​It is the 4th of July — a big holiday for us Americans as it recognizes the day when the USA signed the Declaration of Independence to mark the official separation of the North American colonies from Great Britain. Flagging the day (so to speak) when we, as a country, became free and independent.
​
I’m a big fan of independence… autonomy, sovereignty, freedom, liberty — all the things in all the ways.

​It’s difficult to distinguish which freedom is more important than another because they are all pretty gosh darned important. One freedom that doesn’t get enough airtime (in my opinion) is health freedom — the freedom to choose medical treatments… or, not, as the case may be. If you, too, are interested in health freedom, check out National Health Freedom Coalition.

One beautiful way to exercise health independence is to learn about a handful of homeopathic remedies. Just a little homeopathic knowledge can go an awfully long way to keeping you and your family happy, healthy and well.

For the record, I am a big proponent of getting things checked out by a physician. I like to dot my i’s and cross my t’s. Doing so, however, is becoming increasingly difficult. I recently had a non-emergency issue for which I perhaps would have liked to have seen a physician. I did an on-line consult with a nurse and was instructed to call the physician’s office to make an appointment — she said that she would put in the notes that she recommended I do so in hopes of expediting an appointment. I called. They saw the note and I was told the nearest appointment was 6 months out. Never mind. I took care of it homeopathically.

Over the counter meds are easy, but they are not without risks. There are beautiful homeopathic remedies which can fill this gap. (See Painkillers and The Road Less Traveled.) 

​Antibiotics can lose their oomph after a while. (See here, here and here for a few articles.) There are absolutely times where antibiotics are absolutely needed. There are many more times when antibiotics are used injudiciously (see here and here). Homeopathy is an excellent alternative for non-urgent situations, e.g., ear infections.

​Emergency Room/Urgent Care wait times vary greatly, but unless you are in dire straits, who has 4-8 hours to wait to see a doctor (maybe, but more likely not actually a doctor) for common conditions like sore throats*? (See also, Tis the season for… Sore Throats.)

​A few years ago, UK homeopaths (Alliance of Registered Homeopaths; Homeopathy International (HINT); Society of Homeopaths; and, The People’s Health Alliance) put out a really nice PDF called, “The 35: Homeopathy’s answer to the 35 conditions no longer routinely prescribed for in primary care.” These are what they call “minor conditions considered to be self-limiting and so do not need treatment as they will heal or be cured of their own accord.” Well, they may heal on their own in due time, but that doesn’t mean that time is spent comfortably! This is where homeopathy can help.

A few of the conditions listed in “The 35” which, generally speaking, could benefit from some sort of treatment include: 
​

• Back pain & Strain (Rhymes with Box; Summer Fun #4: Sprains, Strains & Bicycle Falls; Painkillers; Relief)
• Burns & Scalds (Kitchen Quickies: Burns; Tis the Season for… Burns?; Summer Fun #1: Sun)
• Colds & Nasal Congestion (Calming the Cold; Decongestants)
• Cystitis (When it hurts to go…)
• Dermatitis (See also, Ringworm)
• Diarrhea (Traveler’s Diarrhea; The Doo-Doo Documents 3: Diarrhea)
• Headaches & Migraine (Headaches & Cell Salts; The Road Less Traveled)
• Indigestion & Heartburn (Just going for a Pepcid; Too Much)
• Toothache, Teething & Tooth decay (It’s Never Too Late, 3: Oral Health; A Dental Quickie: The dentists are on it!; Why the Hek/c; Brace Face; Guest Post: Straight from the dentist’s mouth)

​Plenty of people have spent many hours in an urgent care waiting for some sort of treatment to get some level of relief for these conditions. Having a little kit of homeopathic remedies at their disposal could save lots of people lots of time, frustration and pain. (See: Quickie: Kits for a very easy way to get started.)

What do you do with these little tubes you have accumulated? Well, I have a bunch of answers for that, too.

There are plenty of excellent books for homeopathic home use. Here is a very short list:

• The Homeopath in Your Hand
• Homeopathy at Home
• Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook

​There are apps out there to help us use homeopathy. (Here is a link to Homeopathy Helpers which I wrote in 2024… and most likely needs a little update. I’ll get there one day!)

​This is the year! is chockablock full of helpful tips to get underway with using homeopathic remedies.

​Recently, I updated my Substack home page with a “New to Homeopathy? Start here…” section. This can help fill in some of the “now what do I do” blanks when you’re getting started in your homeopathic journey.

It’s not just people who need some independent health care. Our pets can benefit from some homeopathic remedies, too. (See also, Homeopathy to the rescue for…)

Take Independence Day to the next level, and learn how to treat your family and friends (and pets!) minor inconveniences. You won’t regret it.

​Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

​*Most sore throats are not a problem. The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends seeking medical attention when: the pain is severe or lasts more than a few days; if the sore throat is accompanied by swollen glands that cause difficulty breathing or prevent the person from swallowing fluids; in children in particular, if there is presence of excessive salivation, inability to swallow liquids, difficulty speaking, irritability or the inability to move the neck.

Reference list
Alliance of Registered Homeopaths, n.d. Home Page [online]. Alliance of Registered Homeopaths.
Cleveland Clinic, 2023. Antibiotic Resistance [online]. Cleveland Clinic.
Homeopathy International, 2018. Home - Homeopathy International [online]. Homeopathy International - Delivering excellence in Homeopathy.
Hyun, D., 2017. Why Doctors Prescribe Antibiotics—Even When They Shouldn’t [online]. Pew.org.
Mayo Clinic, 2022. Antibiotics: Are You Misusing Them? [online]. Mayo Clinic.
National Health Freedom Coalition, n.d. Home [online]. National Health Freedom Coalition.
NIH Library of Medicine, 2017. Do antibiotics help fight common colds? [online]. Nih.gov.
Queen, J., Zhang, J. and Sears, C. L., 2020. Oral antibiotic use and chronic disease: long-term health impact beyond antimicrobial resistance and Clostridioides difficile. Gut Microbes [online], 11 (4), 1–12.
Society of Homeopaths, 2026. Homeopathic treatment of a genetic case with a twist [online]. Society of Homeopaths.
The People’s Health Alliance, 2023. Home [online]. The People’s Health Alliance. 

Where has the summer gone? I spoke with someone yesterday who told me their son started kindergarten that morning. I really don’t know how it happens, but once again, school is here! I thought summer vacation seemed short as a kid, but I think it seems even shorter as an adult.

I no longer have school-aged youngsters but there is no escaping all the “back to school” stuff everywhere right now.

To read some previous articles about some remedies which may help with all the emotions that come along with heading back to the classroom, check these out:

• Back to School in 2021 
• Bach to School 
• The Big Goodbye 

Today, though, I’m going to take a little different angle.

School is school for most kids — but not all kids. “Among children 8 years in 2022, ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) prevalence was 32.2 per 1,000 children (one in 31)” (Shaw 2025). Almost 1 in 6 US children have a developmental disability (Zablotsky et al. 2019). That translates to an awful lot of kids who may need a little extra help in school.

Angelica Lemke, ND has written a really amazing book and this little review is not going to do the book justice. Healing Complex Children with Homeopathy: ASD, PANDAS/PANS, LYME, ADHD, and more is a dense (400+ pages), but straightforward and clear book written by “a homeopath and naturopath who specializes in the complex cases of children through an empathic, heart-centered approach. She has empowered many of the parents she works with to ‘find the healer within’, using homeopathy to support their family and the health of their communities.” “Invit[ing] parents to be active participants in the healing of their children” (Lemke 2021*).

Before you cast this book aside because the children in your life are not “complex” and don’t suffer from any of the above listed conditions, just know that this book is pretty much a good overview of homeopathic remedies and how to use them, in general. I have read a gazillion books on homeopathy and this one provided me with more than a few “aha” nuggets.

Here is a link for the table of contents and introduction so you can get an overview of what’s in it. “I wrote this book to empower parents, homeopaths, and healers to use their intuition, along with homeopathic remedies, to heal the growing number of today’s children who suffer from a wide range of complex conditions.” The keyword here for how Angelica works is “intuition.” She teaches parents how to tune into their intuition and their “inner knowing” to connect their child with an appropriate homeopathic remedy.

Healing Complex Children begins with chapters on the history and practice of homeopathy and then dives right into miasms (see also: Miasms, a very brief introduction). Unlike most homeopathic books written for the general public, she doesn’t just touch on the explanation of miasms, she shows us how to see them in our children and includes information on some nosodes and what physical and mental symptoms to look for which may indicate the use of these remedies. Her conclusion to this chapter is a nice list of the miasms with key remedies for each.

Chapter 4: Animal Remedies: what they are made from, why they would be prescribed and how to recognize the symptoms which may lead to an animal remedy. This chapter looks at lacs (milks), spiders, insects, birds, mollusks, fish, reptiles and amphibians. Within each sub-section is a list of “notable features” which can be found in complex children. Before describing those remedies, though, Lemke provides us with a short and sweet differential list of how these remedies may show up on the physical plane, followed by a few questions which may help find an animal remedy. Each sub-section has a generalized overview of the remedy family, followed by a succinct paragraph or two with a basic introduction to each remedy — as is the case for all her remedy write-ups, they are just enough to whet the appetite and send one digging further into the materia medica.

Chapter 5: Plant Remedies: includes another nice little list of a few physicals/organs and some commonly associated remedies. She writes, “While there are thousands of plant remedies that could be included here, this chapter focuses on those that I have found to be most useful in complex children. In particular, plant remedies can be critical to help address pain sensations in the body. When a child is in pain and their life revolves around it, this is the main symptom that should be addressed and plants become prime candidates.”

At this point, she has a sidebar/box with a little information about Gemmos and Bach flowers. I love Gemmos and Bach flowers and am always happy to see that info being shared!!

Next are questions to help find a plant remedy, followed by each plant family with a short overview and then the paragraph or two of each remedy.

Chapter 6: Mineral and Periodic Table Remedies: "Mineral remedies assist with issues of structure, function, and deficiency in the body… For children who are building up their bodies, their sense of self, and their ability to process information, mineral remedies are key to helping them develop in a solid, stable way.”

Lemke touches on Jan Scholten’s Element Theory and proceeds essentially through the periodic table in her listing of remedies. Within the many sub-sections are tables listing the various remedies within certain elements, e.g. carbon-based remedies; the multiple Natrum remedies, Magnesia remedies, Kali remedies, etc.

We are just over halfway through this book and the huge number of remedies already covered is impressive!

Chapters 7 & 8: Nosodes & Sarcodes. As mentioned above, not many homeopathy books aimed at the general population (as opposed to being written for homeopaths) include much information on Nosodes and Sarcodes. Lemke lists core sensations, physical symptoms, and gastrointestinal symptoms which may lead to the use of a nosode, followed by how to use them. In my estimation, this chapter on nosodes alone is worth the price of admission. There is so much amazingly useful information here! There is also a really nice, long section on Lyme disease and concurrent co-infections.

The Sarcodes section is divided into matridonal remedies and hormones, glands and neurotransmitters — again with a paragraph on each remedy. Sarcodes are another area where there is a dearth of useful information and Healing Complex Children helps to shed some light on these important remedies… what they are, how to use them, why to use them. She explains that, “the purpose of the treatment with a sarcode is to heal the tissue so it can go back to its normal job, not to replace the energy of the tissue, such as with thyroid medication.”

Chapter 9: Tautopathy. Another topic for which good information is hard to find. This book is chock-a-block full of useful stuff!

Chapter 10, the final chapter in the book, is “Remedies by Categories of Complex Kids.” Sub-sections include, among others: Children with Acute Rage and Panic; Highly Anxious Children; Sad, Serious Children; Angelic Children; Hyperactive Children and ends with Common Remedies for Parents, noting: “It is of utmost importance for parents to heal themselves along with their children.”

There are plenty of “woo woo” ideas in this book, which I have heard some homeopaths object to, e.g. if they “flit” from one thing to the next, they may need a Butterfly remedy. Let’s be honest here — all homeopathy is a little “woo woo.” If you have a complex child for which nothing has been able to help,  maybe finding a remedy based on the fact the child “flits” is exactly what that child needs!

Going beyond her book, back in 2015, based on Angelica Lemke’s practice of focusing on special needs children, she began the School of Intuitive Homeopathy: “Integrating an intuitive approach with a traditional homeopathy foundation, creating a new paradigm for the future of medicine.” Courses include:

• Introduction to Homeopath Basics, $150 (taught by Judith Toscano, ND & Angelica Lemke)
• Live lecture series: Animals fall 2025; Plants beginning February 2026; Minerals Fall 2026
• Certification Programs — a 2 year program (there is early bird pricing if you enroll before August 15, 2025! — go for it!!)
• Intuition Upgrade for Professional Homeopaths

If you are a parent of a complex child and would like further guidance, consider booking an appointment at the Homeopathy Hive, of which Lemke is a co-founder.

Healing Complex Children with Homeopathy is available in the usual places, but it’s also available on her own website. And, I’m really excited about this… I just learned this book is now available on Kindle. I have a well-loved, well-thumbed, dog-eared, underlined copy and I have been hoping for an electronic version because this is a book that I return to over and over again and now I can search it electronically. Yay!!

If you are interested in learning homeopathy, don’t discard this book because “children” is in the title. Know that this book is an incredibly helpful overview of this amazingly powerful modality called homeopathy; touching on all the important topics and introducing us to many remedy families as well as a large range of individual remedies.

Happy reading!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


* All further quotes in this article are coming from Angelica Lemke’s Healing Complex Children with Homeopathy.


I have no affiliation with this book or the author beyond reading her work and attending some of her lectures.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about teeth lately: My husband’s recent dental experiences; A couple of recent homeopathy/dentistry articles; I’m overdue for my teeth cleaning by a couple of months because my old dentist is no longer around… you know, just thinking about T.E.E.T.H.

Why did I capitalize that word and stick periods between each letter?

Because I learned about T.E.E.T.H when listening to this podcast. 

T.E.E.T.H. stands for:

Tried
Everything
Else
Try
Homeopathy

You see, lots of people come to homeopathy when they feel they have exhausted all their options:

• The doctors have told them they have nothing more to offer them.
• They find the meds they are on are no longer as effective as they once were.
• They are no longer able to tolerate the meds they are on.
• The side effects are too much.
• The relief they were promised wasn’t sufficient.
• They feel unheard by their physicians.
• The person is experiencing vague, unpleasant symptoms which don’t fit nicely into the mainstream medical modality.
• They are allergic to the ingredients (manufactured or herbal).
• The many supplements prescribed are just too expensive.

There are any number of reasons why people turn to homeopathy. But, there is no doubt that by the time they have decided to try homeopathy, most people feel they have exhausted all other possibilities. Homeopathy is often the last stop on the wellness train and I would love to see that change.

From my perspective, whatever gets people to turn to homeopathy is fine and dandy with me! I wish everybody knew about the wonders of this modality!! But, if people were to be introduced to homeopathy before the last stop on their health journey, I personally think a lot of health difficulties could be avoided.

So, what are the benefits of homeopathy?

Homeopathy focuses on the entire person, taking physical, emotional and mental symptoms into consideration when finding a homeopathic remedy that is selected just for them.

Homeopathy is:

• Gentle
• Non-addictive
• Chemical free
• Natural
• Without side effects
• Deceptively powerful (try it and see!)
• The remedies are pretty darned inexpensive
• Safe for all ages (and, pets, too!)

Homeopathy doesn’t have to be an all or nothing option. Homeopathy works beautifully alongside other treatments or it can be very helpful to address symptoms that are not fully managed through other means or even to help with side effects of certain other medical treatments.

If you would like to give homeopathy a try (for you or your child ), I am offering a 20% discount for new clients in this month of May.

If you would like to chat further to have any questions you may have about homeopathy answered, click here for a free 20-minute introductory meeting.  

Give homeopathy a whirl… I think you might just be pleasantly surprised.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits
* I have no idea why the AI image generator can't spell homeopathy… oh, well.

Last year, I dropped Rufus off for boarding when we went out of town. I was informed he needed a bunch of immunizations to be there, even if only to get groomed. 

Ruf does not love riding in the car and at his size, he’s not easy to get into the car when he’s not a willing participant. The groomer/boarder is close enough that I walk him there. I opted to use their mobile vet to do what they needed to do.

He was perfectly healthy when I dropped him off. He was sick as a dog when I picked him up. Kennel cough (also known as Bordatella, the vaccine he was required to get so he didn’t catch Kennel cough) was the diagnosis.

What to do? Homeopathy of course!

I turned to my handy dandy Homeopathy to the Rescue for Dogs from Pet Remedy Charts.*

“Kennel Cough: Drosera 30c if the cough is dry, spasmodic and there is retching. Dose: 3-4 times daily for 5-7 days or until improved.”

Drosera and lots of bone broth was the ticket and after a few days I was happy to hear him out in the yard with enough energy to bark at the world. 

Back when we used to have chickens, I used their Homeopathy to the Rescue for Chickens. Fortunately, the chicken only had diarrhea and it was easily addressed by giving her some Arsenicum album (dissolved in some bone broth soaked rice). A few doses and everything firmed right up again. My chicken chart addresses 31 different ailments including Abscesses, Aggression, Bumblefoot, Animal Bites, Respiratory Infections/Allergies and also includes Dosing Guidelines.

These charts are concise and easy to use and nicely laminated, too so I expect them to be around for quite a while.

Since I first found this company, they have added a bunch of new charts, including anatomy and for some of the creatures they have included herbs, flower remedies and acupressure. Charts available for dogs, cats, birds, horses, chickens, pet rats and humans.

Always helpful to have a handy-dandy chart ready to go for whatever comes up.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical Homeopathy 


#wellnessawaits. #homeopathycanhelp

* I have no affiliation with this company. I just like their products.

I recently mentioned that I really like my dentist. I’m going to sing her praises again. Earlier this week I had a little cavity filled in an upper molar. I didn’t feel it. The only way I knew it was there is that every time I ate blueberries, the little seeds would get stuck in there. They had a cancellation so I got in quickly (good!) and she used her new laser technology (double good!!). No injection, no numbing, no drilling. I found the laser to be more uncomfortable than touted, but, hey, there was no injection, no numbing, no drilling, so I’m not complaining. But, it left me with a little headache and that old familiar feeling of, “I’ve just had some dental work done.”

How do I fix these problems? Homeopathy, of course!

Arnica is my remedy of choice here. Homeopathic Arnica is a trauma remedy. Dental work is without question, regardless of how gentle it is done, traumatic to the tooth that had the work. It is invasive.  A portion of my tooth has been removed so they could fill it up again with a foreign substance. Lessell’s Textbook of Dental Homeopathy talks about the importance of taking Arnica both before and after all dental procedures and I didn’t think of it because I was having the newfangled procedure that left my son completely unscathed when he had it. Whoops. 

The first line in von Lippe’s Keynotes and Red Line Symptoms of the Materia Medica entry for Arnica says: “Sore, lame, bruised feeling all through the body, as if beaten.” My discomfort is only in my tooth, but “sore,” “bruised” and it actually was beaten with a laser so this is an accurate description for dental work. (Arnica is also a great remedy for bleeding following dental procedures, should that be an issue.)

If my dentist had not been using the newfangled techniques, I would have employed homeopathic Hypericum to lessen the numbing as well as address the pain from the injection site. Hypericum is known as “the Arnica of the nerves.” It is also well indicated for “injuries from treading on nails, needles, pins, splinters” (von Lippe). Injecting the numbing agent certainly qualifies there.

If you can find a dentist in your area that uses this technology, it may be worth your effort to find them. If you have some upcoming dental work scheduled and would like some further quick answers as to how to deal with the discomfort that may follow, book a “quick consult” appointment. If you find yourself suffering some longer term problems as a result of dentistry, book a regular appointment and let’s see if homeopathy can find you some relief.

Julia Coyte, CHom
classicallypractical.com

​#homeopathycanhelp

Von Lippe, A. (2011). Key notes & red line symptoms of the materia medica. Editorial: New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers‌
Lessell, C.B. (1995). A textbook of dental homeopathy for dental surgeons, homeopathists and general medical practitioners. Saffron Walden: Cw Daniel Co Ltd.
‌

Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook by Alan V. Schmukler


This was my first book on homeopathy. All those years ago, this felt like a book of magic spells that I didn’t have the ability to access. I read through it many, many times. I turned down corners and marked up all sorts of pages. I may have even tried a remedy or two, but I’m thinking I probably didn’t. I was too nervous. It felt completely forbidden and a little scary.

In reality, it’s a straight forward book with good, useable information.

Maybe the introduction scared me off. Way back in 2006, Schmukler says, “I call this a handbook for survival, because in the coming years we may find ourselves in survival situations for the following reasons: 

1. Natural disasters
2. Terrorism
3. Antibiotic-resistant infections
[Where he writes, “The medical system could easily be overwhelmed by thousands of cases of untreatable infections.” That sounds familiar now that we have lived through 2020!]
4. Exotic diseases
5. Chemical or drug sensitivity
6. Genetic engineering
7. No medical insurance"

Maybe this list was too heavy for my relatively young and naïve self when I first found this book and homeopathy was completely foreign to me. I’ve made it to 2021 and am a little wiser to the ways of the world now. But, even before the nightmare of the last 18 months I had discovered the full importance of homeopathy in all these potential scenarios as well as every day life.

Chapter 1 is a nice explanation of homeopathy, why you would choose it, what it does and a brief history. Chapter 2 dives right into the rules for using the remedies and taking the case.
​
Chapter 3 starts the nitty gritty. Beginning with “Abscess” and closing out with “Yellow Fever,” he doesn’t quite make it all the way through the alphabet (that's because Zika wasn't widely known in 2006!) but the ailments he includes are meatier than other, similar books (as one might expect when one is writing a book for survival situations).

For each ailment he includes a brief description, followed immediately by a list of suggested remedies, each described in just a few lines. He keeps it simple and succinct. He also suggests a few starred remedies which are highly indicated for each condition.

Example from Homeopathy: Ailments A to Z, pages 198-199:
“Sprains
A sprain is an injury to the ligament around a joint. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and sometimes bruising.
* Arnica: Immediately after the injury.
* Rhus tox: Stiffness and pain, which is worse after rest and better from continued motion. Must keep shifting position.
Bryonia: Worse from any motion, better from pressure, better from lying on the affected part.
Ruta: Tendons, especially the ankle, heel and wrist. Repetitive motion syndrome. Worse after rest.
Hypericum: When nerves are damaged and there is much pain.”

You can’t get much clearer than those quick descriptions to get you on your way to healing.

Chapter 4 is a nice addition of “Organ Remedies” not often found in most “consumer” homeopathy books. Chapter 5 is “Remedy Description,” also known as a Materia Medica in homeopathy-speak.

“Pregnancy and Birth,” “Preventing Illness with Homeopathy,” “First Aid Remedies for Specific Occupations and Activities,” “Economizing: Making Your Remedies Last Forever” are chapters that definitely separate this book from its neighbors on the book shelf.

Schmukler rounds out the book with “Homeopathy Around the World” and “How to Use a Repertory” (which is basically a book of symptoms) and includes a mini-repertory. He finishes the book up with “Remedies for Your Home Kit,” which of course has a nod to some unusual remedies for when the survival situations get tough.

Schmukler, A.V. (2006). Homeopathy : an A to Z home handbook. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.