 Our overseas visitors just left us after a very enjoyable time.
One (dare I say) benefit of staying at the home of an enthusiastic homeopath is that some issues can be addressed in a relaxed fashion. Among other ailments, we addressed a long-standing case of plantar fasciitis; pre-wedding emotions for the mother-of-the-bride were handled nicely with Ignatia; bug bites were avoided and (if we didn’t get the OHM* bug spray on in time) helped; sunburned shoulders were quickly cooled with Similasan’s Burn Recovery*™; jangled nerves following an off-road adventure were met with Aconite (remember! Aconite rhymes with Fright!); Nux vomica came in handy the morning after the late night festivities and a custom Bach Flower Remedy blend for the bride herself proved useful for the ubiquitous pre-nuptial butterflies. Did I mention it was a nice, long visit with plenty of time to get the chance to show off what homeopathy can do!? The day before the return flight, painful ears as a result of flying was brought up. So, I sent along a tube of Kali mur. When she landed, she texted to say that she did not take the remedy for the first flight and her “ears were yuck. Took them for the second flight and for the first time no need to keep moving jaw to pop ears, also when landing.” Kali muriaticum is one of Schussler’s 12 original cell salts and is known to help the body clear congestions. (In this case, I gave her the 30c potency, but I’m sure the 6x "cell salt" would have worked just fine, but may have needed to be repeated more frequently.) This remedy is known to be helpful for blocked eustachian tubes, middle ear conditions, swollen glands and when crackling noises are heard when blowing the nose or swallowing. Robin Murphy talks about "snapping, itching, as of a plug in ears". That pretty much sums up the discomfort one can feel in one's ears when flying and Kali mur did the trick for her. Her husband jokingly asked if I had “anything for the annoying fellow passengers.” Yup. Nux vomica would be worth a try for that because, after all, it’s not necessarily that the fellow passengers are annoying, it’s the fact that one is being annoyed by one's fellow passengers. Whoo hoo! I love it. Homeopathy works so quickly and so effectively for so very many conditions. I truly wish everybody knew about this amazing medicine! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * OHM products are only available to professional homeopaths and their clients. ** I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products. I have never used it, but I bet Similasan’s Itch Relief would work well, too!
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 Our first houseguests in over 2 years have arrived. A lovely thing, I can assure you! After enduring this enforced time of not traveling, I (happily) forgot how horrible jet lag is, but I am reminded of its nastiness as I watch our over-seas visitors make the adjustment to the new time zone. Why do we feel so exhausted after getting off a plane? All we do is sit (and eat), watch movies and maybe snooze a little bit for all those hours. We should be refreshed, like we had a day of relaxation! Yet, when finally stepping off that smelly tube with wings, it’s not at all uncommon to feel like you’ve run a marathon and got hit by a truck when you crossed the finish line! The experts say it’s precisely because we’re sitting for long periods of time in dry air and become dehydrated, etc., etc., etc. Whatever the true pathophysiologic reasons are, jet lag is a miserable feeling. Mainstream medicine has nothing to offer, really. Melatonin (Cipolla-Neto and Gaspar do Amaral 2018) apparently can help, and you can see how it would work (Herxheimer and Petrie 2002). Though short-term melatonin use is generally regarded as safe, I must admit, I wouldn’t mess with my hormones in this way (because melatonin is indeed a hormone)… especially when homeopathy has some simple answers. For more information on possible side effects of melatonin: (Bauer 2017; American Sleep Association 2022; Drugs.com 2021). So, what did I do for our tired guests? In anticipation of their arrival, I left two remedies on the dresser in their room: JetZone: Jet Lag Prevention & Helios’ Jet Candy JETZONE, remedy information as listed on the packet: Arnica: Sleepless and restless when overtired Cocculus: Constant drowsiness after loss of sleep Kali phos: Weak and tired from overexertion. Headache from fatigue. Gelsemium: Insomnia from exhaustion Nux vomica: Heartburn, anxiety and restlessness Argentum nitricum: Mental anxiety Jet Candy, by Helios: JetCandy doesn’t list their reasonings for including the remedies, but I will fill in the blanks. Arnica Bellis perennis: Another trauma remedy. Some call it a “deeper” Arnica. Cocculus Gelsemium Petroleum: I wrote about Petroleum’s role in seasickness here. In short, Petroleum is particularly helpful for nausea. There are other homeopathic combination remedies for jet lag, these are just the two I happened to have lying around. No-Jet-Lag, by Miers Labs: No-Jet-Lag doesn’t list their reasonings for including the remedies, but I will fill in the blanks. Arnica Bellis perennis Chamomilla: Oversensitivity, anger and for when falling asleep is difficult. Ipecac: Nausea, headache Lycopodium: Gas and bloating; frequent waking and unrefreshing sleep Jet Lag Relief, by Boiron Arnica: Relieves muscle pain and stiffness Cocculus: Relieves nausea associated with jet lag Nux vomica: Relieves drowsiness and digestive problems associated with travel What do all of these jet lag combination remedies have in common? Arnica montana. Arnica is a well known homeopathic remedy for injury and trauma. Let’s face it — changing time zones is absolutely an assault on your person. It affects your body, your mind and your emotions. If you are unable to get your hands on one of these combo remedies prior to your trip, bring along a tube of Arnica and half your battle will be won. Jetlagreview.com (who knew such a thing existed?!), claims to be “the #1 source for helping people find effective ways to effectively combat jet lag.” I have no idea who is behind this site, but I was very intrigued to see 1/2 of the products they review are homeopathic (the others are vitamins and/or herbs). No-Jet-Lag is jetlagreview’s #2 Silver Award Winner, for whatever that’s worth. If you find yourself headed overseas, pick up one of these combination remedies and slip it in your carry-on. They’re all slightly different, but basically the same and any one of them will certainly be better than nothing. Or, take along just a tube of Arnica and see if one of these can’t put a little spring in your exhausted tourist step! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with any of these products. I have used Jetzone and No-Jet-Lag, to good effect. Follow the directions listed on the packet. Reference list
American Sleep Association, 2022. Melatonin Side Effects [online]. American Sleep Association. Bauer, B., 2017. Pros and cons of melatonin [online]. Mayo Clinic. Cipolla-Neto, J. and Gaspar do Amaral, F., 2018. Melatonin as a Hormone: New Physiological and Clinical Insights[online]. academic.oup.com. Cleveland Clinic, n.d. Jet Lag: What is it, Symptoms, How Long Does it Last & Treatment [online]. Cleveland Clinic. Drugs.com, 2021. Melatonin Side Effects, Uses, Dosage (Kids/Adults) [online]. Drugs.com. Herxheimer, A. and Petrie, K. J., 2002. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Jet Lag Review, 2022. Top Products [online]. jetlagreport.com.  Funny how the world works. I have been thinking of writing a post about recovering from surgery and lo and behold, not long ago, I awakened to a text saying my oldest son was in the ER experiencing terrible stomach pain. Yes. You guessed it. Within 12 hours, he had his appendix removed*. Always remember… the procedure may be simple, but recovering from removing a piece of your anatomy is never simple! He was prescribed and he filled all of the meds the doctors recommended. Has he used them? Nope. (I take that back. He took one single Tylenol the first morning.) How did we address this post-surgical pain? With 2 little tubes of homeopathic remedies: homeopathic Nux vomica and Helios’** homeopathic combination remedy, "Surg". Why Nux vomica following an appendectomy and anesthesia? Dr. Ratera (2016, p. 310) lists Nux vomica among a selection of only 11 remedies for use following general anesthesia, including narcosis (“a state of stupor, drowsiness or unconsciousness produced by drugs”). Schroyens (2012) lists Nux in the following rubrics in his homeopathic repertory: • Stomach, nausea, operation on abdomen, after; Including cramping pain. • Vomiting following an operation. • General ailments following an operation. In addition to those “official” symptoms, Nux vomica is the remedy to turn to when you have things in your system that shouldn’t be there — (see: Garbage in, Garbage out and Too Much!). Once upon a time, our Great Pyrenees, Rufus, had a minor procedure and he was not waking up following the anesthesia (see definition of Narcosis above). When I set out to his vet appointment, I didn’t know he was going to be put under, so, I didn’t bring any remedies with me. But, I always have Nux vomica 200c in my purse, (see: My Little Bag of Wellness). I slipped 2 pellets in between his gum and his cheek and he literally popped out of Neverland and was able to stand up and walk to the car. Did I mention he’s a big dog? There was no way I was going to be able to carry him to the car. We got home and he curled up on his bed and was back into a very deep sleep. Another dose of Nux placed between his gum and his cheek and he got up and drank some water. I think we did 1 final dose of Nux later that evening and he was back to his normal self. My son didn’t want to take the Nux immediately. They told him that having the anesthesia in his system would help him to sleep that night and since it had been a long time since he had any sleep, that’s the route he chose. The other tube of homeopathy he used was a beautiful mixture of homeopathic remedies from Helios pharmacy they call “Surg.” Surg is a combination of Arnica, Bellis perennis, Calendula, Hypericum and Staphysagria. Homeopathic Arnica is probably the most researched homeopathic remedy. Below is a good handful of summaries and links to the actual papers. ARNICA & SURGERY RESEARCH: Anesthesia recovery and Analgesia in dogs -- Arnica & Papaver “The Arnica group required rescue analgesia later than the others.” (I’m willing to bet the rescue analgesia could be have been avoided all-together if further doses of Arnica were provided.) Postoperative Sore Throat (This is a case report.) Knee Surgery “In all three trials, patients receiving homeopathic arnica showed a trend towards less postoperative swelling compared to patients receiving placebo.” Post-tonsillectomy analgesia “The results of this trial suggest that Arnica montana given after tonsillectomy provides a small, but statistically significant, decrease in pain scores compared to placebo.” Healing of Wounds following surgery, compared to diclofenac “After foot operations, Arnica… can be used instead of diclofenac to reduce wound irritation.” Effectiveness and Safety of Arnica montana in Post-Surgical Setting, Pain and Inflammation. This is a review showing “arnica Montana is more effective than placebo when used for the treatment of several conditions including post-traumatic and postoperative pain, edema, and ecchymosis.” Varicose vein surgery Varicose vein surgery “The results of this pilot study showed a trend towards a beneficial effect of Arnica… with regard to reduction of hematoma and pain during the postoperative course.” Is Homeopathic Arnica Effective for Postoperative Recovery? A Meta-analysis of Placebo-Controlled and Active Comparator Trials “Homeopathic Arnica has a small effect size over and against placebo in preventing excessive hematoma and other sequelae of surgeries. The effect is comparable to that of anti-inflammatory substances.” Is there a role for homeopathy in breast cancer surgery? “A. montana… could reduce post-operative blood and seroma collection in women undergoing unilateral total mastectomy.” Use of Arnica to relieve pain after carpal-tunnel release surgery “…there was a significant reduction in pain experienced after 2 weeks in the Arnica-treated group.” RESEARCH on ARNICA combined with other homeopathic remedies listed in “Surg.” Healing of Surgical Wounds -- Arnica & Staphysagria The table provided in this study shows the number of days needed to complete healing of the surgical wound for the control group and the groups assigned either Arnica or Staphysagria. Homeopathic Mixture Accelerates Wound Closure -- Arnica, Calendula, and Hypericum “A homeopathic remedy… accelerates in vitro wound scratch closure of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts.” The effect of the homeopathic remedies Arnica montana and Bellis perennis on mild postpartum bleeding “Treatment with homeopathic Arnica montana and Bellis perennis may reduce postpartum blood loss, as compared with placebo. RESEARCH on Arnica and homeopathic remedies not listed in “Surg.” Perioperative Homeopathic Arnica and Bromelain "A systematic review of the literature demonstrates the potential for arnica and bromelain to improve perioperative outcomes including edema, ecchymosis, and pain control." RESEARCH on Hypericum: Hypericum perforatum to Improve Postoperative Pain Outcome After Monosegmental Spinal Sequestrectomy (HYPOS) “Although no significant differences between the groups could be shown, we found that patients who took potentiated Hypericum in addition to usual pain management showed lower consumption of analgesics.” Homeopathic treatment for peripheral nerve regeneration “Hypericum improves functional recovery of peripheral nerve regeneration in rats.” Note: Most of the research on Calendula, Hypericum and Bellis perennis centers on herbal or mother tinctures. Historically speaking, in homeopathic terms, these last three remedies have a terrific reputation for post-surgical and wound healing with claims that it can promote healing and reduce risk of infection. Dr. Robin Murphy spoke often in his seminars of the healing qualities of Calendula and names it the number one remedy to use following surgery, noting the homeopathic remedy can be taken internally as well as topically. (Note: to use topically, a pellet of homeopathic Calendula can be added to clean water and used as a compress. Or, “Calendula, mother tincture, 15 drops to a wineglass of boiled water. This will cleanse the abraded surface and prevent sepsis. Calendula 6 given three to four times daily by the mouth will assist the healing process” (Shepherd and Robinson 1995). Calendula and Hypericum tinctures are often used together following surgery or for wound healing in general. Dr. Dorothy Shepherd*** says, “I have never seen a cleaner wound surface or more rapid healing in a torn perineum than those which were treated with Calendula sprays, and it was much more efficacious, and more rapid than the strongest antiseptic, nor was there any rise in temperature after!” (Shephard 1989). Bellis perennis is the common daisy. When I first learned about this remedy, the story was told about the soldiers in the war marching over fields of daisies. They were tired and they were sore and they were bruised and they didn’t realize the little flowers they were tromping over actually held the key to their ails. “Bellis perennis is long-flowering and surprisingly tough. It is resilient to the damage of mowing and human footfall, bouncing back” (Evans 2020). The National Center for Homeopathy says it is most often used to speed surgical healing. In addition to being helpful after surgery, Bellis can be used to assist in the healing from “long-unresolved or repeated trauma from accidents and injuries; physical, emotional or sexual abuse” (Evans 2020). Bellis is “especially useful in soft tissue injuries …. Similar to Arnica, it acts on muscle fibers and blood vessels with intense pain … deep trauma … especially in pelvis and abdomen” (Ratera 2016). If you or a loved one has a surgery scheduled in the near future, contact Helios for a tube of “Surg” or, grab a tube of each of the remedies included in that combination (Arnica, Bellis perennis Calendula, Hypericum, and Staphysagria) and make your own combo remedy to help speed your recovery along. (Note: A good way to make your own combo remedy is to drop a pellet or two into a bottle of water and take sips as needed. Remember, every sip is a dose, so it's wise to have a water for drinking and a bottle for healing.) For further research on the potential benefits of homeopathy, see: https://classicallypractical.com/research.html. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Are there homeopathic remedies that can help with an inflamed appendix? Yes, there are, and perhaps I will write about those one day. In the mean time, if you are suffering from appendicitis, or, other severe stomach/abdominal pain, please go to the ER or talk to your physician. ** I have no affiliation with Helios; I just like their products. *** Dr. Dorothy Shepherd was an orthodox physician who turned to homeopathy, saying, “I must admit that homeopathy has never let me down.” She had a homeopathic clinic in London during the war (Anon. 2009). Reference list
Anon., 2009. Dorothy Shepherd (1885 - 1952) [online]. www.sueyounghistories.com. Anon., 2022. Bellis perennis [online]. National Center for Homeopathy. Evans, J., 2020. Asteraceae: remedies of the sunflower family. Harlem, NL: Emryss. Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Kander, Germany: Narayana Verlag. Schroyens, F., 2012. Synthesis : repertorium homeopathicum syntheticum. Accessed through Radar Opus software. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers. Shephard, Dr. D., 1989. The magic of the minimum dose : experiences and cases. Saffron Walden: Health Science Press. Shepherd, D. and Robinson, G. E., 1995. More magic of the minimum dose : experiences and cases. Saffron Walden, Essex: C.W. Daniel Co.  Practicing homeopathy is a lot like doing a puzzle or decoding a mystery — there is a lot of sleuthing to figure out the right remedy. In taking a classical homeopathic case, accurate details are the key — the more, the better!
Practical homeopathy is often much easier — the majority of the puzzle has been worked out already through tried and true symptom/remedy matches and often you just have to fill in the blanks, so to speak. What both of these homeopathic methods have in common is the gathering of symptoms… which makes sense since homeopathy is a methodology based on symptoms, symptom gathering is very important! So, though practical or clinical homeopathy has made figuring out the correct homeopathic remedy for a given situation much easier, (especially when it comes to the Banerji Protocols!), details are still very important. For instance, headaches. What’s in a headache? An awful lot, as it turns out. Headaches can be very difficult to treat because no two people experience the same headache pain. What one person calls a sinus headache is often very different to what another person calls a sinus headache. Sometimes people say they have sinus headaches and, yet, their sinuses don’t seem to be involved in the pain … at all. According to the Mayo Clinic, many people (up to 90%!) who claim to have sinus headaches may actually be suffering from migraines (Mayo Clinic 2018). I have come to understand that when someone tells me they suffer "sinus headaches", they just mean that it’s worse than their “normal” headache, or what they interpret to be a "normal" headache. Regardless of whether it’s a sinus headache or a migraine or a tension headache, getting the details on how a person experiences their headaches can be difficult. In the moment, the pain can be too great to be able to get much detail. After the fact, many people don’t even want to go there — to put themselves back into that pain — to remember what the details were. A while back, I encountered a young man who asked if I had any headache medicine. He was looking for mainstream over-the-counter meds, but, I being a homeopath, began down the homeopathic road, instead. He proceeded to tell me about his usual headaches that he has been experiencing for years, which he described as “sinus headaches.” So, I started to question the quality of the pains and the location of the pains, etc. This was not a formal consultation, just a casual encounter. I tried a headache combo remedy for him, but nothing happened. Then, based on his description, I moved to the Banerji Protocol for “sinus headaches with acute pain,” Sanguinaria 200c mixed with Belladonna 3c, taken every 30 minutes (Banerji and Banerji 2013, p. 118). Well, that did something, but it did the wrong something and he soon began to feel nauseous.* Then, I learned the all important missing piece to this particular headache puzzle. He had a few too many drinks the night before. It didn’t matter that he thought he was experiencing his “usual” headache pain because on top of that usual pain was sitting a few alcoholic drinks which likely had a causative effect. More importantly, homeopathically speaking, he left that detail out of the information he provided. If he had included that little nugget, my homeopathic questioning most likely would have stopped abruptly and I would have given him a dose of homeopathic Nux vomica. The go-to remedy for one who has had “a few too many” is Nux vomica. According to Schroyens Synthesis repertory (2012), there are 102 remedies applicable to symptoms following intoxication, with Nux vomica (and one other) being the most highly indicated homeopathic remedy. Why? Because Nux vomica is very highly indicated in the following headache symptoms, according to Murphy’s Repertory:
Nux vomica is also one of the largest liver remedies in homeopathy and as the medical literature has taught us, the liver is involved to help you cope with ridding your body of the toxins from the alcohol (Jung and Namkoong 2014). Homeopathic Nux vomica is very highly indicated in the following liver symptoms, again, according to Murphy: pain in the liver, atrophy of the liver, enlarged liver, a sensation of fullness in the liver; hepatitis infection, jaundice; congestion in the portal system. **If you are experiencing chronic liver issues, please work with a professional homeopath alongside your physician. What other symptoms does homeopathic Nux vomica address which may be experienced after “tying one on?” — according to Phatak (2005):
These keynote symptoms for Nux vomica sound to me like a pretty comprehensive list of symptoms which follow intoxication (Jung and Namkoong 2014; Mayo Clinic 2017). Getting an accurate account of one’s symptoms is imperative to getting the best-matched homeopathic remedy. Without the details, well, it’s GIGO (TechTerms.com) — “garbage in, garbage out.” On that note of garbage, I recommend you keep the garbage out of your body, too, but if you find yourself in this compromised position, Nux vomica may well help set things back in order. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * REMEMBER, when you take a remedy which is not well indicated, the homeopathic remedy can actually cause you to experience some of the symptoms the remedy is intended to treat. Reference list Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Jung, Y. and Namkoong, K., 2014. Chapter 7 - Alcohol: intoxication and poisoning – diagnosis and treatment [online]. ScienceDirect. Mayo Clinic, 2017. Hangovers - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Sinus headaches - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software. Phatak, S. R. and C Jeevanandam, 2005. A concise repertory of homoeopathic medicines : alphabetically arranged. New Delhi: B. Jain Pub. Rozencwajg, J., 2010. Organotherapy Drainage & Detoxification. Emrys Publisher. Schroyens, F., 2012. Synthesis : repertorium homeopathicum syntheticum. Accessed through Radar Opus software. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers. TechTerms.com, n.d. GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) Definition [online]. techterms.com.  Here we go again. We’re springing forward. Whoo hoo! Enter your own favorite sarcastic noise or eye roll here.
Why do they insist on messing with our body clocks like this? Despite the books (Downing 2009; Prerau 2006) and articles I have read about Daylight Savings Time, I still can’t make heads nor tails of why we are still engaging in this ridiculousness. Alas. 25% of the human population (in more than 70 countries), (Folyovich et al. 2020) endures this nonsense twice a year — resulting in “negative health effects, with 150,000 incidences in the US, and 880,000 globally” (Zhang et al. 2020). Even the American Academy of Sleep Medicine agrees with me, stating, “It is, therefore, the position of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that these seasonal time changes should be abolished in favor of a fixed, national, year-round standard time (Rishi et al. 2020). Manfredini (et al. 2019) did a meta-analysis of Acute Myocardial Infarctions (heart attacks) and Daylight Savings and found the risk “increased significantly” after the spring shift. For further sleep deprivation research, see my previous article. If you’re like me, it doesn’t matter if you attempt to mitigate these effects by going to bed early or sleeping in… it’s when your body tells you it’s one time and you look at your clock and it tells you it’s another time. Yuck. Well, tomorrow morning (or afternoon — whenever the painful effects of this clock tinkering kick in), I plan on taking a dose of Hyland’s Awaken*: “Natural relief of fatigue, drowsiness and irritability.” Awaken is a little bottle of relief. Relief after a lousy night’s sleep or after having to wake early for an appointment or after a fun late night out or even as a result of travel between small distances between time zones… as well as from being compliant with this silly clock changing thing. [Is it apparent that I find this a great annoyance?] What causes this relief? Let’s look at what is in Hyland's formulation and why they included these homeopathic remedies (all in X potencies): Kali Phosphoricum Known as “one of the greatest nerve remedies” (Murphy n.d.) and is one of the original 12 Schuessler Cell Salts. Cell Salts are composed from the basic minerals that cells require (Cell Salt Tissues 2022). Kali phos is helpful for drowsiness and yawning, forgetfulness and irritability. Mezereum link to photo Is a pretty little flower, aka Spurge Olive — this homeopathic remedy is made from a tincture of the fresh bark just before it flowers in the spring. Mezereum can help with mental dullness, irritability, laziness, yawning and sleepiness, in general. Natrum muriaticum Is simply common salt and is another of the original 12 cell salts. Nat Mur (as it’s known) is notable in terms of sleepiness in the late morning, mental dullness with sleepiness and weakness from loss of sleep. Nat Mur is also an excellent headache remedy — another possible symptom following not getting enough sleep. Phosphoricum acidum As a homeopathic remedy is amazingly helpful in “collapsed states” (Morrison 1993). Waking up is difficult and sleepy by day, gloomy, dull and weakness with the sleepiness. Sepia Great sleepiness during the day as results from an unrefreshing sleep (which is bound to be the case when the powers that be have goofed with our clocks!) Staphysagria Sleepiness with: difficulty opening your eyes, indigestion and an inclination to lying down. Murphy (n.d.) notes “violent yawning and stretching bring tears to the eye.” Sulphur Headaches, even migraines, from a loss of sleep and overpowering sleepiness (specifically while working). Thuja occidentalis Also addresses headaches and sleepiness as well as restlessness and tossing about during sleep. Here’s to sweet dreams. Maybe if we all concentrate really hard we can make this clock changing thing disappear! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits If you suffer regularly from poor sleep, contact me to see if homeopathy may be of help to you. * I have no affiliation with Hylands, I just like their product. I usually like to provide a link for remedies, but Hylands.com no longer shows it. I see it is still available on lots of other websites, though. Hmmm. I hope Hyland’s is not taking this remedy away! The good thing about homeopathy, though, is you can make your own mixture based on the remedies and even tailor it to your specific needs. Reference list Cell Salt Tissues, 2022. Buy Schuessler Salts | Cell Salts Tissue Salts World [online]. Downing, M., 2009. Spring forward : the annual madness of daylight saving. Berkeley: Counterpoint. Folyovich, A., Biczó, D., Jarecsny, T., Al-Muhanna, N., Jánoska, D., Béres-Molnár, K. A., Dudás, E., and Toldi, G., 2020. Daylight saving time and the incidence of thrombolysis to treat acute ischemic stroke. Revue Neurologique[online], 176 (5), 361–365. Manfredini, R., Fabbian, F., Cappadona, R., De Giorgi, A., Bravi, F., Carradori, T., Flacco, M., and Manzoli, L., 2019. Daylight Saving Time and Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine [online], 8 (3), 404. Morrison, R., 1993. Desktop guide to keynotes and confirmatory symptoms. Accessed through Radar Opus. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Pub. Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus. Prerau, D. S., 2006. Seize the daylight : the curious and contentious story of daylight saving time. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press. Rishi, M. A., Ahmed, O., Barrantes Perez, J. H., Berneking, M., Dombrowsky, J., Flynn-Evans, E. E., Santiago, V., Sullivan, S. S., Upender, R., Yuen, K., Abbasi-Feinberg, F., Aurora, R. N., Carden, K. A., Kirsch, D. B., Kristo, D. A., Malhotra, R. K., Martin, J. L., Olson, E. J., Ramar, K., and Rosen, C. L., 2020. Daylight saving time: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine [online]. Zhang, H., Dahlén, T., Khan, A., Edgren, G., and Rzhetsky, A., 2020. Measurable health effects associated with the daylight saving time shift. PLOS Computational Biology [online], 16 (6), e1007927.  I am happy to say that I am on vacation where the sun is strong and it feels amazing, so I am going to keep this article real short and get back to the business of being on vacation.
The problem with that marvelous sun is the fact that I am a red head. We redheads can love the sun but the sun is definitely not our friend for more than a few short minutes. When I was a kid, I suffered sunburn regularly and a couple of them were pretty severe. I’m getting better about balancing my wanting to feel the sun on my skin and calling it quits before I’ve turned into a lobster. Better, but not perfect! Last year, I thought I had my bases covered. I had on a big hat, I had on a long sleeved hoodie with thumb hooks in the sleeves so even my hands were covered and I thought my legs were good to go. So, I went for a nice, long walk on the beach. We were in our RV, parked on the beach and it was raining while we slept. I awakened in the middle of the night with my lower legs simultaneously on fire and in a swamp. I quickly grabbed my remedies and popped a Belladonna (known for it's positive effect on burning pains). It took the edge off for a couple of minutes. Tried again. Same thing. The relief did not stick around. Then, I remembered I had brought along a tube of homeopathic Sol, a remedy I had never tried. Within 15 minutes, I was back to sleeping like a baby (but still in my swamp). Homeopathic Sol is made by exposing milk sugar “to the sun’s rays and then stirred with a glass rod until saturated” (Murphy n.d.). I will be completely honest… I wasn’t sure this was a realistic way to make a homeopathic remedy. This one sounded a little “out there” to me. But, I have to say, I take it all back. “Potentized sunlight is used for sun dermatitis, sun headaches, heatstrokes, cancers and radiation. Photophobia is another keynote. Sunburns easily or never well since a severe sunburn. Sunlight can damage the eyes, from over-exposure, snow-blindness, sun-blindness” (Murphy n.d.). As I said, I’m on vacation and in an effort to keep this short I will just say that if you have a history of severe sunburns, take a look at Sol and see if it’s a good fit for you. Or, contact me and we can take a look together to see if homeopathy can address any longstanding issues stemming from previous sun exposure. Cover up and wear a big hat! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus.  A friend texted the other day asking for a remedy suggestion “for work stress and ready to cry — not sad crying, but overwhelmed.”
My general go-to for stress and feelings of overwhelm is Ignatia, but that remedy wasn’t quite right here. I suggested Nux vomica to her. Surprisingly, these two homeopathic remedies have a lot in common in the mental and emotional realm. It’s not really this simple (because there is a lot of nuance to homeopathic remedies), but to me, the difference comes down to this: Ignatia is a bit sadder and Nux vomica is a bit angrier. In the homeopathic repertory (the big, marvelous book of symptoms), the remedies are listed on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the strongest association of the remedy to the symptom. Here is how Ignatia and Nux vomica stack up in a few mental/emotional symptoms:
Where is Nux vomica more highly indicated? Funny you should ask… I have that info right here:
See what I mean? These two remedies are very similar but just ever so slightly different (in the mental & emotional arena, anyway). Homeopathic Nux vomica has a reputation of being a good remedy for “the businessman.” Picture the old stereotype of the stressed out, overworked, chain smoking, hard drinking, stressed out, short-tempered business man … the characters from Man in the Grey Flannel Suit* or Mad Men, or, heck, even Darren Stevens from Bewitched! We’re now in a world where the smoking and heavy daytime drinking may have been dropped away from being societally acceptable, but the stress and the resulting grumpiness remains for all the desk jockies (not just the men in the grey flannel suits). Homeopathic Nux vomica also addresses issues that stem from work, otherwise known in the repertory as the rubric, “ailments from being overworked".
All of this stress and worry can then lead to sleep problems which can be addressed nicely by Nux vomica:
Just because the homeopathic literature speaks of the benefits of Nux vomica to businessmen does not mean it only benefits men or only benefits ailments from work related issues… but, it’s a helpful way to remember the remedy.** Keep calm and carry a tube of Nux vomica… Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *Aucoin (2015) has a nice overview of The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit. **For more information on Nux vomica, see these previous articles: Calming the Cold, My Little Bag of Wellness, The Eagle has Landed!, Too Much!  A scary morning! My teenage son stepped outside the patio door, hit some ice and was promptly on the ground. I heard the crash from the other room. We knew he banged his knee up pretty good. We didn’t know if he hit his head on the flower pot next to the door. With some help, he hobbled back in the house and sat down in a chair. Almost immediately, he “disappeared.” He was staring (and, breathing!) but completely unresponsive. Concussion? Seizure? It was a very spooky few seconds. Then, nausea and retching set in and he started shaking; his face (lips in particular) were absolutely colorless. Now, we added shock to the list of possibilities.* Immediately, I gave him Arnica 200c. Why 200c? Because it was the one that was the nearest. In an emergency, the best potency is the one you have! (I did move to Arnica 1M shortly thereafter.) Homeopathic Arnica is the go-to for injuries in general. Arnica is the go-to for head injuries, too. Arnica is indicated in traumatic shock and shock from fractures. Arnica is also indicated in, as the homeopathic repertory says, “fainting, injury from shock in.” Cleveland Clinic (n.d.) says, “Fainting, also called passing out or syncope, is a temporary loss of consciousness. It is caused by a sudden decrease of blood flow to the brain. An episode typically lasts a few seconds or minutes. Most fainting spells are not a cause for concern. But if you faint often or have other symptoms, you should seek medical attention.” (I have seen 2 of my boys faint now on more than one occasion and it certainly does not feel like it’s not a cause for concern!) Mayo Clinic (2018) describes: pale skin, lightheadedness, nausea and jerky, abnormal movements. “Recovery after a vasovagal episode generally begins in less than a minute. However, if you stand up too soon after fainting — waiting about 15-30 minutes — you’re at risk of fainting again.” I wish I had read that earlier today because he did try to stand up and he did “disappear” again. One theory of why this happens, according to Alboni and Alboni (2017), is the body is trying to “take on a gravitationally neutral position” — to get the head lowered to get some blood flow back to the brain. It turns out sitting in a chair was probably not the best position for him; we should have had him lying down with his head slightly raised on a pillow. Is Arnica the only remedy I used? Nope. Aconite for shock. Ipecac for the nausea. Bryonia for the knee stiffness. I also used homeopathic Carbo vegetabilis. We were discussing going to the emergency room and he commented that putting a mask over his face "felt like a very bad idea." When taking a homeopathic case, the patient’s words are very important, so his mentioning this with no prompting gave me reason to pay attention. Why did I care about this statement? It is Carbo veg’s association with the want of air that tipped me off. “The patient faints easily, is worn out, and must have fresh air” (Boericke 2007). Homeopathic Carbo veg is known to be helpful for the following breathing issues: • Asphyxia • Cyanosis • Difficult breathing • Wants to be fanned • Gasping for air • Desires air • Panting • Breathing stopped • Wheezing Carbo veg is also useful for: shaking with chills, unconsciousness or semi-consciousness, traumatic shock, physical anxiety, and it is very highly indicated in hypotension or low blood pressure, which, of course also makes it a good remedy for fainting, thus making it a good fit for my son this morning. I am happy to report that after a couple of hours of taking it easy and getting some good food and plenty of water in him, he is nearly back to his old self. His knee is still a little tender, but it’s getting him where he needs to go and it doesn't appear to be broken. (Phew!) Any other remedies used? Yep. Ignatia 200c for me. As my mother-in-law used to say about raising children, “it’s not the work, it’s the worry.” Stressful stuff to watch your son “disappear.” Watch your step! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I am fortunate to have an excellent and kind MD who answers my texts on a panicked Saturday morning. We also spoke with an ER doctor. We did not go this alone. If we had not had these resources, we definitely would have taken him to the ER. Reference list
Alboni, P. and Alboni, M., 2017. Typical vasovagal syncope as a “defense mechanism” for the heart by contrasting sympathetic overactivity. Clinical Autonomic Research: Official Journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society [online], 27 (4), 253–261. Boericke, W., 2007. Pocket manual of homeopathic materia medica & repertory : comprising of the characteristic and guiding symptoms of all remedies clinical and pathogenetic including Indian drugs. Accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi, India: B. Jain. Cleveland Clinic, n.d. Fainting: Causes, Symptoms & Prevention [online]. Cleveland Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Vasovagal syncope - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic.  I noticed an interesting thing after I posted my last article … An increase in people finding my site by searching for the term “rage.” Whether you are raging at governmental mask mandates or raging at fellow citizens who refuse to follow the governmental mask mandates, it is clear to me that anger and rage are alive and well in 2022. Does anger follow chronic illness or does anger contribute to chronic illness? Is the grumpy old man with a bad back grumpy because he has a bad back or does he have a bad back because he’s grumpy? Carson (et al. 2007) suggests patients who have more difficulty expressing emotions may experience higher pain and anger. Burns (et al. 2012) suggests suppression of anger may be linked to heightened pain. Suppressed anger seems to be the biggest problem. Where does all that energy go if it doesn’t have an outlet? There is a word for this in Korean: Hwabyung: a culture-related anger syndrome known to occur due to continued repression of anger. Suh (et al. 2021) says this phenomenon affects patients’ physical, psychological and social functions. Mills (and Dimsdale 1993) found men who routinely suppressed their anger had increased beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity. These receptors play an important role in regulation of heart function (Wallukat 2002). Homeopathy takes anger very seriously. Frederik Schroyens Synthesis (2012) repertory lists hundreds of rubrics in regard to anger, for example: Mind, anger, morning; evening; causeless; easily angered; from noise; throwing things in anger; when touched; weeping from anger… the list goes on. Let’s take a look at the top 5 anger remedies (general anger, not suppressed or differentiated in any way. Though, suppressed anger is really fascinating and is worth a look in the future!) Bryonia: Homeopathic Bryonia is known as “the grumpy bear” remedy and this aspect is very clear when talking about how Bryonia relates to anger. Headaches from anger. Anger resulting from pains. Not wanting to talk when angry. Exceedingly irritable. There can be chilliness with the anger. A red face when angry. Chamomilla: Homeopathic Chamomilla is often indicated in children with anger — or children who become angry and irritable due to their physical situation — think teething. Those who have difficulty breathing after their anger or suffer convulsions after anger. Anger associated with PMS/menses. Those easily angered. A red face when angry. Temper tantrums. Vomiting after anger. A person needing Chamomilla may get hot and sweaty with their anger. Hepar sulph: Homeopathic Hepar sulph is highly indicated in violent anger. Sensitive to noise and odors. Irritable and angry. Easily angered and abusive. Anger “at the least trifle” — oversensitive mind. Peevish. Lachesis: Homeopathic Lachesis is highly indicated in anger associated with jealousy. Violent anger. Anger from disappointed love. The mingling of melancholy/sadness and anger. In children, they awaken angry or suffer anger from dentition or jealousy and during sleep. Nux vomica: Homeopathic Nux vomica is one of the first remedies I think of for anger. Nux vomica is highly indicated in liver issues and where is anger processed? According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver (Suttie 2022; Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation 2021; Cutler 2011). Convulsions following anger. Angry dreams. Anger associated with anxiety. Anger from business failures or work related issues. Easily angered. Angry in the morning, upon waking. Anger at little things. Violent anger. A red face when angry. Vomiting after anger. Anger vs Rage: what is the difference? According to Psychologydictionary.org, rage occurs when anger cannot be controlled. Emotional Healing with Homeopathy (Chappell 2003, p. 126) differentiates homeopathic remedies for rage thusly: Chamomilla: with contrary behavior, great irritability, impossible to meet demands, worse evening. Nux vomica: with great irritability, impatience, frustration, and gastric upsets. Road rage. Back to the original thought of why there may be an increase of people who may be angry at this point in history: anger at mandates and anger at those who won’t comply with said mandates. Homeopathic Causticum, though very highly indicated in anger, is not in the top 5 remedies for anger, but is definitely worth a mention here. Causticum: inclined to fits of anger with scolding. Great anger over injustices toward himself or others. Stammering on account of anger. Angry against the system. Sensitive and inclined to anger, while the nerves are much affected. Now, take some deep breaths and a dose of whichever remedy suits your symptoms best and go forth in peace. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list & Further reading:
Bailey, P. M., 1995. Homeopathic psychology : personality profiles of the major constitutional remedies. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books. Burns, J. W., Quartana, P. J., Gilliam, W., Matsuura, J., Nappi, C., and Wolfe, B., 2012. Suppression of anger and subsequent pain intensity and behavior among chronic low back pain patients: the role of symptom-specific physiological reactivity. Journal of Behavioral Medicine [online], 35 (1), 103–114. Carson, J. W., Keefe, F. J., Lowry, K. P., Porter, L. S., Goli, V., and Fras, A. M., 2007. Conflict about expressing emotions and chronic low back pain: associations with pain and anger. The Journal of Pain [online], 8 (5), 405–411. Castro, M., 2008. Homeopathic guide to stress. New Delhi: Health Harmony. Chappell, P., 2003. Emotional healing with homeopathy : treating the effects of trauma. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books. Cutler, N., 2011. Anger Inflames Liver Disease [online]. LiverSupport.com. Frederik Schroyens, 2012. Synthesis : repertorium homeopathicum syntheticum. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers. Jenner, R. C., Strodl, E. S., and Schweitzer, R. D., 2009. Anger and depression predict hospital use among chronic heart failure patients. Australian Health Review: A Publication of the Australian Hospital Association [online], 33 (4), 541–548. Mills, P. J. and Dimsdale, J. E., 1993. Anger suppression: its relationship to β-adrenergic receptor sensitivity and stress-induced changes in blood pressure. Psychological Medicine [online], 23 (3), 673–678. Russell, M. A., Smith, T. W., and Smyth, J. M., 2015. Anger Expression, Momentary Anger, and Symptom Severity in Patients with Chronic Disease. Annals of Behavioral Medicine [online], 50 (2), 259–271. Sam, N., 2016. How to Know the Difference Between Rage and Anger [online]. Psychology Dictionary. Sayar, K., Gulec, H., and Topbas, M., 2004. Alexithymia and anger in patients with fibromyalgia. Clinical Rheumatology [online], 23 (5), 441–448. Soyda Akyol, E., Karakaya Arısoy, E. Ö., and Çayköylü, A., 2013. Anger in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Its relations with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and sociodemographic and clinical variables. Comprehensive Psychiatry [online], 54 (7), 850–855. Suh, H.-W., Lee, K.-B., Chung, S.-Y., Park, M., Jang, B.-H., and Kim, J. W., 2021. How Suppressed Anger Can Become an Illness: A Qualitative Systematic Review of the Experiences and Perspectives of Hwabyung Patients in Korea. Frontiers in Psychiatry [online], 12, 637029. Suttie, E., 2022. Anger and the Liver : Chinese Medicine Living [online]. chinesemedicineliving.com. Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation, 2021. Emotions: The Liver, Stress, and Chronic Anger [online]. TCM World. Wallukat, G., 2002. The β-Adrenergic Receptors. Herz [online], 27 (7), 683–690.  I mentioned last time that our children always seemed to have made some emotional growth spurts following a big, acute illness and I wondered if that could be the case for me. Here’s what happened…
I could not budge my low-grade fever. No remedy made a dent. Period. I eventually contacted one of my previous instructors asking for help. Her response: “something is stuck inside. Your symptoms are being too shy.” Hmmm. She recommended some Sulphur 30c. Sulphur is an interesting remedy. It is often used to clear up/clean out the remnants of an acute illness. I had considered the idea, but given I was not at the end, I didn’t think it was time for me yet. The Father of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, used to begin every case with Sulphur because it was going to illicit some sort of a response in everybody. Sulphur definitely pulled a little somethin’ somethin’ out of me. Immediately upon taking it (I mean immediately), I became so weak I had to abandon the shower I had just turned on. Within 5 minutes, I began weeping and the tears simply wouldn’t stop. For the first time since my illness began, I couldn’t get out of bed. The tears eventually stopped and I was able to get out of bed again, but the fever remained. I wondered and pondered at what could be "stuck." December was a fraught month for me — it could have been any number of emotions that got stuck. Anger was stuck. I raged in my mind for hours one morning and I could literally feel the crud breaking up. My temperature dropped a bit but it soon went back up again. So, I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. I raged and I raged again and I began to understand what was stuck inside of me. Again, I felt the crud breaking up. By the next morning, the fever was gone, for the first time in nearly 2 weeks. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I had also worked through serious amounts of stagnant emotion and that can only be a good thing. Was Sulphur the only remedy I needed? Nope. Sulphur got things going. Once I recognized anger as the culprit, Nux vomica was suggested and it made good sense, homeopathically speaking. Nux vomica is a major liver remedy and the liver, of course, is where that anger gets processed. But, Nux didn’t do much for me this time around. Natrum muriaticum was suggested. Nat Mur is a well indicated remedy for ailments from anger. I only took 1 dose and it was abandoned in order to keep chasing the current symptoms. Chamomilla was suggested and Chamomilla definitely did something. It was as if the Chamomilla opened the door to usher the anger through. Then, it was suggested to take Bryonia alba in 3 ascending potencies. I took the first dose and the fever continued to improve, so I left it at that. The next morning was when the fever was gone. So, what’s left? Fatigue is what’s left and a little dizziness. Turns out a low-level fever for 2 weeks and very little appetite takes its toll on a person’s energy. So, was there emotional growth that happened for me? Why, yes! There was some growth that happened! Some emotional growth and some good homeopathic education, too! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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