We tend to think that medicines we take are less harmful if they come from natural sources.

The FDA, once more, has sent out an alert about a natural remedy, this time the homeopathic teething gels. Click here to read

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/05/well/family/homeopathic-teething-gels-may-pose-risks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

Although a natural, homeopathic medication, these teething gels have been shown to cause seizures in children.

CVS has taken these products off their shelves and Hylands is cooperating with the FDA

Advanced Pediatrics is urging all families to no longer use homeopathic teething gels.

This development highlights a core issue with how we think about medicines.  One of the great appeals of natural, herbal, and alternative remedies, they don’t have the long list of bad side effects that “drugs” do.

But a good rule of thumb when it comes to taking any substance to change how the body works goes like this:

If it works, it can hurt.

What does this mean?   Well, if you take a pill or liquid that does nothing that changes the body, like a sip of plain water, then it can do no harm.

After all, if nothing happens when you take it, it won’t “work,” but it also can cause no damage, all because nothing is happening.

But any substance, if it actually changes how the body works, almost always can do unwanted changes, too.  Few things only do one thing.

When the desired effect happens we say the medicine is “working,” but any other impact is called a side effect.

I would suggest there is no such thing as a “side” effect, all active substances have a range of effects, some desired, some undesired.  And that can change.  For example, Rogaine was initially designed to lower blood pressure, but a common side effect was to induce more hair growing.  Now it is sold as a hair growing drug.  Excess hair moved from side effect to the drug working.  Another example is Benadryl, whose actual intended purpose is to relieve allergies, but a common side effect is tiredness.  But now comes Zquil, a sleep drug, which turns out to be purely Benadryl!  Again, side effect becomes a main effect.  The point is there are only effects.

And so it is no matter what we call the drug:  a pharmaceutical, a naturpathic intervention, a homeopathic substance, an herbal remedy, an alternative treatment.  If it works, if it does something to the body, it can cause harm.

So, keep in mind two questions before you give your child any type of medicine:

1. Does it work?
2. Does it cause harm?

Homeopathic teething gels fail the second question, and we insist that any medication we recommend pass both.

To your health,
Dr. Arthur Lavin