Follow Your Prescription Exactly
In classical homeopathy, how often you take a medicine matters as much as which medicine it is. One person may need a single dose and then a wait of several weeks. Another may need a dose every few hours for a day or two. That is why we do not give general dosing advice on this page. Your prescription is written for you, and the instructions on it are the ones to follow.
Do not take extra doses because you feel worse or better, and do not keep repeating a medicine longer than written. If anything is unclear, message us on WhatsApp at 01623829865 before you start.
Clean Mouth, Away From Food and Drink
Most classical homeopaths ask patients to take the medicine on a clean mouth. In practice that means:
- Leave about 15 to 30 minutes between the medicine and eating, drinking anything other than plain water, smoking, chewing betel leaf or brushing your teeth.
- Rinse your mouth with plain water if you have just eaten, then wait.
- Let globules dissolve under the tongue or in the mouth rather than swallowing them straight down, unless you were told otherwise.
- If your medicine is in liquid or was to be mixed in water, follow the method written on your prescription.
Strong Smells and Why Homeopaths Mention Them
Many classical homeopaths advise avoiding camphor, menthol, strong mint, eucalyptus and strong coffee while under treatment, and keeping these smells away from the medicine itself. The reason is traditional: since Hahnemann's time, homeopaths have observed that strong-smelling substances such as camphor may interfere with the action of some medicines. This has not been proven in controlled studies, but it is easy to follow.
- Balms and rubs containing camphor or menthol, and mentholated inhalers.
- Very strong mint toothpaste or mint sweets close to the time of your dose.
- Coffee, if Dr. Ismail has asked you to avoid it. Tell him honestly how much tea and coffee you drink.
Never stop an inhaler or any medicine prescribed for asthma or another condition because of a smell rule. Ask us first.
Handling Globules
- Wash and dry your hands.
- Tip the number of globules written on your prescription into the bottle cap, not into your palm.
- Put them straight from the cap into your mouth.
- If extra globules fall into the cap, tip them back into the bottle without touching them. If any fall on the floor, throw them away.
- Close the bottle tightly at once.
Touching globules is not dangerous. Homeopaths simply prefer to keep the medicine clean and dry, and the cap method helps with that. For a small child, the doctor will explain how to give the dose.
Storing Your Medicine
- Keep bottles tightly closed in a cool, dry, dark place, away from direct sun and heat, such as a cooking area or a car.
- Keep them away from perfume, camphor, balms, mothballs and other strong smells.
- Keep each medicine in its own labelled bottle. Do not mix bottles or pour medicines into other containers.
- Keep all medicines out of reach of children.
- Some homeopaths also suggest keeping medicines away from mobile phones and electrical devices. There is no clear evidence for this, so treat it as an optional habit rather than a rule.
If You Miss a Dose
Take the next dose at its usual time, unless your prescription says something different. Do not take two doses together to catch up. If you have missed several doses, or your medicine was a single dose and you are not sure whether you took it properly, send us a message and we will tell you what to do.
What May Happen After a Dose
People respond in different ways, and it helps to know what you might notice. Write down any changes with the date so you can tell Dr. Ismail at your follow-up.
- Some change in your main complaint, your energy, sleep or mood. Sometimes people feel better in themselves before the complaint itself changes.
- A short aggravation: the existing symptoms feel a little stronger for a short time. Classical homeopaths describe this, but it should be mild and brief. Tell us about it.
- An old symptom you had in the past comes back for a while. Tell the doctor, because this is useful information for him.
- No noticeable change. This is also important to report, so the doctor can review the case.
Do not wait for a homeopathic response if you have red-flag symptoms. Go to the nearest hospital or call 999 for chest pain, difficulty breathing, fainting, fits, heavy bleeding, a high fever that will not come down, severe pain, swelling of the face or throat, or a child who is floppy, drowsy, not feeding or breathing fast.
Your Other Medicines
Starting homeopathic treatment does not mean stopping your conventional medicines. Keep taking them as your doctor prescribed and tell Dr. Ismail about every medicine you use. Read more in our guide on safety and conventional medicine.
Diabetes, blood pressure, heart, epilepsy, thyroid and mental-health medicines are never stopped suddenly or by the patient on their own. The doctor may advise carefully on reducing other conventional medicines, step by step.
Children and Pregnancy
Give homeopathic medicine to a child, or take it during pregnancy or breastfeeding, only on the doctor's advice. Do not use a medicine prescribed for someone else in the family, even if the symptoms look the same. If you are pregnant, keep your regular antenatal check-ups and tell your obstetrician that you are taking homeopathic treatment. You can read more on our children's health and women's health pages.
How Long Treatment Takes
It depends on you and on the problem. A recent, acute complaint is usually reviewed within days. A long-standing problem needs several months, with follow-ups so the doctor can see how you respond and decide whether to wait, repeat or change the medicine. Follow-up is free within 2 weeks for the same treatment. When you need more medicine, we send it from our own pharmacy, cash on delivery to all 64 districts.
When to Message Us on WhatsApp
Send a message to 01623829865 if:
- Your symptoms get clearly worse, or an aggravation lasts more than a day or two.
- A new symptom appears that you have never had before.
- You missed doses or are unsure how to take the medicine.
- You start a new conventional medicine, or another doctor changes your treatment.
- You become pregnant or have a fever or other acute illness during chronic treatment.
- Your medicine is finished, or the follow-up date has arrived.
For anything urgent, do not wait for a WhatsApp reply: go to the nearest hospital or call 999.