Lesson 16E, EXTRA4 - FAQs for the Hahnemann Pharmacy Web site

[Sheri Nakken]

Lesson 16E, EXTRA4 - FAQs for the Hahnemann Pharmacy Web site

http://www.hahnemannlabs.com/faq.html

FAQs for the Hahnemann Pharmacy Web site

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Questions:
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1) What is homeopathy, and where did it come from?
2) How does homeopathy work?
3) What are homeopathic remedies, and how are they made?
4) How do homeopathic remedies work?
5) What strengths of Homeopathic medicines does
Hahnemann Laboratories, Inc. carry?
6) What is the “C” potency?
7) What is the “M” potency?
8) What is the “X” potency?
9) What is the “LM” potency?
10) Why would one potency be prescribed rather than another?
11) What potencies are available through Hahnemann Pharmacy?
12) What forms do homeopathic remedies come in?
13) Why do homeopathic remedies come in both pellets and liquid?
14) How do I take my homeopathic remedy?
15) What is the difference between homeopathy and conventional medicine?
16) What is a “combination remedy,” and do you sell them?
17) What is a tincture?
18) Does homeopathy treat serious illnesses, or
only minor illnesses like colds and flus?
19) Are there remedies for my diagnosed disease or condition?
20) Can homeopathic remedies be used as vaccinations?
21) Does homeopathy work for pets?
22) How do I find out which remedy is most suitable for me?
23) Is there anyone at Hahnemann Pharmacy with
whom I can consult to find a remedy suitable for me?
24) How do I find a homeopathic practitioner?
25) What should I expect after taking a homeopathic remedy?
26) How quickly do homeopathic remedies work?
27) How long should the benefits of a homeopathic remedy last?
28) How long will I have to take my homeopathic remedy?
29) Is there anything that will antidote or
interfere with my homeopathic remedy after I have taken it?
30) Do homeopathic remedies have any side effects?
31) Are homeopathic remedies 100% safe?
32) What if my child accidentally takes my homeopathic remedy?
33) Is there anything I need to be careful of when taking a homeopathic remedy?
34) Can I do homeopathy and other kinds of medicine at the same time?
35) Do I need to tell my doctor I am taking a homeopathic remedy?
36) Do I need a prescription to order a homeopathic remedy?
37) Are homeopathic remedies regulated by the FDA?
38) How long is the shelf life of homeopathic remedies?
39) How should I store my homeopathic remedies?
40) Is there anything that will harm my homeopathic remedies?
41) How many pellets come in a vial?
42) How many doses are in each vial?
43) How soon will Hahnemann Pharmacy send my order after I have placed it?
44) How soon can I expect to receive my order?
45) If needed, how can I ensure my order will go out the same day I order it?
46) How safe is it to send homeopathic remedies through the mail or UPS?
47) Is it possible to pick up my remedies from Hahnemann Pharmacy in person?
48) Can I place an order if I do not have a credit card?
49) Can I return a remedy that I ordered if I no longer need it?
50) Do you have a minimum quantity per order?
51) If I need a remedy that you do not carry, will you make it?
52) How long does it take to prepare a custom remedy?
53) How much does it cost to prepare a custom remedy?
54) Do you carry Bach Flower Remedies?
55) Do you carry cell salts?

1) What is homeopathy, and where did it come from?
Homeopathy was discovered by Dr. Samuel
Hahnemann, a German physician who lived from
1755-1843. He first caught a glimpse of the
principles of homeopathy when he tested the
theory that Peruvian bark (the natural source of
quinine) cured malaria because of its bitterness.
After taking Peruvian bark repeatedly, he came
down with malarial-type symptoms. This experiment
showed that natural substances can change the
state of people’s health, just as diseases do:
Peruvian bark changed Hahnemann’s state of health
in the same way that malaria would. From this,
Hahnemann discovered that Peruvian bark (also
known as China or Cinchona) could cure cases of
malaria. He learned that treating a disease with
a substance that produces symptoms similar to
that disease, will quickly and permanently cure
that disease. Hahnemann successfully put into
practice the Law of Similars, which was first
discovered by the ancient Greek physician
Hippocrates. Further experiments with other
substances verified this discovery, equipping him
with a pharmacy capable of curing most illnesses.

Using this newly discovered system of medicine,
which he named Homeopathy, Hahnemann found he
could free his patients from their mental,
emotional and physical ailments by giving them a
single remedy that acted most similarly to their state of illness.
Hahnemann concluded that a person’s illness is
nothing more than a change in their overall state
of health, rather than a disease afflicting a
single part or physiological system. A person
falls ill when his or her overall state of health
is compromised, expressing itself through a set
of mental, emotional and physical symptoms
arising in different ways. Because all
symptoms—no matter where they are or how they
act—are the result of a change in the person’s
overall state of health, the best way to cure is
to turn around the person’s overall state of
health, rather than treat each symptom
individually. Thus, homeopathy is a holistic
medicine, meaning that it treats the whole person
in his or her state of illness, addressing the
entirety of mental, emotional, and physical
symptoms with a single remedy. As a holistic
medicine, homeopathy abides by laws of Nature in
its understanding of how health, disease and cure take place.

2) How does homeopathy work?
When a person falls ill, he or she comes down
with a set of symptoms affecting his or her mind,
emotions, and body, to one degree or another.
Homeopathy treats the person’s illness by giving
him or her a remedy that best matches his or her
state of illness, as dictated by the Law of
Similars: a substance that acts similarly to a
disease will cure that disease. The Law of
Similars works for these reasons: The homeopathic
remedy goes to the same place where the disease
resides in the person. The remedy is given in a
potency or strength that is stronger than the
disease. With the aid of this remedy that is
similar to but stronger than the disease, the
person gains strength over and is freed from the
disease, resulting in a recovery from his or her
illness. We will more fully answer this question
of how homeopathy works as we answer the questions appearing below.

3) What are homeopathic remedies, and how are they made?
Homeopathic remedies are highly dilute and yet
very powerful medicines made from natural
substances found in the animal, mineral and
vegetable kingdoms. They are administered by
homeopathic practitioners in accordance with the
principles of homeopathy—that is, laws of Nature.

Each remedy has its own unique symptom image,
which is discovered through drug trials called
“provings.” In a proving, healthy people take a
single remedy frequently until they start to come
down with symptoms—just as Hahnemann did when he
experimented with Peruvian bark. During a
proving, a single remedy causes mental, emotional
and physical symptoms to appear in the prover,
revealing how that remedy effects the overall
state of health of people. This overall effect
the remedy has on the provers shows us the unique
symptom image of that remedy. The symptoms the
provers come down with are documented, and this
documentation builds the homeopathic Materia
Medica: the catalog of remedies used by
homeopathic practitioners. Based on the
information collected in the Materia Medica, the
homeopathic practitioner is able to know how
homeopathic remedies act. The practitioner is
then able to find the remedy whose action or
symptom image most closely matches the symptom
totality experienced by the patient in his or her
state of illness. The remedy whose symptom image
most closely matches the state of illness
suffered by the patient, will cure and return the patient to a state of health.

To make a homeopathic remedy, we use natural
substances found in the animal, mineral and
vegetable kingdoms. To turn these substances into
homeopathic remedies, we take them through the
processes of “dilution and trituration” or “dilution and succussion.”
If a substance is not water or alcohol
soluble—like gold, lead, copper, or calcium—we
use a mortar and pestle to “triturate” or grind
one part of it into ninety-nine parts of milk
sugar. Once the substance is sufficiently
triturated, we take one part of this mixture or
“trituration” and put it in another ninety-nine
parts of milk sugar, again triturating it. We do
this a third time. At this point, the substance
is water or alcohol soluble, whereas in its natural or crude state it was not.

When a substance is alcohol soluble (either
naturally, like salts or plants, or after
trituration), we use the process of “dilution and
succussion.” First, some substances require a
little preparation, like plants, which have to be
steeped in alcohol in order to make tinctures out
of them. Substances that readily dissolve in
water, like salts, do not require any
preparation. We put one part of this soluble
substance (tincture, salt, triturate) into a vial
containing ninety-nine parts of alcohol. We
succuss or pound this vial a number of
times—ranging from 2, 10, 20, or 40 times at each
step. Hahnemann Pharmacy applies 20 succussions
at each step to make its remedies. From this
succussed, medicated solution, we take one part
and put it in another vial of ninety-nine parts
of alcohol, succussing it to reach the second
step. Repeating this process of dilution and
succussion gives us a series of potencies or strengths available for use.

We use the processes of “dilution and
trituration” or “dilution and succussion” because
they change substances into simpler and yet
stronger forms. Every substance has within it an
inherent medicinal quality. These processes bring
out this inherent medicinal quality. So,
substances like common salt or charcoal, which
have little to no effect on a person, become deep
and powerful medicines through the process of
dilution and succussion. Likewise, toxic
substances like arsenic and mercury, are rendered
nontoxic while becoming greatly medicinal.
Through dilution and succussion or trituration,
we can take any substance—whether it be
non-soluble, toxic, or completely inert—and turn
it into a profound and safe medicine.

4) How do homeopathic remedies work?
We do not know how homeopathic medicines work in
the same way in which we know how telephones or
cars work. This is also true of many, or even
most, drugs in conventional medicine. A living
being is still, despite all or our scientific
advances, a mystery at many levels. Some drugs
are known to have a specific chemical effect on a
specific part of the body, This is called a “mechanism of action”.
The mechanism of action for general anesthetics
used to put people to sleep during surgery are
one class of drugs for which no mechanism of
action is known. In other areas of science there
are still many mysteries also. Gravity, for
example, does not have a mechanism of action
which is agreed upon by the world’s physicists.
Time cannot be proven to even exist. This doesn’t
mean that we cannot use gravity or time in our
daily lives. We can also use drugs which do not
have a known mechanism of action. No one would
have surgery without anesthetics just because we
don’t understand their mechanism of action.
Homeopathic medicines are extremely useful even
though we don’t understand how they work at this
time. It is often useful to discuss Homeopathic
medicines as energetic or vitalistic medicines
than in mechanistic terms, so we say that they
are energetic or vital medicines because
Homeopathic doctors agree that the effects of
Homeopathic medicines are effects directly on the
energy level of a person, directly upon whatever
vital force underlies our shared understanding of
that state of being we call Health.

We produce energetic medicines because homeopathy
recognizes the fact that life exists due to a
life energy, a vital principle. When a person
falls ill, his or her overall state of health
declines because his or her life energy has been
compromised or has become imbalanced. To correct
this imbalance in one’s life energy, an energetic medicine must be used.

The remedy that best matches the life energy’s
state of imbalance, as expressed through a
totality of symptoms, is given in a potency or
strength that is stronger than the disease. This
most similar homeopathic remedy goes to the same
places where the whole illness resides. The
homeopathic remedy that is most similar to but
stronger than the illness stimulates the life
energy to free itself and recover from the
imbalance of its disease state. This recovery
causes the person’s mental, emotional and physical symptoms to disappear.

We give only one remedy at a time because we are
treating one life energy that has fallen into a
state of imbalance or disease—an imbalance that
expresses itself through a variety of symptoms.

5) What strengths of Homeopathic medicines does
Hahnemann Laboratories, Inc. carry?
We label our medicines with a number and letter
which indicates the strength of the remedy. It
indicates how far a substance has been taken
through the process of dilution and succussion.
The more a substance has been diluted and
succussed, the higher its potency, the stronger
it is. In homeopathy, we have a higher potency
when there is less substance, because more of the
inherent medicinal power has been released. When
a substance has been taken through the process of
dilution and succussion, and made into a
homeopathic potency, we say it has been
“potentized.” We note the exact potency of a
remedy by using a letter and a number. The
letter—a Roman numeral—tells us what dilution
ratio was used, while the number tells us how
many steps of dilution and succussion the
substance has been taken through. We have three potency scales: C, X, and LM.

6) What is the “C” potency?
The “C” potency, otherwise known as the
centesimal potency scale, is a particular degree
and range of strength. The letter “C” is the
Roman numeral for 100, meaning the dilution ratio
of medicinal substance to non-medicinal substance
is 1 to 100. For example, one part of salt,
calcium, arsenic, or charcoal has been put into
one hundred parts of milk sugar or alcohol. The
number tells us how many times it has been
diluted and succussed. For example, a “30C”
potency tells us that a substance, diluted at the
ratio of 1:100, has gone through 30 steps of
dilution and succussion. 200C means it has gone
through two hundred steps of the dilution and succussion process.

7) What is the “M” potency?
1M, 10M, 50M are marked with the Roman numeral
“M,” which stands for 1,000. This “M” is being
used as a shorthand for 1000C, not for a dilution
ratio of 1:1,000. Therefore, 1M is a 1,000C and
means a substance, diluted at the ratio of 1:100,
has been taken through the dilution and
succussion process one thousand times. 10M is a
10,000C, and a 50M is a 50,000C. A potency of CM
means 100,000C, a DM means 500,000C, and an MM
means 1,000,000C. The centesimal potencies
typically used are 6C, 12C, 30C, 200C, 1M, 10M,
50M, and CM. To put this into some perspective,
the 1C has one 100th of a part of medicinal
substance in it. A 2C has one 10,000th of a part
of medicinal substance in it. A 3C has one
1,000,000th. The number indicating the amount of
medicinal substance in a 30C is a 1 followed by
60 zeros. Imagine how many zeros are in the
numbers representing the amount of medicinal
substance in a 200C, a 10M, or a CM!

Because the process of dilution and succussion
brings out the medicinal quality of a substance,
the more a substance has been diluted and
succussed, the more its medicinal quality has
been developed. This means, the further along the
scale we go, the more powerful the remedy is. A
CM is vastly more powerful than a 6C, even though
the CM has been diluted 100,000 times! The
development of medicinal power lies not simply in
the dilution, but also in the succussion. Each
step invigorates the substance’s inherent
medicinal power, developing it further as we
climb the potency scale. While the CM has been
diluted 100,000 times, it has also been succussed
at each of the way, and therefore has gone
through 100,000 steps of invigoration as well.

8) What is the “X” potency?
The second potency scale is the decimal scale.
This scale is similar to the centesimal scale,
except that it uses the dilution ratio of 1:10.
To indicate this ratio, the decimal scale uses
the Roman numeral “X,” which stands for 10. 30X
indicates a substance, diluted at a ratio of
1:10, has been taken through thirty steps of dilution and succussion.

To compare the decimal and centesimal scales, we
simply divide the decimal in half to get the
comparable centesimal, or multiply the centesimal
by two to find the comparable decimal. For
example, a 30X is similar to a 15C, while a 30C is similar to a 60X.

9) What is the “LM” potency?
The third potency scale is the LM scale, “LM”
being the Roman numeral for 50,000. This scale
dilutes substances at a ratio of 1:50,000. To
begin, we take a 3C (the point at which all
substances are alcohol soluble, as achieved
through trituration) and dilute it into 50,000
parts of alcohol, succussing it 100 times (as
opposed to the 2, 10, 20 or 40 times applied to
the centesimal and decimal scales). This first
step of diluting at 1:50,000 and succussing 100
times is called the LM1. The scale continues with
the LM2, LM3, and so on. At each step, the
substance is reduced at a dilution rate of
50,000. Obviously, the LM scale becomes more
highly dilute and invigorated than the centesimal
or decimal scales, which means that the LM scale
is higher in potency than the centesimal or decimal.

The LM scale is more potent than the centesimal
and decimal scales, and yet it is also more
gentle. Because it is so dilute, and also because
it is given in liquid form (diluting it even
further), the LMs act very gently and are quite
suitable for people requiring gentler treatment.

10) Why would one potency be prescribed rather than another?
Like the choice of remedy, potency is determined
based on the state of the person’s health. For
example, a person who is sensitive to medication,
environmental influences, or emotional
experiences, or who suffers from advanced
pathology, may react more strongly to a remedy
and therefore ought to have a more gentle
potency. Someone who is not so sensitive or does
not suffer from advanced pathology can probably
do well with a higher potency and not experience
any discomfort. Potency selection is determined
by how vulnerable a person is, whether they be
mentally, emotionally or physically vulnerable.
Potency selection is also determined by the type
of illness a person has. Treatment ought to be
gentle as well as effective. Your homeopath will
select the potency which is best for you, your
condition, and your overall level of health.

11) What potencies are available through Hahnemann Pharmacy?
Hahnemann Pharmacy sells centesimal C and fifty
millessimal LM potencies We start all our
centesimal potencies at 6C, and proceed up the
scale through 12C, 30C, 200C, 1M, and 10M, with
many in-between potencies as well. Many, but not
all, remedies go as high as 50M or CM. We sell
centesimal potencies only in pellets, not in
liquid form. We sell LMs in both liquid and
pellet form (the pellets to be subsequently
diluted in solution). All LMs begin at LM1 (with
a couple of exceptions), and go up as high as we
have been asked to raise that particular remedy.
We prepare liquid LM potencies with 20% ethyl
alcohol, or no alcohol if preferred, in 1 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz, and 16 oz bottles.

12) In What forms are your homeopathic remedies available?
There are two basic forms in which homeopathic
remedies come: pellets and liquid. Centesimal and
decimal potencies are typically sold in pellets.
To make centesimal and decimal pellets, we
moisten sugar pellets (made of a combination of
sucrose and lactose) with the alcohol potency we
made through dilution and succussion. Once dry,
these medicated pellets are ready for ingestion.
LMs are given in liquid form, by diluting a
pellet (or pellets) into a water/alcohol solution
(often in a 1 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz or 16 oz bottle).
Centesimals and decimals can also be used in
liquid form, by diluting a pellet or pellets into
a quantity of a water/alcohol solution.

13) Why do homeopathic remedies come in both pellets and liquid?
Pellets are the basic way centesimals and
decimals are distributed, because the sugar
harbors the remedy safely and securely, and they
are very easy to take, needing only to be dissolved under the tongue.

Liquid preparations aid in making the remedy more
gentle for those who need it. Liquid preparations
make remedies more gentle because the patient
takes only a portion of the solution, thus taking
only a portion of the remedy dissolved therein.
The life energy is stimulated more gently, hence
the response to the remedy is more subtle.

The LMs, being the gentlest potency (while still
being the most potent), are given in liquid form,
making them all the more gentle. Centesimal and
decimal potencies can be diluted in liquid as
well, making them more gentle than when taken dry.

14) How do I take my homeopathic remedy?
Centesimal and decimal potencies, when taken in
pellet form, are dissolved in one’s mouth,
usually under the tongue. The number of pellets
taken, and the frequency at which they are taken,
must be determined by your practitioner. Every
person is different, hence the dosing regime must
reflect your individuality, just as the choice of remedy does.

The exact way a liquid preparation is taken must
be determined by your practitioner, because there
are a number of variations on the theme of taking
a remedy in liquid form. Typically, LMs start
with a stock bottle filled with a medicated
solution. A portion of this medicated solution is
put it into four ounces of water. A spoonful from
this four ounces is taken for the dose. The LMs
are typically taken every day, at least once if
not more often. However, the exact instructions
about how to use the LMs, what size stock bottle
to use, the amount to be taken from the stock
bottle, and at what frequency the remedy should
be taken, must come from your practitioner.

15) What is the difference between homeopathy and conventional medicine?
Homeopathy is a holistic medicine, as it treats
the whole person. It does so by giving a single
remedy that acts most similarly to the person’s
overall state of illness as expressed by the
totality of mental, emotional and physical
symptoms. The person’s overall state of health,
and thus the symptoms experienced, are the result
of an imbalance of the life energy. Since the
homeopathic remedy is given for the sake of
treating the person’s overall state of health—the
life energy—each person requires a remedy that is
suitable for his or her own unique state of
illness. No two people are alike, thus each
person is treated as a unique case. Since we are
treating the life energy, energetic medicines
that are highly dilute, nontoxic, and very
powerful, are given. Homeopathy is concerned
about the person and the entirety of his or her
discomfort, not with specific diseases or conditions.

Conventional medicine is the exact opposite of
the homeopathic approach. Conventional medicine
views disease as an alteration in an organ or
physiological system. It uses drugs specifically
intended for the symptoms and diseases found in
these organs and systems. Because conventional
drugs are produced for the sake of treating
specific diseases, the treatment each person gets
is apt to be the same as any other person who has
the same disease. People are not seen as having
unique states of illness, but rather as being
infected with common diseases. Using drugs that
are often toxic to the body and therefore cause
side effects, conventional medicine is concerned
about specific diseases located in certain parts,
not the person as a single suffering individual.

16) What is a “combination remedy,” and do you sell them?
A combination remedy is a mixture of several
remedies, either of the same potency or of
various ones, all in one tablet. Combination
remedies are used to address specific conditions
by using, all at once, a number of remedies that
have a strong history of treating that condition.
Hence, combination remedies are used like
conventional drugs, treating specific conditions
rather than the whole person, and therefore are
not used according to strictly homeopathic
principles. However for certain common conditions
these combinations products can be useful. One
should however, remember that these are
“shortcuts” intended only for short term
treatment of temporary mild conditions. For
treatment of long term illness or more serious
short term conditions you need to see a
homeopath. Hahnemann Pharmacy does not sell combination remedies.

17) What is a tincture?
A tincture is an extract of a substance, for
example, an herbal extract. Tinctures are made by
steeping a substance in alcohol, extracting the
properties of that substance into the alcohol.
They are not potentized, that is, taken through
the process of dilution and succussion. Tinctures
are often used externally after dilution with
water or saline solutions so that the alcohol
does not injure or irritate the body. Tinctures
are really herbal products and should not be
taken internally unless recommended by a
qualified practitioner for many tinctures are
toxic. Never take a tincture internally unless
you know it is nontoxic and have been directed to do so by your practitioner.

18) Does homeopathy treat serious illnesses, or
only minor illnesses like colds and flus?
Homeopathy is capable of treating any type of
illness which can be cured, since it works by
stimulating the person’s natural ability to heal
him or herself. Homeopathy views disease as the
result of the life energy’s imbalance, thus it is
the life energy that we are treating in every
situation, not the diagnosed disease. However,
serious illnesses do require greater attention
and skill for treatment. Experienced doctors
should always be consulted when faced with severe or chronic illness.

19) Are there remedies for my diagnosed disease or condition?
Because we give remedies according to the unique
state of the individual, it is impossible to say
what diseases a given remedy will treat. For
example, two people who each suffer from
headaches, depression, and indigestion will, in
all likelihood, need different remedies, because
the way in which their headaches, depression and
indigestion act are different. Such is the case
with people who suffer from migraines, colitis,
ADHD, or any other disease. No two migraine
patients are exactly the same, hence they each
need their own individualized treatment, their
own homeopathic remedy that suits their unique
state of illness which includes their migraine
symptoms. In other words, homeopathic remedies
are used for the state of illness as expressed
through a person’s unique totality of mental,
emotional and physical symptoms, and not for
pathological conditions. It is more true to say
that there are specific remedies for each person rather than for each disease.

20) Can homeopathic remedies be used as vaccinations?
Homeopathy works by using a remedy that matches
the symptom totality experienced by someone who
has already fallen ill. Vaccinations are used to
prevent illness from starting, hence people are
vaccinated before they contract, or exhibit
symptoms of, a specific disease. Therefore,
homeopathy does not work as a vaccination, since
it requires the presence of symptoms for
treatment. Homeopathic remedies will have no
effect on a person if its symptom image does not
match the symptoms a person experiences. There
are historical reports of homeopaths successfully
using homeopathic medicines to prevent illness in
a group of people threatened with a serious
contagious disease, but these uses for the most
part have not been subjected to the modern
scientific process. However, there are some
fascinating possibilities now under new research trials.

21) Does homeopathy work for pets?
Yes. Anything that is alive can benefit from
homeopathy, since it treats the life energy. The
rules of taking the case of an animal are the
same as those of people: get the totality of
symptoms, for they represent the state of
imbalance suffered by the individual animal. The
pet owner who is sensitive to the animal’s state
will be very helpful to the homeopath in selecting the proper medicine.

22) How do I find out which remedy is most suitable for me?
As with any other system of medicine, people
seeking treatment are best served by consulting
with a trained practitioner. Homeopathy is a
complex and precise science, requiring expertise
to do it well and safely. And since it treats the
whole person rather than specific conditions, we
ought not hunt for remedies that look good for
such conditions. Homeopathy works best when it abides by its principles

Top of Page

.23) Is there anyone at Hahnemann Pharmacy with
whom I can consult to find a remedy suitable for me?
Unfortunately, no. We are strictly a pharmacy and
without a clinical facility. We are not staffed
to conduct consultations or able to suggest remedies for you to take.

24) How do I find a homeopathic practitioner?
There are thousands of homeopathic practitioners,
as well as a number of schools and organizations
dedicated to homeopathy, throughout the United
States. The first place to look is in your Yellow
Pages under “Homeopathy,” “Holistic Health,” or
any such similar listings. There, you may find
individual practitioners, or schools that can
give you references. The internet may also be a
good source for practitioners or schools, by
doing a search for homeopathy in your home town
or state. The National Center for Homeopathy can
refer you to a homeopath in your area. Phone
703-548-7790 or go online at www.homeopathic.org.

25) What should I expect after taking a homeopathic remedy?
Homeopathy recognizes the fact that everyone is
different. Just as each person needs a remedy
specific to his or her unique symptom totality,
he or she should also expect a unique response to
his or her remedy. No two people respond to a
remedy in the same way, in that relief will come
quickly or slowly depending on their health and
life circumstances. No matter what the situation,
the goal of homeopathy is a restoration of the
health of the person as a whole, not simply the
eradication of a specific symptom or condition.

Thanks to the experience of the great homeopathic
practitioners, we can say that relief from
illness—not matter what kind it is—begins in the
person’s mental and emotional state, as well as
in their level of energy. Recovery begins from
the inside, in the center of the person, and
moves outward. If relief were to either take
place in the mind or in the arms and legs, we
would want to see it in the mind first: the mind
is more central and represents the person more
profoundly than do the arms and legs—we can live
without arms and legs, but not our minds

There are a number of possible responses to
remedies, too many to address here. Your
practitioner ought to be able to further discuss this subject with you.

26) How quickly do homeopathic remedies work?
Again, the unique, individual state of the person
will determine how quickly a remedy begins to
give relief. In chronic illnesses, relief
typically begins anywhere from within a few days,
to within three or four weeks. In acute
illnesses, relief ought to appear within minutes
to hours. The extent of the relief after the
initial dose or doses is dependent upon the
person’s state of health. Some people have
profound changes in a short period of time,
others see only subtle changes at first. The
degree of the improvement is significant, but
recovery should not be rushed. If recovery is
slow, do not fret, because that may be the pace
your life energy needs to put itself back into balance.

27) How long should the benefits of a homeopathic remedy last?
The length of time the benefits of a remedy last
is dependent upon the state of the person. Some
people are able to go for weeks or months off a
single dose, while others may need more frequent
doses. As treatment continues, the length of time
between doses ought to lengthen, indicating your
life energy is getting stronger and maintaining
its health and balance more successfully. The
goal of homeopathy is the restoration of health,
thus we want to see the benefits of a remedy last
for longer periods of time as the months go by.

28) How long will I have to take my homeopathic remedy?
Since everyone is different, the length of time a
remedy is needed differs from person to person.
Many people respond very well with only one dose
of the correct medicine. In acute conditions, the
improvement can be very rapid. With chronic
illnesses that have existed for many years, some
people find complete relief within a year or two,
others need treatment for years after that. No
matter what the situation, the pace of the
treatment ought to suit the needs of the life
energy, however fast or slow that is.

29) Is there anything that will antidote or
interfere with my homeopathic remedy after I have taken it?
Many practitioners have many different ideas
about what will interfere with homeopathic
remedies, such as coffee, mint, menthol, camphor,
ultrasound tooth brushes, air travel, or nothing.
The best thing to do is follow your
practitioner’s instructions on what to do and
what not to do while on your homeopathic remedy.

30) Do homeopathic remedies have any side effects?
Since homeopathic remedies are diluted to minute
levels and therefore rendered nontoxic, they do
not have any side effects. Some patients will
experience a cleansing reaction as their body
begins to heal. Your homeopath will discuss this with you.

31) Are homeopathic remedies 100% safe?
Homeopathic remedies are almost completely safe
if they are used correctly. As with any other
kind of substance—medicinal or not—if we use them
incorrectly, they can cause discomfort or even
harm. This is why it is important to consult with
an experienced practitioner who has been trained
to understand what the correct remedy, potency
and dosage are for each person’s unique state.
When used properly according to the principles of
homeopathy, homeopathic remedies are remarkably
safe. There are no deaths due to properly used
homeopathic medicines in the United States
recorded in the major medical online databases.
Contrast this with the 200,000 calls which Poison
Centers receive each year about aspirin and
acetaminophen, sold most commonly as TylenolR.

32) What if my child accidentally takes my homeopathic remedy?
In most instances, there is nothing to worry
about. Since substances are rendered nontoxic
through the process of dilution and succussion,
homeopathic remedies do not pose a threat of
poisoning. However, if the remedy your child has
swallowed is a potency of 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 6X,
7X, or 8X, you should contact your homeopath
immediately or should get your child to an
emergency room immediately, because these
potencies are very low and still contain enough
raw material to potentially cause harm.

33) Is there anything I need to be careful of when taking a homeopathic remedy?
It is always a good idea to be sure you are
taking any kind of medicine safely. As with any
other kind of medicine, homeopathic remedies
should be taken with caution and in conjunction
with an experienced practitioner’s instructions,
so that you receive the safest, most beneficial treatment possible.

34) Can I do homeopathy and other kinds of medicine at the same time?
Only your practitioner can determine this for
you. Generally speaking, homeopathic remedies do
not have any contraindications with other kinds
of medicine. However, it is always important to
consult with an experienced, trained practitioner
who understands how to administer homeopathic
remedies while you are also taking other
medicines. Using homeopathic remedies
incorrectly, especially while already under
medical treatment, has the potential of untoward results.

35) Do I need to tell my doctor I am taking a homeopathic remedy?
No matter what kind of medicine you are taking,
or how many practitioners you are seeing, it is
important that they all have a clear
understanding of what you are doing and how you
are handling your health needs. The more your
practitioners know, the better they can serve you, and the safer you will be.

36) Do I need a prescription to order a homeopathic remedy?
Most homeopathic remedies are not prescription
items. Many are sold in health food stores and
sometimes pharmacies. The exact remedies and
potencies sold are determined by the individual stores and pharmacies.

The policy of Hahnemann Pharmacy is: Remedies up
to the potency of 30C can be ordered by anyone.
Anything above 30C, such as a 200C, 1M, 10M, etc.
requires the involvement of a practitioner, and
will not be sold if a practitioner is not
managing your case. All nosodes require the
involvement of a practitioner and will not be
sold if a practitioner is not managing your case.
If you are seeing a medical doctor, osteopath, or
any other practitioner who writes prescriptions
as recognized by the FDA, Hahnemann Pharmacy
honors those prescriptions and sells remedies in
strict compliance with these prescriptions and the rules of the FDA.

37) Are homeopathic remedies regulated by the FDA?
Yes, homeopathic remedies are classified as drugs
by the FDA and are therefore regulated just as pharmaceutical drugs are.

38) How long is the shelf life of homeopathic remedies?
Homeopathic remedies last indefinitely. There is
no shelf life, because they do not spoil or lose
their potency if stored correctly. The FDA has
given homeopathic medicines an explicit waiver
from the requirement to put expiration dates on bottles of medicine.

39) How should I store my homeopathic remedies?
To best ensure the integrity of your remedies,
keep them tightly sealed in a dry place, out of
direct sunlight, and away from heat sources such
as ovens, stoves, heaters, furnaces, microwaves, etc.

40) Is there anything that will harm my homeopathic remedies?
Direct sunlight and high heat will affect your
remedies. Typical summertime heat is not a
problem. Traveling with your remedies in hot
regions is also not a worry. Homeopathy was
practiced across the world before the invention
of the air conditioner! Keep your remedies away
from sources of heat like ovens, stoves, heaters,
furnaces, and microwaves to ensure they do not
get exposed to too much heat. Leaving your
remedies in a hot car in the summertime where the
temperature can get up to 150 degrees F may inactivate them.

41) How many pellets come in a vial?
We have two basic vial sizes and three different
pellet sizes available. The size and number of
pellets in each vial is determined by the potency
of the remedy, because we offer particular
potencies only on specific pellet sizes:
Vials containing potencies of 6C-29C come in our
2 dram vial and contain about 115 pellets that
are 3.5 mm in diameter (#35 pellets)..

Potencies of 30C and above come in _ dram and 2
dram vials and 3 mm diameter pellets (#30 pellets).
_ dram vials containing 30C-99C have about 80
pellets in them, while 2 dram vials have about 240.
_ dram vials containing potencies of 100C and up
have about 240 pellets in them that are 2 mm in
diameter (#20 pellets), while 2 dram vials have about 730.

We sell pellets of our LM potencies in both _
dram and 2 dram vials as well, but we distribute
the same amount in each vial, so the _ dram is
full, while the 2 dram is 1/4 full. There are
thousands of LM pellets in each vial that are 1 mm in diameter (#10 pellets) .

42) How many doses are in each vial?
The number of pellets you will be taking is
determined by your practitioner. This number will
tell you how many doses are in each vial.

43) How soon will Hahnemann Pharmacy send my order after I have placed it?
On average, we send orders out by the following
business day, if not that same day. Business days
are Monday through Friday. However, the greater
the number of remedies you order, and the greater
the amount of work required for your order (for
example, medicating pellets, raising potencies,
etc.), may set back the time in which we are able
to ship out your order. If there is any
considerable delay with your order, we will contact you.

44) How soon can I expect to receive my order?
We have a variety of shipping services available
that will suit your needs. The range of time it
takes to receive your order will be anywhere from
the next day to over a week, depending on where
you live and which service that you choose. The
cost for shipping depends on which service you
choose. Please keep in mind, if you live on the
east coast it will cost more to have your order
shipped in one or two days than if you live in
the San Francisco Bay area. Simply put, it costs
more to get a package across the country that quickly.

45) If needed, how can I ensure my order will go out the same day I order it?
With a $5 to $7 Rush Charge, we will give your
order priority, ensuring your remedies will go
out that day if it is a Monday through Friday, or
on Monday if you place your order on the weekend,
no matter how busy we are! Our only restrictions
are: keeping orders to five items or less, and
placing your order before 2 PM. If we see that
there is any reason we will not be able to get
your order out that day (medicating needs, etc.),
we will tell you at the time of your call.

46) How safe is it to send homeopathic remedies through the mail or UPS?
In our experience, we have never found a problem
sending homeopathic remedies through the United
States Postal Service, nor through UPS or Federal
Express. It is very infrequent that we have to
replace packages that have been lost or damaged.
Even with the recent introduction of radiation
used to protect us against biological agents sent
through the mail, we have not heard of any damage
being done to the remedies themselves.

47) Is it possible to pick up my remedies from Hahnemann Pharmacy in person?
No. Hahnemann Pharmacy is a mail-order business,
and not equipped nor licensed for walk-in services.

48) Can I place an order if I do not have a credit card?
Yes, you can. We accept personal checks, but
require that we receive your check before sending
out your order. Call us to determine the cost of
your order and shipping charges prior to sending
your check. As soon as your check arrives, we
will prepare your order. We do not wait for the
check to clear. We do not bill customers. Mail
your check and order information to Hahnemann
Laboratories, Inc at 1940 Fourth St, San Rafael,
CA 94901. Include the name of the remedy, the
potency of the remedy, the size of the vial, your
name, your address, and the method of shipping you wish us to use.

49) Can I return a remedy that I ordered if I no longer need it?
No. According to FDA regulations, pharmacies are
prohibited from taking back and reselling
previously sold medications. Every remedy we sell
is coming to you directly from our laboratory and
has not been sold to someone else previously. All sales are final.

50) Do you have a minimum quantity per order?
No. You can order as little as one remedy if you like, or as many as you wish.

51) If I need a remedy that you do not carry, will you make it?
Yes, we do make custom remedies. We will make a
remedy from vegetable, mineral and some animal
substances. We are not equipped to handle
biological material like viruses, bacteria,
diseased tissue, and the like. Please call us for details.

52) How long does it take to manufacture a custom remedy?
Depending on what potency you need, and on how
busy we are at the time of your order, it can
take us anywhere from two weeks to a month to make your custom remedy.

53) How much does it cost to prepare a custom remedy?
Custom remedy charges depend on the nature of
them material, and the desired potency. The total
cost may run from $50.00 to $400.00 depending on
the amount of time, materials, and work required.

54) Do you carry Bach Flower Remedies?
No, we do not. Many organic grocery stores do.
Check your Yellow Pages for your local organic
grocery store to see if they carry them. You may
also find distributors or retailers on the internet.

55) Do you carry cell salts?
No, we do not. Most health food stores have a wide selection of cell salts.