Potency and Dosing

There are as many different ways to apply the potency and the dose in homeopathy as there are suffering people and homeopaths. Each homeopath has their own way they have either developed or been taught. The first rule that is universal to any correct prescription is to let the client tell you what you need to know to make a decision about potency and dosing. If you do not do this and there is a strict protocol you follow, then the beauty of the prescription will be lost. This is more akin to an allopathic approach and the likelihood of successful treatment will wane.

This requires the homeopath to be equally as observant of the client when determining the potency and dosage as when determining the remedy. Here are a few of the ideas I keep in mind when determining the potency and the dosage of the remedy.

The first question is, "Am I giving the remedy based on an acute expression or based on the current expression in relation to a chronic condition?" As always, we want to look to the long term expression of the dis-ease to prescribe but some cases are really a new expression that is acute (meaning it will resolve on its own in a short period of time) or the results of trauma.

When an acute or trauma case appears, it is necessary to give the remedy in a potency that can meet the acute or traumatic expression. Most cases do well with a 30C or 200C potency. It may be necessary to go to a higher potency if the condition only briefly responds to the lower potency. Repetition of dosing is based on the response of the vital force to the remedy. If after a single dose there is improvement, and as long as the improvement continues, there is no need to repeat the dose. If improvement slows, then it is necessary to repeat the dose. If this improvement does not last, then it is time to raise the potency. Do this until the case is resolved or the remedy stops working. When it stops, it is necessary to re-take the case.

In chronic prescribing, there are more factors to consider. After determining the remedy, the first questions I ask are:

• What are the obstacles to cure?
• What are the conditions of the home and workplace like?
• Will their environment be supportive of their healing or will it keep the person in a state of survival?
• What substances do they consume that would interfere with the response to the remedy?
• Are they drinking coffee and can not give it up?
• Do they smoke marijuana and consume drugs?
• Are they taking many pharmaceutical drugs to treat their condition?

Answering these questions lets me know if they would respond to a single dose of the remedy or whether they will need a daily dose.

The severity of the dis-ease will also be a consideration. It is the expression of the vital force. A strong expression with many symptoms usually indicates a strong vital force. A weaker vital force would produce a low vitality state and chronicity of the symptoms. How long the person has been suffering from the symptoms will also tell me the strength of the vital force.

If the vital force is low and the dis-ease is chronic, then a lower potency will usually be chosen. Lower potencies that are common to start treatment are the 6C, 9C, and 12C. If there is a very inflammatory state and extremely low vitality, I may choose to use the X potencies. I do not find this happening too often, primarily because most of my clients are in average health. When lower potencies are used, I will prescribe a daily dose. Depending on the obstacles to cure and their vitality, one to two times per day will be sufficient to keep the vital force inspired.

I will do follow-ups as I see necessary (usually after 4 to 6 weeks) and I always instruct the client to call me if there are any changes or concerns. It is imperative to have contact with your client to make changes appropriately.

Children and healthy adults with a clean lifestyle are the best candidates for higher potency single dosing. When someone has much support for their healing and in a very supportive environment, it is not as necessary to remind the vital force with so many doses of the remedy. This is where higher potencies like 200C, 1M, 10M are very effective. A single dose may take them very far.

One of the most common mistakes I see is wanting to repeat the remedy too often with higher potency prescribing. It is always best to wait and observe. Some of the worst aggravations I have seen come after repeating the dose unnecessarily. I tell my students and clients this little story to help make my point: When you ask a child to sit down, is it necessary to ask them again once they have sat? After each time you repeat the request, the child will be likely to stand up and shout out, "I am sitting down!" This is a strong reaction just like you may get with repeating higher potencies too often.

Some clients are very sensitive. They feel every remedy, every drug, and every pea under the mattress in the bed. These people usually have trouble with the X and C potencies and in sublingual doses. For these people, I have found that the LM potencies are the best. Putting them in water is always a good way to go. If necessary there can be multiple dilutions to soften the remedy even more.

Taking the remedy sublingually, in water, or sniffing it all have different ways of inspiring the vital force. I equate sublingual dosing to getting someone's attention by poking them with a stick. Most people will respond. If they respond too violently, then putting the remedy in water is best. It is like gently putting your hand on their shoulder to get their attention. They usually respond in like fashion. But if this sets them off, then also have them sniff the remedy. These are the people who are good candidates for the LM potencies.

Sometimes when a person has only moderate movement after repeating the daily dose, plussing the remedy will help the response along. Put the remedy in a glass bottle and fill it with water and a little vodka to keep it from spoiling. Before each dose, the person succusses the bottle and takes the dose. This will raise the vibration of the remedy ever so slightly and help the body to re-perceive the remedy slightly differently after each dose. This does not raise the potency because it is not being re-diluted. It just reinvigorates the same potency.

I use all of the above-mentioned ways to treat my clients. Each client’s needs are unique to them. I realize that there are many ways to use the potencies and dosing.  I hope that each of you finds that your methods work well for your client. If they do not, then these might be another way of applying the potencies and dosing to customize their treatment.

As the remedy needs to be homeopathic to the person, so does the potency and the dosing. Remember that the remedy potency needs to be slightly higher than the expression of the vital force. Too low and it is not perceived as different from its own dis-ease expression. Too high and you run the risk of it not being recognized at all or worse yet, recognized and a severe aggravation may happen. Homeopathy should be safe and gentle. If we are good observers, we will be able to see what our client needs and adjust the potency and the dosing to best inspire a safe, gentle, and rapid cure.

Keep the conversation going! I would love to hear your questions and thoughts below!