Within 2 months of starting her homeopathic treatment with me, she reported she was able to stop taking her antihistamine on a regular basis and her symptoms were abating. A month later she gave it up altogether.  Her gardener fiancé was very pleased as she was able to help him pot up the hanging baskets he sold!

She had always wanted to ride horses but had been unable to do this as a child because of her allergic reaction to them.  Two years after her initial consultation she contacted me to say that she had taken up horse riding and was suffering again.  On this occasion her symptoms pointed to a different homeopathic medicine, one that addressed her inherited allergic predisposition.  She continues to ride horses and the family has even been able to have a cat.

Nikki is not alone in seeking a natural and safe solution to her hay fever.  And a number of clinical trial findings have been positive for homeopathy and are listed below.[1]–[2]

Nikki says ‘homeopathy changed my life. I am finally able to do all the things I love doing, gardening and horse riding without worrying about them making me feel so unwell. I can’t recommend it enough’.

[1] Taylor MA, Reilly D, Llewelyn-Jones RH, et al. Randomised controlled trials of homeopathy versus placebo in perennial allergic rhinitis with overview of four trial series. British Medical Journal 2000; 321: 471-6

[2]KIm LS, Rieflinger JE, Baldwin CM, Hilli L, Khalsa SV, Messer SA, Waters RF.  Treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis using homeopathic preparation of common allergens in the southwest region of the US: a randomised, controlled clinical trial. Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2005; 39 (4): 617-24

How patients feel after treatment

Five published studies carried out from 1999 to the present day have tracked the outcome of patients being treated at NHS homeopathic hospitals:

Liverpool (2001)
An outcome survey carried out at the Liverpool department of homeopathic medicine over a 12 month period in 1999-2000 surveyed 1,100 patients¹; 76.6% reported an improvement in their condition since starting homeopathic treatment and 60.3% regarded their improvement as major. 814 patients were taking conventional treatment for their condition and 424 [52%] of these were able to reduce or stop conventional medication.

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Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (2003)
A 500-patient survey at the RLHH showed that many patients were able to reduce or stop conventional medication following homeopathic treatment.²

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Bristol Homeopathic Hospital (2005)
An observational study at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital included over 6,500 consecutive patients with over 23,000 attendances in a six-year period;³70% of follow-up patients reported improved health, 50% major improvement. The largest improvements were reported in childhood eczema or asthma, and in inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, menopausal problems and migraine.

Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Tunbridge Wells (2008)
In this pilot study, data from 1602 follow-up patient appointments at all five NHS homeopathic hospitals were collected together over a one-month period.⁴ At their second homeopathic appointment, 34% of follow-up patients overall reported an improvement that affected their daily living. For patients at their sixth appointment, the corresponding improvement rate was 59%. Eczema, chronic fatigue syndrome, menopausal disorder, osteoarthritis and depression were the “top five” most referred conditions.

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Bristol Homeopathic Hospital (2016)
Confirming the results of the 2005 study, this recent audit of just under 200 patients performed at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital demonstrated that patients with long-term conditions who come under homeopathic care experience statistically significant improvements in their presenting symptoms and wellbeing.⁵

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What exactly is SAD?
SAD is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience serious mood change with the change in seasons, year after year. In severe forms sufferers may notice sleep disturbance, either over-sleeping or finding sleeping difficult. Often this type of depression is characterised by lethargy and fatigue. Concentration dwindles and every task seems insurmountable. Some people become anxious about going out. Over-eating is commonly reported with a preference for quick-fix, carboyhdrate-rich foods. As a result weight gain is common and this simply reinforces negative feelings and poor self-image. This state of lowered vitality brings a greater vulnerability to viral and bacterial infections in its wake.

Tips to help you get through the winter

• Make winter sunshine a priority. Wrap up warmly and take every advantage of being outside if it’s dry and sunny. Leave errands until after work.
• Sleep more but not too much.
• If you find yourself grazing, add more fresh fruit and vegetables to your diet.
• Wear bright colours – even if you just choose a sunny coloured accessory it will lift your mood.
• Sit near a window when you’re working.
• Buy a light box but do your research carefully.
• Learn a meditation or relaxation technique that involves imagining a sunny place. Don’t underestimate the power of the imagination on your emotional and physical state.
• Keep a diary and record how the weather is affecting your mood and what you do. There may be patterns you’ll spot. Writing is a powerful therapeutic tool which can bring clarity and awareness.

What makes homeopathy different in its approach?
Conventional treatment of depression generally consists of drug therapy. Prescription drugs are given with the aim of minimising symptoms. Counselling or psychotherapy may be recommended to help uncover and address emotional issues. While medication can offer a welcome respite, when emotions are suppressed over time, they often resurface when drugs are reduced or stopped. This keeps the sufferer dependent on daily doses of chemical drugs which can have significant, sometimes serious, and even permanent side effects.

The homeopathic approach to depression is a totally different approach from the conventional one. A homeopath wants to know all the details – everything that has challenged your health and happiness and contributed to your present state of ill health. We want to know what life events have occurred to produce a recurrent emotional pattern? How specifically have you responded to events in the past, emotionally, mentally and physically? What particular thoughts and feelings come up during a depressive episode? How are they the same or different from your usual state? Is there any trauma in your past? What were you like as a child? The smallest detail is of interest and can often make the difference in prescribing one medicine over another.

For some people SAD is a response to a period of physical or emotional stress. It may coincide with other hormone related conditions such as the menopause or an emotional shock such as a betrayal or a bereavement. For other people, they know they were ‘just born that way’ and never fire on all cylinders in the winter. They may experience a worsening of their chronic symptoms every year and only seek help when they have to take time off work. A homeopath will want to look back and chart the development of the depression – even one that appears to be entirely related to the season. In this way an individualised prescription can be made with the aim of figuring out which remedy will benefit a person the most and break the cycle of winter blues.

Watch this inspiring 25 min movie about homeopathy, world famous homeopath Dr Rajan Sankaran, and his clinic The Other Song.