If the patient is under constitutional treatment with a professional homeopath, call the homeopath and ask for advice as to whether the cold or flu should be treated acutely with homeopathy, or whether you should use a naturopathic treatment such as a herbal cough syrup, zinc lozenge, vitamin c, echinacea tincture etc. Your homeopath may choose to give the constitutional remedy in an acute situation – often this resolves the cold and keeps the patient on the deeper path of healing effected by the constitutional remedy.
For the majority of colds and flues, you will give a 30c potency. A general guideline is to give one pellet 2-3 times/day until they feel significantly better, and then once a day for a day or two more. When a patient is very sick, you may need to give the remedy more frequently (every hour to begin with) or use a 200c potency. You will hear in your patient’s tone of voice whether they are better – trust this! If they sound or feel better after the first dose, butthe symptoms are unchanged, continue the remedy, the symptoms will likely improve soon.
Before you ask any questions, just let the person talk. The information they spontaneously give you about their condition, will be far more helpful in finding the remedy than any question you ask. Especially avoid leading questions that require a yes/no answer, such as, “Is your cough deep?” Leading questions may take you closer to believing you have found the remedy you wanted to see, and further from actually listening to the state of the person before you.
Take special note of the things that don’t make sense! If they are very chilly, yet better for open air, there is a contradiction here that will hold the key to the remedy.
Any one of 3,000 remedies can cure any condition, however the following remedies are more likely to be indicated in Fevers, coughs and Sinusitis.
Fevers are the body’s attempt to fight infection. In most cases, the fever is actually helping the body accomplish this. In general, fevers of 103 degrees or lower are safe; the exceptions are newborns younger than six weeks, those with chronic illness or immune-compromised conditions, and people who tend to have convulsions with fever.
Questions to ask:
Aconite: first stage of colds and coughs, sudden onset, develops after exposure to cold air or wind, often with high fever, often with restlessness or fear, chill from drafts, heat comes on during sleep, very thirsty, pupils contracted
Better: motion helps the chill but in general sitting still helps, open air
Arsenicum: chill from 12-2 a.m., periodic (fever comes and goes,) heat of face with chilled body, thirsty for constant small sips, head feels better from cold, but rest of body wants warmth, very chilly, increased appetite after chills, restless, fearful, worried
Worse: cold drinks, worry
Better: warm drinks
Belladonna: sudden, intense fever, chill beginning at 3 p.m., dry, burning heat without chills, face and body burning hot, face red or redness anywhere on body, hands and feet icy cold, right-sided symptoms, craving lemonade, but generally little thirst, twitching face or body during fever (main remedy for convulsions/epilepsy after becoming heated), throbbing, bursting headache, pupils dilated, can go into delirium and hallucination
Worse: 3 p.m., sun, light, noise, jarring, drafts, motion,
Better: light covering, bending backward, leaning head against something
Bryonia: slowly developing high fever and painful inflammation, great thirst for large amounts, left frontal headache, face pale during chill, deep red during heat, irriatable, wants to be left along, wants to go home, anxiety about finances, very aggravated by motion, touch
Worse: motion, anger, cold, wet weather, eating
Better: open air, lying still
Chamomilla: common children’s remedy, especially during teething, perspiration with chills, heat only in back or front of body, shuddering with heat, one cheek red and hot, other pale, excitement, irritability, nothing makes them happy, want things then throw them away, desires to be held, but it doesn’t always comfort
Worse: 9 a.m. or 9 p.m. or in bed at night, teething, warm covering or uncovering, anger
Better: being carried, sweating, heat, fasting
China: famous remedy for fevers from malaria or fevers that come and go, thirst with chills, headache with heat, skin sensitive to touch during fever, weakness or fatigue after prolonged fever, worse after diarrhea or loss of vital fluids, most sensitive and irritable during fever, anxiety before chills, sensitive to light, noise, odors, spaced out during chill
Worse: motion, open air, drafts, uncovering, touch
Better: hard pressure, warmth
Eupatorium Perfoliatum: fever with severe pain, especially bone pains, chill beginning in back or hands, thirsty before or during chill, vomiting bile, craves cold things during fever, warm things during chill, yawning and stretching before chill
Worse: morning from 6-9 a.m., cold air, motion, smell or sight of food
Better: vomiting bile, conversation, sweating, lying on face
Ferrum Phosphoricum: fever with few other symptoms, early stages of fever, fever after head injury, headache and flushed face, inflammatory states
Worse: right side, night
Better: lying down, cold applications
Gelsemium: fever with weakness and trembling, chill running up and down back, chill begins in hands or feet, face flushed dark red, eyelids heavy, blurry vision, worse anticipating something, especially a test
Worse: fright or excitement, spring, humid weather,
Better: profuse urination, sweating, shaking,
Hepar Sulph: fever with suppurating glands, chills without heat after, can’t get warm enough, needs all parts covered, fever blisters about mouth, voice hoarse
Worse: uncovering, evening and night, cold, dry air, winter, touch
Better: covering, heat
Lycopodium: chill in afternoon especially 4-8 p.m., forehead furrowed during fever, eye pain during heat, anxious, wants someone in same room but doesn’t want to interact
Worse: in bed, after sleep
Better: rising from bed, warm drinks, motion, urinating
Mercurious: night-time fevers with sweats and weakness, sensitive to both head and cold, runny nose, salivation on pillow at night, metallic taste in mouth, urine odorous
Worse: rising from bed, too warm or too cold, sweating, lying on right, changing weather
Better: moderate temperature, rest, morning
Natrum Muriaticum: fever or chill 10-11 a.m., begins in fingers or toes, severe headache, especially on right side, especially after grief, complains little, reserved, craves salty things
Worse: 10-11 a.m., heat of sun, exertion
Better: open air
Nux vomica: fever with violent heat and chills, after overeating or drinking, headache in back of head, very irritable
Worse: uncovering at all, turning in bed, open air,
Better: lying very still, warm drinks, heat
Pulsatilla: patternless, constantly changing, clingy, no thirst, wants open air or open window, tearing in eyes, fever with desire to urinate with nothing passed, numb hands or feet with chill
Worse: 2-4 p.m., warm room, turning in bed
Better: cold bathing, motion, open air
Rhus-tox: fever with aching, stiffness, restlessness, thirst for small quantities, desire to stretch, heat on left side, chill on right side or heat on back side of body,
Worse: cold, damp air or weather, getting wet
Better: warmth, warming up body with movement
Most of the remedies listed below treat common coughs from colds caused by viruses. Croup and whooping cough (pertussis) which becomes severe may require treatment by a physician and/or homeopathic practicioner.
Questions to ask:
Aconite: first stage of colds and coughs, develops after exposure to cold air or wind, often with high fever, often with restlessness or fear
Worse: night or after falling asleep, breathing in, lying on either side
Better: lying on back
Allium cepa: cough from colds or allergies, often with lots of watery discharge from nose that irritates skin and watery discharge from eyes that is not irritating, cough is painful, may grasp the larynx with pain at each cough
Worse: evening, warm room
Better: open air
Antimonium-tartaricum: noisy, rattling, loose cough – sounds like chest filled with mucous but cough too weak to expel mucous, especially in elderly or young children, person may be irritable or not want to be touched, main remedy for pertussis (whooping cough)
Worse: night, especially 10 p.m. to midnight, becoming irritated, lying
Better: sitting, bending head backwards
Arnica: pertussis remedy, painful, racking cough, person fears each cough, holds chest, weeping with pain of cough, nose can bleed with cough or burst eye vessels, holds chest wit each cough, thick, sticky, yellow, can be bloody mucous
Worse: pain
Better: lying with head low or outstretched
Bryonia: severely painful cough felt in whole head and chest, dry cough with each movement or deep breath, afraid of breathing in,
Worse: eating or swallowing, overheating, lying with head low, ascending, raising arms, bending head backward
Better: open air
Belladonna: Sudden high fever, cough in paroxysms (many at a time), bursting headache with each cough, bright red face
Worse: motion, deep breath, dust, touching larynx, yawning, bright light, noise
Better: less stimulus – resting in dark
Causticum: irritating, tickling cough, difficult to expectorate, but keeps coughing deeper to try and get it up. Can have cough at any hour, but vanishing during the day is a strong indication for Causticum. There may be urinary leakage with the cough.
Worse: Drafts or cold air, becoming heated at night, lying, bending head forward, talking, bathing
Better: Cold drinks, rainy weather
Coccus Cacti: Paroxysmal (many at a time), tickling cough at 6 or 7 a.m. or 11:30 p.m., cough can be dry or produce ropes of thick mucous
Worse: becoming heated, warm rooms, warm drinks or food., lying, rinsing mouth, winter, in alcoholics
Better: Cold or open air, cold drinks, cold food
Drosera: hard, deep, violent, paroxysmal cough, irritated airways, tickling and dry throat, suffocative cough, can press the pit of stomach to start cough, but cough so painful must hold chest, can have bloody expectoration
Worse: being enclosed
Better: sitting up, walking slowly
Hepar Sulph: dry or productive cough, mucous is thick and yellow if present, cough dry at night, loose in morning, cough all night long, chilly, wants to be covered
Worse: chill
Better: warmth, expectoration
Ipecac: very dry cough, asthma, irritated or tickling cough in paroxysms, choking or gagging with cough, frequent vomiting with cough
Worse: night, esp. 7 p.m., deep breathing in, esp. morning in bed, eating, warm room
Better: after expectoration, cold drinks
Kali-Carbonicum: cough at night, esp. 2-4 a.m., dry, tickling cough, bronchitis, productive cough (sputum comes up), stitching pains in chest with cough, may be vomiting
Worse: 2-4 a.m., on first going to sleep,cold air or draft, lying, exertion, deep inspiration, warm food.
Better: Sitting upright or bent forward
Lachesis: cough from allergy, severe infections or heart problems, sensation of crumb or obstruction in larynx, any attempt to talk causes cough
Worse: all night, disturbing sleep, wakes with cough as soon as falls asleep or in morning on waking, stuffy room, lying on left, drinking
Better: open air, after expectoration
Mercury: paroxysms of cough at night and from warmth of bed, dry at night, yellow-green expectoration during day, tickling behind upper part of sternum, sounds and feels like chest very dry, hoarseness, diarrhea, salivation, with running nose or nasal congestion, can’t get temperature right, too hot or too cold
Worse: night, talking, sweating, drafts, artificial light
Better: rest, morning, moderate temperature
Phosphorus: every cold ends in cough and chest infection, dry, tickling cough, painful cough, burning in chest with cough, headache during cough, must squeeze chest with pain of cough, exhaustion, trembling from cough,
Pulsatilla: cough from allergy or asthma, loose rattling with green, juicy expectoration, dry cough evening, loose morning, can have tearing with cough or urinary leakage
Worse: evening or night in bed, becoming cold, warm room, smoky room, warm drinks, exertion, lying, measles, before menses or if menses suppressed by pill
Better: open or cool air, gentle walking, sitting, deep breath, lying propped on pillows
Rumex: intense tickling with cough, covers mouth in cold because it causes cough
Worse: 11 p.m. morning, cold air, entering or leaving warm room, undressing, uncovering, bending head backwards, pressing on pit of throat
Better: turning on right side
Spongia: dry, hacking, barking cough from allergy, asthma or infection, suffocative cough, can turn blue, burning in throat, chest, larynx with cough
Worse: around midnight, both day and night, cold, dry air, cold drinks
Better: warm food or drinks, eating or drinking, sucking on hard candy or cough drops, sitting, bending head forward
Squilla: sudden, violent, dry, paroxysmal cough with headache, copious sputum, but only in morning, may pass stool, urine or have tears with cough, sore chest and abdomen with cough, urge to blow nose after cough
Worse: taking deep breath, cold drinks
Better: expectoration, sitting up
Chronic sinusitis requires constitutional treatment and generally does not respond to these remedies. Steaming and using a neti pot can really help sinusitis!
Questions to ask:
Kali-Bichromicum: thick, sticky, yellow-green mucous that doesn’t want to move, stringy mucous that sticks together, fullness at root of nose, complete nasal obstruction causing nasal tone of voice
Worse: cold, morning, 2-3 a.m., hot weather, undressing
Better: heat, motion, pressure
Mercurius Vivus: especially frontal sinuses, greenish, profuse discharge, every cold turns to sinusitis, dirty coated tongue, offensive breath, irritable and closed, can’t get temperature right
Worse: night, sweating, lying on right side, heated, drafts
Better: moderate temperature, rest, morning
Aurum: chronic sinusitis and runny nose, accompanied by fever and flushed face, cold hands and feet, extreme pain on bending head forward or stooping
Worse: motion and jarring
Better:
Belladonna: throbbing head pain, worse bending head forward, face flushed red
Worse: motion and jarring, light, noise, right sided
Better: resting without stimuli, bending backward, light covering
Causticum: chronic nasal obstruction with post-nasal discharge, constant desire to clear throat but not able to, hoarseness, nasal discharge thick or absent
Worse: dry or cold air, wind, 3-4 a.m., riding in car, clear, sunny weather
Better: rainy weather
Hepar Sulph: sinusitis with obstruction and thick nasal and post-nasal discharge after every exposure to cold or uncovering the head, “snot” smells like old cheese, very painful inflammation of sinuses
Worse: least uncovering, cold
Better: covering, warmth
Hydrastes: thick, ropy or stringy discharge, especially post-nasal, swelling and obstruction worse on the left side
Worse: inhaling cold air, dry wind, old age, abuse of drugs or wine, after stool
Better: dry weather, pressure, warm covering
Kali iodatum: inflammation and burning inside the nose, worse with every inhalation, allergies with thin nasal discharge which turns to sinus infection
Worse: warm room, right side
Better: cool
Kali suphuricum: acute and chronic sinusitis with nasal obstruction, overall person feels worse in a warm room, but nasal symptoms improve there, thick and sticky yellow mucous, snoring
Worse: warmth, noise, evening, consolation
Better: cold air, walking, fasting
Lac Delphinum: painful sinusitis can be accompanied by vertigo, modalities similar to Belladonna, craves chocolate
Worse: 3-4 p.m., exertion, sun
Better: pressing on sinuses
Lycopodium: right-sided sinusitis and nasal pain, severe nasal obstruction, especially at night and during sleep, thick, yellow discharge, can be crusted
Worse: 4-8 p.m., waking, eating
Better: warm drinks, motion, urinating, burping
Silica: chronic sinusitis, lasts for months after every cold, post-nasal discharge, discharge irritates skin, very chilly, can have vertigo
Worse: cold, drafts, damp, pressure, new moon
Better: warmth, summer, humid weather, sympathetic understanding
Sulphur: chronic or allergic and acute sinusitis with thick yellow discharge, sometimes offensive or blood-tinged, constant urge to blow nose but nothing comes out, discharge dries rapidly to crusts, dry and full feeling in mouth and throat
Worse: winter, indoors
Better: open air
Thuja: thick, clear or greenish post-nasal discharge with obstruction, left frontal headache feels like a nail boring in, pain in teeth on blowing nose
Worse: left side, cold, damp weather
Better: warmth, sneezing, motion, touch, rubbing, scratching
Elephant Pharmacy
Whole Foods (less extensive selection)
Hahnemann Labs, www.hahnemannlabs.com (888) 427-6422
Hahnemann Labs in San Raphel sells a first aid kit for $44.95
Contains these 15 remedies in 30C potency:
ACONITE APIS ARNICA ARS BELL
BRYONIA CANTH CHAM HYP LEDUM
NUX-V PHOS PULS RHUS-T RUTA
They also sell kits with 30, 100 remedies etc.
The Homeopathic Emergency Guide, Thomas Kruzel, ND, North Atlantic Good, basic guide for a variety of conditions_
Desktop Companion to Physical Pathology, Roger Morrison, M.D., (A more complex book, often used by professional homeopaths; not recommended unless you want to further your study.)
Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants, Dana Ullman, M.P.H.
Simple Colds, Flus and Coughs,u> Stephen MESSER, ND, DHANP, (Not a book, plastic laminates, with flow charts and diagrams, $3, available Minimum Price books.)
Homeopathic Education Services, 2036 Blake (at Shattuck), Berkeley, CA 94704, (510) 649-0294, http://www.homeopathic.com/
Minimum Price Homeopathic Books, http://www.minimum.com