Homeopathy that isn't mumbo jumbo

[LazyFaire]

Just getting over the flu so excuse me please if this is all nonsense (my brain is barely functioning)

I was ill a lot last winter and my dad gave me a bottle of echinacea drops, saying to take a few each day to help protect from colds and flu. Now I was raised with quite a lot of homeopathic medicine, but have since come to know that it is mostly bullshit! But apparently echinacea has been recommended by real doctors 'n that so maybe it actually works.

I didn't actually bother last year but started it this morning. X3 per day till this bug goes then once per day when I'm feeling better. I really can't afford to be off so much this year.

Can anyone tell me did it work for you? And what other homeopathic medicine does? (Was arnica all a lie?!) I guess because I grew up with them I feel I trust them more than pharmaceuticals but I know at least 99% of them are nonsense...

As far as I understand echinacea is herbal (i.e. made from the extracts of a plant), not homoeopathic (i.e. pills dipped in 'water with memory').

I've not heard of echinacea being discredited and a lot of people swear by it.

You can get homoepathic arica tablets (water with memory again), but I think arnica cream may actually have herbal properties.

I was brought up homoeopathically too and have since decided it doesn't work. Herbal medicines are different, but not all equal. Some do have some evidence behind them, some don't. Have a proper look on the internet for some trustworthy sites.

All homeopathy is mumbo-jumbo. Arnica pills are homeopathic (ie made of
sugar, no active ingredients); arnica cream is herbal and so have some minor effect. Echinacea is herbal not homeopathic, so does have actual active ingredients, but there is no real evidence that it has any effect on colds, flu etc.

The placebo effect may mean that you feel that echinacea works for you, but so would many other things.

If you want to stay healthy, I'd say forget about magic pills, and concentrate on eating a healthy, varied diet, getting some exercise, spending time outside (for vitamin D etc), trying to control stress levels, and getting a decent amount of sleep.

Homeopathy is sugar pills with no active ingredient, but a nice story.

Whereas Echinacea is a herbal medicine - ie it could actually work.

I seem to recall that current state of evidence for echinacea is, 'possibly a bit better than placebo' useful article on NHS site

Actually, if I feel like I'm getting a cold, I take that First Defence nose spray, which is minging.
But sometimes the cold doesn't come to anything, so it's kind of worth it. Mind you, sometimes colds don't come to anything anyway, so who knows

Well thanks for the distinction. I guess I can continue to rebel against my lentil-weaving upbringing but still take the echinacea? I will be adding vitamins, iron and a caffeine and sugar purge to my efforts to stay not-sick.

We were always given arnica pills if we bumped ourselves and parents still have a drawer full of random beyond useless tablets. Funnily enough though they do tend to side with paracetamol these days. There was something mum used to give me for period pains when I was younger too and I thought it worked but maybe it was just placebo. (TBH if it stops me feeling like shit I don't care how much of a lie it is, generally)