The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
My Girlfriend is Accidentally a Homeopathic [SOLVED]
BloodySloth
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Well, not really. But she's paying for what amounts to a placebo and I'm not sure what I should do.
Basically, my girlfriend has been going through various anti-acne medications, and she says the only one that works for her is this 2-part medication called Nature's Cure. It consists of a fairly normal anti-acne cream, and a pill taken every day. Problem is, I happened to glance at the box for the pills and noticed "homeopathic remedy" in fairly small print near the bottom of the package.
Upon investigating, these tablets are basically just lactose and magnesium stearate, with crazy homeopathic dilutions of ingredients that aren't even medicine anyway, like a 6x dilution of English walnuts. There's nothing in the pills other than the stuff needed to make pills solid and white.
She's extremely frustrated because she can't find a product that works for her, and she's convinced that Nature's Cure is the real deal. As far as I'm aware, she doesn't know that she's taking what are effectively fake pills, and she doesn't buy into the homeopathy deal. If I explain to her my discovery, whatever placebo effect she's taking may disappear and she'll be left out in the cold as far as acne treatments go. Again. Should I break her heart in the name of science or should I let her keep paying for pills that aren't real?
Basically, my girlfriend has been going through various anti-acne medications, and she says the only one that works for her is this 2-part medication called Nature's Cure. It consists of a fairly normal anti-acne cream, and a pill taken every day. Problem is, I happened to glance at the box for the pills and noticed "homeopathic remedy" in fairly small print near the bottom of the package.
Upon investigating, these tablets are basically just lactose and magnesium stearate, with crazy homeopathic dilutions of ingredients that aren't even medicine anyway, like a 6x dilution of English walnuts. There's nothing in the pills other than the stuff needed to make pills solid and white.
She's extremely frustrated because she can't find a product that works for her, and she's convinced that Nature's Cure is the real deal. As far as I'm aware, she doesn't know that she's taking what are effectively fake pills, and she doesn't buy into the homeopathy deal. If I explain to her my discovery, whatever placebo effect she's taking may disappear and she'll be left out in the cold as far as acne treatments go. Again. Should I break her heart in the name of science or should I let her keep paying for pills that aren't real?
BloodySloth on
0
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
Do they actually work for her? Like, is there a noticeable reduction in acne since she started taking them? If so, then I'd say let her buy them. If she doesn't mind the expense and they're doing the job, who cares if they're fake? The placebo effect is powerful, for all that it's the placebo effect, and while I've never heard of it being applied to acne, better a psychological cure than no cure at all.
Acne medication is always unreliable and, as I'm sure most of us know, its importance is extremely psychological. So if she's not going broke on the stuff and it's making her feel better, let it work.
1) If the remedy is harmful to the individual
2) If by taking the fake remedy, the individual doesn't pursue real treatment for a condition
Since this seems to be working, isn't harming her, and she's tried the alternatives, it's fine. If it's not broke, don't fix it.
See if she can get some benzoyl peroxide creams instead from your local pharmacy or online.
EDIT: I love the description on that site:
Perhaps it's the cream that works well for her rather than the pills.
You could try finding a cream with a similar makeup and see if she'll try that for a bit (without the other cream/pills) to see if it works.
If it's working for her, just let it go. As others have said, as long as she's not spending a lot more money on this stuff, it's not hurting anyone, and it works for her. Of course, personally I'd probably ignore my own advice and tell her, but that's because I can't stand people trying to pass off homeopathic remedies as being anything resembling actual medicine.
Knowing that I think you should go ahead and tell her that it's the cream doing all the work while the worthless pills are added so that they can sell it for a higher price.
I can't find the price for the 2-Part Acne Treatment for Females but acne.org are selling a 16 oz tube of the cream in question for $32.03 and I'm sure you can find it much cheaper.
I must say that it's a very ingenious way of peddling homeopathic crap. Bundle it together with something that actually work and raising the price while saying stuff like "all-natural" and "working with your body, not against".
As a side note, I remembered hearing about a study that showed that placebo's could be effective even if the patients knew it was a placebo So I went and found it. And here it is.
Placebos without Deception: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Irritable Bowel Syndrome .
But if they ever stop working for her, then just show her all the videos of James Randi taking three whole boxes of homeopathic sleeping pills at the same time on stage.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
The placebo effect is weird in that it works in the sense of general health, not a specific effect, and more interestingly, people who are told they're taking placebos still get the same effects from taking them afterward.
The point is, though, these pills aren't doing anything for her face -- the anti-acne cream is. Pointing out that the pills contain nothing won't stop the simple acne cream from working, and your girlfriend won't be suckered into using non-cures for ailments.
She'll be saving $8 per oz if she switches over to the acne.org cream I linked to above.
That said, all doctors who use homeopathic remedies will tell you each treatment is unique and should be specifically tailored to the patient. Homeopathic remedies fabricated to work for everyone are indeed something of a sham.
I'd go with bowen's suggestion and ask if she wants to try the cream without the pills for a while - if that's an option, of course. I don't know if they're sold separately.
i don't think it's noble to let the illusion slide on the idea that 'the placebo's working'. it might be, but if it is, there'll almost certainly be something that works better; or, as has been mentioned, it's probably not, and it's a bloated and expensive way to buy an (actually effective) benzoyl peroxide cream.
Seeing as this is H/A, I feel it necessary to point out what may be bad/inaccurate advice. Unless you can give a cite that contradicts the scientific consensus on homeopathic medicine, the bolded statement is not accurate.
Remember Naturopathic != Homeopathic. People all too often confuse the two definitions.
Not to mention biology, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics, etc.
I think in the situation described, the most morally correct route would be to inform her that it's the placebo effect.
I don't disagree with any of this, but my understanding was from the OP that the cream portion of the experiment had been tried before with unsatisfactory results. There are a ton of benzoyl peroxide creams out there, its pretty much the first step in fighting acne.
It could be this particular cream is awesome, it could also be placebo, or both. Hard to say with a control group of one person.
On the flip side, she has found something that works for her, so even if it is just the placebo effect, you'd also be justified in not telling her. Like I said, personally I'd tell her, but it's also totally okay if you opt not to. This isn't really a problem that has a solid "right" or "wrong" answer.
However, as others have mentioned, this may encourage her to try other homeopathic "treatments"; birth control, for example. So I'd get some of the creme elsewhere and ask her try it instead. If it doesn't work, she can always go back.
I for one, rather know the truth and be miserable than to live a lie.
But besides that, she just needs to accept that acne is part of her until there actually is a working cure.
She says that that fake stuff is the only one that works, but I doubt it does? she still has acne doesnt she? she probably only thinks it's "less", somehow.
Not only do you deny a person the truth, but you are making sure some fraud company is making money off of her.
Erm... Accutane was removed from the market two years ago.
Fine Accutane's generics (Claravis, Sotret, Amnesteem). I worked in pharmacy for 7 years. It's all Accutane to me ;-)
Or you can casually mention you were browsing online one day and saw these pills being sold through a homeopathic outlet "somewhere" and see if she connects the dots herself. If she makes the connection herself, she likely won't feel as embarrassed as if it were pointed out.
The severity of acne in comparison can be objectively measured and thus not really covered by the potential things placebo pills might help with.
If the OP has noticed that her skin has improved after she started out with this regime then it's the active ingredients in the cream that have caused this improvement - not the girlfriend's belief in the placebo pills. When this is the case it'd be stupid to stick with a cream that's overpriced as hell and can be bought cheaper elsewhere.
If it were me I'd want to know.
Also, the placebo affect is very controversial and my understanding is that it largely affects only those parts of a condition relating to stress or mental well being. Not to mention that there are better things to attach a placebo affect to if that's what you are going for (exercise? Vegetables?)
Secret Satan
From the OP, it looks like she doesn't know it's homeopathic.