Homeopathic remedies are fairly straightforward to take once you know a few simple do’s and don’ts. Here is some useful information on how to take homeopathic remedies.
What You Need to Know About Taking Homeopathic Remedies
Homeopathic Remedies Come in Different Forms
The most common way people use homeopathy remedies is in the form of tablets or pillules. Sometimes a homeopath may also prescribe liquid remedies. The general principles of how the remedies work are the same, it is just a case of finding what suits you best.
Different Strengths of Homeopathic Remedies
There are various scales denoting strength. The “x” scale is in 10s and is considered weaker, and may be used for Tissue Salts for example. The “c” scale is in 100s, and the “M” in 1000’s, progressively getting stronger.
Generally speaking, remedies for home use will be “x” or in the lower “c” scale, such as 6x, 6c or 30c. These “standard” potencies may vary internationally but the principle of using lower strengths at home is fairly universal. Practitioners will use these and the higher strengths for both acute and chronic conditions.
Can I Handle Homeopathic Remedies?
Sometimes people have been told that they cannot handle the remedies. Don’t worry, this is simpler than it sounds. If the tablets/pillules are in a bottle, you can tip them out into lid and drop into your mouth. Some remedies come in a Clickpak™ dispenser.
Over many years both personally and in practice, I have found that briefly handling remedies is usually fine. The key point is that the person who handles the remedy is the one who is going to take it. Once in the mouth just keep it under tongue for about a minute, then crunch it up. Don’t swallow with water as you would most pharmaceutical drugs.
How Often do I Take Homeopathic Remedies?
If taking them for a minor or acute condition such as Hay Fever you may take them a few times a day. It is possible to reduce or increase the frequency depending upon your symptoms and level of exposure. In a long-term chronic situation your homeopath will guide you about how often to take the remedies they prescribe.
The simple and guiding principles here are to take only what you need of a remedy that matches your symptom picture, and to reduce or stop once there has been an improvement.
Taking More Than One Homeopathic Remedy at a Time
Advice on taking more than one homeopathic remedy at a time is an area where opinion varies. Classical homeopaths tend to use just one remedy at a time and there are other approaches that may use more remedies. My preference is to use whatever works best for the individual patient.
When taking remedies at home for minor ailments, you too can decide what works best for you. My advice would be to keep it simple and aim to start with a remedy or combination that fits your symptoms best and see how you respond. If you don’t have a combination remedy to hand, you can also try alternating different remedies throughout the day. When doing this I think it is usually best to leave a good time gap between the two remedies, an hour for example.
In minor ailments such as colds, they can move through different stages. It is fine to move through a range of remedies as the picture changes. More on homeopathic remedies for colds and flu.
Precautions Whilst Taking Homeopathic Medicine
It is a good idea to be careful about where you keep your remedies. Ideally storing them away from your mobile phone, computer, bright sunlight, extreme heat or cold, or very strongly scented things like essential oils. It is also good to keep them in their original container.
Ideally take them in a “clean mouth” (around 20 minutes away from eating, drinking, brushing teeth, etc.). However, if you are pushed for time, I find you can just take them a few minutes before brushing teeth or eating, etc.
Traditionally people have been told to avoid coffee and mint whilst taking remedies. In my practice I find it generally doesn’t make a huge difference. Unless, of course, there is another reason such as taking remedies to support better sleep and drinking 6 cups of caffeinated coffee a day!
How Long Does it Take for Homeopathic Medicine to Work?
This will vary according to the person and what they are seeking support with. If it is a minor ailment we would expect that to respond more quickly than a chronic condition. Homeopathy lends itself very well to self-help with minor and self-limiting acute conditions. There are many resources to hand, including the Ainsworths Remedy Finder.
Generally in these instances, using a well selected remedy should support someone fairly quickly. As always, if in any doubt regarding your health, if you are uncertain of your symptoms or if you fail to respond, always contact your healthcare professional for advice.
Homeopaths are used to working with people with both minor ailments and longer-term conditions. In terms of timeframes, if someone has had a condition for a long time, it is reasonable to allow a little longer to see signs of improvement. Your homeopathy practitioner should be able to give you an idea of what to expect at the outset of your treatment once they have taken your case.
I hope you have found this post on How to Take Homeopathic Remedies and its resources to have been of interest. If you feel you would like to explore ways to support yourself I see patients at both clinics, and also work via Skype. You can book an initial free 15 minute mini-consultation to see if my approach might suit you, please do contact me.