Recently, I posted To repeat, or not to repeat? Acute version. I gave many examples of “classical”* homeopaths recommending the rather frequent repetition of the remedies for acute cases.

If classical homeopaths are in agreement it’s OK to repeat remedies acutely, why do a lot of classical homeopaths think it’s not OK to repeat remedies when addressing chronic issues?

Let’s recap from last week:

• Repeating homeopathic remedies during acute treatment is fine and dandy.
• Sometimes there may be a homeopathic aggravation, which is considered a good thing.
  • if there is an aggravation, space the timing out further. (Note: it may be telling you the remedy is not quite right and may warrant further investigation.)
• Remedies can be repeated in dry dose or diluted in mineral water.
• If symptoms return, repeat the remedy.

When we get to chronic treatment, these guidelines are often set to the side… pushed away… locked up… verboten.

Small Doses, Big Results by Karl Robinson, M.D. (2014, p xv) begins his introduction thusly: "There is only one medicine, holistic or otherwise, that treats mind and body at the same time with only one medicine and does so with one dose repeated infrequently."

Lisa Strbac (2024, p 22) explains the classical thinking quite succinctly in The Trailblazer’s Insight into Homeopathy:

"‘I felt so good on my remedy; why can’t I keep taking it?’
Homeopathy follows the principle of the minimum dose — using the smallest amount of remedy needed to stimulate the body’s healing response. Repeated doses of a well-matched remedy, especially when not needed, can disrupt the healing process with a risk that the individual may prove the remedy. Once improvement is noted, it’s best to stop taking the remedy and only repeat if symptoms return."

​Dr. Lockie (1993) adds: "In chronic conditions, 6c remedies are usually taken 3 times a day for up to 14 days, and 30c remedies every 12 hours for a few days.”
“for a few days”… hmmm

I have noticed classical homeopaths actually often repeat doses, especially at the beginning of treatment, even when they otherwise do not recommend repeating doses. I frequently hear or read of classical homeopaths opening a case with a “split dose” (another name for a single repeated dose, e.g., take a dose at night and repeat it the following morning); or, they may repeat a dose for 3 to 5 days in a row, right off the bat (as above), and then stop and see what happens. Aren’t they risking disrupting the healing process?

I could spend hours listing all of Hahnemann’s aphorisms and Dr. James Tyler Kent’s lecture points and digging through all my books, but I’m not going to do that. I am going to ignore them when it comes to whether or not it is OK to repeat dry remedies.

​What?! You’re going to ignore the masters?!
Yes. Instead, I am going to turn to Dr. Francisco Xavier Eizayaga** (1991, p 211) who decided to test these theories:

"This subject has always worried us. After about eighteen years of collecting a rich experience with many thousands of patients, we decided to put some order to the matter. We have usually followed certain traditional rules according to the powerful influence Kent exercised with instructions stated in his Homoeopathic Philosophy [first published in 1900]. In the chronic cases we employed only one dose followed by placebo… We had always started with a 200c or MC potency and we waited for the results. The great majority of our patients suffered the initial homeopathic aggravation followed by the different contingencies described by Kent in his Lecture XXXV.…"

"-Some patients only feel well while they are having the remedy, not while they are having the placebo.…

-There is no difference between the homoeopathic aggravation due to a unique dose or due to repeated doses, even when taking a remedy during the reaction.

-The late aggravation of which Hahnemann speaks takes place in 4% of cases, some of them susceptible to being interpreted in another way, and, in any case, it never is anything more than a temporary bother with no other pathological significance.…
​
When an individual has daily and repeated doses, we are referring to a chronic case, only one of those doses will modify that susceptibility, by either aggravating first and then causing recovery, or causing recovery directly…. The proof of this is that the patient’s response to the therapeutic action is the same one with a unique dose as with repeated ones…."

As a reminder, I was “raised” on the Banerji Protocols which repeat doses often, so, to me, this was normal and “right.” Then, I attended classical homeopathic training which told me repeating doses was very bad. I was left a little perplexed for a few years. Repeating doses was working for myself and it was working for my clients. What was I missing?

Then I read Dr. Eizayaga and it turns out I wasn’t missing anything! The research conducted by Dr. Eizayaga was enough for me to put any hesitation I had been harboring about repeating dry doses away for good. Phew!

So, what are we talking about in terms of repeating doses for chronic situations?
#1 — the individual is the most important piece of this decision making process. I can’t stress this enough.

• Banerji Protocols? They repeat often — twice daily is a standard repetition.
• Narayani Remedies? They repeat even more often — three times daily is common and some of the combos suggest six times a day.

Like Dr. Eizayaga, the Banerjis and the Narayanis have decades-long track records of success with many thousands of patients repeating dry doses daily.

Now, let’s do a little comparison between “classical” and “practical” dosing. Most of the books written for home users list primarily acute conditions, so I turned to Hemorrhoids which is often a chronic condition for many people.

Drs. Jonas & Jacobs (1998, p 222):
"For acute†† hemorrhoidal problems, take the remedy twice daily in the 30c potency or 4 times a day in the 12x. Stop the remedy as soon as improvement occurs, or after two days if it is not giving relief." [They recommend one of 5 remedies: Aesculus, Sulphur, Nux vomica, Nitric acid or Hamamelis.]

​​Dr. Andrew Lockie (1993, p 258) recommends the same selection of remedies, plus, Aloe, Collinsonia, Pulsatilla, Ammonium carb or Causticum “to be taken 4 times daily for up to 5 days.”

The Banerjis (2013), on the other hand, recommend for hemorrhoids in their first line of treatment:

• Sulphur 200c, every other day
• Nux vomica 30c, once daily

And, in acute conditions:

• Sulphur 200c + Ratanhia 200c, twice daily, with instructions to repeat every 3 hours until complete remission of the pain or burning. This is quite an amazing combination!

Narayani remedies would most likely call for Mix 32: Veins & Piles which contains 8 different remedies and recommends using it 3 times a day and up to 6 times a day “if very bad.

Interestingly, in this instance, we see a similar repetition of remedies between classical and practical methods††.

So, to repeat or not repeat? Is it even still a question?

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

​*For this article, “classical” refers to homeopaths using one remedy at a time; “Practical” refers to homeopaths who use multiple remedies at one time.
**If you can find this book, buy this book… You won’t be disappointed.
***Plus Method, according to Eizayaga (1991, p 213):
"…if the succeeding dose is changed slightly every time, namely potentized somewhat higher then the vital principle may be altered without difficulty by the same medicine (the sensation of natural disease diminishing) and thus the cure brought nearer.”
†Eizayaga does not clarify what he means by “high potency.”
††To be accurate, the “classical” recommendations are not necessarily referring to chronic hemorrhoids, but let’s be real — hemorrhoid pain is hemorrhoid pain!

​Reference list
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Eizayaga, F. X., 1991. Treatise on Homoeopathic Medicine. Estilos Graficos S.A.

Jonas, W. B. and Jacobs, J., 1998. Healing with homeopathy : the doctor’s guide. New York, Ny: Warner Books.

Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : the safe form of medicine for the future. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Robinson, K., 2014. Small doses big results : how homeopathic medicine offers hope in chronic disease.

Strbac, L., 2024. The Trailblazer’s Insight into Homeopathy.

​I touched on the idea of remedy repetition in my recent “broad and shallow sweep through homeopathic potency.” In that article, remedy repetition was more related to various homeopathic ideas that certain potencies (generally low) are more suited to repetition than others.

I understand there are plenty of “classical” homeopaths who work with multiple remedies at a time (for example: a weekly “constitutional” remedy and a daily cell salt and perhaps an occasional “lesional” remedy — all used in the same time frame), but for this article, I will use the term “classical” in regard to homeopaths who practice with one remedy at a time.

“Practical” homeopaths, in this article, are referring to those who use multiple remedies simultaneously or even combination remedies. (I am aware that there are plenty of “classical” homeopaths who apply homeopathy in a “practical” manner, but do not use polypharmacy, for instance.)
--
As we learned in the above mentioned Homeopathic Potency article, it’s important to remember, as always in homeopathy, the individual is the driving and deciding force.
--
Digging through my bookshelves, it’s clear that repetition of remedies during acute conditions is pretty universal and considered to be sometimes necessary even. Let’s take a look at a few different authors and see what they recommend. (All emphases are from original authors.)

Dr. Ratera (2020, p 19), writing about First Aid with Homeopathy (so ostensibly dealing only with acute situations) says:

"Use low potencies (from 6 to 30D and C or K) for milder cases, repeat several times in dry dose or diluted in mineral water…. In severe cases, the frequency of administration initially must be high (every 1-5 minutes in severe poisoning), progressively decreasing the frequency with improvement. In medium and mild cases, every 2-8 hours the first day, and reduce the frequency to 1-2 times daily for 1 or 2 days.… Stop or reduce remedy administration when the patient starts improving. Prolonged, unnecessary repetition of homeopathic remedies can produce proving symptoms in the patient."

Dr. Colin B. Lessell’s The World Travellers’ Manual of Homoeopathy (1999, p 5) in discussing remedies for a sun headache:

"… in an average case, one dose of Belladonna 30c should be given initially every two hours. The strength of the treatment may be varied, however, according to the severity of the case. A mild case may require dosage repetition every four hours, and a severe case every hour, or half hour. For the beginner, it is best to start with the directive of the text. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the frequency of repetition should be reduced as the patient improves, and in most instances the remedy should be discontinued once significant improvement has occurred.

Occasionally, after the administration of a remedy, the patient experiences what is termed homoeopathic aggravation (see below for further explanation). This is a transient worsening of the patient’s symptoms, and may be caused by the use of too high a potency, or by too rapid dose repetition. In fact, it signifies overstimulation of the bodily healing response. Should this occur, the remedy should be discontinued, whereupon the phase of aggravation will be followed by one of remission, often proceeding to cure. However, it sometimes happens that this phase of remission is short-lived, and is followed by a resumption of the previous symptoms, although they are often less severe. In this case, the remedy should be reapplied, but less aggressively. Reduce the frequency of dosage, or select a lesser potency."

Dr. Andrew Lockie’s The Family Guide to Homeopathy (1993, p 30):

"In acute conditions, doses should be taken every 1/2 or 1 hour to begin with, up to a maximum of 10 doses. But as soon as there is some improvement, the interval between doses should be increased to 8 or 12 hours for 2 or 3 days at most. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO POINT IN CONTINUING TO TAKE A REMEDY ONCE THE SYMPTOMS HAVE STARTED TO DISAPPEAR."

Drs. Jonas & Jacobs in their Healing with Homeopathy state:

"The cardinal rule of homeopathic treatment is that once a remedy begins to work, it should be tapered off and/or stopped. This is because the remedies stimulate the natural healing mechanisms of the body, and once that process begins it continues on its own.… Marked improvement can sometimes occur after only one dose, especially in a particularly intense situation… at other times several doses are necessary before the effects of the remedy are noticed. At the point where an effect is noticed, stop the medicine and wait."

Miranda Castro in The Complete Homeopathy Handbook (Castro 1991, p 26):

"Having selected the remedy for your patient, you will need to decide on the dose. This will depend upon the urgency of the case: frequent doses for an acute illness that has come on suddenly and strongly, and less frequent doses for a slowly developing illness. Some earaches with very severely distressed patients need their remedies repeating every five minutes; a head injury may need the remedy repeating every half hour; and a slowly developing flu may need a remedy every four hours or three times a day.

Once you see that a homeopathic remedy has started to work — once you notice a definite reaction or change resulting from the remedy — then continue with the same remedy but give it less often (that is, increase the gaps between the doses) as the patient continues to improve.

Once there is a marked improvement — once a strong positive reaction has occurred — it is essential to stop taking the remedy altogether. This is the absolute opposite of the instructions you receive when taking orthodox medicines (for example, antibiotics), where it is often necessary to finish the whole course of pills. A homeopathic remedy acts as a trigger, a catalyst — it stimulates the body to begin to heal itself, and once that has happened the body’s own healing process will take over. In some cases, taking another tablet after this reaction has occurred can actually stop the remedy working and even exaggerate the symptoms and consequently you can be persuaded into thinking it was a poor prescription."

With these, we see the theme of remedy repetition for acute situations from what I would term the more classical homeopaths and they are all pretty much in agreement, with just a little fine tuning here or there.

Let’s talk about the homeopathic aggravation a little bit.
Dr. Hahnemann in §158 says:
"A small homeopathic aggravation is a good indication in an acute disease.

This small homeopathic aggravation in the first hours is a very good portent that the acute disease will be mostly finished by the first dose. Such an aggravation is not infrequent, since the medicinal disease must naturally be somewhat stronger than the malady in order to over-tune and extinguish it…"

Translation:
Unlike conventional (allopathic) medicines, which treat disease with “anti” remedies — meaning “against” or “opposite,” as in antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antipyretics (fever reducers), etc, homeopathy is based on similarities (Homoeo means “similar” or “same”). (See also, Hom, not home). A homeopathic remedy for a fever would match the totality of the patient’s symptoms, including the unique symptoms of the person’s fever (sudden onset, throbbing, causing restlessness, etc). This remedy would then gently stimulate (“over-tune”) the vital force* — the body’s self-regulating life principle — creating a similar but slightly stronger “medicinal disease” (the dynamic, artificial disturbance produced by the potentized homeopathic remedy). This “medicinal disease” gently nudges the vital force in a similar direction to the existing illness, enabling the body to kick in and extinguish the fever on its own. It’s important to mention here that it’s not literally about inducing a full-blown fever in an already sick person — it’s about matching the energetic signature of an illness to a potentized homeopathic remedy which would support the body’s own self-healing process.

“Similia similibus curentur” — Like cures like. If a remedy or substance can create or provoke a symptom in a healthy person, that same remedy or substance in homeopathic form can help relieve that symptom in an unwell person. (See also, The original drug testing… Homeopathic Provings.)

What about the Banerjis? What do they say to do for acutes?
Interestingly, their written instructions show that remedies are actually given a little less frequently than the traditional homeopaths. To be fair, their book isn’t really aimed at treating acutes.

For example, their first line remedies for influenza suggest:

• Rhus tox 30c and Bryonia 30c, one dose every 2 hours alternately.

Being the Banerjis, they also suggest other remedies to be taken in conjunction with the main remedy/ies.

• in case of temperature — Belladonna**, one dose every one hour (SOS***)
• for nausea and vomiting — Arsenicum album**, one dose every 30 minutes (SOS)

The Narayanis, on the other hand, address the full range of issues in their selection of remedies (see also, Quickie: Narayani Books). It’s important to note that potency selection has already been done for us with Narayanis — there’s nothing to do except purchase the ready-made combo and decide how often to take it.
​
Contrary to classical homeopathy, the Narayanis repeat remedies quite frequently, regardless of potency. Here are some examples:

• Throat, mix 30, (200c) repetition is suggested every 15 minutes for acute sore throat. Reduce on improvement.
• Cold, mix 11 is in a 6x and they suggest it every 15 minutes until eased, then reduce to three times a day (which is technically equivalent to every 8 hours but is more often used upon waking, in the afternoon and before bed).
• Flu Pack, mix 79 is a 10M combination and they say: “as soon as one feels flu is coming on, take this remedy every 15 minutes. Take 2 pills once a day as a preventative. Every 15 minutes in an attack.”
• Injury, mix 20, (200c): 6 times a day (which is equivalent to every 4 hours). Reduce as condition eases.

Let’s recap the general rules of thumb for acutes:

• Remedies are repeated, depending on the intensity and severity of the symptoms.
  • Very intense symptoms may warrant repetition every few minutes and once there is some level of improvement, then the remedies are spaced out further (e.g., severe injury).
  • Less intense symptoms would warrant repetition every hour or two (e.g., sore throat).
  • Milder symptoms would be repeated every 2-4 hours (e.g., feeling like you are beginning to come down with a bug).
• Use dry doses or pellets diluted in mineral water
• If there is an aggravation/worsening of symptoms, space the timing out further. (Note: sometimes this may be a result of an incorrect remedy. If there is no improvement, move to a different remedy.)
• If the symptoms return, repeat the remedy.
• The Banerjis standard repetition is twice daily, though they often mix in other remedies to address accompanying concerns making the actual dosing more frequent.
• Narayani remedies often begin with every 15 minutes and taper off with improvement.
  • A standard repetition for many of their acute remedies is 6 times a day, reducing on improvement.

We see, a good deal of common ground between classical and practical homeopaths in terms of remedy repetition when it comes to treating acute conditions.

When we get to chronic treatment next week, however, that’s where the waters start to part…


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


*Vital Force is Hahnemann’s term for the dynamic, spirit-like power that maintains health and produces symptoms when it is “untuned.”
**Their book does include potencies but they are not readily available potencies so I left them off — 30c is a good alternative.
***SOS stands for, as needed. Translation: no fever = don’t repeat the remedy.

Reference list
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Castro, M., 1991. The complete homeopathy handbook : a guide to everyday health care. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Hahnemann, S. and Brewster O’Reilly, W., 2001. Organon of the medical art. Kindle. Palo Alto, Ca: Birdcage Books.

Jonas, W. B. and Jacobs, J., 1998. Healing with homeopathy : the doctor’s guide. New York, Ny: Warner Books.

Lessell, C. B., 1999. The World Travellers’ Manual of Homoeopathy. Random House UK.

Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : the safe form of medicine for the future. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Ratera, M. M., 2020. First aid with homeopathy. Kandern, Germany Narayana Verlag.

Last week I wrote about the Narayani remedies, primarily because I had just used TapRoots* fabulous kit again and I wanted to sing its praises. (See below for information on their Banerji Protocol kits.)

My first homeopathic combination love, though, needs a little attention: the Banerji Protocols.

I have told this story before, but the amazingly wonderful and powerful Banerji Protocols are what convinced me to become a homeopath. Two weeks after beginning a bunch of combination remedies, in addition to a couple of individual homeopathic remedies all taken according to the schedule provided by my homeopath at the time, Joette Calabrese, — (I didn’t do this on my own!), I felt better than I had in many years. Just two weeks and the relief I felt was nothing short of miraculous. It was truly, truly life-changing stuff. So life changing that I immediately began taking classes in the Banerji Protocols offered by Joette Calabrese** and after a few months when I had finished all there was on offer that way, I enrolled in homeopathy school. (It’s funny. When I first spoke with Joette she mentioned her classes and asked if I would be interested. I responded that I didn’t have any time, as interesting as they sounded. Little did I know how much time I would want for studying all this new-to-me stuff called homeopathy! There simply aren’t enough hours in the day, even all these years later! I literally abandoned all my other interests at that point and dove straight in -- never even coming up for air!)

I think it’s fair to say that not all classically trained homeopaths are overly fond of practical, or, what is also referred to as clinical homeopathy. Some can be rather snooty about it, actually. (I have clients who have been "fired" by their classical homeopath because the individual took additional homeopathic remedies on their own accord.)

In particular, classical homeopaths seem to take umbrage with the Banerji Protocols. Why they do this, I can’t be certain, but I have my suspicions.

The Banerji Protocols were developed by the Drs Banerji (father and son) in Calcutta, India. This is a 4th generation family of homeopaths and for all that time, their clinic has been keeping records of which remedies helped which conditions. They have 10 doctors/homeopaths in their clinic who each see 100 patients a day. That’s 1,000 patients a day (!) upon which to base their information. They have some marvelous success rates and those results are replicated over and over again. It is truly impressive.

How do the Banerji Protocols differ from the Narayani remedies?

The Banerji Protocols are elegant combinations of homeopathic remedies. The Narayani remedies are still wondrous creations, but they are much larger combinations of homeopathic remedies — often mixing not just individual homeopathic remedies but also adding homeopathic nosodes, sarcodes and even Bach flower essences into the mix, too.

The Banerji Protocols use some combination remedies (generally combinations of only 2 remedies at a time) but mostly using individual remedies, but taking them as part of the same protocol (see below for an example). Remember, at it's core, classical homeopathy involves using one single remedy and then waiting and seeing what comes from that. The Banerji Protocols repeat remedies … sometimes weekly; sometimes daily; sometimes multiple times a day.

Because it has been in the news lately, let’s look at the Banerji’s first line (more on this later) protocol for the Measles***:

• Bryonia alba, twice daily

If there is a high temperature, add in:

• Belladonna, every 30 minutes until the temp is stable

If there is an accompanying cold or cough, add in:

• Ipecac, every hour, as needed.

So, as you see, this is not classical in that the protocol is using 3 different remedies to treat one specific condition.

If it works so well, why do classical homeopaths balk at that and not embrace it?
Even though these protocols have been used for decades in India, they’re fairly new to us in other corners of the world.

More importantly, as a classically trained homeopath, I can tell you that we are taught that every remedy we suggest to a client needs to be based on meticulous case-taking and that (single) remedy needs to be tailored to the specific symptoms that person is expressing — the Similimum. This is the really impressive aspect of homeopathy that differentiates it from every other form of medicine out there. Classical homeopathy doesn’t treat a disease, it treats the individual. And, what a beautiful thing it is!

I agree… in principle.

However, in today’s day and age where we have excellent diagnoses available to us through imaging and testing, finding the similimum is not always necessary. This is where the Banerji Protocols can step right up and take their very valuable spot. (See also: The Importance of a Proper Diagnosis.)

The Banerjis, with all their many thousands of case histories to rely upon, have learned what works for commonly diagnosed conditions. To name but a few:

• Warts
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sinusitis
• Parkinson's Disease
• Infertility

Common conditions which often respond beautifully to homeopathic protocols.
​
The Banerji Protocols: A New Method of Treatment with Homeopathic Medicines is, in my never-to-be-humble opinion, an indispensable book. My copy is well loved and beginning to fall apart as I have read through and studied the approximately 200 conditions over the years.

For each condition addressed, they (generally speaking) list 3 “lines”:

• First Line medicines, which they claim offer relief, in 80% of the cases.
• Second Line medicines can help the remaining approximately 20% of the cases.
• If the first and second line “do not give proper response, in a reasonable time frame,” the third line is standing by and waiting.

And, if these “lines” don’t do the trick, the next step is to fall back on classical homeopathy.

We’re also taught in classical homeopathy schools that remedies should never be combined with other remedies. The logic here is sound: homeopathic remedies are tested or “proved” (using the homeopathic terminology) one at a time. To my knowledge, there has not been any official testing or provings of combined homeopathic remedies (just long, positive track records, like the records the Banerjis keep).

Having said that, to my understanding, there have not been any problems with using said combined remedies. There are certainly plenty of them out there*: Boiron, Hylands, Heel, UNDA, Narayani, Dr. Reckeweg — (there are more but this list should suffice to get anyone who has an interest in such things started). 

How else do the Banerji Protocols differ from classical homeopathy?

• Classical homeopathy does not repeat remedies often (sometimes no repetition at all). The Banerjis often repeat their suggested remedies daily or even multiple times a day. 
• Classical homeopathy puts a large emphasis on mental and emotional states and symptoms. Banerji Protocols, not so much.
• Classical homeopathy involves (generally speaking) long, in-depth case taking. Banerji Protocols cut to the chase, similar to how western medicine would prescribe certain medicines for certain conditions.
• Classical homeopaths would spend a great deal of time repertorizing (looking up symptoms in a repertory -- a book of symptoms expressed in the form of rubrics). The Banerjis have removed that step by stating exactly what to take and when and how often.

Now, let’s turn to Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy.
​The other most important aspect of homeopathy is found in aphorism #1 in Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine: “The physician’s highest and only calling is to make the sick healthy, to cure, as it is called.”

This beautiful ideal is from 1842, written in the 6th edition of Dr. Hahnemann's magnum opus, 32 years after his first edition. During these years, his methods changed and grew and who knows where his experimentation would have ended up if he had been able to get to the 10th or 20th editions of The Organon? I happen to believe that Dr. Hahnemann would have eventually come around to the idea of combination remedies, but that’s just my opinion.

What does it matter if one remedy at a time is used or if multiple remedies are combined… as long as the person experiences relief?

I know of successful classical homeopaths who say they use a particular remedy in their practice weekly. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that is not necessarily truly classical homeopathy. This, to me, does not really sound like they are getting the single best remedy that is “homeopathic to the case.” It can’t possibly be. If these homeopaths were going about their homeopathy in a completely classical fashion, the chances of them using the same remedy as the similimum for multiple clients in the same same week or month (outside of an epidemic/pandemic) are quite low.

Or, they say, “I use this remedy for this condition.” Again, this is essentially using a protocol — they are just their own protocols. After all, protocols are procedures based on previous experience to deliver an expected outcome.

I am certainly not knocking these homeopaths for doing this. On the contrary! This is exactly the point of practical or clinical homeopathy. Lots of people need similar or even the same remedies to help treat the conditions from which they suffer.

For this reason, I incorporate many ways of finding remedies for my clients. I suggest remedies based on how my clients want to work: if they want a single remedy, great! I’m on it. If they want a schedule of combination remedies, I can do that, too. If they want a mix of everything - done! I am happy to work with people in whichever way makes them comfortable.

My goal as a homeopath is to help people feel better. 

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits


* I have no affiliation with these companies or people — just a big fan!

** Joette Calabrese is THE person from whom to learn the Banerji Protocols. Her many great webinars (and Facebook Live videos) are personable, interesting, entertaining and absolutely chock-a-block full of information. The hows and whys, the stories, her time spent with the Drs Banerji… definitely well worth the investment of time and money if you have any interest in learning about the Banerji Protocols.

*** I have intentionally left out the potencies. The Banerji Protocol book is a marvelous resource to have on your shelf and it will fill in the rest of the protocol information for you. Note: Some of their protocols call for remedies prepared in a liquid. Additionally, occasionally, they list potencies which we do not use in the west (in fact, sometimes these potencies are not even available in the west). Please be sure to take this into consideration if you purchase this terrific book and use caution when you encounter potencies which seem “unusual” to you.

TapRoots* also offers not one, but two (!) Banerji Protocol kits. The first one, The Banerji Protocols Combination set is $199 ($269.99 with a booklet). This is a little 50-remedy kit full of their handy-dandy combinations, like:

• Bryonia + Aconite  (See: here, here, and here for previous articles talking about this must-have combination.)
• Lycopodium + Arsenicum album for gas and bloating (see here) 
• Sanguinaria + Belladonna for sinus issues (see here)​

TapRoots also offers a double kit of the remedies most frequently used in the Banerji Protocols. These are not combination remedies, they are individual homeopathic remedies in various potencies. This kit sells for $649. (A big chunk of change, but one would be set for pretty much anything that would come their way if they had these delicious little boxes of 200 remedies in potencies ranging from 3x to 1M in their arsenal.)

Reference list

​Banerji, Dr. P., n.d. The Diaries of a Stubborn Homeopath.

Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji Protocols : a New Method of Treatment with Homeopathic Medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Boiron, 2020. Boiron USA - World Leader in Homeopathic Medicines [online]. BoironUSA. 

Calabrese, J., 2024. JoetteCalabrese.com - Homeopathy works with us...not on us. [online]. JoetteCalabrese.com. 

Dr. Reckeweg, 2022. Home [online]. Dr. Reckeweg.
 
Hahnemann, S. and Wenda Brewster O'reilly, 1996. Organon of the Medical Art. Palo Alto, Ca: Birdcage Books.

Homeopathy School international, 2025. Home - HOMEOPATHY SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL [online]. HOMEOPATHY SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL. 
​
Hylands, 2025. Hyland’s [online]. Hyland’s. 

MediNatura, 2021. MediNatura [online]. MediNatura. 

Narayani Remedies, n.d. NARAYANI REMEDIES [online]. narayaniremedies.com. 

SHASTRI, D. and LEE, M., 2025. What to know about measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico [online]. AP News. 

TapRoots, 2025. Homeopathic Kits [online]. TapRoots. 

​Though my first few experiences with homeopathy were through using single remedies suggested by classical homeopaths, the big wowee moment about homeopathy for me came when I was first treated with the Banerji Protocols. That is when very big changes happened very quickly for me. Those changes were so impressive and occurred in such a short amount of time that I stopped everything I was doing and started studying homeopathy. Those first classes that followed were all about the Banerji Protocols and I was absolutely hooked on the wonders of homeopathy. Banerji Protocols remain near and dear to my heart and I use them every single day. (If you are interested in classes on Banerji Protocols, Joette Calabrese* is the way to go.)

I then went to Homeopathy School International* because at that time, I just wanted to learn more about homeopathy. I had no idea that I actually wanted to become an actual homeopath. Because the only way I could get more knowledge was to take the tests, I did just that and then without any real intention to become one, I was a CHom, a certified homeopath.

When that finished, I was still hungry for more knowledge and I lucked in to a Bachelor of Science (BSc) program that was going to be offered one last time through Centre for Homeopathic Education*, (a.k.a. CHE) in conjunction with Middlesex University in the UK. At this time, I still didn’t think I wanted to be a practicing homeopath, but if I thought I was hooked before — now I was really hooked and just a couple months into this one, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! This program focused on the science of homeopathy, learning advanced materia medica, anatomy and physiology as it relates to homeopathy and diving into the research of homeopathy. Don’t let anyone tell you that good research does not exist for the efficacy of homeopathy, because it does! 

I still can’t get enough homeopathic knowledge. I am constantly enrolled in deep dives into many different topics; some because they interest me and some because I have clients with specific issues and I do whatever I can to learn how to further help them.

Last year I embarked on some classes looking into the Narayani Remedies. (If you are interested, Caroline Gaskin* does a good class.) On one hand, the Narayani remedies seem simple and straightforward, yet on the other hand, it’s like learning a whole new dialect of a previously familiar language.

Like the Banerji Protocols (BPs), Narayani Remedies are combination homeopathic remedies but unlike the BPs, the Narayani combinations frequently intermingle. Often, many different Narayani combinations are used at one time resulting in a mind-boggling amount of many different remedies being given/taken all at once. Fully classical homeopaths must balk at these combos (all combos, really), but… I’m going to say that they shouldn’t knock ‘em before they try them!

“The Narayani Remedies were created by Swami Narayani and Swami Ananda in 1968 to simplify their practice treating large numbers of patients in India and South Africa. These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success. The combination remedies are used to manage people with a variety of conditions… a truly wonderful set of combinations” (Narayani Remedies*).

Let me tell you about a particular favorite of mine: a delightful little combination called Narayani Calming Pills Mix 6. I have many clients who have referred to this combination as “a life saver” and I have found it to be very helpful for both clients and caregivers of clients with difficult conditions.

From Davidson’s book, “The name speaks for itself. The pills do just that — they calm the entire system, mentally and physically. There are times when, after taking the first few doses, people want to sleep and sleep. This proves that the nervous system needs to rest — needs to stop for a while. For busy parents with naughty children. Tense business people. After a visit to the dentist. Any grieving family. Any condition of stress or apprehension.”

What’s in it? Again, from Davidson (2005):

Avena sativa for nervous exhaustion and tremors
Coffea for nervous agitation and restlessness
Humulus (Lupulus) for unstrung nervous conditions with nausea
Ignatia for sobbing, sighing, depressed conditions
Kali phos — a great nerve tonic
Passiflora has a quietening effect on the nervous system
Sumbul for hysterical and nervous symptoms
Valeriana for hysterical, over-sensitive nervous affections

When I first looked into these combination remedies, I thought — “but, my client isn’t ‘hysterical’ and isn’t nauseous — this is just too much stuff in here and is not applicable.”

I was wrong. Not every remedy listed in a Narayani combination remedy needs to be “a good fit.” You see, the body is just amazingly intelligent and knows what it needs. And, when it comes to homeopathy, the body is somehow able to sort through what it needs and discards what it doesn’t; this seems particularly true when it comes to using homeopathic combination remedies.

What prompted this article today was an ad in my inbox that got me a little excited…

TapRoots* has announced their new Top 50 Narayani Remedies Kit 1. (That #1 gets me excited that there will be more to follow!) 

From the email:
PRE-ORDER NOW & SAVE $30!
This kit will begin shipping May 20, 2024.
The Narayani Remedies are an incredibly powerful set of combination remedies that were put together by "classical homeopath", Swami Narayani, in 1968.

These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success and are now being used in 80 countries!

SAVE $30 when you pre-order by April 30, 2024! No coupon needed!

Should you decide to go ahead and make this purchase, I highly recommend purchasing a book to help you navigate your way through these simple but sometimes confusingly named remedies. Robert Davidson’s book (mentioned above) or, Nimisha Parekh’s Narayani Remedies, A Condensed Guide, or, (even better!) Helios Pharmacy has done an updated and revised handbook (2023) which is even a little clearer.

As an example, “Calming Pills” is pretty straightforwardly named; CB 8 Mix 69, not so much. CB 8 Mix 69 is “akin to” a combination of “Calming” and “Shock” (another Narayani combo) but it is different — It is, however, for the nervous and emotional system. (I did mention this was a little like learning a different language!)

“A single remedy is like a solo artist, unique and individual. The combination remedy is like a choir. Each has to be in harmony with all the others, working for a single outcome. Truly harmonious, effective combinations are quite rare and Narayani remedies — they just sweetly sing” (Davidson 2005).

If you would like to learn more about how single or combination homeopathic remedies could help you, click here to book a free 30-minute consultation.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this company (or any other, actually) — I just like their products!

​Reference list

Davidson, R., ed. 2005. Narayani’s Materia Medica: Homeopathic Combination Remedies For the 21st Century. 2nd ed. Milton Keynes, U.K.: Robert Davidson.

Narayani Remedies, n.d. NARAYANI REMEDIES [online]. narayaniremedies.com.