"Homeopathy not a cure," says WHO

[TAFKAtheUrbanDryad]

Here. What do others think to this? I am neither for nor against homeopathy, I kind of figure that if it doesn't work then it's not going to do any harm, but I suppose if people are eschewing proper medical treatment in favour of homeopathy then it's a problem.

In the situation the WHO are describing there, homeopathy does cause harm however, because people rely on it rather than getting effective treatment.
I think it's a load of old toot myself, but it does seem to have some sort of placebo effect for some people with chronic health conditions so if it makes them happy fine. But as for being a cure for a real illness, no, no, no.

If people seriously think that sugar and water will cure disease - let them get on with it.

I tried homeopathy once. Its a great cure for depression. I nearly pissed myself laughing when it was explained to me that by diluting the substances you made the homeopathic medicines stronger.

I think that a good homepath can help with these conditions. They have time to listen and a placebo affect is really powerful. It is not a replacement for conventional medicine, but conventional medicine can certainly learn from homeopaths.

What can conventional medicine learn from homeopathy?

There is a trial here in Sydney of a couple who killed their baby daughter by eschewing medicine and treating her excema with homeopathic remedies.

I hope they lock the ignorant bastards up for 40 years.

"People with conditions such as HIV, TB and malaria should not rely on homeopathic treatments" Well, yes, I think we should all stand firmly alongside the WHO in making that statement. Loud and clear and repeatedly!

If people with chronic conditions get a placebo effect from taking homeopathic remedies alongside whatever proven scientific remedies their doctor recommends, then that's fine, I don't grudge them it in the slightest. But anyone taking homeopathic remedies instead of getting proper medical help is misguided. And anyone encouraging them to do that is dangerous.

Actually, I'll add something - if people choose not to take the scientific remedy, after discussing the options, side-effects etc with their doctor, then that's fine too. So long as they are making the decision on the basis of sensible advice and information, if they'd rather take their chances with homeopathy than have the side-effects of the drugs, again that's their choice.

But they need proper medical advice first, not mumbo-jumbo.

"There is a trial here in Sydney of a couple who killed their baby daughter by eschewing medicine and treating her excema with homeopathic remedies. I hope they lock the ignorant bastards up for 40 years."

What a miserable, pitiless individual you are. That couple believed they were doing their best for their baby girl. They thought that homeopathy was the best approach, they were wrong, and they lost her.

It is a heartbreaking story.

That homeopathy is as popular as it is here, shows how badly educated the general public is.

They killed their baby.

I repeat, they should go to jail forever.

How did they kill the baby? Were they using homeopathic remedies? Can they be harmful? Or was the untreated condition fatal?

How, exactly, did they kill their baby? Did the eczema become infected and the baby get blood poisoning? Because that's the only conceivable way I can think that untreated eczema would kill someone.

I treated my ds' eczema successfully with a mixture of homeopathic remedies and herbal creams. I was keen to avoid steroid creams as they can do more harm than good.

I agree 100% with MumInScotland. It's about education, innit? I would hazard a guess that homeopaths are standing in the way of clinical doctors, and are charging through the nose for it, which is wrong wrong wrong.

"What can conventional medicine learn from homeopathy? "

Patient manner. The homoepath spends a lot of time with the patient. He or she listens to them and pretends takes an interest in the patient's life. I think its the patient relationship that makes homeopathy sucessful rather than the remedies.

Ofcourse the remedies are bollox, but the patient manner isn't.

I am sceptical that homeopathic remdies can kill a baby with eczema. Its just water. The so called active ingredient is diluted to the point of being undetectable.

www.jimloy.com/pseudo/homeo.htm

I seriously doult that a homeopathic remedy could kill a baby. Excema is unpleasent, but certainly not fatal. The baby must have died of something else.

"There is a trial here in Sydney of a couple who killed their baby daughter by eschewing medicine and treating her excema with homeopathic remedies. I hope they lock the ignorant bastards up for 40 years."

I am self treating my son's ezcema with doublebase cream. We only see the GP when the tub of cream runs out. Its a big tub and we not seen the GP about his ezcema for 2 years as I am keeping it under control. Do you think this is wrong?

The untreated condition was fatal. They were advised several times to seek medical treatment and refused.

"How, exactly, did they kill their baby? Did the eczema become infected and the baby get blood poisoning? Because that's the only conceivable way I can think that untreated eczema would kill someone."

IIRC, that is exactly what happened . They had sought conventional medical help as well, but persisted with homeopathic treatments, even taking the baby to India to consult homeopaths there.

Unbearably, horribly tragic. Their baby died. They are the loving parents who have been bereaved. I think they've been punished enough.

The remedies didn't kill the baby. As you say yourself, they're just water.

The baby died of septicemia caused by untreated eczema. I am sure you are aware that eczema varies in severity.

Article here

here is the Sydney story

here is the story news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/mother-not-to-blame-for-babys-death-20090506-auyp.html

Yes, I was quite happy seeing a homeopath for my recurrent UTIs, found the sessions with her therapeutic if nothing else and even believed she was actually helping. Despite her saying that childhood imunisations were the reason for all health problems.

I stopped going after I discovered that I was pregnant, promptly got another UTI and she told me I should not go anywhere near any antibiotics (as it would stop the remedies from working), should not go and see my GP as he may convince me otherwise .... oh and under no circumstances should I have any scans during the pregnancy as they are very harmful.

Complete ripp off and dangerous too.

Here is a question for you all - I have just found out that my GP specialises in homeopathy. Should I switch to a different GP?

Are you in the UK?

Yep - Scotland

Personally, I think I'd switch GP. Because I don't think I would trust a word he/she said about medical treatment if he/she thought that homeopathy worked as anything more than a placebo.

I would, because I would assume my GP was an idiot if he or she believed homeopathic remedies had any value beyond placebo.