 “Wellness Box” image created by AI, with my help. Everything else was done by lil’ old me. Do you have a homeopathy kit yet?
If not, why not? It doesn’t take anything fancy. Any old box or bag will do. You could purchase a kit, ready to go. (See here and here for some ideas.) Or, you could make your own kit by purchasing remedies as you need them. Start with one. Add another couple and put a rubber band around them to keep them together. Add a few more and put them in a little ziplock bag. Add a few more and put them in a shoebox. Once you have them, you are then good to go. As long as you keep them safe and together, then you have your kit. I could give you a list of suggested remedies. Would that help? (Almost all of these Ruminating on Remedies articles are written with common, easily sourced remedies in mind. Read through and find a few remedies that might serve you and your family well. It’s actually one of the hardest things to do — narrowing down to just 10, but here goes! Top 10 — in no particular order: 1. Arnica
Two people have independently spoken to me about their homeopathic kits in the last two weeks. The first one purchased a Narayani kit and there is no other way to say it — she is over the moon with it. (She didn’t purchase the little one mentioned in the link above, she went for the whole kit and kaboodle!) The second person, just this morning told me how much she loved her little kit of 50 remedies. She said she wants to carry it around with her everywhere. The other day her son was feeling a little off — Nux took care of that. She slammed her finger tip in a drawer and Arnica and Hypericum took care of that. Done. Easy. Return the remedies to where they belong and your kit is once more ready to go for the next thing that comes along. What are you waiting for?!? Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits
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 I’m a little embarrassed to say that I have just cleaned out a cupboard in my kitchen that had supplements that expired as long ago as 2015. Really, the reason I still had them was that I totally have not needed anything that was in that cupboard for over a decade and I just never looked in there. But, I know that in the beginning of my homeopathic journey, I kept them around, just in case. I had no idea that I would never require them again. Who knew?!?
What was in there? Digestive supplements, primarily. I am really glad that I inadvertently kept that little time capsule. You see, prior to embarking on my homeopathic journey I had some pretty intense gut issues and opening that cupboard the other day was a really excellent reminder of what my life used to be. I don’t miss it — it wasn’t pretty! Then, (surprise!), I found homeopathy and all I have to show for my old gut problems is a shelf full of expired digestive enzymes and other supplements and gut-related herbal teas. How did I fix my gut? There were a few remedies that were suggested to me by my homeopath, because I had some pretty potent food sensitivities which are beyond the scope of this little article. However, I can tell you that I relied on Lyco/Ars — Lycopodium 200c mixed with Arsenicum album 3c for quite a while. It was a real game changer for me. I began taking it twice daily for a while, as suggested, and then backed down to once daily and then once every few days and then weekly and then every couple weeks — you get the picture. Every now and then, I would need to return to more frequent use, but that never lasted very long because things were definitely heading in the right direction. As to all those food sensitivities? Only one remains to any great degree and I think that one is there for life. Alas. I have to say, though, even though I can’t eat that food regularly, if I do happen upon it, I don’t suffer like I used to and I can actually get away with eating it now and again. Fortunately, it’s not a favorite for me but it is common. And, if things are a little rougher than I would like, I have my remedies to help me through, like Lyco/Ars. So, gone are the days of shelves full of supplements. They are now replaced by homeopathy and every now and again I stumble upon a remedy that I used to need regularly and now, it’s just part of my homeopathic arsenal… standing by in case it’s particular qualities are once again required. To read a little more about a couple of gut remedies, see: Rooty Toot Toots and Gobble Gobble and Carnival Salami. If you would like to see if homeopathy can help you with any food-related issues, click here to book a free 20-minute call. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  a quick look at what I affectionately call "rhoids" They are very common. 1 in 20 Americans and almost half of people older than 50 have them (Fox et al. 2014). Sometimes they are embarrassing to talk about. There’s no such thing as an embarrassing topic in my world. This stuff is important and needs to be talked about!! They are sometimes painful. They are objectively a pain in the rear! I’m talking about hemorrhoids, also known as piles, which “are tortuous masses of dilated and inflamed veins situated in the ano-rectal area” (Rahmathullah 2003). These can be inside the rectum (internal) or outside (external), or, if you’re really unlucky, the internal hemorrhoids can prolapse and can actually then be on the outside. They can bleed. They can become irritated. They can be irritating. They can be painful. They can burst. These veins are at risk of becoming thrombosed if a blood clot forms inside the hemorrhoid. I have been told that it is at this point that the bearer of such piles doesn’t care who is in the operating room when these get addressed! How does this little pile of goodies arrive in the nether regions? I’m glad you asked… Apparently, “everyone has them, the pillow-like clusters of veins that lie just beneath the mucous membranes lining the lowest part of the rectum and the anus” (Harvard Health Publishing 2019). The problematic part shows up if these veins get enlarged. How do they get enlarged? Chronic constipation and straining at toilet. Pregnancy: up to 35% (Lawrence and McLaren 2020). Sitting on the toilet for long periods of time. (If this is a thing for you, you may want to leave your phone by the sink to keep things moving along.) Heavy lifting. Being overweight. A couple of other possible causes: uterine displacement and pelvic inflammatory diseases (Enache and Soare 2022). The internal hemorrhoids are often painless, though they may bleed. The external hemorrhoids are easily irritated, as one might imagine and as Harvard Health Publishing tells us, “When a hemorrhoid protrudes, it can collect small amounts of mucus and tiny stool particles that may cause an irritation called pruritis (a tingling or faintly burning skin sensation that prompts a person to rub or scratch; an itch (Venes 2017) ani (around the anus). Wiping constantly to try to relieve the itching can worsen the problem.” That indeed sounds like a problem. Maybe somebody should invent some 4-wheel drive toilet paper to get around all the obstacles! Could it be something other than hemorrhoids you’re feeling down there? You bet. Click here and read the “Differential Diagnosis” paragraph. Fox (et al. 2014) recommends that even if hemorrhoids can be seen on examination, patients with rectal bleeding who are at risk of colorectal cancer should still undergo colonoscopy to exclude cancer as the etiology. What can help? Drinking lots of water and eating foods high in fiber to help prevent constipation and straining during bowel movements. Avoiding harsh toilet paper. Some companies seem to take the “paper” word too seriously! Since we don’t have a soft, “off-road” toilet paper yet, here are a few options to help keep the nether regions clean:
Why witch hazel wipes? I first learned about these lovely little things after the birth of my first son. Witch hazel is an astringent, meaning it can cause tissues to tighten or shrink and it has been shown to be beneficial on pain, bleeding and swelling, as well as preventing recurrence (Admuthe et al. 2025). Witch hazel has another name: Hamamelis virginiana and it is, wait for it… a homeopathic remedy! In fact, this homeopathic remedy is part of the Banerji protocol for varicose veins which is relevant here because hemorrhoids are essentially varicose veins of the rectum. The full protocol is Hamamelis 200c mixed with Arnica 3c taken twice daily. If things are particularly acute and uncomfortable, repeat this every 3 hours. A hemorrhoid which may respond well to Hamamelis may be chronic; external or internal; large and swollen and it may disturb your sleep. Why is Arnica part of this protocol? I thought Arnica was for sore muscles? Well, part of the reason Arnica is used for sore muscles is because Arnica can help reduce inflammation and pain and bruising and trauma. If you think those little dangly bits don’t suffer any trauma, think again! Arnica is also helpful to improve circulation which can definitely help because a hemorrhoid is part of the vascular structure (remember from above, a hemorrhoid is an inflamed vein). Are there any readily available homeopathic remedies that can help? Absolutely, though the Ham/Arn combination is a very good place to start. Boiron* makes a couple of combos, all with the name HemCalm. Each of these contain similar, but slightly different ingredients. HemCalm pellets and tablets contain the following remedies for the following reasons (looking at Murphy’s high level symptoms in the top row, as well as their small rubrics (unique symptoms) in the bottom row)**:
Forces of Nature* is another homeopathic combination which is for topical use only. It contains both Aesculus and Hamamelis and is combined with essential oils. WHP Be gone* from Washington Homeopathy is an ointment with Aesculus, Collinsonia and Hamamelis. Are there other combinations out there? Yes! A quick look on the internet turns up all sorts of hemorrhoid relief — some of them are homeopathic, most are not. Choose carefully! To see why you may want to choose the homeopathic remedies over the others, see these studies:
If you have tried everything and are still struggling, consider booking a consult. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this or any other company. ** Many of these remedies may be found in many of these rubrics. I have only highlighted the level 3 & 4 rubrics as well as small (fewer than 5 remedies) rubrics. I have touched on the most common homeopathic remedies for hemorrhoids in this article, but there are more. To read further on homeopathic hemorrhoid remedies, consider subscribing to Ruminating on Remedies: Digging Deeper. Reference list
Admuthe, N. B., Karajgi, S., Uikey, J., Bhimraj, N. M., Prakash, V., Babar, T. P., Karra, T. and Shrivastava, R., 2025. Natural Products in Hemorrhoid Management: A Comprehensive Literature Review of Traditional Herbal Remedies and Evidence-Based Therapies. Cureus [online], 17 (5), e83397. Enache, T. and Soare, D. E., 2022. Doppler Ultrasound Testing Suggests Hemorrhoids in Females may be a Consequence of Impaired Blood Flow Associated with Pelvic Organ Prolapse. Journal of Coloproctology [online], 42 (03), 228–233. Fox, A., Tietze, P. H. and Ramakrishnan, K., 2014. Anorectal conditions: hemorrhoids. FP essentials [online], 419, 11–19. Harvard Health Publishing, 2019. Hemorrhoids and what to do about them - Harvard Health [online]. Harvard Health. Kamlesh Bagmar, 2020. Management of Haemorrhoids with Individualized Homoeopathy in Improving Quality of Life: An Observational Study [online]. International Journal of Research. Lawrence, A. and McLaren, E. R., 2020. External Hemorrhoid [online]. PubMed. Lohsiriwat, V., 2012. Hemorrhoids: From basic pathophysiology to clinical management. World Journal of Gastroenterology [online], 18 (17), 2009. NIH, 2016. Definition & Facts of Hemorrhoids - NIDDK [online]. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Rahmathullah, S., 2003. Compendium of human diseases and their cure by homoeopathic treatment : a modern book of homoeopathic therapeutics with concise description of the diseases. London: S. Rahmathullah. Venes, D., 2017. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. Kindle. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company. Washington Homeopathic Products, 2025. WHP Be goneTM Hemorrhoids [online]. Homeopathy Works. A really beautiful little phrase: Obstacle to cure… which means quite simply that something is getting in the way of your ability to feel well.  Homeopathic medicines are incredibly powerful and can work really well despite any roadblocks we may put in our own way. However, once in a while we homeopaths are met with a client who is not getting to the point of wellness which they would like and often there is something in their daily lives that is getting in the way. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann was a pretty clever fellow and his words from more than 200 years ago still hold true today. Let’s look at aphorism 77 from his Organon of the Medical Art: (see also: the Organon). (Note, I have inserted my thoughts in italics beneath the good doctor’s words.) §77 “Diseases caused by continual exposure to avoidable noxious factors are not true chronic diseases. Health returns spontaneously when the obstacle to cure is removed, provided there is no chronic miasm in the body. Those diseases are improperly called chronic that are suffered by people who: 1. continually expose themselves to avoidable malignities
2. habitually partake of harmful food or drink
3. abandon themselves to intemperances of all kinds, which undermine health
4. undergo prolonged deprivation of things that are necessary for life
5. live in unhealthy places (especially marshy areas)
6. reside only in cellars, damp workplaces or other confined quarters
7. suffer lack of exercise or open air
8. deprive themselves of health by excessive mental or bodily exertions
9. live in constant vexation, etc
These kinds of ill-health that people bring upon themselves disappear spontaneously under an improved lifestyle, provided no chronic miasm lies in the body. These cannot be called chronic diseases.” I shall now return to the last few days of my vacation. Carry on. 😎 Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellness awaits * If you are suffering side effects from medications, work with your physician to find an alternate solution. ** I haven’t read this book and I have no affiliation with it or the author, but I know a good number of people who have read it and have consequently happily given up alcohol in their lives: Alcohol Explained: Understand Why You Drink and How to Stop by William Porter. Reference list
Alfredsson, L., Armstrong, B. K., Butterfield, D. A., Chowdhury, R., de Gruijl, F. R., Feelisch, M., Garland, C. F., Hart, P. H., Hoel, D. G., Jacobsen, R., Lindqvist, P. G., Llewellyn, D. J., Tiemeier, H., Weller, R. B. and Young, A. R., 2020. Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [online], 17 (14). American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2024. Toxic Mold Syndrome: Separating Fact from Fiction [online]. Aaaai.org. American Psychological Association, 2024. Stress Effects on the Body [online]. American Psychological Association. Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K. and Laye, M. J., 2012. Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases. Comprehensive Physiology [online], 2 (2). Cleveland Clinic, 2024. What is overtraining syndrome? [online]. Cleveland Clinic. Colten, H. R. and Altevogt, B. M., 2019. Extent and health consequences of chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders [online]. nih.gov. Drugs.com, 2025. Prescription drug information, interactions & side effects [online]. Drugs.com. Hahnemann, S. and Wenda Brewster O'reilly, 2001. Organon of the medical art. Kindle. Palo Alto, Ca: Birdcage Books. Mayo Clinic, 2023. Chronic stress puts your health at risk [online]. Mayo Clinic. Mohan, V. and Joshi, S., 2018. Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss diets. Indian Journal of Medical Research [online], 148 (5), 642–647. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2022. How Sleep Works - Why Is Sleep important? [online]. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. NCOA, 2024. The National Council on Aging [online]. www.ncoa.org. Porter, W., 2018. Alcohol explained. Lexington, Ky: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. I am not ruminating on remedies today. I am ruminating on knowledge and autonomy. I am currently enrolled in a nutrition class and I am loving it. But, I have spent a lot of time lately wondering why am I only now learning this stuff? I mean, I have picked up pieces here and there over the decades because I have had an interest in it, but I was never formally taught nutrition. My kids were never taught nutrition in school. (Well, the basic food groups and the food pyramid (yikes!), but not much else.)  Back when I did the anatomy and physiology course, I thought the same thing. Why did I never learn this stuff? It is my opinion that this should be a mandatory class (just like reading and math) beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout school, ending in some level of proficiency of yourself to be necessary to graduate from high school and not just offered as an elective for high school students who think they may want to be a doctor one day.
I was a child of the 70s and I don’t recall much being taught beyond the basics. In 4th grade, I remember having to chew some foul red pill (what was in that stuff?) so the visiting district nurse could see how well we brush our teeth. (Which you then had to dry brush off — nobody ever got it all off. I did, however, learn from a holistic dental hygienist a few years ago that dry brushing is the best way to get your teeth clean.) In 5th grade, they separated the boys from the girls to tell us about puberty and what to expect. There was a random health class in junior high and high school but I really just remember learning about how drugs and alcohol might affect you. There was a biology class in 10th grade and we dissected a couple of things but we mainly learned about plants. My children, all schooled in this new millennium, didn’t learn much more. I remember “the heart bag” that came home with them in 2nd grade where they played around with the stethoscope for a day (to be fair, I’m sure there was more to that unit than that), but overall, there was not much education about the most important thing in one’s life… their body and their health. How much better would life be if people had an understanding of how their body works and how various food items and basic nutrition plays a part in keeping us running? Proficiency of yourself is really what it is all about. With the exception of one’s own mother, nobody cares more about you than you*. The doctor you’re visiting may take an interest in you during your 15 minute appointment, but then what? You leave the office and you’re on your own. You may leave with a prescription of some sort (often because you are not giving yourself the attention you deserve). Have you looked up that medicine? Do you know the effects of that drug? Have you read the ingredients on the tooth paste tube? Do you know what blood tests have been ordered and what the results mean? How amazing would it be if we all learned… forget about the boring name (anatomy & physiology; A&P), it’s really a course all about you. It’s as close as one can get to having a handbook about you. I’m talking about the nitty gritty of what makes us run (or, if you take the Pathology and Disease classes, what has gone wrong). Answer honestly:
Shouldn’t we know this automatically? Shouldn’t we have a thorough understanding of our body parts? Shouldn’t we know how various foods affect our various bodily systems? Shouldn’t we be able to have some basic understanding of what the blood test that our doctors have ordered for us means? I would venture to guess that most people reading this right now don’t have the stomach to even begin learning this stuff at such a late age. That is my point! If we were taught it from the beginning in school, we would all already know it! There is my rumination for the day. Carry on. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *If you don’t already, I highly recommend you start keeping a health file for you and every member of your family. What brought you to the dr? What did the dr recommend? What testing was done? What were the results? If you began a new drug, are you writing down changes you notice? |
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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