 Recently, I posted To repeat, or not to repeat? Acute version. I gave many examples of “classical”* homeopaths recommending the rather frequent repetition of the remedies for acute cases. If classical homeopaths are in agreement it’s OK to repeat remedies acutely, why do a lot of classical homeopaths think it’s not OK to repeat remedies when addressing chronic issues? Once again — keeping the individual as the main focus is the Let’s recap from last week:
When we get to chronic treatment, these guidelines are often set to the side… pushed away… locked up… verboten. Small Doses, Big Results by Karl Robinson, M.D. (2014, p xv) begins his introduction thusly: "There is only one medicine, holistic or otherwise, that treats mind and body at the same time with only one medicine and does so with one dose repeated infrequently." Lisa Strbac (2024, p 22) explains the classical thinking quite succinctly in The Trailblazer’s Insight into Homeopathy: "‘I felt so good on my remedy; why can’t I keep taking it?’ Homeopathy follows the principle of the minimum dose — using the smallest amount of remedy needed to stimulate the body’s healing response. Repeated doses of a well-matched remedy, especially when not needed, can disrupt the healing process with a risk that the individual may prove the remedy. Once improvement is noted, it’s best to stop taking the remedy and only repeat if symptoms return." Dr. Lockie (1993) adds: "In chronic conditions, 6c remedies are usually taken 3 times a day for up to 14 days, and 30c remedies every 12 hours for a few days.” “for a few days”… hmmm I have noticed classical homeopaths actually often repeat doses, especially at the beginning of treatment, even when they otherwise do not recommend repeating doses. I frequently hear or read of classical homeopaths opening a case with a “split dose” (another name for a single repeated dose, e.g., take a dose at night and repeat it the following morning); or, they may repeat a dose for 3 to 5 days in a row, right off the bat (as above), and then stop and see what happens. Aren’t they risking disrupting the healing process? I could spend hours listing all of Hahnemann’s aphorisms and Dr. James Tyler Kent’s lecture points and digging through all my books, but I’m not going to do that. I am going to ignore them when it comes to whether or not it is OK to repeat dry remedies. What?! You’re going to ignore the masters?! Yes. Instead, I am going to turn to Dr. Francisco Xavier Eizayaga** (1991, p 211) who decided to test these theories: "This subject has always worried us. After about eighteen years of collecting a rich experience with many thousands of patients, we decided to put some order to the matter. We have usually followed certain traditional rules according to the powerful influence Kent exercised with instructions stated in his Homoeopathic Philosophy [first published in 1900]. In the chronic cases we employed only one dose followed by placebo… We had always started with a 200c or MC potency and we waited for the results. The great majority of our patients suffered the initial homeopathic aggravation followed by the different contingencies described by Kent in his Lecture XXXV.…" We disregard the position taken by Hahnemann and Kent concerning the dangers of repeating doses because they never justified their reasons for this position by performing experiments, collecting statistical data, or mentioning clinical experiences. "This question intrigued us for a very long time as certain clinical experiences of ours seemed to deny this presumed truth. After a lot of thought, we decided that the only acceptable way to solve this problem was the objective, strict, clinical experimentation, leaving all theoretical speculation aside… We thus decided to experiment on ill individuals under homeopathic treatment, not with healthy individuals as Hahnemann required for his pathogenesis." Cutting to the important bit for this article [emphasis from original text, pp 214-218]: "The second point was whether the administration of identical (‘unchanged’ according to Hahnemann’s terminology) doses which were repeated every day during weeks and months could cause the damage announced by Hahnemann and Kent.… We carried out strict experimentations on more than a thousand patients during more than three years.… Two hundred and fifty (250) cases treated with the method of potency repeated in globules.… - Therapeutic result: high efficacy in all cases studied. Without appreciable differences to the Plus Method,*** but with results very superior to those obtained with the unique dose followed by placebos. We do not think we are cheating ourselves if we affirm that we have obtained the highest satisfactions of our life as physicians by employing this simple, positive method. We do not ignore that these conclusions will cause surprise and will even be resisted by many traditional homeopaths who blindly believe in Kent’s and in some of Hahnemann’s statements. … Instead, his opposition to the method of repeated potency is seemingly not confirmed by experimental or clinical facts.…" So, what’s the upshot? Dose repetition by means of globules does not bring on the inconveniences stated by Hahnemann in paragraph 247; on the contrary, there are many patients who take high potencies† for months and even years without showing the least bother. (p. 218) "-Some patients only feel well while they are having the remedy, not while they are having the placebo.… -There is no difference between the homoeopathic aggravation due to a unique dose or due to repeated doses, even when taking a remedy during the reaction. -The late aggravation of which Hahnemann speaks takes place in 4% of cases, some of them susceptible to being interpreted in another way, and, in any case, it never is anything more than a temporary bother with no other pathological significance.… When an individual has daily and repeated doses, we are referring to a chronic case, only one of those doses will modify that susceptibility, by either aggravating first and then causing recovery, or causing recovery directly…. The proof of this is that the patient’s response to the therapeutic action is the same one with a unique dose as with repeated ones…." Many colleagues fear that repetition will bring on an added or late pathogenesis, As a reminder, I was “raised” on the Banerji Protocols which repeat doses often, so, to me, this was normal and “right.” Then, I attended classical homeopathic training which told me repeating doses was very bad. I was left a little perplexed for a few years. Repeating doses was working for myself and it was working for my clients. What was I missing? Then I read Dr. Eizayaga and it turns out I wasn’t missing anything! The research conducted by Dr. Eizayaga was enough for me to put any hesitation I had been harboring about repeating dry doses away for good. Phew! So, what are we talking about in terms of repeating doses for chronic situations? #1 — the individual is the most important piece of this decision making process. I can’t stress this enough.
Now, let’s do a little comparison between “classical” and “practical” dosing. Most of the books written for home users list primarily acute conditions, so I turned to Hemorrhoids which is often a chronic condition for many people. Drs. Jonas & Jacobs (1998, p 222): "For acute†† hemorrhoidal problems, take the remedy twice daily in the 30c potency or 4 times a day in the 12x. Stop the remedy as soon as improvement occurs, or after two days if it is not giving relief." [They recommend one of 5 remedies: Aesculus, Sulphur, Nux vomica, Nitric acid or Hamamelis.] Dr. Andrew Lockie (1993, p 258) recommends the same selection of remedies, plus, Aloe, Collinsonia, Pulsatilla, Ammonium carb or Causticum “to be taken 4 times daily for up to 5 days.” The Banerjis (2013), on the other hand, recommend for hemorrhoids in their first line of treatment:
Interestingly, in this instance, we see a similar repetition of remedies between classical and practical methods††. So, to repeat or not repeat? Is it even still a question? Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *For this article, “classical” refers to homeopaths using one remedy at a time; “Practical” refers to homeopaths who use multiple remedies at one time. **If you can find this book, buy this book… You won’t be disappointed. ***Plus Method, according to Eizayaga (1991, p 213): "…if the succeeding dose is changed slightly every time, namely potentized somewhat higher then the vital principle may be altered without difficulty by the same medicine (the sensation of natural disease diminishing) and thus the cure brought nearer.” †Eizayaga does not clarify what he means by “high potency.” ††To be accurate, the “classical” recommendations are not necessarily referring to chronic hemorrhoids, but let’s be real — hemorrhoid pain is hemorrhoid pain! Reference list
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Eizayaga, F. X., 1991. Treatise on Homoeopathic Medicine. Estilos Graficos S.A. Jonas, W. B. and Jacobs, J., 1998. Healing with homeopathy : the doctor’s guide. New York, Ny: Warner Books. Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : the safe form of medicine for the future. New York: Simon & Schuster. Robinson, K., 2014. Small doses big results : how homeopathic medicine offers hope in chronic disease. Strbac, L., 2024. The Trailblazer’s Insight into Homeopathy.
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 a quick look at what I affectionately call "rhoids" They are very common. 1 in 20 Americans and almost half of people older than 50 have them (Fox et al. 2014). Sometimes they are embarrassing to talk about. There’s no such thing as an embarrassing topic in my world. This stuff is important and needs to be talked about!! They are sometimes painful. They are objectively a pain in the rear! I’m talking about hemorrhoids, also known as piles, which “are tortuous masses of dilated and inflamed veins situated in the ano-rectal area” (Rahmathullah 2003). These can be inside the rectum (internal) or outside (external), or, if you’re really unlucky, the internal hemorrhoids can prolapse and can actually then be on the outside. They can bleed. They can become irritated. They can be irritating. They can be painful. They can burst. These veins are at risk of becoming thrombosed if a blood clot forms inside the hemorrhoid. I have been told that it is at this point that the bearer of such piles doesn’t care who is in the operating room when these get addressed! How does this little pile of goodies arrive in the nether regions? I’m glad you asked… Apparently, “everyone has them, the pillow-like clusters of veins that lie just beneath the mucous membranes lining the lowest part of the rectum and the anus” (Harvard Health Publishing 2019). The problematic part shows up if these veins get enlarged. How do they get enlarged? Chronic constipation and straining at toilet. Pregnancy: up to 35% (Lawrence and McLaren 2020). Sitting on the toilet for long periods of time. (If this is a thing for you, you may want to leave your phone by the sink to keep things moving along.) Heavy lifting. Being overweight. A couple of other possible causes: uterine displacement and pelvic inflammatory diseases (Enache and Soare 2022). The internal hemorrhoids are often painless, though they may bleed. The external hemorrhoids are easily irritated, as one might imagine and as Harvard Health Publishing tells us, “When a hemorrhoid protrudes, it can collect small amounts of mucus and tiny stool particles that may cause an irritation called pruritis (a tingling or faintly burning skin sensation that prompts a person to rub or scratch; an itch (Venes 2017) ani (around the anus). Wiping constantly to try to relieve the itching can worsen the problem.” That indeed sounds like a problem. Maybe somebody should invent some 4-wheel drive toilet paper to get around all the obstacles! Could it be something other than hemorrhoids you’re feeling down there? You bet. Click here and read the “Differential Diagnosis” paragraph. Fox (et al. 2014) recommends that even if hemorrhoids can be seen on examination, patients with rectal bleeding who are at risk of colorectal cancer should still undergo colonoscopy to exclude cancer as the etiology. What can help? Drinking lots of water and eating foods high in fiber to help prevent constipation and straining during bowel movements. Avoiding harsh toilet paper. Some companies seem to take the “paper” word too seriously! Since we don’t have a soft, “off-road” toilet paper yet, here are a few options to help keep the nether regions clean:
Why witch hazel wipes? I first learned about these lovely little things after the birth of my first son. Witch hazel is an astringent, meaning it can cause tissues to tighten or shrink and it has been shown to be beneficial on pain, bleeding and swelling, as well as preventing recurrence (Admuthe et al. 2025). Witch hazel has another name: Hamamelis virginiana and it is, wait for it… a homeopathic remedy! In fact, this homeopathic remedy is part of the Banerji protocol for varicose veins which is relevant here because hemorrhoids are essentially varicose veins of the rectum. The full protocol is Hamamelis 200c mixed with Arnica 3c taken twice daily. If things are particularly acute and uncomfortable, repeat this every 3 hours. A hemorrhoid which may respond well to Hamamelis may be chronic; external or internal; large and swollen and it may disturb your sleep. Why is Arnica part of this protocol? I thought Arnica was for sore muscles? Well, part of the reason Arnica is used for sore muscles is because Arnica can help reduce inflammation and pain and bruising and trauma. If you think those little dangly bits don’t suffer any trauma, think again! Arnica is also helpful to improve circulation which can definitely help because a hemorrhoid is part of the vascular structure (remember from above, a hemorrhoid is an inflamed vein). Are there any readily available homeopathic remedies that can help? Absolutely, though the Ham/Arn combination is a very good place to start. Boiron* makes a couple of combos, all with the name HemCalm. Each of these contain similar, but slightly different ingredients. HemCalm pellets and tablets contain the following remedies for the following reasons (looking at Murphy’s high level symptoms in the top row, as well as their small rubrics (unique symptoms) in the bottom row)**:
Forces of Nature* is another homeopathic combination which is for topical use only. It contains both Aesculus and Hamamelis and is combined with essential oils. WHP Be gone* from Washington Homeopathy is an ointment with Aesculus, Collinsonia and Hamamelis. Are there other combinations out there? Yes! A quick look on the internet turns up all sorts of hemorrhoid relief — some of them are homeopathic, most are not. Choose carefully! To see why you may want to choose the homeopathic remedies over the others, see these studies:
If you have tried everything and are still struggling, consider booking a consult. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this or any other company. ** Many of these remedies may be found in many of these rubrics. I have only highlighted the level 3 & 4 rubrics as well as small (fewer than 5 remedies) rubrics. I have touched on the most common homeopathic remedies for hemorrhoids in this article, but there are more. To read further on homeopathic hemorrhoid remedies, consider subscribing to Ruminating on Remedies: Digging Deeper. Reference list
Admuthe, N. B., Karajgi, S., Uikey, J., Bhimraj, N. M., Prakash, V., Babar, T. P., Karra, T. and Shrivastava, R., 2025. Natural Products in Hemorrhoid Management: A Comprehensive Literature Review of Traditional Herbal Remedies and Evidence-Based Therapies. Cureus [online], 17 (5), e83397. Enache, T. and Soare, D. E., 2022. Doppler Ultrasound Testing Suggests Hemorrhoids in Females may be a Consequence of Impaired Blood Flow Associated with Pelvic Organ Prolapse. Journal of Coloproctology [online], 42 (03), 228–233. Fox, A., Tietze, P. H. and Ramakrishnan, K., 2014. Anorectal conditions: hemorrhoids. FP essentials [online], 419, 11–19. Harvard Health Publishing, 2019. Hemorrhoids and what to do about them - Harvard Health [online]. Harvard Health. Kamlesh Bagmar, 2020. Management of Haemorrhoids with Individualized Homoeopathy in Improving Quality of Life: An Observational Study [online]. International Journal of Research. Lawrence, A. and McLaren, E. R., 2020. External Hemorrhoid [online]. PubMed. Lohsiriwat, V., 2012. Hemorrhoids: From basic pathophysiology to clinical management. World Journal of Gastroenterology [online], 18 (17), 2009. NIH, 2016. Definition & Facts of Hemorrhoids - NIDDK [online]. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Rahmathullah, S., 2003. Compendium of human diseases and their cure by homoeopathic treatment : a modern book of homoeopathic therapeutics with concise description of the diseases. London: S. Rahmathullah. Venes, D., 2017. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. Kindle. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company. Washington Homeopathic Products, 2025. WHP Be goneTM Hemorrhoids [online]. Homeopathy Works.  On the 1st day of cell salts, Dr. Schüssler gave to us… Calcarea Fluorica. Today begins a quick blast through the twelve cell salts — just quick key notes for each one. Somewhere between a homeopathic remedy and a nutritional supplement, cells salts, tissue salts, Schüssler salts or Schüssler biochemical cell salts … whatever you want to call them… are a very gentle way to support your body. They can be used individually or in combination, (on their own or in conjunction with homeopathic remedies), to address all sorts of physical ailments. “When your body lacks these important cell salts, you are more vulnerable to common health concerns. By replenishing them, your body is better prepared to treat illnesses and enjoy better overall wellness” (Hyland's 2024), For this series, I will go in alphabetical order (which also correlates to Hyland’s* numbering system). Calc fluor, also known as Calcium Fluoride, is found in nature as the mineral fluorspar or fluorite, but in the body it is combined with Calcium. The surface of bones and tooth enamel contain Calc fluoride and it can also be found in the walls of blood vessels, muscles and connective tissues. Calc fluor is for tissues that are too lax OR too stiff -- the elasticity cell salt. "It is an excellent remedy for long-lasting complaints of a chronic nature, especially those, like lumbago and joint pain -- especially hip pain -- that are seemingly without cause" (McCabe 2009). Calc fluor strengthens bones, veins, ligaments, skin and teeth enamel. How do you know you may benefit from Calc fluor?
Mentally and emotionally Calc fluor is not well indicated but may be useful in sadness or when you feel you can’t think straight. "A sense of free-form anxiety with a sense of indecision" (McCabe 2009). Calc fluor is often recommended in the 12x potency (though 3x or 6x may be sufficient). Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with this or any other company. Reference list
Carey, G. W., 1996. The Biochemic System of Medicine. Health Research Books. Chapman, E., 1960. How to Use the Twelve Tissue Salts. Nutri Books. Dewey, W. A. and Boericke, W., 2022. The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Schüssler: Comprising the Theory, Therapeutic Application, Materia Medica, and a Complete Repertory of These Remedies. H. Legare Street Press. Hyland's, 2024. Cell Salt #1 Calc Fluor [online]. Hyland’s. McCabe, V., 2009. The Healing Echo. ReadHowYouWant.com. Schuesslertissuessalts.com.au, n.d. Schuessler Tissue Salts - 150 Years Of Natural Medicine In Australia [online]. Schuessler Tissue Salts. Available from: . Schüssler, W. H., 2003. Schüssler’s twelve tissue remedies : comprising the theory, therapeutic applications, materia medica and a complete repertory of tissue remedies. Sittingbourne, Kent: Homæopathic Book Service. Strbac, L., 2024. Schuessler’s Tissue Salts Rediscovered. Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub. |
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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