Homeopathic medicines

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a method of treatment that is over 200 years old. The idea behind this different approach to treatment occurred to Dr Samuel Hahnemann while he was experimenting with cinchona bark. Ingestion of the bark of this tropical tree, which was traditionally used to treat malaria, triggered symptoms in Hahnemann that resembled those of malaria. He reasoned that a substance that causes certain symptoms in a healthy person might also cure a patient with similar signs and symptoms of illness. According to homeopathic theory, this relationship was subsequently confirmed in numerous experiments involving other remedies. Based on systematic experiments and observations, the first law of homeopathy was established: Like cures like.

In homeopathic treatment, similarities are sought between the symptoms of an illness and the effects of a homeopathic remedy (the remedy picture). What does this mean in practice?

Suppose you have been stung by a bee. The sting initially causes a sharp, stinging sensation, followed by warmth, swelling and redness. The sharp pain persists for some time. Cold compresses provide relief and reduce the pain and swelling. According to homeopathic practice, just a few doses of a remedy called Apis mellifica, made from the honeybee, may eliminate virtually all traces of the sting.

However, the homeopathic remedy Apis mellifica is not used only for bee stings. It is also considered suitable for stings from other insects that cause similar skin symptoms.

It may also be used in homeopathic practice for various conditions in which the affected area feels as though it has been stung by a bee. For example:

after an ankle sprain accompanied by sharp, hot, red swelling that leaves an indentation when pressed;
in inflammation of the throat lining, when a shiny red swelling that looks as though it is “filled with water” and sharp pain make swallowing very difficult;
for heat rash or cold sores on the lips, when the initial symptoms include sharp, throbbing pain and swelling, with heat and touch making the condition worse;
and for similar symptoms accompanied by sharp, stinging or pricking pain.

In short, according to homeopathic principles, regardless of where the problem occurs or what caused it, if the signs or symptoms resemble those of a bee sting, the homeopathic remedy Apis mellifica is considered appropriate.

Homeopathy is a complementary approach to treatment that is sometimes claimed to support the effects of other medicines. It is intended to stimulate the body’s response to illness. It seeks to identify the causes of disease. It also advocates an individualised approach to treatment, focusing not exclusively on a specific problem or illness but on the person as a whole, including their mental and physical well-being.

Homeopathic medicines are available as pellets or drops and, more recently, also as tablets, ointments, injections, suppositories and eye drops. In Slovenia, they are currently available only as pellets, which may be dispensed only by pharmacists with additional training in homeopathy.

They are made from natural substances, including:

plants or parts of plants (seeds, roots and herbs);
animals or animal-derived substances (honeybees, cuttlefish ink and snake venom);
inorganic macro- and microelements (copper, gold, platinum and calcium carbonate).

Depending on the biochemical properties of the substances used to make homeopathic medicines, such as their solubility, different manufacturing methods are used. Some medicines are prepared using ethanol, others using lactose or glycerol. However, they all share the process of potentisation.

Potentisation involves successive dilution combined with vigorous shaking or trituration of the preparation.

According to homeopathic theory, a key feature and significant advantage of potentisation is that vigorous shaking or trituration progressively reduces the toxicity of poisonous substances while increasing the medicinal effectiveness of the homeopathic remedy.

Potentisation is therefore claimed to achieve the following:

medicinal substances that are toxic in undiluted form become harmless and no longer have toxic effects;
the desired energetic healing power or therapeutic information is activated, dynamised and enhanced;
substances that have no medicinal effect in non-homeopathic form, such as table salt and sea sponges, become effective therapeutic agents.

In homeopathy, the degree of dilution is referred to as the “potency”. Different potencies are available, depending on the dilution ratio and degree of dilution:

C potencies are prepared using a dilution ratio of 1:100. They are designated by the letter C (centesimal), for example, Arnica C6 or Arnica 6CH (both designations refer to the same remedy).
D potencies are homeopathic medicines prepared using a dilution ratio of 1:10. They are designated by the letter D (decimal); according to the source text, these are not registered in Slovenia.
LM or Q potencies are prepared using successive dilutions at a ratio of 1:50,000 and are used in homeopathic practice for chronic conditions under the supervision of a homeopathic physician.

Based on the number of potentisation steps performed, potencies are classified as:

low potencies (C3, C6, C9, C12, C15);
medium potencies (C15, C30);
high potencies (C30, C200, C1000 = M, XM, CM).

High potencies and LM or Q potencies are used only by experienced homeopathic practitioners, as they are considered to have a strong and long-lasting effect. Homeopathic medicines in low and medium potencies are also intended for self-treatment.

Example of how the homeopathic medicine Chamomilla C6 is prepared

Chamomile flowers are soaked in ethanol for several days, after which the preparation is filtered. This produces a tincture known as the “mother tincture”. One drop of chamomile mother tincture is added to 99 drops of ethanol and vigorously shaken according to the prescribed procedure. This produces the C1 potency. One drop of this preparation is then added to another 99 drops of ethanol and vigorously shaken. The resulting potency is designated C2 in homeopathy. This process is repeated to produce progressively higher potencies. Sugar pellets made of sucrose are moistened with the C6 solution and left to dry in the air. The Chamomilla C6 pellets are then ready for use.

Homeopathic treatment

The remedy picture

The remedy picture is a detailed description of all the types of symptoms and signs observed in people during the testing of a homeopathic remedy. These data are obtained by carefully monitoring and recording the effects of individual remedies on healthy volunteers who have agreed to participate in remedy testing. The symptoms and signs observed during remedy proving are systematically collected and organised into a remedy picture.

Today, homeopathy has a collection of more than 2,000 tested remedies.

The most difficult task in homeopathy is identifying the right remedy among many that have very similar remedy pictures. Consider conditions characterised by a cough. Since coughing is a symptom of many illnesses and hundreds of different homeopathic remedies are associated with it, the problem must be approached differently. Closer observation is needed to determine the type of cough and identify other accompanying symptoms, such as:

one person has a barking cough that worsens at night and eases somewhat when they sit up in bed;
another person has more trouble during the day, with every attempt to speak triggering a dry coughing fit that improves in a warm environment.

These are just two of countless possible combinations of symptoms and signs that may describe a particular cough. They illustrate the importance of paying attention to all the individual characteristics of a person’s condition.

When selecting a remedy, it is important to consider:

the main symptom of the illness (pain, cough, fever, etc.);
the characteristics of the symptom (whether the pain is burning, throbbing or sharp; where it radiates; the nature of the cough; when it is at its worst; which position provides relief; how drinks or speaking affect it, etc.);
factors that improve or worsen symptoms (cold drinks, warm compresses or perhaps a warm breeze);
the patient’s emotional state (restlessness, despair, anger, etc.);
the cause of the illness (cold wind, injury, damp weather);
and other subtle individual characteristics.

Usually, only one remedy is used: the one whose remedy picture most closely resembles the patient’s symptoms. Whenever the symptoms change, an attempt is made to identify a new homeopathic remedy that best matches the new symptoms.

When all the identified factors and accompanying symptoms are taken into account, conditions that initially appear identical may turn out to differ considerably. Each person responds differently to the causes of illness and exhibits different symptoms, so each patient is assigned an individually selected homeopathic remedy. It is therefore not unusual in homeopathic practice for three people with influenza to be given three different remedies. One, for example, may have a severe cough; another may have a very bad headache and a blocked nose; while the third may suffer from aching bones and muscles. Each person is assigned a homeopathic remedy whose effects are considered similar to their individual symptoms and which addresses the overall condition.

According to homeopathic practice, a suitably selected remedy tailored to the individual helps them overcome illness. Some people report clearly feeling a beneficial effect throughout the body after taking the first homeopathic remedy. This is often accompanied by pleasant drowsiness, followed by restful sleep.

Directions for use

A single dose is generally five pellets for both children and adults. The pellets are made of sucrose and are described as suitable for people with diabetes. They can be dissolved in water and stirred with a plastic or wooden spoon, or placed in a plastic cap and administered directly under the tongue. The saliva is held in the mouth for 10–20 seconds before swallowing. This is said to allow immediate absorption.

According to homeopathic practice, homeopathic medicines work best when taken half an hour before a meal or in the morning on an empty stomach. At these times, users are advised not to brush their teeth or drink coffee or tea. Caffeine, menthol and chamomile should be avoided, as they are considered antidotes that cancel out the effects of homeopathic medicines. The pellets should not be handled directly to avoid possible contamination.

The remedy itself does not heal; rather, the body is said to respond to the stimulus of the appropriately selected homeopathic medicine. This requires time and strength. A subsequent dose is therefore considered appropriate when the body needs a new stimulus because the information from the previous dose has supposedly faded. The dosage of homeopathic medicines depends primarily on whether the condition is acute or chronic and on the potency of the remedy used.

Storage

Because of their special manufacturing process, homeopathic medicines are described as sensitive to sources of electromagnetic radiation, such as televisions, microwave ovens and mobile phones. They should be stored away from these devices, protected from direct sunlight, and kept in a cool, dry place.

Source: Lidija Blažič, MSc in Pharmacy, and Indira Zanco, MSc in Pharmacy, Family Homeopathic Guide, 2011.