Why homeopathy is dangerous




















Complementary and alternative care. Home Complementary and alternative care. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Lack of evidence of effectiveness of homeopathy Homeopathic medicines are not vaccines Laws and regulation of homeopathic medicines Choose a qualified and registered practitioner Homeopathy treatment Conventional medicine and homeopathy Where to get help Things to remember.

Homeopaths say they aim to treat the whole person, taking into account personality, lifestyle and hereditary factors, as well as the history of the disease. Since all people are unique, homeopathic medicines are prescribed to treat individuals. The effectiveness of homeopathy is yet to be proven by medical science.

There is no such thing as a homeopathic vaccine, and homeopathic medicines are not a replacement for conventional medical treatment of serious diseases or infections. While homeopathic medicines are not considered in themselves harmful, homeopathy can be considered dangerous if a person relies on it as a medical treatment and uses homeopathic medicines as a replacement for conventional medical treatment when dealing with serious diseases or infections.

If you choose to consider homeopathy, you should do some research into its effectiveness. Always seek the services of a registered homeopath and tell your doctor if you are planning to start any new treatment, including homeopathy. Lack of evidence of effectiveness of homeopathy The effectiveness of homeopathic preparations is disputed within medical science. Scientists question how a highly diluted substance could retain any biological effect.

NHMRC concluded there is no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition. People who choose homeopathy may put their health at risk if they reject or delay treatments for which there is good evidence for safety and effectiveness.

People who are considering whether to use homeopathy should first get advice from a registered health practitioner. Those people who choose to use homeopathy should tell their doctor and keep taking any prescribed treatments.

Research conducted by the highly regarded Cochrane reviews which examine the most rigorously conducted clinical research trials also has failed to find evidence of the benefit of homeopathy beyond the placebo effect. Immunisation is a medical term and refers to the process by which the body is stimulated to develop resistance to a variety of infections.

Vaccines are made from germs and work by stimulating the body to form antibodies specialised germ-fighting cells to produce immunity.

Homeopathic medicines are not based on specific antibody or germ-fighting cell formation and are not an acceptable alternative to conventional vaccines. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. What's the Bottom Line? What do we know about the effectiveness of homeopathy? What do we know about the safety of homeopathic products?

Some products labeled as homeopathic may contain substantial amounts of active ingredients and could cause side effects and drug interactions. What Is Homeopathy? Many homeopathic products are so diluted that no molecules of the original substance remain.

Use in the United States. The proposed approach would call for more careful scrutiny of products with the greatest potential for risk, including: Those with reported safety concerns. Those that are not taken by mouth or rubbed on skin. Those for vulnerable populations. Those that do not meet legal standards for quality, strength, or purity. While many homeopathic products are highly diluted, some products sold or labeled as homeopathic may not be; they can contain substantial amounts of active ingredients, which may cause side effects or drug interactions.

Negative health effects from homeopathic products of this type have been reported. A systematic review of case reports and case series concluded that using certain homeopathic products such as those containing heavy metals like mercury or iron that are not highly diluted or replacing an effective conventional treatment with an ineffective homeopathic one can cause adverse effects, some of which may be serious.

Liquid homeopathic products may contain alcohol. The FDA allows higher levels of alcohol in these than in conventional drugs. Researchers have not found much evidence of this reaction in clinical studies; however, research on homeopathic aggravations is scarce. Always discuss changes in your symptoms with your health care provider. The FDA has warned consumers about different products labeled as homeopathic.

For example, in , it alerted consumers that some homeopathic teething tablets had excessive amounts of the toxic substance belladonna; in , it warned consumers not to rely on over-the-counter asthma products labeled as homeopathic, because they are not evaluated by the FDA for safety and effectiveness. Regulation of Homeopathic Products. More to Consider. If you are considering using a homeopathic product, bring it with you when you visit your health care provider.

The provider may be able to help you determine whether the product might pose a risk of side effects or drug interactions. Follow the recommended conventional immunization schedules for children and adults. Take charge of your health—talk with your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Together, you can make shared, well-informed decisions. For More Information.

Toll-free in the U. MedlinePlus To provide resources that help answer health questions, MedlinePlus a service of the National Library of Medicine brings together authoritative information from the National Institutes of Health as well as other Government agencies and health-related organizations.

Key References. Abbasi J. Use of complementary health approaches among children aged 4—17 years in the United States: National Health Interview Survey, National health statistics reports; no Cartwright SJ. Degree of response to homeopathic potencies correlates with dipole moment size in molecular detectors: implications for understanding the fundamental nature of serially diluted and succussed solutions. Solvatochromic dyes detect the presence of homeopathic potencies.

Trends in the use of complementary health approaches among adults: United States, — Evidence of clinical efficacy of homeopathy: a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Nux vomica or nuxvomica is made from the same tree that is the source of strychnine, used to poison rodents and birds. Belladonna is made from the deadly nightshade plant, once used as a sedative.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the proposed guidance — which does not carry the force of law — is open for public comment. As for Blaine, who is now 4, his seizures stopped, Karina Talbott said. He has some developmental delays but she does not know if they are linked to the belladonna tablets.

They had emailed me back asking for the lot number, also the bottle. I sent that in to them and never heard anything else. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Share this —.



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