Sunday, January 10, 2016

Puke Bucket Time Hits the West Coast--Veratrum album (and Ipecac)

Veratrum album                                                                  Ipecac

The stomach flu has hit the west coast.  Much of it was being blamed on Chipotle, which accoring to lab tests had something to do with some of the symptoms going on. Then there is Norovirus going around.  Basically, people are being hit with vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms really fast.  Sometimes it comes on at night, other times people have to turn around and go back home while on their way to work. Either way, the symptoms get bad quick.

The vomiting can start with dizziness, headache, abdominal cramping or coughing.  Typically with a Veratrum album flu, there is abdominal distension as well as diarrhea.  Vomiting is forceful, causing projectile vomiting and dry heaves. If it starts with a cough, head to the bathroom if there is any nausea present.

Because this flu comes on so suddenly, one might think they have food poisoning. However, even in cases of food poisoning, Veratrum album is useful for calming the dry heaves and diarrhea and returning the gastrointestinal system to normal after the offending agent is out of the body.

I have included Ipecac with this prescription because when a person is vomiting and dry heaving all night long, you don't want to wait a few hours to figure out if the prescription was exact.  Ipecac is also for nausea and vomiting and vomiting with a cough. It is a perfect example of homeopathy. Full strength Ipecac (found in Ipecac syrup) is used to induce vomiting when a child has eaten poison. Homeopathic Ipecac brings the energy back down, relieving vomiting and coughing. Like cures like.

Since this flu seems to come on suddenly and many times at night, I advise everyone to go down to the health food store and get Veratrum album 30c or 12c. Ipecac is also useful to have on hand as it relieves the nausea of carsickness and even nausea of pregnancy. Generally speaking, in situations other than food poisoning, nausea and vomiting does not do us any good. It is just a symptom of a flu virus, inner ear problem or sequalae of riding on a boat or driving on a winding road. Keep these remedies on hand ...especially this winter!