Snake Oil

[Canary42]

I am bombarded with ads/e-mails for health-style remedies and it amazes me that there are so many "cures" around which are not offered by the qualified Medical Profession.

Examples: obesity, arthritis, COPD, sexual potency, hair loss, IBS, high blood pressure, insomnia, constipation, the list goes on.

My question is, have you ever used one of these, and was it effective ?


[Posted in CB out of respect for the site rules]

[Sqad]

No.

[Deskdiary]

Do you mean like homeopathy? The most pseudo of all pseudo sciences.

Water has a memory!!!

A fool and his money are easily parted.

[davebro]

Copper insoles for knee pain? !!!!!!

[Canary42]

Sqad: Thanks for your prompt and succinct answer, not unexpected ;-)

But what is the general view in the Medical Profession of these Snake Oil Salesmen - I would imagine they are disliked as impostors who nevertheless make lots of money.

Deskdiary: Your final sentence is so true - but the commercial pressure at times is enormous - many desperate chronic sufferers will try anything. I am looking for independent support (or otherwise) rather than false testimonials from the salesmen themselves. I would nevertheless love to see a groundswell of derision from hapless victims.

[pastafreak]

I know very little about homeopathy, yet I've seen my share of folks who have used some form of it on animals...horses in particular. Are they all deluded, or lying?
As to the exact ads/cures...can you give examples?

[Canary42]

I'm reluctant to give examples as why should I give their claims extra publicity, and anyway it would break the Site Rules. However you could try googling bald cures for some examples.

My interest is whether anyone here has found any of them effective (as opposed to testimonials from the ads).

[dannyk13]

Never tried any of them and never will.

[Mamyalynne]

Actually, snake oil may be good for constipation - it scares the heck out of me.

[bednobs]

i found acupuncture helpful for pain - is that the kind of thing you mean?

[Sqad]

LOL.. lol ^^^^

[Sqad]

Bednobs.....no it isn't.

[jno]

Deskdiary, Rescue Remedy seems to work for a lot of people, adults and children alike. I can't think of any homeopathic remedy that has the same approval level, though.

[david small]

Sheeple. Sheeple who need sheeple. Are the most gullible sheeple in the world. Sing along.....

[davebro]

I tried some of the Bach Flower Remedies a long time ago - no discernible effect.

[jno]

it's just the one that seems to work, davebro. I've not tried it myself, though.

[Mamyalynne]

It rather depends what ingredients you are dismissing in these so called remedies.

Lots of modern drugs are now synthetic versions of what began as herbal remedies.

I use comfrey leaves steeped in boiling water on sprains, peppermint for IBS etc.

I would never purchase anything that didn't tell me the active ingredient/s.

[Canary42]

/// i found acupuncture helpful for pain - is that the kind of thing you mean? ///

Certainly included yes. Basically anything not provided by conventional health outlets (Doctors, Hospitals) and usually scorned by them.

[davebro]

Yes - I have used comfrey ointment for bruised/cracked/broken bones & it DOES work. Thanks for the reminder - got a chronic ankle problem just now that might respond.

[Canary42]

/// Lots of modern drugs are now synthetic versions of what began as herbal remedies. ///

An interesting slant. So today's "unconventional" remedy could become tomorrow's recognised one. A good point.

[Mamyalynne]

We must always be careful of the word 'cure' , often a remedy or alleviation of symptoms can come from the unlikeliest source.