Homoeopathic remedies are delicate and need careful handling.

They can come in different forms – pillules, liquids or medicated tablet form. Most of the remedies from this website are in liquid form - 20% alcohol and 80% water.

With pillules and tablets these should be touched as little as possible. The pill should be tipped into the bottle cap or onto a clean palm and transferred to the mouth, allowing it to dissolve under the tongue. Liquids may be administered in ¼ glass water (usually 7 drops of the remedy). When administering pillules or liquids to infants or small children, a teaspoon is helpful.

The remedies are absorbed in the mouth, so are best held in the mouth for several minutes before swallowing.

Unless the dose is very frequent, it is best to take the pillule or liquid ½ hour before or after drinking or eating, cleaning the teeth or smoking. However, 10 minutes before or after a meal or taking a drink is acceptable.

The pillules or tablets can be crushed and then dissolved in water and sip them, but do not swallow the pill down with water, tea or coffee.

Do not use peppermint toothpaste, or drink strong peppermint tea, or ordinary coffee as these may antidote the remedies.

Do not smoke, brush teeth or gargle, or drink alcohol within half an hour of taking remedies.

If any pillules are dropped, they should be discarded and not returned to the bottle.

Store remedies away from strong light, heat and strong smelling substances, especially camphor, as the potency of the medicine will be weakened. Also store away from electrical appliances such as fridge, TV, stereo, clock radio, microwaves and mobile phones.

When using homoeopathic remedies, do not use products such as “Vicks” or “Deep Heat” or those containing menthol or peppermint oil or strong aromatic oils as these will antidote the remedy.

When taking more than one medicine, separate the doses by at least 10 minutes, preferably longer.