The Remedies come in a number of different forms and you will be given the dosage you should take on your prescription sheet. Please read all of these instructions carefully before you start to prepare or take the remedies. In particular you must read the instruction below for opening glass ampoules before you attempt to open one.
Further information is available on making repeat perscriptions.
Tablets
If you have tablets these should be dissolved under the tongue – they take a couple of minutes to dissolve. Some things make the ingredients less active such as coffee, mints, and toothpaste so don’t have these around the same time – try and wait half an hour.
Liquid Remedies
You may have 30ml or 100ml Small glass bottles with remedies
Or
Tiny glass ampoules which come in a box of 10 ampoules.
See your prescription for dosage. It will either talk about a number of ‘drops’ which are the drops you get if you tip up the 30ml or 100ml bottle, or it may talk about taking an ampoule – this is one of the small glass ampoules from that particular type of box.
You may have more than one remedy bottle with different drops and/or more than one box with different ampoules.
Taking the remedies in water
To take either the drops or the ampoules buy a small 500cl spring water bottle. Each day fill it about ¾ full with water and use this to add your remedies to. You can add all the liquid remedy amounts from your prescription to the water for each day. The next day just make the bottle up again with the prescription.
Sip from the water bottle through the day and give it a little shake each time before you drink from it. Try and hold the water in your mouth for just a minute before you swallow it if you can. This is because you have membranes in your mouth which will start to absorb some of the remedy so that it starts working straight away. Finish the bottle of water each day.
Change the bottle every week or two to a fresh one.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
30ml or 100 ml Small glass bottles containing liquid
Shake the small remedy bottle and then tip it up over the spring water plastic bottle. Count how many drops you have to take into the bottle of water – it doesn’t matter if it becomes 1 or 2 drops short or extra but keep as close to the number on the prescription as possible.
Then follow the instructions above for taking the remedies in water.
Little Glass ampoules containing liquid
This is where you pretend to play at being a Dr or Nurse! You need to shake the little ampoule a couple of times and then flick the top narrow bit with your middle finger – just like you see Drs or Nurses doing when they are preparing an injection. You will see any fluid that was in the top narrow part move back down to within the bigger part of the ampoule. If it doesn’t do it easily then just give it another little shake and try again. Then read the instructions below so that you safely break the ampoule open and then tip the contents into the bottle of water. You then put the lid on the water bottle and follow the instructions above for taking remedies in water.
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY FOR OPENING GLASS AMPOULES
In order to remove the remedy from the little glass ampoule you must break off the top of the ampoule. It is designed to break around about where the little coloured dot is on the stem. You MUST protect your fingers from the glass BEFORE you break open the ampoule as there is obviously a risk of cutting your fingers if you are going to snap open something made of glass. The easiest way is to get a tissue and fold it over a few times. Put that in between your fingers and the glass. Look at the dot, hold the ampoule firmly with the tissue inbetween your fingers and the glass, and then ‘snap’ the top off of the ampoule aiming for where the dot is.
Keep the broken lid in the tissue so that it keeps safe and put it carefully on a flat surface. Then take the half of the ampoule with the remedy in it and carefully tip it up over your water bottle being careful to avoid touching the sharp broken edge. Hold it at a slight angle and tap the bottom of the ampoule firmly and quickly – this is the end away from the broken end! Keep tapping until all of the fluid from the ampoule has gone into your water bottle.
Put the broken piece of ampoule into the tissue with the broken lid and dispose of carefully in a bin.
Put the lid on the water bottle and then follow the instructions as above for taking remedies in water through the day.