Complex Remedies

An Introduction to Homeopathic Combinations

What are homeopathic combinations? Why are they used? Everything you want to know about homeopathy combinations.

Homeopathic combinations have remained a source of controversy among the homeopathic community since the time of Hahnemann. While the Organon strictly prohibits their use, their ease of use has made them stay. These days their use has grown manyfold. You can find a homeopathic combination for literally everything – Asthama, Allergic Rhinitis, Menopause, Dysmenorrhoea, Leucorrhoea, Dentition, Diarrhea, Constipation, Hyperacidity, Weight loss, Apetite tonics, Growth tonics, Cardiac tonics, Flu, Hair loss, Warts, Vitiligo, Eczema, Hypertension, Memory Loss, Renal stones, Jaundice, even homeopathic soaps and toothpaste – you name it, you will find it!! Let us explore the so-called homeopathic combinations further.

What are Homeopathic Combinations?

A medicine prepration containing a mixture of multiple homeopathic medicines, is usually sold as a homeopathic combination.

Homeopathic combinations usually contain medicines in very low potencies or mother tinctures. The medicines which are known to have some physiological action on a disease or an organ are mixed together and marketed as a cure for a given condition.

Are these combinations really ‘homeopathic’?

Not at all! Why?? A medicine does not become ‘homeopathic’ simply because its ingredients are used as homeopathic medicines or because it is potentised. ‘Homeopathic’ means ‘similar’. A medicine is called ‘homeopathic’ when it is similar to the whole condition of a person/patient. Each medicine produces a variety of symptoms and affects various systems. When we look for a similar medicine, it should cover as many symptoms of the ‘person’ as is possible. The combinations just focus on one or two common symptoms (usually of the disease), so they may be similar to one or two symtoms of the ‘disease’, they are still not ‘homeopathic’ to the patient.

Apart from that combinations often rely on material quantity and physiological quality of the drugs to offer palliation. That is very similar to the conventional or allopathic medicine. Homeopathy is best known to work with highly potentised medicines and sub-physiological doses. So even the way most homeopathic combinations work, is also not homeopathic.

Homeopathy is a medical system based on some sound and fixed principles. These principles include the use of one single medicine at a given time, use of least possible quantity of medicine (in terms of quantity and repetition), no use of combinations, no use of external ointments for chronic conditions, use of the medicine which covers not only the common symptoms of the disease but also the uncommon symptoms which reflect the patients individuality.

So technically speaking the medicines which are sold as ‘homeopathic combinations’ are not at all homeopathic but since they contain medicines which are also used in homeopathy, may use very low potencies of homeopathic medicines, are prepared and sold by homeopathic companies – they are usually called ‘homeopathic’ – but they are not!!

Learn more about the ‘homeopathic’ combinations –

Pros & Cons of Homeopathic Combinations

When to use Homeopathic Combinations?

When not to use Homeopathic Combinations?

About the author

Dr. Manish Bhatia

- BHMS, BCA, M.Sc Homeopathy (UK), CICH (Greece), MD (Hom)
- Associate Professor, Organon & Homeopathic Philosophy, SKH Medical College, Jaipur
- Founder Director of Hpathy.com
- Editor, Homeopathy for Everyone
- Co-author - Homeopathy and Mental Health Care: Integrative Practice, Principles and Research
- Author - Lectures on Organon of Medicine vol 1, 2, 3. CCH Approved. (English, German, Bulgarian)
- Awardee - Raja Pajwan Dev Award for Excellence in the Field of Medicine; APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Excellence in Homeopathy Education
- Visit Dr. Bhatia's website

17 Comments

  • Sir,
    Your articles are more informative. Sir I have a doubt then why homoeopathic combinations are allowed in the markets?

  • Yes the answers are partially true. The pros and cons section should have been more elaborate. I would suggest all anti-homeo-combination professionals to read about “Septenate Mixtures in Homeopathy” by Dr. Bhattacharya which uses Indian Ayurvedic based approach of first classifying all homeo medicines using TRIDOSHA principles using VATA-PITTA-KAPH and then again uses the ayurvedic approach of Ras,Rakta etc. seven dhatus and hence develops a Seven medicnes in a combination (“Science of Triddosha and Homeopathy- Dr. Bennoytosh bhattacharya).
    The importance of Septenate Mixture comes when we consider a mass scale approach for running OPD in homeo practice (daily OPD turnaround of about 450 patients). See the “Eclectic Medicine or simple healing methods by Dr. AK Bhattacharya (FIRMA KLM Pvt. Ltd. Publisher, Calcutta-700012 1984). These mixtures are of course, in potentized form ( so one need not confuse it like Ayurveda)
    So instead of merely opposing Homeo mixtures, we should explore the Septenate Homeo Mixture Methodology and contribute through applications of Ayurvedic priciples for homeopathic medicnes in potentized form, of course.

  • In 1797 in his essay, “Are the obstacles to the attainment of simplicity and certainty in Practical Medicine insurmountable?” Samuel Hahnemann wrote, “How can medicine attain a higher degree of certainty, when the doctor seems intent only on allowing a number of miscellaneous forces to be exerted at the same time on a pathological state?

    Ref: Samuel Hahnemann: his life and work, Richard Haehl, pp.68-70

  • COMBINATION IS ONE OF THE MAIN PRACTICES IN GHANA,AND WE AS NEW CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHS FROM PREMIER INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HOMEOPATHY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ARE TRYING TO ERADICATE THEM FROM THE SYSTEM.BECAUSE THEY ARE GIVING A VERY BAD IMAGE TO HOMEOPATHY IN GHANA.

  • 1.Shall we more precisely define a combination homeopathic medicine?
    Two plant extracts/metal powders/nosodes combined and titurised or two titurised medicines combined together should constitute a combination medicine.The former has been existing in homeo literature and practice for a long time.However,the later is relatively new.

    2.Has any research been carried to investigate the effects of the later on human beings?
    Normative opinion should await answers to these questions

  • Well, we shall grant that at least the combinations have this virtue; if one remedy does not work another works and we have the desired healing. This can apply to very acute ailments. But at the same time, it halts the healing process by making the management of the case obscure, since you will not know what remedy should be followed with, if necessary, because you do not know which of the remedy has worked. Also, the symptom picture could be modified to the extent, that the case gets thoroughly confused.

  • I read in a small booklet that toward the end of his life Hahneman began using complex/combination remedies.however in all my research i cannot find any reference to this.All my sources repeatedly state to use single remedies. can anyone enlighten me to reference or timeline to clarify this information.i have also looked at the early followers and all texts in my computer programme.
    Thankyou

    • Hahnemann never used complex or combination remedies. Some reports related to Agedi do suggest that he might have experimented with them on a fwe patients but he never endorsed them. All his Paris case books are available in archives and leave aside any combinations, you wont even find two drugs used simultaneously in a patient. I think there can be no greater proof to this than his case books.

  • Your articles are more informative.Homeopathy is a medical system based on some sound and fixed principles.
    thnks you

  • What is the correct combination for BONE? Would appreciate posting various combinations proposed by Dr. Bhattacharya.

  • Dear sir
    I am from Pakistan and love to Homeopathy treatment sir kindly tell me best homepathic medicine for dengue fever for white cell deficient problem

  • We as a family were treated by a wonderful homeopath for more than 15 years. He used to give combinations of 2 to 4 medicines. But these he decided himself and wrote transparently on a prescription. He helped us go through several illnesses, small and major. But he was against taking over-the-counter homeopathy combinations. He also never gave us placebos (of course because he did not have the system of single 1M doses with placebo). Anyway, point is that combination medication is a very proper system, of course nto followed by classical homeopaths. But the combination does not always try to find your ‘true’ medicine, your constitutional remedy that will solve everything. But it works with current symptons being exhibited. Yet it is individualised and requires i think a good understanding of how medicines work in combination. Something many doctors perhaps dont go into. That is why he was against over-the-counter combinations. This doctor of ours was so good, he could tell how the cure would proceed over the coming days… which symptom will disappear first and so on. But he was a man liked by ery few in his community…

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