ARE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVES TO PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS?

153).” Additionally, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes that the vast majority of homeopathic medicines are safe enough to warrant their classification as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs (Ullman 153). There are regulations for homeopathic remedies here in the United States, which are ignored by many critics. Homeopathic remedies are regulated by the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS) and not the widely known Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is highly regulates all pharmaceutical drugs. “With the knowledge that homeopathy has been used safely for decades, you have an attractive and safe alternative to more costly, and potentially troublesome, conventional drugs (Foxman 46).” Some common complaints about allopathic medicines, or pharmaceutical drugs, like antibiotics are the toxic side effects that are known to be caused by antibiotics. Only if the average consumer would actually read the supplied documentation for the particular antibiotic they are prescribed. Most people would be surprised that drugs with known side effects like nausea, vomiting, and headaches, to name a few mild ones, could be approved by the FDA. Homeopathic remedies are not toxic like many pharmaceutical drugs. “Homeopathy is an effective alternative to antibiotics in infections diseases, producing no toxic side effects and bringing about rapid recovery. (Shah)” Homeopathy remedies and homeopathic medicine are very effective methods of treatment. Homeopathy is a holistic medicine, meaning that it pertains to the whole person rather than individual parts of the person. “The concept of disease in homeopathy is that disease is a total affection of mind and body, the disturbance of the whole organism. Individual organs are not the cause of illness but disturbances at the inner level (disturbance of the life force, the vital energy of the body) is the cause of illness. (Shah)” Homeopathy treats the person and their individualized needs and responses to illness. In homeopathy, there is no “one drug fits all” mentality that is commonly associated in allopathy, or modern medicine. “Therefore homeopathy does not believe in giving different medicines for different afflicted parts of the body but rather gives one single constitutional remedy which will cover the disturbance of the whole person. (Shah) Homeopathy can successfully and effectively treat many common ailments experienced by people today. “Homeopathy has definite treatment for most of the infectious diseases such as Sinusitis, Tonsillitis, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Meningitis, Dysentery, Urinary Infections, etc. (Shah)” Homeopaths will allow the body to heal at its own pace, realizing that the healing process may be rapid or slow. Once a remedy that produces a self-healing response is administered, the homeopath will allow the healing process to continue without interference (Jonas 22). Homeopathic medicine has a more compassionate view of the body and its innate wisdom. For instance, the common cough is a condition typically approached in a curative manner in homeopathy. “Homeopathic and various other natural therapies are prescribed to either soothe or strengthen the bronchials so that the person can more effectively eliminate whatever may be irritating him (Ullman 26).” This practice is quite different from many of the over-the-counter medicines labeled as “cough suppressants”. “While such suppressive drugs provide temporary relief, they do not cure the underlying condition and may even delay its resolution (Ullman 26).” Once a successful medicine has been administered, a homeopath may suggest waiting until improvement slows or stops before giving more of the medicine. This may seem contrary to what most people would expect when taking a medicine that is working, and that would be to take the medicine over and over again at specific intervals. Homeopaths feel that repeatedly administering a medicine that elicited a healing response is not necessary because the effect comes from the body and not the drug (Jonas 23). Many critics of homeopathic medicine are medical doctors who believe homeopathic remedies’ effect cannot be proven within the traditional mold of double-blind clinical trials. This may be true, as homeopathic medicine is geared for the individual person and their unique response to illness. Large double-blind studies are difficult to design and implement to the fact that each person’s illness is treated individually, and not part of a statistical mass (Foxman [sidebar]). Homeopathy is viewed better by its successes that have been built up one patient at a time, rather than by a large mass of people at one time. Another example that shows that the effects of homeopathic medicine can be proven is from a study done in 1999. “This study appeared in Inflammation Research, by P. Belon and colleagues (“Inhibition of human basophil degranulation by successive histamine dilutions: results of a European multi-centre trial”), proved – once and for all – that the effects of homeopathic dilutions can, indeed, be measured using mainstream, conventional-medicine, empirical parameters (Foxman [sidebar]).” Scientific evidence for a biologically active substance in homeopathic remedies has been documented and even photographed. “Research by the American Technologies Group have discovered, identified, and characterized a unique type of stable (non-melting) ice crystals that maintain an electrical field. (Ullman)” IE crystals are nanometer sized, rod-shaped water clusters that are created when a substance is placed in distilled water, then vigorously shaken or stirred, and then repeatedly diluted and shaken or stirred (Ullman). What the discovery of IE crystals means is better clarified by Dr. Dana Ullman’s response to critics of homeopathy, about this new discovery. “This new research confirms the existence of IE crystals and suggests that there may be something ‘there’ in homeopathic medicines after all. Many physicians and scientists have ignored homeopathy simply because they could not explain it. While we still do not know precisely how these IE crystals work in the body, at least we can now verify that homeopathic medicines are biologically active. This is a landmark discovery, both for homeopathy and for science (Ullman)” This new discovery makes untrue many physicians claims that there is nothing biologically active in homeopathic medicines. As the popularity and widespread use of homeopathic products continues to increase, the medical community will continue to find educated consumers choosing these remedies over conventional drugs. Consumers are choosing homeopathy and homeopathic medicines over their pharmaceutical counterparts because homeopathic remedies are safe, effective, and allow the body to heal at whatever pace feels comfortable.