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Homeopathy

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Hexagon, Jul 31, 2013.

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  1. Hexagon

    Hexagon
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    Uh... so I'm having surgery in one week. I was advised by the hospital to take some pill four times a day for a week before. So I went and bought the pill, and its fucking homeopathy. My confidence in my surgeon is diminishing. Or did my mother order the wrong pills? Or are they trying some placebo shit on me?
     
    #1 Hexagon, Jul 31, 2013
  2. Techno Kid

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    I would ask the surgeon about this...it seems really odd.
     
    #2 Techno Kid, Jul 31, 2013
  3. Chip

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    I was treated by an MD who used exclusively homeopathy for about 20 years, and my health was never better, and the few issues I had were treated with lightning speed, so I am actually a believer even though I know it's controversial.

    However... it seems counterintuitive for a surgeon to be prescribing homeopathy. What specifically was prescribed? There are some materials that are available in homeopathic form that are also available in regular, full-strength (non-homeopathic) dosages, so maybe your mom did get the wrong one.
     
    #3 Chip, Jul 31, 2013
  4. KaraBulut

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    Out of curiosity, which homeopathic med did he prescribe?
     
    #4 KaraBulut, Jul 31, 2013
  5. Hexagon

    Hexagon
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    Arnica. I only realised it was homeopathy when I picked up the bottle my mum ordered.
     
    #5 Hexagon, Jul 31, 2013
  6. LD579

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    I am no doctor, but one thing that stood out to me on WebMD was this: "Surgery: Arnica might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using it at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery."

    I wonder...
     
    #6 LD579, Jul 31, 2013
  7. Chip

    Chip
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    Arnica Montana, in homeopathic formulations, would be an appropriate remedy *after* surgery, as it speeds healing. It's indicated for bruises, cuts, wounds, and such (if we're talking internal use.) But the nature of the way homeopathic remedies work, there'd be no point in using it prior to surgery (at least, not more than an hour before).

    Also, given the nature of the way homeopathic remedies work, there'd also be no concern about bleeding when using homeopathic Arnica. Non-homeopathic Arnica, yes... you wouldn't want to be taking that before surgery, but the homeopathic form basically does the opposite of what the non-homeopathic does in most cases, and at worst, in this usage, it would be harmless.

    It does seem more likely that your doc prescribed the homeopathic than the non-homeopathic, though prescribing it 2 weeks before would be pretty atypical to the way homeopathics are prescribed by knowledgeable practitioners. Maybe a semi-enlightened, conventionally trained MD trying to do something a little more holistic, but not quite understanding how to do so correctly.

    The exception would be a constitutional-level dose, which you wouldn't be able to find at a regular drugstore or health food store anyway, and Arnica would probably not be the right constitutional for you. What dosage (6x, 12x, 30c, etc) and frequency was prescribed?
     
    #7 Chip, Jul 31, 2013
  8. UndercoverGypsy

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    Homeopathy? Tim Minchin time? I think so. [YOUTUBE]RFO6ZhUW38w[/YOUTUBE]
     
    #8 UndercoverGypsy, Jul 31, 2013
  9. Beware Of You

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    Just don't take them, water memory doesn't have any evidence. You would need billions of tablets just to get a molecule of what ever the "toxin" is.

    This sounds horrible but I don't accept it works, one doctor tried to get me on it and I requested another.
     
    #9 Beware Of You, Jul 31, 2013
  10. srslywtf

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    You sure your mum isn't trying to trick you? (ie "oh the hospital said you should take these")? Or perhaps a miscommunication - ie, was meant to be *after* not *before*? Or possibly even miscommunication of what they wanted you to take?

    Is it homeopathic arnica or arnica?

    seems strange. I'd call someone and ask to confirm instructions.
     
    #10 srslywtf, Jul 31, 2013
  11. Ridiculous

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    Yeah something seems fishy.
    There is no credible evidence arnica does anything ('homeopathic' doses or otherwise) - and certainly not enough for it to be prescribed as pre-surgery medication by an accredited surgeon that is in their right mind.
    Homeopathy is a crock of shit and I worry for those who believe in it.

    Get a second opinion from another surgeon if you can.
     
    #11 Ridiculous, Jul 31, 2013
  12. Dalmatian

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    If he really prescribed homeopathic "medicine", I'd report him. I have zero sympathy for crooks.
     
    #12 Dalmatian, Aug 1, 2013
  13. Nick07

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    I have been visiting a homeopath for years. My doctor didn't know that. After a year of taking remedies, my doctor took me off the list of patients waiting for a surgery, because I didn't need any. My blood tests were improving every months and my "helpless" condition suddenly became solved.

    I am not sure about what your surgeon did though.
     
    #13 Nick07, Aug 1, 2013
  14. Keegan24

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    I was quite sickly as a young child so my mum looked for alternative medicine such as homepathy and my family has been using it ever since.
    Im fine now have been for 8 years and Ive never had to have an antibiotic in those 8 years so I truley believe in Homeopathy as a medicinal practice however I can understand why many people don't have this piont of view.

    However I think its is best never to judge anything before you try it, It could really help you out and it would be a shame if you didn't try it because of its "controversial" status
     
    #14 Keegan24, Aug 1, 2013
  15. Beware Of You

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    The placebo effect is very powerful. Homeopathy might not work, but the act of taking something that you believe works will help. If it works for you, then great. But it's not science, it's not the homeopathic molecules at work. Let's not confuse correlation with causation.
     
    #15 Beware Of You, Aug 1, 2013
  16. KaraBulut

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    I suspected it might be arnica.

    You might want to check with the physician's office about the arnica instructions. Chip is right- arnica montana is recommended AFTER surgery since some studies show it helps hasten the resolution of bruising after injury.

    Plastic surgeons and emergency room doctors often suggest arnica- it's not a bizarre suggestion at all.

    There's also specific instructions about arnica. It is supposed to be dissolved under the tongue instead of swallowed, etc. They should have given you instructions on when to take it and how to take it.
     
    #16 KaraBulut, Aug 1, 2013
  17. Hexagon

    Hexagon
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    Yeah, but it doesn't work when you don't believe in homeopathy now does it?

    The bottle says 30c. But the papers I received from the hospital distinctly say one week before, not after. Anyway, I've decided not to take it. I researched some clinical trials, and they say its just a placebo effect, as if I'd need to hear that regarding homeopathy anyway.

    They've suggested vitamin E oil afterwards, which I will use.

    @Keegan24 Firstly, I have tried it. My mother used to believe in it. I cured her of that particular belief. Secondly, there is absolutely no science to homeopathy. You only have to look at their claims (water memory etc) to see its absolute bullshit. Third, don't give me that 'you have to try it before you dismiss it' crap. I see no reason to try ANYTHING that science has disproven.
     
    #17 Hexagon, Aug 1, 2013
  18. Dalmatian

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    I was sickly as a child as well. Most of us were. I haven't used an antibiotic in some fifteen, maybe twenty years. I didn't have a need for it because as an adult I don't spend time crawling over sickly, sneezing, coughing and dripping peers all the time. That has nothing to do with homeopathy; well, nothing does, really...

    Also, I can think of many things I am ready to dismiss without trying them. I've read about homeopathy and spoke to people about it enough to know that it's simply nothing. Placebo is one thing, but for that I don't need a crook bumping a flask of water 300 times.



    This reminds me of a friend. Sigh :frowning2:
     
    #18 Dalmatian, Aug 1, 2013
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2013
  19. Chip

    Chip
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    Not going to get into an argument here because those who don't believe it has value aren't going to have their minds changed.

    That said,


    It turns out this isn't true. For one thing, homeopathic medicine is used in animals to treat various things, and obviously the dogs have no idea it's supposed to be helping them. Additionally, there's a lot of data including, I think, some double blinded studies with placebo control, where homeopathic remedies have been shown effective.

    Finally, anecdotally:

    -- I've had a couple situations where I had some very odd symptoms and my doctor said "Well, honestly, this isn't a very good fit, so I'm not confident it will do the job, but we'll give it a try"... not exactly instilling confidence in placebo effect. In one of those cases, the effect was incredibly dramatic; I'd been in pain for a day and a half, Tylenol 3 didn't work (only took the edge off), and the homeopathic stopped the pain in about 10 minutes.

    -- A friend who had severe Crohn's disease had been treated conventionally for 10+ years. (He had a lot of side effects from the meds, including "moon face" from the steriods, and it dodn't work terribly well.) I suggested homeopathic treatment (Crohn's is one that homeopathy does particularly well with), and he ridiculed it and called it bullshit. A year later he went to London for a year, had a huge Crohn's flareup, and his parents hooked him up with the Royal Family's physician, who happens to be a homeopathic doc. Within 3 months, all his symptoms had gone away, and he's had no symptoms since (some 20 years.) And remember... he was an enormous skeptic who thought it was bullshit.

    There's a lot in the world we don't fully understand. Homeopathy hasn't been as widely tested as it should be, in part because the remedies can't be patented so nobody can make big bucks off of them. But homeopathy is widely used and accepted in many parts of the world, and was accepted pretty broadly as effective treatment for many infections and other conditions before the advent of antibiotics. It takes a lot of skill and study beyond conventional medical training to become a competent homeopathic practitioner, which is one reason why it isn't popular, and one cannot accurately prescribe a remedy in a 6 minute office visit, which limits its use in managed care. But there's at least some evidence that it works beyond placebo, although the mechanism of action appears to fall outside current knowledge.

    If you think it's bullshit... don't use it. But don't condemn or ridicule those who are more skeptically openminded.
     
    #19 Chip, Aug 1, 2013
  20. TyRawr

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    I'll be cosigning for Mr. Chippers here.

    I use homeopathics all the time, I am a pre-med student, very well educated and skeptical, and they work great for me.

    Perhaps that is placebo (doubt it), but most likely it is something else.

    Dont take anything you dont feel comfortable taking. Although I think that a surgeon might know a little more about this then anyone commenting on this thread. Just saying. If you dont believe in the competence of your surgeon, I think you may need to find a new one.
     
    #20 TyRawr, Aug 2, 2013
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