Homeopathy medicine: fact or fiction?

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Homeopathy: What is it and does it work?

This article has been written by Anil Minocha of Shreveport in Louisiana

Homeopathy was the brainchild of great German from 18th century and is based on the principle of similars. Homeopathic principle implies that a substance/toxin that can recreate symptoms similar to a disease would also cure the disease. In order to reduce the deleterious toxic effects, the homeopathic substance is highly diluted, frequently exceeding the Avogadro number molecules per mole.

Principle basis of homeopathy

In contrast to the principle of contrarians used in other systems of medicine including allopathic medicine, homeopathy is based on the principle of similars. Thus while treating an infection with a highly diluted antibiotic medication might be construed as medical malpractice, but not so in homeopathy. An anology might be treating an infection with a probiotic. The science of dilutions used in homeopathy defies biological plausibility, continues to baffle scientists and there is an ongoing passionate debate on its effectiveness.

Results of systemetic reviews: homeopathy versus placebo

While there is paucity of data examining effect of homeopathy health and sickness, many of the independent systematic reviews and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials on homeopathy have concluded that its health effects seem to be superior to placebo.

Select conditions where homeopathy found to be effective

There is also evidence from randomized, controlled trials that homeopathy may be effective for the treatment of following:

• Influenza
• Allergies
• Postoperative ileus
• childhood diarrhea
• Sleep

A peer-reviewed published study of a 6-year, university-hospital outpatient observational study of homeopathic treatment for chronic disease (n=6544) including gastrointestinal diseases shows positve benefits for homeopathy. 

The investigators found that 71% of the patients reported positive health changes, with 51% recording their improvement as better or much better.

Homeopathy and the controversy it generates

A negative meta-analysis [Shang A; Lancet. 2005] and an accompanying editorial on the possible lack of utility of homeopathy caused quite a furor drawing numerous letters to the editor [Lancet and other peer reviewed journals and continued debate in later years]  critical of not only the study but also the journal for its editorial decrying homeopathy.

According to Sir William Osler, medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability. The positive health benefit seen in favor of homeopathy does not appear placebo effect and cannot be dismissed easily and summarily.

Usefulness of homeopathy for unproven conditions

Some argue that a usefulness of prescribing homeopathic medicine as compared to allopathic prescriptions for unapproved indications or no treatment whatsoever has not been studied. Intuitively, it appears that homeopathic medicines would be found to be more cost-effective even if a placebo effect.

Side effects of homeopathy

Homeopathy is generally believed to be devoid of side-effects. However, Corleto et al reported a case of esophageal ulcer due to a homeopathic pill suggesting that pill esophagitis can be triggered by substances generally thought devoid of any toxicity.

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 REFERENCES

• Jonas A: critical overview of homeopathy. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Mar 4;138(5):393-9.
• Spence et al: Homeopathic treatment for chronic disease: a 6-year, university-hospital outpatient observational study.
• Shang et al: Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet. 2005 Aug 27-Sep 2;366(9487):726-32.
• Linde et al: Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Lancet. 2005 Dec 17;366(9503):2081-2.
• Corleto et al: A case of oesophageal ulcer developed after taking homeopathic pill in a young woman. World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Apr 14;13(14):2132-4.

 

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[Guy Chapman]

When you say that "many" comparisons with placebo find homeopathy superior, you really ought to point out that the better and more comprehensive the study, the less likely this is to be so - and a recent randomised controlled trial comparing homeopathic remedies with placebo /in the context of homeopathic consultations/ found no difference - in other words it is placebo plus the psychological effect of the time spent with the patient that creates the effect, not the risible "law of similars" or the credulity-stretching "law of infinitesimals".

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