Sysiphus Speaks

Effectiveness of homeopathic medicine associated with allopathic medicine in the outpatient management of influenza-like illnesses or ear, nose, and throat disorders by pharmacists looked at who received homeopathic or real medications and their outcomes. There are numerous issues with the study, but the results are interesting for reasons probably not intended by the authors.

The evil twin of the placebo effect is the nocebo effect, when you give an inert substance and get an adverse reaction. Note that is different than a side effect. I give a patient penicillin and they get a rash, that is a side effect. I give them a product with no effect and they get a complication, that is a nocebo effect.

"A nocebo (Latin for “I will harm”) is something that should be ineffective but which causes symptoms of ill health. A nocebo effect is an ill effect caused by the suggestion or belief that something is harmful."

It is why I was amused by Clinically meaningful nocebo effect occurs in acupuncture treatment: a systematic review.

I see headline 5 powerful antibiotics that don’t require a prescription. and I know the writer knows nothing about antibiotics. When the link leads to the Natural News, I know it is true.

His ‘antibiotics’ are garlic, colloidal silver, oil of oregano, echinacea and manuka honey. A the end he adds

reishi, pau d'arco, una de gato, olive leaf extract, cloves, turmeric, and even lemons

Good on pizza or a roast chicken, not so much for treating for infections.

Kevin Trudeau the author of Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About and other books in now in jail for 10 years. Not for so much for defrauding people with his books, but for civil contempt and not paying any of $37 million in fines and hiding his assets.

Evidently one of his infomercials is still running on late night cable stations for the book Free Money “They” Don’t Want You to Know About.

Some patients with serious or life-threatening diseases can access drugs not yet approved, referred to as "investigational drugs." This is known as "expanded access" or, colloquially, as "compassionate access." Access is carefully controlled and there are a number of safety features in place to ensure proper use.

I cannot find any calculations for NNTH for chiropractic, homeopathy, or acupuncture, the big three of pseudo-medicine.

Given how important the heart is to maintaining life, I was surprised to find there are a variety of complementary and alternative medical treatments for arrhythmias. In the link they review 6 herbal products, acupuncture and yoga.

I have this somewhat old school, somewhat paternalistic, ethical approach to medicine. I think I have the responsibility to always put my patient first and that I have to give them the best reality-based therapy I can.

It is why I find the whole supplement industry slightly sleazy.

Given the numerous styles of acupuncture and the different acupoints, any place on the body, it appears, is amenable to acupuncture so the underlying conceptual framework of acupunctures is, well, pointless.

I know. Picky picky. Western reality will never explain the mystery that is acupuncture. At least until the concept of beer goggles becomes accepted.

One of the curiosities of France is “homeopathic medicines are partially reimbursed by the National Health Insurance and are prescribed exclusively by a physician. Besides, patients must choose a ‘treating physician’, who will be responsible for follow-up and referral to specialists. This treating physician may be a physician specializing in homeopathy.”