NEW YORK—Can you really overdose on something with almost no active ingredient? That’s the question at the heart of allegations that Alexa Ray Joel, the daughter of Billy Joel, overdosed on a homeopathic medication, Traumeel, and ended up hospitalized Dec. 4. It was widely reported Alexa Ray ingested eight sleeping pills; a “source” then claimed the pills were Traumeel, described as a homeopathic anti-histamine.
However, Traumeel is, in fact, a homeopathic medicine used to address bruising and other sports injuries; studies have shown it has few side effects and no known drug interaction. As more information became available, many news stories included information clarifying Traumeel’s purpose and noting most homeopathic remedies contain only very diluted quantities of any active ingredient.
In a statement, Thierry Montfort, president and CEO, Heel USA, expressed his sympathy for the Joel family. He also noted, “Heel’s vision and mission is to build the bridge between homeopathy and conventional medicine. This is why Traumeel is the most widely researched product in Heel’s portfolio. Our company is committed to scientific research on the efficacy and safety of its medicines.”