Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask whether or not people here believe in homeopathy?

1000 replies

DaisyLovesMetronidazole · 31/03/2011 21:12

I don't at all.

However, I'm not out for a bunfight!

Just curious, as was surprised by the response of a certain group to this question today.

OP posts:
IHeartKingThistle · 31/03/2011 21:29

No, because I read 'Bad Science' in which it is totally debunked.

Yes, because I used arnica after 2 second degree tears and healed quickly with hardly any pain (and I am NOT a good healer!).

Confused
LoveLeonardCohen · 31/03/2011 21:29

I'm not sure that I do believe, saying that I don't know enough about it. I have been to a homeopath for DCs and took homeopathy for birth, induction etc but don't think it really worked.

Becaroooo · 31/03/2011 21:30

Nope

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 31/03/2011 21:30

Richard Dawkins on homeopathy

HopeForTheBest because you know the effects of aspirin, that they're for sale in petrol stations ect, and your brain was suitably unimpressed. If you'd been given sugar pills, prescribed by your doctor, and with fancy name, with lots of warnings about how strong they were and not to overdose, it would probably have been effective too. Migraines are a perfect target for placebo drugs/treatment because they are often brought on by stress and anxiety.

squeakytoy · 31/03/2011 21:30

I think it can work, for some ailments.

NimpyWindowmash · 31/03/2011 21:31

No

buttonmooncup · 31/03/2011 21:31

HopeForTheBest - either you had more faith in homeopathy than asprin, your migraines coincidentally improved after you took your 'remedy' or water really does alleviate migraine.

hmmSleep · 31/03/2011 21:31

No, the typical homeopathic dilution is 30C. Imagine a sphere of water with a diameter the distance from the earth to the sun with one molecule of a substance in it, that's a 30C dilution*

*Taken from Bad Science

psychoveggie · 31/03/2011 21:32

Was brought up with homeopathy and continually being told the story of being saved by a homeopath when I was a baby. I did believe there was something in it through pure lack of questioning it (I have a scientific degree believe it or not) until I was pregnant with DS. It was like a light switched on and I suddenly thought, this is shite, there's no reason why this should work. So from then on I've been really uncomfortable with my highly homeopathic family (my dad is forever telling me that I should take aconite when I feel a cold coming on) as I don't want to offend them or destroy the marvellous placebo effect that they're experiencing!

harassedinherpants · 31/03/2011 21:32

I'm not sure about actual homeopathy as never tried, but am generally a fan of all things "alternative".

I've used kinesiology for over 20years for myself and my family, and have had lots of very good outcomes with that.

northerngirl41 · 31/03/2011 21:32

I'm a huge sceptic - but after having my hayfever treated incredibly badly by a doctor (including steroids at 5 x normal dosage and without the correct direction which damaged my liver), I'd have tried anything.

Fortunately, you don't need to believe in it for it to work - I went from sneezing, wheezing, puffy, fat grump-bag to normal human being in 4 weeks.

Just because we don't know how it works, doesn't mean that it doesn't work - after all, we all believed the world was flat, disease was caused by moral lapses etc etc. Give it a go - see if it works. Why not?

LeQueen · 31/03/2011 21:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

blueemerald · 31/03/2011 21:33

ethelina-
12c (the number of dilutions- each dilution is one part of active in 99 parts of water or alcohol) is equivilent to 1 drop in the Atlantic Ocean.
30c is the typical dilution. One drop in all the oceans on Earth is more concentrated than that.

It really is unbelievable Grin

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 31/03/2011 21:33

The placebo effect is a wonderful and powerful thing.

winnybella · 31/03/2011 21:34

Nope.

And I get very annoyed with pharmacists trying to sell them to me- they must know it can't work.

RitaMorgan · 31/03/2011 21:34

Do I believe in magic? No.

Do I believe the placebo effect and a practitioner with good people skills can make those with minor ailments feel better? Yes.

zikes · 31/03/2011 21:35

I like the 10.23 campaign. 300 people 'overdosed' on homeopathic belladonna.

Tis a lot of old toot.

Spero · 31/03/2011 21:36

Find Mitchell and Webb's brilliant 'Homeopathic A and E' on youtube and I think you'll agree this is the final word on the subject.

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 31/03/2011 21:37

Northerngirl41, as long as no NHS cash goes towards funding it. If people choose to believe in it and spend their money on it that's up to them. Like telephone psychics.

HopeForTheBest · 31/03/2011 21:37

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on request of its author.

Spero · 31/03/2011 21:37

Found it!

Spero · 31/03/2011 21:38

O dear, didn't do link properly

buttonmooncup · 31/03/2011 21:39

hmmSleep - but don't you know that the more diluted it is the better it works - they must be laughing all the way to the bank!
I think a lot of people think that they are receiving something very diluted when in fact the chances of them receiving anything at all other than water is ridiculously slim.

zikes · 31/03/2011 21:39

It doesn't defy explanation, it's explained by the placebo effect.

grobag · 31/03/2011 21:39

Mmmmm. It's known to be effective with babies and animals.....how can the placebo effect work with them?

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In
This thread is not accepting new messages.