I am both a therapist and student of homeopathy. I find, that because of my "therapeutic" background, I can find a remedy well. I have much difficulty with potency/frequency issues, as everyone seems to follow a different "rule" . It seems that even when I return to my OWN treating homeopath, ideas and methodologies change. So, I am asking for help in the following case:

200c rhus. tox. once, given one year ago; severe aggravation, then amelioration. Feel same remedy should be repeated, but what potency? I don't think this individual will put up with another aggravation and stay with homeopathy, but her old symptoms, which she "blamed" on alcohol, are back. Cause and effect are sinking in for her. I think we could really help her here. Thanks in advance for your help. -K

you can find some intelligent info on dosing with LM potencies at
www.boger-boenninghausen.com

If I have a client who I feel will react very strongly to a remedy, I will often precribe a single dose of the remedy at 30c potency, and wait to see if the remedy "holds". In a very sensitive individual, a 30c remedy, although often seen as a lowish potency, will have a dramatic effect.
Such a strong aggravation from the first remedy suggests that the potency may have been too high, and a dose at 30c may work well.
If you feel that you really need to prescribe again at high potency you could consider using a technique known as the Collective Ascending Single Dose. In this regime you give a low potency of the remedy at 6c, then 30c, then 200c, then 1M, 10M or as high as you intend to prescribe.
I usually prescribe 1 dose per day, moving up to the next potency 24 hours later, until I reach the required potency. Some homeopaths prescribe subsequent remedies as little as 6 hours apart.
This normally damps down aggravation from the remedy, by stepping up the potencies gradually.

Tim

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Tim McIlveen DIHOM(Pract.) DnTh. MBANT.<br />Homeopath and nutritional therapist<br /><a href="http://www.wholistic-nutrition.freeserve.co.uk" target="_blank">www.wholistic-nutrition.freeserve.co.uk</a>

Thanks.-K

Dear Karen,

With such a severe agg., you might want to go even lower to a 6C three times a day, a 9C twice a day or a 12C once a day. Put one pellet in water--a small spring water bottle, succuss ten times before each dose, a sip being a dose; a little vodka can be added to keep the water pure; and the value of this is that the patient has control over what's happening to his body. If he feels he's getting worse, he can cut back, or dilute his dose even further by putting a capful from the bottle into a cup of water and taking a sip from the cup. Or he can dose every other day.
He has options. Patients like it when they have control. It puts them at ease.

Snoopy

Okay, now I another question, somewhat a reverse of the first. I have had excellent results with nux. vom. used in relatively low potencies, as I am concerned about aggravations in a child. However, the remedy does not hold. Would you suggest LM administation here as well? BTW, the LM link is most excellent. My thanks, K

[ 23 July 2002, 04:03: Message edited by: karenss ]

Dear Karen,

We don't expect low potencies to hold, that's why they generally have to be repeated 3 times a day.

Putting them in water and succussing before each dose will make them stronger. If there is still a problem with relapsing, you can go to the next higher potency until you get the kind of improvement you're looking for. For instance, from a 6C you can order a 9C or a 12C.

Snoopy

Potencies don't "hold" at all - they should cure. If they don't, then something else needs to be done - change the remedy, the potency, look at obstacles to cure etc. Every dose should be making improvement in the case.

I have rarely found it useful to go down the potency levels once a patient has had a particular potency. In my experience I have never seen the lower potencies work on that patient - in fact, they are much more likely to aggravate them. Just as you cannot keep the potency at the same level (thus the need to succuss the remedy between doses), you cannot shift down to a lower level. If you start at 200, then you must stay around 200 (with a few sucussions to marginally increase the level).

Dilution may be the only way to reduce aggravation. However, I find many patients only aggravate strongly on their first dose of a remedy - subsequent doses do not produce the same aggravation. This is not a rule though, and some sensitive patients aggravate almost no matter what you do.

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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.

Thanks for your help. But now I think you all see my initial point. Everyone has a different opinion. So, I will try a 200c administered using the LM method if I will repeat it, because that makes the most sense. I may have my verbage confused...

Since the 200c rhus. tox./aggravation, she has begun to put on quite a bit of weight from inactivity, not attending activities she used to, more sendentary. She had been in constant motion, chatty, outgoing, vivacious. Previous to any of this, she went through a divorce, which changed her socio-economic status greatly. Any thoughts? -K

Dear Karen,

I hate to be critical, but saying you'll give a 200C in the manner of LM's makes no sense, because LM's are generally given every day and you could only give a 200C once and wait.

Since she had a bad agg. on 200C the last time, I would be worried about giving it again. Have you thought of doing LM's? (I can explain how) or perhaps one dose of a 30C in water?

Snoopy