How to Take a Remedy
- Always take a homeopathic remedy on an empty palate - that is, a clean tongue.
- When you take a remedy, put three pellets on top of your tongue and let it begin to dissolve. It doesn't have to dissolve entirely - but don't chew or swallow the remedy without holding it on your tongue for a few minutes.
- Do not eat anything 10 minutes before or after taking the remedy - remedies are like pieces of information and by taking them separately from food, you give your body a chance to read and assimilate the information without confusing it with other signals.
- If possible, stay away from garlic, mint and coffee while a homeopathic remedy is acting. For low potencies (6C, 6X, 12C, 12X) this may be up to a month. For medium potencies (30X or 30C) this may be up to three months. For high potencies (200X, 200C, 1M, 10M, this may be up to one year.
These substances can't really antidote a remedy if it is acting at a deep enough level (i.e. it's a core constitutional), but they have been known to antidote intercurrent remedies (i.e. remedies that are ancillary to the core constitutional). As a result, homeopaths make this a blanket recommendation.
- The number of pellets you take usually does not matter - the number of doses and the potency does matter, so do not take more doses than is recommended and for medium and high potencies, only take the potency that is recommended.
- For some cases the X and C potencies can be used interchangeably (in other words, if I recommend a 6C and all you can find is 6X at the store, that may suffice). For others, it is critical that you only take the potency recommended - so, ask me before you purchase a potency that is different from what I recommended. I will either tell you that you can use the potency most readily available - or I may tell you that you need to order the exact potency.
In storing a homeopathic remedy:
- Homeopathic remedies remain potent for many years if you store them properly. Store your remedies in a cool dry place such as a medicine cabinet. Remedies are energetically sensitive so do not leave them where they may be exposed to heat, nearby EMF, or strong odors. For example, do not leave a remedy in your car on a hot day. Do not leave it by your computer, your computer monitor, your TV, or your microwave. Also, do not leave it near an open can or bottle of paint, gasoline, or house cleaning chemicals.
When buying homeopathic remedies:
- Remedies cannot be returned, so make sure you purchase the correct remedy and potency. If in doubt, call me at (805) 494-3840.
- The brand of the remedy doesn't make a difference (in my experience). Boiron, Standard Homeopathic, Dolisos and Natural Therapeutics are all well established brands. I usually prefer Standard Homeopathic only because they're made locally (Gardena) and it supports the local economy. However, other brands often have smaller packaging, and so cost less.
- Don't be concerned with the symptoms listed on the tube or bottle of pellets. Each remedy matches a symptom picture that would take 10-30 pages to describe - so while you might match the larger symptom picture, you might not have the symptoms listed on the tube or bottle. These are only the one or two symptoms the manufacturers were forced to pick for the sake of marketing.
- Often times you'll find the remedy I've recommended but in the wrong potency. For some cases the X and C potencies can be used interchangeably (in other words, if I recommend a 6C and all you can find is 6X at the store, that may suffice). For others, it is critical that you only take the potency recommended - so, ask me before you purchase a potency that is different from what I recommended. I will either tell you that you can use the potency most readily available - or I may tell you that you need to order the exact potency.
- For high potencies, you'll most likely only need one or two doses total (that is three - six pellets). Yet, you're only option at the store or pharmacy will be to buy an entire tube of pellets. This happens fairly often but is not really a cause for concern since the product usually doesn't cost more than $5 - $7. (The alternative is to purchase a single dose tube from the manufacturer for $3.) Assuming you buy the multi-dose tube, store the tube when you're done in your medicine cabinet, as you may need more pellets in the future.
- Homeopathic remedies have a very long shelf life and it's very likely that you might need to take more of the recommended remedy at a later date - so create a separate space for remedies. In time, you may grow your own home pharmacy.