Q. What Potency Should I Choose?
The following guidelines apply to home-prescribing for simple, self-limiting complaints such as coughs, colds and digestive upsets. Chronic (long-lasting) conditions require changes in remedies, potencies, size of dose and frequency of repetition which are beyond the scope of self-treatment. Please see a homeopathic practitioner for guidance on these conditions.
- Low potencies: 6C and below
- Medium potencies: 30C and 200C
- High potencies: M and above
Lower potencies such as 6C cover a wide range of general symptoms so are ideal if you are not sure that you have chosen the best remedy for your symptoms.
Higher potencies have to be more precisely matched to symptoms if a curative response is to be triggered.
As a general rule, the higher the potency the longer the effect. A 6C potency may need to be repeated every 1 – 2 hours for several doses for symptoms to fully resolve while an M potency may only need to be given once.
Medium potencies such as 30C are a good choice for home prescribers who have some familiarity with homeopathy. They can be given every 2 – 4 hours until symptoms improve and then only repeated if symptoms return. Improvement should be noticed by 1 – 3 doses if the correct remedy has been chosen.
One dose (any potency) equals one sugar-pill or pellet, or ΒΌ dropper (5-7 drops) of liquid, placed in the mouth to be dissolved and absorbed.
