Homeopathy Delaware

How Do Flu Epidemics Start?

Flu evolved from animals (swine, avian) as humans became farmers and city dwellers.

Epidemics can be synergistic to what is happening in the world (natural and man-made disasters).

Spanish Flu of 1918 saw 10 times more fatalities than WWI.
The striking low mortality rate for those treated with homeopathy was 1-2% compared to 30% in those treated allopathically. The genus epidemicus (GE) consisted of just 2 remedies.

Aspirin was favored by allopaths. It suppressed the fever.

Why is Fever our ally in fighting disease? It stimulates the brain to produce chemicals which fight bacteria and viruses, assisting our immune response.

Susceptibility

The microbe, bacteria or virus, does not cause the illness, rather is the end result of the person’s vital energy being out of balance, of the person being susceptible.

“It is the soil that allows the germ to grow.” – Louis Pasteur

Susceptibility reflects a person’s sensitivity to external and internal influences – may be a chronic lack or an acute disruption.

Viral Mutations

Influenza viruses are shape shifters and can easily mutate.
It is therefore difficult to create an effective vaccine.
Risks associated with vaccines can outweigh the benefits.

The risk of bias in vaccine research is evident as most are industry funded studies. The independent gold standard for evaluating evidence based medicine is the Cochrane Report, which finds flu vaccine very limited in effectiveness.

IS IT FLU or ILI (influenza-like illness?)

Symptoms:

• Fever
• Headache
• General aches/pain
• Decreased appetite
• Stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Chest discomfort
• Cough extreme
• Exhaustion
• Complications

Skewed Immunity

Both flu and ILI circulate in any given season. A study in the Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases shows increased risk of ILI associated with receipt of inactivated flu vaccine. When the vaccine is given, specific immunity to that strain is enhanced. But, general immunity is compromised allowing more susceptibility to ILI, pink eye, strep and other viruses.

Shedding of molecules after vaccine is received allows recombining in the atmosphere.
– Medical Micobiology, 4th edition, U of TX

Classical Homeopathy & the Flu

Homeopathic help for people with flu involves the basic philosophy of Homeopathy plus a little more.

• Law of Similars – the remedy which cures the ill person with symptoms can cause similar symptoms when taken by a healthy person
• Totality of Symptoms – all the characteristic symptoms of the ill person need be addressed in finding the remedy which will cure
• Minimum Dose – the smallest homeopathic dose (potency) need only be used to effect a cure
• One Remedy at a Time – using one remedy allows the person’s vital energy to respond without confusion of polypharmacy and allows a clear analysis.
• Classical Analysis – look at individual in her/his acute suffering; how is she/he different from normal? What symptoms are unique to this person’s present suffering ?
• Epidemics – look at totality of characterizing symptoms of the ‘community population’ to find the Genus Epidemicus (GE)

Important Flu Remedies

Pay attention to how the person is changed from their usual self – noting if hot or chilled; thirst or lack of thirst; restless or prostrate are important as well as mental/emotional state. Is the pace of the illness slow or fast? What are the characteristic predominating symptoms for that person?

Influenzinum 9c
A remedy that is made from the 3 most common flu viruses, as determined by WHO or in the US, by the CDC. These are the same flu viruses that are in the current year’s conventional flu vaccines. However, this version includes only homeopathic doses of these flu viruses, and it doesn’t contain any of the additional incipient ingredients such as mercury or aluminum, stabilizers or emulsifiers and has not been grown on a host medium of foreign DNA. For dosing, follow directions on the container or take 3-5 pellets weekly for 4 weeks and 3-5 pellets one month later.

Oscillococcinum
Over-the-counter flu medicine made by homeopathic pharmacies that has 3 independent clinical studies verifying its efficacy. Many people simply call it “Oscillo.” This medicine is effective as long as you use it within the first 48 hours of getting flu symptoms. It is not known to be effective for G/I flu.  Each of these trials showed statistically significant results. Follow directions on the container.

Genus Epidemicus
Homeopathic practitioners, treating people with the season’s current flu, collect details of individuals’ unique symptoms in order to find the few remedies that are most similar to the collective sufferings. This will be called the Genus Remedy or Genus Epidemicus. This is an effective method because epidemics have the same cause.

It is by determining the unique nature of a patient’s sensations, concomitant symptoms if they have them, and modalities that the Genus Remedy can be found. An example of concomitant symptoms could be high fever with nose bleed – when the fever remits the nose bleed appears. Modalities are conditions that make the person feel better or worse. For example, a symptomatic person may feel better if the window is open with fresh air or the coughing person may feel worse as soon as her head touches the pillow.

A Few Flu Remedies

Gelsemium (yellow jasmine)
When fatigue, prostration and a generalized heavy, weak feeling pervades the person, even leading to trembling of individual parts and to having heavy, half-open eyelids, this remedy should be considered. Their appearance can be remarkable in that they look flushed, besotted looking. These people tend to have little or no thirst, can experience chills up and down their spine, and have a headache in the back part of their head, occipital area, extending to the top of the back and to the shoulders as well as extending upward to the forehead and eyes. The head pain may be better from hot applications. Slowness of breathing, oppression about the chest, prostration. Dry cough with sore chest and fluent coryza. Fever possibly with such shaking that they want to be held with chills up and down back. Oddly, they may feel better after urination.

Summary of modalities:
Worse: bad news, emotions, damp weather, fog
Better: profuse urination

Bryonia (white bryony)
People who have marked body aches during the flu that are aggravated by any type of Motion suggest the need for this remedy. Generally, these people have a bursting headache in the front part of their head and the area of the nape of the neck that is also aggravated by Motion. They have dry, even chapped lips, a dry cough, and a Great Thirst for cold Water. They have fever with chill and external coldness but are worse in a Warm room or any Warmth in general. These pain sensations reflect their mood – very irritable and insist upon being left alone.

Summary of modalities:
Worse: Motion, eating, exertion, touch, can’t sit up- gets faint & sick.
Better: lying on painful side, pressure, rest, cold things.

Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset)
People with the flu who experience aches in the muscles and pains in the bones and/or in their eyes often benefit from this remedy. The bone pains are marked and can be severe, as if broken bone pain. Another characteristic symptom of people who need this remedy is fever with chills that occur in the morning, especially 7-9 am, which may be preceded by great thirst, along with great soreness and great aching of bones. Perspiration relieves all symptoms except headache. These people desire cold drinks, even during a chill – they can know a chill is coming because they cannot drink enough. Cough with great soreness in chest so that they must support it, worse at night. Cough may be relieved by hands and knees position.

Summary of modalities:
Worse: periodically and 7-9 AM
Better: conversation, getting on hands and knees to cough   Compare: Bryonia

Arsenicum album 
This is an important medicine for people with respiratory flu and also stomach flu. These people are sensitive to and worse by exposure to cold. They experience a great thirst, but only for Sips of water at a time. They usually have Burning pains such as burning sore throat where the throat feels better Hot drinks. They feel Restless even though extremely sick and can be anxious with a fear to be left alone. They feel worse from 1-2 AM.

Summary of modalities:
Worse: 1-2 AM, feeling cold, burning pain
Better: hot drinks, frequent sips, being covered, company

Ferrum phosphoricum
This can be an important remedy for flu when there are few characterizing symptoms. Discharges from nose or chest are blood streaked; may have congested chest; more apt to have ear ache; prostration like Gelsemium. Face can be flushed, red or have pallor with high fever.

Summary of modalities:
Worse: night, 4-6 AM

Rhus toxicodendron
This can be an important flu remedy especially when symptoms come on after exposure to cold wet weather, getting feet wet; overexertion; getting chilled. Stiffness in any part of body, worse by initial motion but made better by continued motion. May have cramps in legs and jaw, et al. Person may feel anxious and sad. Tongue may have a triangular red tip. Least uncovering may increase the chill, generally, and pain in legs.

Summary of modalities:
Worse: wet, cold, uncovering, beginning of motion
Better: motion, Heat, warm coverings, but wants cold drinks

Guidelines for Taking Remedies

• Take the remedy in 30C potency
• Repeat the remedy according to the severity of the symptoms:
  • Severe: every 2-4 hour (high fever, unbearable pain)
  • Moderate: every 4-6 hours
  • Mild: every 6-8 hours (able to carry on working)
• Stop on improvement: take it less often if there is moderate improvement and stop taking it as soon as there is a significant improvement.
• Repeat as needed: repeat the same remedy if it helped and the symptoms return, starting and stopping as needed until better.
• Change the remedy: if 3-4 doses have been taken with no improvement, select another one or get help.

For more information see flusolution.net
Note: Neither Aconite nor Belladonna are the best remedy choice as they do not address remitting fever.
This information is for educational purposes only. If you are ill and not recovering, see a professional homeopath. In an emergency seek EMT.

Non-Homeopathic Support

Umckaloabo (Kaloba) comes from a word meaning “harsh cough” and is usually used for infections such as bronchitis and sinus infection. Researchers think that it might work by killing bacteria or preventing bacteria from attaching to surfaces within the body. Umckaloabo might also increase the body’s normal response to infection. It is anti- bacterial, antiviral, expectorant. Follow directions on bottle for highest recommended dose.

Windbreaker is a pediatric friendly Chinese herb for early stage colds and flu. Crane Herb Company makes eleven pediatric formulas they recommend trying before resorting to pharmaceutical interventions.

Colloidal Silver is a natural antibiotic with no known side effects. It acts as a catalyst, disabling the particular enzyme that all one-celled bacteria, fungus and virus use for their oxygen metabolism. Can be used in an inhaler, throat spray, or breathed through a humidifier.

Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil is a high-potency, whole food vitamin D in capsule form. Dosage is 2-3 capsules 3-4 times a day until the infection is resolved.