FAQs

Q. Is it true that under homoeopathic treatment, illness gets worse before it becomes better?

Sometimes when a correct homoeopathic remedy is given to a patient he/she may experience a slight increase in their symptoms; in some cases there may be fever. This is called a homoeopathic aggravation. It simply indicates that the patient’s immune system is responding to the remedy.

Please note that in a homoeopathic aggravation, only the symptoms get worse; the pathology does not. A patient suffering from psoriasis may experience an increase in itching without the lesions actually increasing in size or number; in fact he/she will note that in a few weeks these will start reducing. Similarly, a patient suffering from frequent migraines may experience a headache soon after the correct remedy, but in the course of the next few weeks and months will note a decrease in the frequency and intensity of the attacks. It is not necessary that homoeopathic aggravations occur in all cases, but where they do they are short lived. The patient should get in touch with his homoeopathic physician at this time so that he can do the needful to manage the aggravation. It is important that no other medicine: homoeopathic or allopathic be taken at this time without the consent of the physician. An aggravation suppressed means an opportunity lost in determining whether the patient did actually respond to the remedy given. An aggravation of symptoms, where it does occur, is therefore a good sign. It indicates to the patient that the remedy he has selected for the patient is working and that he should continue the same line of treatment.

Q. Is vaccination allowed along with Homoeopathic treatment?

It is up to sole discretion o the patient/parent or guardian of patient whether they want to give vaccination along with Homoeopathic treatment. Doctors only explain pros and cons for vaccination and refer them to suitable literature so that they can take an informed choice. There are some reference books useful to read on vaccines. They are: VACCINATION, the Medical Assault on the Immune System by Viera Scheiner Ph.D VACCINATION A PARENT’S DILEMMA by Greg Beattie

Q. Is there a treatment/cure for genetic or life-style disease e.g.: Cholesterol, Diabetes, Arthritis in Homoeopathy and length of treatment for the same?

There is good treatment for diabetes, arthritis, and cholesterol in homoeopathy. One needs to understand that there are long-term goals and short-term goals. In the long run one wants to prevent or delay the complications of diabetes, cholesterol, etc. Long lasting and very chronic diseases need longer treatment obviously. Arthritis responds wonderfully to homoeopathy.
However one needs to look into individual case to see if it is of autoimmune origin like rheumatoid arthritis or it is because of gout and uric acid or it is age related degeneration etc. One will need to remain under treatment till the person in general feels very good. Diet, regular exercise, yoga and meditation are a must to bring long lasting and permanent cure in chronic cases.

In difficult cases of diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes one may need to continue some allopathic treatment. Slowly as the condition improves under the advice of a diabetes-specialist, those drugs can be reduced.

Q. In an acute condition like fever, loose motion, etc. after giving Homoeopathic medicine, for how long should you wait till you give allopathic medicine?

In acute situations the patient and the homoeopath needs to remain in touch and evaluate the progress of the case. In loose motions there is no harm waiting, as long as the child is taking as much fluids as he looses. As long as he passes urine there is no harm waiting till the diarrhea subsides in a couple of days.

Treatment of loose motions and related ailments is to replace the fluid. Most cases get well with homoeopathy and fluid replacement. The amount of fever does not matter. Fever is good for the system. It is a sign of good immune response. In some children who have tendency to febrile convulsions, to avoid it, one may need to give crocin, etc. In malaria cases one needs to evaluate every day and see if the general parameters are improving. If the intensity of the fevers and chills are getting better over a period of 2-3 days one can wait with homoeopathy.

Q. Is there any medicine in Homoeopathy which can keep you hale and hearty – the ULTIMATE medicine to keep oneself healthy – a constant energy booster?

Homoeopathic treatment is individualistic and holistic. The constitutional remedy is selected on the basis of the individual patients history and taken to keep a person healthy and in good vigor.

Q. Is coffee a complete no-no in Homoeopathic treatment or one can consume it?

Coffee or any other food with very strong taste and smell is best avoided but in case one needs to take it, then the coffee can be taken with sufficient gap with the medicine (at least 1 hr). Mild coffee will be better.

Q. Is Cancer curable with Homoeopathy, especially uterus and ovaries-cancerous cysts?

Yes, like any other disease, Cancer too is curable with Homoeopathy provided it is diagnosed early & treatment starts before it spreads to other organs. In those cases where already there is metastasis of the disease to other organs/systems of the body, Homoeopathy can still help in palliating (giving relief) to the distressing symptoms without any side effects.

Q. What is the role of homoeopathy as a treatment of choice in developmental disabilities/childhood disorders E.g.: Cerebral Palsy/Autism/Learning disabilities/Dyspraxia?

Many children with developmental disabilities, autism and learning disabilities respond extremely well to homeopathic treatment. In fact there is treatment for such disorders only in homoeopathy. There have been excellent results with delayed speech, ADHD, enuresis, attachment disorders and conduct disorders. Homoeopathy also helps in reducing certain personality traits such as excessive shyness, stubbornness, rebelliousness, jealousy, etc.

Q. How does homoeopathy treat anxiety? Can anxiety be a cause for high B.P?

Anxiety Disorder can be treated with Homoeopathy with excellent results. In people with Anxiety disorder, worry about any situation is often unrealistic or out of proportion to the situation and this in turn can lead to many physical and mental symptoms like High Blood Pressure, Irritability, Headaches, Muscle spasms, Sweating, Difficulty in concentration, Tiredness, Frequent Urination, Sleeplessness or excessive sleepiness, Trembling, Startling, etc. Homoeopathy takes into consideration of the whole personality of the patient and thereby can treat various personality traits such as anxiety, excessive anger, etc. so that the reaction of the person is appropriate to the situation.

Q. Can homoeopathy treat all diseases or there are some diseases which cannot be treated by homoeopathy?

Yes, homoeopathy can treat all the diseases but in certain emergency for a short time we may require help from other systems or sciences for e.g.: If someone is very anaemic (Hemoglobin less than 4 gm%), or status epileptics or status asthma where very frequent attacks can do some damages to the body. So only after controlling the emergency we give our medicine. Similarly if there is vitamin deficiency e.g. in gastric or peptic ulcer vitamin B12 deficiency. So till we rectify the problem external B12 is fine. In cases of infection, the immunity fights with the infection and this fight is reflected as fever. Homoeopathic medicines stimulate your immune mechanism to fight the infection. Thus you develop better resistance power. Very high fever and body pain etc symptoms may create a lot of physical discomfort and sometimes panic in patients mind (especially in cases of children) To avoid this suffering, we keep a constant watch on patients with acute symptoms and advise them to take Crocin or Ibugesic if fever goes above 102 degree. This reduces their suffering and also gives Homoeopathic remedy some time to act.
There are some signposts that one should look for to make sure that it is not only Crocin that is working but there is deeper cure with Homoeopathic medicines.

• Change in main physical complaints.
• Intensity and frequency of fever, body ache etc. reducing
• Patient starts feeling better generally and in energy. His appetite etc. returns.
• Blood investigations reveal the reversal of pathology.

Patients with acute complaints need constant supervision and we advise patient to call up frequently as needed

Q. How do you get the information (special, peculiar symptoms) from a child?

In children we usually observe every move and behavior of the child keenly and carefully. In case of infants and toddlers the observation of the homoeopath and the mother are most crucial. In older children (by age of 5 onwards), we speak to the child and find out the individual nature of each child. This is done by talking to the child about his fantasies, his favorite stories, cartoons, characters, things he gets scared of, dreams, etc. We also ask every child to draw whatever they would like to during the consultation. The drawings do not have to be meaningful but everything the child tries to draw or color or scribble is observed. The mothers’ history during her pregnancy is also inquired into. The mother and father are interviewed if needed to understand their personalities and character traits because children very often have traits common with their parents. All this is studied in detail to find the exact personality and peculiar nature of each child.

Q. Can homoeopathy work on old patients-80 years old plus?

Aging is not a disease, rather a series of processes that continue throughout the life cycle. Age related changes include deterioration in vision and hearing, dental problems, osteoporosis (weakening of bones), deterioration of memory. Loss of muscle strength and vigor, decreased sexual drive, hypertension, diabetes, risk of heart disease, etc. A balanced diet, regular exercise, moderation in some habits like alcohol and complete avoidance of habits like smoking, maintaining a regular hobby; in short adopting a healthy lifestyle can help a person age in a healthy manner. Homoeopathy is effective in patients of all age groups: from the pediatric (children) to the geriatric (old age). The age related complaints mentioned above may not have a cure in any system of medicine but in cases where any one symptom is particularly distressing Homoeopathy can provide symptomatic relief. Many elderly patients may be suffering from chronic diseases for many years; in such cases the emphasis is to give symptomatic relief and make the patient comfortable. This would also be the approach in terminally ill patients. Cure can be hoped for in complaints or diseases of a more recent onset that are not necessarily related to old age; for example an elderly patient who suddenly developed an anal fissure and who had never had this problem through his life was treated successfully for his complaint with a few months of homoeopathic treatment.