How To Administer Remedies

One of the most frequent questions I receive is about remedies. So I thought I'd outline all the ins and outs of Homeopathic Remedies and how to administer them.

Before we get into the logistics of remedies, let's talk about the kinds of remedies that are available.

Remedies can be dispensed in liquid or granule forms.

You can either put few drops or granules under your tongue or dilute it in a bit of water before taking it, unless otherwise instructed by Dr. Ayoubzadeh.  If you're unsure which form is best, consult with Dr. Ayoubzadeh.

What is the proper dosage to take?

1 to 3 drops or granules are enough per dose.

When Is The Best Time To Take A Homeopathic Remedy?

A homeopathic remedy can be taken at any time in the 24 hours. 

How Do You Take A Remedy?

Remedies are absorbed in the mouth. Here are some basics to remember when taking a remedy:

• Please keep the remedy in your mouth for 30 to 60 seconds before swallowing
• It is best to have no other taste or food in your mouth while taking the remedy. Most homeopaths advice taking a remedy away from meals. But as remedies get absorbed in the mouth, you can take the remedy anytime your mouth has no other food or taste in it.
• It is best not to touch the granules. The Commercial varieties are sold in tubes with a dispensing cap: turn the tube upside down and each time you turn the cap, a granule will be dispensed. You can remove the cap without remedies falling off the bottle.
• Most homeopathic clinics offer the granules in a plastic bag, a small envelop or a glass bottle. If this is how you receive your remedy, put 1-3 granules in a small spoon and put it under your tongue or dissolve it in a bit of water when you have no other food or taste in your mouth. 

What is the proper frequency to take your remedy?

The best way to take a remedy is “as needed”. No two patients are the same so the requirements will vary in each case.

The homeopathic remedies act more as an “information” for the system to heal itself as opposed to an active ingredient present in drugs, supplements, and herbal tinctures. Our body usually tends to eliminate the active ingredients (or absorb in the case of vitamin and minerals) within few hours to a day and therefore, most of them need to be taken 1-4 times per day.

Homeopathic remedies act more as a stimulus to the system and the effect a single dose can last hours, days, weeks even months (and rarely years).  Stimulus or information is like asking a child who is repeatedly doing something irritating or harmful to stop doing it. If the child stops the action after the first time, there is no need to repeat the information for as long as the child stops the behaviour.

The frequency of taking a remedy depends on the given potency.

As a rule of thumb, in treating chronic conditions, the lowest potencies (12 c and below, LM or Q potencies) are given one to three times a day, 30 c every 2-3 days, 200 once a week and 1m once every two weeks. But any potency can be taken more often during an acute conditions, (even every 10-20 minutes) and all potencies should be stopped once the body reacts to the remedy. Wait till the effect of the last dose is finished (both the initial aggravation and the secondary improvement) before you take the next dose.

What Symptoms Should I Expect When Taking A Remedy?

An initial aggravation from taking the remedy means the remedy is acting deeply into the system so the remedy has to be stopped and not repeated until all the effect of the remedy (aggravation or improvement) are stopped. It is common for a remedy to cause a healing crisis before an improvement settles in. (anything suppressed needs to come to the surface so the body can heal it).

An improvement without aggravation means the potency is nice and gentle. Please stop the remedy and repeat only once the effect of the last dose is finished so your body heals at its own pace.

Please keep track of the following on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual/existential (crisis of purpose, meaning and identity) level:

•  All symptoms that have improved,
•  All Symptoms that have remained the same.
•  Any thing that has aggravated

The last two are the body’s guidance for fine tuning the potency and frequency or adding a complementary or deeper remedy.