Anyone Tried Homeopathy?

[Rocket-footed kolarov]

Just looked into it?
Didn't actually use it?
Now that is powerful magic!

LOL

She took the advice changed his diet, he had Hodgkinsons[sp] he was about 4 stone, like I say he's still with us. There divorced now mind.

Is that homeopathy or "alternative medicine"? People in that insusty often cast their net far and wide. It is not exactly uncommon for doctors to recommend a change of diet, I don't think we should dismiss all alternative medicine practitioners some have a positive effect, most don't have any effect and then there are others that convince mothers of cancer stricken children they should stop them having radiotherapy. Homeopathy is bullshit and anybody that pretends it isn't is just plain silly.

 

[Ducado]

Bit of a strange thread this one, guy posts he has tried it and it worked for him, then loads of people post it does not work because they have read an article or seen a Youtube clip, but have never tried it?

Perhaps people should try it themselves with an open mind and record the results? That is good science rather than spouting off what someone else has said

I don't really know anything about Homoeopathy I have read conflicting reports, and some people are convinced it works, some people scoff at this and say it's a placebo effect, which is an even bigger mystery because the placebo effect is a well documented effect but how it works remains a complete mystery, in fact you could say if they could find out how and what makes it work you would have the golden bullet a drug free cure all for mankind (similar effects have been recorded in hypnosis)

 

[andyhinch]

Bit of a strange thread this one, guy posts he has tried it and it worked for him, then loads of people post it does not work because they have read an article or seen a Youtube clip, but have never tried it?

Perhaps people should try it themselves with an open mind and record the results? That is good science rather than spouting off what someone else has said

I don't really know anything about Homoeopathy I have read conflicting reports, and some people are convinced it works, some people scoff at this and say it's a placebo effect, which is an even bigger mystery because the placebo effect is a well documented effect but how it works remains a complete mystery, in fact you could say if they could find out how and what makes it work you would have the golden bullet a drug free cure all for mankind (similar effects have been recorded in hypnosis)

I'm the same. Know very little about it, but it seemed to work for my mate, when chemo/radiotherapy didn't. Like I say 20+ years on he's still with us.

Ps he's an obnoxious rag that I argue with far to often.

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

Bit of a strange thread this one, guy posts he has tried it and it worked for him, then loads of people post it does not work because they have read an article or seen a Youtube clip, but have never tried it?

Perhaps people should try it themselves with an open mind and record the results? That is good science rather than spouting off what someone else has said

I don't really know anything about Homoeopathy I have read conflicting reports, and some people are convinced it works, some people scoff at this and say it's a placebo effect, which is an even bigger mystery because the placebo effect is a well documented effect but how it works remains a complete mystery, in fact you could say if they could find out how and what makes it work you would have the golden bullet a drug free cure all for mankind (similar effects have been recorded in hypnosis)

I appreciate that you're trying to remain neutral on the issue, but that is not good science, no. That again is anecdotal evidence and this I feel is the problem. People don't actually know how medical science procedure works and they think their anecdotal evidence is enough. It isn't for a vast array of reasons. If it was then shamanism would be accepted by medical science.

The people saying it doesn't work aren't saying it because they 'watched a youtube' clip. They're saying it because it has never been proven to work before. It's as simple as that.

Modern medicine has to be confirmed through double blind tests, it's the only way to get reliable results due to the intrinsic bias that humans will always have. That is a test where the person who is being experimented on doesn't know whether they are being given a placebo or the medication, and the person administering the experiment doesn't know either. If a medication passes this extremely stringent test, others will attempt to corroborate by repeating the experiment. Only when double-blind tests have been passed through a series of independently corroborated scientific bodies can it then begin to be wheeled out by doctors (and very slowly).

Have they tried this with homoeopathic remedies? Yes. Has any of it ever met the criteria? No. Never. In the history of medical science.

This process isn't in place to ruin people's day or make them look like whack jobs, it is in place to ensure that doctors and GPs are only recommending treatments that actually work.

Phil has said quite plainly he thinks shamanism is bullshit. Well how does he know? He hasn't tried it I'll bet? How is that different to homoeopathy? What test does homoeopathy pass which shamanism doesn't? I'm genuinely interested to know because as far as I can see they're in exactly the same bracket.

 

[kaz7]

I think i am right in saying there are some NHS Homeopathic hospitals in the UK and i know for a fact that there are GP surgeries that offer it as well as some vet's so it must have some basis in fact somewhere

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

I think i am right in saying there are some NHS Homeopathic hospitals in the UK and i know for a fact that there are GP surgeries that offer it as well as some vet's so it must have some basis in fact somewhere

And here-in lies the problem. The fact it is popular and there is demand for it leads to it being facilitated by organisations like the NHS, which in turn leads people to think things like the above. It's argumentum ad populum at its absolute worst. Here is the NHS actual position on it:

A 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on homeopathy said that homeopathic remedies perform no better than placebos, and that the principles on which homeopathy is based are 'scientifically implausible'. This is also the view of the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

..

Does it work?

There has been extensive investigation of the effectiveness of homeopathy. There is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition

...

The Department of Health does not maintain a position on any particular complementary or alternative therapy, including homeopathy. It is the responsibility of local NHS organisations to make decisions on the commissioning and funding of any healthcare treatments for NHS patients, such as homeopathy, taking account of issues to do with safety, clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness and the availability of suitably qualified practitioners.

Homeopathy is not available on the NHS in all areas of the country, but there are several NHS homeopathic hospitals and some GP practices also offer homeopathic treatment.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/homeopathy/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Essentially they know it isn't evidentially supported but offer it anyway.

 

[kaz7]

I think i am right in saying there are some NHS Homeopathic hospitals in the UK and i know for a fact that there are GP surgeries that offer it as well as some vet's so it must have some basis in fact somewhere

And here-in lies the problem. The fact it is popular and there is demand for it leads to it being facilitated by organisations like the NHS, which in turn leads people to think things like the above. It's argumentum ad populum at its absolute worst. Here is the NHS actual position on it:

A 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on homeopathy said that homeopathic remedies perform no better than placebos, and that the principles on which homeopathy is based are 'scientifically implausible'. This is also the view of the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

..

Does it work?

There has been extensive investigation of the effectiveness of homeopathy. There is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition

...

The Department of Health does not maintain a position on any particular complementary or alternative therapy, including homeopathy. It is the responsibility of local NHS organisations to make decisions on the commissioning and funding of any healthcare treatments for NHS patients, such as homeopathy, taking account of issues to do with safety, clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness and the availability of suitably qualified practitioners.

Homeopathy is not available on the NHS in all areas of the country, but there are several NHS homeopathic hospitals and some GP practices also offer homeopathic treatment.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/homeopathy/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Essentially they know it isn't evidentially supported but offer it anyway.

Thanks a lot for the info
It is no wonder people are confused by it when there are different messages coming from the medical profession
As long as it is tried alongside conventional medicine or after there is no more than the medics can do to help you then it is worth a go i suppose

 

[Blue Tooth]

Bit of a strange thread this one, guy posts he has tried it and it worked for him, then loads of people post it does not work because they have read an article or seen a Youtube clip, but have never tried it?

Perhaps people should try it themselves with an open mind and record the results? That is good science rather than spouting off what someone else has said

I don't really know anything about Homoeopathy I have read conflicting reports, and some people are convinced it works, some people scoff at this and say it's a placebo effect, which is an even bigger mystery because the placebo effect is a well documented effect but how it works remains a complete mystery, in fact you could say if they could find out how and what makes it work you would have the golden bullet a drug free cure all for mankind (similar effects have been recorded in hypnosis)

Only when double-blind tests have been passed through a series of independently corroborated scientific bodies can it then begin to be wheeled out by doctors (and very slowly).

I could print a very long list of 'withdrawn' drugs that all passed double-blind tests.Prescribed Drugs are big business. Doesn't mean Homeopathy works mind but let's not pretend that the scientifically validated stuff always does too.

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

Bit of a strange thread this one, guy posts he has tried it and it worked for him, then loads of people post it does not work because they have read an article or seen a Youtube clip, but have never tried it?

Perhaps people should try it themselves with an open mind and record the results? That is good science rather than spouting off what someone else has said

I don't really know anything about Homoeopathy I have read conflicting reports, and some people are convinced it works, some people scoff at this and say it's a placebo effect, which is an even bigger mystery because the placebo effect is a well documented effect but how it works remains a complete mystery, in fact you could say if they could find out how and what makes it work you would have the golden bullet a drug free cure all for mankind (similar effects have been recorded in hypnosis)

Only when double-blind tests have been passed through a series of independently corroborated scientific bodies can it then begin to be wheeled out by doctors (and very slowly).

I could print a very long list of 'withdrawn' drugs that all passed double-blind tests.Prescribed Drugs are big business. Doesn't mean Homeopathy works mind but let's not pretend that the scientifically validated stuff always does too.

I never said that medically validated stuff always works. Everything is open to corruption which is why it's important we continue to test things, those medications were withdrawn as a result of the regulations and stringency that are in place. No doubt there are more out there that we haven't found which have little to no effect.

My point wasn't that this system makes medicines infallible, a good scientist knows that nothing is infallible. My point was that it provides us with a minimum standard of evidence that a treatment works. A standard which homeopathy and other alternative medicine hasn't (yet) reached. Tomorrow it might do, and when it does fair enough, that's the nature of science.

 

[Ducado]

Bit of a strange thread this one, guy posts he has tried it and it worked for him, then loads of people post it does not work because they have read an article or seen a Youtube clip, but have never tried it?

Perhaps people should try it themselves with an open mind and record the results? That is good science rather than spouting off what someone else has said

I don't really know anything about Homoeopathy I have read conflicting reports, and some people are convinced it works, some people scoff at this and say it's a placebo effect, which is an even bigger mystery because the placebo effect is a well documented effect but how it works remains a complete mystery, in fact you could say if they could find out how and what makes it work you would have the golden bullet a drug free cure all for mankind (similar effects have been recorded in hypnosis)

I appreciate that you're trying to remain neutral on the issue, but that is not good science, no. That again is anecdotal evidence and this I feel is the problem. People don't actually know how medical science procedure works and they think their anecdotal evidence is enough. It isn't for a vast array of reasons. If it was then shamanism would be accepted by medical science.

The people saying it doesn't work aren't saying it because they 'watched a youtube' clip. They're saying it because it has never been proven to work before. It's as simple as that.

Modern medicine has to be confirmed through double blind tests, it's the only way to get reliable results due to the intrinsic bias that humans will always have. That is a test where the person who is being experimented on doesn't know whether they are being given a placebo or the medication, and the person administering the experiment doesn't know either. If a medication passes this extremely stringent test, others will attempt to corroborate by repeating the experiment. Only when double-blind tests have been passed through a series of independently corroborated scientific bodies can it then begin to be wheeled out by doctors (and very slowly).

Have they tried this with homoeopathic remedies? Yes. Has any of it ever met the criteria? No. Never. In the history of medical science.

This process isn't in place to ruin people's day or make them look like whack jobs, it is in place to ensure that doctors and GPs are only recommending treatments that actually work.

Phil has said quite plainly he thinks shamanism is bullshit. Well how does he know? He hasn't tried it I'll bet? How is that different to homoeopathy? What test does homoeopathy pass which shamanism doesn't? I'm genuinely interested to know because as far as I can see they're in exactly the same bracket.

He said it worked on him and others have said the same, like I said it may be a Placebo effect, but that in it's self is a mystery to medical science