arnica

[trian]

I've got arnica pills in preparation for a planned c section that I have to have (they're homeopathic, apparently the cream is herbal)

I think I have to start taking them 2 wks before c section, is that right?

also, does anyone know when I should stop taking them?
thanks in advance!

I'm intrigued! What is arnica supposed to do?

If they are homeopathic they won't interfere with anything else you take so no reason to stop them at all.

If they are homeopathic, they won't do anything, so no reason to take them at all.
What are they supposed to do?

They're homeopathic so they will have absolutely zero effect :)

On the plus side, zero side effects either. Take em whenever you like.

Actual arnica is supposed to help reduce bruising and promote healing.

But homeopathy is bunk.

I thought arnica was for bruising? It's what I use on my dd
Not sure how helpful it will be on healing after a c section

jmac, it's meant to help healing, lots of midwives recommend it, including the one that ran our antenatal class (NHS). I haven't done any research into it's effectiveness but I think the NHS does endorse homeopathy to a certain extent through it's Integrated Medicine hospital in London (I think that's what it's called now, used to be called the Homeopathic hospital I think).

I anticipate that I will struggle to cope on my own after the c section and am not so skint at the moment that I can't take a punt on some arnica tablets that have no side effects, so I thought I may as well.
sally, Tablets are meant to help internally (and externally too I suppose) and are homeopathic, creams etc help externally and are herbal, apparently.

Doctor here. Let me clarify for you. The NHS absolutely does not endorse homeopathy of any sort. The only evidence out there is that there's no evidence.

There's 1 or 2 places still dabble which is a scandal and a waste of taxpayers money.

If your midwife has recommended she may be a bit off mesage - though the fact it's not prescribed backs up lack of NHS backing. But since it's essentially sugar water take as much as you want - the placebo effect works in about 30 %

There is actually quite a lot of peer reviewed evidence on homeopathy. The problem is that all that evidence says its utter woo.

Think about it. You're diluting something to the point there's not a single molecule of active ingredient in. "Aha!" Say the homeopathists, " water has a memory you see, it remembers what's been in it."

Ok, says science. So the water in my tap remembers the metal in the pipes, the trace arsenic in the rocks it filtered through, and a trillion other things it's been in contact with over the millennia?"

Ah, say the homeopathists...err... It's quantum.

Do you actually know what that means? Say the scientists...

It's to do with the special way you shake it, say the homeopaths.

Science at this point shakes it's head in exasperation and goes back to looking at actual, peer reviewed medicine.

One of my all time favourite sketches.

As others say, take as much as you like whenever you want. It will do precisely sod all but if you manage to get a placebo effect then that's a bonus.

I have used arnica previously and found it worked very well.