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✴ APPENDIX A

Homeopathy: General Information


on Prescribing and Administering
Homeopathic Medicines
Janet Levatin

It is necessary for practitioners to understand the information Gauging One’s Level of Expertise
in this appendix before recommending homeopathic treatment In order to help practitioners with varying levels of homeo-
for any of the conditions included in this book. Therefore it is pathic training and experience determine which medical con-
strongly suggested that this appendix and Chapter 5 in Section I ditions may be appropriate for them to treat, the following
of this book be read in their entirety (and subsequently referred practitioner expertise categories have been developed. Each
to as needed) before practitioners utilize the homeopathic medical condition in the book has been assigned to one or
treatment recommendations in the chapters on individual more categories.
medical conditions.
Category 1
Who Can Be Treated Homeopathically? With the understanding that each case is unique and must be
One of the benefits of homeopathic treatment is that homeo- evaluated fully at the time of presentation, category 1 condi-
pathic medicines can be given to individuals at any age or tions usually can be treated homeopathically with a reasonable
stage of life, including infants, young children, and pregnant degree of safety and a reasonable chance of success by clinicians
and nursing women. Homeopathic medicines can be given to who have only introductory training and limited experience in
people with medical conditions ranging from minor to serious. homeopathy. Category 1 conditions include acute conditions
They can also be given to patients using other forms of treat- of low severity and complexity and chronic or recurrent condi-
ment, both conventional and alternative, as there are essen- tions of low severity and complexity.
tially no interactions between homeopathic medicines and
other substances or therapies. Category 2
With the understanding that each case is unique and must be
Obtaining Homeopathic Medicines evaluated fully at the time of presentation, category 2 condi-
Homeopathic medicines up to the 30C potency are usually avail- tions usually can be treated homeopathically with a reasonable
able over the counter at health food stores or pharmacies and degree of safety and a reasonable chance of success by clini-
can also be obtained by mail order (see the list of homeopathic cians who have a moderate amount of training and some clinical
pharmacies and retail distributors at the end of this appendix). experience in homeopathy. Category 2 conditions include acute
conditions of low to moderate severity and complexity and
Acute versus Chronic Prescribing chronic or recurrent conditions of low to moderate severity
Homeopathy can be used to treat both chronic and acute con- and complexity.
ditions. For patients with chronic conditions, homeopathy can
provide profound, long-lasting, curative changes; however, Category 3
effective case taking, accurate case analysis and prescribing, and With the understanding that each case is unique and must be
follow-up require a significant amount of training and exper- evaluated fully at the time of presentation, safe and successful
tise. It is appropriate for practitioners who have not had exten- treatment of category 3 conditions usually requires extensive
sive training in the science and art of homeopathy to begin by training in the art and science of homeopathy and should be
prescribing for acute, self-limited conditions; therefore most undertaken only by clinicians who have advanced training and
of the treatment recommendations in this book are for acute extensive clinical experience in homeopathy. Category 3 condi-
conditions, although occasional treatment recommendations tions include acute conditions of moderate to high severity and
for chronic or recurrent conditions of low severity are included complexity and chronic or recurrent conditions of moderate to
as well. With training and experience, interested practitioners high severity and complexity, including psychiatric conditions
can begin to treat more complex cases. and developmental disorders.
468
Appendix A 469

Homeopathic Methodology: Case Taking TA B L E A-1


and Choosing a Homeopathic Medicine
Guidelines for Choosing the Potency and
Case taking for the purpose of prescribing a homeopathic Dosing Schedule for Homeopathic Medicines
medicine is described in detail in the Chapter 5 discussion of
homeopathy and will be reviewed here in brief. During the FREQUENCY OF
interview, the patient’s signs and symptoms of the patient are ACUITY OF CONDITION POTENCY ADMINISTRATION
noted, as are any constitutional characteristics such as food
cravings, thirst, and temperature sensitivity. Mental and emo- Acute (mild) 30C Two to four times daily
tional states should also be observed. After a patient’s symptoms or or
and general state are understood, the one homeopathic medi- 200C One to three times daily
cine whose symptom picture and general state are most similar Acute (severe) 30C or 200C Every few minutes to
to those of the patient, the simillimum, is chosen. The medi- four times daily
cine will be found by studying homeopathic provings,1 reading Chronic 200C or higher One to two times daily
homeopathic materia medica,1 and referring to homeopathic
repertories2 (see Chapter 5, discussion of homeopathy, for fur- a patient with an acute illness. This strategy may be useful in
ther information on the use of these reference books). the following situations: (1) for more acute medical problems
such as the onset of croup or the onset of an allergic reaction or
Prescribing One Medicine at a Time (2) if a patient is partially better after administration of a 30C
(The “Classical” Method) medicine, but the progress of healing has stalled.
p0100 It is best to use one homeopathic medicine at a time. Some For chronic conditions, higher potencies (200C or higher)
systems of prescribing recommend that two or more homeo- are usually given, and typically dosing is less frequent. These
pathically prepared (diluted and succussed) substances that recommendations on potency and dosage frequency are sum-
involve combinations of two or more substances be given marized in Table A-1.
simultaneously. In addition, combination preparations con- Medicines of any potency can be given to patients of any age
taining two or more homeopathically prepared substances can when indicated for the patient’s condition. In this book, usu-
be purchased over the counter by lay people for self-treatment; ally the 30C potency is recommended, as this potency is often
some practitioners recommend them as well. In this book, suitable for acute conditions of low to moderate severity, such
however, all treatment recommendations are for single medi- as those included in this book.
cine preparations (the “classical” method of homeopathic pre-
scribing), unless explicitly stated otherwise in the text. Dosage Quantity and Administration Techniques
A dose of homeopathic medicine consists of two to five pel-
lets or granules, which are administered sublingually or orally,
Potency, Dosage, and Administration
from a spoon or medicine cup. (Unless otherwise noted in the
of Homeopathic Medicines
sections for an individual condition, all treatments recom-
Potency and Dosage Frequency mended are to be administered sublingually or orally. If a topi-
When choosing the potency of a homeopathic medicine, these cal, ophthalmic, or intranasal preparation is recommended, it
general guidelines should be followed: usually lower potencies will be explicitly stated.)
(up to 30C) are given for acute conditions of lower severity For infants and small children, the medicine can be crushed
with few emotional and mental components in the presenta- and the crystals administered, or the medicine can be dissolved
tion; higher potencies (200C and above) are given for acute in purified or spring water and a small amount of the solution
conditions of higher severity, chronic conditions, and condi- (2.5 to 10 mL) administered.*
tions with more emotional and mental components at pre-
sentation. (These are general guidelines to keep in mind as a Changing the Medicine
homeopathic prescription is made. It must always be borne in If no improvement in the patient’s condition is seen after four
mind that each case is unique and must be evaluated fully at to five doses of a homeopathic medicine, this means the medi-
the time of presentation.) cine chosen probably is not correct and will not help. It should
For most acute conditions, a homeopathic medicine in the be stopped and another homeopathic medicine or another
30C potency can be given and repeated one to three times per form of treatment begun, as needed.
day, or even every few minutes for very acute conditions such
as the onset of croup or the onset of an allergic reaction. In *Physicians are accustomed to giving patients precise amounts of medicine, so
general, the more acute or extreme the patient’s condition, recommendations that do not specify an amount of medicine based on age or
the more frequently a medicine is repeated. When the patient weight seem unusual. According to homeopathic theory, however, the action
begins to improve, the medicine can be given less frequently of a homeopathic medicine is based on the “energetic” qualities of the medi-
and then stopped. Usually a patient will continue to improve cine and is not dependent on a dose of medicine delivering a precise quan-
tity of medicinal substance. The correct choice of medicine, not the amount
once the healing process has begun; should a relapse of symp- given, is the most important determinant of the outcome of treatment. For
toms occur, however, the medicine can be repeated. Sometimes this reason, the precise physical quantity of homeopathic medicine given is
increasing the potency to 200C or higher will be beneficial to not critical.
470 Appendix A

otitis media or the chapter on vomiting or may be represented


Treating Patients Who Are Using in both sections. For a patient with a viral illness, one might con-
Other Therapies sult the chapters on cough, fever, upper respiratory tract infec-
Homeopathic medicines can be given in the same time frame tion, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or others to find the simillimum.
as herbs or conventional medicines, although the actual It must be emphasized that the list of homeopathic medi-
administration of the different medicines should be separated cines for each condition is partial and represents only some of
by at least 10 minutes (see later discussion). Homeopathic the probable choices from the homeopathic materia medica. If
medicine can also be used in combination with manipula- the symptoms of a given patient are not represented in the rel-
tive and body-based methods. No deleterious interactions evant section(s), a search of the homeopathic literature would
exist between homeopathic medicine and other modalities. be needed to find the simillimum or another form of treatment
For patients with chronic conditions who are beginning would need to be rendered as needed.
homeopathic treatment, initially it is best for them to con- In this book the summaries of materia medica in the chapters
tinue taking any current conventional medicines. If more on individual conditions were adapted in part from Morrison’s
than one change is made at a time (starting a homeopathic Desktop Companion to Physical Pathology,3 Morrison’s Desktop
medicine and withdrawing a conventional medicine), it may Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms,4 Jonas and
be difficult to interpret the patient’s response to the homeo- Jacobs’ Healing with Homeopathy,5 and other sources found in
pathic medicine. Additionally, the patient may experience an ReferenceWorks.1
unnecessary increase in symptoms if a conventional medicine
is withdrawn before the homeopathic medicine has begun to Selected Homeopathic Resources
work. Sources of Homeopathic Medicines
Proper Handling of Homeopathic Medicines Hahnemann Laboratories, Inc.
1940 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Because homeopathic medicines contain dynamic energy, they
can be inactivated or “antidoted” by various influences; there- Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy
fore patients should be given the following guidelines for the 97 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QR,
correct use of the medicines: United Kingdom

Patients should have nothing by mouth for at least 10 min-
utes before and after administration of a homeopathic medi- Ainsworths Pharmacy
cine (water for a child or breastmilk for an infant may be 36 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 8UF, United Kingdom
given if the child or infant cannot wait).
Homeopathy Overnight

The medicines should not be exposed to bright sunlight, 929 Shelburne Avenue, Absecon NJ 08201
temperatures in excess of 120° F (49° C), excessive humidity,
and strong odors such as camphor. Homeopathic Books

Some patients taking homeopathic medicines may experience
Homeopathic Educational Services
“antidoting” of their medicine by strong-tasting or strongly
2124B Kittredge Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
scented products such as coffee (including decaffeinated cof-
fee), camphor-containing products, or strong mint. If a pa- Minimum Price Books
tient finds that a well-chosen homeopathic medicine is not PO Box 2187, Blaine, WA 98231
helping his or her condition, he or she may need to refrain
from these substances while undergoing homeopathic treat- Whole Health Now
ment. 19552 Lemarsh Street, Northridge, CA 91324

Using Section II (Conditions) of This Book Homeopathic Software


The sections on homeopathic treatment of individual medi- Kent Homeopathic Associates, Inc.
cal conditions contain short synopses of materia medica for 710 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
some of the medicines commonly used to treat the condi-
tions. The materia medica for a homeopathic medicine con- Homeopathic Organizations
sists of a description of the symptoms and characteristics
American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH)
specific to the medicine that provide indications for prescrib- 801 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 306, Alexandria, VA 22314
ing the medicine. The goal in treating a patient homeopathi- The AIH is a nonprofit trade association for medical and osteo-
cally is to determine the single homeopathic medicine whose pathic physicians, dentists, advanced practice nurses, and physician
description in the materia medica most closely matches the assistants who practice homeopathy. The AIH works for its members
symptom picture (physical, mental, and emotional) of the to provide educational programs, promote legislative initiatives, and
patient. educate the public about homeopathy. Some AIH members teach
It may be necessary to refer to more than one condition courses for professionals.
section if the patient has a variety of symptoms. For example,
National Center for Homeopathy (NCH)
if a child has otitis media and is also vomiting, the correct 801 North Fairfax Street, Suite 306, Alexandria, VA 22314
homeopathic medicine might be found in either the chapter on
Appendix A 471

The mission of the NCH is to promote health through homeo- American Medical College of Homeopathy
pathy. The NCH provides general education to the public through 2001 W. Camelback, Suite 150, Phoenix, AZ 85015
annual conferences and monthly newsletters. It also provides educa- The American Medical College of Homeopathy offers a variety
tional programs for professional homeopaths. of onsite and distance learning programs. Beginning in 2001 they
will offer a four-year, full-time program in classical homeopathy
Selected Homeopathic Educational Opportunities that will lead to a Doctor of Classical Homeopathy (DCH) degree.
u0070 Luminos Homeopathic Courses, Ltd.
Ref erences
F-31, Bowen Island, BC V0N1G0,Canada
Luminos Homeopathic Courses, Ltd., offers a distance learning 1. ReferenceWorks Pro 4.2, San Rafael, Calif, 2008, Kent Homeo-
course that provides a comprehensive introduction to homeopathy pathic Associates.
for beginners and less experienced practitioners. Live courses are 2. MacRepertory Pro 7.5, San Rafael, Calif, 2008, Kent Homeopathic
for more experienced practitioners and are presented in a variety of Associates.
locations. 3. Morrison R: Desktop companion to physical pathology, Nevada
City, Calif, 1998, Hahnemann Clinic Publishing.
Center for Education and Development of Clinical Homeopathy 4. Morrison R: Desktop guide to keynotes and confirmatory symptoms,
P.O. Box 3, Edgemont, PA 19028 Albany, Calif, 1993, Hahnemann Clinic Publishing.
CEDH provides practical, clinical training in homeopathy to 5. Jonas WB, Jacobs J: Healing with homeopathy: the doctors’ guide,
physicians in more than 20 countries and many U. S. cities. 136 New York, 1996, Warner Books.
hours of instruction are provided in a series of weekend seminars.

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