Homeopathic remedies

[Veryshy1]

Has any one used homeopathic remedies with teething for their baby? Are they safe and do they work?

I have bought one but because it contains ethanol I can't start using it while my son is on Ranitindine for reflux as that contains ethanol as well.

Would be interested to know the answer though so I can use it once he doesn't need the Ranitidine anymore, as the mainstream ones contain artificial sweeteners so I want to avoid those anyway.

I'm not sure what these ones contain. But what I have to do is take him to see a lady I know and she ask everything about him. Then gives me some pills a bit later that I have to crush.

Can I suggest that you ask her for a complete list of ingredients? Surely this woman can tell you what she's mixing up?

Over the counter homeopathic teething powders are sugar granules. There is no active ingredient as the way homeopathy "works" is by diluting the original herbal extract so many times that there is fundamentally none of the original extract remaining. This water is then mixed into the sugar to create the teething powder. So it is safe to give them to babies, but completely pointless as they will do nothing. Any apparent soothing effect will be from the physical rubbing of gums which you may as well do with your finger! Cheaper too.

To effectively help with teething pain, I would suggest a painkiller like Calpol, plus a lidocaine based teething gel such as Dentinox. Some people swear by Anbesol Baby teething gel.

I used amber teething beads for DS and they made a massive difference - amber has analgesic properties which body heat releases thereby taking the edge off the pain. Baby needs to wear it as much as possible (I used a necklace but would put it as an anklet when DS went to bed, inside his sleepsuit) and needs to be touching skin not worn over clothes.

I also had some teething granules (Ashton and Parsons) but they didn't seem to do much - anbesol and calpol for the worst day or 2 while the tooth actually split the gum, but other than that we didn't need anything apart from the amber.

greta - hmm, most people would be more cautious about an OTC 'remedy' containing alcohol than a bit of sweetener. Presumably its used in very small quantities?

Apart from that, what Ex said. Oh, and DD used to like chewing something hard - carrot sticks, bicciepegs etc.

Ahem. Right. Amber does not have analgesic properties. If it did, it would have to be controlled in the same way as medicines, which it is not. At body heat temperature nothing will be released by the amber as body heat is nowhere near hot enough to allow this. At body temp amber is an inert hard substance that does not leach anything into the skin. Amber teething necklaces/bracelets are a con. There is also a potential strangulation or choking hazard from putting any jewellery on a baby.

If you would like to administer an analgesic, rather than amber, try using a scientifically proven painkiller i.e. paracetamol. You could also use a lidocaine based teething gel such as dentinox.

The ethanol content is lower than that in Ranitidine so the pharmacist has said it's not an issue ,but to be honest if I'd known it had it before I bought it I wouldn't have bothered.

Just hate all the crap in medicines that I've already had to give my son, and seeing loads of medicines for babies containing artificial sweeteners so their label can say "no sugar" as though that's somehow healthier!

no-sugar is definitely healthier for teeth. Unlike food/drink, people don't generally make their kids clean their teeth or rinse after taking medicine.

yes they do work. Go to a registered homeopath who will prescribe what you need (probably chamomila). Alternatively call up Helios or Ainsworths (just google them) who will give you a quick consultation over the phone and if you order them they should be with you by tomorrow!

mmm, I know no-sugar is healthier for teeth but the effect artificial sweeteners have on the rest of the body means I'd rather have a sugary version and clean my baby's gums/teeth each time.

Rockchick1984 can I put it to you gently that it was in fact that Anbesol and Calpol which were helping with the teething pain

If amber did give off any analgesic compounds at 37 degrees C, then they'd have to penetrate the barrier of the skin and get into the bloodstream. Serious stuff and would need to be tested and regulated.

As I said, once I started using amber it meant I only had a day or 2 where I had to use anbesol and calpol - the 2 teeth he got through prior to this were a nightmare for at least a couple of weeks. Obviously you don't have to believe it works, but having felt it worked for my DS I have recommended it to friends and all who tried them found that it made a difference!

Or maybe its quite normal for a baby to fuss more with the first couple of teeth?

Anyone interested, google 'Amber analgesic' and you'll find most of the hits which aren't actually sites flogging amber are sceptical. And whereas homeopathy is ineffective but safe (because by definition there's no active substances in it), a bead necklace is a strangulation/choking risk.

The powders do nada, not a jot. Calpol and ibuprofen work.

There is simply no way that any of these things have any active ingredients. It just doesn't need any more thinking than that.

Hi VeryShy1. I used the homeopathic teething powders on dd1 and they worked a treat. I don't think they took away pain as such, as they are certainly very mild, but they did calm her down - her teething was not very bad. It was not just the rubbing of her gums, as I mostly just tipped the little sachet in her mouth. I found that you have to use the teething powders as directed all day. With ds1, the teething powders did not touch it and calpol was the only thing. Homeopathic medecine definitely works as I have had personal experience of it working in a detrimental way for myself. So I am not necessarily sticking up for homeopathy just saying it does not do nothing (if you'll excuse the double negative!). As for baby nurofen, in France doctors do not give babies and young children nurofen apart from in emergency cases. It can do long term damage to young, developing stomachs (and to ours for that matter). Obviously, most parents don't go giving the nurofen out willy-nilly, however most European countries do not encourage it as normal in the same way as we do in the UK. Anyway, ignore all the bullying comments about people being wrong and give the teething powders a try. If they work for you for whatever reason, then great, if not rely on the calpol and don't feel guilty about it. Same with the amber, it obviously works for some people. I never fancied it much, as I thought it would be uncomfortable (not dangerous as they are designed for babies with the correct strings and fittings). Give it a go and see if it works, if not go trad!

But homeopathy can't work as it has no active ingredient - the granules are just sugar.

It's a bit worrying that people believe stuff like this so readily.

veryshy you are lucky so far with respnses, as MNters tend not to support homeopathic remedies - they have been kind to you! However, I'll try most things and used these for both my boys when babies .. not recommended for under 3 months though. They worked a treat: teething powders

homeopathy can't work - because it doesn't contain anything! The liquids are water and the granules are sugar. If it 'worked' it is either a placebo or was going to get better anyway.

Danza, it is not "bullying" to point out that something is incorrect. Just disagreeing with someone is not bullying them. I am in fact trying to help the OP by pointing out that these types of things are a pointless waste of money.

You may "feel" or "believe" that these sorts of remedies worked for you, but this is not proof of them being effective treatments.

Amber = scientifically proven to be completely pointless. It would need to be heated to 200 degrees c to release the chemical in question, which is also known to be a skin irritant. So, if any were released (CBA to google the name of the chemical, sorry), the baby's skin would be irritated before any analgesic effect was felt.

Homeopathic remedies = scientifically proven to be completely pointless. No active ingredient at all, therefore any perceived benefit is in the head of the one perceiving it.

Herbal remedies = not the same thing as homeopathy. They DO actually have some active ingredient, and can have an effect. I used Ashton Parsons powders with DS as they contain chamomile (not just the memory of chamomile, as a homeopathic chamomile-based product would have) and found they did help, although I also found anbesol and calpol/brufen very effective I found the powders helped me cut down the amount of other remedies I gave. I have come across some quite severe reactions to herbal remedies though, so they're not for everyone. In particular, I've seen several people (adults) with a nasty reaction to echinacea, which can include vomiting and dizziness!

Featherbag - the supposed 'active ingredient' in amber is succinic acid. But even if it was released, there's no evidence that it's an analgesic anyway. See here for more info.

Yes, herbal remedies do contain active ingredients - so while they may work they also may not be safe.