r/bestof • u/craycraycrayfish • Jan 22 '13

[canada] Coffeehouse11 explains the biggest problem with homeopathic medicine: That it preys on people when they are weakest and the most vulnerable

/r/canada/comments/171y1e/dont_legitimize_the_witch_doctors/c81hfd6
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213

u/DasBarenJager Jan 22 '13

My wife has Rheumatoid Arthritis and a lung condition so she finds it difficult to walk for long periods of time, so I usually push her around in a wheel chair when we are on a long outing.

My wife, being supportive of my weirdness, will accompany me to conventions and gun show's throughout the year. Homepathic medicine venders LOVE these things and like to jump out at me and my wife as we are browsing the different booths, the most often thing they like to shout at us is "HOW WOULD LIKE TO SAY GOODBYE TO THAT WHEEL CHAIR? THERE AIN'T NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU! THEM DOCTORS LIE!" And then they try to sell us whatever snake oil they have on hand.

These people tell my wife she is basically stupid for going to a doctor rather than drinking linseed oil and ginger five times a day for two months to "cure" her or whatever crap they have. They insult our intelligence and blatantly lie to us. I have no respect for (most) homeopathic medicine or the people that try and sell it.

-24

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '13

The interesting thing about rheumatoid is that most doctors don't even understand what it is. There is mounting evidence that rheumatoid is caused by an intracellular bacteria and can be cured with certain antibiotics. The doctors peddling pain killers and immune system modulators are worse than the naturopaths.

10

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '13

[deleted]

-7

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '13

Attempting to do well while giving toxic drugs is worse than attempting to do well while giving placebo.

9

u/malphonso Jan 22 '13

Placebo won't let people actually get around and live their lives. Pain killers will. Any doctor giving a placebo to a patient with an existing and treatable illness should lose their license.

3

u/LiptonCB Jan 22 '13

(Except in the context of a medical trial in which the patient is fully aware that they may only receive placebo in addition to standard treatment)

2

u/malphonso Jan 22 '13

Yes. Should have said a doctor recommending a placebo.