:lol: Thanks Balhammom it s been little while since we haven't had a good debate on the forum!

More seriously, I didn't realize that Homeopathy could be prescribed through the NHS. I am completely each to their own (although I know Homeopathy does not work, it is the self belief that works) but I am shocked that our taxes are paying for people who choose alternative... things (I do not want to call it medicine).

In France, lots of people choose homeopathy but the state and the tax payers are not paying for it. It is completely private which is fair.

You decide to go the alternative route well fine but pay for it, not me.

Rant over.

A little update...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34744858

:-)

Oooh, I'm loving this debate. A few years ago the BBC did a fascinating series of 3 programmes on 'alternative' medicine. One was on homeopathy and I can't actually remember much about it other than the fact it didn't work.
One was about healers and they got an actor to work with a healer and copy what he did, then set the two up against each other - or something similar. They were both equally effective - obviously a small sample but as Scottov says, shows the power of the self-belief in healing which I imagine is why homeopathy works for its devotees.

And they also covered a research project in the states where 50% of participants had 'fake' knee or hip replacements. So they are opened up etc but the replacement doesn't actually take place. One man who was crippled by arthritis could walk again despite not having had a replacement. It was extraordinary.

I don't get the argument homeopathy works. Not only does it not work, it cannot work because it is not a real thing.

Homeopathy is not real. Your pills do not have ANY homeopathic content.
Someone talked about c6, but there are c30 and c100 dilutions. And do you know what? The technology does not exist to actually manufacture at that level.

Therefore they do not, and in fact cannot contain the active ingredient claimed. The factory or lab does not exist that can make that recipe

it is no different to me selling you a money tree, promising you prosperity when you plant this generic shrub in your backyard. I charge you £600 for this £3 plant, because you wouldn't believe I would sell you a genuine money tree for less money.

Because you now "know" that you have made a wise investment, you start buying lottery tickets. and paying a lot of attention to reaffirming facts.

Suddenly one of these tickets comes up and you win £50 and now you know your luck has changed. Just think how many more £50 wins you'll have, maybe more? The future is bright.

You recommend friends. You don't how it works, it just does. Have faith you say. I sell more trees.

No matter how much cognitive dissonance you engage, nothing will change the fact that there is no such thing as a money tree

And there is no such thing as homeopathic medicine

You're opinion doesn't matter, my opinion doesn't matter. Chemically this is a literal, absolute fact

Just to reiterate what someone has said before - Natural remedies are totally different from homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathic remedies are mostly chemicals (some very dangerous!) diluted till you cannot find them anymore in the water/alcohol. It is based on the believe that “water has memory” and "what makes a man ill also cures him".

Natural remedies are plants-based products – and some powerful drugs (legal and illegal :lol: ) are made of plants.

;)

Homeopathy is more expensive because for it to be "effective" you have to take a course of it. Generally a month.

Homeopath earn a very decent living, at least in Paris. My parents knows one with a fabulous flat right in the heart of Paris' left bank.

But i kind of understand why people would seek alternatives to conventional medicine. Somehow they might feel let down so they seek more natural less harmful ways of living. And it makes people feel they are doing something/helping their children which for some is better than hearing their children cough until the cold is gone i suppose.

exactly one has to use their brain and realize when it is time to switch to conventional medicine but for minor ailments it is ok to use homeopathy.
as I said it is not for everybody but it works for me.

also I am surprised by all the comments about throwing money away and expensive sugar pills, I find the remedies cheaper than over the counter or prescription medicines

If you are vaccinating your kids, giving them conventional medicines when they are seriously ill and using homeopathy for minor illnesses then that's fine (the homeopathy is still a waste of money but will do no harm as there are no active ingredients).

My worry is that people go to homeopaths for advice and get told to give up conventional and scientifically proven medicines in favour of sugar pills. I know a couple of families who have taken this route, they are fortunate that their children are protected from measles and the like via herd resistance, but I hope their children have a chance to get themselves properly protected before they venture into the wider world.....

I think somehow we are still confusing the two,

using homeopathic remedies doesn't necessarily mean NOT vaccinating our children.
this is very shortminded of some people.

In reply to darling mummy's first post - my daughter is 7 and has had antibiotics just once in her life. She has also only visited the GP twice. However, this has absolutely nothing to do with homeopathy or "natural" remedies, which I have never given her. Homeopathy is nothing more than sugar pills; if adults want to waste their money on sugar pills then go ahead it's a free country. What makes me angry is parents who are so blind to the actual science they believe they are protecting their children with homeopathic remedies instead of vaccinations and conventional medicine.

Case in point - a local homeopath who spoke to my pregnancy yoga class a few years ago. She was trying to flog her sugar pills to us, unsuccessfully for the most part. She then told us that she was very worried about her teenage daughter, who had taken the advice of their GP to get some vaccinations before going on a trip to SE Asia. The homeopath had tried to get her daughter to use homeopathic remedies instead of the vaccinations. She then tried to warn off a group of pregnant mothers from getting their newborns vaccinated. Seriously worrying.

[quote="elenafrancesca"]If anyone wants to have the details of my Harley St GP/Homepath & a great Devon homeopathic pharmacy please message me...they have been a life saver :)[/quote]

just sent you a private message

[quote="Scottov"]

The psychology of placebo is a different subject, where some remarkable results appear to have been achieved. including in some controlled environments.

There have been properly controlled tests whereby people who have been given placebo medication (sugar pills) but have been told that they are being given the new clinical drug and have shown real progress.

therefore the pyschological element is an interesting area that probably could use more research.

quote]

I doubt that my 5 year old psychology comes into account here

[quote="Scottov"][quote="elenafrancesca"]Hi Scottov

The psychology of placebo is a different subject, where some remarkable results appear to have been achieved. including in some controlled environments.

There have been properly controlled tests whereby people who have been given placebo medication (sugar pills) but have been told that they are being given the new clinical drug and have shown real progress.

therefore the pyschological element is an interesting area that probably could use more research.

I doubt that my 5 year old knows what a placebo is and therefore I don't think there is anything psychological going on there, what do you say to that?

I second posters who said that homeopathy is nothing but sugar and water.

See the link below. If you can read French this article explains very well what homeopathy is and is not.

http://archives-lepost.huffingtonpost.fr/article/2011/08/21/2572702_homeopathie-le-scandale-boiron.html

One has to believe, be really convinced it is working for one to have "evidence" it actually works.

I am a very rational person that believes in the Big Bang not in the Creation. Everything i put in my mouth or give my children is scientifically based.

Good for you if it works but you are not giving anything to your children but sugar.

Some very hard core people will not seek proper treatment if they are really ill and this is where the real risk is.

So we live in a free world so do as you please but i would urge all homeopathy takers to seek real treatment in very real illnesses such as chest infection, pneumonia, etc

Ok I HAVE TRIED it
Let's talk about Nelsons teething granules...

I'm going to surprise you all by saying these actually kinda WORKED for our teething baby but WHY did they work?
http://www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com/en-gb/uk/our-brands/nelsons-baby/our-products/nelsons-teetha-teething-granules
"Each 300mg sachet contains the active ingredient of Chamomilla 6c. Also contains Lactose, Xylitol and starch."

Ok so 6c means the Chamomilla has been diluted by a million million times, yes this is 10 to the power 12. The sachet of 300mg is 0.3g so there are 0.0000000000003g of the "active ingredient" chamomilla....mmmm...

More importantly let's looks at the other ingredients, you know those ones present in approximately a million million times more quantity:
- lactose. This is the sugar in milk...Mmm so these granules taste of milk?
- xylitol. This is a sweetener...Mmm so these granules taste of sweet milk?
- starch. Ever added corn flour to stock/gravy? It makes it thicker. So when the granules dissolve in the mouth, this starch makes it thicker ...so it sticks around for longer.
Finally the granules are little cubic pieces of stuff, a bit crunchy even, (like space dust without the popping!) ...so to make them dissolve and release the above flavours (oh and the "active ingredient" of course) it works best if you mash your little gums together...kinda like you might on a teething ring.

I estimate if you drank a cup of chamomile tea and then breastfed your baby, the baby would almost certainly receive a higher dose of chamomile.

But as I said this homeopathic remedy did kinda work