When to Stop the Remedy in Homeopathic Prescribing

In some systems of posology, the part of medicine concerned with dosage, giving the remedy on a daily basis is a very good idea especially if there are any obstacles to cure. When the person starts to lose their ability to respond to the remedy then it is time to change the potency. But how do we know when to stop the remedy altogether?

Giving the remedy on a daily basis, even in chronic cases can provide a daily inspiration to the client. Each day it is akin to asking the client to "do just a little more healing". Over time the small daily responses to the remedy can add up to significant change and usually without extreme aggravation. I find the application of this idea very useful and beneficial for most of my clients.

After several months, although this is not empirical, the client usually stalls in their response to the remedy. When it seems the forward movement has reached a plateau, it is time to change to a higher potency and continue with this method. Sometimes the client will benefit from this same remedy over a period of years following this daily repetition and changing potencies as necessary.

Using this method requires a close watch for any signs of a proving or a need to make a change. Sometimes the best change can be putting the remedy in water and doing a daily succussion. This will alter the potency ever so slightly and add benefit to the response.

If after using this approach over an extended period of time the new potency does not seem to have an effect for two or more potency changes, it is time to really look at the case again and decide if the remedy is working anymore.  I look for signs of the original dis-ease reappearing or new and different symptoms emerging. When this is the case it usually is apparent to the client as well and they will be the first to say that the remedy is not working.

At this time it is really time to look at the case. I look for ways the current picture of dis-ease is similar and different to the original. Sometimes it is that the first remedy has stopped working and a new and different remedy is needed to inspire more healing, even if the original issues are still present. It is as though a different facet of the same problem is now appearing that requires a new and different remedy. 

If the symptoms are new and seem unrelated to the original problem then knowing what is asking to be healed is very important. It becomes like a new case altogether. The important thing to keep in mind at all times is that same question, "What is asking to be healed?" If you lose sight of this, you will lose sight of the whole case and begin a new series of remedies that may only be partially effective.

If the person has had no further improvement and the symptoms are few and unrelated to the original case, it is a good idea to stop the remedy altogether and see what comes up in the next 2-6 months. If the changes seem lasting I will not recommend another remedy until there are a new set of symptoms for which to prescribe. Hopefully, this will last even longer than 6 months. The approach after this usually takes on a more acute nature as the person most likely has done a very deep healing of a chronic nature and the original dis-ease is gone.

The only other time I will recommend stopping the remedy is if the case has received too many remedies over a length of time and the case has become confused. I do not find that this is the same with allopathic medications. They can be very suppressive and may need many remedies in a shorter period of time. But if the case is moving and unfolding as the different layers of the suppression are revealed, the remedies are still working.

When the problem is too many homeopathic remedy energies have been given, the person will have some of the remedy energies in their field and it will be hard to perceive an accurate case. Then it is especially important to stop all remedies and let the person return to a more natural expression. If the person is very sensitive this can sometimes take from up to 6 months to a year. If they are not as sensitive they may show a more original expression of dis-ease after 2 or 3 months. Every case is different and you must use your best judgment to see what the client is reporting.

The true art of homeopathy is knowing when to give the remedy and when to stop. It is not always the proper thing to give a remedy. We must use our best judgment and see the case as clearly as possible. The client is still the one to tell us everything we need to know about what to do next. This is always the case. If you always keep this in mind along with the question,"What is asking to be healed?", you will rarely be led astray, even in difficult cases.