Increasing the Potency of Remedies

Sometimes when we are changing potencies, the next potency that we want to give may not be available. Often the next available potency is a big jump in potency, for example, a 30C to a 200C, or a 200C to 1M. Many times, an intermediate potency will have to be custom manufactured by the homeopathic pharmacy. Usually, this involves additional fees that some feel is too much to pay. There is a simple way to increase the potency of an already existing remedy. Following these instructions exactly will produce a new potency of the same remedy. There are a few very important steps to remember so following the instructions precisely is critical.

The first thing to be mindful of is cleanliness and to use boiling water for sterilization. You will need a few items on hand to be successful. The first is a clean, brown glass dropper bottle. Usually, one or two ounces will be sufficient in size. This should be new, clean, and never used before. As you are doing the preparation of the potency, have this bottle and dropper boiling in the water.

For each step of the dilutions, you will need a clean, never used plastic cup between 10-16 ounce size. Have as many cups on hand as you have steps in dilutions that you want to make. If you are wanting to increase from 30C to approximately 33C, then you will need 3 cups. I say approximately 33C because this is using the Korsakoff method and it is not a direct 1 to 99 dilution rate. You will raise the potency though.

The next thing you will need is a 16 ounce or one-liter bottle of filtered bottled water. This is available from any grocery store; just a bottle of filtered drinking water. You will also need one gallon of distilled or triple filtered reverse osmosis water. This is the water you will use to make the potency dilutions with.

Fill each of the cups with the water to about two-thirds full. Empty the water bottle by shaking it over the sink. You will be wasting the water; you want a new, unused bottle to prepare with. You never want a solid stream of water to connect the sink and the bottle ever. Always shake the bottle when emptying it. Next, put one pellet of the potency of the remedy you want to increase from into the empty bottle. Remember not to touch it.

Then take the first cup of water and pour it into the bottle. It should fill the bottle about two-thirds full. It is important to do it this way because you do not ever want a solid stream between the remedy bottle and any other vessel of water. Once you pour a solid stream into the bottle from the cup, the cup is contaminated. This is why you need 3 cups of water for raising the potency 3 times. After filling, discard the cup and never use it again.

Cap the bottle and begin the succussion. This process takes a bit of strength and endurance. You want to slam the bottle down on a countertop or tabletop really hard. This is not a gentle process. Beat the bottle hard many times, preferably 30-40 times. Do this in rapid succession. It should take 15-20 seconds. But remember this must be done so the water is shaken violently inside the bottle. After you are done, empty the bottle by shaking it over the sink. No solid pours when emptying it.

Once empty, the remaining water in the bottle is the basis for the next potentization. Use the next cup and pour it into the bottle repeating the process of succussion again. Do this until the last cup has been used and the bottle has been succussed. This last bottle is the new, approximately 33C potency. It has been raised 3C approximately from the 30C original pellet or drops.

The glass dropper bottle should have been in boiling water for about 10 minutes now. Use tongs and remove it from the water, being careful not to lay it on any surface directly. A clean paper towel would be a good place to put the bottle and dropper. Next, pour out any remaining water from the dropper bottle. Then fill the dropper bottle one-half full with a simple vodka or Everclear alcohol. This is to stabilize the new potency and prevent the water from growing any algae or bacteria. Then fill the dropper bottle all the way full from the new potency bottle. Place the dropper top cap onto the bottle and seal it. There is your new potency.

Always label your bottle with the name of the remedy and what the original potency was and how many steps of additional potency you have prepared. Also include the date you made the preparation. So your bottle might read, "name of remedy, 30C plus 3 steps, and the date."

If you need to make higher potencies in the future, you can use a few drops of the remedy into a new bottle and do more steps again. Then the new potency might read 30C plus 3 plus however many dilutions again. You can do this indefinitely.

When taking the remedy, take three drops or a slight squeeze on the dropper into the mouth and re-seal immediately. This process requires a little work and a few inexpensive materials but is effective and much cheaper than purchasing higher non-standard, custom-made potencies from the homeopathic pharmacy. You can save time and money by investing in the few materials you need and do this for many different remedies. Still, all-in-all for convenience's sake, when a higher potency is available, purchasing it from the pharmacy is a good idea.