Homeopathy is equally used in acute illness like fever’s, injuries, colics, acute pains and has been seen to give quick relief.

The need for medication depends on the chronicity of the illness. The duration of treatment is directly proportional to the duration of the illness that a patient is suffering from. E.g. Any illness which is present since 30-40 years cannot be expected to be cured within few days. One needs to take medicine for longer duration to cure it completely. Whereas, if a patient has acute illness of few days duration, he/she should get relief within a short duration.

No, there are no restrictions on food items when on homeopathic medications. The restrictions are illness specific and hence might vary from patient to patient. E.g. If a patient with psoriasis gets aggravated by eating sour foods, the patient is advised to avoid sour foods or any food that aggravate the disease condition at least in the beginning of starting the homeopathic medications. Gradually as patient improves one can reintroduce all aggravating items to check if patient has developed a tolerance to those items. As the homeopathic medicines are absorbed through the mucous membranes of tongue, patient is advised not eat or drink anything for half an hour before and after taking medicine for best absorption of medicine. That’s the reason that some doctors advise to avoid strong tasting food like raw onions to avoid hindrance in absorption and action of medicine. In general, coffee has an antidote effect to most of the homeopathic medicines. Hence, if a patient is not a regular coffee drinker, they are advised to defer from drinking coffee.

Injudicious use of homeopathic medicines can do more harm than good. The dosage of the medicines needs to be modulated depending on the response of the patient to the medicine. Some patients are known to purchase the medicines off the counter and take the medicines for long duration or multiple repetition which can harm the patient. Hence patients are advised to take medications under the supervision of the doctor. If a patient wants to go to another homeopathic doctor for further continuation of the treatment, the prescriptions made so far can be shared with the treating doctor

No, in most of the illness you have amelioration of the complaints on taking homeopathic medicines. In few patients with chronic skin ailments, the eruptions have been suppressed for long time using steroids and other topical agents to give temporary relief. For the cure of these ailments from the root, the ointments have to be withheld which might cause the eruptions to flare up initially and then the healing will start which will be permanent.

Every system has its own scope and limitations. Acute life threatening illness where the vitality of an individual is very poor, will need modern medicine to tide over the immediate crisis. E.g. Acute Myocardial Infarctions. Whereas, in illnesses like autoimmune disorders homeopathy has better scope. Surgical disorders in initial stage can be managed with homeopathy. Once it reaches an irreversible stage, surgery becomes the only option.

No, its against the principles of homeopathy. As Homeopathic medicines acts by stimulating the immune system whereas, steroids are immunosuppressant.

Homeopathy has been successfully used in conditions like fever’s, colics, dysmenorrhoea, post operative pains and even as a palliative in cancer pains. It’s also used to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, thereby, improving the patient compliance to chemotherapy.

Yes, you can! Depending on your response to homeopathic treatment, the homeopathic physician, in consultation with your treating doctor, may advice modulation of doses. It also depends on the medications that you are on. Some medications can be stopped immediately while some has to be tapered and stopped. Hence you are advised not to stop or regulate the doses on your own.

Homeopathy is the therapeutic branch. Hence the clinical history taking, patient examination and investigations conducted to come to a diagnosis are exactly the same as in allopathic stream. The only difference is the pharmacology and its principles of therapeutics.