Monday, November 13, 2006

Homeopathy:Is it Sometimes Beneficial?


Google did the pictures


Homeopathy: Is it Sometimes Beneficial?


PLittle wrote an entry about this too... He said that by diluting something to a tiny level of efficiency and then using it to provoke the patient to get ill and therefore to develop resistence to something was, in his mind, a very inefficient way to promote actual healing.


http://journals.aol.ca./plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/1975


This entry is more subtle... In this entry I'm asking you if something lessens your symptoms and makes you feel more relaxed physically thne you you consider this nose spray or herbal tea beneficial enough that it makes a difference in your health?


You all may have examples of this.


Zicam is one of my favorites. It really does open my nose when allergies close the door.


But what about you?


And if something lessens unfavorable symptoms do you like it ? tell us!TY


 


 

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's a place for homeopathy. It's been around for centuries. I can still think of things my grandmother did with garlic and herbs that worked and still do. And, of course, there's a place for traditional medicine. Why not give credit to both and utilize both? I use Zicam. It's prevented me from getting bronchitis (which I usually got after every cold) since I first found it years ago. I didn't know it would do that when I first bought it. So it wasn't a placebo effect.
The only harm I can see is that health food stores sell many products and you don't know what-mixed-with-what can cause serious damage. Herbs are medicines too. Oh, and another problem is that some people get so hooked on the health food stores and homeopathy that they can get too sick and it can be too late for a traditional doctor to help.

Anonymous said...

  It is important to understand that there is a very large difference between "Natural Medicine," and Homeopathy. Using herbs and other natural things to treat illness is not new, and some of the remedies may have some efficacy. That is not what homeopathy is. Read my article very carefully. The average homeopathic remedy has a concentration of medicinal ingredient the equivalent of dissolving a sugar cube in two hundred and sixty four million gallons of water. Yes, you read that right. 264,000,000 gallons. How sweet do you think that would taste?
  Natalie, Zicam, although it may be labelled as a homeopathic remedy, really is not. The ingredients in Zicam are present in far too high a concentration to be an actual homeopathic remedy. As well, there are some concerns about the safety of Zicam. You might want to read up a little bit about it. Here is an interesting link: http://www.adrugrecall.com/zicam/zicam.html
  Garlic pills are not homeopathy. Herbal teas are not homeopathy. St. John's Wort is not homeopathy. Actual homeopathic medicine is nothing more than water, and sugar pills, with no active ingredient present, and scientific studies have shown that it does absolutely nothing at all. It has no effects of any kind on a person's physiology. This has been proven beyond doubt.
-Paul

Anonymous said...

Homeopathy is dangerous because it makes promises that have not been scientifically proven. It is not a substitute for medical advice and treatment and should be used with caution. It is not a regulated industry and I would advise against relying on it in place of traditional remedies.
Kate.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/bobandkate/AnAnalysisofLife/

Anonymous said...

Thnakfully, I've been pretty healthy.  Whenever I have been sick or have something mild, over the counter stuff has worked fine.  The only time I tried something non medical was when I had really bad morning sickness when I was pregnant.  My friend who is into all the home remedy and hollistic stuff told me to drink raspberry tea, that it would settle my stomach.  It worked great!  If anyone ever gets nauseated- I'd highly rcommend that!  Carolyn

Anonymous said...

I am big into Natural Treatments, mainly because modern medicine isn't doing its' job in so many areas, especially when it comes to my health problems.  If it wasn't for natural remedies, I would be a lot worse for wear.  However, I think the best thing for new people to do is to find a dr that uses mainly natural treatments in their practice for there are quite a bit out there.  I do a lot of research before I put what I do in my body, and I can honestly say I am the better for it.
http://blog.myspace.com/poptartcoco

Anonymous said...

I believe that anything we find that eases our pain or relives our symptoms is beneficial and we should have no guilt using it. It is through Homeopathy that many of our modern medical practices and remedies have evolved. You should never count anything out just because it is mysterious. Leasrn about these things and feel free to try what may work for you. Regards, Bill.

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul
you say Zicam is not homeopathy but natural medicine as well as herbs and herbal teas and salves are.. do you beleive in them?
natalie

Anonymous said...

Natalie,
  All medicines originally began as natural remedies. Someone noticed that this specific herb appeared to help in that specific instance, and began using it regularly in that instance. At some point, a more scientific study was undertaken to determine exactly what component of the herb in question was the one doing the helping, and exactly what dosage was the most beneficial. Drug companies discovered how to synthesize the efficacious components of a remedy, while leaving out those parts that did not help. That's where drugs come from.
  Many "natural" remedies can be shown to be helpful in some situations. However, caution is important. The field of naturopathic medicine is unregulated, so quality, and dosages of remedies can vary widely across different products, and some products sold as "natural" remedies can actually be harmful. For example, St. John's Wort, which has been shown to be somewhat effective for treating mild depression, can block the body's uptake of other drugs, such as epillepsy medication, and put a person's health in jeopardy. It is important to consult a trained and licensed medical professional about any medication you take. And by that, I mean a real doctor with a real medical degree. Naturopathic and Homeopathic "doctors" do not usually have any real medical training beyond basic anatomy and pre-med. Make sure the medical pratitioner you are consulting is a real doctor.
-Paul
http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/

Anonymous said...

Bill,
  The statement, "[i]t is through Homeopathy that many of our modern medical practices and remedies have evolved," is simply not true. While it has been speculated that the great upsurge in the application of scientific method to the study of medicine at the beginning of the nineteenth century was, in part, a reaction to Sam Hahnemann's silly ideas about disease, it only served to contrast what he was doing with actual evidence based medical care that worked.  
  You said, "you should never count anything out just because it is mysterious." I submit to you that there is no mystery. The practice of Homeopathic medicine has been thoroughly studied by science, and found to be of absolutely no value. It flat out doesn't work. This is not in dispute.
-Paul

Anonymous said...

My Grandmother was a big believer in Homeopathy...I will have to look up some of her old cures...I do think they are beneficial...some really work.
Hugs and love,
Joyce

Anonymous said...

I was re-reading some of the comments and there are actual real doctors out there that mainly use natural remedies but then supplement modern meds if those don't work or they use them in conjunction with one another.  Also just because something says it is natural doesn't mean it is so, so make sure you inform yourself about product labeling.  I usually go with the USDA organic label since it does have some backing, but there are others out there too.  
http://blog.myspace.com/poptartcoco