 Flu season has returned. Well, colds, flu, Covid, influenza, whatever you want to call it — it’s back.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - homeopathy doesn’t give a hoot what you call it. Homeopathy only cares about the symptoms you are experiencing. Here is a short and sweet list of remedies to keep handy - to take at the first sign of feeling unwell; whether that be cold symptoms or fatigue setting in or aches or sneezing.
Not homeopathic but pretty impressive… Last December while traveling in England, everyone around me was coming down with whatever it was everybody was coming down with. I was in Helios pharmacy picking up some remedies and I saw A. Vogel Echinaforce tablets on the shelf. I took these, as well as Ferrum phos 6x and never had so much as a sniffle. I would use that combination again in a heartbeat. If you don’t get there in time with the above remedies and the yucks have made themselves at home, see Flu Remedies to Consider. With all of these remedy suggestions (unless otherwise noted), take a dose at the first sign of feeling unwell. Repeat every 3-12 hours. When feeling better, stop the remedy. If the symptoms return, start the remedy again. Now, go out there, make merry and celebrate the joyous season like you used to! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits
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The Homeopath in Your Hand by Lisa Strbac The Homeopath in Your Hand is a brand new book that I did not realize was missing from the world of homeopathic books! In just a few short pages at the beginning of this book, homeopath Lisa Strbac gives a short, (but nice!), overview of the basics of homeopathy: symptoms; the history of homeopathy and the theory behind it; how remedies are made; potency; how to choose remedies and specifically how to choose remedies based on her own HEALS™ technique. HEALS™ stands for: Helps or Hinders E for Event A for Accompanying symptoms L for Location S for Sensations Following this, she has a couple pages on how to dose the remedies and some frequently asked questions to round out the introduction. Then, we get to the good stuff. Lisa has a 2-page spread for 77 common remedies, making for a very handy household materia medica. At the top of each page is the name of the remedy with one quick line to sum up the remedy. On the left hand side, she lists the key symptoms and some fun little graphics that I find very helpful in getting to the remedy you need quickly. At the bottom of the page are her Hindered/Helped by symptoms (what homeopaths refer to as modalities -- what makes the person better or worse).
Pages from The Homeopath in Your Hand reproduced with permission from the author. The right hand page provides a little more information on the remedy… the full name of the remedy, other names by which we may know the substance and where the substance may be found in nature.
This materia medica is simple enough (and, the pictures make it engaging enough!) to be useful for everybody, including children. If you are a homeschooling family learning to use homeopathy, this would be a terrific book to have around. At the end of the book is a short list of “essential combination remedies” including:
The final few pages are dedicated to symptoms, or, in homeopathic terms, a repertory. For each heading (e.g. Burns, Cramps, Headaches, Mastitis, Wounds) listing a handful of remedies which might be indicated. The Homeopath in Your Hand is a great little book that I certainly wish I had when I was just starting out with homeopathy. Stockists can be found on her website, or, better yet, ask your local bookseller to carry it: ISBN 978-1399964906. Also on her site, Lisa offers courses and you can even pre-order her exclusive remedy kit to accompany the book. Now that would be an amazing present for somebody this upcoming holiday season! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  In my last post, I mentioned 7 remedies which may be good to have around as the cold & flu season approaches.
Here’s a quick rundown of why they’re good to have nearby, focusing especially on fevers. Baptisia for fevers with profuse sweat, intense thirst; fevers with lethargy — no energy. Those who may benefit from homeopathic Baptisia may be suffering from bad breath or other foul smelling discharges. The bed may feel too hard and going outside and getting some fresh air does not sound like a good plan to them. There may be some mental confusion or they may even feel as if they are intoxicated. There may be copious, (often) smelly stool. Throat may appear dark red. Bryonia. Homeopathic Bryonia may be an excellent remedy for a flu that creeps up on you… when you haven’t quite been feeling yourself but you wouldn’t necessarily call yourself “sick” yet, either. A dry fever with a great thirst for a lot of liquid; chills are more likely not a part of this picture. Dryness, however, is a key part of Bryonia… you may see constipation or a dry cough or dry eyes, dry skin, dry mouth. Someone benefitting from Bryonia may prefer to be still and quiet with movement resulting in discomfort, including when moving their eyes. They may prefer to be by their grumpy selves. Eupatorium feverish people may find themselves shivering, especially after drinking any liquids. Aching pain anywhere in the body, but specifically pains in the legs - terrible pains in the bones themselves and may even feel as if one is broken. Big chills. Unquenchable thirst. Pulsating pain in the back of the head. Gelsemium has little or no thirst at all and the 4 Ds: Droopy, drowsy, dizzy and dull. They feel their eyelids are too heavy to keep them open. Shivering and weak with coldness down the back. May feel faint. They may feel a dull, bruised pain all over and are worse from physical exertion. There may be a headache, beginning in the neck and moving up to the top of the head and feel as if there were a band or hoop around the head. Headaches may be relieved to some degree when urinating. Mercurius sol is often worse in the night, where a fever may drive them from their bed. There may be shivering and shuddering with this fever. There may be bone pains, but more so at night. Discharges from the ears and the eyes. Fevers with profuse perspiration, again, worse at night or diarrhea at night. Headaches may be worse on the sides of the head and extend to the ears and the teeth. Nux vomica flus may have pain in the lower back during fever. Shivering with perspiration. Thirsty but not wanting to drink anything. Very chilly and worse for cold air or drafts and may have a cough which starts when becoming cold. Nux vomica is well known for its digestive issues and may experience stomach pains during fever. They may find themselves oversensitive and emotional during a fever. Rhus tox is most likely mentally restless during a fever. Chill plays a big part in a Rhus tox fever: chill, followed by heat and perspiration; thirsty during the chill; they feel worse when chilled and may develop a tickling cough during the chill. Drinking cold drinks may bring on stomach pains. They may feel they have a lump or plug in their throat and swallowing may feel good on the throat. They may feel better lying on their back and worse lying on the sides. Here's wishing you have a happy and healthy winter season! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Remember way back when when we used to routinely exercise our immune system? We would be constantly bombarded by germs that if you weren’t strong enough would result in… [play the ‘duh duh duh’ music here] a cold! There is/was a school of thought that getting and beating these types of attacks is/was good for your health — taking your immune system for a walk, so to speak. My family routinely turned to Boiron’s Cold Calm for quick relief almost every time a little “somethin’ somethin’” seemed to be creeping in. Cold Calm is a combination homeopathic remedy that can certainly save time and energy if the symptoms are just starting to present and are not quite clear enough to choose just one remedy. Or, when you are the person suffering and the inability to think clearly sets in. Here are the homeopathic remedies included in Cold Calm with a little more information to understand what’s in it and how these individual remedies may help your symptoms. Allium cepa is the red onion — you know, the thing that makes your eyes itch and burn and tear up and your nose follows streaming along soon after. Apis mellifica is the honey bee — you know, the thing that stings you and you swell up… like your nose or your eyes if you have a cold. Belladonna has a reputation as a “virus interrupter.” More specifically to coming down with a cold, Belladonna can be helpful with congestion or when suffering a headache as a result of stuffiness. It’s certainly helpful if any sore throat is involved. Eupatorium perfoliatum, also known as “Bone-set” is an excellent fever remedy, specifically (wait for it…) when your bones ache, including your facial bones as a result of sinus pain. Gelsemium sempervirens is one of the great homeopathic influenza remedies. This remedy is taught in the homeopathy schools as the 7 dwarfs remedy: for when someone is Droopy, Drowsy, Dumb, Dizzy, Drained — that’s only 5, but you get the idea. An excellent headache remedy. Kali bich — for when it’s thick! The old homeopathy books call them “clinkers” — that’s a booger to you and me in modern parlance. Lumps of stuff in the nose or throat. Again, another excellent headache remedy if the symptoms fit. Nux vomica — good for stuffy nose, but even better for sneezing. Nux vomica is also an excellent remedy for the tummy symptoms which can sometimes accompany a cold/flu. And, it’s really good for the short temper that can sneak in there when you’re feeling crummy. Phytolacca decandra — swollen glands and sore throats, specifically the sore throats where the pains shoot from the throat into the ears on swallowing. Pulsatilla — if there is a loss of taste and smell. Stuffy nose; a bad odor in the nose; mucusy, loose cough, bland watering eyes (not burning, that’s Allium cepa mentioned above). I have heard Cold Calm referred to as "magical" — now you know why. This little mixture covers just about everything one would need at the start of “a little somethin’ somethin’” coming on. If Cold Calm isn’t quite cutting it for you and you need some further assistance with cold or flu symptoms, book an acute appointment and we’ll see what we can do to get you feeling better quicker. Julia Coyte, CHom Classicallypractical.com #homeopathycanhelp Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash |
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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