UNDERSTANDING POTENCY & DOSE IN HOMEOPATHY

Some very common question we receive as homeopaths when people begin to start using homeopathy, either seeing a homeopath or treating themselves and families at home are;

What do the numbers mean?

But how many should I take and when?

Do I take a 30c or a 200c and what does that mean?

So I just take one of those tiny pills?

I want to explain in the simplest terms what those numbers mean - in homeopathy we call it Potency

Then I am going to explain how to use potency and how to choose dose when you are prescribing at home.

POTENCY - Let’s begin by explaining how remedies are made :

1. Start with the original substance
   This could be a plant, mineral, or other material — like Arnica (a flower) or Sulphur (a mineral)

1. Make a tincture (homeopathy calls it a mother tincture)
   The substance is mixed with alcohol and water to make a liquid extract.

2. Dilute it
   You take 1 drop of that extract and mix it with 99 drops of water and alcohol.
   That’s called a 1C potency (C means 1 part in 100).

3. Shake it hard
   This step is called succussion — this is an important step in homeopathy as it energizes the solution.

4. Repeat
   Take 1 drop of the 1C solution, add it to 99 drops of new water/alcohol, shake again — now it’s a 2C.

5. Continue this over and over
   For example:

   • 12C = diluted 1 in 100, twelve times

   • 30C = diluted 1 in 100, thirty times

   • 200c = diluted 1 in 100, two hundred times

The potency many of you will have at home and which is most commonly found in shops will be 30c - this is a great starting point for acute illness.

200c is also useful to have at home and some of you will find in local shops or farmacies. 200c can be used when the symptoms are very strong & intense and the symptoms very clearly match a remedy OR when a 30c has worked really well but stops working.

Now, lets explain very simply how to take homeopathy in pill form:

Once a remedy has been selected (look at my blog on how to choose a remedy)

1.once you’ve taken the remedy, wait to see how you feel and any changes over the next hour

2. If nothing happens, repeat the remedy once. wait half an hour.

3. If you’re felling better - then great! you don’t need to do anything else for now…

4. If you feel better briefly, but the pain/symptoms return, repeat the remedy.

5. If you don’t feel better and new symptoms show then re- access yourself or the other person and their symptoms and look for another remedy that better matches the new symptoms.

6. If you’ve made good improvement on a remedy on 30c, but the symptoms return mildly - take the smae remedy in a 200c.

If you keep getting better, symptoms improve but temporarily and they keep returning - contact a homeopath for a consultation.

REMEMBER! - One dose is one pill - Taking more than one pill at the same time does not increase the dose.

ONE IS ENOUGH.

Also see my blog on the difference between acute and chronic in homeopathy - This way you can learn about what’s good to treat at home and if and when you might need to seek the support of a homeopath.