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IS HOMOEOPATHY A PLACEBO RESPONSE? CONTROLLED TRIAL OF HOMOEOPATHIC POTENCY, WITH POLLEN IN HAYFEVER AS MODEL
Abstract
The hypothesis that homoeopathic potencies are placebos was tested in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The study model chosen compared the effects of a homoeopathic preparation of mixed grass pollens with placebo in 144 patients with active hayfever. The homoeopathically treated patients showed a significant reduction in patient and doctor assessed symptom scores. The significance of this response was increased when results were corrected for pollen count and the response was associated with a halving of the need for antihistamines. An initial aggravation of symptoms was noted more often in patients receiving the potency and was followed by an improvement in that group. No evidence emerged to support the idea that placebo action fully explains the clinical responses to homoeopathic drugs.
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“In Germany, the most commonly used treatment for Hay Fever (a seasonal sensitivity) is homeopathy [17] .”
From Alternative Medicine: New Ways to Treat Diseases and Therapies (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
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Cites
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Metadata
- Authors
- Reilly, D., Mcsharry, C., Taylor, M., & Aitchison, T.
- Affiliations
- Western Infirmary (GB)
- ORCID
- Mcsharry, Charles
- Venue
- The Lancet
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1986-10
- Volume
- 328
- Issue
- 8512
- Pages
- 881-886
- ISSN
- 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
- 0140-6736
- OpenAlex
- W1996492700
- Cited by
- 297
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 27.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Lancet (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Immunology and Allergy › Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
- Keywords
- homeopathy, placebo effect, allergic rhinitis, pollen counts, antihistamine use, symptom aggravation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Clinical Trials as Topic, Double-Blind Method, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal, Histamine H1 Antagonists, Homeopathy, Humans, Male, Models, Biological, Placebos, Pollen, Random Allocation
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