Homeopathy vs home remedies

[suspiria777]

After a long time reading on MN and elsewhere, and just general chats to people at work or at weddings or whatever, I've come to the conclusion that a significant proportion of people don't really understand what homeopathy is, and think of it as roughly synonymous with 'natural medicine' or 'home remedies'.

Am i mistaken?

I can't think what else would explain the large proportion of otherwise seemingly sensible people who discuss homeopathy as if it actually has good scientific evidence base. Surely people don't back it if they realise it is just water and woo woo?

What do you think?

I see homeopathy as an eczema treatment has been discussed a few times. Here's a related article (with distressing content)

www.abc.net.au/news/2009-09-28/parents-jailed-over-babys-death/1445256

[quote Helendee]@taliopolis

Yet the NHS is bullying people into having barely tested and seemingly ineffective ‘vaccines’ en masse! 😏[/quote]
Each of the three points on this statement are untrue. But I assume you have evidence to the contrary? I'm going to ask you if you can show us the evidence to prove your statement is correct. I suspect your answer to that will be something along the lines of "why I should I do the work for you" or "do your own research.
Would you care to prove me wrong?

@Parttimemostofthetime

A friend of mine child has had severe eczema for years and tried everything from the gp. Homeopathy has improved the skin so much. I never believed in it but I have seen the difference it has made to this child

mmm, I had a dc with severe eczema. We tried homeopathy because conventional treatment seemed to at best control the symptoms rather than the cause...and homeopathy claimed to get to the root of it. We paid £££s for the consultations which as PPs have said were quite comforting in themselves. We got into the realms of remedies which I had to dilute and succuss (sp?)myself. The thing was, whenever a new remedy didn't work - even when the symptoms worsened, this was explained as 'a good sign' and if things improved, that was also a good sign. So it was unfalsifiable really.

Later a friends mum gave me some homeopathic cream from her own country which she said was amazing. I checked the label. It did contain a homeopathic remedy but the base was a steroid cream ! so of course it worked.

There speaks the voice of STEM. "Scientific" evidence changes with time, it only refers to that which is known and understood at any given period in time. Other forms of evidence include empirical evidence, meta-analyses, experimental evidence, quasi-experimental evidence, qualitative review, literature review, case study, expert opinion .... all I'm saying is, just because you don't understand it, no need to rubbish it.

Homeopathy is brilliant, i fill my cars tank with water and it remembers the petrol

"Scientific" is in quotes because it is not a definitive form of evidence. "Scientific" evidence is only that which is known thus far, and changes according to new information.

@Blackberrybunnet

There speaks the voice of STEM. "Scientific" evidence changes with time, it only refers to that which is known and understood at any given period in time. Other forms of evidence include empirical evidence, meta-analyses, experimental evidence, quasi-experimental evidence, qualitative review, literature review, case study, expert opinion .... all I'm saying is, just because you don't understand it, no need to rubbish it.

We're pretty certain that homepathy is just water with no other benefits other than making you a bit hydrated. It's not like there have been plenty of people over the years who have tried and failed to show it works.

Yes, maybe in the future we'll suddenly get some compelling evidence that water memory isn't a complete load of bollocks but I would place the likelyhood of that somewhere around the same level of us actually finding the Loch Ness Monster.

So, for the time being because it's both nonsense and dangerous nonsense I will continue to rubbish it because it doesn't fucking work.

@Blackberrybunnet

"Scientific" is in quotes because it is not a definitive form of evidence. "Scientific" evidence is only that which is known thus far, and changes according to new information.

Scientific method can't always say what will work and how. It's pretty good for what doesn't work. Because double blind studies are excellent for that. And homeopathy doesn't work.

Chinese medicine and acupuncture though, fairly convincing evidence for effects on some diseases and disorders.

I was referring to blackberry bonnet.

@DeleteSystem32

I was referring to blackberry bonnet.

Thanks for clarifying!

there’s no profit in them for a drug company to make
You're kidding, right? Considering it's just water and you don't need to invest into anything but H2O and packaging, homeopathy is hugely profitable. Just look up Boiron's turnover and profit, quite amazing.

So perhaps that’s why there are no studies that prove the efficacy of homeopathic medicine.

There are plenty of companies very very interested in showing it works but despite of that, all studies still show that homeopathy is no better than placebo. Funny.

There speaks the voice of STEM. "Scientific" evidence changes with time, it only refers to that which is known and understood at any given period in time. Other forms of evidence include empirical evidence, meta-analyses, experimental evidence, quasi-experimental evidence, qualitative review, literature review, case study, expert opinion .... all I'm saying is, just because you don't understand it, no need to rubbish it.
Cringing so hard at this.

Science, in general terms, is the study of empirical evidence. Experimental and quasi-experimental evidence are types of experimental evidence that are used as part of the scientific method.

Case studies, literature reviews and meta analyses are not evidence in themselves, rather they are means of interpreting empirical evidence as part of the scientific method.

"Scientific" evidence changes with time.

“Science knows it doesn't know everything; otherwise, it'd stop. But just because science doesn't know everything doesn't mean you can fill in the gaps with whatever fairy tale most appeals to you.”

― Dara O'Briain

I have been meaning to post this for days!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=QdLOBRUwq10

Considering a typical homeopathic remedy costs about £7 for a full course of treatment, I don't know why people get so worked up about it being a danger to society

Because you get imbeciles like my first ex who refused permission for DD1 to have any vaccines on the grounds that he had given her 'The Homeopathic Pre School Booster' and this would protect her.

Fortunately, my GP, who was more than happy to recommend Natural Medicine, Ayurveda or anything that he knew did work, agreed with me that this was stupidity and gave her the vaccinations himself rather than having to make an appointment with the child health vaccination clinic, as he was prepared to take any flak when the ex found out, knowing the nursing team wouldn't have been able to do them in the face of her father's refusal.