Written by Carolyn McGregor BSc (Ost.), B.A Div. (Hons)., MARH., Registered Osteopath (GOSc 414) Registered Homoeopath (ARH 577)
Petersfield Osteopathy,
1a, Spain Buildings, 28 The Spain. Petersfield. Hants. GU32 3LA.
M:07766330489 Email: carolynhomoeopath@hotmail.co.uk
Storage of Homoeopathic medicines:
Please store your remedies away from direct sunlight, strong odours, pharmaceutical medicines, all electrical/emitting equipment including telephones, mobile phone or microwave.
A useful place is a drawer which you visit every day, or consider making your bedroom a device free space by investing in an alarm clock!
The recommended exposure time to our mobile phones is 20 minutes in 24 hours, following a UK government research programme.
Taking your homoeopathic medicines:
To optimise the efficacy of your remedies, please take your remedy on a clean palate with nothing to eat or drink 15 minutes before or after placing the remedy under your tongue.
If taking a daily remedy, try to take your remedy at the same time of day, ideally when relaxed and resting.
Like beautiful food, take a moment, with intention and focus on your healing as you take the remedy. Positive intention will support your body’s best efforts to heal.
Antidotes of Homoeopathic medicines:
Camphor, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus (used in cough medicines and vapour rubs), and some essential oils used externally, appear to cause antidoting of Homoeopathic medicines.
Some spices also appear to cause interaction with Homoeopathic medicines, which provoke a strong sweating response, such as Fenugreek or chilli if routinely used.
If you are happy to use a good quality non – peppermint toothpaste this will optimise your body’s healing with Homoeopathy, as well as to lower the intake of frothing agents and preservatives!
The chemical structure of coffee gives it the particular aroma. It also has one of the longest organic molecular chains in nature. It can have profound effects on our body’s physiology and certain bodily constitutions are more susceptible to coffee than others.
Equally specific homoeopathic medicines are more susceptible to antidoting from coffee. Looking at both aspects of this conversation is why Homoeopaths generally request that their patients refrain from drinking coffee whilst receiving Homoeopathic care.
Commonly asked questions:
How soon will my remedy act?
Each Homoeopathic medicine has by its nature, an optimum period of time over which it acts.
For instance Belladonna acts with speed and energy and is useful in healing acute symptoms associated with fever states, where speed is of the essence in working along side the efficacy of the fever to heal infection.
Once taken, Homoeopathic medicines may act immediately, or over time, depending upon the nature of the remedy itself and way in which the remedy has been prescribed.
Your Homoeopath takes the specific nature of the remedy, its healing properties, duration of action and interaction with other remedies into account when prescribing for you.
Homeopathic remedies have a working relationship to each other.
This can be supportive and enhancing the action of a particular central remedy upon which your Homoeopath will be focussing their intention as a central theme of the focus of your healing.
Remedies have personalities as huge and encompassing; diverse and as rich as the people we prescribe for.
Remedy relationships are like human families.
Certain Homeopathic remedies will act together supportively in a framework of mutual coherence and share a broadly similar focus of action, and act in like environments in a familiar way.
Homoeopaths have an ever deepening understanding of remedy relationship through training and clinical experience, as well as the traditions of prescribing upon which Homoeopathy is founded, to refer and seek guidance from when evaluating your remedy/ies.
Homoeopathy as a system of healing and medicine is inherently safe.
The beauty of Homoeopathy in part lies in the intrinsic patterns of reflective thinking, testing and arriving at the evaluative process of thought which each Homoeopath undertakes in considering ‘the simillimum’.
By nature, Homoeopathy permits the lucid, clear testing of hypothesis within the very structure innate to the journey undertaken to prescribing, through the thorough search within the Material Medica and Repertorisation process which Homoeopath must undertake in order to understand the person, their presenting symptoms, the case more broadly speaking, and the nature of the Homeopathic remedy in its action in the curative process.
Alongside this is a thorough going knowledge of the plant, mineral and animal and environmental kingdoms, from which each remedy has its origin.
Knowledge and understanding of the botany of the plant; the geology and chemistry of the mineral composition remedies; the biology and physiology, and emotional characteristics of remedies derived from the animal kingdoms, for example are part of the working knowledge of the Homoeopath.
The ‘simillimum’ is that remedy found in Nature which most closely acts by its nature, in correspondence to the presenting symptoms and underlying state of health seen and gained through effective case taking with the patient.
Homoeopathy can be safely prescribed during peri-conceptual phases; pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Homoeopathy can be safely prescribed alongside pharmaceutical medicines. Please keep your Homoeopath informed of any changes to your prescribed medication.
How long will my remedy last?
The time during which a remedy may act can also be influenced by the potency of the remedy, and whether several remedies are prescribed to support each other.
A single medicine may act powerfully as a stand alone remedy, or your Homoeopath may decide to use several remedies together to support the body in its direction of cure.
Some remedies are by their inherent nature designed to act quickly, others may act more slowly, and some over a considerable period of time.
How long do Homoeopathic medicines keep?
If stored well, Homoeopathic medicines can remain fully effective for over a hundred years, if kept in optimal conditions. Our original mother tinctures held by the Homoeopathic pharmacies may contain original medicines created by our founding Homoeopaths. This is an extraordinary blessing.
The ‘sell by date’ on over the counter homoeopathic medicines is given because over the counter remedies are regulated by the foods and supplements legislation, not the Medicines Act.
I would add, that from my own viewpoint, the quality of over the counter homoeopathy can be variable because these medicines may not have been created in the optimal conditions of the excellent Homoeopathic pharmacies or indeed may not have been stored in optimal conditions once on the shelf.
What else can I do to support by body to heal?
The direction of cure that the body takes in its healing is unique to each individual.
However there are general patterns in which direction of cure takes. The body’s best attempt to cure can be supported by taking a look at any behaviour that interrupts the ability of the body to heal.
Avoid any substance which when ingested, alters the vital action of a particular organ and its physiologic action in relation to other organs. All addictive substances have such effect: coffee, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, drugs.
Example: Regular coffee intake, increases adrenal output, diminishes kidney function, impedes optimal functioning of the liver and causes the brainstem to have a higher state of arousal than normal. This in turn affects the regulating of heart and lungs.
If a person is repeatedly taking coffee, the vital action of the body has to contend with the long term effects of coffee consumption. This slows normal, healthy physiology and thus makes it harder for the body to heal effectively.
Avoid patterns of behaviour which aggravate the body: prolonged anxiety; over work; prolonged caring for others; chronic ill health; situations where your daily patterns are adversely determined by the actions of others; routines which have become dull, boring, redundant.
Optimise your health by bringing flexibility and spontaneity into your life.
Look at the good patterns that safe guard your health, try and resolve those patterns which impede your health.
Make time for silence and peace.
Carolyn McGregor BSc (Ost.)., BA DIv (Hons)., MARH., is registered with:
Registered with The General Osteopathic Council, Osteopathy House, 176 Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 3YY. Telephone: 0207 357 6655 (GOSc Registration: 414)
Registered with The Institute of Osteopathy, 3 Park Terrace, Manor Road, Luton. Beds. LU1 3HN. Telephone: 01582 488 455 (iO Registration: 2237)
Registered with The Alliance of Registered Homeopaths, Millbrook Hill, Nutley, East Sussex, TN22 3PJ. Telephone: 01825 714506 (ARH Registration: 577)