Homeopathic Medicine

AN INTRODUCTION

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed by the German physician S. J. Hahnemann over two hundred years ago.

Homeopathic medicines / remedies are safe, effective, and low in cost.

They work with the body’s natural defences to restore health, rather than just fight disease.

Homeopathy is based on the premise that a substance that causes certain symptoms in healthy individuals can, in a highly diluted form, stimulate a healing response in a patient with an illness or condition characterised by those same symptoms.

Since homeopathy works by its similarity to the condition to be cured, it is important to match the medicine to the patient as precisely as possible. This is relatively easy for acute problems like colds and intestinal upsets, but it is more complicated and time consuming for chronic problems.

Each homeopathic medicine has its own electromagnetic signature, and these medicines influence the body’s electromagnetic field. There have been excellent studies showing the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines, when they are chosen to correspond with the signs seen in the patient. Unfortunately, there is relatively little funding for homeopathic research; as remedies are not patented, no one stands to make money from such research!

The Faculty of Homeopathy website has a good discussion of homeopathy and links to research: http://www.facultyofhomeopathy.org/

How are homeopathic medicines / remedies handled and taken?

Homeopathic medicines should not be touched, or returned to the container, as it contaminates them.
Drop a few drops of liquid medicines straight in the mouth or on a mucus membrane, or tip a few granules from a spoon, folded corner of paper, or the bottle lid into the mouth.
Homeopathic medicines need to be kept in a dark, cool place, away from strong smells and sources of electromagnetic radiation such as computers or microwaves.
Medicines are best taken in a clean mouth free of strong tastes, ideally on an empty stomach or at least a half hour after eating.
Medicines may be less effective if caffeine is taken within the hour; not a problem for most animals!
Homeopathic medicines should not be taken at the same time as other medicines.

Will homeopathic medicine affect the use of other medicines?

The homeopathic medicines will not interfere with conventional or herbal medicines. Some drugs, like steroids, tranquillizers and antihistamines decrease the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines.

Consult with your homeopathic vet about adjusting the potency or dose interval if your animal receives conventional medicines.

What will happen after we begin using the homeopathic medicine?

Acute problems will show improvement fairly quickly, if the medicine is correct.

Use low potencies, like 6X, 12X, and 6C for symptomatic treatment. Expect some improvement in 10 to 15 minutes, with significant improvement in an hour. Do not repeat the homeopathic medicine until improvement stops.

If there is no improvement in a hour, reassess the situation, and decide if the medicine needs more time or another repetition, or if it’s the wrong choice. The wrong homeopathic medicine will do no harm, but it won’t help much, if at all.

Chronic and constitutional (whole body) cases may be treated with X, C, M, or LM potencies, depending upon your homeopathic vet’s assessment of your animal’s individual case. Your homeopathic vet will discuss how they expect the case to progress, and how frequently they will need updates from you.

Often some symptoms will improve quickly, but usually the full action takes two to six weeks. If there is no change in that time, it is probably not the best medicine for your patient. The correct homeopathic medicine will be taken, with decreasing frequency and /or in gradually increasing potencies until the problems are cured.

If the medicine is discontinued before it has finished its work, the symptoms will gradually come back. Your vet will advise you of how to resume the homeopathic medicine at this point, and let it complete the job.

Some individuals will eventually need a different homeopathic medicine, but it may be years before this is necessary. The only way to tell what the new medicine should be is to evaluate the case again.

How long do homeopathic medicines / remedies last?

Homeopathic medicines, if stored properly (dark, cool, clean, away from electromagnetism, in glass containers) can last for years.

If in doubt, though, discard the medicine and get a new one from a reputable supplier, as they are quite inexpensive.