What are remedies made from?

Common homeopathic remedies are made from plants, minerals (including gold), or animal substances.  Some originate from poisonous substances (e.g. arsenic, snake venom, deadly nightshade) but are entirely safe in homeopathic form.

What happens during a consultation?

During the initial session I will ask about your specific symptoms and what makes them better or worse.  I will also take a full medical history as well as a top to toe assessment of your overall health.  Other factors to be considered are any emotional symptoms (for example sadness, anger, weepiness), food preferences and even body temperature.  The combination of this information will allow me to find the remedy that best suits you as an individual.  The first appointment lasts around an hour and a quarter (less time is usually required for children).

Follow up appointments are shorter, and usually reflect on any changes that have taken place in your main symptoms. Some people find the process unusual, as they rarely have an opportunity to focus on themselves so intensely on a regular basis.  As treatment progresses, most people become more aware of changes that are taking place in their health and are better able to report on it during the consultation.

Which remedy is best for migraines?

The choice of remedy for a particular condition is totally individualised.  Each migraine sufferer will experience differing symptoms so the homeopathic prescription is tailored specifically to those symptoms and to the character and emotional state of the patient.

How quickly will I get better?

That depends on a number of factors.  If you have an acute illness, such as a sickness bug, you should feel better within an hour of taking the remedy.  However, if you have suffered from a chronic condition for several years, progress will be over several weeks or months.

You should feel more energetic and better in yourself after one to two weeks, but your main complaint may take longer to resolve, depending upon its severity and longevity.

How many appointments will I need?

Again, this depends on the severity of your condition.  Some people come for treatment of a specific condition or set of symptoms, and when the symptoms have disappeared they choose to stop treatment.  Others continue to come on a periodic basis in order to maintain their health.

Can I continue with prescription drugs?

Homeopathy can work effectively alongside conventional medicine.  During the initial appointment I will ask you for details of the medication you are taking as this may influence the frequency and strength of the homeopathic prescription.  As they begin to feel well, many people want to stop their medication, and I can support you through this but strongly recommend that any reduction in dosage of prescribed drugs is undertaken after consultation with your GP.

Does homeopathy work?

As homeopathy as begun to grown in popularity over the past few years, its critics have become more vocal, particularly in the media and amongst some sections of the medical profession.

The debate centres around the highly diluted nature of some remedies - how can they have any beneficial effect when none of the original substance remains?  The truth probably lies in quantum physics and hundreds of thousands of successful cases over the past 200 years have demonstrated the efficiency of homeopathic treatment.