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Is it a con or can it help my sick child?

392 replies

Nightswimminginoldpants · 21/08/2025 23:11

Homeopathy?

Feeling a bit vulnerable at the moment, so not sure if it’s clouding my view.

Dd is ill and I’m getting desperate. Have been talking to a homeopathist online, she is very intent that homeopathy will help my Dd get better.

Does it work?

OP posts:
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7
notapizzaeater · 21/08/2025 23:14

what has she suggested she can cure ? The nhs offers some homeopathy - maybe try there first ?

Thepeopleversuswork · 21/08/2025 23:15

With all kindness for your situation, homeopathy is a complete con. Some people get a strong placebo effect from it or want results enough that they will themselves to see them. But theres no scientific basis for homeopathy at all and practitioners take advantage of people like you.

I’m sorry your child is ill.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 21/08/2025 23:15

There is no scientific research which can evidence that it works. Anecdotally some people say it does, but this may be the placebo effect and of course anecdotally there are people who say it doesn’t work too. My best friends sister is a homeopath and does appear to have good results for some issues such as depression, but will meet with the person weekly and also will suggest changes to diet/ lifestyle. I think this investment into her clients are probably the real reason she gets good results more than due to the actual homeopathic remedies, which incidentally are not at all cheap!

Nightswimminginoldpants · 21/08/2025 23:18

notapizzaeater · 21/08/2025 23:14

what has she suggested she can cure ? The nhs offers some homeopathy - maybe try there first ?

Pans/pandas

OP posts:
wandawaves · 21/08/2025 23:19

Con.

SilenceInside · 21/08/2025 23:22

Oh goodness this makes me so cross that someone can prey on the vulnerability of a desperate parent with a sick child in order to make money.

Homeopathy is a con. It has no plausible scientific mechanism to do what it claims, and unsurprisingly there is absolutely no evidence that it does. Please don’t spend money or time on this.

Sausagescanfly · 21/08/2025 23:22

Is your child old enough to understand medicine? If so, give them a glass of water and tell them it is a medicine that will make them better. That's basically what homeopathy is, but it's cheaper.

Sonolanona · 21/08/2025 23:30

I'm sorry your dd is ill and can understand wanting to try anything that might help, but I think Tim Minchin summed up Homeopathy best:

If you show me that
Say, homeopathy works, then I will change my mind
I'll spin on a fucking dime
I'll be embarrassed as hell, but I will run through the streets yelling
It's a miracle! Take physics and bin it!
Water has memory!
And whilst its memory of a long lost drop of onion juice seems infinite
It somehow forgets all the poo it's had in it!

Other than the placebo effect, Homeopathy does not, and cannot work.

Confusedmumofteen · 21/08/2025 23:32

From the NHS website regarding homeopathy.
Hope that you find a conventional medicine that helps your DD.

Is it a con or can it help my sick child?
AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 21/08/2025 23:36

Sonolanona · 21/08/2025 23:30

I'm sorry your dd is ill and can understand wanting to try anything that might help, but I think Tim Minchin summed up Homeopathy best:

If you show me that
Say, homeopathy works, then I will change my mind
I'll spin on a fucking dime
I'll be embarrassed as hell, but I will run through the streets yelling
It's a miracle! Take physics and bin it!
Water has memory!
And whilst its memory of a long lost drop of onion juice seems infinite
It somehow forgets all the poo it's had in it!

Other than the placebo effect, Homeopathy does not, and cannot work.

I came to say this (as an acquaintance of Mr Minchin. :))

FloorWipes · 21/08/2025 23:39

This definitely won't work for pans/pandas (which in itself is a bit of a controversial diagnosis) but I can absolutely understand why you feel desperate and willing to try (I had acute onset OCD as a child). I think you could try it to help you cope with the situation though. That might be more useful.

XenoBitch · 21/08/2025 23:41

Alternative medicine is the alternative to... getting better.

Namenamchange · 21/08/2025 23:41

Speak to you GP have a look at herbal. Homeopathy is an absolute con, it’s just water.

Nightswimminginoldpants · 21/08/2025 23:55

Namenamchange · 21/08/2025 23:41

Speak to you GP have a look at herbal. Homeopathy is an absolute con, it’s just water.

Edited

Herbal?

OP posts:
NOresponsibility · 22/08/2025 00:01

I must be living under a rock or something.
Sorry but i dont understand anything that is being said on this thread what are you all talking about.

yesihavenamechangedforthis · 22/08/2025 00:06

Herbal medications can work sometimes people like Prince Harry in his autobiography refer to herbal remedies as homeopathy. Actual homeopathy is a con. And beware of anyone that is "intent" that something will work, even the most common effective remedies don't work for everybody all the time

SilenceInside · 22/08/2025 00:10

Herbal remedies will at least have some measurable amount of what is said to be in it, actually in it. But there won’t be sufficient evidence for herbal remedies to show that they robustly work, because if that did exist, then they would just be medication like any other.

Zipzaps · 22/08/2025 00:14

notapizzaeater · 21/08/2025 23:14

what has she suggested she can cure ? The nhs offers some homeopathy - maybe try there first ?

I don't think so, nOt anymore, they stopped c. 10 years ago.

Namenamchange · 22/08/2025 00:15

Nightswimminginoldpants · 21/08/2025 23:55

Herbal?

My son takes ashwaganda to help with moods and anxiety, but herbal and homeopathy are worlds apart.

Just to add, it’s took me a long time to decide to give it too him, and he is a teenager so is able to communicate any negative affects.

Fleur405 · 22/08/2025 00:15

Homeopathy as I understand it involves taking a thing which causes a symptom (so basically something poisonous) and then taking a drop and putting it in water and then banging it a certain number of times on a horsehair mat, and then taking a drop of that and doing it again. Or some other horsehit. Then end result is you get something that is so diluted it is basically… water.

Catsbreakfast · 22/08/2025 00:15

notapizzaeater · 21/08/2025 23:14

what has she suggested she can cure ? The nhs offers some homeopathy - maybe try there first ?

Homeopathy is sugar pills. It prays on the gullible.

wandawaves · 22/08/2025 00:16

NOresponsibility · 22/08/2025 00:01

I must be living under a rock or something.
Sorry but i dont understand anything that is being said on this thread what are you all talking about.

Have you tried Google?

toadinthebucket · 22/08/2025 00:18

NOresponsibility · 22/08/2025 00:01

I must be living under a rock or something.
Sorry but i dont understand anything that is being said on this thread what are you all talking about.

What don't you understand?

Fleur405 · 22/08/2025 00:18

Oh sorry I forgot… the water had memory. So that’s what makes it medicine. Or magic.

Sorry I don’t mean to be insensitive as I realise you said you are desperate for something that will work. But homeopathy is a big con and I actually think it should be illegal.

Namenamchange · 22/08/2025 00:19

Op have you spoke to your Gp? Who gave you the diagnosis?

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