 I have written specifically about the Banerji Protocols and the Narayani combinations (here, here, and here. The Boiron over-the-counter combos are sprinkled throughout my articles. I have mentioned the BHI combos only once in my Digging Deeper article about hemorrhoids. Perhaps it’s because I don’t see these too often any more that they are not front and center in my mind. BHI/HEEL — I’m honestly not certain what the technicalities are between these/this company/companies. MediNatura (maker of Traumeel,) is another name that is part of this company puzzle. I do know they at least were based in New Mexico - maybe that’s why I saw their products on the shelves. Not so much these days, though. They are still out there, however — for purchase through the internet. What are they? They are a smaller line of homeopathic combinations, compared to the Narayanis and they do not use the mega potencies that some Narayanis do; in fact, most (all?) of their combos are made using low x potencies. You may be familiar with their T-Relief and Traumeel (a personal favorite combo of mine). What else do they have? In addition to the Hemorrhoid combo listed above, to list just a few more:
Since we are in the middle of cold and flu season, let’s take a very quick (and by no means complete) look at BHI’s ReBoost combo and why they have included the remedies they have (including one I have never heard of so let’s learn together):
What else about the BHI combos? If you want to spend a little time searching the internet, you can find old copies of their manuals. Apparently, they used to make an awful lot more combinations. Alas. Like the Narayani books, I find these BHI guides helpful for learning remedies. As I have said in previous articles about combos which are no longer available, you can make your own. You don’t have to be perfect. If their combo calls for a potency that is not readily available to you, choose the nearest potency you can find. For instance, their old “Exhaustion” combo contains Sepia 12x — not so easy to find. Sepia was also used in the Hyland’s no longer available combination called “Awake” in a 30x. But, if you were making your own combination reflecting these remedies, a 6c would be a good substitution. (Margriet Plouvier-Suijs equates 12x-14x to a 7c**, another not so easy to find potency, but we can be pretty sure a 6c is pretty close to a 7c in it’s action.) When I first really got interested in homeopathy, years before becoming a homeopath, I had a whole line up of Heel containers on a spice rack shelf in a kitchen cupboard. It was so nice to have an alphabetical line up of go-to remedies: Headache, Nausea, Spascupreel, Traumeel… The names may change but the idea remains the same — an excellent way to cover lots of homeopathic bases right there at your fingertips - no thought required! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have zero affiliation with any of these companies — I just like their products. ** France seems to use odd numbers, the rest of the world even🤷♀️ Reference list
Plouvier-Suijs, M., 2014. About potencies. Emryss Publishers. Sadeghsoltani, F., Mohammadzadeh, I., Safari, M.-M., Hassanpour, P., Izadpanah, M., Qujeq, D., Moein, S. and Vaghari-Tabari, M., 2021. Zinc and Respiratory Viral Infections: Important Trace Element in Anti-viral Response and Immune Regulation. Biological Trace Element Research [online].
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As summer winds down, the cicadas seem to be winding up. Boy, they have been noisy this year! When they take a break, the silence makes me realize that living with something like tinnitus must be very trying, indeed! Tinnitus (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2018), the perception of outside noise when no actual external stimulus is causing the sound, affects 15-20% of people of all ages but it is especially common in older adults. Sometimes there is an underlying cause that can be addressed to fix the tinnitus, but usually, treatments to make the tinnitus less noticeable are used (things like hearing aids, sound generators). Common causes are hearing loss, ear infection or ear canal blockage, head or neck injuries and medications (Mayo Clinic 2018). Like so many chronic conditions, we are told there is no cure. Half the people who experience tinnitus do not have measurable hearing loss. A small percentage of people suffering from tinnitus experience serious debility in their daily lives (Prutsman 2023). Homeopathically speaking, there are some remedies that can help though it’s not usually a quick fix, so be prepared to be patient. There are a lot of rubrics and remedies associated with hearing noises in the ears — some of them quite specific as to the sound (for example, hearing bagpipes in the distance — Nat carb) or, specific circumstances or specific times of day when the noises occur. A few remedies pop up more often than others: Petroleum, Lycopodium, and China officinalis, in particular. There is a theme amongst these remedies of sensitive hearing, hyperacusis, which is a common complaint of tinnitus sufferers (Hebert et al. 2013). It never ceases to amaze me how homeopathy figured this stuff out a hundred plus years before the research was done! Petroleum is associated with chronic eustachian catarrh, (mucus or gunk in laymen’s terms). Conversely, there may be a dryness or a disagreeable feeling of dryness in the ears. There may be itching deep inside the ear or, diminished hearing in general. There could be an over-sensitiveness of not only hearing, but also of touch and smell, too. Impaired hearing with noises in the ears; impaired hearing in old people or, progressive hearing impairment. The sounds which may be heard for which Petroleum may be of benefit: bells; humming; constant roaring or rushing water; cracking; whizzing or the sound of wind. Lycopodium may help when there is a swelling of the ear with discharge. Perhaps, a sensation as if hot blood has rushed into the ears. Impaired hearing with discharge from the ear. Sensitive to noises and sounds, particularly music. The noises which may be helped with Lycopodium are: roaring, humming, whizzing and rushing. China officinalis is for a great over-sensitiveness of the nervous system — all sights, smells, hearing and taste are too strong. The external ear may be sensitive to touch. Impaired hearing with constant noises in the ears, possibly with a headache. The noises which may be helped by China officinalis are humming; ringing, especially with an accompanying headache; roaring; ticking as of a distant watch; buzzing; noises as if hearing singing. Back to the bagpipes of Natrum carbonicum… this remedy isn’t as prominent as the remedies listed above, but there are some interesting things associated with it. There may be a stopped sensation with diminished hearing. Sensitive hearing, particularly to music - they can’t bear it or, the rumpling of paper. Bubbling noises or as if a bubble is bursting; sounds seem to come from the left side when they really come from the right; and, the illusion of hearing singing. And, though they can’t stand hearing music, they have the delusion they are hearing music — that must be frustratingly awful! A list of a few noise rubrics and some corresponding remedies:
Book a focused consultation and see if we can take the focus off those noises for you. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
Cleveland Clinic, n.d. Tinnitus: Causes, Treatment & Prevention [online]. Cleveland Clinic. Hebert, S., Fournier, P. and Norena, A., 2013. The Auditory Sensitivity is Increased in Tinnitus Ears. Journal of Neuroscience [online], 33 (6), 2356–2364. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Tinnitus - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2018. Tinnitus [online]. NIDCD. Prutsman, Dr. J., 2023. Tinnitus [online]. Sound Relief Tinnitus & Hearing Center.  Did you know that October 18th is World Menopause Day? (Nor did I.)
The International Menopause Society says it is, so it must be true. The IMS have a goal “to work globally to promote and support access to best practice health care for women through their menopause transition.” A good goal, to be sure. I certainly hope they include homeopathy in their best practices! This year, IMS is focusing on Cognition and Mood associated with menopause. Their website provides a leaflet on Menopausal Brain Fog with some interesting data, if you’re curious. Brain Fog is a complaint I hear often from women of a certain age and I addressed it here where I shared the Banerji Protocol for menopausal brain fog — an excellent place to start for “Cognition and Mood” during menopause. Protocols don’t address every condition for every person, so if you try the protocol and don’t get any joy, work with a professional homeopath to relieve your specific condition. Homeopathic remedies can be very helpful in relieving the symptoms of menopause and peri-menopause in general. In addition to brain fog, hot flashes are right up there in common complaints. Homeopathic Ammonium carb may address some level of hot flashes, especially when there is heat in the face and/or sweaty feet. Becoming heated can cause aggravation or even result in a headache. Unlike some of the remedies that follow below, Am-carb women may have an aversion to open air. Lachesis is my “go-to” remedy for hot flashes as I have seen some pretty amazing things happen when women suffering from hot flashes use homeopathic Lachesis. Hot flashes may be more intense around the head and neck while their hands and feet remain cold. They have no tolerance for warm and stuffy rooms; craving cool, fresh air. There is also very little tolerance for tight or constricting clothing, especially around the neck or waist. All symptoms may be worse on waking. Because of this, falling asleep may be daunting. Sepia can be cold during the day and hot during the night resulting in drenching sweats only to end up chilly again. These sweats may also show up from minimal physical effort. Hot flashes may begin down low and move upward. Women benefitting from homeopathic Sepia often suffer from low energy but are energized through exercise. Pulsatilla hot flashes may be experienced when anxious or upset. Open windows with fresh air are are needed all the time…, they feel better outdoors. Constant fluctuation between being too hot and too cold. This changeability may be found elsewhere: mood swings, constantly changing bowel habits and wandering pains. Sulphur is kind of the “mother of all hot flashes.” They are warm all the time and rapidly overheat. These flashes can be very distressing and may be followed quickly by chilliness. In general, homeopathic sulphur has irregular heat distribution throughout the body. They may also find some parts are hot while other parts remain cool. They have a tendency to sweat excessively, especially around the head, feet and armpits and this sweat may be strongly odiferous. They are too hot for covers at night, especially the feet, and may also suffer from rashes, which are worse from heat. The experience surrounding menopause can last for many years — the perimenopause leading up to, the menopause itself as well as the years following the cessation of periods. That’s potentially a very long time to be suffering needlessly. Do yourself a favor and try some homeopathy. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Here we go again. We’re springing forward. Whoo hoo! Enter your own favorite sarcastic noise or eye roll here.
Why do they insist on messing with our body clocks like this? Despite the books (Downing 2009; Prerau 2006) and articles I have read about Daylight Savings Time, I still can’t make heads nor tails of why we are still engaging in this ridiculousness. Alas. 25% of the human population (in more than 70 countries), (Folyovich et al. 2020) endures this nonsense twice a year — resulting in “negative health effects, with 150,000 incidences in the US, and 880,000 globally” (Zhang et al. 2020). Even the American Academy of Sleep Medicine agrees with me, stating, “It is, therefore, the position of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that these seasonal time changes should be abolished in favor of a fixed, national, year-round standard time (Rishi et al. 2020). Manfredini (et al. 2019) did a meta-analysis of Acute Myocardial Infarctions (heart attacks) and Daylight Savings and found the risk “increased significantly” after the spring shift. For further sleep deprivation research, see my previous article. If you’re like me, it doesn’t matter if you attempt to mitigate these effects by going to bed early or sleeping in… it’s when your body tells you it’s one time and you look at your clock and it tells you it’s another time. Yuck. Well, tomorrow morning (or afternoon — whenever the painful effects of this clock tinkering kick in), I plan on taking a dose of Hyland’s Awaken*: “Natural relief of fatigue, drowsiness and irritability.” Awaken is a little bottle of relief. Relief after a lousy night’s sleep or after having to wake early for an appointment or after a fun late night out or even as a result of travel between small distances between time zones… as well as from being compliant with this silly clock changing thing. [Is it apparent that I find this a great annoyance?] What causes this relief? Let’s look at what is in Hyland's formulation and why they included these homeopathic remedies (all in X potencies): Kali Phosphoricum Known as “one of the greatest nerve remedies” (Murphy n.d.) and is one of the original 12 Schuessler Cell Salts. Cell Salts are composed from the basic minerals that cells require (Cell Salt Tissues 2022). Kali phos is helpful for drowsiness and yawning, forgetfulness and irritability. Mezereum link to photo Is a pretty little flower, aka Spurge Olive — this homeopathic remedy is made from a tincture of the fresh bark just before it flowers in the spring. Mezereum can help with mental dullness, irritability, laziness, yawning and sleepiness, in general. Natrum muriaticum Is simply common salt and is another of the original 12 cell salts. Nat Mur (as it’s known) is notable in terms of sleepiness in the late morning, mental dullness with sleepiness and weakness from loss of sleep. Nat Mur is also an excellent headache remedy — another possible symptom following not getting enough sleep. Phosphoricum acidum As a homeopathic remedy is amazingly helpful in “collapsed states” (Morrison 1993). Waking up is difficult and sleepy by day, gloomy, dull and weakness with the sleepiness. Sepia Great sleepiness during the day as results from an unrefreshing sleep (which is bound to be the case when the powers that be have goofed with our clocks!) Staphysagria Sleepiness with: difficulty opening your eyes, indigestion and an inclination to lying down. Murphy (n.d.) notes “violent yawning and stretching bring tears to the eye.” Sulphur Headaches, even migraines, from a loss of sleep and overpowering sleepiness (specifically while working). Thuja occidentalis Also addresses headaches and sleepiness as well as restlessness and tossing about during sleep. Here’s to sweet dreams. Maybe if we all concentrate really hard we can make this clock changing thing disappear! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits If you suffer regularly from poor sleep, contact me to see if homeopathy may be of help to you. * I have no affiliation with Hylands, I just like their product. I usually like to provide a link for remedies, but Hylands.com no longer shows it. I see it is still available on lots of other websites, though. Hmmm. I hope Hyland’s is not taking this remedy away! The good thing about homeopathy, though, is you can make your own mixture based on the remedies and even tailor it to your specific needs. Reference list Cell Salt Tissues, 2022. Buy Schuessler Salts | Cell Salts Tissue Salts World [online]. Downing, M., 2009. Spring forward : the annual madness of daylight saving. Berkeley: Counterpoint. Folyovich, A., Biczó, D., Jarecsny, T., Al-Muhanna, N., Jánoska, D., Béres-Molnár, K. A., Dudás, E., and Toldi, G., 2020. Daylight saving time and the incidence of thrombolysis to treat acute ischemic stroke. Revue Neurologique[online], 176 (5), 361–365. Manfredini, R., Fabbian, F., Cappadona, R., De Giorgi, A., Bravi, F., Carradori, T., Flacco, M., and Manzoli, L., 2019. Daylight Saving Time and Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine [online], 8 (3), 404. Morrison, R., 1993. Desktop guide to keynotes and confirmatory symptoms. Accessed through Radar Opus. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Pub. Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus. Prerau, D. S., 2006. Seize the daylight : the curious and contentious story of daylight saving time. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press. Rishi, M. A., Ahmed, O., Barrantes Perez, J. H., Berneking, M., Dombrowsky, J., Flynn-Evans, E. E., Santiago, V., Sullivan, S. S., Upender, R., Yuen, K., Abbasi-Feinberg, F., Aurora, R. N., Carden, K. A., Kirsch, D. B., Kristo, D. A., Malhotra, R. K., Martin, J. L., Olson, E. J., Ramar, K., and Rosen, C. L., 2020. Daylight saving time: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine [online]. Zhang, H., Dahlén, T., Khan, A., Edgren, G., and Rzhetsky, A., 2020. Measurable health effects associated with the daylight saving time shift. PLOS Computational Biology [online], 16 (6), e1007927. |
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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