Selection of Homeopathic Potency and Doses

In homeopathic treatment, the selection of the appropriate drug is of prime importance. The choice of the dose and potency is equally significant for successful treatment. The 'dose' refers to the amount of globules/tablets or the quantity of drops. It should correspond to the 'Laws of Stimulant Therapy’, which says that greater the irritant effect is, the smaller should be the dose; the more inert the substance is, the greater should be the dose. 

When it comes to potency selection of homeopathic medicines, there has always been a great debate between two camps: the low and high potency prescribers. Though both the parties can demonstrate success, a general guideline that’s followed advises high potencies for chronic illnesses and low potencies for acute conditions. There could be exceptions to this guideline though, depending on the symptoms and the severity of an ailment. 

Choosing potency and doses made simple

When self-treating with homeopathy medicine, lay people usually use the decimal potencies. This includes 6X homeopathic medicines as well as those from the centesimal scale, such as 6C, 12C, or 30C. When using such medicines of lower potency, you would need to re-administer them more frequently.

In the centesimal preparation of homeopathic medicines, 1 part of the original substance is combined with 99 parts of alcohol or water to create a “1C” medicine. This process is repeated numerous times. Every time the medicine is diluted and shaken, it becomes stronger, not weaker. Dilutions of different strengths are inoculated onto sugar tablets. Professional homeopaths often use these potencies from the centesimal scale. 

Potencies of 30C or lower belong to the category of low potency remedies. Those of 200C or higher are considered high potency medicines. When prescribing the C potencies, professional homeopaths usually use 30C (30 dilutions), 200C (diluted 200 times), 1M (1000 dilutions), and 10M (diluted 10,000 times).

There’s a third scale of homeopathic medicines, called LM (or Q) potencies. An LM1 potency is diluted to a factor of 1 to 50,000, rather than 1 to 10 or 1 to 100. While you will get the C and X potencies mostly in the form of medicated sugar pellets, homeopathic pharmacies prepare the LM medicines in liquid form, which are then diluted and administered to the patients frequently, often daily.

Self-treatment vs. professional advice

From common cold and cough to body aches and pains, you can use low potency doses of homeopathic medicines for self-treatment of a variety of ailments. When you are unsure about which remedy to take, you should start with a 6X. In case symptoms improve, but full relief isn’t achieved, you may take the same remedy in a higher potency (such as 30C). However, if no improvement or relief is felt, you should ideally consider a different remedy in a low potency. You can take lower potencies every few hours for a few days.

For acute conditions, high potencies, such as 200C or 1M in very low doses (typically once per week) is advisable. Such potencies will act quickly and powerfully and offer speedy relief, thus making repetition of the medicine unnecessary. However, you need to be sure that the chosen medicine is the right one. Therefore, it’s advisable to consult an experienced homeopathic doctor, and stick to their advice when it comes to taking such high potency doses for chronic or serious ailments.