A single, tiny mosquito can make my life a misery. It can rob me of a night’s sleep and turn me into a frantic lunatic. But now there is a remedy that, according to its manufacturer, makes my mosquito-phobia a distant memory. Mosquito-maniacs like myself can finally breathe a sigh of relief!
According to the manufacturer’s web-site, Mozi-Q is formula to reduce the frequency of bites as well as the reactions that people have to bites. No more itching and big red bumps! No more smelly sprays or stinky coils…what a great ally for camping, golfing, hiking, biking. This could revolutionize the whole outdoor experience! Some of the product’s features include:
- It works within 30 minutes of taking it.
- There are no side effects.
- It works on other bugs aside from mosquitoes like ticks and head lice.
- Product can be taken every 3-5 hours starting right before you go outside.
- There are no contraindications.
- Homeopathic medicine is by definition non-toxic…
Mozi-Q is a formula containing five homeopathic remedies:
- Staphysagria
- Ledum palustre
- Urtica urens
- Cedron
- Grindelia
They are in low C and D potencies, thereby acting at the physical level for their common indication, to reduce the frequency and severity of insect bites….
I am sure that most readers will, by now, ask themselves: is there any good evidence for these claims? The manufacturer’s site is pretty affirmative:
In the ’60s a homeopath by the name of HR. Trexler studied Staphysagria for its effectiveness at preventing mosquito bites. In a study of 421 subjects over a 4 year period, he found this remedy to be 90% effective…We have tested this remedy in our clinic over four mosquito seasons and found the response from the public confirmatory of Trexler’s findings.
Sounds great? Yes, but it turns out that the Trexler trial did not test the mixture contained in Mozi-Q at all; it used just one of its ingredients. Moreover, it seemed to have lacked a control group and therefore constitutes no reliable evidence. And the manufacturer’s own tests? I don’t know, they tell us nothing about them.
At this stage, the mosquito-phobe is disappointed. It seems to me that this product is not supported by sound evidence – more trick than treatment.
And why would this important? Because some people like me might lose a bit of sleep? No! It is important because mosquitos, ticks and other insects transmit diseases, some of which can be deadly. If someone claims that there is a preparation which protects us from insect-bites, some consumers will inevitably trust this claim. And this would not just be unfortunate; it could be life-threatening.
9 Responses to “This could revolutionize the whole outdoor experience!” A homeopathic trick or treatment?
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There’s a test used to verify the potency and duration of mosquito repellants, I believe – it involves placing a treated arm in a box containing (disease-free!) mosquitos and measuring the time it takes for bites to occur. There are some videos of this on U-bend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_9iMpOVx8M
I am trying to find the evidence that Mozi-Q passes this test, or that it confers any measurable deterrent effect. I am having some difficulty locating any independently verifiable evidence of efficacy. I wonder why that might be?
I don’t know if Which? have tried it, they tried Avon’s Skin So Soft, based on an internet trope, http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/archive/reviews-ns/insect-repellents/insect-repellents-compared/ – of course it did not work.
as far as I can see, no adequate tests of this preparation have been published. this begs the question: WHY DID HEALTH CANADA GIVE IT A LICENCE?
Ack! I wish I had a dime for every person who has recommended Skin-So-Soft as an insect repellent to me! I bet it’s more popular that Mozi-Q–and we all know that if something is popular, then it must also be effective for “X” ailment, no? I had a dentist I really liked until she found out I knew someone who did Avon and beseeched me to get her several bottles of SSS. I guess I just shows how prone humans are to belief and testimony. The SSS claims (and followers) have been around since the 80’s, although I wonder how many of the current believers have persisted that long a time?
Maybe you are getting it all wrong.
Put the package on your nightstand, and hope the mosquitos will laugh themselves to death.
That at least is the conclusion of a friend of mine who lives near the Rhine river, where in the season, those buggers are especially bloodthirsty and you get more than 100 bites per minute if you do not protect yourself mechanically by mosquito net or something keeping them further away from your skin than their prick is long.
Genius!
Dr. Ernst, can you please do the required testing for this product? This should be easy given that mosquitoes are found in many countries?
Dhiru Nathwani said:
Why on earth would you expect Prof Ernst to test their product? Don’t you agree it’s up to the manufacturer to do that before he makes claims for it? This should be easy given that they’re the ones making the money out of selling it.
I’ve written about this as well. Here was the “evidence” that they presented – friends and family walking around a pond, presented in a YouTube video. Amazing science. Why didn’t they just catch mosquitoes? She said they didn’t know how, and if they did, they would want to ensure that ethically they stayed alive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GOwqirJKDlM
My review of their promotional video: http://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/mozi-q-insect-repellent-you-eat-but-does-it-work/