A recent study looked at how satisfied European and Brazilian parents were with the homeopathic treatment by medical homeopaths for their children. Overall, they were quite satisfied, but 19% reported an aggravation from the treatment, and 10% of those aggravations were classed as significant.
Homeopathy has a reputation for being a gentle and safe medicine, so why the high level of aggravations? One possible reason is that medical (doctor) homeopaths are more likely to prescribe homeopathy according to a pre-set schedule (eg., every 4 hour, once a day, etc.).
This type of allopathic dosing doesn’t suit everyone, and quickly pushes those who are more sensitive into an aggravation, which is really just an overdose of the remedy. Apart from being uncomfortable, aggravations slow the rate of improvement.
Homeopathic prescribing works best when it is individualised. The remedy should be chosen to suit the patient’s symptoms, and the potency and frequency of the dose should suit their sensitivity. While some may need a daily dose, others progress just as quickly on a weekly or less frequent dose, and aggravate if dosed more often.
The saving grace about aggravations is that they non-toxic and non-harmful. Still, they should – and can – be avoided for the comfort and progress of the child.
