Homeopathy is once again becoming popular in the United States.

As well as in other Western countries.

There’s a lot of interest and enthusiasm.

Which has resulted in many more people jumping headlong into this amazing healing art.

Encouraged by friends and social media posts, they may take too many doses and wind up with a temporary intensification of symptoms.

The opposite of what they want to happen.

Sometimes these aggravations are unavoidable.

Because you never know how someone will react to a remedy until they’ve taken it.

Some people are highly sensitive to homeopathic remedies despite very careful use.

Another huge problem is that “homeopathic” protocols have become popular.

I use quotation marks because the various protocols are not true homeopathy, even though they employ homeopathic remedies.

Typically the protocols call for high potency remedies taken over extended periods of time.

Naturally, we’re seeing a lot of unnecessary aggravations.

My best advice is to just avoid the protocols, except under very specific circumstances.

The other way to avoid aggravations is to stick to a principle called the Minimum Dose. This means you only take as many doses as needed. If a remedy is working and you feel better don’t take another dose. Use the lowest potency possible.

If you’re reading this because you think you’ve taken too much of a particular remedy keep reading. I’ll tell you what to do.

What Happens If You Take Too Much Of A Homeopathic Remedy

What happens if your toddler gets into a homeopathic remedy and consumes the entire vial?

Probably nothing.

Or, he or she might develop mild, harmless and transient symptoms. (But most likely not.)

Because, believe it or not, this only adds up to one dose.

Swallowing the entire vial at one time, even if it contains hundreds of pellets, is still the equivalent of only one homeopathic dose.

However, if the pellets are taking individually at regular increments this adds up to multiple doses.

Too many doses of a homeopathic remedy can cause what homeopaths cause “provings.”

This means you can experience the same symptoms the remedy is intended to cure.

So a remedy taken over time is many doses.

Taken all at once – regardless of how many pellets – is just one dose.

Worried Moms occasionally post in online homeopathy forums that their child accidentally took the entire vial of a particular remedy. They’re quickly reassured the child will be fine.

One dose of a remedy (even if it’s the wrong one) usually won’t cause a “proving.”

Even very sensitive people can usually take one dose of a given remedy (even if it’s the wrong one) and feel nothing. No proving. No new symptoms.

What happens if your child plays with your homeopathic pellets but doesn’t ingest them?

He or she will get many doses of the remedy.

Especially if this happens over time.

If a remedy touches your skin consider it a dose.

I’ve actually seen a child playing with a remedy bottle, counting out the pellets and then putting them back into the vial.

The Mom was new to homeopathy and she didn’t realize her son was dosing himself day after day as he sat in his highchair playing with homeopathic pellets. Nothing bad happened. But I thought he looked a little pale, a symptom that went away when he stopped playing with the remedy.

How To Avoid Homeopathic Provings

Most “provings,” however, happen when someone is treating themselves.

They don’t know when to stop.

Or they take multiple doses too close together.

This is a very common situation. It can be avoided by not taking another dose while the original dose is still working.

In an acute situation take just one dose. If it helps let it keep working. Don’t take another dose until it starts to wear off.

Here’s how one of my homeopathic teachers explained it: “Pretend you’re riding a bicycle. If the bike starts to wobble you need to do something. Don’t take another dose until you start to wobble.”

Say, for example, you have the flu.

You take one dose of Gelsemium 30C. This is a popular flu remedy.

Soon you feel better.

However, the next day you start to feel sluggish and fatigued again. Time for another dose.

Someone else may also take Gelsemium for flu symptoms.

It works beautifully, for about two hours. Then they start to crash. Also, time for another dose.

Homeopathic prescribing is highly individualized. Everyone is different and they need different dosing schedules.

Some people need more frequent dosing. Others must go slowly.

The trick is finding what’s right for you.

Taking Too Much Of A Homeopathic Remedy

Provings can also happen with professional homeopathic care.

Perhaps the prescribing is too aggressive.

Or the client is unusually sensitive.

Or maybe the remedy was given in the wrong potency.

Or more commonly today the homeopath is using a protocol that consists of multiple high-dose remedies, a sure recipe for causing reactions.

My best advice is just to stay away from the protocols, unless you have a specific chronic condition.

There’s nothing to be gained by homeopathic aggravations.

Thankfully, these reactions are generally harmless.

They either resolve themselves or with the next remedy.

Occasionally you need to treat the reactions as an acute condition, especially if it causes discomfort.

I realize there’s a branch of homeopathy that thinks you can never give an acute remedy while under constitutional care. But I wasn’t taught that way.

Instead, I learned that remedies shouldn’t cause uncomfortable aggravations. But if it happens, do something to help the client.

It’s not true that you need nasty reactions in order to get well. In fact the opposite is true.

Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of modern homeopathy, stressed that we should strive for a gentle, permanent cure.

Sometimes reactions happen even with careful prescribing.

Because you never know how someone will respond to a remedy until it was given.

What Should I Do If I Take Too Much Of A Homeopathic Remedy?

Strive to avoid homeopathic aggravations.

Select remedies carefully. Then don’t take too high of a potency. In general, people without a lot of experience in homeopathy should try to stay in the 30C or lower range for acute conditions. Or no higher than 6C for chronic conditions. (But remember, with chronic conditions you’ll likely see best results working with a homeopath.)

Don’t take too many doses. Don’t take another dose as long as the remedy is working. Stop dosing when you feel better.

Also, if a remedy hasn’t helped at after two doses consider that it’s not the right remedy. Call your homeopath and explain what’s happening..

Take wet doses. Put one pellet in a spring water bottle and make sure to succuss it a few times before each dose.

Succuss means banging the bottle against something firm (your hand or a book) before taking it. Each succussion slightly raises the potency so you’re not taking the exact same potency multiple times (This is a good thing.)

Sometimes aggravations happen anyway. Here’s what I do:

• Drink some coffee or peppermint tea. Strong smells can often antidote homeopathic remedies.
• This is when I reach for my frankincense essential oil. I inhale it and rub it on my skin (if it’s not already diluted in a carrier oil make sure to do this before applying it. Essential oils can antidote homeopathic remedies too.)
• Take ONE dose of the same remedy in a lower potency. Did you overdo it with Gelsemium 30C? Try one dose of Gelsemium 30X, a much lower potency.
• Wait it out, if it’s not too uncomfortable, knowing that better health will likely follow.
• Wear the remedy. I’ve only tried this once, but it worked for me. I had an aggravation because I accidentally ingested an uncommon high-potency remedy. I didn’t have a lower potency in the house. So I took a sealed plastic bag that contained three pellets of the remedy, and wore it on my abdomen for five minutes. I saw good improvement but I needed another five minutes to tame the reaction.
• If the aggravation is severe it needs to be treated. Sometimes this involves giving another remedy that matches the most intense symptom. This usually works quickly to reverse the situation.