than 200 years, and it has an excellent track record with respect to safety. Doctors at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital studied papers published on homeopathy between 1970 and 1995, and found that any adverse effects reported in clinical trials were just a temporary aggravation of symptoms, which, for the most part, were mild and transient. Only a very few isolated reports of proper adverse effects were attributable to homeopathic medicines. 13 Some homeopathic medications can be in the form of liquids that can contain higher levels of alcohol than conventional drugs for adults, but no adverse effects from the alcohol levels have been reported either to the FDA or in scientific literature. 12
Overall, homeopathy is a far safer system of medicine when compared with the preponderance of adverse drug effects, as well as countless drug-drug interactions, of allopathic, conventional medications. This is an especially important concern for parents administering OTC medications to young infants and children. Homeopathic medications also are usually sweet-tasting, lactose-based pellets that dissolve on the tongue, and are palatable and acceptable to most children.
Herbal supplements are prepared from the crude extract of different plant materials. They have their own pharmacokinetic profile, and so there are possible interactions with other drugs. For example, garlic or ginseng can interact with blood thinners. Since herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA, no standardization for consistent content or concentration of ingredients is required. Herbal supplements also may be adulterated with such contaminants as pesticides, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals. Because homeopathic medications are highly dilute preparations, and stimulate the body’s own healing capacity, there is no danger of interaction with other drugs. Since homeopathic medications are regulated by the FDA, they are unlikely to contain any hazardous components.
Many homeopathic medications
will have botanical names that may
be similar to herbal products or for-
mulations. However, whereas bo-
tanical or herbal medications will be
listed in milligram or gram strengths,
homeopathic medications will be list-
ed with the dilution or potency, being
specified by a number followed by an
X or C (e.g., 3X or 3C, 6X or 6C, 12X or
12C, 30X or 30C and so forth). There
also may be a HPUS designation on
many of the formulations.
Certainly, the current research literature with respect to homeopathy is quite robust. Research studies indicate that homeopathy is effective for many medical conditions, including: 14
• Allergies and upper respiratory infections; 15
• Seasonal allergic rhinitis; 16-21
• Influenza; 22-24
• Childhood diarrhea; 25-28
• Osteoarthritis;29-31
• Rheumatic diseases;32
• Vertigo;33-35
• Sinusitis;36-37
• Fibromyalgia;38-39
• Ankle sprain;40
• Premenstrual syndrome;41
• Bronchitis;42 and • Chronic fatigue syndrome.43
Long-term observational studies have been conducted in the United Kingdom, where homeopathy is integrated as a part of the national healthcare system. One study that was conducted at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital with more than 6,500 consecutive patients over a six-year period found that 70% of the patients reported improved health.44 Patients with many different medical conditions — including eczema, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headache and menopausal symptoms — were included in this study. In addition, a 500-patient survey conducted at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital showed that many patients were able to reduce or stop conventional medications following homeopathic treatment.45
In Western biomedicine, we have
become accustomed to viewing the
origins and treatment of disease
from the lens of a very materialistic
paradigm, so the concept of highly
dilute medications being more than
just water or having any biological
effect may seem completely im-
plausible. However, a study con-
ducted by a Swiss chemist, Louis
Rey, showed that the structure of
hydrogen bonds in homeopathic di-
lutions is very different from that in
pure water.46 Similarly, other scien-
tists using the laboratory technique
called spectroscopy have shown
that different homeopathic medica-
tions and different dilutions of the
same homeopathic medication can
be distinguished from each other,
even though to the naked eye they
all may appear to be just water.47
The most current proposal for how
this may work is that water is ca-
pable of storing information about
substances with which it has previ-
ously been in contact.48 In addition,
other research has shown that these
ultra-high diluted substances can
have biological and physiological
effects on living organisms under
laboratory conditions.49
There is research evidence that demonstrates the clinical effectiveness of homeopathy in the management of AOM. A prospective cohort study conducted by a group of German researchers in children with AOM between the ages of 6 months and 11 years compared conventional treatment (decongestant nose drops, antibiotics, secretolyt-ics or antipyretics) with homeopathy.50 The study found that ear pain lasted an average of two days in the homeopathic group versus three days in the conventional group. In addition, children treated with homeopathy had fewer relapses of AOM within one year versus the conventional group.
A case series study conducted by two Boston-area physicians treated 24 children ages 8 months to 6. 5 years of age with homeopathic medicines.51 Ninety-two percent of the children were able to be treated without the use of antibiotics.
Since AOM does have a high rate
of spontaneous resolution, a group
of researchers in Switzerland con-
ducted a prospective cohort study
looking at 230 children from birth
to 16 years of age with AOM to see
how many would experience pain
relief within 12 hours of beginning
treatment with homeopathic medi-
cations.52 A homeopathic medica-
tion was prescribed to all of the
children in the office, and a second
homeopathic prescription was giv-
en after six hours if pain-reduction
was not sufficient. After another
six hours, children who had not
reached pain control were started
on antibiotics. Pain control was
achieved in 39% of patients after six
hours, and in another 33% after 12
hours. The researchers found that
the resolution rate of the ear pain
was 2. 4 times faster than in placebo.
Homeopathic medications are prescribed on the basis of the totality of the characteristic mental, emotional and physical symptoms that are unique or peculiar to each patient. It is very possible that 10 children with otitis media may need as many as 10 different medications because their individual response to the pain associated with AOM may be very different. One child with AOM may become very weepy or clingy, whereas another may become very irritable and cranky. One may want to drink more than average, whereas another may lose all thirst and appetite. Parents also may report that hot or cold applications, wind and draft,
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