Question:
Since cold season is coming on, I thought I'd repeat some advice my doctor gave last year on the homeopathic prevention of colds. To reduce the chance of getting a cold one should take a multivitamin every day containing the B vitamins and zinc and once a week one should take five pellets of Oscillococcinum (the trade name for Anna Barbarae 200C). Oscillococinum is package in little tubes and the packaging says to take all the pellets in a tube. My doctor said this is throwing your money away -- taking five pellets is sufficient for a single dose. I haven't had a chance to try this myself, as I am still under treatment. If anyone has other suggestions for the homeopathic prevention or treatment of colds, I'd like to hear them.

Answer: -"An equally rigorous study on the homeopathic treatment of a rheumatological condition called 'fibrositis' was published in the British Medical Journal (5). This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with a cross-over design. (Meaning that neither physician or patient knew who received the medicine and who received the placebo, and that halfway through the experiment, those who began with the placebo received the homeopathic medicine, and vice versa.) This study clearly showed that homeopathic medicine reduced pain. "Finally, a recently published study on the treatment of varicose veins showed that a combination of eight homeopathic medicines significantly improved symptoms of cramps, itching, and leg heaviness. More impressively, the blood circulation in the leg improved by 44%, while those who took the placebo deteriorated by 18% (6)." -Anybody tried Gripp Heel for the prevention of colds and flu? Company called BHI here in Albuquerque produces it. Real head scratcher. Seems to do the job. Don't understand how it works.