Drams and Grams

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.

• If you put all 5 pellets in your mouth at once, that’s one dose.
• If you put 4 pellets in your mouth now and one pellet in your mouth 10 minutes later, that is 2 doses, 10 minutes apart.
• If you put one pellet in your mouth now and one pellet in your mouth 30 minutes from now and another single pellet 3 hours from now — that is 3 doses.

However many pellets you put in your mouth at any one time, that is a dose. I have read many on-line reports along the lines of, “Help! My child has just had the entire tube of…” as long as that tube was filled with homeopathic pellets, these stories always turn out just fine.
​
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:

• Ainsworths* in the UK offers:
  • you can choose between lactose (tablets‡) and sucrose (pills and fine granules). (I have to say that I really like the tablets. They are easy to dispense and melt quickly.)
  • then you choose the size from 1g (the cutest little glass vial with a little cork topper which holds about 10 of the tablets — perfect for an emergency remedy that you want to make sure you have with you); 7g is equivalent in size to the 2 dram*** or 14g all the way up to 500g
    • there is no way for me to estimate how many are in a tube because there are too many variables
  • liquid potencies offered from 5ml to 1000ml
  • Dosing: “One tablet is quite sufficient for any age.”

---

• Boiron*
  
  • also offers “meltaways” for Arnica in a box of 60 tablets
    
  • 2 dram tube with ~80 pellets
    
  • Dosing: 5 pellets.
    

---

• Hahnemann Labs* for 6c to 99c potencies:
  • offers 3 different pellet sizes, depending on potency purchased (#30, #20 and #10)
  • 1/2 dram bottles (about an inch high) hold ~80 pellets; 2 dram holds ~240 pellets
  • 1 oz — it doesn’t say how many pellets are in there, but I guarantee it is more than an individual needs!
    • For potencies 100c and up, they use #20 pellets
      • 1/2 dram vials contain 240 pellets
      • 2 dram vials ~370
  • Dosing: Hahnemann Labs says to contact your homeopath for how many pellets to take per dose.

---

• Helios Homoeopathy* in the UK offers a wide range of choices:
  
  • after choosing your remedy, you then have to choose the “form” (see photo below for some of the options). For reference, #6 is the option nearest to Boiron’s sizing.
    
  • then you choose the size of container. They offer 4g (which equates to the 2 dram size***) all the way up to 240g. If you want the kind where you can twist the top and the pellets fall in, choose the “4g dispenser.”
    
  • if choosing a liquid — they offer nice spray bottles or bottles ranging from 5ml to 100ml (with teats available in the 10, 15, 30, 50 and 100ml sizes).
    
  • Dosing: one tablet/pill = 1 dose
    
    • one/two drops of liquid remedy = 1 dose
      
    • granules/size 3 pills - tip 5-10 into the lid of bottle = 1 dose
      

click here for Helios’ description of what they offer

---

• Olloïs* uses lactose free pellets only
  
  • 2 dram tube holds about 80 pellets. (I don’t see any other options on their site.) Dosing: 5 pellets.
    

---

• Washington Homeopathy*
  
  • first off, I see they have 20% off Arnica, Apis, Calendula & Ignatia during July, so hurry and order!!
    
  • 4 dram vial (which is big — holding 900 2.5mm pellets). Dosing: 4 pellets.
    
  • 1/2 dram vial (which I love) holds 250 of #15 pellets (eenie weenies). Dosing: they say 3-5 of these little pellets makes a dose.
    

---

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:

• Your homeopath should let you know how much of a particular remedy you should order.
  
• If purchasing remedies on your own, one 2-dram tube is a good place to start.
  

Here’s to a well-stocked homeopathy cabinet… your purchasing dollars go a lot further when you are purchasing small(er) quantities of many remedies instead of multiple tubes of the same remedy! Remember to store them away from cleaning products or other particularly smelly items as that has been known to affect the remedies.
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:

• 4g = 1.27 drams.
  
• 7g = 2.22 drams.
  

They sum it up as: 4g < 2 drams < 7 grams. There you have it.