Combination Remedies
Combination remedies for teething, bedwetting, colds, flus, bladder infections, sinusitis, and other minor illnesses can be useful if you don't have access to a trained homeopath. Combinations contain the most common single remedies for a given condition, with the hope that the single remedy that you need will be among those in the combination. For example, a flu remedy might contain Aconite napellus, Gelsemium, Bryonia, and Eupatorium, the most prescribed remedies for treating influenza. Teething tablets, produced by most of the homeopathic pharmacies, are one the most effective of the combination remedies. A large number of infants with teething problems need Chamomilla, which is one of the remedies included in all of the teething combinations.
Many people report getting relief from combination remedies for minor illnesses, but if you do not benefit from these remedies, it is because the single remedy you need is not contained in the combination. This is the time to see an experienced homeopath. Although combination remedies may be effective in some acute illnesses, they are never recommended for chronic conditions. If taken over time, they can confuse a chronic case and make it difficult for an experienced homeopath to find the correct remedy. Experienced homeopaths find that the greatest and most long lasting improvements in health result from taking the similliumum in the form of a single remedy rather than in combination with other remedies.
One mother complained to a homeopath that homeopathy didn't work. Her son Billy had a dry, irritating cough. She had purchased a homeopathic combination for coughs that contained Bryonia, Phosphorus, Drosera, Spongia, and Aconite, all of which are excellent for coughs. When the homeopath asked about the cough, the child said he had a tickle and pointed to the base of his throat. Recognizing this to be a characteristic symptom of the medicine Rumex, the homeopath gave it to the child. One dose was all that was needed to alleviate his cough.
Many crying, teething children experience initial relief from a combination teething remedy containing Chamomilla. Because combination remedies are low potency, they needed to give several doses a day to get results. After a few days or weeks, mothers sometimes complain that the combination no longer works. In such cases, the low dose of Chamomilla in the combination remedy may have simply exhausted its effectiveness and a higher potency may be needed. When Chamomilla is given to these children by itself in a higher potency, the effect may last much longer.