Theory of Homeopathic Remedy

• Homeopathic medicine, which was founded by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century, is an alternative medical treatment that uses plants and minerals in minute, diluted doses in order to recruit the patient's natural defenses. A proponent of the philosophy "Like Cures Like," Hahnemann believed the best way to treat symptoms was to prescribe the substance that, in larger doses, would provoke the same symptoms in a healthy person. Generally, homeopathic medicine--which practitioners consider both an art and a science--is not as concerned with medical diagnosis as traditional medicine; there is more emphasis on treating symptoms as they occur.
  
  

Dilutions and Dosages

• The substances used in homeopathic medicine are diluted many times over in either water or alcohol, and then labeled accordingly.
  Because of the amount of diffusion, there is not the emphasis on precise dosages that there is in conventional medicine, and recommended dosages could range from a dozen times a day to once daily. Your homeopathic practitioner may advise you to take one dose and wait for a response, then to only take another if symptoms don't continue to improve.
  In homeopathic remedies, briefly worsening symptoms, or "aggravation," are not seen as a sign of failure but as a sign that the treatment could be working. If symptoms worsen and then begin to rapidly improve, you may have found a helpful homeopathic remedy.
  
  

Remedies

• There are many popular homeopathic remedies recommended for excessive sweating. These include silica, aperine (made from a creeping perennial plant), milk thistle--a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with detoxifying effects on the liver--magnesium phosphate, and mercurius vivus, made from mercury. For sweating specific to menopause, ginger is often recommended, as well as teas of black cohosh and sage. Psorinum is used for sweaty palms. For excessive perspiration with odor, your practitioner may recommend combinations including lupulus, castoreum, and natrum muriatricum.
  
  

Tips and Precautions

• If you are already being prescribed medication by a medical doctor, consult before stopping any prescriptions in lieu of homeopathic remedies.
  Read all labels carefully and make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients. A person allergic to asters, for instance, would want to avoid milk thistle. The use of both coffee and nail polish may impair the effectiveness of some remedies.
  
  With some experimentation, you may be able to alleviate or even cure your excessive sweating with homeopathic medicine.