Hundreds overdose on homeopathic remedies

[Raistlin]

Yesterday, there was an organized protest in the UK where hundreds of people "overdosed" on homeopathic remedies, to demonstrate one key fact that Britain's NHS has so far ignored: there's nothing in them. Seriously, these things are literally just water and sugar pills, and thousands of people and the UK's government are spending millions of dollars on this crap.

Normally, I just ignore most of this "alternative medicine" crap. My mom's friend actually recommended I go see her acupuncturist, and I politely declined while trying not to laugh. I mean, at least those sorts of useless things actually look like they're doing something to you, even if that's just poking you with a needle -- so it's slightly more understandable people buy into it, especially if they get a placebo effect.

But homeopathic remedies are literally nothing. The idea is to put a drop of whatever is causing the harm (i.e., caffeine for insomnia) in a beaker of water, and then take a drop of the new solution and put that in a beaker of water, etc etc. Repeat 6-10 times, at which point there's likely nothing of the original drop left... but apparently if you shake it up at each new step, the water "remembers" its properties. I you not, that's exactly what these con-artists/nutjobs say.

Not surprisingly, there's been no reports of any actual overdose-related harm.

So, do you know anyone into "alternative medicine"? Are you embarrassed for our species?

[AntRid]

Ignorant much?

Are you saying natural drugs are just a figment of people’s imagination? Try telling that to million addicted to drugs. Yes there are dodgy people who sit in teepees wearing bandanas saying they know how to cure you but a real Homeopath spends just as long learning about this stuff as a GP does about his profession.
Myself and others around me have turned to alternate medicine because of various reasons and it does work so how about trying it before dismissing it right off the bat?

I have to say however that if you rely solely on alternate medicine and reject conventional medical help then you’re a nut. Even my Homeopath says it can’t cure everything under the sun.

[rubah]

If they spend such a long time learning homeopathy, how come they never learned that the effects they claim are chemically impossible?

It is a fraud, a hoax. Sorry.

Natural drugs or herbs may or may not have effects (ill or good), but homeopathy is water.

[Raistlin]

... I'm ignorant for thinking that our entire understanding of chemistry and biology is not completely erroneous (in line with all available evidence), which is what would be required for water to "remember" a couple of molecules of a previous solution? There are even studies which show homeopathic solutions are, at most, placebos. Not only does it not work, but it can't work, according to everything we know about the way the world works. "Conventional" medicine is based on those principles of our understanding; those principles would not be correct in a world where homeopathy works.

EDIT: in response to AntRid. <3 at rubah.

[Tavrobel]

placebo effect.

And that is all that matters.

[Mirage]

Placebo sometimes works though :p

[Meat Puppet]

And you get to spend a truckload of money on it at the same time! What’s the problem?!

[qwertysaur]

Placebo sometimes works though

Yet it is unknown why it sometimes does

[AntRid]

I’m not claiming I know the science behind it. I barley know the science to making a cup of coffee, but what I am saying, from my personal experience, what I have had works. I’m handed a bottle of what looks like black tar, not water with a drop or two in it, and I generally does the desired effects.

[Mirage]

Placebo sometimes works though :p

Yet it is unknown why it sometimes does :p

Idk. Sometimes bad mental health can lead to physical symptoms, which could suggest that what's going on in your head can have a physical effect on your body. That could also mean that if good stuff is going on in your head (such as strongly believing that something will work), it could soothe various physical symptoms in your body :p.

[Raistlin]

Placebo sometimes works though

Yet it is unknown why it sometimes does

Not at all. Psychological phenomenon can have an actual physical effect on your body. Placebo effects are just one example of that. See also: mass hysteria.

I’m not claiming I know the science behind it. I barley know the science to making a cup of coffee, but what I am saying, from my personal experience, what I have had works. I’m handed a bottle of what looks like black tar, not water with a drop or two in it, and I generally does the desired effects.

I have no idea what you're taking, nor am I dismissing any and all "natural" treatments. Aspirin, for example, is even based on a natural compound (found in willow bark). But there are some so-called natural treatments that are completely bogus, and have been proven bogus, and could not possibly work based on basic biology and chemistry. Homeopathy is an example of that.

EDIT:

Placebo sometimes works though

Is that supposed to justify such scammers?

[Bunny]

I’m not claiming I know the science behind it. I barley know the science to making a cup of coffee, but what I am saying, from my personal experience, what I have had works. I’m handed a bottle of what looks like black tar, not water with a drop or two in it, and I generally does the desired effects.

So someone hands you something that you have absolutely no clue about and you take it. You'll go places.

[Psychotic]

Raistlin, man, maybe you need to, like, expand your mind, dude. I think you've totally bought into the corporate con, man, and you need to step back a bit and stop doing what the government and like, drug companies are telling you. I feel sorry for all of you, like, sheeple, man. Yeah.

Now let me show you this shirt that I made entirely of hemp.

[Momiji]

I’m not claiming I know the science behind it. I barley know the science to making a cup of coffee, but what I am saying, from my personal experience, what I have had works. I’m handed a bottle of what looks like black tar, not water with a drop or two in it, and I generally does the desired effects.

If it's a homeopathic remedy, it's having a placebo effect on you. Simple as that.

[Miriel]

Acupuncture has worked for me in the past. I dunno what's so laughable about it, it's something that's been practiced for thousands of years and millions of people benefiting from it. Or at least claiming to. And I doubt any placebo effect had a part in my experiences since A) I hate needles, B) I was more or less forced into doing it by my parents with little confidence that it would work C) the first time I had it done, I was sobbing over a sprained finger and about 9 years old. Not exactly the best mental condition to be psychologically influenced by any perceived benefits of acupuncture. I wasn't even aware of what was happening to me, all I knew was that I was in pain and suddenly I wasn't anymore. I'm sure going to a regular doctor, I would have been just fine, probably better than fine. But we didn't have insurance and acupuncture did the trick so there you go.

Chiropractic practices were seen as alternative medicine for the longest time, but now it's fairly well accepted form of treatment. I don't think you should laugh off any and all alternative treatments just cause you have a specific idea of what works and what doesn't.

I don't know enough about homeopathy to make any sort of judgment about it.