A few Questions for Experts on Here

[jill1313]

Hi, I'm not a professional homeopath, just a self-treating student of
homeopathy doing my best to learn, as are some friends of mine who've
gotten pretty good at treating their own "acutes".

I have two questions. One is: how often do you tend to prescribe an
acute, say a 30c? Once--and then wait to see if there is any kind of
improvement? Every time symptoms start to return? Then go to a higher
potency (a 200c?)? Or if symptoms don't really go away, switch to a
different remedy?

Second, I've had the experience a few times of a remedy name just
coming into my head to fix something. Now as I learn more about
homeopathy this will be less startling but in the beginning I would
always have to research the remedy. This happened after I swallowed a
fishbone and it scratched my esophagus and was really bothering me the
next day. Staphysagria came into my head as I was resting and I looked
it up and it seemed appropriate so I took a low dose and forgot about
it. The next 2 days I was salivating profusely and at first I was
thinking what the HECK is going on with me? Then I remembered the
remedy and concluded it was helping heal the scratch with saliva to
cleanse it. Then the excess salivation went away and that was that.

I have some periodic ear congestion in my left ear and one time when
it really flared up "apis" comes into my head...same story as above
(research, seems okay, take it, get some improvement).

This has happened a few more times.

More to the point however is about a month ago China comes into my
head. I didn't know what China was (did not know it was cinchona). I
felt like I MUST take it but since I figured I did not have it (I have
a 100 remedy emergency 30c box from Santa Fe), I shrugged. Then a
friend told me, You do have it, it's cinchona. So I rushed into my
bedroom to take it. Sort of funny. Then I began to read about it and
there was a description on the internet that made me feel it was my
constitutional:

http://www.hpathy.com/materiamedica/brunson-china.asp

Almost everything fit. Whether it is my constitutional or not, I have
no idea. But anyway that 30c made me feel rather calm but then it wore
off. Then I took 200c. That really made me feel as if, to be honest,
"a veil of darkness has been lifted." But stressful life events and it
wore off.

Since I'm not a homeopath (and I know, you will probably all suggest
that immediately I get under care of a professional, which I agree
would be wise, but in any case...) I haven't done much more. But even
stranger was "LM5" floats into my head. So I ordered it but haven't
taken it because I know this is very unorthodox...

Then I read a chapter in a forthcoming book (I received a review copy)
in which there was a fascinating recounting by Maria Sagi, a Hungarian
homeopath. Obviously she had studied and practiced alot, but often she
had this same experience: the remedy name and the potency for a
patient would float into her head. One time, she didn't have time to
treat a patient and referred them out--even so the remedy name and
potency floated into her head. Then it turned out the consultation
with the other homeopath produced the same exact remedy and potency.

Given how often it seems that sincere and good homeopaths would
prescribe various DIFFERENT remedies for cases (which is one of the
most perplexing issues--we all have selective perception, and so it
means that even good homeopaths may have to try various remedies
before they get the right one), this seemed remarkable.

Well any input on these matters would be appreciated by me greatly.

Thanks.

[Shannon Nelson]

Hi Jill,
Interesting experiences! But I don't think we can know much more than
that, from what you've said... Homeopathic success *begins* with
finding a remedy that produces a good change, but even more important
is what happens over time; the cumulative, ongoing results. There are
specific "landmarks" that clue us as to whether things are going in a
curative direction. Yep, you should work with a homeopath!
Evaluating your choices, and also evaluating your responses to them,
should be done in a context of homeopathic understanding of your
overall situation--your "case", circumstances, etc.

Below:
It depends! Do you have any of the "home prescriber" type books? If
not, I highly recommend that as a start. Look thru some descriptions
at www.homeopathic.com and/or www.wholehealthnow.com, for beginner or
introductory or home prescriber books. One I'm familiar with and have
liked using is Homeopathy At Home by Panos and ___? Also Dana
Ullman's "Everybody's Guide"--but there are quite a few good ones to
choose among.

Inspiration and intuition are wonderful things, but for most of us it
is very important that they not be the *starting* point too often; for
most of us it's very important that they be--and stay--grounded in
knowledge and understanding. Now it may at times be appropriate to
follow intuition *instead* of knowledge and understanding, but that
should, IMO, be the exception rather than the rule! Which means, IMO,
that you need to do some reading and learning now! Well, have fun!!

Shannon

[Vera Resnick]

Hi,
I'm familiar with intuitive prescribing, but unless the research shows a good reason I try to avoid it. Apart from anything else, in case management where I have clear reasons for prescribing a remedy, the continuing assessment and subsequent prescriptions will also be clearer, there will be some kind of pattern. If it's intuitive and can't be backed up, it feels more like "shooting from the hip" - all very well if it works, but if it doesn't work or doesn't hold - where next?
I have had some interesting experiences though with remedies that came up in my dreams, for my own use, in one case the remedy was very effective, and in another the dream explained information about a remedy that I didn't know in advance.
A homeopath's life is an interesting one...
Happy new year to all,
Vera