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It's not a matter of personal taste but a matter of science; there's no evidence that homeopathy's efficacy is any more than that of a placebo.

It depends on the person to be honest and how sensitive their bodies are. In our family of 4 myself and my son respond very well to homeopathic remedies yet my husband and daughter do not.

In addition to homeopathic you may want to check with a certified naturopath that does herbal remedies as well, those work better for some people. For example here in zone 8 our naturopath has a remedy to help with allergies that is designed just for our zone for the most common grasses and trees, it is a lifesaver for my son every year.

I agree with campari...

I use a sinus rinse (similar to a neti pot) which I was instructed to use by my doctor for my recurring sinus infections, gargle with apple cider vinegar solution when I have a sore throat instead of sprays, I've tried ginger for a headache when it's not severe, but for the most part I take antibiotics and advil like everyone else.

Anecdotally: On the sinus rinse/neti-pot thing, it does seriously help clear my nose and sinuses, relieve sinus symptoms and sinus headaches, but it did not decrease the amount of sinus infections I had. I needed antibiotics and eventually, surgery for that.

I have never used homeopathic remedies. I'm really skeptical about their efficacy.

However, I have used a Neti pot. It seems to help with my daily, routine sinus issues--when I remember to use it. Unfortunately I usually only think about it when I'm already congested.

I have always found baking soda and water to be the quickest and most effective antacid, so I only keep Tums on hand for when we're traveling.

I've found that if I start gargling--even using nothing but warm water--when I feel the onset of a sore throat, it seems to help. It's not a cure, but it does seem to help lessen the severity of the sore throat.

But when I have a cold so bad that I cannot breathe through my nose at all for a couple of days (right now), absolutely nothing works like a day and a half of Afrin. More than that and I get a rebound effect--but by the end of that day and a half, I don't usually need more anyhow.

It's important to separate traditional, effective treatments like sinus irrigation from "homeopathic medicine." Rejecting media-fueled hypochondria should not mean rejecting science-- modern medicine should be regarded with healthy skepticism, of course, but so should cures offered in natural foods stores!

thanks salsa, i totally agree. neti pots and some other traditional treatments which are effective are not homeopathy.

As a physician, I completely approve of alternative medicines -- when they're effective. Neti pots work. Baking soda is fine. Yoga works. Ginger for upset stomach works. Zinc spray/lozenge for colds works.

Homeopathy, though, does not work.

I have practiced jalaneti for ten years. I was terribly sick when I first started doing it, and did it morning, noon, and night---just like taking medicine, for about two months. As my sinuses shrank and healed, I dropped back to once a day. But during colds and flu season, I do it every day, and every time I think I have been exposed to someone with colds or flu. It is very important to add a bit of baking soda to the saline water. The soda changes the pH of the nasal mucosa, which neutralizes the rhinoviruses. I use a baby bottle now, with a hole drilled in the bottom and a larger hole cut in the nipple, which is easier on the nostrils.

As far as homeopathy goes, I've only ever tried Rescue Remedy and Rescue Sleep, and despite my skeptical nature both of them worked pretty well.

I rarely get sick in the first place, and I've had much better luck with natural remedies than pills, so I don't actually keep medicine in the house.

homeopathy for pets/placebo effect by proxy:
http://www.skeptics.org.uk/article.php?dir=articles&article=it_works_in_animals.php

also a warning about Rescue Remedy candy - it contains xylitol, a substance which is extremely toxic to dogs. makes you wonder about the company in general that they'd make a product intended for pets that could poison them.

You should know that when you buy homeopathic remedies, you're paying a lot of money for WATER.

It's a scam, pure and simple.

Homeopathy doesn't work, as others said, it's just water. On the other hand, conventional cough syrups don't have a lot of evidence backing them up either: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10777506/.

I find that a cup of hot water (not tea) works about as well as anything to stop a cough, and that's about as natural as you can get. Aspirin, by the way, is just a more controlled version of willow bark that's been used for pain relief for thousands of years. Depending on how you look at it, that could be "natural" as well. (But remember, arsenic is natural too!)

idiots.