- While under homeopathic treatment for chronic illness, it is best to notify your homeopath before taking any new medications or other homeopathic remedies. An exception to this is a first aid or emergency situation, in which case you should take the appropriate remedy or action immediately and call your practitioner afterwards.
- Wait at least five minutes after eating or drinking before taking your remedy. Strong odors or tastes may interfere with the remedy.
- Avoid touching the remedy with your hands in case you have recently handled a strong smelling substance. Use the vial cap or a clean spoon, and place the remedy under your tongue to avoid contaminating the remedy.
- Don't expose your remedy to direct sunlight, magnets, or strong aromatic odors such as camphor, solvents, paint, and chemicals.
- If you are traveling with homeopathic remedies, take them as carry on luggage and hand them to the attendant when your luggage goes through the airport x-ray machine.
Homeopathic Antidoting
Homeopaths have observed repeatedly that certain substances or influences can disturb the vital force resulting in an interference with the action of the homeopathic medicine. This phenomenon is known as antidoting. When antidoting occurs, the healing effects of the remedy will stop, either temporarily or permanently, and your symptoms will return, partially or completely. The relapse may be sudden or gradual. It is unknown why these substances interfere with the effect of homeopathic remedies. Antidoting may occur at any time, even two years after a remedy has been given, if you are particularly sensitive to the substance or the effect of the exposure is strong enough to affect your vital force.
Debbie's health improved dramatically from Sulphur. Her vaginal irritation was improved, her hemorrhoids were gone, her premenstrual symptoms were no longer a problem, and her energy was much better. That is, until she ate some coffee flavored cookies at a Christmas party. "A week later my constipation, hemorrhoids, and vaginal itching. returned. I felt dramatically different. After feeling so good for seven months after taking Sulphur, my health took a nosedive. My energy lagged. I had headaches, mood swings, and premenstrual acne again. By mid-January, I couldn't stand feeling so bad anymore. I went back to get another remedy. Make sure those cookies don't have espresso in them. It's really not worth antidoting your remedy!"
Tess had derived considerable benefit from Borax for her joint pains and touchy moods. Many of her symptoms returned less than one month after she took her last homeopathic remedy. Her homeopath was puzzled and decided to wait another month to evaluate Tess's symptoms. As Tess checked out with the clinic receptionist, she took a jar out of her purse. "By the way, I want to make sure this lip balm is compatible with homeopathic remedies. On reading the label, her homeopath noticed that menthol was one of the first ingredients. This explained why her symptoms had returned so soon.
Homeopaths have observed that the substances and influences listed below may antidote homeopathic remedies, but the approach taken by each practitioner varies. Many practitioners give their patients a list of substances to avoid. Others decide not to make antidotion an issue unless it actually occurs. Many homeopathic practitioners estimate that the treatment of approximately 60 percent of their patients will be adversely affected by ingesting coffee. Your homeopath may recommend that you avoid coffee entirely or she may say nothing at all until she sees whether the treatment has been successful.