When 58-year-old Jo Stokes began experiencing menopause symptoms—including hot flashes, weight gain, poor sleep, headaches, itchy skin, and swollen ankles—she turned to prescription hormone replacement therapy (HRT) gel. But that only made her feel worse.
A seminar on menopause in the workplace prompted her to give homeopathy a try. Although skeptical at first, her incredulity faded when, after the first month of treatment, her flashes and swollen ankles had disappeared while her other symptoms eased as well.
“The horrible headaches I’d been having about every two weeks completely stopped from the first day of taking the medicines,” says Stokes. “I’d put up with stuff for so long that I couldn’t believe that after just a few days … these symptoms just went [away]!”
Humble beginnings
Developed in Germany over 200 years ago, homeopathy is governed by two principles: “like cures like,” where the remedy is made of a substance that would provoke the same symptoms of the condition in a healthy person; and the “law of minimum dose,” that holds the less you take, the greater the effect.
Pat Deacon, RSHom, HMC, has been practicing homeopathy in the UK and across Canada for over 30 years. Today, she offers services via Zoom.
She found her vocation while searching for a remedy for her son’s eczema that progressed into asthma. After conventional remedies failed, they learned of a local homeopath. The treatment not only led to physical improvement, but also prompted profound emotional change.
“To think that this was a medicine that could not only improve one’s physical health, and remove uncomfortable, unpleasant symptoms, but also transform the person so that they were actually happy,” says Deacon, “I wanted to be a part of that.”
During her career, Deacon has treated those in various stages of their lifespan. Lately, many of her patients are over the age of 60.
Just some of the main issues she treats include menopause, depression, arthritis, allergies, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, and chemotherapy-weakened immune systems.
Simpler solutions
Among the many benefits of the practice, says Deacon, is that homeopathy allows patients to eliminate or minimize their reliance on mainstream medications, and avoid the side effects—and expense—of pharmaceuticals. Typically, remedies are prescribed as liquids or pills and range from $6 to $20 each.
A common misconception, according to natural menopause expert and homeopath Sarah Davison, BSc (Hom), LCHE, DipPsych, is that homeopathy involves herbs and supplements.
Instead, she explains, natural substances referred to as remedies—typically derived from plants, minerals, and animals—are “potentized” through agitation and serial dilution, processes that reduce and spread out the active ingredient.
Like vaccines, these homeopathic remedies are meant to stimulate within your body a weakened version of your symptoms, prompting your innate self-healing mechanisms to fight back.
“Because it’s your system doing the healing, there are no side effects,” Davison explains. Homeopathic treatment proceeds from a series of consultations to prescriptions “which are customized to fit your symptoms, the root cause of your complaint, and who you are as a person,” adds Davison.
The simplicity of homeopathy also makes it environmentally friendly, says Deacon. Unlike conventional pharmaceuticals, homeopathic remedies require few resources.
Hopeful outcomes
Growing up, Deacon conceived of growing older as a revolving door of doctor’s visits. “It was like [my] whole lives were consumed with one doctor’s appointment after another, one procedure after another,” says Deacon.
If conventional medicine focuses on your ailments, the practice of homeopathy, by contrast, involves directing focus to your life, to make living as fruitful and fulfilling as possible. “Homeopathy gives life to people,” says Deacon.
Not only that, adds Deacon, but, for those with autoimmune diseases, homeopathy offers a fresh hope: while pharmaceuticals suppress symptoms, homeopathy aims to tackle the root cause of a disorder.
And, although some conditions may be difficult to treat with conventional medicine because they have yet to be categorized, homeopathy is able to target those conditions by addressing their root causes.
This has also been borne out in the research. In 2019, an open observational trial involving 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found individualized homeopathic medicines to show promising effects in treating symptoms.
Another study found that Bach flower remedy cream, a category of remedies created by medical doctor and homeopath Edward Bach, could effectively manage mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome, reducing the severity of the symptoms and relieving pain.
First steps
If you want to explore homeopathy for yourself, Davison recommends exploring free “curiosity calls” with homeopaths you’re interested in. She notes you also don’t have to restrict yourself to practitioners in your local area. “I treat people all over the world.”
She also recommends looking into courses. For instance, the Centre for Homeopathic Education offers a free, online Home Prescriber course (https://www.cheonline.co.uk/the-home-prescriber-course).
Homegrown homeopathy
Locating information on homeopathy and homeopathic practitioners in your area
In the US, licensing and certification requirements for homeopathy vary from state to state.
Experts recommend asking prospective homeopaths several questions:
- How long have you been practicing?
- What is a typical evaluation and follow-up like?
- What will initial evaluation and follow-ups cost?
- How much do the remedies cost?
- Do you coordinate with your patients’ physicians?
The following bodies offer certification:
- Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC)
- American Institute of Homeopathy
- The Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (HANP)
- The North American Society of Homeopaths
Q & A with a patient
with California-based Julie Turk on her experience with homeopathy
Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself.
A: I’m 57; I have two teenage boys and a 96-year-old mother with dementia. I’ve been a teacher/administrator for 32 years, and I’m now a director of a charter school, which means I’m the CBO, Maintenance Director, Special Education Director, and Principal. Needless to say, I have an extremely stressful life.
Q: When and why did you first decide to see a homeopath?
A: The same time I went into menopause, I was diagnosed with melanoma, Hashimoto’s disease, and dermatomyositis, and my mother’s dementia became extreme. I had no energy and my whole body hurt constantly. I had severe insomnia, hot flashes, and night sweats—and still had to work full time. This was during the height of COVID-19, so it felt like the perfect storm.
Q: How have you benefited from homeopathic treatment?
A: My homeopath specializes in menopause and stress, and talking to her is like talking to a friend. I’ve got my life back. I’m finally sleeping, have energy, and am doing quite well.
Q: What would you say to anyone curious about homeopathy?
A: If you want true health, you’ve got to try it. Be open to the process. It takes time and is sort of like peeling back layers of an onion. Ultimately, it’s an actual cure rather than a Band-Aid.
Autumnal ailments
Boiron, a world leader in homeopathic medicine, offers effective and popular single homeopathic medicines.
For the cold season:
- Aconitum napellus 30C (fever with dry skin)
- Pulsatilla 30C (cough with thick mucus)
- Hydrastis canadensis 6C (post-nasal drip)
- Sambucus nigra 6C (cough and cold relief)
- Phytolacca decandra 30C (sore throat pain)
For stress and sleep:
- Kali phosphoricum 30C (mental fatigue and headache)
- Gelsemium sempervirens 30C (stress relief)
- Coffea cruda 30C (sleeplessness with restless mind)
- Ignatia amara 30C (emotional stress relief)
- Phosphoricum acidum 30C (poor concentration due to overwork)
The standard dosage for single medicines is five pellets dissolved under the tongue, three times a day. The Boiron Medicine Finder can also assist with the appropriate protocol based on the condition.
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of alive magazine.
Kenny Bodanis
Cassie Irwin, ND