When I recommend a remedy, I specify the potency and how often to take it. I use two basic methods of taking a homeopathic remedy - dry and wet.

Dry dose just means that you put the little white pellets directly under your tongue and let them dissolve. I recommend that you take the remedy right before you go to bed, a few minutes after brushing your teeth. Pour 3-5 pellets from the vial directly into the cap and throw them under your tongue. Some brands have caps that make this process easier, but it is generally accepted that the pellets shouldn't be handled in any way.

Wet dosing happens when you dissolve the pellets in about 1/4 cup of good quality water and then take swallows of the solution. Swish the solution around in your mouth for about 10 seconds and then swallow. Each swish-and-swallow is equivalent to a dry dose, so this is a good way to extend a few pellets when you have a situation such as a sore throat, earache or headache and you need to take the remedy several times during the day until you start to feel better.

Split dose is a type of wet dosing that uses an extended wet dose, which I've been using more and more, due to its flexibility. It is faster-acting, but also not a long-lasting as the dry dose of the same potency. The frequency and the strength can be adjusted more quickly but this takes some frequent communication, at least at first. Follow these instructions for the split dose:

1. You'll need an 8-oz (at least) bottle with a lid, which will be your stock bottle.
2. Dissolve 3 or 4 pellets of the remedy in 8 oz of water (not tap water) in the stock bottle and add 30 drops of alcohol preservative in the form of vodka or brandy. This is your stock and you should refrigerate it.
3. Every time you take a dose, do the following:
   • Succuss the solution by hitting the stock bottle soundly on the palm of your hand five times
   • Pour 1/2 tsp (or an equivalent dropper-full) into 1/4 cup of water in a cup and stir
   • Take 1 tsp of the solution in the cup, swish and hold in your mouth for 5-10 seconds and swallow
   • Discard the solution in the cup