Introduction to Remedy Relationships

(Note: a key to remedy abbreviations is available at the bottom of this post.)

From the early days of homeopathy it was noticed that patterns or relationships often existed between remedies.

Some remedies followed others smoothly while others produced aggravations. Some acute remedies were frequently linked to specific chronic remedies. Others antidoted the positive or negative effects of some remedies.

Early homeopaths started to categorise them for future reference, but categories, relationships, and entries differed according to who was entering them and from what experience.

This article will identify the main categories, point to overlaps and inconsistencies, and discuss their usefulness.

Main Categories

Most materia medicas contain a list of remedy relationships at the end of each remedy’s symptom list.

The relationships included, and the names given, vary depending on who originally compiled them, but the main ones are: complementary; follows well; followed well by; compare; chronic; inimical; Intercurrent; antidote; and, duration of action.

Complementary

A complementary remedy completes the cure of the previous remedy when it has done all the good it can do.

Choosing the complementary remedy depends on what symptoms remain from the first remedy but common complementary relationships are: Acon and Coff; Ars and Phos; Nat-m and Sep; Puls and Kali-s; Carbo-v and Kali-c; Lyc and Iod; Acon and Sulph; Bell and Calc.

Complements normally apply to chronic remedies but it’s also possible to have acute complements of chronic remedies, and chronic compliments of acute remedies.

Follows Well

The title of this category is self-explanatory. It exists in many materia medicas but obviously overlaps with ‘complementary’.  One example is, Lyc. follows Calc.

Followed Well By

Again, the title of this category is self-explanatory. It exists in many materia medicas but obviously overlaps with ‘complementary’.  One example is, Lyc. followed by Graph.

Compare

This category may also have the alternate name of ‘concordant’, ‘related’, ‘similar’ or ‘family’.

It lists remedies that should also be considered before choosing the final remedy because they either have a similar source or similar symptoms to the remedy being considered.

Chronic

This category lists chronic remedies that have a relationship with remedies used for acute complaints. Examples are: Calc is the chronic of Bell; Rhus-t is the chronic of Apis; Nat-m is the chronic of Ign.

Inimical

Inimical remedies are those that ‘disagree’. They either aggravate or change the nature of the symptoms when used after each other. This category may also be called ‘incompatible’ or ‘injurious’.

Interestingly, remedies included in this category may sometimes be found in other seemingly contradictory categories such as ‘complementary’ or ‘follows well’.

Obviously, their ability to ‘disagree’ is not universal and is perhaps dependent on the presenting symptoms.

Many of them also share similar symptomatology. Examples are: Acon and Acet-ac; Bell and Dulc; Ign and Nux-v; Merc and Sil; Psor and Sep; Sep and Lach.

Intercurrent

Intercurrent remedies are those that sometimes, with interspersed doses, help the main remedy achieve cure.

Examples from Hahnemann of acute intercurrents are: Acon; Bell; Stram; Hyos; and Merc. Chronic intercurrents include the nosodes.

Antidote

An antidote is a remedy that eases an aggravation- partially or fully.

Hahnemann recommended camphor as an antidote to a large range of remedies and it often seems to suit plant-based remedies.

Some early homeopaths also recommended repeating the same remedy but in a different or higher potency, or choosing the remedy that best suited the symptoms of the aggravation- the greater the similarity, the better the antidote.

Common antidote relationships are: Bell and Hyos; Nux-v and Coff; Lyc and Chin; Acon and Lyc; Camph and Lyc; Camph and Dros.

Antidotes only have an effect when symptom similarity exists between the symptoms of the aggravation and those of the antidotal remedy, not because they are listed as an ‘antidote’.

Many aggravations, if not intense or distressing, are usually short-lived so best left to run their course rather than potentially confusing case-symptoms by the addition of another remedy.

Triads (or Series)

Some remedies for chronic disease may follow each other in order.

Examples are: Calc, Lyc, Sulph; Ign, Nat.m, Sep; Puls, Sil, Fl-ac; Ars, Thuj, Tarent; All-c, Phos, Sulph; Acon, Spong, Hep.

These remedies, when indicated by the symptoms, only follow in the orders listed above, and not the opposite.

Duration of Action

This category advises how long the remedy ‘acts’ before the dose may need repeating. Today, this information is usually ignored.

It was a category arbitrarily created for dry doses that were not to be repeated until the action of the current one had been exhausted.

Individual susceptibility or sensitivity was not taken into account, and time-spans certainly did not apply to liquid dosing which could be given more often to speed the rate of improvement without aggravation.

Category Limitations

A quick look around various material medicas shows that remedy relationships and categories tend to be arbitrary, subjective, and sometimes contradictory.

Sometimes, across the different materia medicas, the same remedy may be alternatively listed as complementary, inimical or an antidote to another one remedy.

Information on remedy relationships grew out of clinical experience so there was often a difference of opinion in its the practical application.

Today, the greatest use of remedy relationships is with the second and subsequent prescription, not with the first.

Though not a replacement for symptom-matching with prescriptions, they do draw attention to other remedies that warrant consideration.

Key to Abbreviations

Aconitum napellus (Acon.); Allium cepa (All-c.); Apis mellifica (Apis.); Arsenicum album (Ars); elladonna (Bell.); Calcarea carbonica (Calc.); Camphora (Camph.); Carbo vegetabilis (Carbo-v.); China officinalis (Chin.); Coffea cruda (Coff.); Drosera rotundifolia (Dros.); Dulcamara (Dulc.); Fluoricum acidum (Fl-ac.); Graphites (Graph.); Hepar suphuris calcareum (Hep.); Hyoscyamus niger (Hyos.); Ignatia amara (Ign.); Iodium (Iod.); Kalium carbonicum (Kali-c.); Kalium sulphuricum (Kali-s.); Lycopodium clavatum (Lyc.); Mercurius solubilis (Merc.); Natrum muriaticum (Nat-m.); Nux vomica (Nux-v.); Phosphorus (Phos.); Psorinum (Psor.); Pulsatilla pratensis (Puls.); Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus-t.); Sepia officinale (Sep.); Silicea terra (Sil.); Spongia tosta (Spong.); Stramonium (Stram.); Sulphur (Sulph.); Tarentula hispanica (Tarent.); Thuja occidentalis (Thuj.);