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Description: Here are topics that are too short for their own pages. They are still important. The idea of "die off" comes up so much in online discussions, and appears to be really a name for "adverse events". 

The question of what are the adverse events and how common are they in alternative medicine is unanswered.  Unless a "treatment" is doing nothing (which is possible, see homeopathy, below) it almost certainly will have some adverse affect on some part of the population.

With regular medicine, you will find some answers on adverse events.  Granted, sometimes you won't find them all, but someone had to test and list adverse reactions.  With alternative medicine, there is no reporting. Many in the alternative-medicine forums will discuss issues of "conflicts of interest", aimed at groups like the CDC who monitor and the FDA who regulate medicines.  No comments are made about the alternative medicine practitioners who have little or no oversight.  We depend on them to report adverse events.  We depend on the people actively promoting alternative medicine to study and report how things can go wrong.  As yourself if that constitutes a conflict of interest.

Die Off

 

Die off is a term used for a reaction observed in the treatment of syphilis. The medical term is Herxheimer reaction.  It refers to a situation when an antibiotic kills off bacterial and they release toxins into the body, leading to symptoms like chills, headache and fever.

Many discussions of treatments in the alternative medical community talk about "die off".  Often this involves yeast.  Search pubmed (the online database of medical articles). Enter Herxheimer and yeast as search terms.  There is one paper, from 1975, and it isn't on topic.

Keep a skeptical eye with the term "die off".  Do the research and question: is this a "die off" or is this an adverse reaction? This is especially true when "die off" is considered to take extended periods of time.  

Of course, that begs the question when you explore any therapy: "what are the adverse reactions to this therapy?  How many people experience it? Are they serious, permanent?"  If the answer is, "you can expect some 'die off'", take the time to see if this term is really appropriate.

Homeopathy

 

Homeopathy is a very old alternative medicine treatment (dating back to the 1700's).  The idea is that you take a substance that causes a symptom.  You then dilute this in water (for example) over and over until there is none of the substance left.  The remaining water is supposed to have some memory of the substance, and somehow this is supposed to help treat the symptom targeted.

Homeopathy has never (in over 200 years) been shown to work.  Why should it?- the "medicine" is just plain water.  Before chemistry and the idea of atoms and molecules were understood, there might have been some reason to believe in Homeopathy. But, in today's world, we know enough to say that there is no "memory", there is nothing left of the original substance.  It's just water.

And, yet, people treat themselves and their children with it and claim it helps heal.

Do we need any better example of the idea that the placebo effect is at play?  If people can attribute improvements in autistic symptoms from plain old water, what's to say that any treatment is valid--unless it's been studied and shown to work.

A simple test

 

Here's a simple test when considering an alternative therapy.  Read the groups that promote it.  Look for the bad reactions (search for "die off", "vomit", "increased stimming", "increased hyperactivity", etc.).  In your mind, replace the therapy with the word "vaccine".  Ask yourself, "if a child had that reaction to a vaccine, would these events be considered more serious?"

A second question to ask yourself: why do the proponents of alternative medicine for treating autism try so hard to discredit established medical organizations?  For example, do you think that the American Academy of Pediatricians is against helping children?

Third test: did you believe in conspiracies before you found out you had a child with autism?  Why start now?  Many groups promoting alternative medicine for the treatment of autism also promote the idea that there is a conspiracy to cover-up issues around autism.  Consider the size of the conspiracies they claim and use a skeptical eye.

My doctor isn't helping me

 

Many stories of people using alternative medicine to treat children with autism include complaints that regular medical doctors aren't being helpful.  Since we all look back (including doctors) and see signs missed before a child was diagnosed with autism, it's easy to become disillusioned.

If you think your doctor isn't helping with some specific issue, find another doctor or a specialist who will.  It may be hard to switch, but good (mainstream) doctors are all around. 

Disclaimer

 

RescueAngel.org is not affiliated in any way with Generation Rescue, Jenny McCarthy or any other person or organization promoting biomedical treatments for autism.
 
Also, the information on RescueAngel.Org is not medical advice.  Rather this is intended to motivate people to seek out quality medical advice from practitioners who are well qualified to make accurate diagnoses and proper treatments

Comments/suggestions?  Email RescueAngel.Org