Where Are Your Remedies?
Elaine, hi. I have a question about your quiz where the patient — a girl — reacts badly to to fire crackers going off. I guessed Borax (for the Ailments from an Extremely Loud Noise.) I guessed Borax because it was so ‘specific’ with the actual mention of ‘the retort of a gun’ in the description. I admit I wondered who in the world would carry Borax in their pocket (LOL) but I am still learning and want to understand why Aconite would have trumped Borax. Would Borax not have worked, or were you just saying that most people would not have had Borax?
Clearly, most people would not have had Borax on them; so, that’s an issue right there; but, did you see the quiz answer? It was a FRIGHT, and a sudden fright at that, both of which Aconite is known for. I suppose Aconite is an umbrella remedy for any sudden fright, it doesn’t matter if it’s a loud noise or whatever it might be; and mainly what I hoped to get across to people was: “Do you carry remedies with you, or are they at home in a shoe box?”
I hoped to show the value of having an emergency kit on or near you so that any problems that crop up in life can be handled instantly so that everyone can get back to normal right away! The quicker you give a remedy in a situation, the faster it’s going to work. Indeed, this remedy seems to have worked in 15 seconds! Compare that with having your whole day ruined!
Am I correct in the understanding that some remedies could help a situation without being the exact ‘cure’?
I guess you could say that a “close” remedy would help “somewhat” but Aconite seems not to have been a “close” remedy at all, but rather, a bullseye!
Modalities, Modalities, Modalities!
As a lay person, I have been studying the Materia Medica for years and have a pretty good understanding of the remedies and how to use them but I am often at a loss for dosing. I understand to give one dose and wait, except when you scald yourself by pouring boiling tea over your own hand…
Oh yeah, there’s the Boiling Tea Exception…
…and then you take Cantharis every 15 minutes…
Depending on the potency; I mean, a 10M would only have to be given once, I assume…
and in about 3 doses–for a 30C–you are feeling ‘no pain’!) but I have trouble knowing whether it may not be the correct remedy or if more is needed.
I think we’ve all been in that situation!
I have had some incredible successes, but get frustrated with what I do not know. Coughs are the worst for me when they are not a sound I can pinpoint (like the sound of a saw going through a pine board, a barking dog, a trumpet sounding, etc.) or they don’t have a specific type expectoration, etc.
Modalities, modalities, modalities!!!!! Yes, the sound of cough is important, but…things like “worse in the wind”, “worse inside the house, better outside the house”, “worse at 11 pm”, “worse talking”, “better lying down” “better in the hot shower”–all these things will lead you to a remedy! Also, is the cough painful? Does the patient hold his chest? That could be Bryonia. Does he hold his head? That could be Bryonia or Nux vomica. I wrote an article on coughs. Go to my website and click on “Emergencies and Acutes”: https://ElaineLewis.hpathy.com. Scroll down to “Coughs”.
Headaches are not good either, no success with my own.
Shhh!!!!! My headache might hear you!
We both enjoy your columns and look forward to each month!
Thank you!!!!!
Have a blessed week! Thanks for your insights!
Natalie
When Is the Constitutional Remedy More Appropriate than the Pathology Remedy?
Hi, Elaine! I feel like I’ve heard conflicting things on treating constitutionally.
Well, “Zelda”, that’s because the whole interpretation of “constitution” is very elusive, hard to pin down, means different things to different people on different occasions; but basically, I think most people mean prescribing on the mentals when they refer to “constitutional prescribing”. A stingy, fastidious person who worries about money, health and germs is “Arsenicum”, a cry-baby who’s better for sympathy and consolation is “Pulsatilla”, an insecure person who pushes underlings around but is respectful to superiors is “Lycopodium”.
But if the local complaint has clear symptoms, it can over-ride the so-called constitution. If I get hit in the head with a baseball, I’m going for Arnica right away, the heck with my constitution! If I get a horrible virus from my daughter’s kindergarten class, I’m going to take the case of the virus, never mind my constitution! If I get dizziness, chills and nausea from being up all night nursing a loved one, I’m going for Cocculus, forget my constitution! If I get poison ivy from walking in the woods, I’m going to be needing a remedy for THAT–my constitution can wait!!!!!
If you’re thinking you can “use” this acute case–this head injury or poison ivy, etc.–to go “deeper” and find the constitutional remedy…forget about it! That’s mal-practice! A person comes to you with a bee sting, you know it’s Apis, but instead you waste this person’s time taking a 2 hour constitutional case using the bee sting as a “jumping-off point” to get the person to start talking about himself, that’s mal-practice! Your job is to give Apis, resolve the pain and swelling; and then you can ask, “Do you want to have your constitutional case taken?”
But on the other hand, sometimes a homeopath will say, “My patient has poison ivy but I gave Rhus tox and nothing happened, and I’m not getting any information out of her, I can’t get any modalities or sensations…? But, she’s obviously afraid–she thinks she’s going to die! She’s pacing back and forth, very thirsty for cold drinks….” In this case, the constitutional information is very clear but the local complaint information is vague or non-existent; then you give the constitutional remedy–which in this case is Aconite.
Oh, wow! Thanks for clearing up that confusion!
Stop Using Your Expensive Glass and Silverware for Dosing!!!
Hi Elaine, is it OK if I ask you a few quick questions about homeopathy?
Well, I don’t know. This article is called “Questions Patients Ask About Homeopathy”… and, well, hmm… it might be a stretch, but…OK, go ahead!
One is that I read in one of your articles that a remedy will stick to anything it touches which is why you use plastic water bottles rather than your own cups.
True.
If this is true then where does it end?
I don’t know. Well, thanks for asking!
I wasn’t finished.
Oh.
Surely then the remedy touches the plastic bottle which gets recycled and then that ends up effecting someone else, right?
If recycling plastic involves heating? (I understand that boiling a glass bottle for 20 minutes cancels out the remedy though I’ve never tried it myself) but, if that’s true, then maybe recycled plastic bottles aren’t really a problem in that regard.
If you do use one of your own cups will the remedy effect it infinitessimally?
Do you mean “indefinitely”? Conceivably, yes. Here is my experience: A friend was aggravating from a remedy. When I realized that that was what the problem was, I told her she had to do the Aggravation Zapper. The antidoting process worked and the aggravation stopped. She was so relieved! Then she went to the kitchen to wash the glass she was using to dose with–a “good” glass; so, naturally, it had to be washed. The mere contact with the glass through the washing process started the aggravation all over again!!!! I kid you not! I said, “Oh no! You used the good glassware? The remedy comes back as soon as you fill it back up! You can’t wash away a remedy!”
Well, she was devastated! I literally never heard from her again! Apparently she was super-sensitive to that remedy; but the point is, the glass was still “active” even though it had been emptied and “washed”. Now, can the dishwasher get rid of a remedy? I really don’t know, but, it’s enough to make you want to just steer clear of the whole thing and use disposable-everything when working with remedies!
Also, does using a remedy in water only make an aggravation less likely or does it take away the possibility of an aggravation altogether?
The more water you use, the less likely an aggravation becomes. But, the number of repetitions is also a factor, as well as the potency.
How long have you seen aggravations last for?
As short as half an hour and as long as years.
Is it possible to get an aggravation from a homemade remedy based on one’s own saliva succussed in water (autopathy)?
If you make it too strong. Generally, home-made remedies aren’t made beyond a 12C, because of all the succussing and water that’s involved; so, you don’t hear much about home-made remedies aggravating. Generally, people aggravate from too high a potency and too frequent and unnecessary repetitions. Here is the important rule in dosing I always keep repeating:
Important Rule In Dosing:
If you see a striking improvement, stop dosing! If you get worse after a remedy, stop dosing!
If everyone could just remember that….
Can A Case Require 2 or More Remedies?
Elaine, how do you feel about taking multiple remedies at once? I think the Arsenicum is helping one set of symptoms and Nux v. another. If I remember correctly, a single remedy that addresses all symptoms is ideal. As I mentioned before, the Nux v. helps with the head and body aches from chemical sensitivities while Arsenicum is helping with the flu.
Regarding 2 different remedies in a case–different etiologies call for different remedies unless one remedy covers both. It’s not unusual for a person to have a number of things wrong all at once but from different causes–that’s the important distinction: Different Causes. So, in your case, alternating Arsenicum with Nux v. would be a good idea if both disturbances are active at the same time.
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Well, that’s all there is for now, folks. Don’t forget to try to solve this month’s Quiz!
See you again next time….
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Elaine Lewis, D.Hom., C.Hom.
Elaine takes online cases and animal cases too!
Write to her at [email protected]
Visit her website: https://ElaineLewis.hpathy.com
Very helpful Q and A, Elaine. Thank you!
Thanks, Linda; thanks for taking the time to read it!
Elaine, well written and addressed good set of questions. Thanks
How did homeopaths give remedies 200 years ago, before disposable tableware were invented ?
What if I don’t use / have throwaway types at home ? How do I re-use metal / glass; spoon / glass / bottle ?
Thank you.
Sera, I assume glass bottles were used, but if you had to use them today, I would boil them for 20 minutes after finishing with each bottle. And boil the spoons too.