Homeopathy and the placebo effect - is it ever ok to condone ignorance?

[DangerAardvark]

When are they going to make a drug that lowers your IQ enough to buy into homeopathy? Maybe with a strong enough dose the placebo effect will be so acute that penis enlargement pills will start to work. And once you're dosed into retardation... psychic powers, baby!

 

[PieIsAwesome]

If it works for her, and causes no harm, what difference does it make? At least homeopathic medicine won't cause side effects. You can't say that about big pharma, with even OTC medications sometimes causing life threatening injury.

But what if for some reason I think some snake oil drug will cause me harm, and because I think that it will, it does? Inverse placebo?!?!

 

[lxskllr]

But what if for some reason I think some snake oil drug will cause me harm, and because I think that it will, it does? Inverse placebo?!?!

Slick emoticon :^D

Seriously though, I think it could. Maybe not for everyone, but I bet if you put water in a glass, and told someone it caused heart palpitations, they'd have heart palpitations; or at least think they did.

 

[kami333]

Slick emoticon :^D

Seriously though, I think it could. Maybe not for everyone, but I bet if you put water in a glass, and told someone it caused heart palpitations, they'd have heart palpitations; or at least think they did.

It's called the nocebo effect and is a widely observed phenomenon, even with homeopathic remedies.

My main argument against homeopathy is that its a slippery slope. While it might start out with treating minor annoyances, it can very quickly escalate if they are being actively seen by a homeopath and may delay treatment for more major diseases. Or they can spread the misinformation, either purposefully or inadvertently.

 

[DrPizza]

I hate to invoke Southpark in this issue, but it appears they summed up the issue perfectly with Cherokee Hair Tampons (episode 407)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Hair_Tampons

 

[ShawnD1]

I hate to invoke Southpark in this issue, but it appears they summed up the issue perfectly with Cherokee Hair Tampons (episode 407)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Hair_Tampons

People killing themselves is always a good thing. It becomes tragic when they kill others around them (ie kyle's mother killing kyle by not taking him to a real doctor)