Queries for Brisbanehomeopath (David) and others...

There is no one time frame for everyone. I have seen chronic complaints of 40 years standing vanish in a few weeks. I have seen complaints that have been around for a year take 3 months to clear up.

The time it takes has more to do with the nature of the complaint, the amount of tissue change (changes to the actual physical structure of the body), the general vitality of the patient (which may relate to their age), the amount of medical suppression of the disease (very important).

I have not observed the amount of time it has been in the patient's life being that relevent really. To me, it seems to be used more as an excuse for the right remedy not being given.
[message edited by brisbanehomoeopath on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:34:05 BST]

It is hard with theoretical questions like that. Either of those scenarios could show the direction of cure.

In my experience however, the symptoms in the more important areas are prioritorized by the vital force. Going back and forth isn't something I would commonly see - in fact I can hardly every remember seeing that. Usually one of two things will happen:-

1. The more important location will improve while the less important location aggavates. This less important location will remain aggravated until the more important one no longer holds any suffering.

2. All locations aggravate intitially, and then all improve together, with the areas with the most tissue change taking the longest to return to normal.

Oops patient is here, gotta run will continue this later :)

These queries really help people to understand how cure begins/occur as usually patients don't know what cure is due to excessive usage of orthodox, what i wanna say orthodox even suppress people thoughts to understand cure :(|.

Candida overgrowth is just a symptom, and all symptoms come from the Vital Force being out of order. A remedy restores order, and then the Vital Force does what it was designed to do - it promotes health in the body (therefore elminating all symptoms). The only symptoms that would remain are those that are a result of external factors and stresses, which lie within the normal response of the body.

Any disease or symptom that has been suppressed with medical drugs will worsen when you remove the suppression. The Vital Force will have been applying upward pressure to that symptom to try and re-establish it, since it is an outlet for the pressure/disease underneath. Remove the lid, so to speak, and what's inside begins to spew out.

Often suppression makes the symptom/disease permanently worse, until it is treated correctly. Sometimes the Vital Force has enough vitality to put things back the way they were, sometimes it cannot and the disease/symptom has been permanently changed by the suppression.

Hahnemann's instructions were to keep repeating the LM potencies until either you aggravate (end of that potency's usefulness) or the disease is cured (observable symptoms are gone).

LMs can be quite dangerous in the wrong hands, as the daily dosing with low levels of aggravation, can allow prescribers to suppress and palliate symptoms.

External factors are things would be things like Pollution, Poor Hygiene, Extreme temperatures, Malnutrition or Malnourishment etc. These things do not come from within, but are external stresses that will impact on any person regardless of their internal susceptibilities, and will make it impossible to achieve good health while they exist (although homoeopathy can still provide strength and resistance).

Some mental symptoms can be purely due to external stresses as well ie. Anxiety in a life threatening situation, or Depression from being persecuted by those in power. Where the reaction is in proportion to the stress, and comes and goes with the stress, it will not be possible to 'cure' it (just moderate it).

However, the majority of depression, almost by definition, is actually internal, not connected to real situations in any proportion at all.

In any individual case you would have to assess how much of the state is caused by internal (disease) stresses and how much is caused by external ones. Even healthy people can display symptoms when exposed to a signficant external stress - this is called a True Acute, and is usually very simply to treat, seeing as how you only need to understand the current reaction and not delve into past history. However while the stress is continuous and present, there can be no cure (imagine keeping your hand in a fire and trying to treat the burn).

In regards to LMs or any potency repeated frequently, it is only necessary to alter the potency slightly between each dose by means of succussion (hitting the bottle against an elastic surface a number of times). It does not slow cure but speeds it, as Hahnemann spent many years determining. You redose while there are still symptoms. You stop when there is aggravation or there are no symptoms.

That is the way Hahnemann suggested using them yes - daily doses until cured or until the potency no longer works or there is aggravation. There must be improvement for the dosing to continue of course.

Totally agree with David Little writes.

I would even add (based on a lot of experience with using LMs) LMs are extremely deep acting and their mechanical repetition is even more harmful than that of any other potency scale. It can be seen at times that a single dose of LM1 lasts for weeks in some patients.

Another common myth is that, LMs are 'low potency'. They have cutting power of a high centesimal potency (similar to 200c and beyond) and are at the same time gentle enough to not cause an aggravation at the beginning of treatment, the 'gentle enough' part holding only when the following conditions are met:

-Remedy is the simillimum
-The dosage (amount and sucussions) is tailored according to the sensitivity of the patient.

About jumping an LM potency, it is not necessary to wait for an aggravation. It has been observed that beyond approximately 100 sucussions to a remedy bottle, the potency needs to be raised. Also, if too much time has elapsed (beyond a month) on a potency, even though one has given only a few doses of that potency, it is better to raise potency.
[message edited by sameervermani on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:51:19 BST]

I have confirmed this through application but it is mentioned a book named '50 Millesimal Potency in Theory and Practice' by Dr. Choudhary

Yes it can do all those things and more.

I don't use LM's often enough to give you really good feedback on this. I usually go from 0/1 through to 0/3 at first, then depending on the progress I might jump 3 steps to 0/6, or what I usually do is start using centesimals since I find LMs so slow (this slowness is good for patients on drugs or with serious pathology).

0/2 definitely does something - it is strange when those ideas crop up. Every potency can do something or not do something for any patient, but I have seen 0/2 help patients definitely.

I go up in any potency when it stops working, or stops improving the patient.

LYCOPODIUM (Rajan Sankaran Soul of Remedies)

I have been told that several thousands of years ago, Lycopodium clavatum was actually a huge tree, and that over the years it reduced to a small fern - the club moss. The main feeling in Lycopodium is that if the person remains small, his survival will be difficult, he will be humiliated, he will be nowhere. The main theme of Lycopodium therefore, becomes ambition, a desire to grow bigger, a lot of effort which is concentrated fully on becoming bigger, being more powerful, reaching a higher position - the top rung of the ladder.
Lycopodium is a part of the Calcarea - Lycopodium - Sulphur cycle. Calcarea represents the human need for stability and security, which translates into having a house, family, source of income, good health and protection. Stability also entails lack of movement, adventure and growth. The other need of the human is represented by Sulphur, and that is the need for a name, for an ego, an image; the need to be somebody important, to matter, to be recognized, to be counted in; the need to be proud of oneself, to think highly of oneself, to have a good self-image.
In order to reach from the position of Calcarea to that of Sulphur one has to concentrate on growing, on making an effort to achieve one's ambitions, on movement - undertaking new things rather than sticking to the old and the stable, on goal-oriented activity. Lycopodium represents precisely this phase in human life, and becomes a person's remedy when he/she gets stuck in this phase and cannot think of anything else.
The original situation from which a Lycopodium state may have arisen is probably that of a person who feels he has no power. He is therefore aggravated with anything that concerns loss of power, while anything to do with acquiring power will make him feel better.
Lycopodium is very ambitious and can employ any means to achieve success. He can dictate, dominate, and will take the help of anyone he can. But Lycopodium people have one big fear, and that is the fear of undertaking new challenges, facing new situations, meeting new people. All these situations have to be encountered if he is to achieve success, and in the face of these situations Lycopodium lacks confidence; he feels incapable. He develops an anticipatory anxiety from this lack of confidence. This may appear like Silicea, but the difference is that in Silicea, it is not whether he is actually capable of doing the task that bothers him, rather it is that his image should be protected at all costs. So Silicea is afraid to go on stage, and Lycopodium is afraid to speak. In the adult Lycopodium person however, this cowardice may be hidden by an outward show of bravado. This becomes necessary to protect his ego. He may take recourse to tall talk, and boasting with bravado, and this may eventually produce in him a fear of being discovered.

An offshoot of this egotism is his censorious attitude towards others. Lycopodium is not unhappy with others, he nonetheless criticizes them in order to establish his own superiority. At the same time, his conscientiousness does not allow him to be overcritical although he will justify his criticism on the grounds that it is his duty to do so in the interest of the person being criticized. Lycopodium can thus be subtle in his criticism of others.
The timidity and cowardice of Lycopodium is best seen in children requiring the remedy. They have a fear of facing new situations, meeting new people, and will try and avoid the same. As a result of this timidity, and also because of the physical weakness, in Lycopodium children we find an aversion to play. The Lycopodium adult however, being too egoistic to admit his lack of self-confidence and fear in facing new situations and meeting new persons, will try and compensate the same by surrounding himself with people whom he can dictate, and therefore need not fear. He creates around him a world in which he is all powerful, and others accept his authority and can be dominated by him. For example, he will select a woman who is mild and can be easily dictated over - a Pulsatilla woman, perhaps. The same will be true in his work, play and social situation. His dictatorial attitude is however confined to within the safety of his domain, and when he steps outside he is still timid. And so he seldom does venture out of his domain, rather he seeks only to expand it further, and bring more and more people under his power. Hence the rubric: 'Love of Power'.
Lycopodium thus represents a constant struggle between cowardice and egotism, between lack of confidence and haughtiness, between timidity and a dictatorial attitude. The person is scared of those in authority, but to those for whom he can represent it, he is rude and contemptuous.
Lycopodium has a tremendous fear of being alone, amidst unfamiliar people. He seeks out known persons, wants someone with him 'even if in the next room'. He can't do without people, he needs them. This may make him appear sentimental, affectionate and sympathetic like Phosphorus, but the contrast is that while Lycopodium depends on and dictates people, he does not like others to depend on him. He does not like responsibilities and avoids them as far as possible. Even in his love affairs (a part of lasciviousness of Lycopodium) he does not want to commit. So when an affair reaches a peak, he backs out. Lycopodium persons very often are late to marry. But once he does commit himself, he accepts full responsibility due to his strong sense of duty.

The situation of Lycopodium is that of a man who feels that he is not loved as he is, but only if he achieves something in his life. So he must achieve in order to be loved. He must reach a goal that is not easy, one that is very difficult. When Shivaji's mother told him to conquer the fort, he did not have any army and the fort belonged to the Emperor. It was an uphill task. He had to collect an army around him to achieve what his mother wanted him to. Lycopodium is the child of a parent who demands achievement, the wife of a husband who demands achievement. So he has the anticipatory anxiety, the lack of confidence and the 'Fear of being unable to reach his destination' on one hand, and love of power, ambition, egotism and domineering attitude on the other. When looking for a wife, he may feel that a woman would not love him unless he is an achiever. He would want her to like him not for what he is but for his achievements, and so he constantly emphasizes to her that he is achieving, that he is an achiever.


ARSENICUM (Rajan Sankaran, Soul of Remedies)

he mineral Arsenic lies between Phosphorus and Bismuth in the Periodic Table. I found that in this group, which also includes Antimony, there is a feeling of insecurity, of loneliness, of being isolated, and of not belonging. Phosphorus tries to make up for this feeling by excessive friendliness and sympathy. In Arsenicum, it manifests as fear and insecurity.
The Arsenicum patient sees the world as threatening, chaotic. He feels that he is old, weak and defenseless, and that there are thieves all around him, ready to take advantage of his weakness. He needs people and is dependent on them because of his weakness, yet feels that they cannot be trusted, that they are interested only in his money. However he cannot do without them, and hence is very careful that he should not offend them, lest they leave him and go away. He is mistrustful and suspicious, cautious and anxious in all matters: money, relationships, even health.
The Arsenicum person has a hypochondriacal anxiety; he fears that he will lose his health unless he exercises regularly and will avoid many things which he feels are harmful. He will not eat out in restaurants, etc., and will impose many restrictions on himself in diet and other matters. His life is full of anxiety. He is extremely fearful that he will lose what he has, unless he is extremely cautious. This makes him both restless and conscientious. The restlessness drives him from place to place, he cannot rest till things are in place; anything that seems out of place troubles him. The patient will show you his hands and ask you to look at both of them. 'Doctor, he will ask, do you see that the veins on my left hand are more prominent than those on the right hand? Why is this so?' The conscientiousness and carefulness is manifest as an almost compulsive need for order, making Arsenicum extremely fastidious and hence a remedy of the c-ancer miasm. I have also seen that the Arsenicum concern for health and security can extend to others, so that these patients can be caring for the health and security of others as well. I have found that they write very precisely in very small writing, fitting in much as possible in a very small space.

He feels lonely yet threatened by people. The Arsenic person needs company but cannot trust the very people he is dependent on. The fear of being alone (isolated) is very intense and he is very careful not to offend people lest they leave him and go away (Delusion offended people, he has). His life is full of anxiety and he becomes extremely restless, the anguish driving him from place to place. In this acute anxiety, he wants to be held (Mania, held, wants to be), wants to be carried fast (Carried fast, desires to be) which means he seeks immediate relief and hopes that the other person will relieve him quickly.
In the coped up state, the Arsenic person will be very conscientious, careful, cautious, fastidious and responsible. He would not offend anyone and always keeps away from insecurity. In the Arsenic compounds, one finds the same qualities of tremendous anxiety with restlessness 'Rest cannot, till things are in the proper place'. They feel that they cannot rely on anyone, cannot trust anybody and hence become self reliant. They are afraid of being let down and are therefore very cautious. They are usually chilly, worse after midnight, and can get into very acute attacks of anxiety or develop acute physical complaints.

Its main delusion being that he is old, weak and defenceless, and that there are thieves around him who intend to take advantage of his weakness. We see a hyper-response in the form of becoming restless, fastidious, cautious and anxious. In the body, the same feeling of vulnerability to external injurious factors is manifested by its overreaction to several stimuli, especially at night (the time of maximum danger). Arsenic is aggravated from dust, rich or spoiled food and ice-cream and the response is in the form of restlessness, burning, diarrhoea, vomiting, cold hands and feet etc.

Consider an old man alone in the house with his money. He knows that he is weak and needs people but has to be very careful and cautious or else they will rob him. (Fear, alone of being; cautious; suspicious). Sometimes, the situation may get too acute and he sees thieves in the house (Delusion sees thieves), or it may not be so bad, in which case it is a struggle to safeguard the money. The situation may get out of hand - he is robbed. It is a hopeless situation and suicide is the only way out. Thus, we see a situation in which elements of all the miasms are found, with sycosis in the forefront. The remedy, as is evident, is Arsenic. We find that Arsenic has all the miasms with a predominance of sycosis followed by acute, then syphilis and only some psora.

I consider one of the main delusions of Arsenic to be 'Delusion sees thieves'. This is a completely external factor and so one would classify Arsenic in the acute or psoric miasm. However, when we examine the symptoms of Arsenic, we see that there are obsessive and compulsive traits like fastidiousness and a mania for cleanliness. This indicates that there is also a strong sycotic component. When we examine the mind, we see the following symptoms which clearly define the basic delusion:

Well I suppose there are a number of ways - I might look at Kingdoms (mineral versus plant), or Central Delusion, Keywords, Source words or Sensations. If we were looking at giving one over the other it would depend on the way the patient was expressing their problem.

For me, I try to look at the basic problem the patient has, and then see if the remedy has this as a basic problem as well.

Arsenicum is a mineral, and so the problem of the patient at the most basic level is 'I lack something'. The strategy for a mineral is to attempt to gather what they lack, to rebuild, reinforce or repair the structure of their lives.

What Arsenicum lacks, at its most basic, can be determined by the row it occupies on the periodic table. Row 4's main issue is protection, and this is seen very strongly in Arsenicum. Fear of disease, c-ancer, robbers, poverty - there is a powerful sense of vulnerability in Arsenicum which you would not see in Lycopodium. Arsenicum's reaction to their issue is to build up protection, to amass those things which allow them feel safe - money, health, locks on their doors, supportive friends, good doctors.

Lycopodium on the other hand is a plant. The main problem of the plants is their sensitivity to some specific environmental condition, which creates in them a sensation of some sort. This sensation tends to revolve around a central theme, and may also express its exact opposite too.

For Lycopodium, the situation is being uprooted from where you are comfortable and familiar, and dropped somewhere that is new and unfamiliar. Uprooted is a prominent theme for Lycopodium. They must then put down roots, and grow large, in order to survive.

So the sensation prominent in Lycopodium is big, puff up, swollen, bloated, fill up, grow larger, grow taller, superior, powerful, strong, small, shrink down, inferior, deflate, empty, weak, short, thin, lean.

So there is a feeling of being small and weak, almost helpless, and put into a situation where you have almost no strength or capability. Lycopodium's reaction to this is to do the opposite, to grow tall and strong and powerful, to puff themselves up.

Any situation where there is a feeling of being small, or where there is something new, will cause problems. Anything where there is a feeling of being big, or everything is familiar, will create amelioration.