# Does homeopathic abortion really work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042 "2005-11-08T14:51:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bzwilak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@bzwilak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bzwilak)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/1 "2005-11-08T14:51:35Z")
One of my (platonic) female friends thinks she is/was pregnant. She says she was/is taking some kind of stuff called “rutin” and megadoses of vitamin C, as it is allegedly supposed to cause a “natural” miscarriage. I’m open-minded to herbal remedies, and such, but _this_ one sounds like a good ole fashioned “snake oil” scam to me. What’s the dope? Can this really work or not? ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/2 "2005-11-08T15:05:50Z")
Maybe my ignorance is showing, but does homeopathy involve megadoses of _anything_? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/3 "2005-11-08T15:10:26Z")
No, doses of anything, mega or otherwise, is not homeopathic in the strict sense. The term seems to be used to refer to anything herbal as well though, which I don’t like, because herbal medications might actually work. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/4 "2005-11-08T15:10:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe my ignorance is showing, but does homeopathy involve megadoses of _anything_? It runs the gammit and as become a catchall for all forms of alternative med’s. ---
**Author:** ![bzwilak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@bzwilak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bzwilak)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/5 "2005-11-08T15:11:40Z")
> [@csharpmajor](#): > > Maybe my ignorance is showing, but does homeopathy involve megadoses of _anything_? Perhaps I used the incorrect term. Maybe “home remedy” or “alternative medicine” is more appropriate? ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/6 "2005-11-08T15:22:39Z")
> [@bzwilak](#): > > Perhaps I used the incorrect term. Maybe “home remedy” or “alternative medicine” is more appropriate? Well, in that case, my mother is a traditional Chinese herbalist and she says it _is_ possible to induce a miscarriage with herbs and the like but she doesn’t know anything about rutin and vitamin C. She says your friend should go see a conventional doctor because abortions are beyond the scope of alternative medicine and while they might work, there are also a number of yucky things that could happen, which are: 1. The woman doesn’t miscarry and a baby is born 2. The woman doesn’t miscarry and a baby is born with serious birth defects 3. The woman’s health is endangered That’s what she says. I’m inclined to believe her (she went to university and has a real medical degree too). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/7 "2005-11-08T15:23:31Z")
If this is treatment is being carried out under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner, then there’s nothing to worry about; otherwise, there’s _everything_ to worry about, including potentially fatal complications. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/8 "2005-11-08T15:25:59Z")
> [@bzwilak](#): > > Perhaps I used the incorrect term. Maybe “home remedy” or “alternative medicine” is more appropriate? I would strongly suggest against alternative medical approaches to abortion. It is one thing to place ones own health on the line, another all together to create potential problems for a second life. That said, rutin is used as an abortifactant. Cite: [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0961462000/fertilitawarenes/104-7314914-8603904](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0961462000/fertilitawarenes/104-7314914-8603904) > [@](#): > > Rutin is the active ingredient in Rue (Ruta graveolens) historically Rue has been used as tea to induce miscarriage by thousands of women in latin america. The leaves were also eaten daily in salads as a contraceptive to prevent pregnancy. And according to Susun Weed Rutin can be used as a form of contraception or emergency contraception. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/9 "2005-11-08T15:27:18Z")
There are many herbal substances that will work as abortifacients. None of them, AFAIK, are as safe or as convenient as RU 486. Assuming the question is motivated by historical curiosity rather than immediate need, books on medicinal herbs and their uses through the ages would be a good start. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/10 "2005-11-08T15:36:42Z")
3…2…1… Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/11 "2005-11-08T15:40:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Perhaps I used the incorrect term. Maybe “home remedy” or “alternative medicine” is more appropriate? Yes. “Homeopathy” and “homeopathic” are specific terms that refer to the extreme dilution of the active ingredient (the water is supposed to “remember” the ingredient, don’t ask, it’s truly strange). The words you want are “alternative” and “herbal”. I found a reference to studies indicating that it indeed is embryotoxic and can cause implantation failure and abortion. [http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/herbs-pdfs/rue.pdf](http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/herbs-pdfs/rue.pdf) It’s also quite toxic all by itself, so is not something that you just mix up and drink–in the absence of standardized manufacturing techniques and organized regulation and oversight, there’s no way of defining a “safe” dose. This is common with all traditional abortifacients like arsenic and tansy. The idea is supposed to be to poison the embryo without killing the mother, which is difficult to do. Also, just wanna clarify, that RU 486 is not made from rutin. ---
**Author:** ![bzwilak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@bzwilak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bzwilak)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/12 "2005-11-08T15:41:58Z")
Well here’s what I can tell you about my friend: [ul] [li]She claims to have all the symptoms of pregnancy.[/li][li]She has used several OTC home pregancy tests (before taking the rutin) and they all came up negative. (However, this seems to be unreliable as there’s some issue about testing too early, and something to do with the menstrual cycle. I’m not educated on this part.)[/li][li]She did go to a pregnancy clinic, got tested twice, and both times it turned up negative. However, they told her a small percentage of women can get false positive / false negative, and that a blood test would be more accurate.[/li][li]She has not had a blood a test.[/li][li]She’s not seeing a physician.[/li][li]She is NOT under any kind of professional guidance for the “remedy” she is using. She just looked some stuff up online about it and started using it.[/li][/ul] I have expressed my concerns to her, many times, but there doesn’t seem to be anything else I can do to help her. She’s being incredibly stubborn. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/13 "2005-11-08T16:09:12Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > 3…2…1… This has to be a record for the shortest **Stranger** post ever. Medical questions tend to ge stomped on PDQ round here. Even ones much less serious than this. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/14 "2005-11-08T16:21:51Z")
My understanding (IDNHAU [I Do Not Have a Uterus]) is that false positives are wwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy more common than false negatives in pregnancy tests- negatives are 99.99…% reliable. This sounds like a wet dream argument for a Pro-Lifer, but my main concern would be that if she _is_ pregnant then the megadosing and other snake oil is not aborting the baby but is causing major developmental problems with it that, if it is born, could be major health problems. No offense, but I think your friend needs some counselling. This isn’t normal. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/15 "2005-11-08T16:32:45Z")
Sounds like your friend is freaking out for no reason. If the OTC tests, the doctor, and everyone else don’t detect an embryo, what would convince her? If she truly cannot deal with a pregnancy, she needs to cough up the cash and get the blood test or whatever the professionals say she needs for an accurate determination of her condition. Take up a collection amongst your friends if you have to. Then she needs to get on reliable birth control. ---
**Author:** ![bzwilak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@bzwilak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bzwilak)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/16 "2005-11-08T16:54:50Z")
> [@](#): > > No offense, but I think your friend needs some counselling. This isn’t normal. I agree! No offense taken. She has a major problem with physicians, in general. I’m not sure what the exact reason for that is, she won’t talk about it, but she’s definitely a doctor-phobe. I do know that she’s one of those of the “Kevin Trudeau” mindset. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/17 "2005-11-08T17:42:55Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > This has to be a record for the shortest **Stranger** post ever. > > Medical questions tend to ge stomped on PDQ round here. Even ones much less serious than this. Yeah, I figured this thread would get locked pronto. I guess the Management is more relaxed than I expected on the topic. In that case… Look, there’s a reason why the Pro-Choice establishment has fought long and hard to legalize abortion; namely, because all of the alternative methods are either patently unreliable and often extremely dangerous. An incidental miscarriage introduces enough danger of complications of it’s own; inducing miscarriage by some unproven and medically unsound method goes beyond foolhardy and right on to idiotically self-destructive. Your friend has plenty of effective options open to her today if she has an unwanted pregnancy–options that others have and continue to struggle to make available. Taking some quack nostrum is an inexcusible ignorance. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/18 "2005-11-08T18:03:08Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > My understanding (IDNHAU [I Do Not Have a Uterus]) is that false positives are wwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy more common than false negatives in pregnancy tests- negatives are 99.99…% reliable. I have a uterus (which is currently full o’ baby) and I’m pretty sure you [have](http://www.peeonastick.com/hpts.html) [that](http://www.ovulation-calculator.com/pregnancy-tests/hpt-faq.htm) [backwards](http://www.epinions.com/kifm-review-694-98B3030-38E1096E-prod4). But either way I agree wholeheartedly with you about the counselling. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/19 "2005-11-08T18:03:50Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > My understanding (IDNHAU [I Do Not Have a Uterus]) is that false positives are wwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy more common than false negatives in pregnancy tests- negatives are 99.99…% reliable. Actually, I’m pretty sure you have that reversed. Lots of people get false negatives because the pregnancy hormone isn’t concentrated enough in the urine to trigger a positive reaction. One of the few ways to get pregnancy hormone in the urine is to be pregnant - the other is to have an ovarian tumour. Ergo, false positives are VERY rare. ---
**Author:** ![bzwilak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@bzwilak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bzwilak)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042/20 "2005-11-08T18:15:54Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Yeah, I figured this thread would get locked pronto. I guess the Management is more relaxed than I expected on the topic. In that case… > > Look, there’s a reason why the Pro-Choice establishment has fought long and hard to legalize abortion; namely, because all of the alternative methods are either patently unreliable and often extremely dangerous. An incidental miscarriage introduces enough danger of complications of it’s own; inducing miscarriage by some unproven and medically unsound method goes beyond foolhardy and right on to idiotically self-destructive. > > Your friend has plenty of effective options open to her today if she has an unwanted pregnancy–options that others have and continue to struggle to make available. Taking some quack nostrum is an inexcusible ignorance. > > Stranger Uht-oh. Did I unwittingly open a can of worms? I hope not. It certainly wasn’t my intention. I am not here to debate right wing vs left wing choice issues. My apologies if this is a touchy subject. :o [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-homeopathic-abortion-really-work/330042.md?page=2)