MAKING THE SECOND PRESCRIPTION (more philosophy for those interested in how we work)

1. Repeat the same remedy in the same potency

- Often the first course of action when the remedy has not cleared the entire case, or the patient relapses.

DO: When the case has not changed, the remedy has worked previously, and the patient is still complaining of symptoms.
DO: When you are sure of the remedy and the remedy has not acted on the first attempt.

DON’T: When the previous dose of the remedy is still working, esp. if the patient is aggravating or having a return of old symptoms.
DON’T: When the remedy has been given on two previous occasions and has not worked.

How do you know if a remedy is still working?

Firstly, a remedy actually only works for an instant - the person’s body/vital force continues its action from there.

When the patient’s vital force is in “flux”, the patient will say things like:

“Every day things are changing.”
“There is a slow but steady improvement.”

- Don’t let either yours or the patient’s impatience decide when the remedy should be repeated.

“I feel better today than I did yesterday.”
“I have good and bad days.”
“My dreams are really intense and strange.”
“The old symptom that returned is still there, and feels very irritating.”
“I feel great, but my [ presenting symptom] is worse.”
“I am rediscovering things/ learning to do things again/ learning to enjoy or appreciate things again.”


2. Repeat the same remedy in a different potency

- When you are sure the remedy is correct, but it has not gone deep enough to cure all symptoms, OR it worked for awhile at a certain potency and then has stopped working.
- This is often the second step after repeating the remedy in the same potency.

DO: When the patient does not respond to a redose of the same potency, even though previously they had responded well.
DO: When you are very sure of the remedy, but the previous potency had no effect.
DO: If the intensity of the disease changes suddenly.

DON’T: When the patient is doing well, feels generally better, but may still have some minor symptoms UNLESS you have tried repeating the same potency and you have waiting for a reasonable amount of time.
DON’T: When the patient has no real problems.
DON’T: When the case has improved but the symptoms have clearly changed to indicate a new remedy and are not covered by the current remedy.

3. Select a different remedy

- This course is inevitable at some time in the treatment of the patient.
- Always be sure the case has changed enough to warrant selecting a different remedy, and that there is not a maintaining cause that could be removed.

DO: When the case has improved but the symptoms have clearly changed to indicate a new remedy and are not covered by the current remedy.
DO: If the patient goes into an acute phase that clearly points to a new remedy.
DO: If the case is not responding very well, according to direction of cure.
DO: If the case is not moving forward quickly enough, or continues to relapse despite increasing the potency.
DO: If the higher/lower potency simply does nothing.
DO: If the higher/lower potency unravels the previous good result.

DON’T: If the case is moving according to direction of cure ie. old symptoms return.
DON’T: If the apparent change in the symptoms is still covered by the current remedy.
DON’T: If the patient has caused the relapse to happen due to some action of theirs eg. having surgery or suppressing symptoms.

- There is a fine line to walk between waiting to see what happens, and responding to the change in the state of the patient. Except in emergencies, it is better to err on the side of caution. Use placebo if the patient will not wait and will not listen to reason.

4. Select an acute or chronic remedy (Change the remedy)

- This is simply an easier means of finding a new remedy, based on the experience of the homoeopaths who have gone before us.
- Look at your materia medicas for the acute/chronic relationships.

DO: When the first remedy has worked particularly well, and you do not want to go too far from the idea that led you to that remedy.
DO: When the acute state has died down and left behind the person’s normal day-to-day symptoms.
DO: When the chronic state has improved but suddenly flares up into an acute phase which suits the well-known acute remedy related to the first remedy.

DON’T: When the symptoms clearly point to another remedy that is NOT known to have an acute or chronic relationship.

Acute/Chonic Relationships:

Aconite/ Sulphur
Allium cepa/ Phosphorous
Aloe vera/ Sulphur
Apis/ Natrum-mur
Gelsemium/ Argentum nitricum
Carbo veg/ Arsenicum
Belladonna/ Calcarea carb
Bryonia/ Natrum-mur
Rhus-tox/ Calcarea carb
Ruta gravens/ Calcarea phos





5. Select a miasmatic remedy. (Change the remedy)

- This also must be encountered in any course of treatment of the patient. Hopefully, the initial prescription will cover the miasm, but if not then this must be taken into account to create lasting cure.

DO: When the patient does not respond to what appear to be well chosen remedies.
DO: When the patient relapses repeatedly for no discernible reason.
DO: When the patient appears much better in themselves but the pathology has not improved.
DO: If the patient returns with pathology that is new to them but typical for their family.
DO: If the patient presents with a return of old symptoms that includes pathology they had earlier in their life, especially if that pathology was “cured” by orthodox medicine.

6. Select a nosode. (Change the remedy)

- Not always necessary in treatment, as many remedies can cure the miasm.
- Be careful with nosodes, as they may aggravate patients more easily and if misused, can imprint themselves on the vital force, OR activate latent diseases.

DO: If the patient has several strong symptoms of the nosode (as per the proving).
DO: If the patient only really has strong miasmatic symptoms, but nothing else which would clearly point to another miasmatic remedy.
DO: If the patient’s miasm clearly started with infection by the actual disease.

DON’T: Use the nosodes routinely to treat miasms.
DON’T: When the patient actually has an active form of the disease.
DON’T: When you are stuck and don’t know what else to do.

- Remember there are other nosodes than the well-know ones eg. Morbillinum (measles), Pertussin (whooping cough), Anthracinum (anthrax), Proteus (bowel nosode), Dysentry compound (bowel)





7. Select a related or complementary remedy. (Change the remedy)

- Once again, a easier route to find a new remedy, based on the experience of other homoeopaths.
- Remember that a complementary relationship is based on the similarity of two remedies to each other.

DO: When the first remedy has worked particularly well, and you do not want to go too far from the idea that led you to that remedy.

DON’T: Use complementary remedies routinely. The symptoms must always match.