What are the homeopathic medicines?
Homeopathic medicines can be made from plants, such as aconite and dandelion; minerals such as iron phosphate and sodium chloride; animals such as snake venom or cuttlefish ink; or such chemical drugs as penicillin. These substances are carefully diluted until little of the original substance remains.
Clinical experience and now scientific evidence shows that these infinitesimal doses are effective. A medicine is homeopathic only if it is taken based upon the similar nature of the medicine to the illness. In other words, it must be homeopathic to the symptoms presented.
How does homeopathy differ from conventional medicine?
Homeopathy doesn’t treat symptoms or diseases; it treats people with diseases. Traditional medicine is “allopathic,” which means different from the suffering. It uses drugs that work against the disease and its symptoms; hence such terms as anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, anti-biotic. Homeopathy means similar to the suffering. Whatever symptoms a remedy produces in a healthy person can be a curative in a sick person – “likes cure likes.”
Are homeopathic medicines safe?
Prescribed properly, homeopathic remedies are safe and gentle. From time to time, a remedy may produce an aggravation, which is a temporary intensification of symptoms. This is especially true if the remedy is too strong or taken too frequently. The manufacture and sale of homeopathic medicines is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
How does a homeopath find the correct remedy for my condition?
The homeopath will ask a series of questions to understand your physical, mental and emotional state until he or she has clear understanding of the totality of your state. The unique aspects of this state or set of symptoms are the most important information for the homeopath. Remedies are recommended based upon the unique, and sometimes complex, state of being of each individual.
What about combination homeopathic remedies sold in drug stores for colds or headaches, for example. Are they effective?
Classical homeopathy never uses combination remedies; in fact, they contradict one of its most fundamental principles: That a single remedy will correspond to a patient’s total symptoms. Combination remedies assume that all colds or headaches are alike and can be treated with the same solution. But, many different factors can influence a disease process. Combination remedies have never been proven and single remedies have all been proven.
Why do some people seem to get sick frequently and others don’t?
It has to do with your genetically inherited constitution – essentially your fundamental structure or temperament. A person with a strong constitution can withstand more pressure without getting sick than can someone with a weak constitution. By looking at your family history, a homeopath can help you identify areas where you may have inherited a weak or strong constitution, and also assist you in strengthening it.
