Don’t eat or drink anything before or after taking remedies, to avoid interfering with absorption. Traditional recommendations are to wait at least 5, and as long as 30 minutes.

Don’t keep taking a remedy if you don’t feel better. “When you take a remedy, you should first have a sense of well-being,” says Jody Shevins, ND. Then symptoms should start to go away. If you don’t get results after one or two doses, stop taking it, she says.

Do some research. Shevins recommends the Online Remedy Finder at abchomeopathy.com to help select a remedy that best fits your condition. Or sign up for a homeopathy class.

Do consult a trained homeopath, especially for chronic conditions, or if you’re not getting results with self-prescribing.