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Re:Homeopathic remedies recalled for containing real medicine by jejones3141 on Thursday March 27, 2014 @08:14AM (#7479847)
As lotu says, they're sold as supplements.

Of course, homeopathic "remedies" are uniquely adapted to our litigious society--since they can have no effects, they can have no side effects, and thus you'll never see ads from lawyers looking to sue over side effects of homeopathy.

Re:Homeopathic remedies recalled for containing real medicine by aestra on Thursday March 27, 2014 @08:40AM (#7479950)
>since they can have no effects, they can have no side effects

Completely and totally incorrect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocebo

In medicine, a nocebo (Latin for "I shall harm") is a harmless substance that creates harmful effects in a patient who takes it.

Basically, you think "I'm taking medication, that could cause side effects," that thinking it and of itself can causes side effects!! It's like a reverse placebo.

Also see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2hO4_UEe-4 (watch this short video, it give a great rundown on the nocebo effect, including examples)

and people are thinking they are getting specific side effects....at least they are searching about them.

http://i.imgur.com/lskvrtI.png

Re:Homeopathic remedies recalled for containing real medicine by MicroBerto on Thursday March 27, 2014 @09:15AM (#7480133)
Actually, they're not sold as supplements all the time either. They're in some sort of weird gray area that is in between medicine and supplements:

"The legal status of homeopathic remedies in the United States is unique. In 1938, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was sponsored by Senator Royal Copeland who also happened to be a homeopathic physician. The senator wrote wording into his bill that recognized all products listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States as drugs and made them subject to regulation by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The legislation passed, and as a result, homeopathic products are legally sold in food stores, pharmacies, and elsewhere as a unique category of drug.

Despite such widespread use, the FDA regulates homeopathic preparations much less stringently than conventional drugs. Homeopathic products are not required to prove effectiveness or safety. Some regulations do apply. For example, homeopathic products can only be sold without a prescription if they are specifically for self-limiting conditions such as the common cold. Products marketed for severe conditions such as cancer are prescription-only."

Source: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-115...

That gray area has done a lot of damage to a lot of people.