Dear Louise,

you are proving the remedy if the symptoms are new. You are aggravating if the symptoms are old or current ones.

An aggravation may mean the remedy is right,and it is attempting to cure. It may have been too strong, but there is no way to tell that will happen until you use it. Aggravations are nothing to worry about if they naturally run their course and are curative.

An aggravation can happen in sensitive patients even when the remedy is not curative. You may be sensitive, and the aggravation may have no beneficial result. It still should not be interfered with, as there is no way to know until some time passes (a week or two).

A proving is of less use to you physically, but of great use educationally. I have taken lots of remedies I did not need, and learned much from the (unpleasant) experience.

It is important not to antidote the symptoms if there is a possibilty they are acting to cure you.

Also, do not fear the 200c - I often start with them, and get no more aggravation than I do with 30c or 1M. It is a superstition that Lyc 200 aggravates more than other remedies.

__________________
David Kempson.<br />Dip.Homoeopathic Medicine.<br />Lecturer Australian College of Natural Therapies (Brisbane Campus)<br />Member AHA, AROH, HMA<br />Member Australian Homoeopathic Association. Member#0442.