Homeopathic Remedy Information
While under homeopathic care, it is important to consult your homeopath about the use of remedies. Homeopathic remedies are meant to be taken as single doses, one remedy at a time. Taking more than one homeopathic remedy at a time, using combination remedies, or repeating a remedy too frequently, can all interfere with the chosen remedy’s ability to be effective.

It is also important to know that other forms of alternative treatment, depending on the person, frequency and modality, may also interfere with homeopathic care.

Homeopathic remedies can also help with a variety of health concerns that arise in your life. It is best to keep your homeopath informed about what is happening with all aspects of your health, even if you do not think it is important. A homeopath is treating not just a single aspect of your health, but your whole person. For instance, although you may have come to homeopathy for migraines, if you develop a cold, or a skin condition, etc., another or the same homeopathic remedy can often help.

Homeopathic remedies are very different than conventional medications. They are sensitive and highly potentized substances used in very small amounts. For this reason it is important to keep a variety of factors in mind when taking a homeopathic remedy.

Avoid Touching the Remedy. Drop directly into your mouth, or use a disposable plastic spoon. Let it dissolve on or under your tongue for a minute or so before swallowing.

The Mouth Should be Substance Free. When taking the medicine, the mouth should be free from food, liquid, gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. for at least 20 minutes before and 10 minutes after. In acute situations, rinse your mouth very well with water if it is not possible to adhere to this.

Protect the Remedy. Do not open the remedy in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight, heat over 110 degrees (such as a car in summer) and strong odors will often destroy a remedy.

Discard Spilled or Transferred Remedies. If, by accident, some remedy should spill from its container, do not return it to the container. Discard it. Do not transfer the remedy to other containers or bottles that have contained other substances. Do not reuse the containers when they are empty as they may still carry medicinal properties.

Possible Antidotes
Camphor: Camphor is the one substance that is best to be avoided while taking a remedy. It is best to avoid deep heat rubs, liniments, Vicks, Ben Gay, Tiger Balm, Carmex, nail polish, Noxema products, some massage compounds, some cosmetics, many lip balms (Chapstick, Blistex etc.), some Chinese candies, most cough lozenges and others. Even though ingredients don’t specifically list camphor (ie lip balm) they often have camphor substances such as Mentholatum. Generally, the mere smelling of camphor is not enough to cause a medicine to be antidoted.

Coffee: This depends from person to person. It is the oil in caffeinated/decaffeinated coffee that can interfere with the action of a remedy; especially for those who are sensitive to coffee. This is less of a problem with those who are daily coffee drinkers.

Anything to Which You Are Particularly Sensitive: Avoid any food, chemical, or substance which you know causes severe reactions in your particular system–i.e., hives or skin eruptions after certain food, odors which make you faint, things which specifically cause asthma, etc. Moderate use of alcohol and tobacco does not generally interfere. However marijuana will usually antidote and cocaine will always antidote and should be avoided.

Cavity Dental Work: Cleaning of the teeth is OK and does not cause problems. However the actual drilling, and perhaps the chemicals, used in dental work often will antidote homeopathic remedies.

Antibiotics: Depending, these may antidote. However, conventional medicines in general are often fine. Please remember conventional medicine is designed to remove specific symptoms without much regard to the person as a whole. This approach often leads to suppression of the symptoms. Please tell your practitioner about all drugs, strong herbs, diet pills, birth control pills, etc. that you are taking. Under no circumstances should you stop strong conventional medicines without first consulting your physician. Tylenol or aspirin will not cause a problem.

Skin Medicines: It is not uncommon for homeopathic medicines to bring back old skin symptoms. Please do not use locally applied medicine of any kind without first talking to your practitioner. This is especially true of topical steroids.

Solvents: Avoid heavy, prolonged exposure to solvents or fumes especially if working in an enclosed space. Also avoid hair permanents.

Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil will antidote.

Immunizations: Immunizations may antidote remedies and disrupt the immune system. Please talk to your homeopath before having an immunization.

Diagnostic Tests: Blood work will not antidote. Routine X rays are also not a problem. Mammograms or ultrasounds can antidote and MRI’s almost always antidote.

Different Ways of Taking Homeopathic Remedies
There are a variety of ways a homeopath can give a homeopathic remedy.

Dry Dose – The most common way to give a remedy is on a small, dry pellet. Pellets are made of lactose and sucrose and dispensed in glass vials or paper packets. It is common to also find this form at health food stores in plastic tubes.

Plussing – Dry pellets can also be “plussed” in water. This is a way to increase their strength slightly so an aggravation is less likely to happen, when a remedy needs to be frequently repeated.

Liquid Dose – A homeopathic remedy can also be prepared in a water-alcohol solution and dispensed in a dropper bottle. The LM potency remedies are usually prepared this way. A set number of drops is then diluted and stirred in water and taken once or twice daily.