Homeopathic Remedies – Zicam Debacle

I  remember a professor telling me in school that homeopathic remedies were “just water.” If I didn’t already a know a bit about homeopathy, i probably would have believed him and decided that homeopathic remedies were harmless.   After all, what can a million parts of water with 1 part of active drug do?

Now we hear that Zicam, a homeopathic remedy, can cause anosmia (loss of smell).  Zicam has 2 parts per 100 parts water.   The active ingredient is zinc gluconate.

So, could bad things happen with other “homeopathic” products sold OTC?  Of course.  Most of these products have no research done on them.  Small amounts of some compounds can elicit adverse reactions. Another big issue is the alcohol content of some of these products.  Most of the time, alcohol is the main ingredient.

I don’t consider products like Zicam true homeopathy anyway.  I don’t think anyone can buy homeopathy off a shelf.  True homeopathy takes into account a person’s mental and physical status – the person as a whole.  Treatments are often individualized.  You cannot buy that from a shelf.  Plus, the nasal route is not generally recommended for homeopathic treatments.

Do I believe homeopathy works? Not really, but I think it can be a great comfort to patients and that can mean a lot.   Do I think it needs to be further regulated? Perhaps, but not because those who practice homeopathy do it wrong.  There are many who try to get around laws by claiming “homeopathy” when they are delivering active drugs to patients.  The FDA needs to step in and regulate those people.  In general, a homeopathic dilution is no where near 2 in 100.  That’s delivering a compound, not a homeopathic remedy.