Getting onto an acute illness, real or just suspected, is key to a quick and well managed progression if someone is sick in the family.
This is often when people get in touch for advice, and while there are many remedies that we might select from, once we understand how the homeopathic thought process works, there are a few that I have always recommended for people who are not quite sure what to start with.
“with our homeopathic remedies we want to treat the person and not the diagnosis/name of the disease”
Remember that with our homeopathic remedies we want to treat the person and not the diagnosis/name of the disease. So if someone messages and says, what remedy do I give for a flu or tonsillitis, my question is always “what are the symptoms”, as well as asking about things like how are they mood-wise, are they hot or cold, appetite or no appetite (and what for), etc.
If you think about your family members, you will notice that not everyone manifests a flu, for example, in the same way. One individual may have headache, fever, no thirst, while someone else may have no headache, chills alternating with fever, and high thirst.
Our immune systems are all different, and they ask for different remedies in order to work harder to overcome symptoms of a minor illness or ailment.
The remedies in the list below are dotted about in various posts about managing colds and flu, assisting with sore ears and first sign of something like cystitis, but I thought it might be useful to put them into one post for ease of access.
The information here is a little snapshot of useful remedies if you’re not sure what to go for first and should cover a myriad of different situations. We want to treat the whole picture, not just a name or diagnosis, and be prepared that two of your children might need one remedy and the other something quite different. We are all unique, we can’t give the same remedy to everyone.
These remedies may stop an illness in its tracks, or it may just reduce the intensity and then you will looking at something to follow with, perhaps another single remedy like Pulsatilla (sore ears or yellow mucous), Spongia and Hepar Sulph (croupy cough) or similar.
Combination remedies such as Cold & Flu or Fevers can be useful, but getting to grips with the single remedies can give great results and help you understand the individuals in your family in terms of remedies.
If you need more information to help you make your choice, we recommend the small and inexpensive Homoeopathy for the Home Prescriber book, available in the online store or you could research a little more online.
NOTE
Just a note about over-the-counter medications for kids. I know many of you try to completely avoid the common OTC meds for pain and fever, and that’s great if your remedies are working well and rapidly. If they’re not working then you may not have picked the right remedy (and this is where combination remedies can be great if you’re new to this). Don’t put off giving OTC meds if your home prescribing doesn’t seem to be working, and do get in touch with HealthDirect or similar for advice if you can’t access your homeopath.
Always seek medical advice for fever in a child under 6 months old.
At the first sign …
Aconite – great for nipping things in the bud like a cold, cough or sore throat and first stage remedy for mental shock or after a fright or where anxiety is very high.
Symptoms are sudden, acute, intense and painful, and maybe come on in the middle of night. Often there is great fear (sometimes of dying) and restlessness. There may be a high fever with dry burning heat or drenching sweat with high thirst for cold drinks.
A cough (think croup) or sore throat may come on suddenly after exposure to dry, cold wind or getting chilled. Again, it may come on around midnight!
Useful at first sign of cold, cough/croup, earache, etc, or anything where the above picture fits.
Worse cold wind and draughts, fright or shock.
Better open air and rest.
Allium Cepa – Made from the onion, colds begin with onion-like symptoms – sneezing, watery eyes which burn and are light sensitive. Nose runs profusely and nasal discharge burns, throat is scratchy and itchy. Headache from congestion. Can be useful for first stages of a cold or allergies with symptoms similar to above, usually worse in spring.
Worse warmth, evenings, spring, getting the feet wet.
Better cool weather, in open air.
Anas Barb 200c – This remedy is France’s biggest selling cold and flu remedy, often sold as Oscillococcinum which is the brand name from manufacturer Boiron. It’s one we’ve sold and recommended for almost 30 years to our home prescribers, and it’s included in our big 46 Remedy Home Kit.
If you’re a single remedy prescriber, then it’s going to be useful to support your immune system during the winter months and a first stage remedy if someone is exposed to illness at work or school, or comes down with symptoms.
We’ve included it in our Get Prepped combination as an essential inclusion, amongst the other useful ingredients for most times of the year and also for travel.
Arnica – While most of us think of Arnica for accidents and injuries, acute illness can sometimes come on after these events. So if someone has been involved in or witnessed an event and experienced a sense of shock or felt bruised and beaten from the process, you might think of Aconite, but Arnica is also a really useful remedy if the cause is obvious.
Worse for slightest touch or won’t want to be touched.
Desires sour things Averse to food, meat, milk.
Arsenicum – number one remedy for food poisoning, upset tummies with vomiting, diarrhoea, crampy pains and burning. Arsenicum is also a useful first remedy for anxious, restless people (or who become anxious and restless when sick) for colds with weakness, chillness and runny nose, cough and maybe wheezing. They are often quite fussy and difficult when sick and easily exhausted.
Worse change of environment, being along, insecurity, cold food and drinks.
Better warmth, company, hot food and drink.
Belladonna – For pain or fever which may come on suddenly. Pain may be throbbing, sharp, cutting or shooting and there may be burning radiating heat, very high fever, bright redness, restlessness and sometimes dilated pupils. This picture may also follow a sunburn or heat stroke with headache and fever. Symptoms may present with headaches which are hammering or bursting. Useful at first sign of ear trouble with red, hot ear, sore throat, fever. There is usually no thirst. (Aconite – more anxious and fearful of death, more thirsty).
Worse touch, light, noise, being jarred, draughts to head (getting the hair cut), night.
Better warmth.
Desires lemonade (yes you do see this!), hot food.
Bryonia – May come on as a hard, dry cough which is painful and worse from any movement. May have headache worse for moving the eyes.
Better being left alone (because they can be quite grumpy), for pressure and rest, for having the windows open.
Worse any movement, heat, touch.
Cantharis – Cystitis with burning, scalding and urgency. Constant desire to pass urine but only manages a few drops. Cantharis is an important remedy for symptoms which are sore, burning and stinging, eg sore burning throats, burning thirst, sunburn and burning and stinging pains maybe following a bite, sting or allergic reaction.
Worse movement, drinking, urination.
Better lying down, warmth, night.
Ferrum Phos – First remedy to think of at the beginning of any acute ailment (cold, sore throat, sore ear, fever, UTI) where there is inflammation/heat or just for general unwellness and weakness. Particularly useful if you have no idea what to give, but know you need to give something.
Useful for first stage of cystitis where there may be frequent urination with burning pain or may just generally feeling unwell.
Also see TS Acutes below, one of my all time favourite first stage remedies!
Keynote is that there are no keynotes!
Symptoms are vague. Patients take cold easily and are susceptible to chest troubles.
Better gentle exercise, warmth.
Worse cold air, exertion, 4-6am.
Gelsemium – Heaviness, weakness, drowsiness with drooping eyelids. Trembling, chills and heat up and down spine, cold and/or flu symptoms with aching muscles.
This really is the classic flu remedy with aches and pains, chills and shivering, and a feeling of heaviness and listlessness.
Better open air, movement, urination, sweating.
Worse heat, humid or damp weather, emotional upsets.
Kali Bich – We tend to think of Kali Bich for chronic sinusitis or very thick mucous with a cold, so not a first stage remedy in this case. However, it’s proven to be a brilliant remedy for the onset of some types of migraine headaches, particularly with visual disturbance and given early can redirect the symptoms fairly quickly.
Nat Mur – While we might think of Nat Mur as the big sadness or grief remedy, it has a lot of other uses in the home. Colds which start with lots of sneezing, nose running like a tap, particularly in adults (it’s in our TS Acutes, which is one of my favourite “first sign of anything” remedies). It’s one of the first remedies to think of for cold sores around the lips (compare Rhus Tox) either alone or as part of something else.
Cause: sun exposure, grief, disappointment, overwhelm.
Worse at the beach, sun exposure, consolation. Better at the beach (yes either way), rest, deep breathing.
Potency
30c is generally fine for home use, but really use whatever you have because the body will work with it.
If you need to continue doses for a few days then a 6x, 6c or 30c can be given 3 or 4 times a day or 200c once or twice a day.
A higher potency isn’t necessarily going to be better, it’s about having the right remedy.
How often?
Usually we say to give the remedy until the symptoms settle and repeat if they reappear. Since this can make for a bumpy ride in the treatment of acute illness, my recommendation is to give your doses quite frequently to start with – hourly or even every 10 minutes for up to 5 doses if the situation is quite intense.
Once things settle down you can reduce to 2 hourly and then 3 or 4 times a day if you feel the same remedy is still required.
REMEMBER
Less is more in homeopathy, so as your symptoms improve, you want to reduce the frequency of the remedies and let the body do its thing! If symptoms ramp up a little, give another dose, but don’t do it just for the sake of it. You are not working with physical substance like you do with Panadol and Neurofen or supplements, you’re working with energy. The remedy/energy encourages the body to work harder to overcome symptoms, which is its natural tendency. Sometimes it doesn’t have enough oomph to do this and the remedy just helps stimulate a stronger reaction.
Resources
Lotus Materia Medica: Murphy, Robin
Home Remedy Notes: Elements of Health
Homoeopathy for the Home Prescriber: Jan Owen
Melanie Creedy is a Licentiate of the British School of Homeopathy in the UK and holds a Bachelor of Health Science in Homeopathy. She is registered with the Australian Register of Homoeopaths (AROH) and is a member of the Australian Homoeopathic Association. She was Vice President and Professional Development Coordinator of the Australian Homoeopathic Association from 2011 to 2015 and editor of the AHA National Newsletter from 2012 to 2020.
Melanie has used homeopathy since the mid-1980s and has been in practice since 1998. For many years she ran The Children’s Ear Clinic in Western Australia, but since her tree change to Tasmania, has a special interest in helping individuals manage their life and health through looking at a diagnosis or condition in relation to the symbolism of this unique picture. Armed with a range of remedies from the most common to the most unusual and esoteric, Melanie guides people to plumb the depths of their life and spiritual path with homeopathy to help them find insights, to understand and to heal.
Melanie has developed her own methods of dealing with complex cases over the years and offers distance consultations via phone, zoom and skype to allow people Australia-wide to access her services.
For many years Melanie taught people how to use homeopathy in their homes, with their children and with their pets. She has run classes on how to use homeopathy with native animals and taught courses on homeopathy for birthing to doulas. Since moving to Tasmania she has found writing a better forum to reach more people. You will find many posts reaching back over her 25 years in practice here, revised and updated over time.
Homeopathy is a traditional medicine. It may be used in conjunction with other medicines. For any ongoing chronic condition, it is important to be assessed or examined by your healthcare professional or specialist. Always seek medical advice in emergencies. The information provided in this blog does not constitute medical advice but is for information only. If in doubt as to the appropriateness of a suggestion or treatment seek advice from your homeopath.