Homeopathy

Using Homeopathic Medicine

First, do no harm...

The first concern of anyone using any new medicine is "Is it safe?". The short answer is yes, homeopathic medicine is completely safe. However, you should not stop taking any existing medication without first consulting your doctor.

Dosage and Potency

Not all homeopaths agree on dosage and potency, and the potency to be taken depends on both the sensitivity of the patient, and the exact remedy being taken. But as a general rule, chronic illnesses (i.e. those that you've had for a long time) should be treated with high numbers i.e. 30C - 200C and Acute (i.e. those that are relatively new) with low numbers i.e 6C.

However, there are exceptions, particularly where an accident started off the symptoms and you might give the body a kick start with a high potency dose such as Arnica 200C first and then follow with a lower potency remedy. Low numbers are used more frequently than high numbers.

Another general rule is that high potency homeopathic medicine should only be taken when you know it is the right remedy, so start off with a low potency remedy, and then increase the potency if improvement is felt, though incomplete.

Taking Homeopathic Medicine

Homeopathic medicine should be taken on a clean pallet. While on a course of homeopathic treatment, you should avoid strong flavours such as mint (including toothpaste), coffee or camphor.

They are normally taken as pills which are placed under the tongue. Take two tablets every two hours for the first six doses, and then four times daily for up to five days. For some complaints remedies are taken as an ointment, for example, arnica cream applied directly to bruising.

If you are taking the remedy in pill form, you should avoid contact with the skin (including fingers). Just drop a few pills into the lid and pour them directly into the mouth.

Once relief from the symptoms if felt, stop taking the homeopathic medicine. Only take it again if exactly the same symptoms come back.

A professional Homeopath will also assess your diet and lifestyle. Good nutrition is vital.

Homeopathic remedies (also called homeopathics) are a system of medicine based on three principles:

• Like cures like
  For example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.
• Minimal Dose
  The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water.
• The Single Remedy
  No matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy will be aimed at all those symptoms.

Similar principals forms the basis of conventional allergy treatment, where the allergic substance is given in a small dose, and in vaccines where an impotent form of the virus is given to bolster the immune system against that particular virus.

Why use Homeopathics?

Homeopathy is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world. Its growth in popularity in the United States has been around 25 to 50 percent a year throughout the last decade.

This success is fueled by several factors:

• Homeopathy is extremely effective. When the correct remedy is taken, results can be rapid, complete and permanent.
• Homeopathy is completely safe. Even babies and pregnant women can use Homeopathy without the danger of side effects. Homeopathic remedies can also be taken alongside other medication without producing unwanted side effects.
• Homeopathy is natural. Homeopathic remedies are normally based on natural ingredients.
• Homeopathy works in harmony with your immune system, unlike some conventional medicines which suppress the immune system. (For example, cough medicines suppress the cough reflex, which is your body's attempt to clear the lungs)
• Homeopathic remedies are not addictive - once relief is felt, you should stop taking them. If no relief is felt, you are probably taking the wrong homeopathic remedy.
• Homeopathy is holistic. It treats all the symptoms as one, which in practical terms means that it addresses the cause, not the symptoms. This often means that symptoms tackled with Homeopathy do not recur.

But there is a catch...

Every silver lining has a cloud, and there are two main barriers to the effective use of homeopathy:

• Prescribing the right homeopathic remedy takes a little more time and patience than conventional medicine. Exactly the right remedy needs to be taken for your symptoms. There is no such thing as a standard homeopathic headache remedy (though, sadly that doesn't mean no such product is sold...).
  The remedy you take has to be matched to your particular headache - where it occurs, what brings it on, what type of pain it is, what aggravates it, what makes it feel worse, your state of mind and what other symptoms you experience.
• The sheer range of remedies in use can cause practical problems for an average sized pharmacy. If the right remedy is not one of 30 or so commonly used remedies, they can be difficult to obtain.

And so...

• We built a remedy finder. Type in your symptoms in plain English, answer a few questions and the homeopathic remedy finder will help you to work out exactly which remedy you need to take.
• We opened a remedy shop to sell an extensive range of homeopathics. You can search by the name of the remedy, or a few letters of the name. Easier still, you can put remedies in your basket directly from the homeopathic remedy finder.