A blog on homeopathy -- Ruminating on Remedies

Congestion

11/14/2025

Back when I first thought about writing this article (in 2023), decongestants were front and center in the news, just like one’s nose is front and center when it’s all stuffed up. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association suddenly announced that currently available decongestants don’t work. I didn’t dig into all the details because that was another lifetime when I cared about such things.

Back in the day, I was a big fan of Sudafed. I used it very frequently and it really never occurred to me to think there was any reason why I shouldn’t use it. Until one day after years of regular Sudafed use, I had what seemed like, (in hindsight, anyway), a panic attack. At that time, I lived at sea level and I was visiting a high altitude. I took my little red Sudafed, because that’s what I did pretty much every day, and I ended up breathing into a paper bag to calm my system. I have never checked out the side effects of Sudafed until literally right now and, lo' and behold: "fast, pounding or uneven heartbeat" and "severe dizziness or anxiety." It appears (according to Drugs.com) I should have sought medical attention but I didn’t know that at the time. I don’t think I ever had another Sudafed after that miserable experience.

Since finding homeopathy, the thought has honestly never again occurred to me to take any of the allopathic over the counter decongestants.

In the homeopathic literature, the word congestion refers to hyperemia or "an excessive amount of blood in a given part of the body." To look up congestion, as in, “a head filled with snot,” those words would be catarrh and coryza. Old words for colds, basically. From the Oxford Dictionary of English, 2nd edition:

Catarrh: excessive discharge or build-up of mucus in the nose or throat, associated with inflammation of the mucus membrane.
- Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary adds, “inflammation of the mucous membranes, esp. of the head and throat.”

Coryza: catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nose, caused especially by a cold or by hay fever.
- Taber’s adds, “An acute inflammation of the nasal mucosa accompanied by profuse nasal discharge.”

As you can see by these clear (as mud!) definitions, there is considerable overlap.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s say catarrh is stuffed up (congestion) and coryza is running out. Both problems are associated with colds and allergies which are both causes of congestion. (It's getting circular again!) I suppose one could say it’s better to have it running out rather than being stuck in there, “better out than in!” — but that has its own set of problems.
In an ideal homeopathic world, we would investigate catarrh as it exists in the individual. Where is the congestion located? The eyes, ears, sinus, larynx, trachea, etc.

Were I to begin treating some acute generic catarrh of the cold or allergic derivation (remember, catarrh could be in any part of the body and therefor other remedies may be more appropriate), I would start with either Kali bich or Calc carb.

How would I choose? Well, if it is thick, I’d start with Kali bich. (Did you catch that rhyme there? Very useful to remember.) If the ears are involved to a high degree, I would start with Calc carb. (If we’re talking about a child, I would start with Calc carb because it’s just a good remedy for children, in general.)

For the following symptoms which I gathered from Robin Murphy’s Repertory, both remedies are indicated, but one or the other is generally more indicated.

With chills? Calc carb.
A tendency to catch colds? Calc carb.
Laryngitis or hoarse cough? Kali bich.
Dry cough? Calc carb.
A dry cough but with copious hawking in the morning? Kali bich.
Coughing with mucus in the chest? Kali bich.
If the eyes are affected? Calc carb.
The mucus is ropy and/or tenacious? Kali bich.
With sharp pains? Calc carb.
With localized pain in specific spots (think the pain one has with a sinus headache — in the forehead, just above the root of the nose)? Kali bich. (See also, One Little Spot.)
Headache bothered by lights or noise? Calc carb.
Irritation in the air passages? Kali bich.
Mucus in the air passages? Kali bich.
Greenish expectoration? Kali bich.
Profuse expectoration? Calc carb.
With anxiety, depression, fear, apathy or mental slowness? Calc carb.
Post nasal drip? Kali bich.
Watery discharge? Calc carb.
Crusts and scabs inside the nose? Kali bich.
Hard, dry nasal discharge? Kali bich.
Sinus complaints? Kali bich.
Diminished sense of smell? Calc carb.
Bad smell in the nose? Kali bich.
Bad or sour taste in the mouth? Calc carb.
Mucus in the throat, especially if it’s thick or stuck? Kali bich.
Sore throat, esp when swallowing? Calc carb.

Let’s sum that list up…
Calcarea Carbonica (Calc carb)

Chills, tendency to catch colds, dry cough, profuse expectoration.
Eyes affected, sharp pains, headache worsened by lights/noise.
Anxiety, depression, fear, apathy, mental slowness.
Watery discharge, diminished sense of smell.
Bad/sour taste in mouth, sore throat (esp. swallowing).

Kali Bichromicum (Kali bich)

Laryngitis, hoarse cough, dry cough with copious morning hawking.
Cough with mucus in chest, ropy/tenacious mucus, irritation/mucus in air passages.
Greenish expectoration, post-nasal drip.
Localized pain (e.g., sinus headache in forehead/root of nose).
Crusts/scabs in nose, hard/dry nasal discharge, bad smell in nose.
Sinus complaints, mucus in throat (thick/stuck).

It’s important to remember that BOTH Calc carb and Kali bich are indicated in all of these symptoms. What I have highlighted here is when one remedy was MORE indicated in each of these symptoms. (It's also important to remember there are many more remedies indicated in every one of these symptoms. I just chose to focus on the two most highly indicated remedies for catarrh, in general.)

As a rule of thumb for an acute situation, choose one remedy and try a few doses. For example, take a dose of your chosen remedy in a 30c, approximately every 15-20 minutes for one hour. If there is ANY improvement, stick with that remedy. If there is NO improvement (I mean none!) then try a few doses in the same manner of the other remedy.

For further ideas on dealing with colds and congestion, see: “Cough cough!” ; “Tis the Season for the Crud”; “Her Ears were Yuck”; “Calming the Cold”; "Allergies are Back".

Forget trying to figure out which over the counter decongestants may or may not work and try some homeopathy. Homeopathy has no side effects. Homeopathy doesn’t interfere with other medicines. Homeopathy is not addictive.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

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On the 5th day of cell salts… Kali mur

12/5/2024

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On the 5th day of cell salts… Kali muriaticum

Kali mur is the clean up crew — good in the second stage of infections or illnesses with slowly developing symptoms. It usually follows well after other cell salts. (For example, use Ferr phos at the beginning of a fever and as the temperature comes down, follow up with Kali mur to help bring things to a close and shorten the recovery time.

Kali mur is useful in chronic catarrhal conditions (congestion) and helps with the production of saliva which in turn helps with digestion. The throat and the Eustachian tube are most influenced by Kali mur.

Conditions which may benefit from Kali mur:

Respiratory
- bronchitis
- colds
- congestion
- coughs
- sore throats
- tonsillitis
- catarrh and hawking of mucus
Ear aches
- especially when the Eustachian tube is involved (see also, “Her Ears Were Yuck”)
Slow recovery from any illness
Sinusitis
Pain, chronic
- “Kali mur should be thought of as a good general pain remedy, especially when the onset of pain can be traced back to a specific injury or to an illness from which the patient never fully recovered” (McCabe 2009)
Gastro-intestinal
- diarrhea
  - with mucus in stool
- constipation
- vomiting and nausea
- everything eaten turns to gas, ending in a bloated abdomen
Skin
- abscesses, boils, carbuncles, etc.
  - with swelling but no pus
- acne
- blisters
- burns
- eczema
- helps to prevent adhesions and scar tissue formation
Musculo-skeletal
- joints
- muscles
  - especially if it is wandering pain
- arthritis
- rheumatism with swollen joints
- sciatica
- sprains and strains that are slow to heal

Mentally and emotionally, Kali mur are hungry people (which also may mean they may suffer from an eating disorder).

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Carey, G. W., 1996. The Biochemic System of Medicine. Health Research Books.

Chapman, E., 1960. How to Use the Twelve Tissue Salts. Nutri Books.

Dewey, W. A. and Boericke, W., 2022. The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Schüssler: Comprising the Theory, Therapeutic Application, Materia Medica, and a Complete Repertory of These Remedies. H. Legare Street Press.

Hyland's, 2024. Cell Salt #1 Calc Fluor [online]. Hyland’s.

McCabe, V., 2009. The Healing Echo. ReadHowYouWant.com.

Schuesslertissuessalts.com.au, n.d. Schuessler Tissue Salts - 150 Years Of Natural Medicine In Australia [online]. Schuessler Tissue Salts.

Schüssler, W. H., 2003. Schüssler’s twelve tissue remedies : comprising the theory, therapeutic applications, materia medica and a complete repertory of tissue remedies. Sittingbourne, Kent: Homæopathic Book Service.

Strbac, L., 2024. Schuessler’s Tissue Salts Rediscovered.

Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub.

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Congestion

On the 5th day of cell salts… Kali mur

Julia Coyte, CHom

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