Skeptics set to overdose on Homeopathic sleeping pills

[reggie]

There's a stunt week saturday where a group of skeptics are going to down a load of homeopathic sleeping pills and hopefully live to tell the tale.

Dont underestimate the power of suggestion...say Sly and Reggie.

Hence new campaign track.

"Its 10:23 And You're Feeling Sleepy"

Middle Class Mayhem

[PeckhamRose]

Brilliant!

[Ladymuck]

Ah! Takes me back to about 5 years ago...desperate to get some sleep I actually did just that...I took a massive overdose of homeopathic opium...result? Nothing. No sleep but no side effects. Having said that...benzodiazapines did nothing either as regards sleep though zombification the following day was a serious issue.

[????]

I thouth this was about americans...

[Sue]

But that's just stupid, the whole point of homoeopathy is that it's minute doses. You can't possibly overdose, it doesn't work like mainstream medicine.

Is that supposed to be the point?

[reggie]

???? Wrote:

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> I thouth this was about americans...

its happening in the Conway Hall in Red Lion Square

[karter]

homeopathy is not scientific so they are probably just trying to shoot it down in flames.

Reggie, lovely sounds, as usual, the power of suggestion on its own should help people sleep, should it not?

[Ann]

Ladymuck, I'm glad the Benzodiazepines didn't work for you, they can be horrifically addictive. Hope your sleep patern has improved.

I remain unconvinced about homeopathic remedies but then have never tried any. Let's face it, it's big business and perhaps the manufacturers marketing strategies are not unlike the drug comapanies?

[tomchance]

Ann Wrote:

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> I remain unconvinced about homeopathic remedies

> but then have never tried any.

You've been trying it all your life, it's called tap water plus chatting with a friend!

[iaineasy]

But that's just stupid, the whole point of homoeopathy is that it's minute doses. You can't possibly overdose, it doesn't work like mainstream medicine.

-----------------------------------------------

it just doesn't work simples.

[reggie]

karter Wrote:

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> homeopathy is not scientific so they are probably

> just trying to shoot it down in flames.

>

> Reggie, lovely sounds, as usual, the power of

> suggestion on its own should help people sleep,

> should it not?

Thanks karter

Ah the power of suggestion..which of course is a suggestion in itself.

[PeckhamRose]

I have heard that some farmers use it on their livestock and it works on them.

Doesn't make sense to me at all but animals do not have any such opinions or knowledge.

[tomchance]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

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> I have heard that some farmers use it on their

> livestock and it works on them.

> Doesn't make sense to me at all but animals do not

> have any such opinions or knowledge.

Some vintners and viticulturists produce "biodynamic" wine using homeopathic techniques, it's pretty popular in Green & Blue. At least it has been carefully looked after, I guess, in the same way that those farmers are most likely just practicing good husbandry.

[Ladymuck]

Ann Wrote:

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> Ladymuck, I'm glad the Benzodiazepines didn't

> work for you, they can be horrifically addictive.

> Hope your sleep patern has improved.

Nope...I live on 4 hours or less per night...not ideal...but I don't worry about it any more. Thanks for your concern...that was sweet.

[reggie]

can you overdose on it?

[Sue]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

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> I have heard that some farmers use it on their

> livestock and it works on them.

> Doesn't make sense to me at all but animals do not

> have any such opinions or knowledge.

xxxxxxxx

Exactly. I used to live on an organic farm, and the farmers used it. They also used a mainstream vet when necessary.

It must have worked or they wouldn't have continued to use it.

Bit like magnotherapy - people slag it off, generally because they haven't tried it, but it works on dogs, horses etc - was even used on an elephant at the zoo if I remember right.

"All in the mind"? Yeh, sure, the dogs are going "Oooh, I've got a magnet on my collar - ooh, my arthriticy (spelling) legs are better - oooh, must be due to the magnet."

:))

[reggie]

can you overdose on it though?

[brum]

This is very funny Sue! But everyone knows dogs can't say 'magnet'.

[Sue]

Yeh they can, only to us it sounds like WOOF WOOF

[TE44]

reggie Wrote:

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> can you overdose on it though?

From my understanding of homopathic remedies, the more they are diluted, the stronger they become.

Beliefs certainly plays a part on whether medicines work or dont so Im sure if there all skeptics they'll be fine.

[taper]

"It must have worked or they wouldn't have continued to use it. "

It doesn't work

"Bit like magnotherapy - people slag it off, generally because they haven't tried it, but it works...."

No it doesn't.

[Sue]

taper Wrote:

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> "

>

> "Bit like magnotherapy - people slag it off,

> generally because they haven't tried it, but it

> works...."

>

> No it doesn't.

xxxxxxxx

a) Someone I know bought a magnotherapy collar for their dog, who could hardly walk. Within a very short time, the dog was bouncing around again. They then went on holiday and left the dog with their mother for a fortnight. When they collected the dog, the dog could hardly walk again. They noticed the mother had taken the collar off. They asked why and were told it was because the weather had been very hot and she thought the collar was irritating the dog.

They put the collar back on, and soon the dog was bouncing around again.

Explain that then.

b) Someone else I know had had severe and frequent migraines from childhood. In her forties (I think) she started wearing a magnotherapy wristband. Since then she has hardly had any migraines, only the occasional one when under great stress.

I also used to get migraines. I started wearing a magnotherapy wristband for arthritic symptoms (which were so bad that if I knelt down for any length of time I couldn't walk, also I couldn't use secateurs for any length of time without my hand seizing up).

As well as sorting the arthritic symptoms, I noticed after a few months that I was no longer getting migraines, and since wearing the wristband (we're talking about ten years now) I've maybe had three mild migraines.

Explain that then. Are you seriously saying it's all in the mind/coincidence?

c) As a result of my own experience, I started to sell magnotherapy products. I gave a three month money back guarantee. I got hardly any returned, and in most of those cases it was quite clear from the fact that the product looked new that the person hadn't worn it.

d) Some people will always be sceptical about this kind of stuff. However I prefer to go by experience. I have lots of other similar stories, but basically if you just think "it doesn't work" you will choose to ignore them. Fine by me, just don't make generalisations.

[Jeremy]

I reckon a homeopathic sleeping rememedy could be a very effective placebo. A lot of people get anxious when they can't sleep, which in turn makes it hard to relax. So take a pill, you believe it's going to work, therefore you relax... and fall sleep.

The problem comes when people start relying on these treatments for more serious conditions.

[taper]

"Explain that then."

Correlation don't mean causation.

"Explain that then. Are you seriously saying it's all in the mind/coincidence"

See above; also regression to the mean perhaps?.

"I started to sell magnotherapy products"

Ah!

"I prefer to go by experience"

I prefer evidence and the scientific method.

[reggie]

Sue

The trouble with using medical interventions that do not respond well to clinical trials is this:

If you were a doctor which intervention would you choose for your patient, the trialled or not trialled?

If you were in hospital with a life threatening issue which would you choose, the trialled or not trialled?

It may be that magnetotherapy has done wonders, for example, some cancer sufferers. But is 'I prefer to go with experience" the correct basis to recommend a therapy for such serious problems?

It is important to have a way of distinguishing what is effective and what is not, using the best method available, at the moment it happens to be double blind placebo trials with a randomised selection of patients.

This is a generalisation and an important one.

You are feeling sleepy