Homeopathy, quackery or truth?!

Whilst i have a lot of respect for herbal remedies (after all, modern chemical medicines have a plant origin in the main) I have absolutely no faith in homeopathy!.

Here in Germany high street chemists are 'qualified' to produce their own homeopathic tinctures and tonics!. It is very medieval and terrifies me!.

Since faith is a major element of this so called healing, it has no more effect on me than a sugar pill that I've been told will work!.

http://www!.colorado!.edu/philosophy/vsten!.!.!.

http://www!.bbc!.co!.uk/science/horizon/200!.!.!.

You may call me a cynic, but I believe that those who propound and sell homeopathic remedies are the cynical parties!. They take advantage of a lack of comprehensible information and the public's desire to go 'natural'!.

In brief and taking the basis of homeopathy to its simplest extreme, if we are stung by a nettle we do not immediately plunge our other hand into a nettle clump to relieve the pain!. And if we did we would, by homeopathic standards, be overdosing!. The amounts of the supposed active ingredients are so minimal that they are hardly identifiable!.

Looking at the thumbs up/down ratings I get a suspicion that the subject matter will attract an uneven demographic!. It seems to me that the yay sayers are here in their droves and have systematically rated the naysayers down!.

I wonder if we could do a study!.!.!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

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"placebo therapy at best and quackery at worst!."[

not my words, but im afriad i have to agree!. i have tried homeopathic remedies before that did not work and i never actually believed they would - no placebo effect there due my my lack of faith perhaps!?

i dont understand how they are allowed to practive and take peoples money without evidence!?

All other areas of medicine are SO critically dependant on scientific studies to be allowed to be used!?!?Www@Answer-Health@Com

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Most people who promote homeopathy have never studied chemistry, physics or mathematics and don't realise just how ridiculous the whole premise is!. Clinical trials have shown it doesn't work and this is the best article to read to get an idea of just how daft the whole thing is!.

http://www!.ratbags!.com/rsoles/comment/ho!.!.!.


crosbie: Who told you that antidepressants don't work!? Perhaps you should have read the recent report, which you are no doubt referring to, properly!. Even in this report there was strong evidence that antidepressants helped patients with severe clinical depression!. "Mild" depression (whatever that is) did not appear to be helped - perhaps it's not a medical condition!? It is extremely worrying that unprofessional GPs like you get information on drugs from the tabloids, rather than reading medical journals!.

Homeopathy's only effect is placebo - that's why we have double blind trials!.

[I doubt crosbie is a GP, as you can tell from her rubbishy Qs and As but I'll leave this here anyway ;-)]


old cat lady: You don't even understand basic physics, so what do you think you know about quantum physics!? And of course there's a placebo effect with animals!. In fact it's called "observer bias" and there are a million books and articles on the subject!. I suggest you read one, before someone takes your dangerous advice and dies as a result!.


herbie: cystitis usually clears up without antibiotics, and no doubt you were giving your cat plenty of water as any responsible cat owner would!. So what makes you think it was cured by homeopathy!?Www@Answer-Health@Com

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As a GP who uses homeopathy extensively in my practice - because it's cheap, safe and sometimes works amazingly - I have often wondered if every success I see with homeopathy could be placebo or coincidence!. But then I remember the remarkable cures I've experienced myself, and seen in others - even before I knew anything about homeopathy, and I honestly know it's genuine!.

Every medicine we use has a placebo effect - including homeopathy!. But unlike antidepressants, which we are now told don't work, at least it won't make you suicidal or cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms!.

The problem is that if you buy the stuff over the counter, it probably won't work!. Because you need to treat the patient and not the disease!. Homeopaths train for 3 or 4 years to achieve the knowledge necessary to treat illness, and even then that's just the start of a long learning process!.

There's plenty of information on the Faculty of Homeopathy website: www!.medical-acupuncture!.co!.ukWww@Answer-Health@Com

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Certainly a lot of nay-sayers here!. It has successfully treated my cat with bladder cancer!. There is no "placebo" effect with animals (and homeopathy has been used with them almost from its inception almost 200 years ago)!. If placebo is valid then animals receiving chemotherapy, radiation, etc!. would be healed the same as with homeopathy or herbal medicines!. I am in no way suggesting that homeopathy cures cancer - neither does any conventional medical protocol!. I am a cancer survivor and recently watched the PBS presentation, "The Truth About Cancer"!. Catch it if you can!.

You must look to quantum physics, not chemistry, for the effect of dilution and succussion on the remedies!. Einstein proved that our universe is nothing but energy whatever the physical state of the matter!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

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Well certainly there is no scientific explaination for homeopathy!. I cannot see how it can work!. One time I tried taking a homeopathic Rus Tox which is poison ivy!. Well I did not have anything wrong with me!. I just took it to see what would happen!. Within a few hours I had a very faint red rash all over my body!. I know this does not prove anything but I am just saying that the rash happened soon after taking it!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

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There is no doubt whatsovever in my mind that any effect homeopathy has is down to placebo, but don't knock the placebo effect, if it works for you, absolutely great!.

If you watch this James Randi lecture on homeopathy, I will be extremely surprised if you don't agree with his findings!.



You may know that James Randi offers $1,000,000 to anyone who can prove any paranormal claim, homeopathy falls into this category!.

He recently carried out extensive tests in several University Hospitals on the subject, thousands of results were fed into a computer, Randi who took no active part in the tests himself, brought his $1,000,000 bankers order which had been previously authorised and checked by the Universities, to the final computerised results in front of all the professors who had carried out the exhaustive testing!.

Randi had no idea what the tests would show, but he looked very confident, rightly so, he still has his check to this day!.

As to the chemists who sell it, it is the ultimate con-trick, making

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