homeopathy question for a friend

[ladyjenevive]

hey all...

i have a friend who is about 20 weeks along. she's had some pretty fierce morning sickness through most of her pregnancy, and now her dr. is saying that he thinks allergies could be part of the problem (ie, she has phlegm in her throat in the morning, clears her thrat, and when she goes to spit the nasty stuff out she ralphs).

before she was preggers a chiro gave her a homeopathic blend for allergies and she's wondering if she should take it... i'm thinking it would be better than any OTC drug, obviously, but i don't know a ton about homeopathy in pregnancy.

any thoughts/advice?

tia!

[emmabella]

I just took a homeopathy class and the instructor was very insistent that all homeopathics are safe for pregnant women. It might be worth a try. There may also be another homeopathic that would cure the vomiting, but she would have to see a naturopath/homeopath to find out which one is best.

[1stimestar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmabella I just took a homeopathy class and the instructor was very insistent that all homeopathics are safe for pregnant women.

Wow. That person sure is opening him/herself up for a lawsuit as that is most certainly not true.

I would recommend that the client talk to the chiropracter that gave her the original tea and have her find out about the ingrediants. She could also talk to a trained herbalist who is used to working with pregnant women.

[emmabella]

I hear ya Georganne, but the instructor was a Doctor of Homeopathy and the class was through a midwifery school so I feel pretty confident with her knowledge. An herbalist would have different knowledge from a homeopath, they are two very different types of practitioners. If she has concerns about taking a homeopathic remedy during pregnancy she should see a homeopath or a naturopath (with experience in homeopath).

[ladyjenevive]

thanks, ladies....

jfyi, i don't think it's a tea, just straight homeopathics. not sure if that makes a difference?

[1stimestar]

Yes, it does make a difference.

Anyways, here is a tiny bit of stuff I drug up.


Harm in homeopathy: aggravations, adverse drug events or medication errors?

* Endrizzi C,
* Rossi E,
* Crudeli L,
* Garibaldi D.

Homeopathic Clinic, Reference Regional Centre, Campo di Marte Hospital, AUSL 2 Lucca, Italy.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of harm arising from the use of homeopathic medicine is much discussed, but there is little published data on the subject. AIM: To study prospectively adverse drug events related to homeopathic medicines. SETTING: The data were gathered between 1 June 2003 and 30 June 2004 during follow-up visits consecutively carried out at the Homeopathic Clinic, Campo di Marte Hospital, Azienda USL 2, Lucca (Italy). They refer to effects following the administration of a homeopathic medicine, prescribed according to the classical homeopathic method. METHODS: Reports collected by a homeopathic doctor (not the prescribing doctor) on the nature and intensity of the effect, dose and frequency of administration, time relationship between the drug use and the adverse events, challenge, unchallenge possible concomitant factors, causality (improbable, unlikely, possible, probable, certain). RESULTS: Out of 335 homeopathic consecutive follow-up visits between 1 June 2003 and 30 June 2004, nine adverse reactions were reported (2.68%) including one case of allergy to lactose, excipient of the granules. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse events to homeopathic drugs exist and are distinguishable from homeopathic aggravations, but are rare and not severe.

PMID: 16226201 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=15532700

A preliminary audit investigating remedy reactions including adverse events in routine homeopathic practice.

* Thompson E,
* Barron S,
* Spence D.

Bristol Homeopathic Hospital, United Bristol Healthcare Trust, Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6PD, UK. elizabeth.thompson@ubht.swest.nhs.uk

Homeopathic medicines are regarded as safe but practitioners report several types of healing or remedy reactions including aggravations, new symptoms and recurrence of old symptoms, some of which could be regarded as side effects or unwanted effects. Some remedy reactions may be regarded as adverse events. AUDIT QUESTIONS: Do such reactions occur within our unit, and if so, how frequently? Do patients regard these events as "adverse"? METHODS: The audit was carried out in the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital Outpatient Department. All patients were given a questionnaire to complete when at their first follow-up consultation approx 6-10 weeks after their first appointment. One hundred and sixteen patients were sampled over a 2-month period. RESULTS: Reactions were frequent: 28 out of the 116 (24%) patients, experienced an aggravation. Thirteen patients (11%) reported an adverse event even though 5 of those were patients who also reported an aggravation followed by an overall improvement of their symptoms. Thirty-one patients described new symptoms (27%) and 21(18%), a return of old symptoms. Those experiencing the latter appeared to have better outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Remedy reactions are common in clinical practice; some patients experience them as adverse events. Systematically recording side effects would facilitate our understanding of these reactions and would enable standards to be set for audit of information and patient care.

PMID: 15532700 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=14960096

1: Homeopathy. 2004 Jan;93(1):3-11. Links

Comment in:
Homeopathy. 2004 Jan;93(1):1-2.

An observational study of patients receiving homeopathic treatment.

* Van Wassenhoven M,
* Ives G.

Unio Homoeopathica Belgica, 132 chaussee de Bruxelles, 1190 Brussels, Belgium.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have recently contributed useful information to the debate about the utility of homeopathic treatment in everyday practice. AIM: To gather data about routine homeopathic general practice. SETTING: Eighty general medical practices in Belgium where physicians were members of the Unio Homoeopathica Belgica. METHODS: All patients and their physicians visiting the practices on a specified day completed a questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 782 patients presented with diseases of all major organ systems which were of sufficient severity to interfere with daily living in 78% of cases. Compared to previous conventional treatment, patients reported that consultations were much longer but costed less. One or more conventional drug treatments were discontinued in over half (52%) of the patients: CNS (including psychotropic) drugs (21%), drugs for respiratory conditions (16%) and antibiotics (16%). Conventional drugs were prescribed to about a quarter of patients (27%), mostly antibiotics and cardiovascular medication. The antibiotics were almost exclusively (95%) used to treat respiratory infections. Prescription costs (including conventional medicines) were one-third of the general practice average. Patients' satisfaction with their homeopathic treatment was very high (95% fairly or very satisfied), and ratings of their previous treatment was much lower (20%). The great majority (89%) said that homeopathy had improved their physical condition; 8.5% said that it had made no difference, 2.4% said that homeopathy had worsened their condition. Physicians' ratings of improvement were similar. [Obviously only a small percent, but still there.] Previous conventional treatment had improved 13% of patients, made no difference to 32%, and had worsened the condition of over half (55%). A similar pattern was seen for psychological symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Patients were very satisfied with their homeopathic treatment, both they and their physicians recorded significant improvement. Costs of homeopathic treatment were significantly lower than conventional treatment, and many previously prescribed drugs were discontinued.

PMID: 14960096 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[emmabella]

Very interesting studies Georganne. This quote was compelling in particular: "5 of those were patients who also reported an aggravation followed by an overall improvement of their symptoms"

The function of the aggravation is the purpose of homeopathy. Many people don't know that the way homeopathics work is to MAKE you sick, therefore stimulating an immune response that not only counteracts the homeopathic but the illness itself. Choosing a remedy specific to your symptoms is so important because the right remedy won't cause other aggravations but rather will heal your current symptoms. If you choose the wrong remedy than you will cause symptoms that you did not have before... an aggravation. Reading the Organon was extremely enlightening for me, although I don't think I agree with all of it personally or even "get" it all yet.

BTW, as far as I know homeopathics aren't manufactured as a tea. You can get them in liquid form and add them to tea (as long as it's not caffeinated).

[Jilian]

Are you getting homeopathics confused with herbal and other natural remedies? I know a lot of people do. Homeopathic remedies come so unbelievably diluted that they only contain traces of the actual substance. Homeopathics come in pellets with potency (ie, 30x). They are even safe for infants to take. I've always heard that homeopathics are safe for babies, BF, and pregnancy by all naturopaths. An herbalist has nothing to do with homeopathy - an herbalist would specialize in herbs, or natural remedies.
Like Emily said, the goal of homeopathy is treat like with like. It helps aggrivate the symptoms to speed up the process and promote healing. Homeopatchics do not alleviate the symptoms like modern medicine does. So the fact that the study said homeopathic remedied aggrivated the symptoms shows that the remedies were in fact working successfully. I think part of the big controversy surrounding homeopathy is that not enough people understand how it works, yet they try it out anyway.

[Jilian]

Oops, forgot to respond to the OP. If I were you I would tell my friend to contact a naturopath and ask him/her if the remedy was safe to take during pregnancy - only because it goes beyond your scope of practice.

[SabbathD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jilian Are you getting homeopathics confused with herbal and other natural remedies? I know a lot of people do. Homeopathic remedies come so unbelievably diluted that they only contain traces of the actual substance. Homeopathics come in pellets with potency (ie, 30x). They are even safe for infants to take. I've always heard that homeopathics are safe for babies, BF, and pregnancy by all naturopaths. An herbalist has nothing to do with homeopathy - an herbalist would specialize in herbs, or natural remedies. Like Emily said, the goal of homeopathy is treat like with like. It helps aggrivate the symptoms to speed up the process and promote healing. Homeopatchics do not alleviate the symptoms like modern medicine does. So the fact that the study said homeopathic remedied aggrivated the symptoms shows that the remedies were in fact working successfully. I think part of the big controversy surrounding homeopathy is that not enough people understand how it works, yet they try it out anyway.

A big yeah that to what she said.

Homeopathy works exactly as she described above. Often times, with people that I know that use them, they STOP TAKING THEM because they are getting that aggravation of symptoms, which is the good sign to continue with that remedy. If they would just ride it out for a day, a few hours even, the body reacts accordingly. We don't give our bodies enough credit to handle the situation itself.

[betterbirths]

1-800-homeopathy.com has some great remedies for morning sickness and allergies. They have some labor kits as well. I don't know that much about homeopathics but I have read enough to know that they are safe. My DD is preg, and taking the morning sickness remedy from this site and it is working wonders for her.

[1stimestar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmabella BTW, as far as I know homeopathics aren't manufactured as a tea. You can get them in liquid form and add them to tea (as long as it's not caffeinated).

Exactly why I said she should talk to an herbalist, because she was asking about a tea.

[emmabella]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyjenevive a chiro gave her a homeopathic blend for allergies

I'm confused... she never mentioned tea.

[1stimestar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmabella I'm confused... she never mentioned tea.

Hahaha well no wonder! I got my posts mixed up. Ugh, nevermind.