Homeopathy for ADHD Revisited

In Germany, Switzerland, England, India and South America, homeopathy is a widely practiced and mostly trusted medical art. Here in the United States, homeopathy is viewed with a jaundiced eye. It is mostly not a trusted medical practice and few people use homeopathic remedies.

The studies that I have seen looking at the effectiveness of homeopathy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD) have mostly concluded that homeopathy is not useful for the treatment of ADHD. The only studies that have been positive are, for the most part, studies where the researchers first determined that the person would respond to homeopathy and then have measured the effectiveness of the ADHD homeopathy treatment. The problem with this model is that, from a scientific standpoint, it is biased. If you, beforehand, select only subjects that respond to a treatment, then you should get a positive response. You know that they are going to respond positively because they have already responded positively.

From the standpoint of the homeopath this is perfectly valid because part of their process involves individualizing the treatment. The Homeopaths claim that they have to determine the best homeopathic remedy for ADHD in each particular individual and only then can they determine if they can adequately treat their ADHD.

Most of these homeopathic ADHD remedies have so little of anything in them that, when looked at under a microscope, virtually no active ingredient can be found (go figure). The homeopaths claim that the water is somehow magnetized by the substances that they add and it is this water polarity change that causes the symptoms to improve.

Homeopathy came to be viewed with a great deal of respect in 1831 when a cholera outbreak killed almost 50 percent of people treated with traditional medicine while only 9 percent of people treated with homeopathy died.

Homeopaths use microdoses of substances found in nature that if given in large doses would make the patient develop the exact symptoms that they are treating. They claim that by giving microdoses of an irritant, the patient develops an immunity of sorts and their body can fight off the irritant causing their symptoms. They call this the law of 'similars' and it is not at all different from the methods that are used in the traditional Allopathic medicine used here in the U.S. to treat allergies and to make immunizations.

In England the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that stimulants not be used in very young children or in patients with symptoms of ADHD that are not severe. A study performed in Switzerland where they compared homeopathy and Ritalin, side by side, found that homeopathy worked well except in severe cases of ADHD and in cases where school pressure was intense. This study recommended homeopathy for mild to moderate cases of ADHD and for young children.

I agree with NICE. Stimulants should only be used in cases where the ADHD cannot be controlled in any other way.  I believe that you must start with the least invasive therapy first. Homeopathy is considered extremely safe so if you have young children or a child that is doing well in school but could be less distracted, homeopathy may be worth a try. Behavioral therapy, herbal remedies, occupational therapy, visual therapy, auditory therapy, exercise, diet interventions, yoga, meditation and cognitive therapy are also worth a try.

It is extremely important that any ADHD homeopathy treatment be monitored by a licensed Homeopath and that you advise your health care provider of the homeopathic ADHD medicines that your child or you are taking. When I reviewed the positive studies I found five homeopathy ADHD medicines that were the most often used to successfully treat symptoms of ADHD. They were; Stramonium, Lycopodium, Cina, Hyoscyamus, Calcium Carbonate and Sulphur.