From: greg@antizen.EBay.Sun.COM
Newsgroups: rec.backcountry
Subject: Re: Altitude sickness preparation
Date: 12 Jan 1993 18:37:28 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: greg@antizen.EBay.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: antizen.ebay.sun.com


In article 29623@optima.cs.arizona.edu, evans@cs.arizona.edu (Richard C. Evans) writes:
> This is interesting. I have never been one for homeopathic medicines, but AS
> might be a good example of where homeopathic medicines are uniquely suited.
> I'm taking a team of 12 Venture Boy Scouts to 11,000 feet (they are aclimatized
> to 4800 ft) in March and would be willing to do a field test (assuming their
> parents don't object).  A few questions:
> 
> 1.  What is the physiological effect of coca?
> 2.  Are there side effects?
> 3.  How can I get the medicines?
> 4.  What dosage?
> 5.  How do I set the test up so that it is scientificaly valid?
> 
> Any physiologists/backpackers willing to help on this?
> 
> Rich Evans
> 

Disclaimer;

I am a Wilderness EMT, not an MD, ND or homeopathic Dr. The following
posting represents only a brief overview of homeopathic medicine.
Any debates dealing with homeopathy should be taken to misc.health.alternative.


First, the physiological effects of coca are not an issue, since in
the homeopathic coca remedy the actual coca has been dilluted many 
times over. This is the main source of disagreement with the validity
of homeopathic medicine. As the remedy approaches the 300/1 dillution
ratio, it is doubtful that any of the coca molecules exist. Homeopaths
claim that the greater the dillution, the *stronger* the medicine, or 
remedy is. This is of course runs contrary to modern pharmacology.

I personally however have recieved great positive results from homeopathic
medicine in treating my adult onset asthma, something which conventional
medicine considers manageble, but incurable.

The positive side of homeopathy is that there are no side effects with
the remedies, and they can be bought 'over the counter' in health food
stores.

I personally advocate the use, or experiementation of homeopathy in the
backcountry first aid setting for the following reasons;

-It offers treatments for trauma, shock and other injuries and illnesses
 for which only IV administered drugs are used, by licensed personnel.

-It offeres alternatives to perscription medicine that are sometimes
 difficult to obtain.

-Because the remedies are reported to exert no side effects, and they
 come in the form of sugar pills, as long as the first aider absolutely
 advocates seeking proper medical care as soon as it's available, it's
 a good bet that the these remedies can be used with little fear of
 the threat of litigation.

Homeopathic coca, while not usually in stock in most health food stores,
can be special ordered. I would suggest picking up a book on homeopathy
before buying and using the remedies. It is important to understand
the different dosages and dillutions.

If anyone is actually interested in trying out the homeopathic coca,
I would be willing to do the research for them as I'm very interested
in the results myself. 

Also worth mentioning is the two different types of homeopathic practice;

1. Classical, or constitutional homeopathy involves a considerable level
   of training and is usually practiced by an MD or ND (naturopathic Dr.).
   It involves the indepth history taking of the patient and the perscribing
   of the single remedy to treat the individual patient. Simply put, someone
   else complaining of adult onset asthma would most likely recieve a 
   completely different remedy than I did.

2. First aid homeopathy deals with using specific remedies for their
   illnesses or injuries. This is practiced by the lay homeopath and
   while it can be effective, it is not as complete as classical.

The use of homeopathic coca for AMS, HAPE or HACE would fall under the 
homeopathic first aid.

Greg


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