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How much of a remedy should one buy at a time?  I used to routinely suggest people pick up their Boiron* remedies from Whole Foods, but they yanked them😖. And, I learned just the other day that they no longer carry colloidal silver, either. Alas. Moving on. !!!UPDATE: A kind and astute reader just reached out to remind me that Sprouts carries Boiron remedies. Yes, they do! As does Natural Grocers. With that, it’s time to turn to purchasing homeopathic remedies directly from the pharmacies. However, this article isn’t really about where to purchase the remedies. It’s more about how much of a given remedy to purchase. Thinking back to my early days of homeopathy, my first remedy from my then homeopath/MD was given to me in the office. As I recall, it was just one dose right there and that was it. Yes, it was amazing. Then, when my DOM suggested Belladonna for my ear infection, I had someone pick me up a tube (back when Whole Foods carried them). But, when I was finally going to do this homeopathy thing on my own (see: Thankful for a Yeast Infection), I purchased a few tubes because the article said it may take 3-5 months to fix that problem. I would be willing to bet that all of those original tubes are still in my stash because I never needed to repeat that remedy for that problem. That problem never returned.🎉 Have I used that remedy since then? Yes. I think I gave a couple of doses to my son once and I used it again for myself for an separate issue. I think we have been trained into purchasing large quantities of supplements and medicines. When we’re told something will take 3-5 months to fix (as above), then my brain just assumes (well, used to assume) I’m going to be taking that suggested remedy/supplement/medicine for months — probably every day, too! Generally speaking, this is not the case with homeopathy. As I mentioned above, “one and done” can certainly be a thing when the remedy is well chosen. Unlike allopathy (conventional medicine as we know it), homeopathy is not looking to make a life-long customer of a single homeopathic remedy. The homeopathic remedy is meant to help spur your body into fixing itself and often is never even repeated. There are schools of homeopathy where daily or frequent dosing is required, but even then, it’s extremely common to be “finished” with “a” remedy after about 4-6 weeks. I have had multiple conversations over the last couple of weeks with clients who “stocked up” on a particular remedy.** In fact, I still have a few extra tubes of a few extra remedies which I purchased when I first began learning homeopathy. I assumed I was going to need them. (They were so amazingly helpful, I didn’t ever want to be without them!!) Guess what? Those clients I mentioned, and I, didn’t need all those tubes. The doses we took did what needed to be done and now we are left with a handful of a certain remedy that we may or may not need again in the future. Is it always just one tube that is needed? One tube is an excellent place to start, if, for no other reason than most often 1 tube is our only minimum purchasing option. (Keep reading for other smaller options.) This is a good place to remind ourselves that one dose is one dose. Generally speaking, it doesn’t matter if one pellet is taken (regardless of size) or the entire tube is taken all at once. As long as the pellets are taken at the same time, that is most often considered one dose. Let’s take 5 pellets from any tube as an example.
Of course there is a caveat, though: some homeopathic pharmacies claim that every pellet has been medicated with the homeopathic remedy, making one pellet one dose. Other homeopathic pharmacies say, for instance, that one in four pellets have been medicated, thus 4 pellets equals one dose. However, those pellets roll around in the tube together and one would think that the medicine rubs off on the other pellets while they’re mixing and mingling in there. Having said that, follow the manufacturer’s directions to get the best results. How does one actually take the remedies? In an ideal world, the remedies will not be touched with your hands. For Boiron and Olloïs and Helios, twist the cap until the required number of pellets have fallen into the cap and throw them under your tongue directly from the cap and allow them to dissolve for about 10 seconds or so -- don't swallow them with water. For other brands with a standard cap, pour 1-3 pellets directly into the cap and toss them in your mouth from the cap. Why not touch them? Because the homeopathic medicine is on the outside of the pellets and they begin dissolving pretty much immediately on contact. If the pellets are placed in your hand, any oils or other substances on your hand may interfere with this process. Pellet sizing: Let’s take a look at the size of pellets. Unfortunately, I struck out on searching for a nice image to compare pellet sizes and the corresponding numbering system, but it seems to me that #20 = 2mm; #30 = 3mm, etc.) Using Boiron* as the most readily available brand in the US, their pellets, (according to Grok), are often referred to as size #30 or #40 and are medium sized pellets between 3-4mm in diameter. (Boiron also uses much smaller pellets or “granules”, 1-2mm in diameter, for their Oscillococcinum, in which case Boiron recommends using the entire single dose tube at a time. Here is where it gets tricky again. I don’t think it’s the fact these pellets in the Oscillococcinum tube are smaller that they recommend the entire tube as one dose because other homeopathic pharmacies will advise one single tiny pellet to be used as one dose. Perhaps we are back to the idea that not every pellet has been medicated with Boiron? Or, maybe because Boiron is so commonly found in the west that they are simply standardizing the dosage to avoid any confusion? But, as mentioned above, as long as the pellets are taken at the same time, that is one dose. Now for the packaging: Staying with Boiron, their average tubes are 2-dram. According to this site, a 2-dram vial is about the size of a AA battery or an average adult-sized pinky finger, or 2-1/2 inches. 2 drams — the size of the standard Boiron or Olloïs tubes. Depending on the size of the pellets that are used, a filled 2-dram tube of a homeopathic remedy could last a very long time, indeed. Liquid Remedies Liquid remedies have become a favorite method of dosing for me if I’m going to be taking the same remedy for a while. It’s fast and it’s easy — no waiting for the pellets to dissolve. And, technically, when you give a shake or succuss (bang it from the bottom), you are raising the potency with each dose. NOTE: don’t bother with “medicating potencies” — that’s a whole other ball game for homeopaths who dispense their own remedies in their clinics. The options are many. When ordering directly from homeopathic pharmacies, it can be a little confusing at first. Using Arnica 30c as my test remedy, here are the options available:
 click here for Helios’ description of what they offer
Are there other purchasing options out there? You bet, but these are the most common pharmacies that I use that are available for the general public to purchase their own remedies.
That was a lot of information. Summing up:
Happy shopping! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with any of these or any other companies. ** What to do with all those extra tubes of remedies? Share them with your homeopath friends. A number of clients have found willing takers of extra remedies in various online homeopathic groups. I bet they, too, have some extras they are willing to swap! ‡ I have found as people get a little older and their hands may shake a little bit and their eyesight is not quite so crisp up close that pouring little pellets into caps can be difficult. This tablet option (available primarily from the UK) can solve that problem. *** How Helios’ 4g and Ainsworth’s 7g both seem to equate to the 2-dram I have no idea. But, the actual tubes are very similar in size. 🤷♀️ So, I looked into it. According to Brave AI:
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 If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know that I love using my homeopathic software.
Not only do I find it much easier to look up remedies and repertorize cases, I find it makes “playing” with homeopathy really fun. I, of course, was taught to repertorize the old fashioned way with books and repertorization sheets (and I loved doing it), but the fun really began when I got my first piece of homeopathy software. It’s a long story, but I ended up with 2 different homeopathic software programs — And, I have to say, I like them both. I currently use Radar Opus and Synergy Viva and, increasingly, I no longer favor one over the other. I’m not here to tout any particular piece of software. I only know what I know. (translation: there are other options out there with which I am not familiar.) At the end of the day, they all do what is needed to be done — providing the information found in both homeopathic repertories and materia medicas. (should this actually be materias medica? I’m not up with my Latin😆.) I am here today to let you know about a new homeopathic software company that I played with a little bit and if I were just getting started on this track, I definitely would have liked to have known about this. Similia* has a clean and attractive interface and it’s very pleasant to work with. Here’s the best part — for the classic resources, including: Kent, Boericke, Hering, Boger, Boenninghausen, Clarke and Allen (with more coming soon, it says) — it’s free! Everything is based on-line (so you would need an internet connection) and I’m also told it works on your phone — which is a great feature for those on-the-go repertorizations (which is, surprisingly, a thing!) If you want to add Murphy’s repertory and materia medica and have all the bells and whistles that Similia has to offer, it’s $29.99/month (with a 14-day free trial). I also see that if you are a student, they offer a discount but I don’t know those details. Now, to be fair, I need to include that Radar* is also available to rent and it offers a 15-day free trial. But, to my knowledge, they do not provide a free version. Their minimum rental is “Package 2” for €18 for 1 month access. (Their cheapest monthly option is “Package 1” for €9/mo. for 3 month access.) Synergy* also has a 15-day free trial as well as rental options — you can choose 3 months for $30 or 12 months for $100 for their “Essential Edition.” As I said earlier, there are other options out there but I did not dive in to figure it all out. I really like the two that I use and I was very impressed with this new option, especially because it’s free. If you want to start playing around and see what fun can be had with homeopathy software, there is an excellent free option available to you. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I own and use Radar and Synergy on a daily basis and I have played around with Similia’s free version. NOTE: I did not dig into Radar or Synergy to find out if they offer online only versions or what the requirements are.  We've never really talked about it, have we? I mean, I have mentioned Arnica in more than 35 previous articles, (too many to list here, go here or here and search “Arnica” if you would like to read those, or you can keep reading and I have linked to separate articles), but I haven’t really talked about Arnica specifically. I have always just sort of assumed that everybody reading Ruminating on Remedies already had a general grasp of Arnica. Maybe not, though. With that, let’s take a look at what is considered to be the “gateway” homeopathic remedy. Before it was made into a homeopathic remedy, it was used herbally. I remember Arnica being taught to me as a plant that was in a useful place — hikers would be tired and sore after climbing in the mountains and there sits the answer to their troubles, right at their sore feet. Excerpted from Encylopedia of Herbal Medicine (Chevallier 2000, p 172): Arnica montana, also known as Leopard’s Bane, grows in the mountain woods and pastures. It has been used extensively in European folk medicine and is an effective ointment and compress for bruises, sprains and muscle pain and improves the local blood supply and speeds healing. It is anti-inflammatory and increases the rate of reabsorption of internal bleeding. Generally the plant is now taken internally only as a homeopathic dilution, principally for shock, injury and pain. If taken as a decoction or tincture… it can be toxic even at low dosage and thus is rarely used in this way.  Interestingly, to me, Arnica often looks a little bedraggled in the photos… A little bent and rough around the edges and I think that is very fitting for this remedy. It looks like the Arnica plant could actually use a little bit of homeopathic Arnica itself.😄 “Due to the toxicity of the sesquiterpene lactones it contains, oral use of arnica must be avoided altogether” (Hoffman 2003, p 530). “The homeopathic preparation is entirely safe to take internally, especially when used according to homeopathic directions”(Hoffmann 2003, p 529). Let’s turn to the repertory. I have to say that repertory software makes searching all this so much easier and even more fun! (Look for an upcoming “Quickie” on software👀.) I searched for Arnica and level 4 symptoms, from Dr. Murphy:
A. L. Blackwood (2016) in A Manual of Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacology (originally published in 1906) says, “The [homeopathic] remedy is indicated following mechanical injuries, strains and wrenching of muscles, in hemorrhages from injuries, injuries of the soft parts that accompany fractures, and bruises, and ecchymosis, and in concussions of the spine and brain, and in inflammation of the skin and cellular tissues, with extreme tenderness to pressure.” Well, that sums up a lot of situations, actually. No wonder it’s the first remedy to think of following an injury. “… when the patient feels as if bruised all over, and everything upon which he lies feels too hard, compelling him to change his position on this account.” INJURIES: Now there’s a big topic… Sprains. Strains. Contusions. Fractures. Overuse injuries. Concussions. Dislocations. Guess what? Arnica would most likely be helpful in all these situations. Why? If for no other reason than they are all painful. Going back to 1855 to Dr. William Helmuth’s Surgery and Its Adaptation into Homoeopathic Practice: “Arnica is useful in all cases and ages to allay the extreme sensibility of the whole body, the general restlessness and intense pain in the seat of injury.” Let’s look again to Dr. Murphy to see where Arnica really shines —pain— using both level 3 & 4 rubrics:
BRUISING - also known as ECCHYMOSIS — is superficial bleeding under the skin or a mucous membrane; a bruise (Venes 2017). Arnica is the only level 4 remedy for skin, ecchymosis in Murphy. (Symphytum is the exception here, level 4 specific for eye injuries — black eyes — but I digress.) Bruising results when blood vessels (external or internal) are broken but the tissue surfaces remain intact (Venes 2017). As we saw above, Arnica in herbal form is known to increase the rate of reabsorption of internal bleeding and it does so also in homeopathic form. If I had a nickel for every time I have heard about an injury that looked like it was going to end up with an enormous bruise only to have disappeared to nearly nothing after taking Arnica… “Sore, lame, bruised feeling all through the body, as if beaten” (Allen). Feels as if been hit by a bus is another way of saying that. Another keynote of Arnica is they feel the bed seems too hard. Not only does the bed just seem hard, Arnica is useful for bed sores. Another injury, actually, in a strange sort of way — a localized injury, a sore, to the skin or the underlying tissue. What else to look for which may strongly indicate Arnica? They say they are fine… “nothing is wrong with me” when there is clearly something wrong with them. (rubric: Mind - IRRITABILITY, general - sends the doctor home, says he is not sick; Mind - REFUSES, general - treatment, every - very sick, in spite of being.) Massimo Mangialavori (et al. 2025) has a new book, Arnica and Similar Remedies. He takes the understanding of Arnica well beyond the gateway to homeopathy remedy for injuries. In Mangialavori’s Suggesta repertory (accessed through Radar Opus software), he shows a level 3 rubric: APATHY, INDIFFERENCE - anosognosia**, thinking that he is not ill. Back to his new book, Arnica & Similar Remedies (2025, p 4): Arnica tends to have a phobia about being sick. In fact, he is one of the most hypochondriacal remedies in the materia medica — and so he does not ‘allow’ himself to be ill… the revelation that he is susceptible is profoundly disturbing.” Prompted by Mangialavori, let’s return to Murphy and see what comes up for the mind rubrics with Arnica (again, using just levels 3 & 4):
SUMMING IT ALL UP: Jo Evans’ Asteraceae: remedies of the sunflower family (2020, p 11) gives us a nice little list of where Arnica is helpful — here are some standouts:
Arnica is without question my number one homeopathic remedy that I would not be without and now you know why. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
Allen, H. C., n.d. Keynotes and Characteristics. accessed through Radar Opus software. BLACKWOOD, A. L., 2016. A Manual of Materia Medica Theraoeutics and Pharmacology. accessed through Radar Opus software. B. Jain Publishing. Burt, W. H., 1896. Physiological Materia Medica, Containing All that is Known of the Physiological Action of Our Remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Chevallier, A., 2000. Natural health encyclopedia of herbal medicine. New York: Dk Pub. Inc. Evans, J., 2020. Asteraceae: remedies of the sunflower family. Harlem, NL: Emryss. Hellmuth, W. T., n.d. Surgery and Its Adaptation into Homoeopathic Practice. accessed through Radar Opus software. Hoffmann, D., 2003. Medical herbalism: The science and practice of herbal medicine. Healing Arts Press. KNERR, C., 2022. REPERTORY OF HERING’S GUIDING SYMPTOMS OF OUR MATERIA MEDICA. accessed through Radar Opus software. Mangialavori, M., n.d. Suggesta. accessed through Radar Opus software. Mangialavori, M., Heron, K., Sobraske, J. and Wood, B., 2025. Arnica & Similar Remedies. Independently Published. Murphy, R., 2006. Nature’s materia medica : 1,400 homeopathic and herbal remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Blackburg, Va.: Lotus Health Institute, November. Venes, D., 2017. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. Kindle. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.  I don’t know many people or animals who like things that go boom in the night but some of us 2 and 4 legged creatures get a little out of sorts when they happen.
Where I live, the night time booming started a few days ago — pre 4th of July excitement, I guess. If you or your pet are troubled by the fireworks, here are a couple of ideas to try.
What else can help? Back when we still had our dog, Rufus, I would put him in an air conditioned room with all the doors and windows closed, with a nice playlist on at a pretty decent volume to help drown out the booms. I added both Bach Rescue Remedy and Ignatia in his water dish. I chose Ignatia because this poor fellow came to us in a pretty traumatized and fearful state. I hope you have a safe, exciting, fun and joyous 4th Of July weekend and are able to enjoy the booms! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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