A blog on homeopathy -- Ruminating on Remedies

Pellet Roulette

7/30/2023

It has been a busy couple of weeks of traveling. According to a Boiron email that was in my inbox, 49% of Americans are traveling more this summer than last year, so I am not alone. The completely full flights I have been on seem to corroborate this idea.

I carry remedies with me pretty much every where I go. Why wouldn’t I? They do me no good tucked in my cupboard at home! (If you’re interested in what I generally carry and why, see here.)

I noticed on my last trip that my very old (but otherwise completely fine), miniature tubes of Arnica had been compromised. My 200c had somehow gotten wet and is now just a clump in the bottom of the little glass vial*. The lid on my equally old and equally little tube of Arnica 1M had come off and spilled in the bottom of my little remedy bag.

In anticipation of this next trip, I went through and took a second look at what I am carrying around with me and I replaced the Arnicas. I thought I was good to go.

Fast forward to today when our flight was re-routed due to weather and my neck and shoulder were feeling jolly uncomfortable in my middle seat following a pre-departure, fitful night’s sleep. I grabbed my little bag in eager anticipation of a dose of Arnica and the cap on my brand new little tube of Arnica was floating freely. Might the little pellets be loose on the bottom of the bag? Maybe, but it wouldn’t be my first spill of pellets in that bag, so I abandoned the idea of playing pellet roulette.

With our connecting flight long departed without us, we had many, many hours to kill so I visited the chair massage place. When I was paying, guess what they were selling? Various homeopathic combination remedies.

How cool is that?!

I have heard it said that Arnica is the “gateway” to further homeopathy use and as a homeopath, I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was to see remedies for sale in as mainstream a place as an airport**.

Now, let’s talk about X-ray machines. Some people claim putting the remedies through the machines can damage them. I have never found this to be the case. I have flown many, many times with my remedies. In my early days of using homeopathy, I would ask for them to be hand inspected, but I only did that a couple of times. Each of the remedies in my travel kit of 100 remedies has worked fine and dandy for me every time I have used them — seemingly no worse for the X-ray exposure.

Some of my remedies travel in a little bag with EMF lining to protect them. Others, like my 100 kit, do not. Why are some protected and others not? No reason in particular. I have the little bags because they’re cute and easy to find in my luggage. (If you’re interested, there are some good options on Etsy.)

Can any harm be done by playing pellet roulette? In my opinion, no. Especially when the pellets have been hanging out on the bottom of a cloth bag for a while. Remember, the medicine is sprayed on the outside of each pellet and most likely has rubbed off.

Wishing you happy and restful summer days.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* I needn’t throw this vial out. To use it, all I would have to do is put a tiny bit of water in this tiny little vial and have a tiny little sip. Voilà. A dose of Arnica.

** I’ve never tried this brand of remedies, but I am seeing them quite frequently now, so I’ll give them a try one day soon and let you know my thoughts.

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Kitchen Quickie for Newlyweds

7/22/2023

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I was on a plane, on my way to a wedding last week and the thought occurred to me that a homeopathic remedy kit would make an excellent wedding present.

Why? For myriad reasons, but the one that comes first to mind is based on the nugget I read many years ago that newlyweds are more prone to knife accidents in the kitchen.

Why? Apparently newlyweds have never used sharp knives until they have been gifted some for their wedding*. (Perhaps this is old news and no longer relevant to today’s modern living with access to quality goods long before getting hitched, because I couldn’t find anything on my quick search of the internet.)

Back to those cuts. If it’s a bad or deep cut — seek medical attention, otherwise, after cleaning the wound, try one of these:

If it’s a clean slice, start with Staphysagria for relief and healing.

If it’s a jagged cut, start with Calendula for relief and healing.

If nerves are involved, you may need to add Hypericum for relief and healing.

A while back, I did a doozy, and the details of that injury and how I handled it homeopathically can be found in that link.

(If you are a recipient of some knives, be sure to give the kind gifter a penny, otherwise, as the saying goes, you are at risk of severing the relationship!)

Stay on the safe side and give a homeopathic remedy kit, instead!

For some ideas of kits*:

Taproots has a great assortment of kits in small, travel sized glass vials.
Hahnemann labs has a nice assortment, all in 2 dram glass vials.
Helios in the UK has a few kits in glass vials in a hard case for traveling.

For more kit ideas, see here.

Now you're all set for wedding season gifting ideas

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with any of these companies, I provide them here only for convenience.

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It's Never Too Late, 5: Cough

7/8/2023

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“Homeopathic treatment is always worthwhile, even in individuals who are seriously ill and in need of care where there is no hope of complete recovery of health” (Teut and Doppler 2019).

Coughs are considered chronic when they last for 8 weeks or longer (4 weeks in children).

Nuisance? Yup. Annoying? Yup. (For the cougher and those around you.) Dangerous? Sometimes — be sure to seek the opinion of a medical professional if you are suffering from a chronic cough. Additionally, severe coughs can cause vomiting, dizziness, incontinence and even rib fractures.

What causes a chronic cough? Allergies. Postnasal drip. Asthma. Smoking. Acid reflux. Infections (colds and flus). Pneumonia (if you suspect this, please go to the doctor). Fungal infections of the lung. COPD. Some drugs can be the cause of chronic cough. The list goes on, but I dare say you get the picture. Plenty of underlying reasons for a chronic cough.

The beautiful part of homeopathy… well, there are many beautiful parts to homeopathy, actually. I digress. Back to today’s beautiful part of homeopathy. The underlying cause doesn’t matter. If we know the reason, it can sometimes be helpful, but it’s not a necessary component to find relief.

According to pulmonologist Jonathan Parson from Ohio’s Weiner Medical Center, it’s important to remember that coughing is considered to be a “protective mechanism.”

A few descriptions of coughs:

A wet cough, also known as a productive cough, brings up mucus.
Dry cough: can be tickling, annoying, hacking; this kind of cough may come in groupings.
Paroxysmal coughs: violent, draining coughs that can make it hard to breathe.
Hemoptysis: this is the coughing up of blood. * Please seek medical treatment ASAP.

Some coughs come in the middle of the night, waking the poor soul (and their spouse). Some people cough first thing in the morning. Some people cough all day long sometimes escalating to the point of vomiting.

With so many different kinds of cough, it’s no surprise there are a lot of homeopathic remedies which may help.

Today, I’m going to do a brief repertory (listing the specific type of cough and the associated remedies) followed by a short Materia Medica (a write-up of the remedies) for a couple of my favorite cough remedies. Note: this is an incomplete repertory. (Frederik Schroyens lists over 4,000 rubrics for cough!) I concentrated only on the most highly indicated and easily available remedies.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are many possible underlying reasons for cough, some of which can be very serious. I have highlighted only a couple of these symptoms. If you are suffering from a chronic cough, have it evaluated by a medical professional.

Bursting head pain during cough: Bryonia, Natrum muriatium, Nux vomica,

Coughing worse by eating: Antimonium tart, Bryonia, Nux vomica

Cough with obstructed breathing: *BE SURE TO SEEK MEDICAL CARE IMMEDIATELY. While waiting for help to arrive, try one of the following: Antimonium tart, Arsenicum album, Cuprum metallic, Drosera, Ipecac, Nux vomica

Cough with rattling in the chest: Antimonium tart, Ipecac, Nux vomica

Cough with vomiting: Antimonium tart, Bryonia, Drosera, Nux vomica

Evening cough: Bryonia, Nux vomica

Eyes watering during cough: Bryonia, Natrum muriaticum,

Fear of coughing: Antimonium tart, Apis, Drosera

Involuntary urination with Cough: Apis, Arsenicum album, Bryonia, Causticum, Natrum muriaticum Nux vomica

Painful cough: Bryonia, Causticum, Nux vomica

Suffocating, choking cough: Antimonium tart, Cuprum, Drosera, Ipecac,

Tickling cough: Drosera, Ipecac, Nux vomica

Vertigo/dizziness with coughing: Antimonium tart, Arsenicum album, Nux vomica

On to the materia medica!

Antimonium tartaricum:

Cough followed by vomiting
Must sit up to breathe or cough
Coughs and yawns alternately
- sleepiness with cough
Coughing and gasping
Cough made worse by eating, with pain in the chest and larynx
Loose, rattling cough — but very little is coughed up
Dizziness with cough
Coughing at 4 am
Whooping cough
Spasmodic cough, with much wind

Bryonia:

Pain in the chest during cough
- Cough with the feeling as if the chest would fly to pieces; must support the chest while coughing
Inability to cough due to the pain
Dry, hacking cough
- as if the cough is coming from the stomach
Wants to take a deep breath but can’t because it makes the cough come on
Cough with sneezing
Pain in the abdomen with cough
Convulsive, spasmodic cough
Loose cough in the morning
Vomiting of food from the cough
Incontinence during cough
Teeth pain during cough

Cuprum metallicum:

Cough in violent paroxysms, coughs self out of breath
Difficult breathing with cough *Seek medical attention
Cough better cold drinks
Cough worse deep breathing, bending backwards
Cough has a gurgling sound, better by drinking cold water
Whooping cough
Distressing cough
Painful cough
Paroxysmal cough attacks, uninterrupted, OR, consisting of few long coughs
Sudden coughs
Nausea after a cough

Drosera:

Whooping cough (principle remedy for)
- Spasmodic cough resembling whooping cough
Violent, tickling cough
Frequent barking cough, worse in the evening and after midnight
Vomits if cannot get up the phlegm
- vomiting of slimy matter and of food during the cough
- retching, gagging with cough
Coughs and chokes
Cough worse singing or talking
Very deep and hoarse cough
Abdominal pain during the cough
Accelerated breathing during the coughing
Difficult breathing during cough *Seek medical attention
Holds the chest during cough due to pain
Distressing cough; tormenting cough
Irritable cough from the trachea
Nose bleed with cough
Incontinence during cough
Incessant cough
Very talkative after coughing
Nausea after a cough

Dulcamera:

Whooping cough
Cough, worse cold, wet weather
Winter coughs
Cough after physical exertion
Hoarse, spasmodic cough
Loose, rattling cough
Must cough a long time to expel phlegm
Prolonged cough, caused by tickling in back of the throat with much loose easy expectoration -- especially in the elderly

Ipecac:

Whooping cough
Incessant cough, and violent, with every breath
Wheezing cough
Suffocative cough
- difficult breathing with cough *Seek medical attention
- in the evening
Rattling cough
Tormenting cough
Cough with runny nose
Nausea during the cough
Vomiting food from the cough

Nux vomica:

Cough with the sensation as if something has torn loose in the chest
Desire to eat during cough
Tight, dry, hacking cough, at times with bloody expectoration. *Seek medical care if you are coughing up any blood
Cough brings on a bursting headache
An exhausting cough
Pain in the abdomen during cough
Suffocative cough
- Breathing is difficult during a cough *Seek medical attention.
Whooping cough
Distressing cough
Dry cough in the middle of the night, sometimes lasting until daybreak
Irritable cough in the air passages
Painful cough
Tickling cough
Violent coughing in the morning before getting out of bed
Incontinence during cough
Incessant cough
Restlessness with coughing

I could literally keep writing for days about various coughs and their homeopathic remedies.

Just know that if you are suffering from a chronic cough, there’s a good chance homeopathy may help. What have you got to lose?!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list

Judah, 2020. Types of Coughs in Seniors: ‘Pardon me, I have a cough!’ [online]. Laurel Bay Health and Rehabilitation Center. Available from: / [Accessed 18 Jun 2023].

Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus.

Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software.

Schroyens, F., n.d. Synthesis Adonis. (accessed through Radar Opus software).

Song, W.-J., Morice, A. H., Kim, M.-H., Lee, S.-E., Jo, E.-J., Lee, S.-M., Han, J.-W., Kim, T. H., Kim, S.-H., Jang, H.-C., Kim, K. W., Cho, S.-H., Min, K.-U. and Chang, Y.-S., 2013. Cough in the Elderly Population: Relationships with Multiple Comorbidity. PLoS ONE [online], 8 (10), e78081.

Teramoto, S., 2005. Significance of chronic cough as a defence mechanism or a symptom in elderly patients with aspiration and aspiration pneumonia. European Respiratory Journal [online], 25 (1), 210–211.

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Pellet Roulette

Kitchen Quickie for Newlyweds

It's Never Too Late, 5: Cough

Julia Coyte, CHom

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