In order to find out the right remedy your homoeopath will want to know all about you. You will be asked many questions about yourself as well as your illness and also about the health of your family both past and present.
Do not be afraid to mention something that you think is unusual or unimportant and please help by giving accurate information. Do remember that anything you say is treated in strict confidence. The initial consultation will probably last an hour or more.
Your homoeopath will give you a remedy, often in the form of pills which should be allowed to disolve under the tongue. Nothing else should be put in the mouth for 20 minutes before or after taking the remedy, not even toothpaste or cigarettes.
Your homoeopath will usually advise you that you should not take any coffee or peppermint whilst having homoeopathic treatment, nor should you use eucalyptus oil, camphor or menthol, because these strong smelling substances spoil the effect of most homoeopathic remedies.
If you are given homoeopathic remedies to take at a later date, be sure to store them in a cool dark place, and well away from anything with a strong smell.
After taking your remedy you should notice some changes. For instance it occasionally happens that your symptoms appear worse for a short time. This is the remedy taking effect and you should feel the beginnings of recovery when this period has passed,.
Alternatively, patients often experience a period of exceptional well being and optimism. If you develop a runny cold, a rash, or some form of discharge, this will probably be the remedy having a "spring cleaning effect" cleansing the body. These new symptoms will pass away, they must not be treated as they are a very important part of the healing process.
If you feel worried by any changes you notice, then you should contact your homoeopath straight away. Even if this is shortly before your next appointment. Whatever your reaction may be, your homoeopath will need to know, so make a few notes of your changing symptoms as a reminder for you at your next appointment.
This depends very much on what sort of illness you have. A very slowly developing complaint such as a stomach ulcer will not disappear overnight, but other complaint can get better quickly. Complicated cases are cured from the inside, working outwards. This means that superficial outer symptoms such as skin disorders are often the last symptoms to go.
Be patient, it is much better for you to be cured of both the cause of your illness and its symtoms, rather than merely to relieve the symptoms. Every case is different, just as no two patients are alike.
You can learn to use homoeopathic remedies at home. There are a number of excellent remedies which deal effectively with first aid problems such as cuts, stings, burns and bruises and stomach upsets. Ask your homoeopath for further information or find out more at one of the many courses and seminars on this subject that are held throughout the country. You should not, of course, attempt to treat any serious complaint yourself, and if any apparently minor complaint does not respond to your first aid treatment, you should consult your homoeopath immediately.