Frequently asked Questions on Homeopathy

How are homeopathic medicines prepared?
What substances are homeopathic medicines made of?
Do homeopathy medicines have any side effects?
How long will it take to see the results when taking homeopathic medicine?
What is constitutional prescribing?
How much do homeopathic medicines cost?
What other forms of homeopathic prescribing exist and what are the differences?
Can I use coffee and peppermint during treatment?
Does a homeopath need to be a doctor?
Can I use regular medication during the treatment?
Can I use homeopathy during pregnancy?
Are animal proovings used in homeopathy?

Is your question not in the list? I'll be happy to answer!

How are homeopathic medicines prepared?
Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy discovered that the healing power of a medicine increases when it is forcefully successed and gradually diluted. This process of successing and diluting is called dynamizing or potencizing.

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What substances are homeopathic medicines made of?
The majority of homeopathic medicines are made from plants. Medicines are also made from animal substances, minerals or disease material (nosodes).

Arnica Montana
A well know example of a plant medicine is Arnica Montana (mountain daisy). Arnica is indigenous to mountain areas. It also grows high in the mountains of the Andes and it was traditionally used by the Indians of South-America for wounds and sprains inflicted from climbing the mountains. Arnica is made of the whole plant, including the root. As a homeopathic medicine it is used as a first aid medicine, especially for injuries and after shock. It is also a profound-acting remedy for bruises and sprains.

Lachesis Muta
Lachesis Muta is an interesting example of a homeopathic medicine from the animal kingdom. It is prepared from the poison of the bushmastersnake, a snake from South-America. It was first tested by Constantine Hering in 1837 in an attempt to milk snake poison when he was conducting scientific investigation in the jungle of the Amazone. Homeopathically the medicine has a strong affinity with complaints of the blood circulation and the central nervous system. It is frequently indicated when there are menopausal complaints.

Calcarea Carbonica
Calcarea Carbonica is an example of a homeopathic medicine from the mineral kingdom. It is made of the middle layer of the shells from the European edible oyster, Ostrea Edulis. It is an important mineral also found in milk. It is frequently indicated for little children, but also in adulthood it can be the indicated medicine.

Pyrogenium
Pyrogenium is an example of a nosode. It is prepared from rotting meat that is afterwards cooked in boiling water. It is an important medicine for sepsis accompanies with great anxiety.

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Do homeopathy medicines have any side effects??
Homeopathy does not cause the damaging side effects known in regular medicine. By stimulating the self healing mechanism there can be reactions to the medicine. Especially known is the initial aggravation, a temporary and short aggravation of the symptoms. If this happens, it is a good sign; it is part of the healing process and should be accompanied by an improved sense of well-being. During the course of the treatment, old symptoms you have had in the past may also return for a short time. Again, this is an excellent sign that deep healing is taking place. In the majority of the cases there is no aggravation and a gradual improvement of the complaints takes place.

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How long will it take to see the results when taking homeopathic medicine?
It is not easy to predict the course of a treatment. This depends not only on the homeopathic medicine, other factors also play a big role. The time it takes to heal is among other things dependent on the nature and severity of the complaints, the patient's age, use of medication and hereditary factors. In acute situations you may expect a quick and obvious improvement. Chronic problems may take more time. You should expect improvement within a month.

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What is constitutional prescribing?
In classical homeopathy there is a difference between acute and constitutional prescribing. In an acute case the homeopath will give a homeopathic medicine indicated by the acute complaint, including the accompanying emotional and psychological symptoms. In a constitutional case the homeopath selects a homeopathic medicine that covers you entire constitution. This remedy will strengthen your body's defense system, helping you to eliminate many health problems and increasing your well being and sense of happiness.

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How much do homeopathic medicines cost?
Common medicines are included in the treatment. When you need a medicine that has to be ordered for you personally, you will be informed in advance.

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What other forms of homeopathic prescribing exist and what are the differences?
In classical homeopathy we refer to the method as developed by its founder Samuel Hahnemann. The homeopathic medicine is selected by taking into account the totality of the symptoms. This personalized approach can bring about a deep and long lasting change in the patient's health. Because classical homeopathy is made to measure and requires a lot of time and study, people have tried to use in a more simple way. This has resulted in clinical and complex homeopathy. With clinical homeopathy one uses the complaint oriented approach as in regular medicine. The medicine is not selected on the totality of the patient but on a particular complaint. With complex homeopathy different homeopathic medicines with affinity to a certain complaint are put together with the hope that the right medicine for you is included.

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Can I use coffee and peppermint during treatment?
Coffee, peppermints and other strong smelling substances are often said to antidote homeopathic medicines. There is no consensus about this issue amongst homeopaths. If the homeopathic medicine is not 100% correct it can more easily be antidoted. From my experience coffee usually does not give a problem unless you are sensitive to it. My advice in general is to cut down coffee to no more than 2 cups a day and to avoid using peppermint. Most toothpastes contain peppermint, you can buy a peppermintfree toothpaste from Weleda, Elmex or Homeofresh.

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Does a homeopath need to be a doctor?
When, first looking for a classical homeopath, people often ask for a homeopathic doctor. Actually, whether a homeopath has also studied regular medicine is not a relevant question. The important factor is whether the homeopath is competent in his specialism. Classical homeopathy is a specific healing art, with its own philosophy, anamnese, therapy and knowledge of homeopathic medicines. This knowledge differs so much from regular medicine that there is a specific education for classical homeopathy. A solid medical basic training is of course part of the homeopathy study.

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Can I use regular medication during the treatment?
In general homeopathic medicine can be used at the same time as regular medication. In time the regular medication can be reduced. Of course this will always be done in conference with the prescriber.

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Can I use homeopathy during pregnancy?
Homeopathy is absolutely safe during pregnancy, it does not have the damaging side effects regular medicine has. Homeopathy is ideal for women in their childbearing years as it is a gentle system of medicine. By stimulating your vitality in pregnancy, homeopathic treatment can benefit your baby and by staying as healthy as possible during pregnancy, you are giving your baby the ideal conditions in which to thrive.

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Are animal proovings used in homeopathy?
All homeopathic medicines are extensive tested on humans. There is no animal experimentation.

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