Homeopathy Test-Run ends in the ER

[RemieV]

Yes, you read right. Recently one of the dear SAPS members decided to take a homeopathic remedy for a chronic condition rather than actual physician-prescribed medication.

You wouldn't believe the bills that racked up.

Here's the whole trial. Not a clinical trial, mind you, an ANECDOTAL trial.

http://skepticalanalysis.com/id115.html

If you want to see the results, there's a section for that. Or click the link to return to the main homeopathy page to read the three major tenets of homeopathy.

Thanks for visiting. Your support means worlds :)

-- Remie

[Miss Whiplash]

I was wondering what happened to you! :D

Hon, Day 18 is in January.

[jon]

Ouch. Who'd have thought that water could be so damaging ;)

Glad you got it sorted (kind of) anyway. Makes me glad to live somewhere with a national health service - generally, medicine is free or cheap here, woo's more expensive...

[Mojo]

The point that this stuff is sold alongside real medicines is well made, but there are too many "outs" for homoeopathy in the article (the problem is that homoeopaths have put a lot of effort into coming up with excuses for it not working). For example, they could say that there was no proper consultation, or that homoeopathy doesn't claim that the first remedy chosen will be the proper "individualised" remedy.

On the other hand, a classical homoeopath may well have decided that the worsening of symptoms was an "aggravation", i.e. a sign that the correct remedy had been chosen, and carried on in the belief that the correct remedy had been chosen and everything was going to be fine. :oldroll:

[Mojo]

Makes me glad to live somewhere with a national health service - generally, medicine is free or cheap here, woo's more expensive...Edzard Ernst has suggested that there is a direct correlation between sales of new BMWs and sales of complementary medicines, and that this "seems to indicate that perhaps affluence has also something to do with the present popularity of complementary medicine".

[jon]

Edzard Ernst has suggested that there is a direct correlation between sales of new BMWs and sales of complementary medicines, and that this "seems to indicate that perhaps affluence has also something to do with the present popularity of complementary medicine".

Correllation doesn't necessarily imply causation, though (and there's better indications of affluence than new BMW purchases) :D Homeopathic pills are also pretty cheap in the UK (damn expensive lactose, but cheap-ish in absolute terms): not really expensive enough to class as luxury goods, though consultations etc. may raise the price.

[Mojo]

Correllation doesn't necessarily imply causation, though (and there's better indications of affluence than new BMW purchases) :D He was a bit tongue in cheek with this. He also said, "this seems to indicate, firstly, that I know nothing about statistics and badly abuse correlations".

[tkingdoll]

The point that this stuff is sold alongside real medicines is well made, but there are too many "outs" for homoeopathy in the article (the problem is that homoeopaths have put a lot of effort into coming up with excuses for it not working). For example, they could say that there was no proper consultation, or that homoeopathy doesn't claim that the first remedy chosen will be the proper "individualised" remedy.



Which is fine, but then they can't sell it off the shelf. But they do!

[Mojo]

Which is fine, but then they can't sell it off the shelf. But they do!So really, the homoeopaths who claim that dbpc trials are not appropriate because homoeopathy only works when individualised, or works because of some magical effect (or "quantum" effect, which amounts to the same thing in their usage) of the consultation, should be campaigning for the removal of OTC homoeopathic medicines from the market.

I'll keep an eye out for flying pigs...

[Spektator]

Well, I don't care what they do privately, but homeopaths shouldn't be allowed to marry each other.

[John Jackson]

Edzard Ernst has suggested that there is a direct correlation between sales of new BMWs and sales of complementary medicines, and that this "seems to indicate that perhaps affluence has also something to do with the present popularity of complementary medicine".

Here's a rather long (for a web article), but superb, look at the relationship between affluence and the use of alternative medicines by Dr. Michael Heap:

Healing and Therapy in the Age of Mass Affluence (http://www.mheap.com/healing.html)

It explains a lot.