Deborah Talalay Homeopathy

Frequently Asked Questions

Who would benefit from homeopathic treatment?

• Everyone seeking an alternative to conventional drugs and /or their side effects.

• Infants – gentle effective treatment without the side effects often found in modern drug treatment.

• Women – during pregnancy – no side effects for the developing baby.

• Older people – wanting effective treatment and to safely reduce their drug regimes.

• Anyone wishing to maintain and optimise their health


How long will the treatment take to work, and when will I see improvements?

This will depend on how long you have had the condition, and on how effective is your immune system.

Sometimes, improvement is seen immediately, and sometimes it seems as though nothing is happening for a time, before there is a change. Sometimes, the condition becomes a bit worse before getting better.

What I am looking for is any of these responses, so I know that the patient has reacted to the remedy. How a patient has reacted is important, as this may indicate underlying problems, and will also indicate if the remedy needs to be modified. Follow up consultations are at four week intervals to give the system time to respond, and I would expect to have at least one follow up consultation with you.

As a very rough guideline - think of it taking a month to get better for every year of illness.


Is it safe?

• Old or young - homeopathic treatment is wonderful for the very young and also the older person. Though the healing action of the remedies is profound, it is an extremely safe and gentle form of medicine.

• Pregnancy, childbirth - no ill effects. Safe pregnancy management. It will only enhance the developing child.

• You will never be asked to stop any of the medicines prescribed for you without first finding out from your doctor if you still need them.

• The homeopathic remedies can normally be taken alongside any prescribed drugs without altering their effectiveness. I will always ensure that I prescribe in a manner that does not interfere with any beneficial action of your drugs. Occasionally this will need to be monitored to make sure that, as your condition improves, you are not taking too much of the drug.

• There is no toxic residue left in the body.

• You cannot become addicted to the remedies.

• If I feel you would benefit from a physical examination, I may advise you to consult with your doctor or other practitioner.


Do remedies have side effects?

• Not in the same way as drugs. They will not cause other conditions for which you would need further drugs, as often happens with pharmaceutical drugs.

• They may cause the body to cleanse itself, which may initially look like a different condition. This is usually quite short lived.

• An underlying condition sometimes shows itself when the surface complaint has been sufficiently cleared. What it is telling you is that now the surface condition has been improved, the body is ready to deal with the underlying condition.


How are the remedies tested? Do you experiment on animals?

• The action of each remedy has been thoroughly researched by testing on humans, both men and women.

• These tests are called provings. The remedy being proved is given in a double blind study (the provers do not know what they are taking).

• The effects on the provers are recorded and this forms the basis of understanding the action of the remedy.

• There is never any animal experimentation.


Is homeopathic treatment effective in every condition?

No. There are some diseases where the pathological change has been too great for there to be any reversal. However, in many of these situations, though not curative, the remedies will often bring much relief.


Can I live normally - do I have to change how I live?

• Diet
You may find that you wish to eat different foods to those you would normally choose. If we feel that your condition is as a result of or made worse by eating a particular food, I will tell you. I may also advise you to be tested for sensitivity to that substance. If I think that your condition is caused or made worse by a lack of certain nutrients, I will advise you of that too, and perhaps recommend a supplement.

• Alcohol
You can take alcohol as normal, though as always it is better not to drink to excess.

• Painkillers
Can be continued until you become more comfortable.

• Prescribed Medicines
Must be continued until you have improved sufficiently to reduce or come off them. This must be done under the supervision of a doctor.

• Recreational Drugs
You cannot take recreational drugs without diminishing the effects of the remedies.

• Antidotes
Coffee, strong mint, camphor, Tea Tree and eucalyptus, are some of the substances that can antidote your remedies if you are sensitive to those substances.

Decaffeinated coffee is sometimes a reasonable alternative to coffee, and mild mint used in cooking or in tea is fine.

Many cold and flu medicines contain one or more of these ingredients, and should be avoided.

Camphor is to be found in mothballs and sometimes in Tiger Balm. It is a strong antidote to the remedies, and an alternative should be found.

Toothpaste and mouthwash should be mint and menthol free. (Mostly obtainable through health food shops.)

• Homeopathic Remedies
Do not take any remedy other than prescribed by me without discussing with me first.


Why are they called remedies?

They are called remedies, because that is the term that was in use at the time when Hahnemann developed the principles of homeopathy.

Any medicine is a remedy if it is curative.


Is Homeopathy Scientific?

• The principles underlying homeopathy have been practiced for a very long time. Both Hippocrates, circa 470-410BC and Paracelsus 1493-1541 used these principles. Hahnemann, who lived from 1755-1843, re-discovered, researched, developed, and turned these principles into the Science of Homeopathy.

• Homeopathic philosophy has withstood the test of over 200 years since Hahnemann. It has not changed its principles with every passing fad. The principles that held true then are the same ones in practice now.

• The major development has been in the number of new remedies that have been researched.

• The action of the remedies has been clearly defined through provings and clinical evidence.

• New methodologies for using the remedies have also been developed, but have never supplanted the basic principles that hold true to this day.