Marnie's Snakes

[EasternGirl]

I agree with you Chris...but just for the record...homeopathic remedies are not placebos...they are minute amounts of toxins that stimulate the immune system to react against the particular toxin. So for example, if you have an allergic reaction, the homeopathic remedy would be to take histamine...so that your immune system is stimulated to fight the histamine and produce antihistamines. I studied natural medicine and homeopathy for many years. But I do not know how beneficial it would be for animals....I agree with you on that.

[chris-uk]

I understand the principles of homeopathy and had some treatment for allergies as a kid. The science doesn't stack up though. The "minute amounts" of allergen is diluted to such a degree that mathematically there is none left in the water - something that homeopathic practitioners don't dispute, but explain by making up some pseudoscience where water has a "molecular memory". Homeopathic remedies work if you believe they will, so they are a placebo and a chat with a "healthcare professional" who listens, is kind and understanding - the combination adds up to improved health through psychosomatic means.
I know that my allergies got better when better nasal spray and antihistamine treatments became available, the homeopathic treatments as a child did nothing for me, the tablet and nasal spray each day now allows me to live with a cat I'm allergic to. Saying that, if homeopathy works for someone I say each to their own. Alternative medicine for animals is nothing short of quackery and a vet that endorsed it should be struck off.

[EasternGirl]

I hear you...but don't you think it is comparable to a virus entering the immune system and stimulating the antibodies to recognize that virus when it reenters the system again...or perhaps a better example would be similar to a vaccine in which a dead or attuenuated live virus is introduced to the system to stimulate the immune response to fight that virus? Most of the viruses used in vaccines are actually dead because attenuated live viruses are too dangerous to use...yet they still initiate a response...so, in theory couldn't a minute amount of a toxin do the same thing? I'm just saying this for debate sake and because I question whether or not homeopathy works myself...I have actually had much better results with allopathic medicine than I have with homeopathic remedies. And I wouldn't take my pets to a vet that used homeopathic treatment. What do you think about allergy shots? I think that allergy shots basically follow the same principles as homeopathy...and I have been getting shots...I am starting to question whether or not they are working at all and if I should continue to get them...

[angrygamer]

For clarity's sake, she's a regular vet. I think part of her bio is supposed to read like, "Tom enjoys Whitewater rafting on the weekends and long walks". The part that amused me though was the "acupuncture for small animals".

As far as homeopathic remedies go, my stepmom has been into them for a long time, so I have tried them for a lot of them for different things. What I have found from them is that they work once or twice and then they quit working. I don't know how much of that is from the placebo effect. For instance, I took melatonin to help with sleep once, and I got the best night of sleep that I had in years. Melatonin is known to be a mild hypnotic, among other things. It worked the first and second times I took it, and then it quit working. I kept taking it for another month and it didn't have any effect. At all.

[PINJOHN]

I don't know how much of that is from the placebo effect. For instance, I took melatonin to help with sleep once, and I got the best night of sleep that I had in years. Melatonin is known to be a mild hypnotic, among other things. It worked the first and second times I took it, and then it quit working. I kept taking it for another month and it didn't have any effect. At all.

I take melatonin on a regular basis and i think you may have misunderstood its function, melatonin is a natural hormone produced by us all and helps set the rhythm of your sleep, science has learned how to produce it synthetically with the purpose of fighting the effects of jet lag, it's not a sleeping tablet and does not put you to sleep, instead its intention is to reset your sleep pattern when you are already sleeping, with my job i keep unusual hours but still need to lead a family life as far as possible hence my use of this substance, not as easy for me as i would like as it is only available in the UK on prescription not over the counter like in the states but i can usually get relatives to bring me some back from their vacation the best thing about it is there is no side effects ...have to sign off now as i have a doctors appointment, i need to speak to him about this extra head growing under my arm...

[angrygamer]

I take melatonin on a regular basis and i think you may have misunderstood its function, melatonin is a natural hormone produced by us all and helps set the rhythm of your sleep, science has learned how to produce it synthetically with the purpose of fighting the effects of jet lag, it's not a sleeping tablet and does not put you to sleep, instead its intention is to reset your sleep pattern when you are already sleeping, with my job i keep unusual hours but still need to lead a family life as far as possible hence my use of this substance, not as easy for me as i would like as it is only available in the UK on prescription not over the counter like in the states but i can usually get relatives to bring me some back from their vacation the best thing about it is there is no side effects ...have to sign off now as i have a doctors appointment, i need to speak to him about this extra head growing under my arm...

I may have, my dad takes it on a regular basis so I hear about it. It's what he recommends every time I complain about a sleep problem.

WebMD does list it for jet lag as well as insomnia.

And I will say this: it did affect my sleep somehow, like I said, I got the best sleep that I've had in years. To more accurately describe it, the sleep was much deeper than ever and the quality was great. I don't know if that's what the intended effect was.

As I previously said as well, my experience with many homeopathic/herbal remedies is that they work well the first or second time I use them and then they quit working.

This discussion has inspired me to try it again.

"We now return to our regularly scheduled thread."

[chris-uk]

Drifting off-topic a bit with the homeopathy discussion...
My reason for raising it was because I'd use a belief in homeopathy to judge a vet's ability to care for my animals. I have a quite cold scientific outlook, and as far as I'm concerned veterinary medicine is a science. Believing in some things (e.g. homeopathy) requires a suspension of scientific method, and a willingness to do that compromises a vets ability to give the best care to my animals. As it was, the vet that angrygamer visited was a lousy herp vet, the bit in the bio was just the icing on the cake. It's just another factor I'd look for if I was selecting a vet.

[angrygamer]

Drifting off-topic a bit with the homeopathy discussion...
My reason for raising it was because I'd use a belief in homeopathy to judge a vet's ability to care for my animals. I have a quite cold scientific outlook, and as far as I'm concerned veterinary medicine is a science. Believing in some things (e.g. homeopathy) requires a suspension of scientific method, and a willingness to do that compromises a vets ability to give the best care to my animals. As it was, the vet that angrygamer visited was a lousy herp vet, the bit in the bio was just the icing on the cake. It's just another factor I'd look for if I was selecting a vet.

I don't remember if I read her bio before or after the appointment. Either way I didn't give it too much weight, if any.

[Stefan-A]

Just for the record, homeopathy is a scam. Regardless of how it is claimed to work, it simply does not.

[chris-uk]

Just for the record, homeopathy is a scam. Regardless of how it is claimed to work, it simply does not.

The direct wording of my last couple of posts. I just worry too much about offending people who choose to believe in different things to me.