To ask whether or not people here believe in homeopathy?

[DaisyLovesMetronidazole]

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.

When I was 17 or 18 I went along to my GP practice for my allergy script. It was the days when zyrtec was prescription only. I didn't see my regular GP but this lady who strongly suggested that I try homeopathy. I was happy to give it a whirl as I didn't like the way zyrtec made me drowzy. After taking the first dose my throat started to swell and I started having problems breathing. Luckily a neighbour was a doctor and home at the time. He had an epi pen on hand and saved the day.

Moral of the story is to never mix homeopathy and allergies. It might work for other problems but it did not work at all on my allergies.

over priced hooey fleecing the gullible with quasi-science trappings like "consultations" and "treatments"

If it did work imagine what we're all currently taking every time we drink tap water!

Agreed Puffin, if the placebo works then that's great for those people and none of my business, but I get very angry when it is used to sell false hope which is both unethical and potentially very dangerous.

It is nonsense, but people believe in all sorts. If it works for you, then fine, but don't rely on it for anything serious.

Nope, load of shite IMO, the placebo effect however is fascinating.

grobag, it doesn't - it's the carers who report seeing improvement because they want to believe in it

Yes it worked for my morning sickness, however that may well be the placebo effect? Either way would most certainly turn to it again if I had the same dreadful morning sickness.

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

What is? Homeopathy? Says who?

Very heartened by most responses here!

absolutely no

No evidence

Spero, that is fantastic!

northerngirl - the problem is that we do know how it works and it is pure placebo effect and they know it. If the nhs funded any other placebo medications it would be considered dishonest.

I am very interested in reading the research papers prepared by all the babies and animals who are reporting the great improvements in their conditions!

I had a friend who wanked on and on about how great homeopathy was. Until her daughter got seriously ill. Conventional medicine was suddenly rather acceptable.

The placebo effect shows just a glimmer of what role the brain can play in our perception of pain/illness. There is evidence to show that eg we register pain as less severe when we're looking at a picture of our mother.

Obviously some mothers would have the reverse effect!

EvenLessNarkyPuffin

I'm afraid The NHS already have funded/are funding it.

Yes - and have used it, with incredibly fast results, on my pets.. which eliminates the placebo theory for me.

No I don't believe I do. I tried it because I have chronic Endometriosis, wnet for about 6 months, getting varying prescriptions each time, to a guy who is very renowned in Edinburgh. The last time I was prescribed mega doses of vitamin C, now it is I discovered a good way of not getting colds, but whilst I was prepared to give anything a shot, it seemed unlikely to me that Vitamin C was going to rid my body of a long term serious condition.
Jolly nice not to have to keep taking those awful tinctures, bleugh.

Now accupuncture I do have a little more faith in.

grobag it works with babies and animals because their carers seek homeopathy so therefore probably believe in it. Because they expect it to work they unconsciously hype up any coincidental improvements and play down any lingering symptoms. It is the carers that report the effectiveness - not the babies/animals.

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

Babies and animals can't report on whether or not they are 'cured' or feel better. It's all in the opinion of the biased care giver.

Homeopathy is bunkum.

It doesnt work. Ths no evidence. There was a big paper debunking homeopathy fairly recently

Puffin can you remember where the study about pain & photos came from? Sounds v. interesting

Those that think it does work - surely if homeopaths had discovered a whole new law of physics that totally changes our understanding of molecules and the properties of water, wouldn't it have been applied to other areas?

You'd think there would homeopathic planes and bombs etc running on the molecular memory or things...