told to try the following. Totally natural so no possibility of “Side Effect”. I was asked to mix coconut oil with almond oil and apply on the dry skin area. And the result is, “BINGO”. In a week or so the problem vanished.
I am not a medical practitioner so I don’t want to prove that homeopathy works. I don’t need a million $ either. All I want is a cure to my problem. At the end of the day the cure was delivered to me not as a trial and error dummy but as an individual.
Now readers, you decide.
Thanks.
All I can say is that homeopathic medicine has worked for me on numerous occasions when doctors couldnt help. I also have vast experience with doctors misdiagnosing and mistreatment. I do not have total dependence on either method, when I am sick I will find a treatment that is suitable for me, sometimes its doctors and pharmaceuticals and other times its homeopathy, if the latter does work for some people then why not try it, it has no side effects and sometimes cures. Be open minded, people who choose homeopathy esp in more serious illness have obviously done their research and are happy to go down that path and vice versa. Not every cancer patient gets cured by chemo!
Homeopathy works on different principles than Western medicine, it works energetically, and it actually works on helping the body to heal, not just masking symptoms. It won't do anything if it's the wrong remedy, because it removes blockages in the meridians which cause the symptoms. If it's the wrong remedy, it isn't getting the right pattern to help fight anything off. If it is the right one, your body heals holistically. That is one of the beautiful things about homeopathy-- it isn't dangerous! (unless you take the wrong thing over and over until it turns toxic) Why should that be a detriment?! Until you judge, you should go see a homeopath for a legitimate concern and see what happens. After that, you can make your judgement.
btw, if taking a bottle all at once, in homeopathy, it's the same energetic dosage as taking only one of the pills. A dose is a dose. The only danger is in taking a wrong and most likely high potency remedy repeatedly. The power comes from the kinesthetic energy (from the pounding) added to the "fingerprint", or "memory" of the original substance.
What's that phrase? Oh yeah, "Don't knock it until you've tried it". It doesn't sound as if you have. It sounds as though you've condemned it without investigating it thoroughly. As someone who has wasted my money on mainstream medicine many times, I'll say this It's none of your damn business what I spend my money on. I certainly don't intend to based my decisions on what appears to be your very inept investigation of a form of medicine.