A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and unless you are a trained and experienced Homeopath with an extensive knowledge of the Classic Texts, Materia Medica and Repertory, then the use of even the correct remedies in cases will confound you. This document is offered to the global community in the light of the continuing global A.I.D.S. death toll, especially in Sub Saharan Africa, Asia and other underdeveloped, impoverished and overpopulated areas of the world in an attempt to assist healers to combat the pandemic. No responsibility will be taken by me for any use or misuse of Homeopathic Medicine related to this document; however, I provide my insights and experience to those with the vision and ability to add it to theirs to assist the suffering and dying. Each case must be treated by a competent, trained and experienced practitioner employing the principles of Classical Hahnemannian Homeopathic Medicine for best results.

As Homeopaths and Healers, we must be able to stop the obsession with trying to find minute remedies that work in 1 in 1000 cases in order to publish a novel article that really has very little relevance to the health of the population as a whole. Exceptions are exceptions and not the rule. In cases where the polycrests don't match the symptoms of the patient, then, of course, we must seek out and give a non-polycrest remedy when none of the polycrests is indicated, but let us not be blind to the forest for the trees. We must see the whole picture in order to find the similimum in each case. Take the whole case properly and give the indicated remedy for that individual--at that time. The world-famous Greek Homeopath, George Vithoulkas taught in his classes a lesson about this principle illustrated by the aphorism: If you hear the galloping of hooves, think horses before you think zebras! But to this must be added an addendum: "...unless you live in Africa--then you must think zebras before you think horses!". This small but important lesson simply illustrates the need to examine the polycrests first as a possible remedy for a case before going out in "left field somewhere" to find a minute remedy that may not help the case very much and only act superficially, and possibly suppressively.

The remedies presented will be indicated very often, but not all the time and not in all cases. As a patient improves, he or she will eventually need a different remedy to continue the healing process. When the remedy that has helped in the past no longer works, then the case must be retaken to find the new similimum. These are instructions that are clearly understood by the trained Homeopath.

And, similarly, in the Allopathic research arena, specialization on single bodily systems or parts is The Ostrich's View of Medicine. Medical Doctors, reaserchers and medical school teachers must learn to view the patient as an wholistic being and not as a machine or some sort of Frankensteinian monster made up of separate parts. And an acknowledgement of the supreme healing force, The concept of The Vital Force has not even been taken seriously in the allopathic medical school. When you lose site of the whole picture, the smaller interpretation of the picture will be assuredly flawed. All parts and conceptual distinctions of different aspects of the individual (for example, emotions, mind, nervous system, immune system, et c.) are merely aspects of the whole person and can not truly be separated from the whole patient.

In Homeopathic Medicine it doesn't matter if you are a Pasteurian or a Bechampian. Click here to read Antione Bechamp's classic work The Third Element of the Blood (out of print, of course). That is to say, it doesn't matter if you think microorganisms cause the diseases or are the result of diseases. When you view the patient as a whole, take the entire case, including the mental and emotional symptoms, review the case and family history as well as dietary and lifestyle habits, and carefully analyze the case and give the correct homeopathic remedy, the case will improve without a doubt. Once the vital force receives the stimulation from the correct and similar remedy (the Similimum), then the natural healing processses are greatly enhanced and healing becomes, as it were, turbo-charged! The most important thing the skilled Homeopath will do once this process has started is to monitor the patient and provide mild adjunctive therapies if necessary to assist in detoxification and tonification, but will not even consider giving another homeopathic potency until the action of the first dose has run its cycle.

The wise Homeopath knows when to act and when not to. If you are an impulsive person whether it is due to your nature or to poisoning from mercury or some other reason, you must develop control over your impulsiveness, which will harm your patients if allowed to govern remedy selection, potency selection and repetition or changing of the remedy.. The only exception to this rule is if you determine that the remedy is, in fact, incorrect and the patient is getting worse and is not just having an aggravation or healing crisis as it is sometimes called. There is a huge difference between the two and this is a crucial point of development in the training of a Homeopath: to know for sure the difference between an healing reaction of the vital force induced by the remedy and when the patient is becoming worse and the remedy is not working and is therefore not the Similimum. Only after years of study and clinical experience and guidance will one be able to distinguish between the two.

The confounding of allopathic medicine by this disease when it first appeared in the 1980's sent shocks of terror throughout the world resulting in the general assumption that it was an incurable disease and that nothing can be done if Allopathy was stumped. This, of course, is not the case, but practitioners as well as the general public know little about Homeopathy and other alternative medicine systems. There is no such thing as an incurable disease, just healers who haven't yet discovered how to heal the patient. There are, however, incurable cases which have become so after they have progressed so far that certain vital tissues have been destroyed through some syphilitic, mercurial or other necrotic processes. The general public is so brainwashed into believing the Allopathic Medicine is the only answer to disease and healing that it seems unthinkable that a natural system of healing which stimulates the body's own healing powers would be capable of adding anything to efforts to address this pandemic. Think again. Homeopathy is not new to helping in epidemic diseases. The founder of Homeopathic Medicine, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, successfully published treatises on the homeopathic treatment of both typhus and cholera when these two epidemics swept Europe in the early to mid ninteeth century after the ravages of the Napoleonic Wars and as the results of the unsanitary living conditions of that time, which he also helped to correct with formal recommendations to the government regarding sanitation and hygeine. The death rate of the cases treated by Homeopaths was vastly lower than that of the practitioners of The Heroic School of Medicine (Allopaths).

We must not forget that the primary requirements of basic good health must be met in order to both prevent the further escalation of the death toll in these hard-hit areas and to help those who are ill to recover. These basic needs of good health are taken for granted in the developed countries, but must be a part of a plan of action to combat this pandemic in developing countries. Sufficient clean and safe water for drinking, cleaning and bathing must be provided. Likewise, proper drainage systems and the safe disposal of human waste must be of paramount concern. Healthy and nutritious foods and seeds to grow fresh vegetables are also greatly needed. Proper medication alone is not sufficient. One must have a proper diet and clean drinking water and to be protected from the ravages of mosquitos and the relentless sun. Let's not forget that malaria and tuberculosis are the two other major killers in these areas. Adequate basic shelters with screened windows must be built where there are none.

China is one of the major remedies in malaria (but not the only one!) and Silicea is one of the most powerful anti-tubercular remedies in the materia medica, so is Arsenicum. Silicea must be used with extreme caution in these cases beginning with a single low potency dose and waiting a long time before even considering repeating. Although Thuja is famous for its anti-sycotic properties (that is, its ability to counteract the sycotic miasm), it is also a strongly tubercular as well as syphilitic remedy. There are other remedies for TB and the tubercular taint and the entire case must be taken to find the similimum in each case. If the correct remedy for a tubercular case turns out to be Silicea, it can make the patient much worse if used too high in potency or given too frequently. Silicea has the ability to expel foreign matter from the tissues and to dissolve old scar and connective tissues that have surrounded tubercles or other foreign matter in the body. If improperly used, the walled-in tubercle may be set free to produce new inflammation in the lungs or elsewhere and may kill the patient. It is best to avoid this remedy or to use it extremely judiciously in tuberculosis cases. Look to Arsenicum, Phosphorus, Tuberculinum, Bacillinum, Thuja, China, Calc. phos. and other remedies first to build up the patient's constitution first. In malaria, consider the following remedies, among others, being aware that the symptoms of the patient are the final word on remedy selection--ALWAYS!): China, Arsenicum, Natrum muriaticum, and others, according to the symptoms of the patient.

The remedies that I am presenting are not the only remedies indicated in A.I.D.S., but are the most commonly indicated in cases that I have seen so far. These remedies are those which address the most life-threatening aspects of the disease such as malignancies, septic conditions, opportunistic infections, PCP pneumonia, chronic weakness, et c. For many people, there will be other remedies that will be needed, such as Phosphorus, Nitric Acid, Anacardium, Hyoscyamus, Lachesis, Staphysagria, Medorrhinum, Calcarea carbonica and phosphorica, Kali iodatum, Tuberculinum, Mercurius vivus or Merc. solubilis (again: consider Mercurius as a possible remedy only if the patient has mercury symptoms and there is no evidence of mercury poisoning), Belladonna, Veratrum album, Sulphur, Causticum, Carcinosin and others, but the ones that I present below are the most important to know well, especially when the patient is going downhill and is in an obvious state of decline. Each case must be analyzed individually and automatic treatments are never appropriate in Classical Homeopathic Therapeutics.

Do not make the dangerous mistake of represcribing for the case based on the symptoms of the healing reaction or aggravation after the administration of the remedy! These symptoms may be mollified using antioxidant and natural, non-dynamic therapies but should never become the basis for retaking the case. The only exception to this is when you are now sure that the given remedy was indeed incorrect ( since the patient is becoming obviously worse) and these new symptoms are not actually an aggravation but the true image of the symptom expression of the disease that have not been addressed by the chosen incorrect remedy, brought out more strongly from the administration of the same. These precautionary words demonstrate the vital need to become fully steeped in the Organon, Kent's Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy and many other classic works of homeopathic philosophy so that you maintain a firm understanding and control of the case and can properly interpret symptoms and decide with confidence and safety on how to proceed. If you stop following these basic principles of Homeopathy, then you and your patient will quickly become adrift in a turbulent sea of confusion, guesswork, failure and medical emergency.

Also important are the remedies needed against the dreaded PCP pneumonia. I have found Arsenicum album absolutely magical in aborting and assisting in speedy recovery from acute attacks of PCP; however if the respiratory ailments drag on to a more chronic form or after the Arsenicum has helped the acute attacks but they recur or a chronic or walking pneumonia becomes apparent, then look to remedies such as Kali iodatum, Phosphorus, Silicea, Tuberculinum and ultimately whichever tubercular remedy is indicated by the totality of the new presenting chronic symptoms.

In the West poisoning from mercury is rampant and is a major cause of immune suppression, dysfunction and destruction for the population in general and I feel is a major contributing factor to the breakdown of the immune system in A.I.D.S. patients. When there is evidence of mercury poisoning throughout the teeth (from dental amalgams), from the diet (from contaminated fish and shellfish) or from industrial sources (such as exposure to mercury-containing pesticides and other chemicals), then it is NEVER appropriate to give mercury as an homeopathic remedy, even though the patient will be presenting many mercury symptoms due to the expression of the mercury poisoning in the person. In cases like these the three remedies below will help to antidote and to excrete much of the poison, but it actually takes years to do so and must be done slowly, beginning with the administration of low potencies of the correct remedy and allowing sufficient time for the dose to completely exhaust its action before another dose is even considered. There are many other remedies indicated in cases of mercury poisoning and each case must be completely taken properly to determine which is the similimum. One must procede very carefully so as not to cause acute inflammations when too much comes out of the brain, blood vessel walls, connective tissues, organs and bones at once. This can easily happen if you give too high a potency of an extremely powerful mercury excretory remedy such as Silicea, or if you repeat the dose in stead of waiting for its slow but deep and steady action to show itself to you in time. You can get yourself or your patient into a very dangerous situation by such impulsive actions. A regimen of high proteins and albumens as well as bran and antioxidants, especially buffered vitamin C, and lots of clean water and tea are invaluable in these cases to dilute and denature the mercury and related toxins and to aid in their safe elimination from the body. Liver congestion and biliousness can lead to constipation and a build up of toxins and when that happens, the mercury and associated poisons build up in the tissues causing mental disturbances, inflammations, eruptions and all kinds of problems. It is useful to rely on a natural laxative such as prune juice to move the bowels in many cases.

In the developing countries, if there is no evidence or history of mercury poisoning from dental amalgams or other sources, then we must add Mercurius vivus or solubilis to the list of very important A.I.D.S. remedies, which by the way, is very similar in symptom expression to Arsenicum album and they can be easily confused for each other by the careless or inexperienced prescriber. Read the pages on Mercury for more information.

There is absolutely no substitute for basic knowledge of Homeopathic Medicine. No one should think that by reading this work that they will become an expert of sorts in the homeopathic treatment of those with A.I.D.S. The rules of proper treatment and general procedure for Classical Homeopathy must be followed in order to insure success. Let not hysteria or medical politics alter your clear headed view of the case or your perception of what is to be done or not to be done. Read and reread Hahnemann's Organon and Kent's Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy as well as Kent's Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica to gain better insight into case taking and management. This is no substitute for direct instruction from an experienced homeopathic instructor, but it is part of the education of a Homeopath.

The most common mistake that inexperienced Homeopaths make is to repeat the remedy too soon or to change the remedy too soon. Doses must be given starting low in single doses (one drop of the liquid potency or one dry medicated pellet melted in the mouth, and for extreme sensitives: measured doses by olfaction or inhalation) and not reapeated until the case stops improving. Generally, one should not repeat for at least a month or two in chronic cases and for many days or weeks in acute cases or not at all if the patient continues to improve. The rules vary from patient to patient and a decision must be made on a case-by-case basis. Again, individualization of treatment is the key to success. Another grave mistake made often by the inexperienced is to perceive the healing reaction as a worsening of the condition and to represcribe another remedy based on the healing reaction symptoms. This is terrible and a grave mistake! The healing reaction must be allowed to continue, provided that it is not endangering the life of the patient. If it is, steps must be taken to antidote or ameliorate the condition, but if the patient was given the correct remedy in a judicious potency in a single dose, this would not happen.

It is only when one disregards the rules of Classical Homeopathy that one finds oneself and the unfortunate patient in such undesirable circumstances. Once a reaction is started by the stimulation of the vital force with the correct remedy, you must wait and allow the healing to take place with only the application of common-sense natural therapies to assist the process. No more potencies should be given at this time. It may take weeks for the healing reaction to fully subside, as is frequently the case in very deep acting remedies such as Silicea, Calcarea and other remedies or in cases of very deep pathology. If the patient is very sensitive, weak or has deep pathology, start with a single dose of 6c, 12c or 15c or 30c and wait. It is the wise Homeopath who knows when not to act as well as when to do so. Many would give unmedicated pellets or globules neutralis to quiet an anxious patient or to assuage an irritated family, but I think it is best to explain the process and to be open and honest and to rely on adjunctive therapies to assist the healing process such as herbs, body work, exercises, et c.

* (Vivus or Solubilis, Cinnabaris and the various salts. All mercury remedies are contraindicated in cases with a history of mercury poisoning, with few exceptions, such as when there is a concomitant syphilis infection remaining after antibiotic therapy.)

This is not a complete list of homeopathic medicines indicated in A.I.D.S. patients. The individual's case must be taken and treatment must be tailored to their special condition, according to Classical Homeopathic Principles. I will write the materia medica pages of the above remedies as time permits, but you can greatly speed up this process by...

Attention, medical practitioners of all specializations! Please participate in an informal research survey regarding HIV positive patients in your practice. Simply count the number of metalic dental restorations the patient has, particularly amalgams, their general size and how long they have been present, and any amalgams or other metallic restorations in their dental history if there have been extractions and how long the patient has been testing positive for HIV. You can send this information to me via chat, email, fax, telephone or snailmail. All my contact information is listed in the blue column on the left hand side of each page. Please state whether I may reveal your name, and practice details when I compile the data here on “NATURALLY...YOU!”, Homeopathic Solutions or if you prefer to participate in the study anonymously. Either way, please include a contact email address, fax or phone number or snail mail address so I can clarify any details of the data you send. The results will be used to examine a possible statistical correlation between HIV+ blood status and the presence of metallic restorations, especially amalgams. Thank you.