Rules for taking homeopathic medicines from Yehuda Kurshena. Scientists against myths: together with a doctor of pharmaceutical sciences, we figure out whether homeopathy can cure
What is homeopathy and should we be afraid of it? Elena Belova, a homeopath and a former pediatric intensive care doctor, answered the most popular questions from moms about “pseudoscience”.
What is the fundamental difference between homeopathic treatment and conventional?
What is a disease? This is an excessive reaction of the body to a disease-causing factor received from the outside. Classical medicine sends “heavy artillery” and other “chemistry” with the prefix anti- to help the body. This is indispensable in emergency cases, but it can disrupt the immune system, and the body will stop fighting itself.
What does homeopathy do? It sends another microscopic drop of the disease - ultra-small doses of poison, prompting the body to respond correctly and heal itself, turns on those forces that were turned off or turned on wrong.
How does a homeopath select medicines?
Everything is important for a homeopath: a person’s medical history, his so-called constitution (for example, a cold compress helps someone with pain, and someone is warm, one asks to drink at a temperature, and the other refuses), biorhythms, heredity, the course of pregnancy and childbirth . We select medicines on the basis of symptoms, "in likeness." For example, in some, the clinical manifestations of the disease are similar to arsenic poisoning, in others - with snake venom. A person will receive these substances in homeopathic dilution. There is a so-called repertory - a catalog of symptoms and their correspondence to homeopathic remedies, of which there are more than 4 thousand.What are homeopathic medicines made from? Are they harmless to children?
Literally anything can become a raw material for homeopathic remedies: poisons, minerals, plants ... All this is diluted and applied to grains of milk sugar in ultra-low doses: decimal, centesimal, etc.
Homeopathy is based on the theory of small doses. Everyone knows the saying of Hippocrates: “Everything is poison, and everything is medicine. A dose makes it both.” Poison has been used in classical medicine for centuries, but homeopathy does not allow dilutions that are harmful to the body.
There is no particularity, for a homeopath it does not matter who to treat: an adult or a child. The principles are the same.
How to give homeopathic granules to young children?
It is easier for babies to give drops. To give pellets, take a regular syringe, detach the needle and pull out the plunger. Place peas moistened with water inside, and then squeeze the child by the cheek so that he has time to dissolve, and not immediately swallow the medicine. It is advisable to withstand at least an hour after feeding or give half an hour before meals.
Are homeopathy, herbal medicine and placebo the same thing?
No, homeopathy has nothing to do with the healing effect of self-hypnosis. There are statistics that homeopathy works best on the elderly, small children and animals. What kind of placebo effect can a cat or a baby have? A is the same classical medicine, only based on herbs.
For which diseases does homeopathy help better than evidence-based medicine?
For all skin diseases, allergic and fungal, you can immediately contact a homeopath. Recently, after three months of active treatment, I helped a girl with eczema. Prior to this, the child itched for two years, could not sleep peacefully, they tried all kinds of hormonal ointments on him ...
Is it possible to combine homeopathic treatment with classical?
Yes. The exception is herbal medicine, chemotherapy and some serious drugs that specifically suppress immunity in autoimmune diseases.
Homeopathy is an unscientifically proven approach to treating a person, where microdoses of a substance that causes symptoms similar to those of a disease are used as a medicine. With homeopathic dilutions, the preparation may not contain a single molecule of the active substance. Traditional (evidence-based) medicine believes that its effectiveness does not exceed the placebo effect and is a dangerous myth. In Russia, only specialists with higher medical education who have completed special courses in the field of homeopathy are allowed to use this technique in treatment.
How do homeopathic medicines differ from conventional medicines?
For the manufacture of homeopathic remedies, substances of plant, animal and mineral origin are used. The main difference between homeopathic medicines is that during their manufacture, the original substance is successively diluted in a solvent, sometimes tens or even hundreds of thousands of times. Before each stage of dilution, the container is shaken ten times, as a result of which, from the point of view of homeopathy, the substance acquires a special dynamic medicinal power. If the ratio of the active substance and the base (that is, the solvent, which is usually used as water or sugar solution) is one to ten, then the first decimal dilution is obtained, denoted in different countries by D or X; if one to a hundred - the first hundredth, denoted by the letter C; thousandth dilutions are denoted by the letter M. To prepare the second decimal (hundredth, thousandth) dilution, a tenth (hundredth, thousandth) part of the resulting solution is taken, shaken, transferred to a new test tube and mixed again with the base. The higher the degree of dilution and the more times the solution was shaken during its preparation, the deeper and longer the effect on the human body will be. In dilutions higher than 12C, not a single molecule of the original active substance remains. There is no single theory explaining how a homeopathic remedy affects the patient, but more than two hundred years of practice confirms that correctly potentized and dynamized remedies continue to work in any dilution. Homeopathic medicines do not enter into any biochemical reactions in the body, and therefore, the body does not spend energy on the utilization of medicines, focusing entirely on recovery.
Is it possible to combine homeopathic treatment and treatment with conventional medicines?
In general, homeopathic doctors try to avoid the use of traditional medicines such as antibiotics, antihistamines, antipyretics, antifungals, etc., as they all suppress the vitality of a person and prevent the body from moving towards recovery. Of course, when treating with homeopathy, one must be guided by common sense: put a cast on a broken arm, stop the bleeding and remove a splinter from a finger. In the treatment of chronic diseases with homeopathy, it is necessary to approach each case individually. A homeopathic doctor usually needs the results of examinations of a person in order to assess the severity of his condition, the dynamics of the progression of the disease in order to find the optimal treatment regimen. Particular care should be taken when a person has been receiving traditional medical (allopathic) drugs for a long time, for example, hormones or drugs that reduce blood pressure. In each case, the issue of the possibility of replacing drugs is decided individually after a thorough examination. In the event that a person's condition allows to refuse allopathic drugs, it is necessary to carry out this transition gradually, gradually reducing the doses of conventional drugs, so as not to cause a sharp deterioration in the state associated with the withdrawal syndrome. Of course, such a transition in no case can not be carried out independently. It can be carried out only on the recommendation of a doctor and under the constant supervision of a specialist.
Do I need to follow a diet for homeopathic treatment?
It is necessary to exclude mint, strong coffee, eucalyptus and camphor in any form, as they can weaken or nullify the effect of a homeopathic remedy. There is no clear explanation in which cases the use of herbal stimulants and sedatives will interfere with the action of homeopathy, and in which it will not. Therefore, it is usually recommended to avoid mints, mint gum, peppermint tea, mint toothpaste, as well as rubbing, inhalation, baths with eucalyptus and camphor.
Is it true that homeopathy is completely safe?
This is one of the common misconceptions. Homeopathy has a complex effect on a person, and frequent use of incorrectly selected drugs in high potencies can seriously harm. Therefore, it is better not to engage in self-treatment of chronic diseases, but to turn to a classic homeopathic doctor who selects drugs individually based on a personal conversation and examination, and also prescribes no more than one drug at a time and carefully monitors the results of treatment.
How is a homeopathic remedy selected?
Homeopathy is based on the principle “like cures like”, systematized at the end of the 18th century by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann, who proved that many traditional remedies that cure certain diseases cause in a healthy person the symptoms of the disease for which they are used, and therefore medicines can be used according to the principle of similarity. The homeopathic medicine strengthens the disease-causing impulse, and the organism, forced to “fight” the homeopathic influence, also overcomes the physical manifestations of the disease, expressed in symptoms, on more subtle levels. As part of an individual approach, the doctor determines the specific mental and physical symptoms in order to select the drug that is appropriate in this particular situation. For example, a sore throat can be treated with many remedies, but when it turns out that the sore throat is worse at night, started on the left side and follows changes in the weather, a specific remedy is selected for all these symptoms. Homeopathic reception consists of a thorough questioning of the patient, physical examination and observation. In addition to the patient's complaints, the homeopathic doctor learns from him about the mood and relationships with loved ones, about the general state of health and lifestyle, about current symptoms and about the patterns of deterioration and improvement in the course of the disease. To help the homeopathic doctor, there are numerous reference books and repertories that facilitate the search and selection of remedies. Currently, more than 4,000 drugs have been tested and described. After the doctor has decided on the remedy, he individually selects the appropriate potency (degree of dilution). So, in acute diseases, low potencies (up to 30C) are used, in exacerbation of chronic diseases, medium ones (up to 200C), and in the treatment of chronic cases, high ones (200C or more). Generally, the deeper the level of damage and the higher the degree of similarity, the higher potencies should be applied.
What is the opinion of modern medicine about homeopathy?
Modern medicine believes that the effectiveness of homeopathy cannot exceed the effectiveness of a placebo (a physiologically inert substance, the positive effect of which is associated with the subconscious expectations of the patient), since there is not a single molecule of the active substance in dilutions above 12C (twelfth hundredth). Many doctors of the classical school treat this practice with great distrust, and often consider it quite risky, and the assertion about the effectiveness of homeopathy is unproven, since it is difficult to conduct large-scale clinical studies in the usual form, because people with the same diagnosis often require different homeopathic medicines. funds. Nevertheless, clinical studies of a number of drugs prove the effectiveness of the use of homeopathic medicines in anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibacterial therapy. You should know that WHO recommends not treating such diseases as cancer, tuberculosis, AIDS, malaria and some others with homeopathy.
How does homeopathic treatment work?
Homeopathic doctors consider it their goal not to suppress the symptoms of the disease, but, on the contrary, to open them and bring them out. If the vital force of the body is not allowed to express itself (covering up an allergic rash with ointment, lowering the temperature, etc.), then sooner or later the body will not have the strength to bring the problem out, and the disease will continue, but at a deeper level, then eat will be driven inside. For example, after an allopathically “treated” chronic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis will appear, after a suppressed seasonal allergy, asthma, etc. In the case of effective homeopathic treatment, the symptoms are not suppressed, but revealed, and the disease continues its course at an increasingly safe, superficial level until it passes at all. In the case of proper treatment, the symptoms will move in the reverse order of their appearance (those symptoms that appeared first will go away at the very end); from vital organs to less important ones, going from inside to outside; from the top of the body down. For the first time, these principles of healing were described by Konstantin Hering, and these rules of healing are called "Hering's Law" in homeopathy. In a broad sense, the correct cure is when one chronic disease is replaced by another, milder one, and the patient's quality of life improves. For example, living with diathesis is much easier than with depression, and with frequent SARS it is better than with asthmatic attacks. If Hering's law is not observed, then we are not talking about a cure, but about an aggravation of the disease, and the disappearance of symptoms will be associated with the transition of the disease to a deeper level.
What are the forms of homeopathic medicines?
The basis for a homeopathic remedy can be water, sugar, alcohol, as well as special varieties of wax. Homeopathic remedies are prepared in several dosage forms. For internal use, drops are usually made on an alcohol or water basis, powders and granules based on milk sugar, tablets are less commonly used. For external use in homeopathy, ointments are used, as well as tinctures for rubbing, dressings, baths, etc. In recent years, injectable forms of homeopathic medicines produced in ampoules have begun to appear.
Homeopathy is one of the most talked about medical methods, having both its devoted supporters and equally fierce critics.
"The author drank poison"
The history of homeopathy began in 1791, when its author, Samuel Hahnemann literally "drank yada". Not the most successful doctor with a difficult fate, he traveled around Europe for a long time, learned several languages, worked as a librarian for a Transylvanian baron, taught languages, accompanied doctors during their practice, but recognition did not come to him.
While translating medical books, he came across a reference to the symptoms of cinchona bark poisoning. Quinine in small doses at that time was just beginning to be used to treat malaria. Hahnemann, on the other hand, drew attention to the fact that cinchona poisoning is very similar in symptoms to malaria.
Then Samuel decided to try a large dose of quinine on himself. Everything fit together: trembling without chills, thirst, dullness of the senses, stiff joints, numbness - all these symptoms were also present in malaria, which Hahnemann himself had once contracted. So he came to the ancient medical principle of treating like with like. He decided that the same substance in different proportions can both heal and cripple.
It is worth saying that Hahnemann was not a pioneer in this, both Hippocrates and Paracelsus were guided in their practice by the same principle. However, it was Hahnemann who managed to develop this principle to the point that he created an entire branch of alternative medicine on its basis.
On quinine, Hahnemann did not stop and began to try different poisons on himself. He tried 60 different substances on himself, which were later included in his four-volume Pure Pharmaceutical Science.
Homeopathy today cannot be considered a full-fledged component of modern medicine, since it does not have a serious evidence base, does not meet the requirements of an educated, thinking, analyzing doctor of any practice. (V.A. Chipizubov, neurosurgeon) The principle of ultra-low doses, discovered by Hahnemann, is perceived with great skepticism by today's medicine. The thing is that the substance is diluted in such proportions that not a single molecule of the original substance remains in the final composition according to the Avagadro number. Homeopaths have only one answer to these arguments: the memory of water.
It is difficult to go against such a convincing argument in its unprovability, although it is not entirely clear why water should “remember” exactly the original substance, and not thousands of other impurities and chemical elements carried in the air or that were once in the water supply system (let’s imagine for a second “the purest »pipeline of the beginning of the 19th century). By the way, experiments conducted in 2005 by Dr. Cowan showed that water molecules can indeed form a molecular metastructure, but it lasts much less than a second.
Birth of a cult
Nevertheless, Hahnemann's technique eventually began to acquire the features of a real cult. Traditional doctors, whom Hahnemann contemptuously called allopaths (from a combination of the words "other" and "disease") Hahnemann hated. Pharmacists also hated him. This is not surprising - both of them lost considerable profits from the appearance of homeopathy. The hated Hahnemann with a bag full of poisonous substances began to wander around Europe.
The effectiveness of homeopathy was demonstrated by Hahnemann during the epidemic of cholera and typhus that swept through Europe. Hahnemann was on horseback. In his clinic, each patient was greeted with a kind word, asked about life, children and the weather - Hahnemann was sure that each patient needed an individual approach, therefore he was both a psychologist and a brother for patients. Of course, crowds of people went to his clinic. The alternative was to go to traditional doctors who treated with bloodletting, harsh laxatives, mercury, and red-hot forceps.
Now homeopathy is the destiny of people who are either afraid of doctors, or disillusioned with classical, university medicine, or simply desperate (V.A. Chipizubov, neurosurgeon)
Healthy skepticism and the Russian nobility
Traditional medicine even today treats homeopaths as sectarians, even despite the fact that not the last people paid tribute to homeopathy. In Russia in the 19th century, Hahnemann's teaching was not even a fashion, but a craze, albeit not without its persecutors. Representatives of the upper classes of Russian society were delighted with the obscure language of homeopathy, all these flies and flying ointments, which then seemed to be the secret language of alchemy. And many years of family practice of homeopathic treatment emphasized a kind of belonging to secret circles.
In "War and Peace" there is a lot of evidence of the addictions of the Russian nobility to homeopathic medicine. Even Tolstoy's eternal ideological opponent Dostoevsky paid attention to her. “Homeopathic parts, after all, can be the strongest,” the writer says through the mouth of one of his heroes. The path from the persecutor of homeopaths to their most faithful supporter was Vladimir Dal, who cured even eye diseases with homeopathic methods.
But homeopathy cannot be completely dismissed and forgotten. There are many, albeit scattered, cases when people recovered after treatment with homeopathic remedies. placebo? - Maybe. Taking into account the fact that any product must be at least non-toxic, when recommending homeopathy, the doctor follows the minimum, but at the same time the main principle of medicine - do no harm. Here is such a "convenient thing" - homeopathy. (V.A.Chipizubov, neurosurgeon).
Homeopathy remains a mystery. Doctors are convinced that it's all about the placebo effect, children love homeopathy for the possibility of healing with small sweet peas, and adults who are convinced from their life experience that the world is not always the abode of logic and common sense simply believe in a miracle.
The lack of information leads to the fact that people make mistakes - they self-medicate or turn to a specialist without an appropriate medical education. To avoid this, experts advise remembering a few basic rules.
Fact one. Only doctors with medical education can treat patients in Russia, this also applies to homeopaths. If you turned to a specialist without a medical education, then you will be solely responsible for the results.
Fact two. The process of treatment by any doctor, including a homeopath, begins with a full clinical diagnosis of the patient - examination, laboratory tests, collection of information about concomitant diseases. And only after that the doctor is engaged in identifying the individual characteristics of the patient and the factors that improve or aggravate his well-being.
Fact three. Clinical homeopathy is a system that takes into account psycho-emotional symptoms to the extent that they reflect the patient's physical condition or are related to it. She does not deny other medical approaches: today neither the doctor nor the patient has to make the final choice between homeopathy and conventional medicine. It is possible to take homeopathic medicines in addition to others - for example, they have proven themselves well for the treatment of post-vaccination allergies.
Fact four. Homeopathy is not herbal medicine, only half of all remedies are of plant origin. A quarter of drugs are mineral-chemical, another quarter are of animal origin.
Fifth fact. In ordinary pharmacies, most often complex homeopathic preparations are sold under the brand name. They are registered in Russia as drugs on a general basis, which means that the manufacturer has passed all the necessary preclinical studies. This is the essential difference between homeopathic medicines and dietary supplements.
Fact six. Homeopathic medicines have a different form of release. It can be white granules familiar to many, tablets, drops for taking, gels, ointments and even syrups.
Fact seven. There are few complex homeopathic medicines, but these are universal combinations that have shown effectiveness in common colds. It is important to remember that complex preparations can be purchased at a pharmacy, knowing the desired purpose (for cough, for ARVI, for the common cold, etc.), and only a doctor can choose the right monopreparation.
Fact eight. It is generally accepted that the result of taking homeopathic medicines has to wait a long time. In some cases, it really takes time, but there are many drugs that quickly cope with their task. For example, homeopathic medicines are widely used in sports medicine - for bruises and bruises, muscle pain, and in everyday life - mosquito bites, burns, abrasions. These are the areas where tangible relief occurs within a few hours.
Fact nine. If you want to be treated for real, choose real medicines - produced at modern pharmaceutical production and registered with the Ministry of Health as medicines. For example, BOIRON medicines meet international GMP standards, and the production is regularly inspected by the FDA, on a par with any other modern production sites.
You can check the registration of the drug as a medicine on the website of Roszdrav: http://grls.rosminzdrav.ru/grls.aspx. The registration number of the medicinal product must be indicated in the instructions enclosed in the box.
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1. On what principle is homeopathy based?
There are two ways to treat a sick person.
One way is based on law of opposites(treat high fever with antipyretics, treat constipation with laxatives, diarrhea with fixatives). Traditional medicine works on this principle.
The second way is based on the law of similarity. This is homeopathic treatment. This means that drugs that cause insomnia in a healthy person can cure insomnia in an insomniac. A medicine that causes diarrhea in a healthy person can heal a person with diarrhea. A homeopathic medicine stimulates and strengthens the body's own mechanisms, namely the body's immune system, and then it copes with the disease more effectively.
2. Why does it take a long time to see a homeopath?
The aim of the homeopath is not disease. Its goal is to raise your immunity, improve your body as a whole. In order to achieve this, the homeopathic doctor needs to know your entire personality, and this includes your physical body, intellect, emotional sphere, and also your subconscious. Understanding all this as a whole helps to choose the most similar homeopathic remedy for your condition, suitable for you as a “key to the lock”. Therefore, the homeopathic doctor spends much more time on the reception, and the more information about yourself and the characteristics of your body you tell your homeopath, the easier it is for him to help you.
3. Homeopathy is always a slowly acting medicine and does it take a long time to be treated?
This is not true! Homeopathy can give a quick effective result within 5-10 minutes in acute conditions (acute pain, high fever). However, in chronic cases of arthritis, skin allergies, asthma, which the patient has suffered for 15-20 years, it is difficult to expect a quick effect. You need to let the medicine work for six months to get a good effect.
4. Do homeopathic medicines have any side effects?
One of the main differences of homeopathy is that very small dosages are used. In the literature, they are called differently - ultra-small, ultra-small doses. If in the 6-hundredth dilution there may still be molecules of the original substance, then in the 12-hundredth potency they are no longer there, and the medicine is gaining strength. The healing potential of high doses with high dilutions is greatly increased, and in homeopathy 200, 1000, 10M (ten thousandth dilution), there is even 50M (50 thousandth dilution) and CM (100000th dilution) can be used. When homeopathic medicines are diluted, the toxic effect of the original substance decreases and is lost, and the dynamic effect increases. For example, Arsenicum album is known as a poison with a high toxic effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and the entire body. But when diluted, its toxic properties disappear and only a healing effect remains.
Therefore, I can say that there are no side effects in homeopathic medicines. But still, homeopathic medicines should not be taken uncontrollably. I often give advice on the use of homeopathy at home, and I always emphasize that low potencies of 6, 12 or 30 can be used, which have an effect on the physical level of the body. But I do not recommend taking high doses without the supervision of a medical specialist, because high doses have a dynamic effect, and if they are not chosen correctly, they can harm the body. Therefore, high dosages of homeopathic medicines are the responsibility of the homeopathic doctor, who has been learning to work with them for many years.
5. What should I avoid during homeopathic treatment?
Maintain your normal diet and lifestyle. Outdoor remedies with camphor can interfere with the effect of a homeopathic medicine, so they can be put aside. And such alleged antidotes as mint, chocolate and coffee, in my opinion, are not as dangerous as they say. Definitely knock down the action of homeopathy antibiotics and hormones. Of course, I recommend not to get involved in sweets, chocolate, limit strong coffee, smoking and alcohol, but for other reasons. These products are unhealthy, and everyone who thinks about health and longevity should move away from their use.
6. Should I take medication on an empty stomach?
I tie my medications to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, not because of the connection with food, but simply to find some convenient rhythm for taking the drugs. There is no food here. On the contrary, the mouth should be kept clean while taking homeopathic medicine. Therefore, I recommend taking either 30 minutes before a meal or 30 minutes after a meal. Children can simply be given in the mouth to dissolve. Adults need to shake the medicine bottle, sprinkle 5 grains and dissolve under the tongue. The sublingual area is rich in blood vessels, so the medicine immediately enters the bloodstream and begins to act.
7. I have heard that some people have an aggravation after taking homeopathy, and that this is a good sign. Is it so?
In some cases there is a homeopathic aggravation, and this is a really good sign. During an exacerbation, the symptoms become somewhat more intense before the problem goes away completely. Homeopathic exacerbations do not always occur. In acute conditions, improvement occurs without exacerbation. In chronic conditions, exacerbations are more likely.
8. Why do some people get skin rashes that they once had?
Healing occurs from the inside out according to Hering's law, and this is a very good sign. No need to be afraid. Old problems are usually of lesser intensity and resolve themselves with continued use of homeopathic medicines. This is an important part of the healing process. More about this in the article - Theory of suppression. Do not panic, but be sure to tell your homeopathic doctor. Gradually, these symptoms will subside. Sometimes a skin rash may appear during homeopathic treatment. This is because the healing process moves from more important organs to less important parts of the body; for example, on the skin. It is necessary to wait a little, and the skin problem will resolve itself during homeopathic treatment.
9. What will change during homeopathic treatment?
Purpose of treatment- improvement in all areas:
Reducing the intensity and frequency of your main complaint.
Your general criteria are appetite, sleep, dreams, energy level, your mood, temperament, your ability to cope with stress, your general mental state.
10. What if I get a viral infection or some acute problem during treatment?
The better contact you have with a homeopath, the better. You need to call your homeopathic doctor and report your symptoms. Homeopathy can deal with any acute problem very effectively. In addition, understanding an acute problem helps to better understand a chronic problem. Usually, in the process of homeopathic treatment, such acute situations occur less and less, as immunity is strengthened and the ability to endure stressful situations improves.
11. Do you need faith in homeopathy? Many skeptics say that homeopathy is based on the placebo effect.
Medicines work anyway, whether you believe in homeopathy or not. Faith is needed so that you trust the doctor and tell in detail, most fully about your problem, so that the homeopathic doctor will choose the most suitable medicine for you. One could talk about the placebo effect if the homeopathic doctor had any mental effect on the patient. But we are just talking, and my goal is to understand a person as deeply as possible. If it were a placebo effect, then how can one explain the high effectiveness of homeopathic medicines on babies who cannot yet speak, and, accordingly, cannot be subjected to suggestion? Homeopathic medicines are also used in veterinary medicine, and they are popular. They even began to be used in the treatment of plants. Currently, many people are trying to move away from the use of pesticides and herbicides in growing plants and fruits on the ground. Instead, they began to use homeopathic medicines in their treatment. A placebo wouldn't work that way.
12. Can my problem return after treatment?
Homeopathic treatment strengthens your immune system, makes you able to endure stress, and helps you gain a more positive outlook on situations that arise. Maybe some mild episodic chronic problems may return, but they will be very rare and their intensity will be minimal.
13. How long can homeopathic medicines be stored?
Homeopathic medicines can be stored for a very long time, provided they are kept in a dry, dark, cool place, out of direct sunlight. They should be stored away from strong odorous substances such as camphor, menthol, or perfumes. The average shelf life of homeopathic medicines is 2 years.
14. Can homeopathy be used on babies?
Homeopathy gives excellent results in the treatment of children of any age, from the first days of life to a few months. In infants, problems such as colic, neonatal jaundice, fever, diathesis, and colds are well treated.
15. Do I need to do any medical examinations before homeopathic treatment?
Most often, patients come to homeopathic treatment after applying traditional methods of treatment, and already have the results of the studies in their hands. In the absence of such, in some cases, I ask for additional research. They are needed to obtain an objective picture of the disease and assess the patient's condition. They are not needed for the selection of a homeopathic remedy. Examinations are necessary for objective control over treatment. Usually I ask to repeat the study to confirm the positive dynamics in the treatment. For example, ultrasound of the pelvic organs before the start of treatment for ovarian cysts and repeated ultrasound to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.
16. Why is an appointment with a classical homeopath more expensive than with traditional doctors?
In principle, classical homeopathy is an elitist and exclusive medicine. Training in homeopathy itself is very expensive. It takes time and money. Good homeopaths study abroad in strong schools where knowledge of the English language is required. The seeming ease of reception can be misleading. Behind the good quality of treatment are years of daily research and study, reading of special literature, painstaking work and expensive seminars. You can sit in line for two hours at a traditional doctor. It will take about 5 minutes to take it, you will get a standard prescription and then buy standard drugs for a decent amount. Or you can make an appointment with a homeopath who will spend those two hours exploring your inner nature. The reception will be very similar to the expensive practices of psychoanalysis, with the only difference that the therapeutic effect of the homeopathic medicine will be directed to both the psyche and the body.
