Homeopathy: “Like Cures Like”— frequently unasked questions?

1. Homeopathy: “Like Cures Like”—frequently unasked questions? …or, some of what you wanted to know and did not have a chance to ask……

2. --How do remedies work? --Are remedies dangerous? -- Precautions in storing and using remedies. -- Brief introduction in how to use the Materia Medica. --Sources of information and remedies, online repertories, etc. --Typical remedies for first aid, and various psychological and physical conditions. --

3. By 2017, consumers and taxpayers will spend more than $4 trillion on health care, accounting for one of every $5 spent, the federal government projects. The 6.7 percent annual increase in spending — nearly three times the rate of inflation— will be largely driven by higher prices and an increased demand for care, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Monday.

4. But other factors in the mix include a growing and aging population. The first wave of baby boomers become eligible for Medicare beginning in 2011. With the aging population, the federal government will be picking up the tab for a growing share of the nation’s medical expenses. Overall, federal and state governments accounted for about 46 percent of health expenditures in 2006. That percentage will increase to 49 percent over the next decade.

5. Edzard Ernst wrote in the Medical Journal of Australia that "about half the general population in developed countries use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)."[5] Survey results released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the United States National Institutes of Health, found that in 2002 62.1% of adults in the country had used some form of CAM in the past 12 months, though this figure drops to 36.0% if prayer specifically for health reasons is excluded.[6]

6. A 2002 survey of US adults 18 years and older conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine indicated:[6][4] • 62.1% had done so within the preceding twelve months. • When prayer specifically for health reasons is excluded, these figures fall to 49.8% and 36.0%, respectively. • 45.2% had in the last twelve months used prayer for health reasons, either through praying for their own health or through others praying for them.

7. 14.8% "sought care from a licensed or certified" practitioner, suggesting that "most individuals who use CAM prefer to treat themselves." • 54.9% used CAM in conjunction with conventional medicine. • 74.6% had used some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

8. When Samuel Hahnemann, who you have met previously, was testing remedies on himself and others, for safety reasons, the substances taken were very dilute. It is here that Hahnemann chanced upon one of the more puzzling aspects of Homeopathy. The more dilute a homeopathic medicine is, the more effective it is in treating certain aspects of illness, especially deep-seated chronic conditions.

9. Hahneman's work was continued by James Tyler Kent in 1877-78. Kent's interest in Homoeopathic medicine was prompted by his wife's serious illness, which failed to respond to any other form of medicine available at the time

10. Homeopathic remedies (also called homeopathics) are a system of medicine based on three principles: • Like cures likeFor example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.

11. Minimal DoseThe 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 RemedyNo matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy will be aimed at all those symptoms.

12. Kent's position as Professor of Anatomy (at the American Medical College, St. Louis) placed him perfectly to observe the effects of substances in precise detail. Kent's research into Homeopathy became his life's work

13. Kent conducted provings on some 650 materials, observing over 64,000 symptoms. Even today, Kent's is still the most widely used repertory in Homeopathy. The online repertory offered free of charge at the abchomeopathy.com/ remedy finder is based on Kent's, with no additions, but some changes have been necessary in order to make its use easier for the modern day layman, including plain English Terminology, and categorizing symptoms where possible.

14. 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.

15. This success is fueled by several factors: • Homeopathy is extremely effective. When the correct remedy is taken, results can be rapid, complete and permanent.

16. 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.

17. 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)

18. 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.

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

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. ABC Homeopathy 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. • They 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.

23. Here is information from another site: 1-800-HOMEOPATHY: What is potency?The potency of a remedy such as 6X or 30C says how many times and by what ratio the base substance has been diluted. The purpose of potency is to dilute the remedy until it can do no harm and to invigorate (potentize) the base substance with energy such that the qualities are preserved while the substance itself is diluted out.

24. Tincture is where it begins. In most remedies, the tincture is made by steeping the powdered base substance in alcohol. Insolubles, like mercury, are made by thoroughly mixing the substance in powdered lactose. HPUS defines this part. After that, the X and C parts begin

25. For X potencies, we take 1 part tincture and mix with 9 parts diluent (either alcohol and water or powdered lactose), vigorously shake, mix, succuss (shake a set number of times with a thud at the end) the mix with as much energy as we can muster. This is 1X. Then we mix 1 part of the 1X with 9 parts diluent and succuss it again for 2X.

26. And so on. So by the time we make the 6X potency, we have 1 part tincture to 1,000,000 parts diluent, So, by 12X, add 6 more zeros - a dilution much lower than most pollutants allowed in our water.

27. Now for C potencies. They are processed the same way except with 99 parts diluent at each stage. So a 3C is equal in dilution (1:1 million) to a 6X except it has only been vigorously succussed/mixed 3 times. Add 6 more zeros and you have a 6C or 12X dilution. Etcetera.

28. What potency should you take?Just remember, higher is not always better. Homeopathy's founder, Samuel Hahnemann, only used potencies under 30X and his record is impressive. But everyone has their own opinion on this one. As a plan, we like to always leave somewhere to go, so it is best to start at the lowest potency that fits the problem - especially if the symptoms are mostly physical.

29. Things to know: Low potencies include 6X, 12X and sometimes 30X and 30C, anything above 30C is high potency. The lower the potency, the more general the application, so if you do not have quite the right remedy, you have a better chance of a response with lower than with high potencies. Low potencies can be repeated much more often, and are less likely to provoke strong healing aggravations

30. The higher the potency, the more precise the selection needs to be and the deeper it can resonate - especially into the mental/emotional realm (though some say that with the right repetition, lower potencies can go pretty deeply). We recommend that potencies above 200C should be the exclusive domain of licensed professionals and 'constitutional' case work, as they should not be repeated often and their effects can be subtle and are not always measurable to the untrained eye

31. . Another general rule for potency is that the faster, more severe the onset of a problem, the higher the potency you can use. You can knock out a sudden severe very restless flu quite quickly with a few doses of a fast acting remedy like 30C Nux or Belladonna repeated every 15 minutes, whereas a slower moving flu like Bryonia's is generally better off with 6X--30X taken 3-4 times a day or as needed when symptoms flare up.

32. A blow to the head obviously needs the highest Arnica , and coccolus (if nausea present) on hand whereas a stubbed toe can be mended with a simple 6X dose. As Hering's Law says: the faster the onset, the faster the exit.

33. Side effectsApart from 'healing aggravations', homeopathy does not cause side effects. However, since homeopathy treats the whole person, not just the symptom you are after, some of these healing aggravations might feel like side effects.

34. For example, if taking Tissue D Acne, you might have a sudden break out as your body cleans out the system. Or, if taking Headaches #33 while constipated, you might get some unexpected movement. Sometimes you might feel sleepy because that is what the body needs most, but it is not the "don't operate machinery" kind of response, just a gentle nudge.

35. These symptoms usually only last a short time, especially strong nerve responses like the Silica example. If they are too much for what you want to deal with, taking Ferrum phos might clear the case. If you feel that you wish to start over, smell some mothballs or take the homeopathic remedy camphor, which neutralizes previous remedies.

36. What remedy should I take?The first thing we advise before even looking up remedies is to analyze your symptoms. What do you want the remedy to address, what does it feel like, what does it look like, what makes it feel better or worse...

37. If you want a combination, this process is much shorter: is it a migraine or a regular headache? Combination or single, it is important to define what you are looking for first: new cough, lingering cough, dry barking or loose choking... as these differences can be critical.

38. If you start by reading through the remedies, they all can feel like they fit something. So get at least three good symptoms and what defines them (better with X, worse with Y, started after a cold walk...). Then you can use our mini-repertory, keyword searches or browse options, or check out the resources in our Book section. If the symptom picture is not clear, a week or two of the cell salt combination Bioplasma might minimize peripheral symptoms. From 1-800-homeopathy site

39. How to take it - can I overdose?No. All the remedies are only sold in very safe dilutions whether your remedy comes in pellet, compressed tablet or soft tablet form. All these forms dissolve easily under the tongue. If you think of the remedy as energy it is easier to understand the rest

40. . Try not to touch the pellets because of the oils in your skin - just pour a few pellets or tablets in the lid and flip them under your tongue.

41. 2. Try not to eat or drink anything 10-15 minutes before or after a dose so the surfaces are clean - though we do not advise putting off Arnica just because you bumped your head during breakfast.

42. 3. Try not to expose the remedy to things that affect you strongly - especially strong menthol or minty odors, caffeine, steroids... for as long as possible after dosing (longer for high potencies)

43. 4. The size of the dose (number of tablets) makes little or no difference, it is the potency and frequency of repetition that matters - 6 volts is 6 volts regardless of the size of the wire.

44. 5. For repetition, the accepted plan we like is dose more frequently for severe symptoms (e.g., big bump on the head), even every 5 minutes for 3 or 4 doses. Then add more time in between and stop as you see improvement. For acute illness (e.g., flu, cold, headache...) a good plan is to dose every 15 minutes for 3 doses, then just take as needed. Observe your symptoms carefully!

45. For nagging but regular symptoms (e.g., joint pain, constipation, skin problems...) you can take the remedy as needed or once or twice a day, but stop when you see signs of improvement. For constitutional dosing with very high potencies, you might only take one dose in 6 months or more - that should depend on your homeopath.

46. In general, the higher the potency, the less repetition. The greater the need, the more repetition at first, slowing down with the improvement of the symptoms.

47. Literature is available through the internet or bookstores. I recommend the Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica , by William Boericke, M.D. (compiled in 1927), easily available in the US. Other manuals are authored by Kent, Knerr and Clarke—massive books which are challenging to navigate—this edition synthesizes them in an easy-to use format.

48. Below please find an example of a combination remedy designed to address back problems, with a brief description of the primary symptoms which can be addressed.

49. For acute backache from exertion, minor injury, fevers or just living, this combination can bring you the much needed relief you seek. If cold air aggravates your numb, stiff, painful, tingling or sore back/neck, Aconite will help you breath freely. Arnica is the acute remedy for sore, aching, backs tired from jogging, driving, lifting or getting bruised.

50. Magphos is a must in any back remedy. When motion actually makes the stiffness improve, there is always Rhustox, particularly if the floor makes a better bed than a mattress. ENews ConnectionsA Closer Look at Backache #199Homeopathic Ingredients: Aconite, Arnica, Bellisperennis, Bryonia, Magnesium phos, Rhustoxihedron