Remedies for Winter 2026 & Beyond

This post is current as at 1 April 2026

Acute illness can strike at any time and these days with travellers circumnavigating the globe and bringing along a few uninvited guests, symptoms can appear any time of year, not just in winter as we used to traditionally expect!

A general overview of where we are now

This post has had a variety of incarnations since 2020. However, as we see more mild strains and other varieties of illness merging and emerging, it is perhaps logical to say that we are now in the space of managing typical ‘winter-type’ illness just like we would have managed it in any year prior to 2020.

Having said that, things do seem to change season to season at present. Some of the viruses we are seeing can go from full-on to not much at all and influenza has started to feature more prominently again, with Covid being rarer and milder.

Homeopathy has well over 200 years of data on managing and supporting people through a variety of health scenarios, colds, flu and covid included. Don’t forget the corona viruses are not a new thing which appeared in 2019. They have always been around in some form and no doubt always will be to a greater or lesser degree.

The key take-home from the Covid years is that we need to strengthen our immune systems naturally and have remedies – whether homeopathics, supplements, herbs or a mix of all three – on hand to support us if we do come down sick.

What’s included in this post?

For ease of reference, we’ll outline what is in the two kits below and If you continue scrolling we’ve given you a list of additional remedies that have been useful over the past couple of winters, plus some extras for winter 2026. All of these extras are available in the store.

Cold, Flu, C9 Kit – the remedies in this kit are listed below. These are single remedies, plus a couple of our popular combos, for more confident prescribers.

Coughs & Colds Kit – This is a 10 remedy kit of combination remedies and covers a range of acute ailments which may arise in winter and other times of the year, and can be useful to have on hand at any time of the year, given current cycles of infection.

Additional remedies for 2026: Continue scrolling to see the list of additions.

Other Posts: I’ve written several other posts relating to this topic which I will list at the end as an additional resource, basically putting everything in one place for you.

Homeopathy is about individualising the remedy to the patient. Not everyone gets sick in the same way and this has been very clear with what has gone on in the recent years. So many different variations of symptoms which people tended to talk about as different strains, but perhaps more likely different people reacting and manifesting in different ways.

Always individualise the remedy to the patient and how they present. How are they emotionally, are they thirsty or not, do they have fever, what is their cough like? If your picture doesn’t fit the remedies below, look for something else in the extended list or contact us.

Always seek medical advice for fever in a child under 6 months old.

Cold, Flu, C9 Kit – 20 Homeopathic Remedies

Late in 2021 we put together a pack of the remedies we were seeing most commonly using worldwide. If we look closely at these remedies, they are the remedies I have dispensed every winter since I started in practice in 1998 and they will likely be the same remedies we will be suggesting into the future – give or take 1 or 2 depending on the actual annual presentation.

There may be a little variation in what is most indicated, but generally you’ll have something in your pack to treat the first stages. The sooner you get going with remedies, the quicker the recovery is likely to be.

Because we treat the person and not the disease name, when we look closely the remedies aren’t too different if we’re talking colds, flu, SARS or Covid, and it’s comforting and should give us confidence to know this.

The Cold, Flu, C9 Kit is available in store and there is information on the product tabs but it seemed sensible to put the information in a post to make it more easily accessible for you all, plus some additional information on winter illness.

You don’t have to buy a whole kit if you already have some remedies and while this kit is 200c because of the acute nature of some of these illnesses, 30c should be fine too if that’s what you have.

We have found over recent years that the higher potencies have worked very efficiently and they are fine for small children too.

I’m also going to put at the bottom of the post the link to the additional info on Get Prepped (replaced Winter Prep in 2022) which is kept updated in the FAQs. How to use as a part of your routine general support and as part of a protocol if anyone does come down sick.

Don’t forget we have Pick Your Own Packs available if you are looking for a mix of remedies and want a bulk price.

Remember to check out the FAQs for how to use, how many doses, when to change remedies, etc.

If your home prescribing is not bringing improvement contact your homeopath or health care professional asap, or connect with your GP, ED or contact Health Direct on 1800 022 222.

What are the 20 remedies in the Cold, Flu, C9 Kit?

I’ve listed below the 20 single and combination remedies in this kit. Here’s the downloadable flyer with some additional information. Flyer

1. Aconite: Useful at first sign of cold, cough, earache, etc. Symptoms may come on suddenly, often in the night, after exposure to cold wind or following a fright. Fever with dry burning heat, strong thirst, intense pain and restlessness. Fear they may die. Worse around midnight. Better: open air.
2. Anas Barb (Oscillo) 200c: Anti-v and anti-b action. If taken at first sign of cold, flu or other v*ral symptoms, may stop it progressing. Use as part of your management for colds and flu with indicated remedies (or use Get Prepped which is broader spectrum).
3. Antimonium Tart: Rattly, wheezy, wet, chesty breathing with very little mucous coming up. Feels/sounds as if may suffocate, coughing and gasping, sometimes with nausea. Tongue coated, pasty, thick white. Worse: 3-4am lying down, warm room. Better: vomiting.
4. Arsenicum Album: Burning pains and discharges – mucous, diarrhoea, throat, etc. Colds, headaches, sinus, insomnia. Symptoms often out of proportion to illness. Weak, anxious and restless when sick, fear when alone, anxiety about health, fussy and difficult to please. Very thirsty for frequent sips. Worse: midnight to 2am, for cold food and drink, Better: heat, hot drinks and food, company, fresh air (headaches).
5. Belladonna: Fever with throbbing pains, burning radiating heat, bright red face, restless, usually no thirst with fever. Lethargic, delirious, barking cough, strawberry tongue. Earache, flu, sore throats. Worse: touch, light, noise, being jarred, draughts to head, night. Better: warmth, pressure.
6. Bryonia: Headache, joint/back/neck pain. Dryness and strong pain are characteristic. Any movement aggravates, even talking or just moving the eyes. Sitting up can bring on vomiting. Dry painful coughs and colds which descend to chest, numonia. Very irritable, better alone. Very thirsty for cold drinks. Worse: deep breathing, hot room, dry weather, movement, touch. Better: pressure and lying on painful part.
7. China: Ill effects of dehydration, acute illness with great weakness. Drenching sweats at night, flu with debility, periodic fevers. Useful recovery remedy after loss of fluids with great weakness. Worse: cold damp weather, autumn, from touch. Aversion to touch. Better: from hard pressure.
8. Eupatorium Perforatum: Classic flu remedy, similar to Bryonia with sore, bruised pains in the bones, (as opposed to muscles – Gelsemium), bones as if broken. Unquenchable thirst for cold drinks.
9. Ferrum Phos: First remedy to think of in beginning of any acute where there is inflammation/heat, eg fever, earache, or just for general unwellness. Keynote is that there are no keynotes; symptoms are vague. Patients take cold easily and are susceptible to chest troubles. TS Acutes (which includes Ferrum P)- can be useful for beginnings of ailments with a runny nose. Better: gentle exercise, warmth. Worse: cold air, exertion, 4-6am.
10. Gelsemium: Heaviness, weakness, drowsiness with heavy, drooping eyelids. Trembling, chills and heat up and down spine, flu symptoms with aching muscles (see Eup Per). Nervous with frequent urination or diarrhoea. Symptoms after shock or fright. Worse: anticipation, humid weather, surprises, Better: urination, sweating.
11. Hepar Sulph: Sore throats with pain spreading to ear, splinter-like pain (anywhere), like a fish bone or pin. Chunky, productive coughs. Inflammation, slow to resolve – ears, chest colds. Over-sensitivity is a keynote. Angry, irritable, difficult when sick. Very chilly. Better: warmth, wrapping up. Worse: getting cold, being in a draught, cold dry weather, fresh air, at night, touch, pressure.
12. Phosphorus: Scrapy throat, sensation of a lump, hawking (coughing up phlegm), cough worse lying down. Generally no fever, no body ache. Blood nose, green or yellow/green mucous. Very thirsty for cold drinks, which may be vomited. Anxious, fearful (being alone, dark, death, storms), desires company. Irritable and sluggish when ill, apathetic, energy flares and subsides to exhaustion again. Better: after sleep, cold drinks, massage, company. Worse: cold, weather change, thunderstorms, being alone.
13. Phos Ac: A useful later-stage remedy where there is weakness (emotional and physical) and slow recovery.
14. Pulsatilla: Anything with lots of mucous; thick, yellow or yellow-green or creamy. Useful for conjunctivitis which has been present in some cases in 2023. Coughs dry at night and loose morning, earaches, fever, styes, upset tummies. Weepy, clingy, whingy when sick and desire company. Changeable moods and symptoms. Chilly but dislike heat and stuffy rooms. Usually thirstless. Worse: rich, fatty food, evening. Better: company, fresh air, cold food and drink, after crying.
15. Rhus Tox: Back ache, hot painful swelling of joints, sore joints, worse for first movement, better once gets going. Cold sores, shingles, colds and coughs. Tongue may have triangular red tip. Worse: cold, wet weather, before storm, night, getting chilled or wet after being hot, over exertion. Better: heat, hot baths, movement.
16. Chesty – Cough: There are a few single cough remedies in the kit, which double for other symptoms, but coughs can be tricky to manage, so our Chesty Cough combo is there if you struggle to work out which remedy fits.
17. Cold and Flu: Included as a good first stage remedy if you’re unable to select from the above to start with. Includes many of the most indicated remedies for a range of similar situations. If symptoms progress or change, select a single remedy if you can.
18. Immune Boost: A combination of traditional homeopathics to support and boost the whole system through illness. Use as part of your management protocol. May be used as a general immune support.
19. Recovery (Post Acute): Includes a selection of remedies traditionally used to brace up the system and aid recovery after an illness when there is lingering fatigue, weakness and cough. Contains Tub Av, a traditional remedy which has been found useful in resolving “the cough that lingers” in many cases. Should you require this as a single remedy, please email as it is practitioner only.
20. Get Prepped: (relative to current year – previously known as Winter Prep) – a general support remedy to take weekly, may also be used as part of a management protocol (three times a day for first three days) along with other indicated remedies. Most years this remedy is “tweaked” to match what’s going on!

What are the 10 remedies in the Coughs & Colds Kit?

We also have a little 10 remedy kit of combination remedies which can be useful if you are not a proficient or confident home prescriber yet. You can of course add any of the single remedies if they jump out as fitting someone in your family when they get sick. Many people start out with a combo kit and as they get more confident add a few single remedies!

Here’s the downloadable flyer for our Winter Remedies Kit (the original name for this kit) with some additional information. Flyer

1. Get Prepped – see above. Great for kids in childcare or new to school, but helpful to support the whole family with this remedy.
2. Cold & Flu Combination – To assist the early and common symptoms of a head cold or mild flu including runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion and minor sore throats. Use alongside Get Prepped to assist recovery and reduce intensity of symptoms.
3. Congestion Combination – To assist recovery from lingering coughs, sinus congestion and mucous following a cold or flu. Symptoms may include sticky, stringy, copious, persistent mucous in sinuses or loose cough following a cold .
4. Cough – Chesty – To promote recovery from minor and uncomplicated chesty or loose coughs in children and adults. If symptoms do not improve within a few days, see your homeopath as constitutional treatment may be required for stubborn or recurrent coughs and check in with your GP.
5. Cough – Dry – Includes remedies traditionally indicated to promote relief from minor and uncomplicated dry coughs in children and adults, including those croupy sounding coughs.
6. Fevers Combination – To assist the common symptoms of a fever associated with a cold or other minor ailment. Babies and small children with teething issues may respond better to ABC, but this combination is also appropriate for this age group. Always seek medical help for fever in a child under 6 months old.
7. Immune Boost – Includes a range of traditional immune boosting homeopathics in a form that is easy for children to take as the dose is small and the taste not unpleasant. Useful as a support during minor illness or as a boost during winter.
8. Throat Sootha – To assist with sore throats or mild tonsillitis alone or associated with a cold or similar illness. Use Belladonna, Aconite, Ferrum Phos or TS Acutes for the early stages but if symptoms progress use Throat Sootha. If cold symptoms are stronger than the sore throat symptoms try Cold & Flu which also covers throat symptoms of a minor nature.
9. TS Acutes – This traditional tissue salt combination is recommended for the beginnings of colds and similar ailments with sneezing, runny nose, possibly mild fever and general unwellness. Useful for small children when you suspect something may be brewing but you have no symptoms to pin a remedy on. A favourite of mine – if you don’t know what to give first – give TS Acutes!
10. Recovery (Post Acute) – A useful remedy if you have someone with a lingering cough after a cold or flu, with low energy and low appetite.

This little kit’s the perfect size to pop in a bag or backpack for a day out or short trip.

If symptoms do not improve see your homeopath, GP, ED or contact Health Direct on 1800 022 222

What additional remedies are useful for winter 2026?

The remedies listed immediately below have been added to the top of our list for this current year after collaboration with colleagues in the northern hemisphere. Some are on there from 2025, which was a particularly challenging winter season.

You should find all of these remedies in our store, but if not reach out and request.

We’ve given some keynotes for these remedies, but you can search them and find more information or look them up in your Homeopathy for the Home Prescriber book.

Remember to always match your remedy to the whole person and their unique symptom picture, not just the diagnosis of “Covid” “influenza” or “sore throat”. You’ll get best results this way as we all present differently.

If your home prescribing is not helping, have a look through the posts below, contact your homeopath or visit your GP.

Additional Remedies for 2026

ABC – Aconite, Belladonna, Chamomilla 30c – the most frequently indicated remedies for small children for beginnings of acute illness, teething, fever and similar, but really suitable for any age where the remedies fit.

Arnica – I’ve seen a few cases recently where Arnica has been indicated for that “battered and bruised” or “run over by a bus” sensation that sometimes presents. Eupatorium (in the Cold, Flu & C9 kit) has a feeling like the bones are broken and Gelsemium has a heavy, achy feeling, so you might need to read a little more to make your choice.

Belladonna – according to colleagues in the UK in their flu season of 2025/26 Belladonna looked indicated with sudden onset, throbbing headache, high fever, light sensitivity. Belladonna may help initially, but within hours or days, the picture evolves. Two remedies repeatedly emerged as the next indicated state: Arsenicum album and Phosphorus.

Causticum – This remedy can be useful where respiration is described as a “purring” noise in the chest. Hoarse throat, better for swallowing. Cough can be hollow, hard, dry and incessant or a cough from tickling in the throat. The patient may feel as if they can’t cough deeply enough to bring up the mucous, which feels as if it slips back and must be swallowed. Incontinence with the cough. Can feel better for cold drinks and better in damp warm weather. Worse in dry, cold air, evenings from 6-8pm and 3-4am.

Merc Sol – has cutting pains in the throat and a metallic taste in the mouth, often with slimy yellow green mucous.

Nit Ac – Colds with sore and bleeding nose. Offensive, bitter tasting yellow mucous, which burns the nose. Coughing in the sleep without waking, cough from a dry spot in the larynx with a stitching pain in the lumbar region, which is worse in cold weather and in winter.

Phytolacca – is a remedy for old fashioned “quinsy” or tonsillitis with much swelling and difficulty swallowing. Swollen glands, pain shooting into the ears and burning pain. Keep an eye as this symptom can be severe and may require medical support.

Rumex – is mainly indicated for cough, sometimes where Phosphorus looks indicated but doesn’t help. Cough with sensitiveness to cold air. Cough caused by an incessant tickling in the throat, as if suffocating. Very dry and irritating. Touching the throat brings on the cough. Covering the body and the head with the bed-clothes often stops the cough. Worse from cold air, change of weather, at night. Worse going from warm to cold and vice versa.

Squilla – is a small cough remedy where there is sneezing with coughing, a violent exhausting cough with profuse mucous. Bringing up the mucous is difficult due to small round balls of sweetish tasting white mucous, which may also be salty and slimy.

Stannum – This is a small remedy which has an affinity for asthma and similar, so useful in a flare up where perhaps a cold has gone onto the chest, even when medication is being taken. Great shortness of breath on exertion, stitches in the side when breathing, lungs feel weak and the patient can hardly talk. There is copious green, sweetish mucous which is easily brought up, or it may taste salty or sour. Useful for obstinate mucous and influenza with a cough. Worse from talking, singing, laughing, going up or down stairs.

X-ray – This is another small and unusual remedy for winter illness but has been found helpful by practitioners in the northern hemisphere during their winter of 25/26. Useful for general debility, weakness, sleepiness and chronic fatigue-type presentation. Headaches and fullness in the head, better from hot compresses. Cough in the morning with green or grayish mucous. Better from hot applications, worse from cold and open air. Worse for movement, when in bed.

Always seek medical advice for fever in a child under six months old.

How often to give the remedies?

We’ve seen people a little cautious with their doses, which is as it should be.

What you want to remember is we are working with energy – stimulating the system to rebalance itself and resolve the problem.

You do need to match the frequency of your doses to the intensity of the situation.

There is often confusion about this because when homeopaths treat constitutionally (ie for a chronic health issue) they may prescribe just one dose and then you wait.

Many homeopaths also prescribe for acute illness in this way, which is also as it should be. However, if you give one dose and nothing happens pretty quickly, you will need to give more doses until you start to see things improve. The body will use what you give it and if your remedy is right and you get an instant improvement, you can wait and give another dose as and when required.

However, because many people’s immune systems are challenged by life, we don’t always see this text book response  and so I have always had a stepped approach to dosing for minor ailments.

If the remedy is not right and you’ve seen no change after half a day or 5 doses (see step 4 below) then you need to rethink your remedy or contact your homeopath.

Read carefully through all the points below:

• For a 200c if symptoms are mild to moderate, give 3 x a day for 3 days unless symptom picture changes. Follow the symptom trail!

• For a 30c you can give 3 or 4 times a day or even every couple of hours.

• Continue for as long as there is improvement and the picture doesn’t change, reducing the frequency as you go.

• If symptoms are very intense, ie very hot, very restless, etc, you can give a dose every 10 minutes for up to a maximum of 5 doses, then spread your doses out. Use this protocol only if someone is quite unwell, otherwise 3 x a day should be enough.

• If there is definite improvement at any of the stages above, you stop and wait and redose if the symptoms return.

• A strong immune system may well respond to single doses given as required. It means the body picks up the energy of the remedy and works with it for a period of time and particularly for things like sore throats, you can often give one dose and things settle.

A little bit on Get Prepped (aka Winter Prep)

The very popular Winter Prep was renamed Get Prepped in 2022 as we navigated the challenges of covid.

The predecessor of Get Prepped was created way back in the early 2000’s as an annual support remedy, containing traditional homeopathics which relate to the illnesses seen in the northern hemisphere in the previous winter.

Get Prepped may have a slight revamp every couple of years based on what’s been going on in the northern hemisphere in the previous winter. This is usually a very slightly different formula for those of us who take Get Prepped routinely, and ensures the remedy continues to provide the required support!

Get Prepped also includes general support remedies which can help with the early stage of a cold or similar illness. These are all standard and traditional homeopathic remedies.

We are now dispensing Get Prepped relative to the current year.

You can access the “How to use” information here.

Other Posts

Here are some other posts we’ve written on winter-type illness which may have additional useful information.

Managing Colds & Flu

Coughs & Croup

Tonsillitis & Sore Throats

Sinus & Congestion; a Sticky Problem

Nutrition

Sometimes we forget that food is medicine too.

I was just finalising this post when a list of top food sources of the various important nutritional elements arrived in my FB notifications, so I thought I’d share here. You can do your own evidence-based research from this list to see what is going to work for you and your family.

If you look through the list (including vegetarians and vegans!) you can see that a well balanced diet, high in fruit and vegetables and low in sugar, alcohol and carbs is going to be a good support, regardless of anything else you choose to do at this time.

Hearty Soup as an Immune Boost

Studies show that good old chicken soup made from the carcass gives your system a big immune boost. It’s always a great offering during recovery and it means nothing is wasted if you’re buying a whole chicken.

For vegetarians and vegans mushrooms provide a great support for the immune system, so throw them into a hearty vegie soup.

Top 8 sources of Vitamin D

• Sardines & Mackerel
• Eggs
• Salmon (not farmed Tasmanian!!) & Tuna
• Shitake Mushrooms
• Cod Liver Oil
• Sunshine!!!

Top 6 Food Sources of Quercetin

Quercetin is being widely discussed as an important immune support. In fact it transports zinc into the cell and we know how important zinc is for the immune system and acute illness.

You can actually make your own Quercetin and we’ve been taking ours with our local honey, garlic, turmeric mix! Check out Pinterest for “how to”.

• Citrus
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Onions
• Apples
• Olive Oil

Top 6 Food Sources of Zinc

• Oysters & shellfish
• Poultry
• Lean red meat
• Sesame & pumpkin seeds
• Chickpeas, legumes & beans
• Cashews

Top 6 Food Sources of NAC

• Lean pork & beef
• Eggs
• Salmon & tuna
• Lentils
• Chicken
• Sunflower seeds

Top 6 Sources of Vitamin C

• Kiwi fruit
• Red capsicum
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Citrus