( CNN ) By some estimates , about a third of Americans use some form of alternative medicine , including homeopathic remedies because they find Western medicine inadequate . Creams such as Arnicare for pain relief or liquids such as Sidda Flower Essences for male virility are part of a $ 2.9 billion business that has seen `` explosive growth , '' according to the FDA . These drugs do not go through the same level of scrutiny as over-the-counter and prescription drugs . But now your over-the-counter homeopathic remedies might soon face stricter scrutiny from the federal government . Products such as the homeopathic cold remedies Coldese and Zicam , among others , came under fire Monday from experts who testified at a Food and Drug Administration hearing Monday . The two-day `` listening session , '' as the FDA calls it , is an opportunity for experts and members of the public to help the FDA decide how it should regulate these products . Critics say the agency is not doing enough . An analysis of hundreds of published studies from the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia found that homeopathic medicine was no more effective than a placebo . There is no evidence that they actually work , the council claimed , and yet it is a multibillion dollar business . Homeopathy is a medical philosophy that essentially believes your body is the best weapon to fight disease . Homeopathic medicine is based on the idea that `` like cures like , '' meaning if something causes a symptom in your body , if you take a diluted form , it will boost your body 's ability to fight it . Typically these remedies include a plant or a mineral in a tiny amount . Do homeopathic treatments for ADHD work ? People who represent the industry , such as Mark Land , a member of the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists , argue that the current FDA system is a good one and that the products available today are of high quality and label standards are enough . Critics argued otherwise . Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman testified that most people do n't entirely know what homeopathy is and `` may assume that these products are dietary supplements or are conventional drugs '' since they are often sold on the same shelves as traditional drugs . This practice is `` innately misleading , '' said Fugh-Berman , an associate professor in the department of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown . Most consumers , she said , do n't know that the FDA does n't `` routinely review these products for identity , purity , potency , quality or stability prior to marketing . '' Opinion : Alternative healing or quackery ? While many people believe the drugs are safe in large part because they are highly diluted , products such as Cold-Eeze , if taken according to the recommendations on the label , would be 10 times the recommended dietary allowance ( RDA ) of zinc for adult females and eight times the recommendation for males , according to Fugh-Berman . Too much zinc can have toxic effects . More than 130 people using another homeopathic medicine with zinc , Zicam , reported to the FDA that they lost their sense of smell . The FDA issued a warning to consumers about it in 2009 . There is a misconception that all homeopathic products are `` natural '' according to the FDA `` and therefore safe . Unfortunately , FDA has become aware of significant safety issues associated with homeopathic products in recent years , '' according to an email from the agency . Other issues include a 2010 FDA warning about Hyland 's Teething Tablets . They also recalled the tablets that had inconsistent amounts of belladonna . Larger doses of the substance can be toxic . In 2014 , the FDA warned consumers about Pleo Homeopathic drug products having penicillin or derivatives of penicillin . Another expert asking for stricter standards with homeopathic medicine , Janine Jagger with the Familial Mediterranean Fever Foundation , said that there should be stricter label standards that better explained what was actually in the homeopathic product . She believed there was a `` deceptive illusion of treatment '' when people chose these homeopathic options over pharmaceuticals that have been proven to work . A third of Americans use alternative medicine . A mother and editor of an alternative medicine magazine and website , Peggy O'Mara , testified that homeopathic medicine has helped her family over the years . As a writer and editor of health publications , she said she has seen a growing interest in this kind of medicine , and she believes it is is well-placed . She believes people have more trust that consumers do their research before purchasing the product , as she does . She wishes doctors were better versed in this kind of medicine and believes others want `` safe , effective and easily accessible '' products that are `` nontoxic '' alternatives to help people feel better . The public hearing will continue Tuesday . The FDA could make decisions about these labeling and regulation standards some time this year .
The ADHD may take a more hands-on approach to regulating homeopathic medicine . It does not go through the same approval process as over-the-counter drugs . Some studies suggest homeopathic medicine is no more effective than placebos .