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Homeopathy

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 5:25 am
by pilgrim
I am aware that there is no medically recognised basis for homeopathy. But I was recently intrigued by the testimonials of an acquiantance. It is not big in my country but I am aware that it is popular in Australia, Europe and UK. So I'd like to ask if anyone here uses it, your experiences and what you think of it particularly in respect of treating migraine. :thinking:

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:32 am
by Viscid
Why even bother asking on this forum? Does the opinion of Dhammawheel members mean more to you than controlled studies? You may as well give it a try, if at least for a potential placebo effect (which is still something.) The only thing you risk is wasting your money-- but since you're just paying for shaken water, I can't imagine that being very much.

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:43 am
by pilgrim
Yes I do place value on anecdotal evidence. Going by clinical evidence alone, I wouldn't be Buddhist.
Mention could also be made of acupuncture which as far as I am aware is a field that has no medical basis. Yet people pay to have tiny needles inserted in them. :tongue:

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:00 pm
by Viscid
Acutally, there's a surprisingly significant amount of research which suggests acupuncture to be effective-- relatively moreso, at least, than homeopathy.

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 11:32 pm
by danieLion
Hi Pilgrim,
If by homeopathy you mean serially diluted concoctions (like UNDAs), then you are wasting your money. There are no such things as "essences" via serial dilutions.
Kindly,
dL

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:02 am
by marc108
danieLion wrote: There are no such things as "essences" via serial dilutions.
agree with this completely.

if you're interested in using supplements for your migrains look into:

magnesium + vitamin b2
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/co ... e-headache
http://www.lef.org/protocols/health_con ... utritional
In one study, people who took magnesium reduce the frequency of attacks by 41.6%, compared to 15.8% in those who took placebo.
In one study, people who took riboflavin had more than a 50% decrease in the number of attacks

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:49 am
by pilgrim
Viscid wrote:Acutally, there's a surprisingly significant amount of research which suggests acupuncture to be effective-- relatively moreso, at least, than homeopathy.
That's the point Viscid. Acupuncture appears to be effective but there is still no medical basis to explain it. Not too long ago both acupuncture and meditation were both considered humbug. I'm a skeptic and I'm not touting homepathy, just curious if anyone has tried it or has anything to say about it as it is relatively uncommon in my country.

I've tried many of the popularly suggested cures for migraine but it still persists. Fortunately my episodes are not serious, just frequent enough to be inconvenient.

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:22 am
by Ben
pilgrim wrote:It is not big in my country but I am aware that it is popular in Australia, Europe and UK.
Popular in Australia? That is news to me. It might have been popular once among a very small niche of middle-income people who might be looking at homeopathy as means of optimizing their, all ready, good health. The vast majority of people in Australia, when they are sick, seek assistance from their doctor or local hospital.
Homeopathy has been roundly discredited and the number of people who I personally know who have vouched for its efficacy is nill.
Pilgrim, with all due respect for your interest in homeopathy, if you have a medical condition - see your doctor.
Wishing you all the best,

Ben

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:38 am
by pilgrim
Thanks Ben,
There is both a Australian Homoeopathic Association as well as an Australian Register of Homoeopaths Ltd, so I figured....

Anyway, there is no cure for migraines, only drugs to prevent attacks, abort an attack or reduce the pain of an attack. A Neurologist I consulted prescribed a daily dose of a drug more commonly used for epilepsy as a preventive, which I am not inclined to use. I use an abortive drug which works by constricting the blood vessels and is taken only when an attack starts but as I've been using this for the past 20+ years you'll understand why I'm still keen to explore possible cures. I've even gone for Goenka's courses following his example. It is interesting that during meditation retreats. I experience sensations ( tightening, pain etc) which are clearly related to my migraine but not the migraine itself. But the cure remains elusive.

Anyway thanks for all suggestions

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:47 am
by Ben
Hi Pilgrim

I understand your reluctance to take drugs unnecessarily.
I am wondering whether there are any lifestyle changes that would have a positive impact on your condition? Such as diet, exercise, sleep, etc?
I found that changing my lifestyle I was able to reduce my blood pressure and thus eliminate the need for medication.
Its just a thought.
kind regards,

Ben

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 9:05 am
by pilgrim
Ben wrote:Hi Pilgrim

I understand your reluctance to take drugs unnecessarily.
I am wondering whether there are any lifestyle changes that would have a positive impact on your condition? Such as diet, exercise, sleep, etc?
I found that changing my lifestyle I was able to reduce my blood pressure and thus eliminate the need for medication.
Its just a thought.
kind regards,

Ben
Yes Ben, being more aware of one's lifestyle can reduce incidences of events that trigger a migraine. But these triggers are very subtle and it is very difficult to avoid them altogether. Just boredom can trigger my migraine. A cure remains attractive and it is not found in allopathic medicine.

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 9:34 pm
by danieLion
pilgrim wrote:Acupuncture appears to be effective but there is still no medical basis to explain it.
Hi pilgrim,

I'm sorry to hear about your suffering.

It depends on what's meant by "medical basis." Medicine is not a science, and even if it was, it would still face all the problems that come with having faith in science and the resulting dogmas such faith produces.

Re: migraines: I still suffer from attacks but they have decreased in frequency, intensity and duration since I've paid close attention to what I eat. Everyone's different, but I'm very careful to eat little to no nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers--black pepper's ok--eggplant, tobacco). They are suspect number one. Other suspects include soy, wheat, corn (especially the GMO varieties) anddairy; also eggs and meat with hormones and antibiotics in them. I try to avoid anything involved with pesticides. Frequent probiotics seem to help too. Sometimes I "cheat" but when I do, I usually take digestive enzymes.
Kindly,
dL

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:31 pm
by Kim OHara
danieLion wrote: ... nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tobacco). They are suspect number one.
This plant family is the Solanaceae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae. I hadn't heard of a connection with migraine but they are well known for toxicity - even the species which are staple foods (e.g. parts of potato and tomato plants are toxic). Chilli peppers and bell peppers (known as capsicum in Australia) are Solanaceae. Pepper as such, i.e. the spice, is not.

:namaste:
Kim

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 10:48 am
by Leon-nl
How is your migraine now? Did you try a homeopath?
If modern medicine fails, or can only offer life-long medication, homeopathy is certainly worth trying.
I don't believe in a so called placebo effect of homeopathy - at least it is not less in modern medicine.
I tried homeopathy for bad allergies I've been suffering all my life - didn't work at all.
For my parents who were much more sceptc, especially my father, it did work. My father had a bad inflammation in his arm, confirmed with x-rays. The doctor gave him antibiotics. I asked my father to first try homeopathy, he did, and he never needed antibiotics for it.
Of course, this is anecdotal and not hardcore scientific proof, but there are too many such experiences of people all over the world to bluntly say that homeopathy does not work.
Homeopathy certainly is not a cure-all for everything, but it certainly is worth trying. Just my opinion.

Re: Homeopathy

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 11:19 am
by pilgrim
Hi Leon-ni, Thanks for asking but no, i didn;t try homeopathy. I guess my initial interest withered.
Regarding food triggers, in my case, I would put it down to citrus fruits and their products such as marmalade and orange juice.