 Fall must be approaching. It doesn’t feel like it here in the desert southwest; we are still seemingly in the throes of straight summer with temperatures remaining 10+ degrees above average. In fact, it almost feels like we have hit the breaks on moving toward fall and reversed into actual summer. You see, we had a relatively humid summer. (See "12 Angry Homeopathic Remedies” if you care to know a bit more about our summer this year.) And, today, September 10th, 2026 (and 11th, I didn’t quite get everything finished yesterday), we finally have our normal sky — cloudless and bright blue. Boy, have I missed seeing that! A New Mexico 9% humidity sky. 😍 Even though we have been humid (for New Mexico), we have had no rain worth mentioning. Our trees are dying 😫. Rivers are just beds of stones. The monsoons never developed this year. Despite this lingering heat, autumnal bugs are beginning their march into town. The internet tells me October is the month where things really get going. However, this morning I saw in my email that Stanford University-run WastewaterSCAN program indicates that SARS-CoV-2 is currently “high” nationwide, with a significant upward trend in the last 3 weeks. I checked the WastewaterSCAN Dashboard and New Mexico doesn’t appear. However, a Today show article claims it is increasing nationwide. Cold, Flu, Covid, the Crud, the Suds** — whatever seasonal ailment is getting you, homeopathy is a good place to start. It’s important to remember that homeopathy doesn’t care the name of what ails you — homeopathy is (for the most part) only interested in your symptoms. With that, let’s look at a few remedies to have handy. As Benjamin Franklin taught us, an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure! All of these homeopathic remedies work really well when taken at the first sign of any symptoms. Repeat every few hours, or, follow the manufacturer’s direction.
So far this month, I’m seeing a bunch of throat stuff and huge fatigue, in addition to milder cold-like symptoms and one person with some stomach issues thrown in for good measure. For what it’s worth, Gelsemium has been helpful for a couple of people I have encountered. Why Gelsemium? Gelsemium symptoms (keynotes from Morrison are bolded):
When the stomach plays a larger role, consider Arsenicum album. A quick comparison between Gelsemium and Arsenicum for cold/flu symptoms:  These early days of flu/cold-like symptoms mark the beginning of what could be a long season of yuckiness. Homeopathy may just be able to set things right before they are able to take hold.
Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this or any other company — I just like their stuff! **Spongebob Squarepants gets the suds — Good stuff!
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 When one is a homeopath, one sees a lot of [ahem] coincidences.
One evening someone slips and falls and can barely move and they are expecting to need x-rays the following morning and they take a dose of Arnica and coincidentally, they wake up pretty much back to their old self. A nasty burn on the forearm, and they say — “that’s going to be there for a while.” They take Cantharis and when you see them the next day, they are absolutely amazed that the burn no longer hurts. Someone ate something off — the resulting gas and tummy pain is bad. They take some Arsenicum album and all those bad things vanished. A young person scheduled for a tonsillectomy and they take some Silica and they shortly thereafter spit tonsil stones out of their mouth by the spoonful. Surgery cancelled and years later they still have their tonsils. A young person with frequent, gushing nosebleeds and each time they take the Ferrum phos, the nosebleeds stop (sometimes almost instantly). In fact, not only do they stop when taking the Ferr phos, the following nosebleeds become a little lighter and they show up a little less often. Surgery is completed and a full schedule of pain meds has been provided (including the big guns, you know what I’m talking about!), and, after taking the first dose of the indicated homeopathic remedies, not one single pain killer has been used. The dog that is pacing and panting and totally not behaving like his normal self and a few minutes after a dose of Ignatia, he is sleeping peacefully. All these situations could absolutely be chalked up to coincidence… UNTIL, you see them happen over and over and over again. That’s exactly what you see when you use homeopathy… things that seem too good to be true; things that seem totally coincidental, happening over and over again. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  “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  Not a photo of the bird that adopted us, but this one looks almost as good as he did.😂 The flu is for the birds and the bird flu, well… I was asked about homeopathic remedies the other for backyard chickens. We used to have chickens (and a peacock and a Chinese pheasant adopted us for a while, too) and I can tell you that homeopathic remedies work beautifully for birds. (See Homeopathy to the Rescue.) Let’s start with giving remedies to the birds. Some say to put the remedies directly in their water. If you have a large flock, this might be the only way to do it. But, if you have a small backyard flock and it’s easy to see if only 1 or 2 birds are sickening, I like to put the pellets in a little water (or bone broth) and add some rice to the small bowl because I knew they would always go for the rice, even if they weren’t going to go for the water. (See also Making a Water Dose.) This way, you can isolate the sick chickens and make sure those who are most in need are actually getting the remedy. Another reason I like to give the remedies in a small bowl of water is that when you put the remedies directly in the birds’ waterer, it’s important to remember that every sip is a dose. However, if you have a large flock and you already have some sick birds, “dosing” the entire flock is probably the best way to approach this problem. As for the bird flu that is going around, the first thought that comes to mind is Oscillococcinum. (“Oscillococcinum 200 actually a patent property of Boiron Laboratory, France” (Julian 1980)). Well, that’s a bit simplistic, isn’t it… just to suggest using a major homeopathic flu remedy for the bird flu? Well, no, actually. The main ingredient in Oscillococcinum* is Anas barbariae which is made from the heart and liver of wild duck. Pierre Schmidt (Schmidt 2025), a homeopath of the 20th century (1894-1987), says “Oscillococcinum is for ‘influenza at the beginning as a preventative, as well as during convalescence.’” “This is the remedy at the beginning of influenza, of rhinitis and otitis. Given early it is very efficacious. To obtain good results in a case which begins and to cut short the manifestations of influenza, it is necessary to use one dose of Oscillococcinum 200c every 2 to 3 hours or repeat only if necessary” (Murphy). See here and here and here and here and here for some studies and here* for a review of Oscillococcinum trials. (Note: I think it is fair to say that at this point in history, there are not many fans of homeopathy in the mainstream medical system, and that includes researchers. Finding positive research on homeopathy is tough going for a couple of reasons: The main one, in my opinion, is that mainstream medicine has not been educated about homeopathy and therefore dismiss it as quackery. The other important reason why it is hard to find good research on the efficacy of homeopathy is that at its core, homeopathy is individualized medicine — a remedy that works for one person’s symptoms may not necessarily work for the next person’s symptoms. (See also: What to Expect.) Could Oscillococcinum work for birds and bird flu? I would certainly be willing to try it if I still had my backyard flock and if I was worried about bird flu. Apparently, bird flu is in my area (said my chicken-keeping neighbor), so I looked up what to look for in the flock. According to the Australian Government (2023):
So, what I’m seeing in these government documents, other than the combs and wattles and egg laying, are signs of the flu, but in chickens. With that in mind, symptoms are symptoms and remedies are remedies… meaning… it doesn’t matter if it’s a bird or a dog or a human, the symptoms will be noticeable and those symptoms can be addressed through the same homeopathic remedies regardless of showing up in a bird or a dog or a human. Sneezing is sneezing. Watery eyes are watery eyes. Fevers are fevers. Weakness is weakness. The only difference here, though, the chicken can’t tell us if the watery eyes or the diarrhea are acrid or bland. They can’t tell us if they they ache. Chickens run hot compared to humans (106 F) (Hobby Farms 2019), so telling if they have a fever could be a little tricky to begin with. My last article, When you have to get up… has a nice, long list of flu symptoms and possible remedies. I would say any chicken symptoms you could match with that list would work fine and dandy. The trick is translating what you’re seeing in your birds into human language. A more severe form of this disease which “presents suddenly, often with very high mortality, with affected birds developing swollen heads [emphasis mine], a blue coloration of the comb and wattles, dullness, lack of appetite, respiratory distress, diarrhea and significant drop in egg production” (2025) is another matter. Looking back in time a bit, The Poultry Doctor (Chambers 2018) originally published in 1891, mentions a swelled head: “From some cause not clear, the heads of hens will often swell greatly and be very hot. Exposure to draughts of air, however, is a fruitful cause of both swelled heads and swollen eyes. Spongia has given relief in many cases but Belladonna is the indicated remedy for this trouble; Bryonia also will relieve.” All three of these remedies are excellent flu remedies, in general. What else may help ward off the bird flu in your flock? This article has a short list of possible flu preventatives which may be applicable:
Prior to any symptoms showing up, Hyland’s Bioplasma* (or any other source of the combined cell salts — this is just the easiest to come by in most natural food stores in the US) is another good option. A couple of pellets of this combination of the twelve cell salts could easily be dropped in the flocks’ waterer for a while to help shore up their immune systems. We birds of a homeopathic feather need to flock together to keep sharing information on homeopathic remedies for humans and fowl alike! — if you would like to schedule a consult with me, drop me a line at [email protected]. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products. ** This review is not really in favor Oscillococcinum, however, I think it’s very important to note that in the “Authors’ conclusions” that it “could have a clinically useful treatment effect but, given the low quality of the eligible studies, the evidence is not compelling. There was no evidence of clinically important harms due to Oscillococcinum.” [emphasis mine] Reference list
Australian Government, 2023. Bird flu (Avian influenza) - DAFF [online]. Agriculture.gov.au. Beghi, G. M. and Morselli-Labate, A. M., 2016. Does homeopathic medicine have a preventive effect on respiratory tract infections? A real life observational study. Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine, 11 (1). Boericke and Tafel, 2018. The Poultry Doctor: The homeopathic treatment and care of chickens, turkeys, gees, ducks and singing birds. 2018 ed. Colombo, G. L., Di Matteo, S., Martinotti, C., Oselin, M., Bruno, G. and Beghi, G. M., 2018. The preventive effect on respiratory tract infections of Oscillococcinum®. A cost-effectiveness analysis. ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research [online], Volume 10, 75–82. Dutta, A., Manna, A., Ghosh, S., Mundle, M., Saha, M., Kumar Gourav, Sukhdeb Maiti and Chattopadhyay, B., 2024. Prespecified Homeopathic Medicines in the Prevention of Confirmed and Suspected Cases of COVID-19: A Community-Based, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Prophylaxis Trial. Complementary Medicine Research, 31 (2), 140–148. Hobby Farms, 2019. Chickens & Body Temperature: What You Need to Know [online]. Hobby Farms. Homeopathy Plus, 2024. Bird Flu: Are We at Risk [online]. Homeopathyplus.com. Julian, O. A., 1980. Treatise on Dynamised Micro-Immunotherapy. First Indian Edition, 1980. New Delhi - 110055 (India): B. Jain Publishers (P.) Ltd. Mathie, R. T., Frye, J. and Fisher, P., 2015. Homeopathic Oscillococcinum® for preventing and treating influenza and influenza-like illness. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Murphy, R., 2006. Nature’s materia medica : 1,400 homeopathic and herbal remedies. Blackburg, Va.: Lotus Health Institute, November. Schmidt, P., 2025. Pierre Schmidt [online]. Remedia-homeopathy.com. Scottish Government, 2025. Avian influenza (bird flu): how to spot and report the disease - gov.scot [online]. www.gov.scot. UCHealth, 2024. The bird flu has spread to dairy cows. Do you need to worry about another pandemic? [online]. UCHealth Today. Vickers, A. J. and Smith, C., 2004. Homoeopathic Oscillococcinum for preventing and treating influenza and influenza-like syndromes. Cochrane Database System Review.  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  “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). This topic is near and dear to me… Arthritis (this article focuses on osteoarthritis). Every time I have had an x-ray done over the last 10 or so years, they came back and said there is arthritis in there. Why would I have so many xrays? Cuz I had pain, that’s why. I have x-ray evidence of arthritis in my hands, (fingers and wrists), feet, ankles, knees and following an injury as a teenager, I was told the left side of my jaw was “bone on bone.” I’m pretty sure that were I to have further imaging on my hips and low back and neck that arthritis would be seen in those places, too. Now, I would like to point out that in that last paragraph I used the past tense. Since using homeopathy to address my arthritis, my pain levels have absolutely plummeted. It’s a rare day when my hands ache. I walk about 3 miles a day and while I do sometimes have some stiffness afterward, it is short-lived and soon forgotten. I’m not going to say all my joints are in perfect working order, but compared to where I was (and, definitely as compared to where I was headed), I have very few complaints at the age of 55. I had way more pain and discomfort 10-20 years ago. (I credit homeopathy for the bulk of my relief, but in addition to exercising regularly, I also eat a good, healthy whole foods diet, including plenty of bone broth and I also credit rolfing, too.) Once we hit age 65, nearly half (47.4%) of Americans have been diagnosed by a doctor as having arthritis (Brooks et al. 2018). If we want to add in people who have not bothered to get an official diagnosis, I’m willing to bet that number is considerably higher. Dr. Andrew Lockie (1993) estimates that 90% of people over the age of 40 have some degree of osteoarthritis in one or more joints. Along with the physical discomfort, osteoarthritis and all its limitations can lead to depression and sleep disturbances (Brooks et al. 2018). Additionally, anxiety and depression can lower your pain threshold and then the chronic pain aggravates the anxiety and depression — resulting in a vicious circle. See? It’s a good thing to try and get a handle on as soon as possible! What exactly is arthritis and who gets it? “Arthritis” is painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints. (Joints, as a reminder, are places where two bones meet.) Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. Degeneration is structural or functional breakdown. Common symptoms include pain, redness, heat and swelling. The most commonly affected joints are: hands, knees, hips, neck and lower back. In addition to the breakdown, small bone growths (osteophytes or bone spurs see also: The Importance of a Proper Diagnosis) may grow on the edges of the joint. Or, a bit can break off and float inside the joint space. (I had this as a kid when I chipped my patella). Did I mention that I have had more than my fair share of injuries? I was a busy kid, playing hard and getting hurt! The receptionist at the orthopedist’s office once said to me, “you really do love us, don’t you?” Anyone can get it, though generally speaking, it’s not a problem until we age — especially women when it develops after menopause. Though young people can get it as a result of an injury or a genetic defect. Why is osteoarthritis so common? Joint injury, obesity, genetics and anatomical factors affect joint mechanics (Shane Anderson and Loeser 2010). But, wear and tear takes its toll and “age remains the single greatest risk factor for the development of OA in susceptible joints.” So, how can homeopathy help arthritis? It’s very important to remember that conventional medicine doesn’t have a lot to offer in terms of helping osteoarthritis. The first line treatments are pain relievers, according to Mayo Clinic: Tylenol, Advil and Duloxetine (Cymbalta). (I highly recommend looking into the side effects of any medicines you plan on putting in your body. Drugs.com is a quick way to do this.) Other therapies which may be helpful include: physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the joint; occupational therapy, and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS*) — low-voltage current to relieve pain. Beyond these, then we’re looking at more serious interventions, including cortisone injections and surgery to replace damaged joints. Homeopathy is not the absolute answer to every problem (though I think it's pretty close!) What homeopathy can do is to assist your body to wellness. When I began using homeopathy to treat my arthritis, as much as I was wanting an overnight success, that’s not how it works. The first few remedies I used went a long way at relieving my immediate discomfort, taking the edge off, so to speak. There is a lot to undo after a lifetime of wear and tear. It wasn't until I got into some deeper remedies that the daily pain disappeared. Let’s start with some support remedies: cell salts, (also known as tissue salts/remedies or biochemical medicine or Schüssler’s tissue salts). Cell salts are derived from substances that are naturally present in the human body, intended to nourish and balance our bodies; they are our building blocks. Dr. Schüssler “worked by the theory of deficiency. The idea of deficiency is that, if we can ascertain exactly which mineral salt or salt the body’s cells are starving for, and if we can give the body those salts in a manner in which it can absorb and digest them, then the cells will be nourished and the balance needed for function, form and good health will result.” “The cell salts are, therefore, a strange balance between allopathy and homeopathy, or, better put, a balance between homeopathy and nutritional medicine.” (McCabe 2009). Dr. Carey (1894) recommends three cell salts** for arthritis: Ferrum phos for an acute attack with very painful joints which are worse on movement. Tenalgia crepitans, (inflammation of a tendon sheath in which movement of the tendon is accompanied by a cracking sound). Natrum phos “is indicated in all cases of rheumatism of the joints.” Natrum sulph should be given alternately with Ferr phos in acute cases, but in chronic cases, Nat sulph alone may be helpful; especially in joints of the fingers. Other cell salts which may be helpful: Kali mur: in acute arthritis may be alternated with Ferr phos. Movement makes the pains worse; tenalgia crepitans. Natrum mur: for chronic arthritis; the joints crack; synovitis; rheumatic arthritis, especially of finger joints; hot, painful swellings of the knee joint. Mag phos is useful for the (violent) pains; excruciating pains which are spasmodic in character. Kali sulph: for pains which shift from one joint to another and are worse by heat. Shifting and wandering rheumatic pains in the joints. Calc phos for bone health, in general. Calc fluor for enlargements of the finger joints. Cell salts are generally given in a 6x potency and they can be combined in the mouth at one time as one dose and taken twice daily. (Martin & Pleasance*** makes a Comb M for rheumatism with equal parts Calc phos, Kali mur, Nat phos and Nat sulph.) On to homeopathy itself. For dealing with the acute pain of arthritis, a quick go-to remedy is T-Relief*** or T-Relief Arthritis***, both are available in either a cream or a tablet. Medinatura*** also makes/sells BHI Arthritis Pain Relief***. All three of these combos are made of slightly different remedies. The individual remedies which are shared between these combinations are worth investigating. Arnica for soreness all over the body. Worse for touch, pressure, cold or cold, damp weather. Worse for motion. Bryonia for excruciating, often stitching pains. Worse for the slightest motion (they just want to be still) and heat. Even though they are worse for moving, they feel restless. Better for pressure and warmth on the painful part, lying still, especially lying on the painful side. Joints may be hot and swollen. May seem irritable. Dulcamera is worse especially in damp weather, and cold damp autumn and the change of weather in general. Better for motion and warmth. Ledum may have some swelling and coldness in the affected joint. Worse for heat or becoming over-heated and motion. Though they may be chilly, they feel better for cold applications or cold bathing. Pain in the small joints, especially the toes and joint pains seem to progress up the body. Ledum is particularly good for the feet and lower legs. The soles of the feet may be painful. Ledum can also be helpful for the after-effects of steroid injections. Rhus tox (see also: Rhymes with Box) is a good remedy for all forms of rheumatism. Worse in the morning on waking, cold, sitting still (resting) and when first moving. Better after getting up and going, continued motion and hot baths or showers. They may be restless and feel better if they keep moving. All of these remedies listed are primarily to address the acute pain of osteoarthritis. Alan Schmukler (2006) mentions that Bryonia or Rhus tox will bring relief in a majority of cases. This is just a small sampling of the most common (and readily available) remedies which may help arthritis pain. I could keep writing on homeopathic arthritis remedies for hours! There's a lot to say and a lot of individual remedies which may be further tailored to specific arthritic symptoms. I highly recommend working with a professional homeopath to try and get to the root of the issue. In the meantime, try one of these above listed remedies and see if you can get a little relief. Life is just way too short to be in constant pain and discomfort. Try some homeopathy and see if you can get back to doing things you love. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have and am very pleased with ireliev’s wireless TENS unit (though, I must say, I really don’t use it very often any more). Again, I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their product. ** It is possible to purchase a mixture of all 12 cell salts. However, I have found better results when choosing just the best indicated cell salts rather than using the full complement. ***I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products. Reference list:
Anon., 2023. tenalgia crepitans [online]. TheFreeDictionary.com. Arthritis Foundation, 2016. Arthritis and Mental Health [online]. Arthritis.org. Brooks, J. M., Titus, A. J., Polenick, C. A., Orzechowski, N. M., Reid, M. C., MacKenzie, T. A., Bartels, S. J. and Batsis, J. A., 2018. Prevalence rates of arthritis among US older adults with varying degrees of depression: Findings from the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry [online], 33 (12), 1671–1679. Carey, G. W., 1894. The Biochemic System of Medicine. F. August Luyties. Kansal, K. and Kaushal, R., 2015. Textbook of practice of medicine with homeopathic therapeutics. New Delhi: B. Jain. Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : symptoms and natural solutions. New York: Simon & Schuster. Mayo Clinic, 2021. Osteoarthritis - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic [online]. Mayoclinic.org. McCabe, V., 2009. The Healing Echo. ReadHowYouWant.com. Morrison, R., 1998. Desktop companion to physical pathology. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Publ. NIAMS, 2019. NIAMS Health Information on Arthritis [online]. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Rath, L., 2022. What Is Arthritis? [online]. www.arthritis.org. Schmukler, A. V., 2006. Homeopathy : an A to Z home handbook. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications. 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. Shane Anderson, A. and Loeser, R. F., 2010. Why is osteoarthritis an age-related disease? Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 24 (1), 15–26. Teut, M. and Doppler, C., eds. 2019. Homeopathy in Dementia: Materia Medica and Case Studies. Emryss. Thornton, P., 2022. Duloxetine: Uses, Side Effects, Dosage, Warnings [online]. Drugs.com.  Tis the season for… Sore Throats. Sore throat complaints are keeping me busy this month! Some have the dreaded Covid, some have the flu, some may have strep throat and some people just have a sore throat. What to do about this pharyngitis? (Pharynx is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity and “itis” for inflammation.) Well, at the first sign of feeling unwell, I like the Banerji protocol of Aconite 200c mixed with Bryonia 30c. Taking this right away can often nip things in the bud and send the yucks away before they can settle in. Another option for those who are quick on the draw is Ferrum phos 6x. This, too, can often turn things around in short order. Once the yucks have made themselves at home and one is definitively feeling unwell, let’s look at a few homeopathic remedies which may help. (Note: There are many remedies which can be helpful for sore throats, these are just a few of my favorites.) See also: Calming the Cold; Some Flu Remedies to Consider and Tis the season for the crud. Baptisia Extremely painful, dark red throat, where swallowing liquids is the only option and even that is very difficult, despite being thirsty; tiny bites of food gags them. They may have swollen glands and/or bad breath. Belladonna The sore throat appears suddenly and generally hurts more on the right side with burning or throbbing pain. The throat and the tip of the tongue may be red. Pain is worse from turning the head, touching the throat and swallowing, especially liquids. Face will often be red and hot but the hands and feet tend to be cold. Gelsemium Burning and rough sore throat with pain that extends from the throat to the ear. May feel like there’s a painful lump in the throat that cannot be swallowed. Pain in the sternocleidomastoid — the long muscles on either side of your neck. Paralysis of the vocal cords. Swallowing solid foods is difficult. Hepar sulph Homeopathic Hepar is known for a sticking sensation in the throat, like a splinter or a bone. Pain extends to the ear on yawning and swallowing. May hawk up thick, yellow, sticky mucus. Wrapping up the external throat feels good. Cold drinks or becoming cold makes them feel worse but warmth in general and warm drinks can help. There may be a pulsation felt in the throat and they may feel worse in the evening and at night. Very sensitive to the pain and sensitive to everything else, too, actually and they may be irritable and impatient. Lachesis A purple throat, often on the left side (or starts on the left and moves to the right) and feels worse when swallowing liquids — even saliva is difficult — empty swallowing makes the throat hurt even worse (though they may have a constant desire to swallow). Swallowing solids may be easier. May have a disturbing constricting sensation, causing them to loosen clothes around the throat. Ear pain with sore throat. There may be a sensation of breadcrumbs or a painful sensation of a lump or plug which is not relieved by swallowing. They may choke easily, especially on falling to sleep and may have a suffocative feeling. Often feel worse on waking. Lycopodium Often on the right side with a dryness in the throat and they may not be very thirsty. A stitching pain on swallowing which is better with warm drinks and worse with cold drinks. Choking on swallowing. They may feel like there is a lump or a plug in the throat. They are chilly but they also want fresh air but are worse becoming cold or eating/drinking cold things. May have digestive issues at the same time as the sore throat. Mercurius sol Lots of saliva and a raw, rough and burning feeling in the throat. Lots of slime gets stuck in the throat and there may be drooling while sleeping. Swollen glands. A bad or metallic taste in the mouth and may have bad breath. The throat may be copper colored. Throat pain on coughing. The throat may be worse at night and they may also experience night sweats. Finding the right temperature is often difficult. Rhus tox Body aches and restlessness may accompany the sore throat. The tip of the tongue may be red. The throat becomes irritated and the voice becomes hoarse and is often worse from talking. The pain is worse from swallowing at first, but improves with more swallowing. Warmth is helpful and moving around may help, too — feeling worse when they are resting. Like the swallowing, they may feel worse when first moving around but better as they keep moving. When to see a doctor? According to the Mayo Clinic, see a doctor if:
TONSILLITIS A few quick notes relating to tonsillitis. (Note on type: Most highly indicated, highly indicated and indicated.) Again, there are many homeopathic remedies for tonsillitis and I am just focusing on the throat remedies already mentioned. Tonsillitis, in general — in order of importance: Belladonna, Ferrum phos and Mercurius. Hepar & Lachesis. Baptisia and Lycopodium. Tonsillitis with pus: Hepar, Mercurius. Belladonna, Lycopodium, Lachesis Hardness of hearing with tonsillitis: Hepar, Lycopodium and Mercurius Chronic, recurring tonsillitis: Hepar, Lachesis and Lycopodium Painless tonsillitis: Baptisia Burning pain in tonsils: Belladonna and Mercurius Purple tonsils: Hepar and Lachesis Bright red tonsils: Belladonna and Ferrum phos Dark red tonsils: Baptisia and Lachesis Tonsillitis in children: Ferr-phos, Lachesis, Lycopodium and Mercury Sharp pain in tonsils: Belladonna, Lachesis, Lycopodium and Mercury Tearing pain in tonsils: Belladonna Throbbing pain in tonsils: Belladonna STREP THROAT Strep throat is another possibility and can lead to long term problems in rare cases. Unlike most sore throats, strep is caused by bacteria. Strep A is big in the news this year, especially in the UK, but there are other strains of strep which can cause throat problems, too (A, C & G are the primary throat culprits). I never messed around with strep throats when my kids were little because I know two people who suffered terribly as a result of untreated strep. “Untreated strep throat can cause an autoimmune reaction in which the body attacks its own tissues and may lead to rheumatic fever, chorea and kidney damage” (Berkow et al. 1995). How can you tell the difference between a sore throat and Strep throat? Ultimately, for a full diagnosis of strep throat, you need to see a doctor and get a throat culture. According the the Merck Manual and the Mayo Clinic, strep throat symptoms typically appear suddenly and include:
In very young children (under 4), the only symptom may be a runny nose. (When my kids were little, I learned that strep infections in littles may present with only stomach problems, so keep that in mind.) “People with strep throat generally get better in 2 weeks, even without treatment. … antibiotics can shorten the duration of symptoms in young children and prevent serious complications such as rheumatic fever” (Berkow et al. 1995). (Note: There are homeopathic remedies which can be helpful in strep throat, but that is beyond the scope of this article.) If you are suffering from a sore throat, try one of these homeopathic remedies so you can get back to some painless Fa La La-ing before the festive season is behind us. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
Berkow, R., Beers, M. and Fletcher, A., 1995. The Merck Manual Home Edition. Merck Research Laboratories. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Strep throat - symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic.  Bloody noses are a bloody bother. Thankfully, that’s only what they are, generally speaking. Rarely are bloody noses an emergency. According to verywellhealth.com and NHSinform, you need to seek medical assistance for a nosebleed when:
Some people have chronic bloody noses*. All 3 of my sons have experienced periods of regular bloody noses and homeopathy has been amazingly helpful in dealing with this, especially in the moment. I have seen nosebleeds stop shockingly quickly with a few of the appropriate little homeopathic pellets. What are the appropriate remedies? Dr. Andrew Lockie (1993) recommends using the appropriate homeopathic remedy (he says in a 6c potency) every 2 minutes for up to 10 doses. (In my experience, nosebleeds stop much faster than 10 minutes when using homeopathy. If the bleed hasn’t stopped in a few minutes, try another remedy.) I present to you here, in alphabetical order, some of my favorites: Arnica, especially for nosebleeds following an injury. Nosebleeds with a cough or from blowing the nose. Nosebleeds from exertion or from washing your face. (I have never seen this one, but I do know of people for whom nosebleeds occur while in the shower and Arnica just might be their answer.) Ferrum phos, either as a cell salt (6x) or in potency (6c or 30c). Nosebleeds in children; nosebleeds accompanying a fever; bright red blood. Hamamelis — with dark and thin blood. Nosebleeds in the morning. Ipecac — bright blood, clotted or coagulated. Phosphorus — bright red blood, bloody nose as a result of blowing the nose; in children; noses that bleed easily. What else can help? Once upon a time, long before I knew about homeopathy, I read that cayenne pepper (a pinch in a glass of water, then drink it) can help. Well, a visitor, an adult, was experiencing a bloody nose. I got out the cayenne pepper and I was getting the water and the person took a little dab of the cayenne pepper and put it right up their nose. The bleeding stopped immediately and though they had been experiencing regular bloody noses, one didn't return again for many years after that! (Be forewarned, though -- this person had quite a shocking experience with that jolt to the system!) Another little tip I’ve learned with my boys… paper towels are much more effective than tissues. I leave you with this joke, simply because I couldn’t resist. A British man says, “I’ve got a bloody nose!!!” His friends reply, “yeah, we all do.” Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath (and re-teller of bad jokes) #wellnessawaits classicallypractical.com * If you or your child suffers from regular nosebleed, it might be worth considering a consult with a homeopath to see if you can get to the bottom of the issue. Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash Reference list:
Lockie, Dr. A., 1993. The Family Guide to Homeopathy. USA: Simon & Schuster. NHS Inform, 2019. Nosebleed causes and treatments [online]. Nhsinform.scot. Perko, S. J., 2008. The homeopathic therapeutic subject reference : a homeopathic practice guidebook for physicians and health care practitioners. San Antonio, Texas.: Benchmark Homeopathic Publications. Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Kander, Germany: Narayana Verlag. Upjoke.com, 2022. The 20+ Best Bloody Nose Jokes - ↑UPJOKE↑ [online]. upjoke.com. Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub.
 I learned this trick from Pinterest years ago. The crud has hit my house. It entered surreptitiously on New Years Day and didn’t let itself be known for a few days after that. I helped my son through it, homeopathically speaking, and then it was my turn. In general, it is much harder to help yourself, homeopathically speaking, than it is to help someone else. When you are helping someone else, you are logically interpreting symptoms. When you are trying to interpret your own symptoms when you’re not feeling your best, you’re lucky to have logic still involved in the process at all! Anyway, I am unofficially on day 8, though I didn't test positive until 2 days ago. I don’t feel terrible, but I don’t feel great. I certainly have felt much worse in my life. The low-grade fever doesn’t want to budge. I have a terrible smell/taste in my nose. (I didn’t lose my sense of smell/taste — in fact, they have become highly sensitized.) I do not love the lack of energy, mental or physical. I know people who currently have “it” or just had “it” and they took the Ivermectin or the HCQ and some felt better immediately and some are still struggling to feel better. It was this last piece of information that made me realize that I’m doing pretty well with my remedies. I have not had the “painful shivers” or the loss of smell; I have been sleeping like a baby. I don't have a painful, rib-breaking cough. Aches have been minimal and are now completely gone. I have a lot of snot but I don’t have that bursting headache that some people are getting. (My left eyeball was tender when I moved it for a couple of days, but it was annoying, not unbearable.) I am now coughing a bit, but it feels like a forward movement — clearing that stuff out. I can breathe just fine and my lungs aren’t involved. (I did turn into a mouth breather for a couple of days, but that’s gone now, too.) Everything has stayed from the neck up and I appreciate that fact! What remedies have I used? I’ll be completely honest — everything! If a symptom appeared, I tried a remedy. Sometimes the remedies felt futile (like for the fever that won’t budge) and sometimes they seemed to help pretty quickly. To keep this article brief — and so I can get back to the business of getting well and kicking this garbage to the curb! — I will list a few remedies that have been very helpful for me and for my son and friends. My son started out with extreme restlessness and low/mid back pain: Nux vomica. (In hindsight, Rhus tox could have been helpful here, too, but it wasn't presenting that way at first.) He had the painful shivers and very painful skin. Fortunately, his skin wasn’t so painful that he couldn’t have anything touch it (Krajewski et al. 2020), but it was uncomfortable for him. He found great relief from hot water: Rhus toxicodendron. He had some dizziness for a quick minute but an old bottle of Heel’s “Lightheadedness” quickly cleared that up. We used a few other remedies for him here and there, but these were the big movers for him. That’s the thing with acute diseases — you have to chase the symptoms. A symptom shows up, a remedy helps it and another symptom moves in to take its place. It’s not like clearing up a chronic condition where you want to stick with A remedy or a group of remedies for a while. You have to react quickly with the changing symptoms of an acute. My yucks started out with severe dizziness and nausea and vomiting: Ipecac. After 2 days, everything was very much improved and I thought I was good to go and then the new version of symptoms set in a few days later. Oscillococcinum — the Flu remedy. I literally have not yet figured out the low grade fever thing. (Very frustrating!) But, it’s not terrible and I guess I have to let my body do what it’s doing and trust that it knows what it’s doing. Generally speaking, though, Ferrum phos is an excellent remedy for low-grade fevers. I have also tried fever combination remedies, to no avail. Eyeball that hurts when moving it: Bryonia. Bryonia on its own wasn’t doing the trick, but mixing Aconite with the Bryonia did do the trick. [Aconite/Bryonia is a Banerji Protocol to ward off the yucks of any kind, but homeopathic legend has it that when you add Aconite to a remedy that should be working, but isn’t, it’s like a power boost and it certainly seemed to be for my painful eyeball.] That moment when the bed felt too hard to get comfortable: Arnica. This, too, can be Bryonia, but given that I wasn’t having the eyeball luck with that remedy, I moved on to Arnica. Last night, when the coughing started in the middle of the night: Boiron’s Chestal Cold and Cough. I haven’t had to repeat it yet, so that must have done the trick. [note: having combination remedies available are extremely helpful in the middle of the night when you can’t get your brain to figure it out!] Nux vomica helped with my stuffy nose and gas. Arsenicum album helped early on with a burning sensation deep in my nose. For the most part, however, I have now accepted that perfection really is the enemy of the good. I don’t feel great, but I am thankful that I have a lovely husband and sons who are keeping the home fires burning, literally and figuratively. On that note, my husband has yet to succumb. Hopefully, he is that rare breed that is not susceptible to this virus. Or, it could be that he has religiously stepped up his supplement routine — he said he feels better than he has in a while as a result! — and, at any little hint of anything, he turns to his tried and true: Boiron’s Cold Calm. Who knows? They say children experience positive growth after an illness — we certainly noticed that when our little fellows got sick — maybe that can be true for old homeopaths, too! I have come to the conclusion that my body just needs to experience this sickness for whatever reason. I’m not sick in bed. I can even still beat my husband in gin rummy, and he's no slouch at the game! I am tired and don’t feel great, but I am not down for the count and I believe it is homeopathy that is responsible for this small blessing. It just is what it is. I haven’t been sick in many years! I guess it was just my time! It was Voltaire who proclaimed, “Perfect is the enemy of good.” It has been so very many years now that I have avoided getting really sick. My remedies have always stepped in and fixed everything right up for me in very short order. I now expect perfection and that’s not a reasonable goal. I will keep on keeping on and I know one day soon, this will all be behind me and I can get back to the business of life! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Krajewski, P. K., Szepietowski, J. C., and Maj, J., 2020. Cutaneous hyperesthesia: A novel manifestation of COVID-19. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity [online], 87, 188.
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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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