Getting Pregnant Naturally (18 page)

H
omeopathy, like conception itself, remains something of a mystery. Researchers have documented and even witnessed the process of egg fertilization and human conception, but the essence of the creation of life remains incomprehensible. In much the same way, homeopaths have learned how to use homeopathy in the treatment of medical problems and seen evidence of its healing potential, but the essence of its medical power remains unknown.

The practice of homeopathy was developed in the late eighteenth century by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), a German physician who had been trained in the practice of conventional medicine. At the time, mainstream medicine included a number of crude and sometimes harmful medical practices, such as bloodletting,
induced vomiting, and the use of massive doses of poorly understood drugs. Hahnemann, on the other hand, believed in the healing powers of nutrition and exercise (this was a radical idea at the time). He experimented with other methods of treatment, often testing potential remedies on himself. In one experiment, Hahnemann tested cinchona (also known as Peruvian bark), which is the natural source of quinine. When he took small doses of cinchona, Hahnemann developed the symptoms of malaria: fever, chills, thirst, and a throbbing headache. He hypothesized that cinchona would be effective in treating malaria because of its ability to produce similar symptoms to those of the disease.

The results of this experiment led to Hahnemann’s first theory, the Law of Similars, or “like cures like.” According to the theory, certain illnesses can be cured by giving the sick person minuscule doses of natural substances—plants, minerals, chemicals, and animal substances—that would produce the symptoms of the disease in a healthy person.

As one might expect, Hahnemann found that higher concentrations of substances caused more side effects. However, in further experiments he found that he could dilute a medication and still preserve its healing powers through a pharmacological process he called “potentization.” Hahnemann determined that by repeatedly diluting
a substance with distilled water or alcohol and shaking it vigorously between each dilution, he could increase the potency of the medicine. These findings resulted in Hahnemann’s theory, the Law of Infinitesimals, which states that the smaller the dose of active ingredient, the more potent the cure.

Homeopathy was put to the test in dealing with epidemic diseases, such as cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, and scarlet fever. The success of the treatment led to widespread interest in its practice. The first homeopathy college opened in Philadelphia in 1836, and eight years later a group of homeopaths formed the American Institute of Homeopathy, the first national medical organization in the country. By the end of the nineteenth century, there were fifteen thousand homeopaths and twenty-two schools of homeopathy nationwide. Homeopathy also flourished and continues to thrive in Europe, particularly in Great Britain, where the Queen of England has her own homeopathic physician and the British National Health Service covers homeopathic procedures.

In the United States, however, homeopathy rapidly fell out of favor. At the end of the nineteenth century one out of every five American doctors practiced homeopathy, but by the middle of the twentieth century the American practice of homeopathy had all but disappeared. The discovery of antibiotics and other advances
in modern medicine lured people to support a more “scientific” approach to healing. Professional medical groups, influenced by these developments, began to expel physicians who practiced homeopathy or consulted with homeopaths. Hahnemann’s theories have never been accepted by scientifically oriented physicians in the United States, who charge that homeopathic remedies are placebos.

Only recently has the homeopathic revival begun in the United States, in part because skeptics have been quieted by a number of studies showing that homeopathic remedies do help in the healing process. In 1991 the
British Medical Journal
tried to put the question to rest by publishing an analysis of 105 clinical studies involving the efficacy of homeopathy. More than eighty of the studies showed that the homeopathic treatment was more effective than a placebo.

No one knows exactly why homeopathy works, but some experts theorize that the repeated dilution and shaking establishes a certain electrochemical pattern in the water. Then, when someone takes a homeopathic remedy, the electrochemical pattern in the remedy affects the electrochemical pattern of the water in the human body. Other experts suggest that the potentization changes the electromagnetic fields in the body in some subtle way. Both of these theories involve energy
changes at a subatomic level, a level that we can never see and few of us will ever understand.

Additional research will undoubtedly be conducted to prove or disprove various theories about homeopathy. In the meantime, homeopaths and open-minded patients will continue to use the treatments, not because they understand how they work but because they know from firsthand experience that they do.

Homeopaths and traditional doctors approach healing from different points of view. Homeopaths believe illness is not localized in one organ or manifested in one symptom, so when prescribing treatment they consider the entire person, both mind and body. While traditional physicians attempt to manage illness by relieving symptoms, homeopaths consider physical symptoms positive signs that the body is hard at work defending and healing itself. Rather than trying to eliminate symptoms, homeopathic remedies sometimes even aggravate symptoms for a short period of time as they stimulate the body’s self-healing mechanism.

Unlike other medical practices, the selection of the appropriate homeopathic remedy varies from patient to patient, depending on the patient profile and the specific symptoms that are present. When you use the right remedy, it will work quickly and you can discontinue treatment. The wrong remedy will cause no harm, but it will not help you conceive.

Homeopathic remedies are prepared according to standards of the United States Homeopathy Pharmacopoeia and come in a variety of potencies, based on the strength of dilution. The three most common forms of remedies are the mother tincture, ? potencies, and c potencies:

The mother tincture is an alcohol-based extract of a specific substance; tinctures are usually used topically rather than internally.

The x represent the Roman numeral 10. In homeopathic remedies with x potencies, the mother tincture has been diluted to one part in ten (one drop of tincture to every nine drops of alcohol). The number before the
x tells how many times the mother tincture has been diluted. For example, a 12x potency represents 12 dilutions of one in ten. According to homeopathic theory, the more the substance is diluted, the more potent it becomes, so a remedy with a 30x potency is considered stronger or more potent than one with a 12x potency.

The c represents the Roman number 100. Homeopathic remedies with a c potency have been diluted to one part in 100 (one drop of tincture to every ninety-nine drops of alcohol), making them much stronger than ? potencies. Again, the number before the c represents the number of dilutions. A 3c potency represents a substance that has been diluted to one part in one hundred three times; by the time 3c is reached, the dilution is one part per million.

Homeopathic remedies come in a number of forms, but the most common are lactose (milk sugar) pilules and liquids. When you are taking homeopathic pilules, one or two of the tiny, poppyseed-sized globules are placed on the tongue to dissolve. When you are taking a liquid homeopathic remedy, a single drop of the substance is placed under the tongue.

Is it okay to use homeopathic remedies in conjunction with herbal remedies?

Yes. However, you should wait at least a half-hour after taking an herbal remedy before using a homeopathic treatment.

Is it harmful to use the wrong homeopathic remedy?

Using the wrong remedy will cause no harm, but it will do nothing to enhance your fertility. Because the
amount of active ingredient in a homeopathic remedy is so small, side effects from these treatments are virtually nonexistent.

When should I take a homeopathic remedy?

Most of the homeopathic remedies discussed in this chapter can be taken for one week (those used for uterine problems can be taken for three weeks). A woman should take the remedy during the start of her menstrual cycle (with the first day of bleeding). A man should take a remedy several days prior to the target date of conception. If you use a commercially prepared product with different directions, follow the information provided on the label.

Where can I find homeopathic remedies?

Homeopathic remedies are available at many health food stores, as well as specialized pharmacies (see pages 186-189 for a listing of manufacturers).

Is there any evidence that homeopathy really works?

Researchers have not studied the efficacy of homeopathy in the treatment of infertility. However, a number of studies published in respected medical journals have shown that homeopathic remedies work in the treatment
of other medical problems. Consider some of the evidence: