​I thought I was good to go with this wasp sting. I took a couple more doses of Ledum if any pain crept up and by the time I went to bed, I thought I was over it.

Nope. I guess this thing was a 1-2-3 punch!

I was awakened by a household noise about midnight. As I got out of bed, my foot pounded with pain. I took another dose of Ledum and tried to get back to sleep. Nope. I took a higher potency of Ledum and tried to get back to sleep. Nope. I tried some homeopathic Coffea cruda which is known to help sleep to come when there is pain. Nope. I was awake for about an hour trying to figure out what remedy to try next while I was trying to will the pain away and let sleep come. It really hurt badly.

I eventually decided on homeopathic Hypericum 200c. I slept the rest of the night. And, I did pretty well most of the next day.

I was sound asleep and awakened the next night at 3 am. This time with intense itching. Had someone offered to amputate it at that moment, I would have seriously entertained the idea. It was like the worst athlete's foot I have ever had, multiplied by a lot! It was miserable! Hypericum did nothing. Coffea did nothing. 

I then went to an excellent homeopathic "itchy" remedy, Arsenicum album 30c. (Arsenicum is part of the Banerji Protocol for eczema, that's how good it is for itchiness.) It worked. I slept the rest of the night. This time I awakened the next morning and the itching was still there, just not as acutely. Arsenicum only barely worked now. I ran out of the 30c and all I had left was 3c which was of no help in this situation. [REMINDER: if you don't have the right remedy on hand, it's not going to help you!] 

But, I did have the combination remedy of Hypericum 200c + Arsenicum album 200c. This is the Banerji's first line protocol for animal and human bites (Banerji and Banerji 2013). Animal and human bites are considered puncture wounds. Wasps leave puncture wounds and thus I decided it was worth a try. Relief came. But, again, only for a little while.

My toe, at this point was stiff and red and a little warm. It felt OK, and then it doesn't. There is no sign of a stinger left in there. It's localized only to that toe and it is not spreading up my foot.

At my husband's suggestion, I soaked it first in hot water with Epsom salts. Aaaahhh. That felt good. Then, I followed his next suggestion and soaked it in ice water. That, too, felt good. In short, it felt good as long as it was in the water. As soon as it came out out of the water, that's when it started to hurt. 

I reached out to a homeopath friend who recently had a bad reaction to a bee sting. She suggested Plantago Major mother tincture. Now, that is soothing stuff! I've read about it many times, but I have never tried it. (This little bottle is moving into my medicine cabinet and will now be one of the first things I grab.)

So, I have now soaked it in both hot and cold. I have doused it with Plantago major. Now, I will alternate between Arsenicum album 200c (for the itchiness) and Urtica urens 200c.

Homeopathic Urtica urens is potentized (homeopathic) stinging nettle. It is well known for allergic reaction, edema and itching. I think these three bold-type symptoms in Murphy's Repertory for Urtica urens covers what's going on in my toe. (Note: I don't know that I am having an allergic reaction, but it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility.)

About 15 minutes after the first dose of Urtica, my toe is a little less stiff, but the itching is worse … hence the decision to alternate these two remedies. The Arsenicum calmed the itching. The stiffness remains, though lessened.

I will alternate these two remedies, as needed, for the next few hours. If the stiffness goes away, I'll back off the Urtica. If the itching lessens, I'll back off on the Arsenicum album.

And, I'll cross my fingers because I have had good amelioration 2 days in a row after taking well indicated remedies and I have been surprised 2 nights in a row.

I'll keep you posted!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical Homeopath

​#wellnessawaits

Photo by Jonas Allert on Unsplash

I was sitting out on the patio this afternoon for what is most likely the last beautiful 80 degree day of the year, when a yellow thing with a stinger started nosing around my sandaled foot.

Long ago I learned to not hit a bee or a wasp with my negative waves, so I shooed it away gently and turned my chair the other direction and promptly forgot about it.

Until the little !?@*! swooped in the gap in my sandal and stung me under my second toe! Bam! Out of the blue! No provocation of any kind! I flew out of my seat. I dropped my computer to the ground and retreated inside, cursing and limping and wondering what the heck just happened!

Luckily for me, just inside that door is where I keep my stash of homeopathic remedies. I immediately grabbed Ledum palustre 30c and threw some pellets under my tongue. I took a dose, waited for the pain to subside (which it did quite quickly), and then I started writing this article. About 15-20 minutes later, my toe started to throb and ache again, so I repeated the remedy and will continue to do so if and when the pain returns.

Why 30c and not another potency? To be completely honest, the 30c is the first thing my hand touched and I didn’t want to take the time to think about it. I just wanted the pain gone. Had I given it any thought, I probably would have chosen 200c.

Homeopathic Ledum is the first remedy to think of for stings and bites and puncture wounds of any kind.

Other than sneaky wasp attacks, where else would we see the usefulness of a homeopathic remedy for puncture wounds? … … … (I’ll wait while you fill in the blank.) … … … Yes! You’ve got it. Not that I am trying to get noticed by the Internet censors, but Ledum is the first remedy to consider following a puncture wound that stems from the pointy end of a plastic vial filled with liquid. After all, an injection site is, in simple terms, a puncture wound. 

If one is suffering general ill effects following a puncture wound from the hands of a trained professional, Ledum should be the first thing you try. If other issues arise following that injectable fluid, a more specific homeopathic remedy should be given. For this, I suggest you work with a professional homeopath.

More pokey things that Ledum can help: bites from any kind of being (dogs, rodents, mosquitoes; ticks; bedbugs); goat’s head prickers (oh, these are nasty little things!); wounds from fixing a barbed wire fence or being poked by a branch. Ledum doesn’t care how the puncture wound got there, it just wants to help you feel better.

And, don’t forget your pets — they, too, can benefit from Ledum following a flea infestation.

Another time Ledum can come in handy is if a needle biopsy is in order. In this situation, take Ledum 200c just before the puncture and again as soon as possible afterward. 

Should you find you are suffering an allergic reaction from a bee sting and Ledum is not doing the job, try Apis mellifica for bites/stings that swell up, are hot and resemble hives.

If the Ledum fails to act after acting well, some remedies that might follow well and are worth a try: Hypericum, Apis ​and Staphysagria.

If itching is part of this experience, Arsenicum album may help.

Remember homeopathic Ledum for those sneaky wasp attacks and any other unexpected (or even expected) puncture wounds.


Julia Coyte, CHom
​classicallypractical.com

​#wellnessawaits

Rufus was acting strangely tonight. He was pacing back and forth from the door to his bed to the other side of me and back again. I talked to him. I opened the door for him. He went out once, walked around the house and came back in through his personal door and then he continued this strange behavior. I petted him. I gave him water. He didn’t seem particularly distressed, just really restless.

Additionally, he was panting. The panting is not unusual, in and of itself. He’s a big dog with a lot of hair and we live in a desert. But, tonight, it’s a cool autumnal evening, so it was definitely out of the ordinary behavior. Panting can be a sign of anxiety in dogs (Helmer 2020) and we have seen other signs from him showing some anxiety over the years.

What to do?
​
Homeopathic Ignatia 200c delivered to him in a small bowl of bone broth. Within a few minutes the pacing stopped and he was lying on his bed. The panting stopped and started for a few more minutes but then stopped all together and he eventually settled into a nice, rhythmic breath.

How did I come to the idea of giving him Ignatia?

Ignatia Amara 200c is part of the Banerji protocol for mental shock, both immediate and in the past, making it an excellent remedy for PTSD — for dogs and for humans.

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be an absolutely debilitating condition stemming from any number of situations: abuse of all kinds and occurring at any age, now or in the past; being in or witnessing an accident; experiencing a natural disaster; combat exposure; physical assault or any life-threatening event. As renown homeopath Dr. Robin Murphy says, a person has a toxic memory that haunts them; they can’t eliminate it. The person is on heightened alert and the toxic memory is overwhelming their life.

PTSD can lead to depression and anxiety; substance abuse; eating disorders; sleeplessness; irritability or angry outbursts; overwhelming guilt or shame.

Farokh Master, MD and homeopath notes that stress causes disease and  disease causes stress leading to a vicious circle. Dr. Master cited a study finding that individuals diagnosed with a stress-related disorder were more likely to be diagnosed with an auto-immune disease*.  It's important to address these mental and emotional issues before they lead to further physical or emotional degeneration. 

If PTSD is the diagnosis, try Ignatia 200c and Coffea cruda 200c, each twice daily until significant improvement is seen. (Note: this may take many weeks or even months). Ignatia is not the only remedy for PTSD. If you do not see any improvement, work with a professional homeopath to find a better suited remedy. 

Coffea cruda is an excellent remedy for insomnia in general and those repeating thoughts that plague in the night… when you just can't shut your brain off.

In the case of an acute mental shock, give one dose of Ignatia and see if any relief is found. If there is some improvement but the symptoms return, repeat the remedy until very much better. An acute mental shock could be: a parent dealing with a sick child; witnessing an accident; experiencing the death of a loved one; receiving bad news or experiencing a fright; sadness or worry; separation anxiety as well as experiencing general anxiety or any psychological stress short term.

Back to Rufus. A few years ago, Rufus came to us following what appeared to be a pretty hard life. He was only 80 pounds (now he’s about 130) and his coat was a mess and he was very itchy. His teeth were in a bad way. He stunk. He cowered easily, expecting who knows what. He was afraid of traffic. Though the vet judged him to be about 4 or 5 years old, he had to be taught how to walk on a leash. Yes, we are pretty sure he had it pretty rough before he got here. 

What could have been troubling him tonight? I’m not sure. There was a particularly hyped up teenage on-line video game going on in the next room, but that isn’t completely out of the ordinary. A little wind outside tonight, but not too bad. Or, just doggie senses on high alert, perhaps.

Often when the correct homeopathic remedy is given in an acute situation, sleep follows soon after. In the case of old Rufus who spends a lot of time sleeping anyway, it’s kind of hard to tell if it was the Ignatia or if he was just doing his normal thing. But, given his odd behavior 10 minutes earlier and the almost immediate change following the Ignatia, I’m going with the idea that this was the correct remedy for him at this moment.

PTSD can put an enormous damper on living a full and happy life and homeopathy may help. Contact me to see if homeopathy could possibly help you or your loved one.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical Homeopathy

#wellnessawaits
​#homeopathycanhelp

* Apologies, I was listening to this lecture and missed the details of the study to which he referred.

​RESOURCES used in this article:
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Helmer, J., 2020. Why is My Dog Panting and Restless? Great Pet Care. 

Marzotto, M., Conforti, A., Magnani, P., Zanolin, M. E., and Bellavite, P., 2012. Effects of Ignatia amara in mouse behavioural models. Homeopathy, 101 (1), 57–67.

Mayo Clinic, 2018. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. 

​My little fellow and I once stayed home from a family trip after the doctor suggested if he were to get on a plane that there was a high likelihood of him suffering a burst eardrum. He had an ear infection, but he was still happy enough and playing and didn’t seem sick in any other way, but we decided to err on the side of caution and he and I stayed home and the others flew away.

We stayed on the ground and, yup, the eardrum burst. Awakening to a little one screaming in such terrible pain in the middle of the night is a frightening experience. The good news with a burst ear drum is that the pain can subside very quickly and he was able to sleep the rest of the night and was pretty much back to normal the next day.

I was lucky enough to never experience ear infections as a kid. I did, however, have an ear infection as an adult and, boy, did that give me a new level of compassion for any little person who is not able to explain what is happening and be able to ask for help.

I awakened with this ear pain, a few years after my son had his ear infection. I literally could not lift my head off the pillow … For hours and hours, I was stuck to the pillow. Any time I attempted to lift my head, the pain was so intense I had to put it right back down where it was.

It was a Sunday. For some reason, I had my Doctor of Oriental Medicine’s cell phone number. I called it and apologized for interrupting her day out hiking with her son and explained what was happening. She instructed me to send someone to Whole Foods to buy homeopathic Belladonna 30cand Similisan Ear Drop Relief ™ *.

Within 15 minutes I was able to lift my head off the pillow, pain free, for a few minutes. Then I had to put my head back down again. I took another dose of Belladonna and another drop in my ear and a few minutes later the whole thing was gone. Done. Over. By this time it was late afternoon and I was able to re-join the world and get up and make dinner for my family. (I don't know if it was the Belladonna or the drop that did the trick and, frankly, I don't care!)

Shocked is a good way to describe how I felt. How on earth did that possibly happen?

Let’s take a look at these homeopathic ear remedies and see how they likely helped.

Belladonna:
A Belladonna ear pain is sudden and intense, often throbbing or pulsating and the affected area may also be deep red in color and may have intense heat. The person most likely doesn’t want to move or be jostled. (You'll know this is the case if you sit down on the bed next to them and they object to you bumping the bed.) The pains are often better from pressure (like the benefit I was receiving from having my head on the pillow). 

Similisan Ear Drop Relief contains homeopathic Chamomilla, Mercurius sol and Sulphur — all of which, like Belladonna, are highly indicated remedies for ear infections.

Chamomilla:
Someone in need of Chamomilla may exhibit irritability and anger with an abnormal sensitivity to pain. Restless and demanding, and the ears may feel stopped up or they may be experiencing a roaring in the ears. They may feel as if hot water is running out of the ear.

Mercurius sol:
A Mercurius sol ear infection may involve boils or a discharge which may be offensive or painful and these pains may particularly make themselves known at night.

Sulphur:
A Sulphur ear infection may also involve boils or discharges and may have sharp, tearing or burning pains.

If you or your child is suffering from this terrible pain and you require further help, book an acute appointment now!


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical Homeopathy


#wellnessawaits
#homeopathycanhelp

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

​
* The doctors at The Banerji Clinic in Kolkata, India see 1,000 patients a day, every day. 10 physicians/homeopaths see 100 patients every day! They record all of this information and distill all these case details to be able to share this valuable information with the rest of us.

** Repertory: the book of homeopathic symptoms, listing homeopathic remedies associated with each symptom. "The definition of word repertory [sic] originates from the Latin word 'repertoire,' which means any store or stock, (e.g. of information), that can be drawn upon. … In modern terms, the repertory represents the clinical and research database for the practice of homeopathic medicine. The general information contained in these books are derived from history, provings, clinical practice, research, physiology and toxicology" (Murphy 2003, p. VI).

*** Rubric: the symptom entry listed in the homeopathic repertory.

Look for upcoming articles about the details behind the Repertory and the Rubrics and Provings.

Sources used in this article:
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Murphy, R., 2003. Homeopathic medical repertory : a modern alphabetical repertory. Blacksburg, Va.: H.A.N.A. Press.

​On a recent road trip, we encountered a man at a stop who got out of his truck and went into his camper and came out saying, “just getting a Pepcid. I ate too much for lunch."

A Pepcid may help him in the moment, but homeopathic Natrum phosphoricum will help him both in the moment as well as in the future.

One of the most beautiful aspects of homeopathy is its ability to help clear a condition. I was suffering from some indigestion issues a couple of years ago and I began using the Banerji Protocol of Nat phos 30c, twice daily (and occasionally more often if I was experiencing discomfort). Soon, I only needed it about once a week and in no time even less frequently than that. I realized the other day that I was still carrying it around in my purse though I have not required it in about a year (maybe longer, actually). 

Nat phos can assist with:
• heartburn
• regurgitation of food
• pain when swallowing
• sour belching as well as a sour taste in the mouth
• toots (flatulence), especially when accompanied by sour risings
• sourness in general: sour vomiting, sour stomach, sour stools, sour burps… for big people and little people. I think back to when my kids were little and I wish I had known about Nat phos for those sour spit ups!

I didn't know the man who was going for a Pepcid, but I wish the circumstances had allowed for me to share this marvelous remedy with him.

Julia Coyte, CHom
classicallypractical.com

​#wellnessawaits