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 Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:57 pm
Skeptics of homeopathy have decided to hold a demonstration: swallow entire bottles of homeopathic pills to demonstrate once and for all that they do nothing. Link to article. Note the numbers of believers complaining in comments about this demonstration. If they believe so deeply in homeopathy, you'd think they'd be glad for an opportunity for vindication. Instead, the majority just keep whining about those nasty-wasty skeptics. Sounds like they're a bit insecure in their beliefs to me...
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Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 2:13 pm
What are everyone's thoughts on homeopathy here? In the DailyMail article it seems that a lot of people are confusing herbal and natural remedies with homeopathy. (That comment from Aimee, Ohio is me. I read DailyMail every day.)
Personally I have used some eye drops and Calms Forte before and they may or may not have helped but if they did I have to think it was 100% placebo effect.
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Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:35 pm
Homeopathic medicines often contain warnings against overdose, so we can presume overdose should be a concern with homeopathic medicine. James Randi once swallowed an entire bottle of homeopathic "sleeping pills," then delivered a whole speech on how silly he thought homeopathy was without even getting drowsy.
It doesn't sound like homeopathic remedies are particularly potent to me.
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Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:53 pm
One person replied to another's(comment) and had to explain the diff between herbal remedies and homeopathic remedies.
"No homeopathic remedy has ever been shown to be any better than a placebo. Quite a few herbal remedies have been proved to work."
Is there a follow up article?
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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:06 am
The mass overdose event was called 10:23, and they have a website http://www.1023.org.uk/From the site: Quote: More than four hundred homeopathy skeptics nationwide took part in a mass homeopathic 'overdose' in protest at Boots' continued endorsement and sale of homeopathic remedies, and to raise public awareness about the fact that homeopathic remedies have nothing in them. Obviously the protesters were all fine because there is nothing but a "ghost" of the original compound in homeopathic remedies. As a result, one brand has removed the therapeutic claims from their product, but homeopathic remedies are still sold worldwide. The problem people in the UK had with it is that NHS money is being spent on these placebos and I can see why they'd be upset. It's the same as if Medicaid in the US decided to cover homeopathic remedies and taxpayers would be essentially footing the bill for nothing. Now if Medicaid decided to cover vitamins, minerals and herbs, that's a different story. I'd be all for it.
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:00 pm
Yanueh Sounds like they're a bit insecure in their beliefs to me... no offense meant, but what does that say about you in criticizing their beliefs?
if it works for someone, let them use it.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:33 am
I think most people confuse homeopathy with herbal remedies, and tend to get more defensive when people say that they are skeptical of homeopathy. I think more people would be skeptical if they knew exactly what homeopathy really is. Herbal remedies and homeopathy should not be exempt from the same rigourous testing that "traditional" remedies are subject to. As I understand it, there seems to be very little real evidence that homeopathy is more than just a placebo. Herbal medicine is more of a case-by-case thing.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:17 am
Dia Dementia no offense meant, but what does that say about you in criticizing their beliefs? if it works for someone, let them use it. It says they're sick and tired of people passing off bullshit as real medicine. The thing is, homeopathy doesn't work because it's literally nothing more than water and sugar pills. The really scary part? Parents are trying to vaccinate their children against potentially-deadly illnesses with nothing more than water. Ammonia Spike I think most people confuse homeopathy with herbal remedies, and tend to get more defensive when people say that they are skeptical of homeopathy. That does seem to happen a lot, actually. I've seen some cases where people get really defensive over homeopathy... then come to find out, they're talking about herbal remedies. Quote: I think more people would be skeptical if they knew exactly what homeopathy really is. Herbal remedies and homeopathy should not be exempt from the same rigourous testing that "traditional" remedies are subject to. As I understand it, there seems to be very little real evidence that homeopathy is more than just a placebo. Herbal medicine is more of a case-by-case thing. I know, it shouldn't. And yet, people still sell homeopathic remedies next to real medicines. It's insane.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:54 pm
Annette explained this stuff to me once- the way homeopathy works is by diluting the stuff to a safe level to consume, but the process causes the active agents to "clump" together and when they're processed there's enough concentration to create an effect over long periods of time without ruining the body's functions.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:08 am
Esiris Annette explained this stuff to me once- the way homeopathy works is by diluting the stuff to a safe level to consume, but the process causes the active agents to "clump" together and when they're processed there's enough concentration to create an effect over long periods of time without ruining the body's functions. I'm not sure where she got that explanation, but... no. Homeopathy is new age woo. It supposedly works by diluting the original compound so much that only the "vibration" or "memory" of the original compound remains imprinted on the water (which is pure pseudoscience). Homeopathic remedies are so diluted they maybe contain one molecule of the compound, if that. To give you an idea of the scale, imagine throwing an aspirin pill into a lake and trying to use the lake water as a painkiller. Higher dilutions, which are supposed to be even more potent, are the equivalent of throwing an aspirin pill into an ocean and using that as a painkiller. Homeopathic remedies are not diluted to a "safe" level so they can work slowly over time - they are diluted to the point there is literally no medicine in them.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 8:27 am
Yanueh I'm not sure where she got that explanation, but... no. Homeopathy is new age woo. It supposedly works by diluting the original compound so much that only the "vibration" or "memory" of the original compound remains imprinted on the water (which is pure pseudoscience). Homeopathic remedies are so diluted they maybe contain one molecule of the compound, if that. To give you an idea of the scale, imagine throwing an aspirin pill into a lake and trying to use the lake water as a painkiller. Higher dilutions, which are supposed to be even more potent, are the equivalent of throwing an aspirin pill into an ocean and using that as a painkiller. Homeopathic remedies are not diluted to a "safe" level so they can work slowly over time - they are diluted to the point there is literally no medicine in them. I'm not sure I'd call the 1700's New Age- but even then, I think modern homeopathy- at least, the better stuff that's regulated by the FDA- has come a long way since Hahnemann.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 8:35 am
Esiris I'm not sure I'd call the 1700's New Age- but even then, I think modern homeopathy- at least, the better stuff that's regulated by the FDA- has come a long way since Hahnemann. However far it's come, however "better" it is than some other homeopathic remedies, the fact remains that it's nothing but water. Testing has proven time and time again that homeopathic remedies work no better than any other placebo. Here's a good article.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 8:45 am
Yanueh However far it's come, however "better" it is than some other homeopathic remedies, the fact remains that it's nothing but water. Testing has proven time and time again that homeopathic remedies work no better than any other placebo. Here's a good article.I think there does need to be better regulation- but I also think that fair and objective research needs to be done too- there's too many politics in the medical field and so many studies are suppressed because they don't support the claims the people paying for the study want. That whole thing with The Lancent a few years back is a good example. It's also interesting that the group who did the protest included herbal medicines that have been shown to work- that seems a little sloppy to me.
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