Well, all I can say is I know your homeopath was not trained--in class or in clinical supervision--to practice in this way. But I do know her background is in conventional medicine, and sometimes it is very difficult for people with this type of background to understand the medical paradigm of homeopathy. It's okay to tell people that I referred you to this person, who was one of my classmates. I'd seen her work in a clinical environment before, so I'm rather surprised to learn about the change in prescribing methods at this point.
Every single patient comes in with an entire totality of symptoms and problems--it is always more than one thing that brings the patient in in every chronic case. In every case, I use only one remedy to treat all the individual problems presented and perceived in the case. As does every other homeopath. One patient, with one vital force, only needs one remedy.
Why? Because that is how homeopathy works.
Prescribing specific remedies for specific symptoms rarely ever works, unless you are treating an acute ailment. None of the symptoms you describe can be called "acute", even if you want to think about the appearance of cold sores an acute flare-up of a chronic disease (herpes simplex). I think Nat Mur covers all the symptoms very well, but if it has been used repeatedly and the symptoms return (truthfully, the herpes should have been cured...never to return again)...then perhaps you need a remedy that is very close to the Nat Mur, but not Nat Mur.
Here's a very clear booklet that details exactly how homeopathy is to be practiced--very handy for patients to know this, so they know what to expect from homeopathy:
www.demystify.com
Click on the "book online" link, and enjoy it. I'ts very quick and very clear. You'll understand everyone's reaction to your case far better after reading this booklet. Perhaps you could take your concerns to your homeopath afterwards and go from there.
[ 25. March 2004, 16:05: Message edited by: Divina ]