You have come home from the clinic with a small bottle of globules or a few drops in a vial, and a set of instructions. Then the everyday questions start. Should you take it before or after tea? Is it all right in the kitchen cupboard? What if your child misses the evening dose? This guide gathers the practical points patients most often ask about.
Start with your prescription
The most useful rule is also the simplest: follow the instructions you were given for your medicine, not general advice from a relative, a neighbour or a website. Homeopathic prescriptions are individual. Two people with what seems like the same complaint may be given different medicines, potencies and timings.
Before you leave the clinic, make sure you know:
- the name and potency of each medicine, exactly as written on the label;
- how many globules or drops make one dose;
- how often to take it, and for how long;
- whether you should stop, continue or call if you feel better, or if you feel worse.
If you have been given more than one bottle, it helps to write the plan on a small card and keep it with the medicines.
How to take globules, tablets and drops
Handling globules
Traditionally, patients are advised not to touch the globules with their fingers. A common method is to tip the required number into the bottle cap, then drop them straight from the cap onto or under the tongue and let them dissolve slowly rather than chewing and swallowing at once. Close the cap firmly straight after use.
Tablets and liquid dilutions
Tablets are usually allowed to dissolve in the mouth in the same way. Liquid dilutions are often taken as a set number of drops in a little clean water, but the amount of water and the method vary, especially for LM (Q) potencies, which usually come with their own detailed instructions, sometimes including shaking the bottle before each dose. Follow the method you were taught.
Most liquid dilutions are made in an alcohol base. If you would prefer to avoid alcohol for any reason, or are giving medicine to a young child, mention this to your physician, who can advise on a suitable form.
Timing around food and drink
The usual advice is to keep the mouth clean around the time of a dose, often by leaving a gap of roughly 15 to 30 minutes before and after eating, drinking anything other than water, brushing your teeth or smoking. If your physician has given you a specific timing, use that.
Strong smells: camphor, mint and coffee
Many patients are told to keep homeopathic medicines away from camphor, menthol and strong mint, and sometimes to avoid strong coffee, perfumes or eucalyptus oil. It is fair to know where this advice comes from.
The idea that certain strong substances can "antidote", or cancel, a homeopathic medicine comes from classical homeopathic writers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and it is still widely passed on in practice. It has not been well tested in scientific studies, and critics of homeopathy reject it outright. So it is best understood as a traditional precaution rather than a proven fact.
Following it is usually easy and does no harm. Store your medicines away from balms, mosquito coils, camphor tablets, mentholated ointments and scented oils. If you use a strong mint toothpaste, simply brush at a different time from your dose.
Storing medicines in Bangladesh's climate
Heat, direct sunlight and damp are the main enemies of any medicine, and Bangladesh has plenty of all three, especially in the hot months and through the monsoon. A few simple habits keep your bottles in good shape.
- Keep them cool and shaded. A closed drawer or cupboard in a cool room is usually best. Avoid window sills, the top of the fridge, the kitchen near the stove, and the dashboard or seat of a car or CNG.
- Keep them dry. Always close the cap tightly. Do not store bottles in the bathroom, where steam and humidity are high. Globules that have become sticky, clumped or discoloured should be shown to your physician or pharmacist before you use them.
- Keep them in their original bottles. Do not move globules into old containers, paper twists or unlabelled bottles. The label tells you the name, potency, batch and expiry date.
- Keep them away from strong smells, as described above.
- Check the label. Follow any storage instructions printed by the manufacturer, and do not use a medicine past its expiry date.
Refrigeration is not normally needed unless the label says so.
Travelling with your medicines
Whether you are taking the launch to Barishal, the train to Dhaka or flying abroad, a little planning helps.
- Carry your medicines in your hand luggage or a small bag you keep with you, not in a suitcase that may sit in a hot luggage hold or on a bus roof.
- Take enough for the whole trip, plus a few spare days in case of delays.
- Keep the original labels and, if you are flying, a copy of the prescription. Liquid dilutions count as liquids at airport security, so check your airline's rules on carrying liquids in the cabin.
- If you change time zones, keep roughly the same gaps between doses, and ask your physician before you travel if the timing seems difficult.
Children, older people and missed doses
Children
Children often accept globules readily because they taste sweet, and that is exactly why the bottles must be kept well out of their reach. For infants and very young children, globules may be dissolved in a little clean water, or a form suited to their age may be prescribed. Never give a child a medicine prescribed for someone else.
Older people
Older patients are more likely to be taking several medicines from different doctors. A weekly pill organiser for their other medicines and a separate, clearly labelled bottle for the homeopathic one can prevent mix-ups. A daily alarm on a mobile phone can help with timing.
Missed doses
If you miss a dose, there is usually no need to panic. As a general approach, take it when you remember unless it is nearly time for the next one, and do not take two doses together to "catch up". Because homeopathic schedules vary so much, if you are unsure, call the clinic.
Symptom diary, safety and when to get help
Keep a symptom diary
A short daily note is one of the most valuable things you can bring to a follow-up appointment. It does not need to be detailed. A notebook or a note on your phone is enough. Try to record:
- the date and time of each dose;
- how your main complaint feels, perhaps on a simple scale of 0 to 10;
- sleep, appetite, energy and mood;
- any new symptoms, even if they seem unrelated;
- any other medicines, vitamins or remedies started or stopped.
A written record gives your physician a far more accurate picture than "I think it was a bit better".
When to call, and when to go to hospital
Contact your physician if your symptoms change in a way that worries you, if new symptoms appear, if you are not sure how to take your medicine, or if you become pregnant or start breastfeeding during treatment.
A few safety rules apply to everyone:
- Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children. If a child swallows a bottle of medicine, contact a doctor and take the bottle with you.
- Tell every doctor you see about all the medicines you take, including homeopathic ones, and tell your homeopathic physician about all your other treatments.
- Do not stop medicines prescribed by another doctor, such as treatment for diabetes, blood pressure, epilepsy or asthma, without talking to that doctor first.
- In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital straight away. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke, severe bleeding, high fever in a young baby, fits, or a sudden severe illness need urgent medical care, not a wait to see whether a remedy helps.
Take your medicine as prescribed, store it cool, dry and away from strong smells, write down how you feel, and ask when in doubt.
No question about your own treatment is too small to ask.
Cover photo: Photo by Denise Chan on Unsplash
