# Help me debunk this homeopathic woo that's found its way into my home. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 27, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169 "2012-04-27T19:36:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/41 "2012-04-29T18:59:42Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > Even if you can convince her to stop with this homeopathic nonsense, don’t be surprised if the next thing she brings into the house is an amber teething necklace. A lot of these mommies who are into woo think that amber has some kind of magic pain relief effect. My SIL got the amber teething necklace. Well, it sure looked purty on my niece as they got out the gripe water. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/42 "2012-04-29T19:23:32Z")
When nobody is looking add a slightly than lethal dose of something that’s bad for people. When patient starts get worse the more of this crap you use then you can say “these molecules must have gone bad or something…maybe the kid is allergic…” 🙂 obviously (I hope) I am kidding. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/43 "2012-04-29T19:36:37Z")
Well, damn! I read the entire OP, waiting for the “homophobic woo” that I thought was mentioned in the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/44 "2012-04-29T22:36:13Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Well, damn! I read the entire OP, waiting for the “homophobic woo” that I thought was mentioned in the thread title. It was there, but only in the minutest quantity. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/45 "2012-04-29T22:46:40Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > and she seems to be hung up on the idea that it must do _something_, or it would be illegal to sell it in a pharmacy or make medical claims about the product’s efficacy. (Which does indeed seem sensible.) > > Why\* is\* this bunkum legal, anyway? And is there any way to better articulate this? Try this for a more easily visualized example. You will need a shot glass, a 16 oz cup, 1.5 oz of orange juice, and some water. Fill shot glass with OJ Fill glass to 13.5 oz of water. dump shot glass of OJ into water. Stir you now have a 1 solution of orange juice. Refill shot glass from mixture you just made refill 16oz cup with 13.5 oz of water Dump shotglass of 1 mixture into cup of water stir You now have a 2 solution of OJ Ask her how much of the health benefits of OJ she would expect to get from that glass of slightly orange water. Would she be willing to pay 30-50 times as much for this orange juice because of its “enhanced health benefits” and that it would be perfectly legal to sell this as a homeopathic cold rememdy. Sadly, its probably a more effective cold rememdy right there on your counter than anything on a store shelf. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/46 "2012-04-29T22:52:32Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Tell your wife homeopathy is bullshit. Maybe you could link her this [skeptico](http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/2007/10/homeopathy-stil.html) page. Then go out and buy some [baby Anbesol](http://www.anbesol.com/baby/index.asp) and a [cold teething ring](http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Soothing-Ring-Teether-Colors/dp/B000ICZ9Y2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335615497&sr=8-1) (or just freeze some wet washcloths), and apply them to the child yourself. Whether your wife has been taken in by new age bullshit or not, you still have an unhappy kid that you can help. The FDA warn there are [potential risks](http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm250024.htm) of using benzoicaine contained in meds like Oragel and Anbesol on kids under 2, and do not recommend their use. The cold teething ring or a soft toy like a Sofie le Giraffe were good for my kid when she went though teething. Never had to resort to Baby Panadol or the like. ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/47 "2012-04-30T00:57:08Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > For those who know me know that I try things for myself, if someone hands me a pier reviewed double blind study that proves that X does nothing, but I try X and it works, I’m going to use X, those studies were just proven inaccurate, by what method I dont know. One time, I pooped my pants. Shortly after I found a fifty dollar bill. Now, I poop my pants every day, because A came before B, so it must have caused C. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/48 "2012-04-30T01:28:23Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Well, there’s your problem. Knowing how homeopathy works, it stands to reason two whole bottles would be far \*less \*effective than the recommended dose. :smack: If it becomes more effective the less of it you take it stands to reason that it’d be most effective if you didn’t take any at all. : professorsmiley : ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/49 "2012-04-30T01:32:04Z")
When she’s not looking, empty the bottle and replace with water. Problem solved, no battling required. She’s happy, you rest easy. Worst outcome; it doesn’t work and she begins to suspect that homeopathy is nonsense. Win/win! ---
**Author:** ![Imago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@Imago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imago)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/50 "2012-04-30T03:26:08Z")
Don’t let her catch you swapping out the shit in the bottle for tap water. While I agree wholeheartedly that it’s bullshit, you’re just going to make her paranoid. Getting a sleep-deprived new mother who believes in that stuff to understand that you want what’s best for the kid- not a likely outcome. I second the posters who’ve said that you should compromise with her- baby gets woo, baby also gets one of those plastic loops full of ice or whatever actual treatment you find suitable. BUT if you can’t convince her to do that, well, you may be out of luck on this one. Which sucks for the baby, but if this kind of dispute ever comes up over something life-threatening, then if your wife remembers you as having been skeptical but understanding she’ll be a lot easier to convince than if she remembers you as letting the kid suffer (in her POV) and underhandedly swapping out the magical painkiller for water. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/51 "2012-04-30T07:34:20Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > When she’s not looking, empty the bottle and replace with water. Problem solved, no battling required. She’s happy, you rest easy. Worst outcome; it doesn’t work and she begins to suspect that homeopathy is nonsense. Win/win! What good would that possibly do? It’s already water, so it’s not harming the baby in any way. If it “works”, he can hardly come out and say: “Sucker, it was only water!” without being a complete asshole and losing all her trust, and if it doesn’t, it wouldn’t have anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/52 "2012-04-30T17:34:29Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#): > > What good would that possibly do? It’s already water, so it’s not harming the baby in any way. If it “works”, he can hardly come out and say: “Sucker, it was only water!” without being a complete asshole and losing all her trust, and if it doesn’t, it wouldn’t have anyway. In fact, tap water is going to be less pure. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/53 "2012-04-30T18:56:59Z")
Many in my family are heavily into the woo of “I saw it on Dr Oz and Oprah, so that means it’s true!” Choose your battles, and as long as it doesn’t break the bank or prevent you from using tried and true methods, then let them have their water drops. What I’ve seen is that, due to the huge volume of possible alternatives and their industry always pushing the latest buzz fad, in 6 months they have already forgotten this week’s miracle remedy and are distracted by the next thing. “Mom, but last month 3 drops of elderberry extract under the tongue were supposed to cure your colds. 6 months before, your nutmeg aromatherapy was curing your colds. You don’t use them any more, don’t you believe that these products work? Why would the supplements industry ever lie?” ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/54 "2012-04-30T19:06:55Z")
I’m going to add another voice to the ones saying “this poor woman is handling a teething baby; let her do what makes HER feel better”. She needs to feel like she’s trying everything. She needs to feel like she has some modicum of control. Get your masculine logic away from there 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/55 "2012-04-30T20:00:33Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I’m going to add another voice to the ones saying “this poor woman is handling a teething baby; let her do what makes HER feel better” Ha. The funny thing is, the little guy is the most complacent, happy baby you will ever hope to see. The biggest sign that he is teething is an uptick of drool, and when he cries he is never inconsolable in the way that you expect from a teething baby. I think this may go some ways to her perception that it’s an effective product; all that is really needed is a tiny distraction. “Wait.. what..? What’s this?” I can’t persuade her to try 1ml of ordinary water in a dropper to observe that it will have the same effect. She talks over me when I try to explain that (((((1÷100)÷100)÷100)÷100)÷100)ml is one millionth of a mililiter of the original solution of “active” ingredient, that this is indistinguishable from water, or that all the research shows that homeopathic remedies are exactly as effective as you’d expect just plain water to be. Never being one to leave well enough alone, I intend to try to articulate my thoughts on the subject well enough to compose An Apostrophe to Nameless, Otherwise-Intelligent People Who’ve Been Duped into Purchasing Homeopathic Remedies, to post to Facebook. Just so I can sneak it, “For crying out loud, it’s only WATER. Not ‘only water’ in the hyperbolic sense ordinarily reserved for American macrobrews, but _literally_ only water,” and “Some people are under the impression that it wouldn’t be legal to sell it in a pharmacy if it wasn’t proven to be efficacious, but as it stands the law is very tolerant of homeopathy, since it is certainly harmless in the sense that it is _only water._ Of course, paying for water at a rate of fifty cents per ml because you’ve been tricked into thinking that it has medicinal properties is a harm in itself.” ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/56 "2012-04-30T20:14:41Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > The biggest sign that he is teething is an uptick of drool, and when he cries he is never inconsolable in the way that you expect from a teething baby. Oh. Well in that case, a pox on your house, and sounds like you have time to lend me a hand with my 13-month-old who is cutting her first molars. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/57 "2012-04-30T22:06:41Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Ha. The funny thing is, the little guy is the most complacent, happy baby you will ever hope to see. The remedy is working?!. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/58 "2012-04-30T23:46:16Z")
Good luck OP. Around these parts, belief in homeopathy is grounds for divorce. ---
**Author:** ![SticksAndString](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@SticksAndString](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SticksAndString)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/59 "2012-05-01T10:57:25Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Tell your wife homeopathy is bullshit. Maybe you could link her this [skeptico](http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/2007/10/homeopathy-stil.html) page. Then go out and buy some [baby Anbesol](http://www.anbesol.com/baby/index.asp) and a [cold teething ring](http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Soothing-Ring-Teether-Colors/dp/B000ICZ9Y2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335615497&sr=8-1) (or just freeze some wet washcloths), and apply them to the child yourself. Whether your wife has been taken in by new age bullshit or not, you still have an unhappy kid that you can help. We used a combination of baby Anbesol and a frozen Eggo waffle. Soothed the gums and gave him a snack all at the same time!😛 Plus I didn’t have to worry about whether or not he was ingesting fibers from the washcloth or not. ---
**Author:** ![scamartistry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@scamartistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scamartistry)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169/60 "2012-05-01T11:47:56Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > if someone hands me a pier reviewed double blind study What a goof. Seriously, when was the last time someone handed you a double blind study? When was the last time you read one? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-debunk-this-homeopathic-woo-thats-found-its-way-into-my-home/620169.md?page=4)