Understand the Spirit of Homeopathy Before Giving Medicine!

Most people that turn to homeopathy for their treatment do not know how this system of medicine works. Rather they have many misconceptions as regards the realm of action of homeopathy. Many people misinterpret it as a science that can be easily learnt at home and applied to the sick at home. Well, it is true that the person who understands the gist of homeopathy in a precise manner can apply it easily. But when I find people often taking lots of homeopathic medicines through the day, I find it strange. Often when we prescribe, we suggest people to take exactly the dosage suggested in the prescription of the given remedy. For no reason without consulting us, they should take another dose of the remedy. It is very strictly maintained, especially in online consultations where we don’t meet the patients on one to one basis.

Homeopathic medicines act best when taken minimally!

This point needs to be stressed by the homeopathic physicians. When some patients ask us why we give so minimum dose of the medicine, it is many times hard to convince them that it is the way homeopathy acts; not only acts but acts better! The potentized dose of any homeopathic medicine is strong enough to stir the vital force latent inside the individual. We should give this dose enough time to act and exhaust its action. Only then we should think of the repetition or changing the remedy as per the requirement.

Also, the remedies react to each other- positively or negatively. The “Relationship of the Remedies” is one of the most important topics of study in homeopathy. Without knowing which remedy follows well and which remedy antidotes or is inimical, we should not take another medicine during the primary course of a remedy. I had prescribed one of my patients Merc sol 200 for obvious reasons and symptom complex including mouth ulcers. He was a novice studying homeopathy on his own and as he developed slight sore throat the next day morning, he took a dose of Hepar sulph 200. The two remedies contradict each other and his sore throat increased while his mouth ulcers aggravated too. He was perplexed. That is when we told him the reason why this happened and having faith in the science, he listened to our suggestion and continued exact therapy suggested afterwards.

But this doesn’t happen always. Some of the times I have lost some of my patients that cannot be convinced of the minimal dose concept. They find it strange and knowing some small things about certain remedies, take the remedies on their own during the course suggested by us.

This type of attitude doesn’t do any good to anyone. Moreover, we form certain tedious symptom-complexes by this haphazard consumption of homeopathic medicines. And that is when the case is unnecessarily complicated. It is often stressed by stalwarts of homeopathy that a messed up case with homeopathic medicines is the hardest case to treat efficaciously. There is absolutely blurred picture after such recurrent doses and the patient cannot be cured of his malady for longer duration. I have particularly observed this in skin and respiratory problems.

To treat homeopathically, a homeopathic physician has to have lot of patience. Wait and Watch is many times the best policy instead of changing the drugs repeatedly and handling the case in childish manner. This does not mean during a chronic case, we cannot institute any acute remedy for acute complaints or acute exacerbation of chronic complaints. But the remedy selected has to be in sync with the earlier administered remedy and should be given after an appropriate gap. Especially after we administer nosodes, we must wait at least for two weeks before we give any other remedy. Nosodes are potent medicines and they need time to act. We must not interfere in their action. If no emergency comes, we should wait even longer before we resort to another remedy. Due to nosode’s intercurrent action, many times the earlier remedy starts acting much better and there remains no need of any new remedy at all.  

All these points are considered when the homeopaths ask you to give gaps between your regimes. Always remember that classical homeopathy advocates no repetition of dose or remedy if the patient has started feeling better. We should wait till the action is over and only then think of the next possible course.

Do not fall to the myth that homeopathic medicines absolutely don’t have any side effects. Yes, it is completely untrue. Of course when given judiciously, the homeopathic medicines act the best without inflicting any ups and downs in the patient’s condition. However, haphazard consumption of homeopathic medicine if doesn’t lead to short term side effects, will certainly lead to some long term problems that can be hard to tackle later on! So, be careful and judicious while applying homeopathy in you or in other people. Comprehending the spirit of homeopathy is must before we act!