thanks for that link, divina, i recall reading it a few years ago when i was introduced to homeopathy on this forum, it was a good refresher.

i've probably complicated things in this thread by initially asking about the use of varying Nat-M potencies, and then later on asking about the use of Graphities / Apis at the same time. the Nat-M is something that was given to me about 2 or more years ago to treat my cold sores. the issue of varying potencies aside, the Nat-M has worked wonderfully, and i'm now worried from your statement that i should never have had another cold sore, which i have. so you're saying this means that the nat-m wasn't in fact a perfect remedy for my cold sores? am i doing more damage by using it everytime a cold sore comes up?

having read your statements and the online book you linked to, i've emailed my homeopath about the use of graphities and apis at the same time. i'm somewhat confused now. i did 2 days of apis 12c and 3 days of graphities 200c, and was then told to stop the apis (there was no indication of whether i was to take apis/graphities at the same time, and her note led me to believe that i was to do so). after the 3 days of graphities 200c, i was instructed to use graphities 30c in liquid form which i've been doing for less than a week now, and for another 5-7 weeks when i'm to meet up again with my homeopath. should i be alarmed by any of that?

another question this makes me have -- does the fact that i still get cold sore (my old symptom), albeit in extremely lower severity and frequency, now have any connection to my current symptoms (flaky, sebborheic like scalp, red / itchy / scaly around eyebrows, slight swelling / pain in right hand joints, tonsil stones)? that is to say, if my cold sores weren't completely cured as you say they should have been, would a future remedy to heal my current symptoms AND my cold sores (which would be complete current history, yes?) require only one remedy? in which case the use of graphities and nat-m (when the symptoms of cold sores arise) is not right?

what should i do?

thanks everyone for your help.