Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on March 5, 2009 at 1:22pm

Hi Lisa

I know this is a difficult thing to deal with but the truth of the situation at the moment with alopecia is that there is no cure. Some people have results with treatments and medications but nobody can really tell whether the treatment has done something or whether they were going into natural remission. Steroids etc. do work for hairgrowth but you can't take them forever and unless you go into natural remission yourself, what hair they have grown will fall out once the medication has stopped. With many medications there can be some pretty horrid side effects, so if you try that route be educated on what these side effects can be.

I truly realise that this is difficult to accept and move on with. But I feel that the truth as I understand it needs to be told.

My daughter has been dealing with Alopecia for the last six years and in that time has regrown her hair 3 times, been AU twice and AA, AT in between times. I did try homeopathy at the very beginning, but it did not bring back her hair. I'm not sure what it did really, but the lady we saw was just lovely - she had a very calming effect on my daughter and that was a help. So, whether the homeopathy or the ladies kindness helped I just don't know.

I support you in whatever you might feel will help, but please be careful as there truly are some snakeoils out there which cost an arm and a leg. Try and keep things in perspective with touted cures and treatments. There are over 2,000 people here with varying forms of hairloss. Many have been dealing with this condition for many years and I feel if there was something out there that worked for everyone and was proven we would know about it.

Take care

Rosy

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Permalink Reply by Lisa on March 5, 2009 at 7:39pm

Dear Rosy,

Thank you so much for your response to my inquiry about homeopathic alternatives for treating this....I really did not know that a person could have three forms of this disease as your daughter has had...I am just learning....I was under the impression that AU was permanent, but it's encouraging to know that hair is able to grow back after such dramatic hairloss.
I have Lupus/autoimmune disease/Sjogren's Syndrome, and AA seems to be a condition that people with Lupus have to cope with. Because my symptoms have been mild, i have been avoiding medications with serious side effects. I had wanted to believe that natural remedies could be effective because it's been hard for me to believe in what Dr.'s have recommended sometimes too! I was prescribed Methotrexate 13 years ago for what I considered were mild symptoms (just some stiffness in the morning)...I couldn't justify the risks to my overall health by taking such a strong medication with the tradeoff being free of joint stiffness for a half hour a day...I've seen a variety of Dr.s since 1995 because I've wanted a Dr. that tailored treatment to individual needs and considered the person as a whole, possibly one that practiced conventional and alternative treatments. Conventional treatments (drugs with serious side effects) for my mild symptoms were the very same as some Lupus patients with much more serious symptoms than mine. That is why I was hoping that homeopathy would be a good route for me to take!
I think this condition is so difficult for me and others at first, because you can "see" an active disease process with your own eyes...oftentimes people with autoimmune diseases look healthy and I think that can help in dealing with it psychologically and socially! Looking at myself now, I feel that seeing my disease on the" outside" is psychologically painful and I'm hoping that once I get used to it, I will be able to accept it and develop a positive outlook as many of the people here have been able to do!

Thank you, again, Rosy!

My very Best Wishes to you and your Daughter,

Lisa

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Permalink Reply by Eileen Simpson on March 12, 2009 at 10:51pm

Has anyone ever heard of Emu treatment? I have read many posts on the internet that say it works? I did have some oil at home here not much tried it but no results. Just wondering, I miss my hair.
Eileen

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Permalink Reply by Realist on March 5, 2009 at 6:50pm

I have to stay true to my nickname, so, here it is:

In 2005, The Lancet medical journal published a meta-analysis of 110 placebo-controlled homeopathy trials and 110 matched medical trials based upon the Swiss government's Program for Evaluating Complementary Medicine, or PEK. The study concluded that its findings were compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homeopathy are nothing more than placebo effects.[16]

And what PLACEBO means (for those who don't know):

The placebo effect is a phenomenon in medicine where the results of a medical treatment are effected by their symbolism, and not just their medical value. It occurs when a patient's ideas about a treatment play a role in its results and is most apparent in cases where a patient is given a known ineffective treatment but responds dramatically. In these cases the results of the treatment are said to have come by means other than its direct physiological action.

So, to put it simple: homeopathic remedies are placebo, many researches will confirm that. Their 'remedies' don't *cure*, they just give (false) hope and fore some people that's all they need: hope. And they cure themselves (with help from homeopathic remedies). As long as you're curing things that are not life threatening it's all well up to you, but taking homeopathic remedies for diseases like cancer is morally not acceptable:

Knowingly giving a person a placebo when there is an effective treatment available is a bioethically complex issue. While placebo controlled trials might provide information about the effectiveness of a treatment, it violates the rights of that person to receive the best available treatment. This issue is covered by the Declaration of Helsinki.

I hope my post won't get deleted. I've noticed there's a strict regime about what you 'can' say and what 'can't be said to people'.

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Permalink Reply by Lillian (Tracy-mom) on September 22, 2009 at 11:07am

Homeopathy is all about helping the body heal itself. Western medicine is about treating symptoms with chemicals which themselves cause a host of potentially lethal side effects. I get so tired of hearing the "all homeopathic remedies are placebo" speel. My daughter that has suffered from horrible allergies and asthma since she was 9 months old and has been under the care of an allergist from that time and took several medications for her asthma and allergies. When her AA appeared and Western Drs gave no answers we sought a naturopathic path. She has been under the care of a naturopathic doctor for the past 5 months who has her on a food sensitivity restrictive diet, supplements, and homeopathic drops. For the past 5 months since doing these treatments, she has been symptoms from both allergies and asthma without any medications for the very first time in her life!! She looks healthier then she ever has as well. Are you going to say this is placebo?!! My daughter is 8 years old and I don't think placebo would work so well on someone that doesn't have an understanding of her conditions let alone what a treatment is supposed to do. Also, her AA appears to be in remission as well.

I too am skeptical about alot of claims on the internet. But many homeopathic remedies are older than western medicine and many western medicine are derived from old remedies but are chemical rather than natural and therefore have too many side effects. Case in point. Look at all those commercials for drugs. Most spend more time listing the many side effects and risks than what the drug is supposed to do. Are we to trust this form of medicine more? I don't think so!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Molly on May 3, 2016 at 10:19am

Lillian - I know it was a long time ago that you took your daughter to homeopathic doctor.  Has she had success over these years with hair growth?

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Permalink Reply by Danielle & Lilly on March 7, 2009 at 6:05pm

My daughter is 7 and has about 75% hairloss. We did chemical and steroids and stopped once we figured out it made her vommit and have diarrhea. I have heard from a friend of a friend who had A.T. that she tried accupuncture and it worked. We will try that soon. Have you tried accupuncture? I think she did accupuncture on her scalp.

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Permalink Reply by JeffreySF on March 7, 2009 at 7:53pm

I've heard of people trying accupuncture but never heard of any sucess with alopecia.
Keep us posted
Hope it works.

Jeffrey

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Permalink Reply by Blessed Soul on March 9, 2009 at 11:31am

Hi Lisa,
I m under Homeopathic treatment. I hav AU so its takin long time. There r more chances of relapse in AU, so i do get hair at some places but then again they fall. I hav heard from ALL the Dr.'s that there r more chances of curing AA. So, i would advice u to go for it ASAP, before it increases. Also try out Ayurvedic treatment. The Dr.'s also told me more u delay in treatment, less r the chances of getting treated soon. So plz go now to a Homeopathic & Ayurvedic clinic & start ur treatment asap!
Take care!!!! Best Wishes!!!

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Permalink Reply by Kerri Wright on June 2, 2009 at 9:18am

i have been having accupuncture for my alopecia areata for about 2 months now. the patches have got considerably smaller in size and my hair has stopped coming out. it is taking a long time for it to come back but it is coming slowly but surely. this may be to do with the fact that alopecia areata is linked to stress and the accupuncture is de-stressing me!?

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Permalink Reply by Georgie on September 23, 2009 at 12:20am

Well....I'm going to have to throw my 2 cents in here as well. Currently I am doing homeopathic remedies under the care of a naturopath. It's only been a few weeks. Prior to the start and still currently I have been getting acupuncture all around my body....not on my head, though (kenalog injections from my dermatologist is enough, isn't it?) When I sought help from my naturopath in March 2009, I started with bloodwork and a food allergy panel. I have allergies to gluten and dairy. OK. Fixed that by elimination. Low iron.....fixed that with supplements and added a few other supplements such as a,b,c,d, calcium and cod liver oil. :( I also have Hashimotos thyroid for 7 years.

Today I feel awesome. I am happy being gluten and dairy-free. I have decreased my synthroid from 100 to 75. I prepared myself to begin the homeopathic part of my journey. It's only been 2 weeks and I am trying to be optimistic. That being said, it's better to try something than to not try at all. Everyone's body is different and we all respond differently to treatments. Obviously there is no cure for alopecia yet but, we need to be opened minded and keep trying different things to at least get it under some sort of control. I'm willing to give it a go if it means helping others in the same situation.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara on September 23, 2009 at 1:47pm

Hi Lisa,

i am searching too! Has only been a few short months since diagnosis and treatment, and some days I am fine and some days I get discouraged and depressed (just have another spot show up and that will blow your day!!). Good luck to you and keep us posted on what you find - what works and what doesn't!

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