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Another Calendula Quickie: Calendula tea

9/19/2026

Twice this week I have watched Calendula tea do some lovely things.
The first person had a literal scratch on their throat which was very painful.
The second person had a very sore throat due to days of coughing.
Both of these people drank some Calendula tea and both of them were very pleased they did.

As I mentioned in A Calendula Quickie… for inner bits… (and, bites!), I have used Calendula when I have had a sore in my mouth but I had never tried it for a sore throat.

Dr. Robin Murphy mentions it in his complaints following throat surgery rubrics and when there is a “lacerating” sensation to the throat. Knerr shows it in a few throat rubrics beyond injuries: swallowing painful, and, bitter mucus (a one remedy rubric); Luke Norland’s Synoptic Guide shows Calendula has an affinity to the mouth and throat (along with 366 other remedies). Schroyens mentions it as one of 117 remedies for a “tickling” cough, but it also shows up in 52 other throat rubrics.

I now get it. It now makes sense to me why I hadn’t considered it until just the other day for a sore throat — one person had an actual injury to their throat; a couple days later, another person had sort of an injury to their throat — it was “injured” and sore from coughing. Those two cases back-to-back enabled me to make this a-ha connection.
Here are a few links of how to use Calendula tea: a nice list*; Get Well Soon book* mentions using it in tincture form mixed into a gargle concoction for sore throats; this place offers a recipe for an herbal tea recipe* and this tea company* has a nice write up on the herb itself; and, this site* tells you how to make your own Calendula tea from the marigolds in your garden.

So, ahem — (clearing my throat a little bit to cover my slight embarrassment for not making this connection earlier), if a sore throat comes your way, try either a little herbal calendula tea or some homeopathic Calendula, either in it’s pellet form directly, or a few pellets or as a tincture dropped into some water or into your own tea of choice.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

*I have no affiliation with this or any other company — I’m just sharing interesting information as I find it.

Quickie Pain Relief: OHM sells a little kit

8/22/2026

OHM is an excellent homeopathic pharmacy located in Texas. They make a nice little kit aimed at pain management. Unfortunately, OHM doesn’t sell to the general public; but, that doesn’t stop you from creating your own little kit based on their suggested remedies.

Let’s see why these 11 remedies are included in this select little kit and why you may want to consider having some handy.

Note: this is a quick list to get you started — it is far from complete.

Aconite 200c

Pains that come on suddenly and intensely; may follow shock.
Sharp, shooting, stabbing pains; may be quite severe.
Nerve/neuralgic pains, especially when they are accompanied by anxiety or restlessness.
Burning pains, particularly in the face or extremities.
Throbbing pains; headaches.
Pains are worse from the cold and may improve with warmth.
Sore throats, sudden colds and coughs.
Mentally/Emotionally: marked restlessness and anxiety; with a fear of death or disaster.
Particularly good when used as soon as possible when the symptoms arise.

Arnica 30 & 200

Bruised and sore pain, especially after physical trauma or injury. Soft tissue injury.
Muscle and joint pains and stiffness from overexertion or strain.
Helpful following surgical or dental procedures.
Headaches that feel bruised or sore; following head injury/concussion.
Aggravation from touch or pressure.
Restless and unable to find a comfortable position.
Useful where the body or mind is in a state of shock due to a recent injury or traumatic event.

Bryonia 30c

Sharp, stabbing pains — may be quite intense and are often localized.
Worse with any movement or jarring; complete stillness is preferred.
Joint pain, especially when movement makes it worse.
Headaches that feel heavy and are worse from movement; may be described as “bursting.”
Chest pain which is worse from deep breathing or coughing.
Abdominal pain: sharp and worsens with movement. Constipation.
May feel restless but only find relief when completely still.
Dryness: dry, sore cough; dry mucous membranes.
Irritability and thirst.
Acute inflammatory conditions affecting the joints, lungs and abdomen.

Calc phos 6c

Growing pains, especially during periods of rapid growth.
Bone pains or soreness, particularly in cases of fractures or delayed healing.
Neck and back pain; may be associated with weakness or poor posture.
Joint pain may be worse in cold, damp weather and improve with warmth.
Headaches resulting from mental exertion or stress — a dull ache.
Abdominal discomfort or colic, especially in children

Calendula 30c

Pain associated with cuts, scrapes and other wounds; abscesses or infected wounds.
Burns or burning pains (including sunburns); burning sensations.
Sore and tender skin: dermatitis, rashes, cuts, abrasions.
Helpful to alleviate pain and promote healing after surgical procedures, especially in soft tissue.
Joint pains which are worse movement and better with rest; sprained joints or muscles.
Sensitive to touch or pressure.

Chamomila 30c

Particularly effective for teething pains, characterized by irritability and discomfort.
Colicky abdominal pain, often accompanied by cramping and restlessness.
Intense headaches with irritability or anger. (See also, Caffeine Withdrawal.)
Neuralgic/nerve-y pains that are sharp and shooting.
Sore or tense muscles, especially after exertion.
Mental/Emotional: often indicated when pain is exacerbated by emotions like anger or frustration. Sensitive to pain, feeling overwhelmed by even mild discomfort. May seek comfort from being held or cuddled, particularly in cases of teething or colic. Oversensitive to pain.
Worse at night or during emotional distress. Better from warmth and warm applications.

Hypericum 30c

Nerve pain: sharp, shooting, tingling or burning sensations. Nerve trauma.
- Nerve-related pain following surgical procedures.
Pain resulting from injuries to nerve-rich areas (fingers, toes, spine).
Cuts or lacerations involving nerve endings.
Headache with a neuralgic component.
Shooting pains; may radiate from one area to another.
Sensitivity to touch.
Worse from movement.
Mental/Emotional: emotional distress related to injuries or trauma.

Phosphorus 30c

Burning pains, especially in the chest, stomach or extremities.
Neuralgic/nerve pains: sharp and shooting, often with heightened sensitivity.
Headaches: intense and throbbing; often described as bursting.
Joint pains worse in the cold weather; improves with warmth.
Crampy or colicky abdominal pain with digestive issues.
Pain associated with bronchitis or pneumonia.
Vascular trauma.
Post-anesthesia effects.
Often very sensitive to external stimuli, including touch, noise and light.
Worse at night and during times of emotional stress.
Thirsty for cold drinks which may temporarily relieve the burning sensations.
There may be an emotional aspect to the pain: anxiety or fear accompanying physical symptoms.

Rhus tox 30c

Stiffness and soreness in muscles and joints; worse after periods of rest. Muscle or tendon sprains.
Rheumatic (deep aching or throbbing) pains, worse in cold, damp weather and better with movement and warmth.
Burning sensations.
Pains following overexertion or strain.
Restlessness due to discomfort — feel they need to move to relieve the pain.
Skin sensitivity or rashes; eczema.
Worse at night or at rest.

Ruta 30c

Bruised, sore and aching pains, especially after trauma or injury.
- Injuries to bones and periosteum; sprains and dislocations.
Useful for tendons and ligaments — often described as stiffness or strained; following injuries.
Back pains which are worse from lying down or sitting but improves with movement.
Eye strain — may lead to aching eyes and headaches.
Deep pains in the bones; following injury or over-doing it.
Sensations: strained and bruised, particularly in joints and tendons.
Worse from cold and damp; better from warmth and rest.
Good for mechanical injuries; overuse of muscles and tendons.

Symphytum 30c

Deep, aching bone pains, particularly after fracture or injury. Injuries to bones, cartilage and periosteum.
- NOTE: do not use Symphytum with suspected fracture until after imaging and the bone is properly set.
Pain from injuries to bones and soft tissues. Joint pains often better with movement.
Bruised or sore sensations.
Pain following surgical procedures involving bones or joints.
Nerve pain occurring in conjunction with bone injuries.
Sensitive to touch — even the slightest touch can cause discomfort.

This kit suggests using the appropriate remedy every 15 minutes in acute situations. Reduce frequency repetition upon improvement.

I have a number of longer homeopathic pain remedy articles still in the works. Sit tight!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Fictional Wounds

8/24/2025

Do you ever watch a movie or read a book and think, that character needs XXX remedy? I do!

I love reading novels. It is without question one of my favorite things to do. I just finished an enjoyable book, My Friends: A Novel by Fredrick Backman. (He wrote another book I liked: A Man Called Ove. In my opinion, read the book, skip the movie.) One line from My Friends keeps playing in my head: “Getting stabbed with a knife is a trauma for the whole body, his leg was probably the part that healed quickest, it was other parts of Ted that were limping” (p 430).

This quote so beautifully relates to homeopathy. One thing happens and we generally think only of the tip of the iceberg effects. We assume (incorrectly) that, as in this case, a stab wound affects only the leg, right where it happened. But that is so not true. That wound reverberates throughout the entire system: mind, body and soul… and may linger long after the actual wound is “healed.”

I have listened to a lot of lectures* by Dr. Robin Murphy. (I highly recommend doing so yourself if you have anything more than a passing interest in homeopathy.) I was reminded the other day of Dr. Murphy’s thoughts on first aid prescribing while reading a blog post from Lisa Strbac, talking about Ian Watson quoting the great late Robin Murphy from “What Heals Podcast”:

The highest form of homeopathy is first aid prescribing. You homeopaths… you think it’s all this fancy miasm stuff and chronic stuff and constitutional? It’s not its first aid [sic]. Almost every chronic case, if you take it back, where did it start? It started as a shock, with a grief, an accident, with a medical procedure that went wrong. It started as a first aid situation and if that had been properly treated in the moment, someone had a home ready kit and they know what to do, this whole chain of health problems would never have needed to happen.

Today, I’m going to have a little fun and see how we can address “Ted’s” stab wound. (For this exercise, I will be focusing only on highly indicated remedies for this type of wound, though, in real life, I would look at all possible remedies. It’s important to note that there is also crossover between these remedies and symptoms. For instance, “anger” is a 4 for Staphysagria and a 2 for Ledum and Apis - therefore the rubric only shows up in my list under Staphysagria.)

Homeopathically, there are a few big remedies to consider. Note: these would be the same remedies which would be useful in the moment, at the time of the stab wound. I have the added benefit of a little insight into Ted after reading this book and will supply relevant quotes when available. (If a symptom shows up in multiple remedies, I will only put the quote in the first instance, unless there are multiple quotes which fit the bill.) Other symptoms I will include simply from the general sense of the character from the book. It’s a little like taking a homeopathic case! Of course, there is so much more to this than I am writing here. People, even fictional characters, are highly nuanced. I have over-simplified this entire process tremendously… but I had fun doing it!

We’re not entirely certain when this stabbing occurred, except we know he was an adult. Did Ted’s history play a part in the ramifications? Probably. All the background of a person will then lead to how a person reacts when such a trauma occurs… miasms, genetics, epi-genetics, environment, experience… it’s all in there in each of us.

Looking up “stab” in Dr. Murphy’s Meta Repertory (found in Similia software**), five remedies show up as highly indicated (but I only included 4 of them): Apis, Calendula, Hypericum and Ledum. Those familiar with homeopathic remedies might be saying, “But what about Staphysagria?” Good question. keep reading to find out what I learned about this.

For this exercise, I focused primarily on the big 3 or 4 point symptoms in MIND and GENERAL and a quick scan through other highly indicated rubrics from things I remembered from the book.

In alphabetical order:

APIS
From Murphy’s Materia Medica, causations (among others): Grief. Fright. Rage.

MIND:

absent minded (while there is one reference to Ted “absentmindently” doing something, we don’t know if this fits well, in general)
alone, mental, ailments from, (see abandoned, neglected)
- He’s thought so many times as an adult that it’s a lie that people are scared of being alone, because what we fear is being abandoned. You can choose to be alone, but no one chooses to be left. (p. 177)
anxiety, general
- He tosses it in the trash can, glances at the mirror, an anxious and overwhelmed man with skin as soft as room temperature cheese glances back. (p. 177)
jealousy, feelings
- Ted felt deeply ashamed that he was jealous of that. (p. 79)
touch, general - agg
- The entrance to the train fills with a slow line of frustrated passengers, the man and the teenager stand on the platform and wait till last, anxious that they might touch or be touched by some stranger in the throng. (p. 184)

PHYSICAL:

bladder, pain; urging to urinate, frequent
- He feels a sudden urge to pee far more often now than he was prepared for, his body has started to wake him at night, he presumes it’s getting its revenge because it’s annoyed he’s keeping it alive. (p. 127)
walking, limping, spontaneous (we don’t know if his limp is consistent or spontaneous, but it’s the only of our remedies in this rubric.)

CALENDULA
is another good remedy for wounds, but unfortunately, it has not been proven very well (in the traditional sense) but let’s see what we can find. Because of the dearth of level 3/4 rubrics, I opened this MIND search up to levels 1 & 2, as well. (Colin Griffith does have more information on Calendula in his “New Materia Medica Vol. 3,” but that’s a whole other topic which I will (happily!) get to one day soon.)
From Murphy’s causations: Cuts. Punctures. Stabs. Surgery. Wounds.

MIND:

abuse, ailments from (all the characters suffered varying levels of abuse)
anxiety, general
depression, sadness - wounds, after
fears, general, phobias - happen, something bad will (there’s a lot of crossover between anxiety and fears but Ted has helped us out with this one…)
- People say that anxiety is fear for no reason, but Ted’s brain is very helpful when it comes to providing suggestions. (p. 278)
fears, phobias, knives of
- He still has nightmares about both knives. (p. 130)
startled, starting - fright, from or fear, after
- Bastard, Ted whispered with his fists clenched, furious with himself for being so easily startled. (p. 311)
wounds, mental ailments from

GENERAL:
Interestingly, those who may benefit from Calendula may be ameliorated by walking.

HYPERICUM
From Murphy’s materia medica: “It is called for in nervous depression following wounds, effects of shock and fright… Pain in old scars.” From Murphy’s causations (among others): ill effects of fright… punctures, lacerations… wounds, stab wounds

Note: Hypericum has only one 3/4 level rubric under the MIND section in Murphy, so I added lower level rubrics for this one, too.

MIND:

sensitive, mental, oversensitive, emotional - pain, to (the only level 4 rubric for Hyper Mind)
anxiety, general
fears, general, phobias
- Because the question presupposes that I stopped being scared. (p. 131)
fright - ailments from
frightened easily
- His brain is so stupid, it can no longer tell the difference between threat and reality, he’s just frightened of everything all the time. (p. 263)
moaning, groaning, pain, from
- Do you always moan this much? Is that why someone stabbed you? (p. 130)
startled, starting
wounds, mental ailments from

Not a lot of the General or Physical rubrics for Hypericum appear to fit Ted well.

LEDUM
From Murphy’s materia medica: “Ledum is for punctured wounds, produced by sharp-pointed instruments or bites, particularly if the wounded parts are cold, this is the remedy… Causations: ill effects punctured wounds, recent or chronic injuries.”

MIND:

fears, general, phobias - men, of
- Throughout his life, Ted has been frightened of men. (p. 253)
serious, disposition
- We are NOT the same age. We might have lived the same number of years, but we sure as hell aren’t the same age. You’ve been eighty years old since we were twelve. (p. 363)

There are other, lesser MIND rubrics which “fit” Ted but I will include only this one:

wearisome, burdened feeling
- He feels like yelling at the box of ashes that he isn’t ready for this responsibility… I can’t even look after shoes, and you’ve left me with a person, he thinks angrily. (p 105)

GENERAL:

walking, general - agg (this could be the other parts of Ted limping, not just his leg wound)

STAPHYSAGRIA
Has a reputation for “clean” wounds, not jagged, just as a knife would create. Dr. N.M. Choudury, senior professor of Materia Medica at Bengal Allen Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital in Kolkota, says: “We use it both internally and externally for injuries caused by sharp cutting instruments such as knife, glass, etc.” Why it’s not this clear in the repertories, I have no idea. I asked Viva (homeopathic) AI*** why Staphysagria doesn’t show up in the “stab wounds” rubric and it says, “Staphysagria is more commonly associated with emotional trauma and conditions resulting from surgical procedures rather than purely physical injuries like stab wounds. While Staphysagria can be useful for wounds, it is particularly indicated when there is a history of emotional trauma (which Ted has in spades) or when the injury is associated with feelings of anger, resentment, or violation.)

To find appropriate rubrics for Staphysagria and knife wounds, one needs to search a little differently for that:

Clinical - cuts (or “wounds,” they’ll both get you to the same remedies — Apis and Ledum are both listed here but not so prominently)
Clinical - cuts, general - incised (Apis is not in this one, but the others are)
Clinical - cuts, general, sharp, instruments, from glass, etc (Calendula and Hyper are included)

From Murphy’s materia medica: “Surgery. Lacerated tissues.” Causations: “Ill effects of anger and insults, anger suppressed or reserved. Humiliation.”

MIND:

abandoned, feelings, forsaken
abuse, ailments from (all the characters suffered varying levels of abuse)
anger
- Angry at himself, angry at the artist, and most of all angry at death for having such good taste. Always taking the best first. (p. 105)
anger, grief, with silent
- The most frightening thing about his dad dying that summer when he was fourteen wasn’t the grief he had felt, but the anger. (p. 247)
  - indignation, with
  - anger with himself
anxiety, exaggerated
- Everyone should be afraid of flying! (p. 69)
cares, full of
- Ted? He had made it his responsibility that none of the people he loved would die. That’s a terrible burden for a person. Your shoulders creak, your skeleton shrinks, in the end you can hardly walk. (p. 85)
domination, by others, ailments from - children in, history, of, a long
- When he was young, his big brother, six years older, used to beat him up like it was a game. (p. 253)
fears, phobias, general (this is not a high level rubric, but…)
- How many phobias do you actually have, Ted? I have just enough! he snaps.” (p. 179)
fears, hurt of being, emotionally
grief, sorrow, general ailments from
- The only thing we can take for granted is that everyone we have ever met and everyone we have ever known and everyone we have ever loved will die. So how great must our imaginations be for us to even summon up the enthusiasm to get out of bed each morning? (p. 39)
grief, sorrow, general - silent
love, disappointed, ailments from
- If you have loved anyone as much as Ted loves the artist, so much that you’re prepared to be mistaken for someone else just to see your friend’s face light up for a couple of seconds, then you know what he feels. (p. 48)
memories, recalls disagreeable
mourning, feelings
suppression, emotions, of, agg
wearisome, burdened feeling
- He feels like yelling at the box of ashes that he isn’t ready for this responsibility… I can’t even look after shoes, and you’ve left me with a person, he thinks angrily. (p 105)

GENERAL:

trembling
- He’s holding his suitcase in one trembling hand, the ashes of his best friend in the other. (p. 87)

PHYSICAL:

bladder, urging to urinate - frequent

Are there crossovers in lesser indicated rubrics between the remedies? Absolutely. Did I miss some rubrics? I most certainly did, but given I did this retroactively (yay e-books!) I had a fun time exorcising that line from this book that keeps running through my head… and, I’m pretty sure I know which remedy I would choose for Ted.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* It looks like the Lotus Health Institute† may be moving some of their goodies around — I see a podcast and putting his lectures up for online listening.

** Similia has been kind enough to open up the full use of their software for me to play around with in exchange for any feedback I may have for them. Other than that, I have no affiliation with this company, either.

*** Staphysagria info from Viva ai† cites the following: “These sources collectively contribute to the understanding of how remedies are classified and used in homeopathy, including the rationale behind the presence or absence of specific remedies in particular rubrics.” The sources cited are: Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine; Materia Medica Pura; Andrew Lockie’s The Complete Homeopathy Handbook; Boericke’s Homeopathic Materia Medica; Clinical experience; Homeopathic repertories such as Synthesis or Kent’s Repertory “categorize remedies based on symptoms and modalities, providing insight into why certain remedies appear in specific rubrics while others do not.”

† I have no affiliation with this or any other company.

A Dental Quickie: the dentists are on it!

4/19/2025

I suppose I should be more specific… some dentists are on it!

A few years ago, I was having a pretty good-sized dental procedure and I was a little worked up about it. My dentist at the time (she sold her practice😩) offered Reiki* during the procedure. I had never experienced Reiki before, but I went for it. I have to say that it was nothing short of amazing. I returned home and my husband thought I had been drugged in some way… that’s how relaxed and unbothered I was from this procedure with the adjunct of Reiki.

Fast forward to this year and my husband needed a couple of big dental procedures. The first dentist, a couple of months ago, included Arnica in his after-care instructions (as well as some good, sound nutrition advice). This week, another procedure (and a different dentist). I picked up the box of the mouth rinse to see what horrors he had been given and… the active ingredients were all homeopathic! 🎉

Turns out this company** makes a few dental products and they all appear to be homeopathic… and, all made in the USA, too!

So, what’s in this oral rinse?

I have never heard of the first remedy listed: Azadirachta indica, but, a quick look in my Radar Opus software tells us it is Margosa Bark, or, Neem. I know Neem for its valuableness in dealing with bug bites but apperently it’s good for teeth, too. The twigs can even be chewed on to improve dental hygiene.

Homeopathically, Azadirachta indica would be indicated when there is a bitter or putrid taste in the mouth, a burning tongue and salty saliva. I am starting to see how this could be very helpful following big dental procedures.

I have written about the benefits of Calendula and dentistry previously (see: The Eiffel Tower in My Mouth; A Calendula Quickie… for inner bites (and bites!); Brace Face.) Calendula and wound healing go hand in hand.

Echinacea purpurea is often included in tooth and gum tonics due to its antimicrobial properties. It has a “well merited reputation” for suppurative conditions and helps with pain (Dewey 2003).

Plantago major has been used in its herbal form for pretty much ever. The Herbal of Dodoens from 1558 suggests the juice of the leaves or roots of Plantago for toothache and bleeding gums. (That’s a pretty long documented history of use!) Dr. Robin Murphy lists it in his repertory for toothaches, sensitive teeth and for dry sockets.

I am so excited to see these marvelous homeopathic remedies moving into the mainstream. None of the dentists mentioned are “holistic” or alternative practitioners. All these patients are being introduced to homeopathy without even knowing it. I just hope that some (all!) of them take a peek at the ingredient list (or, even the little “homeopathic” word printed on the top of the packaging) and make the connection and have their curiosity stirred up a little bit. 🤞

I can’t wait until the day that homeopathy comes into its own. It’s going to be so exciting!!

Thank you to those mainstream dentists out there doing the early leg work of sharing homeopathy!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* “Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.… The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words — Rei which means ‘God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power’ and Ki which is ‘life force energy.’… A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you.” Something wonderful was clearly flowing through me after that treatment!

** I have no affiliation with this company.

Reference list
Dewey, W. A., 2003. Practical Homoeopathic Therapeutics. accessed through Radar Opus software. B Jain Pub Pvt Limited.

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

The Red Menace in the White Sands

6/15/2024

You can't see them in the photo, but trust me… they're there!

So there I was, basking in the purity of the White Sands. The day before was unbearably hot… all… day… long. I mean seriously hot. In fact, we were supposed to visit White Sands yesterday afternoon but the thought of said dunes in that heat was too much. We opted for an early morning visit the next day instead.
Excellent choice!

The sand, (well, the gypsum,) felt amazingly cool as we climbed the first dune. I left the rest of the hiking of the dunes to the more intrepid among us and I wallowed in the marvel that is this amazing place.

I was lying on my back, hat over my face, loving every second of this and contemplating making a sand angel cuz it felt like the appropriate thing to do. My arms were stretched out to either side, just about ready to go and, “Ow!”

I frantically brushed at my arm and as I looked to see what got me, a little red head was still attached to my bicep.

How could something so awful be hanging out in such a pure and marvelous landscape?

To be fair, shortly after arriving on the top of the dune, I looked down and saw a red ant. Then I saw many more red ants. I knew they were there and I should have paid heed. Alas. Live and learn.

Back to the red menace… I leapt up and got down the dune incredibly quickly. (Bounding down the dune was so much fun — if you go, forget the sled! They sell you a sled at the ranger station and then they buy it back from you for less than you paid. Sometimes you can find a perfectly good sled in the garbage, FYI.) I dug out my kit of 100 miniature vials of homeopathic remedies that always travels with me and immediately went for the Apis.

I did a couple doses of Apis but the thing was still incredibly painful. I then switched to Ledum. Still really not any improvement. Then, I looked at the bite and saw a large welt developing, coupled with the intensely painful itching… Staphysagria.

That one brought some relief, both to my arm and to my mood. I then alternated between Staphysagria and Apis every few hours for the rest of the day.

This was on a Sunday. By Tuesday, it felt like it was getting worse. It was hot. It was itchy. It hurt. It felt like it was getting much bigger. Infection setting in?

I moved to Hyper/Ars: Hypericum mixed with Arsenicum album. This, too, was helpful. It contained the spread and it shrunk in size just a little bit, but then it began to spread again.

I tried a little Plantain ointment. That certainly didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t the answer. By Wednesday morning, I had decided to try a completely different route and I dug out my little canister of PRID Drawing Salve*.

PRID Drawing Salve has been around for over 50 years, and, as the package says, it is a “pain relief & irritant drawing salve” for splinters, thorns, ingrown hairs, insect bites, boils, minor cuts and scrapes.

My one little bite was pretty big by now so I dabbed the sticky brown stuff on my arm and had to use 2 bandages to keep it from getting on everything.

What’s in it?

As I mentioned above, this stuff is sticky. Among its ingredients: beeswax and wood rosin (the internet tells me this is a natural resin from the sap of pine trees.)

Homeopathically speaking, PRID contains low X potencies of Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Hepar sulph, Ichthammol, Silicea and Sulphur -- all excellent choices for infection.

I have written previously about Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Hepar sulph, Silicea and Sulphur. (You can search for articles on these remedies on Ruminating on Remedies.)

While digging a little deeper into Echinacea, I have learned some interesting things from herbalist Matthew Wood (I highly recommend picking up Wood's Earthwise Herbal books). (Note: I accessed this through Radar Opus software and I don't see which of his many books correlates to this title.)

The Indians of the Great Plains used the western purple coneflower, Echinacea, "to treat snake bites, insect bites, septicemia and various kinds of poisonings" (Wood).

Dr. Robin Murphy notes that homeopathic Echinacea is a great remedy "when boils progress to the stage where they appear about to point then stop and do not suppurate. Echinacea helps in carbuncles with similar symptoms, a bluish-red color and intense pain" (Murphy n.d.). (I have to say, this sounds a little like where it felt my ant bite was going.)

Ichthammol (or, Ichthyolum), however, is a new remedy for me.

Dr. Robin Murphy tells us this is an “unproved” remedy**, (made from shale oil), which comes to us from old-school therapeutics as an external application which has been used for psoriasis, eczematous dermatitis, leg ulcers, seborrheic dermatitis and furuncles (Boyd 2010).

Like Echinacea, Ichthammol is said to be a powerful anti-septic.

When I removed those first 2 bandages a couple hours later, the swelling and redness had shrunk considerably. I did feel the need to apply the PRID two more times and then that was the end of that. I am now a day shy of 2 weeks from the day of this bite and I have no pain, but I do have a residual reddish mark. The other day I could see and feel 4 little white bumps so I think I suffered more than 1 nibble.

The downside of using a combination remedy is that it is impossible to know which remedy worked. Having said that, who cares? I am interested in positive results -- it really doesn't matter to me how I get there. Might it be more elegant to take a single dose of the appropriate homeopathic remedy. Sure! In this case, might the drawing part of this salve have played a role? Could be.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this company or this person (or, any other, actually).
** Ichthammol is listed in Bradford’s Index of Homeopathic Provings (1898), so 🤷‍♀️.

References:
Boyd, A. S., 2010. Ichthammol revisited. International Journal of Dermatology [online], 49 (7), 757–760.

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

National Park Service, 2022. White Sands National Park (U.S. National Park Service) [online]. www.nps.gov.

A Calendula Quickie… for inner bits… (and, bites!)

3/30/2024

I chomped right down on it. It wasn’t nice. I bit my tongue! (If you are an astute Ruminating on Remedies reader, you will know I have written about biting my tongue before. That time, I had other things going on, warranting a different remedy. This one was a simple slip of the tongue with no other issues.)

If you’re like me, you don’t call it quits after biting your tongue — you go back for more and keep biting that sore spot cuz it’s rearranged the terrain of your mouth and that injured bit keeps getting in the way!

That’s what I did.

So, what did I do?

Calendula.

In this instance, I used some Calendula mouthwash*. After having it bother me all day long, I slooshed a bit of this mouthwash before bed (because brushing my teeth irritated my tongue!), I had a good night’s sleep and long before I woke up, all the pain (and the bump!) was completely gone.

Calendula tea works, too. I like this one*. Or, if you want just the basic ingredient, Rebeccas’s Herbal Apothecary* is always amazing

Taking a nibble out of my own tongue got me to thinking about how amazing Calendula truly is. It is the go-to remedy when you have an injury where you need, but are unable, to apply some sort of salve: tongue wounds and cuts… perineum injuries following childbirth… healing surgical wounds, (inside or out)… corneal abrasions… perforated eardrums… phantom pains following amputation…

It may seem there is no way to apply the lovely soothing qualities of calendula to these inner tissues, but there is.

Homeopathy, of course! I could have taken a pellet of homeopathic Calendula and put it in a bit of water and used that instead of the mouthwash. Taking a dose of Calendula in this way allows your body to go and take care of those unreachable ouchies. Of course, you can just pop the allowed dose of pellets directly in your mouth, too -- you do not need to put it in water.

For outside wounds, put a couple pellets of homeopathic Calendula in some clean water and from there you can use that now "medicated" water to soak some cloth or gauze and apply those topically, as needed. And, as the title of this article implies, Calendula is good for insect bites, too!

If your inner bits (or the bits that are not well suited to ointment) are asking for some attention, try some Calendula in a homeopathic dilution (or, even the herbal form** will do)!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with any of these companies, I just like their products.

** Like all herbs, there are some contraindications. This website, which I found through a quick internet search, has a nice overview of the herb. I see on there about the scalp, too — I used to use a Calendula shampoo on our dog when we first got him and he had so many skin problems — it appeared to be very soothing on the poor, suffering fellow.

Tis the Season for… Burns?!

12/23/2023

Tis the Season for… Burns?!

Yes. You catch that holiday spirit and suddenly you’re a baking fool and… that’s the way that went.

Are you frantically baking these days? I’m not. I want to be, but traveling was on the front burner this week. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the bad joke.) And, since we have no big at-home festivities planned, I decided to be honest with myself and acknowledge that if I were to start baking now, I would only just eat them all myself. Alas. All my cookie recipes will have to wait til next year. OK, maybe I’ll have to make just one*.

Baking. Cooking. Roasting. Heck, even a quick little zap from some old Christmas lights or stomping on an ember that shot out of the fireplace. Hazards of the festive season, I guess. If you are interested in a good fire glove, these have been a really impressive addition to our fireplace.**

Juggling all the pots on the stove while fishing the baked goods out of the oven and, boom, there it is… A nasty burn, generally on the hands or wrists in my experience.

I’m talking about little burns today. If you get a big, deep burn, be sure to pay a visit to your nearest emergency room. For previous blogs on burns, see: Kitchen Quickie: Burns and Summer Fun 1.

According to The Survival Medicine Handbook (Alton and Alton 2016), first degree burns will appear red, warm and dry and be painful to the touch. The conventional treatment is to simply relieve the discomfort. (Second degree burns are moist with blisters and will cause swelling.) So, in addition to the conventional application of a cool cloth, here are a few homeopathic remedies which may help, especially if the remedy is incorporated into the cool cloth.

Homeopathic remedies that come to mind for 1st degree burns… For all of these suggestions, repeat the remedy whenever the pain returns.

Urtica urens for stinging, burning pains. Burns with itching.

Calendula for burns that hurt more than they "should." Richard Hughes, a homeopath from the late 1800s, refers to Calendula as a remedy for "breaches of surface" -- an apt description for a superficial burn. Calendula cream can be applied directly on the minor burn, or, around the edges of the burn if it's too tender. For an interesting study on Calendula and burns, click here.

Causticum for burns with a sensation of rawness. Causticum is a good one to turn to if the other well chosen remedies aren’t quite doing the job, or, the burn is slow to heal. It is also useful to help heal up old burn wounds and scars.

Hypericum would be especially useful in cases of burns to nerve rich areas like the fingertips. May have a tingling or numb feeling.

Cantharis is an excellent choice for really painful burns -- a cutting, smarting pain. Cantharis is said to help prevent blistering from burns.

All of these remedies can also be applied topically, as well as taken internally. First Aid with Homeopathy (Ratera 2016) says to dissolve a couple pellets (whatever your tube recommends as a dose) in some saline (e.g. 2 pellets in 200 ml of saline) and to always keep the dressing moist.

Another option is to put a few pellets of your chosen remedy into a fresh bottle of clean water. As the pain returns, take a spoonful of the water in your mouth as well as applying some gauze soaked in that remedy water directly to the affected area.

How about when you just can’t wait another moment for one of those cookies and you pop it into your mouth before it’s cooled?

A dose of Cantharis, Calendula or Causticum would be where I would start.

If you decide to try your hand at a figgy pudding and suffer a burn from hot steam, in addition to the remedies listed above, Apis or Kali bich might be useful.

If the hot toddy spills on you (or, more likely, the boiling water for the potatoes spills on you) resulting in a superficial burn, Dr. Ratera recommends Causticum.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry (and burn free!) Christmas!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* The cookies I have just now decided to make this year are Brown Sugar and Nutmeg Snaps, a recipe I found in Bon Appetit way back in 1994. (Note: the dough needs to chill for 1 hour.)

1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour (Jules gluten free flour** is a terrific substitute)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sugar
--
Using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in bowl until fluffy.
Mix in egg.
Add flour, nutmeg, baking soda and salt; beat until well blended.
Chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter 3 heavy large baking sheets.
Roll dough into 1” balls.
Roll ball in sugar, coating completely.
Arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing balls 2” apart.
Using the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies to 1-3/4” rounds.
Bake until cookies are golden, about 13 minutes. Be careful getting them out of the oven!
Cool on baking sheets.
(Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight containers.)

** I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products.

Reference list

Alton, J. and Alton, A., 2016. The survival medicine handbook : the essential guide for when help is not on the way. United States: Doom And Bloom.

K. Chandran, P. and Kuttan, R., 2008. Effect of Calendula officinalis Flower Extract on Acute Phase Proteins, Antioxidant Defense Mechanism and Granuloma Formation During Thermal Burns. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition [online], 43 (2), 58–64.

Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Germany: Narayana Verlag.

All is Calm?!

12/16/2023

“All is Calm?” Really? At this time of year?

Holidays and stress seem to go hand in hand. Was this always the plan? I’m thinking not.

Can we decouple Christmas from stress? Jo Robinson and Bill McKibben seem to think it is possible. Full disclosure, I haven’t read their books (Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season & Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas), but I certainly like the premise.

For the first time ever I am currently on a pre-holiday vacation with my family and as lovely as it is I find myself stressing out when I walk into the beautifully decorated restaurant. You see, I left our house naked — undecorated — prior to shlepping off to the early morning flight. The day before we left, I did haul out a couple boxes of jolly things, so, at least I would not have to do that part the day after stepping back off a plane, but… really? Do I really need to stress myself out to get the “right vibe” going in the few short days before Christmas proper?

I suppose it all comes down to choice. I am choosing to work a few hectic hours to make a festive and fun environment for our Christmas. You know what? That helped. That little mind set switch relieved a lot of the stress I was putting on myself.

What else can help with holiday stress? Well, on a practical note, a few years ago I invested in fabric bags*. No more buying wrapping paper and tape and ribbons and spending hours making things look just right under the tree with miles of wrapping paper, tape and ribbon … and, no more big garbage bags filled with that identical pretty wrapping paper and tape and ribbons that no longer serve any purpose. This has been an enormous time saver/stress reducer, I can tell you that.

What really helps, though, is homeopathy, of course!

Really, any homeopathic remedy that matches the symptoms of what a person is experiencing may be the best stress-reliever for that person, but generically speaking, there are a few homeopathic remedies that I have readily used in the past. Ignatia and Nux vomica are two that come quickly to mind. In fact, check out Overwhelmed for an overview of how those two remedies differ and might help.

Boiron’s Stress Calm** has been known to live in my purse during stressful times. Like all homeopathic remedies, Stress Calm is sedative free and not habit forming. And, like all homeopathic combinations, you may prefer to choose one remedy out of the lineup that suits your situation best, but this is a very helpful little grouping of 6c remedies.
From the Stress Calm package:

Aconite for restlessness and agitation
Belladonna for hypersensitivity to stress
Calendula for nervous fatigue and hypersensitivity to noise
Chelidonium for digestive symptoms caused by stress
Jequirity to relieve uneasiness (This remedy is also known as Abrus precatorius and is known to be helpful for headaches and malaise.)
Viburnum relieves nervousness and restless sleep.

The directions say to dissolve 2 tablets under the tongue three times a day until symptoms are relieved.

We have a few more days of family vacation, then we climb back on the plane for the dreaded flight home… Do some laundry, refill the fridge, send some Charlie Brown Christmas through the speakers, trim the tree and a little corner of the house, too… plop the already wrapped prezzies under the tree and enjoy the decorated days with my boys.

As for the stress of putting Christmas back into the boxes? That’s a whole other issue — I don’t like to enter the New Year with the house full of the old so after enjoying just a couple days of enjoying the fruits of my labor, I will pack it all up again til next year. (Well, the tree stays up, but a naked tree is not fun so I will blow up some balloons and transform the Christmas tree into the New Year’s tree.

Share some of your holiday stress busters in the comments!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* Fabric wrap: you can purchase premade bags online, though they can be pretty expensive. I found a bunch of fun fabric and then I found a person handier than I with a sewing machine who made them into bags of various sizes, attached with bright ribbons. After a few years of happily using these bags, I now look forward to them just as much as pulling out my favorite ornaments for the tree. (I liked these bags so much I did the same thing for birthdays! I highly recommend it!)

I have also found some great old silk scarves on eBay. They may have a hole or 2 and they may no longer be fashionable around your neck but they’re great for a little fancier version of fabric wrapping!

** I have no financial affiliation with this company, I just like their products.

Kitchen Quickie for Newlyweds

7/22/2023

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.

Kitchen Quickies: Burns

4/9/2023

Kitchen Quickies… Burns
As the name implies, Kitchen Quickies are short and to the point remedy suggestions to get you on your way if you have suffered any mishaps in the kitchen.

I open my oven door and pull the rack out to tend to whatever lovely thing is cooking all the time. The other day, however, I managed to singe my forearm on the rack.

What did I do?
I immediately sprayed it with something I keep in my kitchen for precisely such occasions: Similasan Burn Recovery.* (Note: Mine was a minor burn. If you have anything more serious than a superficial burn, seek medical assistance.)

This Burn Recovery bottle has pride of place in my cupboard and is standing ready and available for quick access following silly cooking errors as well as sunburned shoulders. Next to this spray is a little tube of Cantharis, which I also took shortly after using the spray. At bedtime that night, I put a little Boiron Calendula ointment* on the burn and that was that. I didn’t think about it again until my husband saw it and commented a few days later, saying, “that was a nasty burn.” I had pretty much forgotten about it because I didn’t feel it again after the first day.

This Similasan burn combination contains homeopathic Calendula, Cantharis, Echinacea, and Urtica urens. All of these homeopathic remedies would likely be just as affective if taken orally when chosen individually, based on the presenting symptoms. But, this spray feels so good! (Additionally, homeopathic pellets can be put in some fresh water and applied to the skin for a similar effect to the commercially available spray.)

Homeopathic Calendula is the first remedy I think about for any skin ouchies — big and little. According to K. Chandran (and Kuttan 2008), it’s with good reason. They found “the administration of Calendula officinalis extract significantly decreased the serum level of marker enzymes of tissue damage….” (Note: This research was conducted using an extract of Calendula.)

Why these homeopathic remedies?

Calendula pains are cutting, burning or stinging in nature. Calendula can also be beneficial for neurologic or nerve pains.
Cantharis is the first remedy I think about for any burns (and burning pains, too). Cantharis pains are sharp and stitching and the direction of the pain is inward.
Echinacea according to Robin Murphy, has antiseptic qualities.
Urtica urens are for stinging pains and redness. (Urtica urens is one of the top choice remedies for bee stings, too.)

Keep on cooking, but mind the oven racks!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products.

K. Chandran, P. and Kuttan, R., 2008. Effect of Calendula officinalis Flower Extract on Acute Phase Proteins, Antioxidant Defense Mechanism and Granuloma Formation During Thermal Burns. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition [online], 43 (2), 58–64.