Defend Homeopathy

[deena]

I'm a big believer in alternative medicine and also in the power of energy, however, the three times I've used a homeopathic remedy, it didn't help. It's based on the principal that something that causes a similar reaction (for instance, poison ivy to treat a rash) is then diluted until it is no longer harmful. This works because, supposedly, "like cures like." I have two problems with homeopathy.

#1. I believe that positive energy (thoughts, words, actions) can have a positive impact. And that negative energy can cause a negative impact. To me, that means: "like makes more of like", which is the exact opposite of homeopathy.

#2. I think that "energy" (in the spiritual, not scientific sense) must come from a living creature and homeopathy is coming from a secretion or dead plant or what-have-you. Actual medicine works on a physical level so it can come from dead things. Not so for homeopathy.

[Soliloquy]

Well, your understanding might be a bit off. You wouldn't take homeopathic poison ivy to treat a rash.

When a brand new remedy is prepared, it is taken by testers (usually homeopathic practitioner students) and the results are carefully studied. If they all get insomnia, stuff fingers, and cravings for fatty foods then that remedy is listed as a "like cures like" for those symptoms. The homeopathic symptoms can, and usually do, differ greatly from the symptoms you would have if you used the straight herb, for example.

As far as energy, every thing has resonance. Resonance is probably a better explanation than the term energy. It's not froo froo, it's a well accepted physics phenomenon. Highly skeptical physicists have found that distilled water does have a "memory" of the resonance of things that had been mixed in.

Homeopathy is not clearly understood, just like germ theory wasn't understood when Semmelweiss started washing his hands and reducing maternal mortality from childbed fever from 35% to less than 1%.

Self-treating with homeopathy is really hit or miss unless you understand it a bit deeper because the right remedy comes from forming a picture of the person, not a single symptom. A good book is "Homeopathic Medicine at Home" by Panos & Heimlich. (The wife of the famous Heimlich.)

[deena]

Thank you. You do seem to have a full understanding of the subject. Could you clarify this for me?

When a brand new remedy is prepared, it is taken by testers (usually homeopathic practitioner students) and the results are carefully studied. If they all get insomnia, stuff fingers, and cravings for fatty foods then that remedy is listed as a "like cures like" for those symptoms. The homeopathic symptoms can, and usually do, differ greatly from the symptoms you would have if you used the straight herb, for example.

Is this tested remedy in it's final, diluted stage? If so, wouldn't that mean that any non-sick person taking it would get that same result?

Self-treating with homeopathy is really hit or miss unless you understand it a bit deeper because the right remedy comes from forming a picture of the person, not a single symptom.

I've been prescribed homeopath remedies by a naturopath and a doctor. Did they both need a deeper understanding of me to have made it work?

[sweetpeasmommy]

For an acute remedy, if the symptom picture fits like high sudden onset fever, you just use belladonna and if it doesn't work you look at other fever remedies if there is a closer fit. For a constitutional or to treat something more long term, you would use many things. So they might observe the pallor of your skin, or the way you carry yourself, what you like or dislike to eat, many, many things to arrive at a fit. Not everyone does this and it's pretty complicated however a homeopath is trained to observe everything.

Proving a remedy is usually done at a much higher (more diluted) dose than a person would normally take.


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[Soliloquy]

Originally Posted by deena

Thank you. You do seem to have a full understanding of the subject. Could you clarify this for me?
Is this tested remedy in it's final, diluted stage? If so, wouldn't that mean that any non-sick person taking it would get that same result?

I've been prescribed homeopath remedies by a naturopath and a doctor. Did they both need a deeper understanding of me to have made it work?

Question 1 yes, although iirc they test (it's called a proving) with a very high potency, 1M or higher. Yes, if you take a 1M remedy randomly you can see symptoms.

Question 2 possibly, yes. I don't know who you saw, obviously. It can take time to find the right remedy. Some practitioners prescribe homeopathic remedies with very little understanding, others have a lot. I've been seeing doctors (MDs) for a handful of issues for years with no result. That doesn't mean western medicine never works, just that nobody had figured out how to help me with this particular issue. So, it could be any number of reasons.

And some individuals will respond better to something else for, say, migraines, while others have a miraculous response to homeopathy. When I first got a constitutional remedy in 2008 it was like a switch flipped in me. It was absolutely amazing what it did for me emotionally. But my migraines didn't go away until 2015 when I discovered I'm sensitive to both coffee and gluten. So, if I had been seeing a homeopath for migraines I'd be pretty disappointed.

[camperjen]

I can give a couple of personal experiences:

* my older child got a lot of homeopathic remedies when he was young - most notably Hylands Teething Tabs. It never seemed to work, and honestly often seemed to make him worse with more crying and such. Later I realized that he's allergic/sensitive to dairy and they're sweetened with lactose (from cow milk). No wonder they gave him such trouble!

* given the experience with my 1st child (and before he was diagnosed with the dairy allergy), I never expected the teething tabs to work with my 2nd son. They worked like a charm! Usually within two or three doses he'd be napping happily just as the bottle says.

* I used a remedy for hemorrhoids. DEFINITELY never really expected them to work. It only takes a week of ingesting the pills for it to work - they shrink down and disappear for a long while. This is not my experience when not taking the homeopathy - they don't shrink as quickly nor disappear for that length. Same experience with canker sores - they disappeared more quickly than they even did with Lysine which I also tout as a miracle cure.

This post goes well on the heels of what Soliloquy had to say as well - that if your migraines are caused by food intolerances and those foods aren't eliminated, no amount of homeopathy will eliminate the migraines.

[KarenBoo]

I have been a fan of homeopathy for 20 years. I have seen several homeopaths over the years that prescribe the remedies. Sometimes, it's been an amazing awesome remedy that just totally fixed what was going on. Sometimes, the remedy was a flop and I had to go back and the homeopath would have to do more digging and I'd try a few more remedies before getting the right one.

I have also seen amazing results with my children.

Currently, I'm trying a remedy that my homeopath prescribed for back pain. Jury is still out on the remedy to see if it's going to be "the one."

[houseforjoy]

i have had hit or miss success with homeopathy... mostly because i havean't really studied it one of our HUGE successes tho was for a cyst my dh had that we couldn't get rid of and surgery was next on the table. but homeopathy made it go away!! and it was awesome!!

[Leslie]

I appreciate the question - I'm learning a lot from the responses!