Malaria and Homeopathic Remedies for travel
BBC Newsnight 13.7.06 has highlighted the danger of fulciparum malaria and the use of homeopathic remedies. What a dilemma!!!
Just one question though. Are we talking about prophylaxis or about treatment? Many people still catch malaria when they have used pharmaceutical prophylaxis:
No method of malaria prevention is one hundred per cent effective, and there is still a small chance of contracting malaria despite the taking of anti-malaria medication and the adoption of personal protection methods.
As with many diseases, however, there is no guaranteed protection against contracting malaria, despite the fact that you take preventive medication.
You may still contract malaria despite taking anti-malarial tablets. No tablet is 100% effective.
Many antimalarial drugs in current usage are closely related chemically and development of resistance to one can facilitate development of resistance to others. Chloroquine and amodiaquine are both 4-aminoquinolines and cross-resistance between these two drugs is well known (69, 70). Development of resistance to mefloquine may also lead to resistance to halofantrine and quinine. Antifolate combination drugs have similar action and widespread use of sulfadoxine/ pyrimethamine for the treatment of malaria may lead to increased parasitological resistance to other antifolate combination drugs (29). Development of high levels of SP resistance through continued accumulation of DHFR mutations may compromise the useful life span of newer antifolate combination drugs such as chlorproguanil/dapsone (LapDap) even before they are brought into use. This increased risk of resistance due to SP use may even affect non-malarial pathogens; use of SP for treatment of malaria increased resistance to trimethoprim/sufamethoxazole among respiratory pathogens (71).
No prophylactic drug is entirely effective and no malaria drug without side effects. It is therefore important that the drug for prophylaxis is chosen with regard to the risk of being infected with malaria is balanced against the risk of side effects.
The side effects of malaria prophylaxis can be severe.
And I know many people who travelled on homeopathic prophylaxis and never caught malaria (or anything else) at all!
Of course, it is in Sense about Science’s dramatic interests to confuse treatment with prophylaxis, isn’t it? It makes much better drama. Why bother with straight facts when you can twist them together and get such a pretty string?
It is difficult to advise people who just want to believe - and who don’t seriously educate themselves about reality and risk. If you want to travel and JUST USE Homeopathic remedies, then you have to seriously understand the issues involved and not just think that remedies are the same as pharmaceuticals. They are not!
Many seasoned travellers do use JUST homeopathic remedies, but they are also sensible enough to have seriously studied the subject, know ALL the preventative measures and when they can and WHEN THEY CANNOT rely on remedies and when to call a doctor if they are in trouble. Not all members of the public are so informed and unless you are prepared to study this issue in depth, then be sensible and at least listen to the orthodox advice!
Take all preventative measures, don’t get bitten, use mosquito coils and nets, use garlic to discourage the mosquitos, but don’t think this will be sufficient in high risk areas or guarantee that you won’t get bitten. Unless you are qualified to treat every symptom with a homeopathic remedy and are sure you can do this effectively, then take the pharmaceuticals! This is common sense. Some mystics can go for years without eating, but unless you know just how to do it, don’t try it. Some mystics can bury themselves alive for days or slow their breathing down to once an hour, but unless you know how to do it….
There is a really good homeopathic travel advice clinic at Ainsworths and a really good book The World Travellers’ Manual of Homeopathy by Dr Colin B Lessell which will start you off. Also, there is a free clinic for travellers at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases which will acquaint you with the risk of the area to which you intend to travel. Always make sure you know what you are doing by your own research and do not just rely on one source of information.
It is true that Samuel Hahnemann discovered homeopathy by treating malaria when he discovered the remedy china (Peruvian Bark) and the story is told in Samuel Hahnemann: his life and work by Richard Haehl, though you will have to get this from Minimum Books or Serpentina Books as amazon does not carry it.
In the end, people like choice and so we will always have people asking us for alternative measures. Remember, we are not miracle workers, we are alternative practitioners and we do our best to advise you. At the end of the day I can assure you that I will give you all the advice, orthodox and alternative.
Also, note that traditional medicine is the front line treatment in many areas of the World:
Despite limited evidence of efficacy, TM/CAM is used for the full spectrum of diseases from self-limited to life-threatening illnesses. For example, a WHO Roll Back Malaria programme reported that in Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Zambia, herbal medicine is the first line of treatment for more than 60% of children with high fever. With technical and financial support from the WHO, the results of the pilot clinical studies on anti-malarial herbal medicines have shown that herbal medicines could clean up the parasites within one week. These results are comparable with those from anti-malarial drugs, although clinical studies need to continue.
14.7.2006 - Guidance note from the Society of Homeopaths: “Please note that, due to the current lack of published evidence to support the use of homeopathy as as prophylactic, the Society currently must regard it a ’speculative theory’ even though we are all aware that there is a lot of anecdotal and historical evidence to support it.”
120.8.07 - Peter Chappell’s PC Resonances
5.10.07 - Research into the homeopathic treatment of Malaria can be found here
And a warning about the pharmaceuticals here
Sue :: Jul.13.2006 :: homeopathy, pathology, pharmaceuticals :: No Comments »