Homeopathic remedies, brilliant or waste of time?

My mind is not closed, but I like evidence, scientific evidence. My brother is a respected (though now retired) professor of pharmacology, and he has looked carefully at homeopathy. He regards it as quackery. He recognises the power of the placebo effect, though - the mind is a wonderful thing.

Sorry cross-post Gingergirl. You will see in my post what my opinions are of the pseudo-science of the Memory of Water.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question, and you are indeed right, you don't have to defend it, its everyone's choice

Disgruntled I've just gone back over my posts on this thread and I don't see any that are scornful, only factual. I have also respectfully asked Gingergirl some valid questions.

Also, I'm a physicist so I know what "everything is energy" really means. Being a physicist, I am also aware of Masaru Emoto's pseudoscientific claims that water is influenced by nearby human consciousness, claims which have had no scientific demonstration.

The one thing we do seem to agree on is that the placebo effect is real, and can be used to explain improvements in heath outcomes when no physical intervention has happened, even in animals and plants.

I don't use homeopathy but would do if I had something wrong. I haven't had a cold for over 20 years, if I feel one coming on I take one 1000mg Vit C, 1 Echinacea tab and 1 zinc tab last thing at night. Cold completely gone next morning.

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Alegrias2 there’s not the room to go into it here but it’s thought to be down to energy. You are right that the material dose has been diluted but if you read about the memory of water for example, you will be getting into the realms of energetic and not material matters and it may start to make more sense. That said, this high dilution and (importantly) succussion was first carried out experimentally many years ago by a Dr Hahnemann and found to be so powerful that homeopathy developed from there. Its foundations is based very much on clinical experience and the results. If you’re interested, there’s a lot online if you research. Re the placebo affect, I think the term is used in a rather disparaging way by many and suggests that there’s nothing in the remedy....however, that again, is looking at the material level not the energetic one. You perhaps could liken it by saying that there’s nothing in an electrical cable ...but we know there is even though it isn’t visible...Hope this helps a little but I’m not intending to come on here further, defending homeopathy. I don’t feel I need to and each person will rightly form their own opinion.

Alegrias2 I'm not a homeopath, but I do practise Reiki, which might make you even more scornful. There is a series of books by a Japanese man called Messages From Water which might interest you (I think there are photos on YouTube as well).
I used to be defensive about the placebo effect because it's usually levelled at alternative or complementary therapies as an insult, or in a dismissive way. I used to counter it with the fact that alternatives like homeopath, acupuncture and Reiki work on animals, and in the case of Reiki, even remotely, and on plants.
A few years ago I read about an experiment in America where they divided a group of patients who were lined up for knee replacements. Half of them had the real operation and half were wheeled into theatre, where the surgeon mimed his actions and spoke the usual commands. The results were remarkably similar.
The fact is that everything is energy.
Now, like GingerGirl I take it on the chin.

When I was first married and a young teacher I used to get endless throat infections. At the time I had a GP who alongside conventional medicine used homeopathy. He gave me some tiny pills to take for 6 weeks and told me I would never have a throat infection again. He was right.
So yes I believe in homeopathy.

I gave my son homeopathic remedies for his severe asthma when he was little as inhalers etc effected his behaviour so badly. If he was having a severe attack them of course I reverted to traditional medication but for day to day keeping it on track he had his homeopathic remedies. Def seemed to help and as he was only 2 I don’t think it could have been the placebo effect, but don’t know of course. I’ve used them on and off over the years and found them helpful.

This is a serious question Gingergirl, I hope you will accept it in the way it is offered

I understand that the method of preparing homeopathic medicines includes diluting the original "active" ingredient to such an extent that none of the original material remains. (30C or 100C I believe?) Since this means that there really is nothing active in the resulting medicine, how does it work?

And why are homeopaths so anti the placebo effect, when it has been proved to be a real thing that even works on animals?

Hope this doesn't sound hectoring, that's not what I intend.

Me too, I’m into homeopathy. In fact, I’m using the book my grandfather had in 1920.
It was miraculous for postnatal depression. I hated the antidepressant that the dr offered. I was breastfeeding and not very keen. He then suggested a homeopathic remedy which worked almost instantly. Rescue remedy is another which I use constantly.
Why are people happy with crystals and IMO often dangerous herbal stuff but not homeopathy? Either it helps or it does nothing. It is NOT dangerous.

It always amazes me how quick and vocal the anti -homeopathy brigade are. Many moons ago I had 3 children under the age of 5 and seemed to never be away from the Doctor who dolled out anti-biotics like sweets.
We know now that wasn't a good idea

I came across homeopathy for my family and have never looked back. Its a rare visit to the Doctor for my lot even now as adults and after 30 years in France I still haven't
made more than 10 visits in all those years.
How many can say that using 'orthodox ' medecine
Homeopathy has been around a long time and is much respected in France.
The large pharmacutical companies like to blacken its
reputation. Most of this 'placebo' effect comes from them.

Absolutely brilliant IF you visit a trained Homeopath (some GP's are!) and get the correct dose of the correct remedy. My wonderful husband, whom I lost to Covid-19 in May, once had a bad kidney infection which although it cleared up, left him with a horrid chronic pain. The hospital consultant told him that that was a frequent result of the infection, but not only did they not know why, there was nothing they could do except advise long term painkillers. We then asked our GP for a referral to the NHS Homeopathic hospital in Glasgow (not sure if it still exists?) where he was interviewed for an hour by the doctor, prescribed a remedy and hey presto within a week the pain had permanently disappeared. After that we began using it on our animals (who clearly aren't affected by the placebo effect) with remarkably good results. The problem that makes some people dismiss homeopathy is that unlike conventional medicine, one remedy does not cure one illness - the remedy must match the person as well as the symptoms.

I am a homeopath! I take some of the comments here about placebos, on the chin....after twenty years of practice I’m used to them!?All I can say is, for chronic (and often even acute problems) you really need to consult a homeopath, as it’s not easy to apply the ‘rules’ without a lot of knowledge and training as it’s so different to allopathic health care. I trained for four years to qualify, as do most homeopaths and have worked part time ever since. Some people get better...and like all modalities, some don’t, but I’ve been privileged to see the most wonderful results in both children and adults. I’ve used it for myself and my husband and my now adult children were brought up on it. It has at the very least kept us out of the doctors surgery and taking a load of medicines. But it’s like a lot of alternative therapies in the uk, acupuncture, craniosacral, osteopathy, reiki.....we seem to have tunnel vision..Sadly, we have huge number of people who are unwell....‘underlying conditions’ seems to be coming up a lot lately,,,?

Inoculations and vaccinations work on exactly the same principle, ie they give you a minute dose of the infective agent so your body makes antibodies.

Might H work on colon cancer?

As a non-believer, I still can't logically conclude that homeopathy doesn't work.

What I do strongly believe in, is the amazing power of the human mind. Belief in anything, however bizaare, is healing in itself. Mind over body.

Then, of course, there's the (almost) placebo effect of spontaneous recovery being attributed to the 'cure'.

Used to use it on my dog and it worked brilliantly. Also, the Queen and Prince Charles are known advocates and they seem to be very healthy.

I wonder if your mind is closed to everything you dont understand Grandma70's I can assure you my ulcer wouldn't have healed itself in 3 weeks after nearly 5 years of pain and medication from the NHS.I wasn't a huge supporter of homeopathy until I actually used it and got results ,that was results my doctors ,GP and consultant couldn't explain

Evening primrose oil is not homeopathy Theoddbird, its a herbal supplement.

If symptoms improve or disappear after using homeopathic remedies, it is either the placebo effect, or just the psssage of time. They were going to get better anyway.

If you don’t mind wasting your money, go ahead.

Will add that one was the breast specialist at Addenbrooks

I suspect that many have taken evening primrose oil for menopausal symptoms. It works. I had two doctors recommend it for breast pain. Yes it worked.

Scientific clinical studies have shown that homeopathic treatments have no efficacy apart from a placebo effect. Many of the ailments would get better of their own accord.
Acupuncture, on the other hand, is proven to work in many cases and is used by eminent medical professionals.

I have had excellent results from homeopathy. Always using a well qualified homeopath. In fact I'm looking for one in Shropshire at the moment. ?

I'm glad your health improved paddyanne

I wouldn't try to stop people using homeopaths if that works for them. I have a very good friend who is a working homeopath. What I get annoyed about is when people promote the idea that there is something physical going on when there just isn't, and that water has a "memory". And then get angry about the placebo effect, without knowing what it is!