Homeopathy was discovered by German physician, Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century. He coined the term "homeopathy," which “homoios” in Greek means similar and "pathos" means suffering in references to the pharmacological law of similars, which homeopathy was founded on. This law of similars was previously described by ancient Greek philosophers, Hippocrates and Paracelsus and used worldwide in Mayan, Chinese, Greek, Native American Indian and Asian cultures (Source: A Condensed History of Homeopathy).
Even back then, apothecaries, equivalent to modern-day pharmacies, strongly disliked Hahnemann and homeopathy because medicines were prescribed in small quantities, and didn't profit off of these small sales.
"Despite the persecution, homeopathy continued to grow. It grew not just because it offered a systematic approach to treating sick people, but also because orthodox medicine was ineffective and even dangerous. There is general agreement among medical historians today that orthodox medicine of the 1700s and 1800s in particular frequently caused more harm than good" (Source: A Condensed History of Homeopathy).
Of course modern medicine has since improved and technology has evolved significantly. However, modern medicine assumes a one size fits all approach, which clearly has not served us or our dogs well as life-spans and quality of life in the United States are both shortening and not so fabulous.
Unfortunately, the FDA has recently proposed new guidance that could jeopardize the existence of homeopathy in the United States. This new guidance would declare all homeopathic medicine as new drugs, which would be required to undergo pre-market approval via the New Drug Application. Since homeopathic medicine are derived from plants, they can't be patented and can't justify the ginormous cost that the New Drug Application entails (Source: Access to Homeopathy Threatened by Latest FDA Action).
If this is actually approved, it will be very difficult, if not impossible to purchase homeopathic medicine anywhere.
The FDA claims that they are enacting "risk-based enforcement policy prioritizing certain categories of homeopathic products that could pose a higher risk to public health, including products with particular ingredients and routes of administration, products for vulnerable populations, and products with significant quality issues" (Source: US Food & Drug Administration)
I'm all for making things safe for people as possible. However, the FDA is the same governing body that has approved our food pyramid, which if you follow, you will definitely have metabolic disease as evidenced by the fact that 88% of Americans have whether they know it or not (Source: The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill). This is also the same governing body that said cigarettes were totally copacetic. Also, keep in mind that the FDA is also funded in part (at least) by the companies it regulates, and "nearly half the agency's budget now comes from 'user fees' paid by companies seeking approval for medical devices or drugs" (Source: University of Connecticut).
Homeopathy is also cheap, and in our collective experience, highly effective and without side-effects. It is much cheaper than conventional medication, which typically involves lots of side-effects. Also, if something worked a few hundred years ago, it still works now too. Our DNA hasn't changed, but environment and nutrition certainly has. A healed patient is no longer a paying customer.
Perhaps that is why the FDA wants to ban homeopathy.
-Written by Erica L.
2 comments
Thank you, Daniel for your comment. Speaking from personal experience, homeopathy saved my dogs’ life after literally years of conventional veterinary medicine that only made him sicker. I was actually told by my former vet, that he would need to be on medication for the rest of his life to treat an autoimmune disease. The medications he was on had horrific side effects and I wasn’t willing to have him suffer. I never thought homeopathy would actually work. I was simply desperate and willing to try absolutely anything. Within 1 month of homeopathic treatment, his so called incurable auto-immune disease was completely healed and never returned. He is now 9 years old and thriving.
Here is an article from Innovative Veterinary Care that describes how homeopathic medicines can alter gene expression: https://ivcjournal.com/homeopathy-genetic-expression/
Also, in terms of clinical trials, you can’t expect a homeopathic drug to fall in line with clinical studies designed for chemical drugs because homeopathic treatment is tailored to the unique needs of patients and treats holistically. It would be very difficult to quantify results, which is why there isn’t robust clinical trials completed on homeopathic medicine. Homeopathy is also cheap and there isn’t much money to be made off of it. Clinical trials for conventional medicine are often funded by the companies that manufacture it and are in the business of making money, not keeping animals healthy. After all, a healed patient is no longer a paying customer.
As for vets, I agree that they take different variables into consideration before making a treatment plan, but it has been my repeated experience time and time again that they fail to address the root cause of disease and prescribe medication that only suppresses symptoms.
What have your experiences with homeopathy been?
There is absolutely no evidence, as you maintain, that homeopathy is any better than a placebo. Quote me the study that supports your claim. Studies of the products show there is not even one molecule of the supposed curative compound. By making false health claims, the manufacturers are turning people away from products proven to be effective. It is a complete scam. It’s not true that modern medicine has a one size fits all approach. Physicians take many variables into consideration, including the patient’s age, sex (if relevant), history, health status, and other medications being taken, to forge the appropriate plan. You are misinforming your readers.