Something I was quite concerned with in the beginning of my practice was antidoting remedies. I worried about spending time carefully choosing a remedy to help someone heal and then being foiled by a strong cup of coffee or the fact that mint-flavored toothpaste was used. It did not take long for me to figure out that, the vast majority of the time, it’s not so easy to antidote remedies. In fact, aside from only a few exceptions, it’s not something I worry about much at all anymore.
One of the most common questions I am asked by new clients is whether or not they can continue to drink coffee. The vast majority of the time, the answer is yes! In almost two decades of practice I have seen only one person who antidoted her remedy with coffee, and she was exceptionally sensitive. The only real issue I have seen is with stronger-smelling essential oils interfering with the action of the remedy… particularly eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree.
It is possible to purposefully antidote a remedy using another remedy. The remedy Camphor is known as the universal antidote. If the wrong remedy has been taken and there are uncomfortable symptoms, a single dose of Camphor can stop its action. There are also other remedies that stop the action of particular remedies. For example, Antimonium crudum can be antidoted by Hepar sulph or Mercurius, and Hyosciamus can be antidoted by Belladonna. The fact that so many remedies interact like this is one of the reasons it’s important to stay in touch with your homeopath if you are considering taking a different remedy than what was prescribed.
Materia medica
Camphor (Camphora officinalis, Camph): Best known as the universal antidote, it is also useful in disease states where the symptoms fit. There is fear at night, especially when alone and the person feels forsaken, isolated, and possibly very angry. There is a great deal of coldness but they do not want to be covered. The face is blue and cold. The pulse is weak and might be barely perceptible. The body may have cold spots and hands and feet are very cold. Exposure to sunlight can result in a rash. This state may result from exposure, infection, or injury.
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