December 2022-January 2023: Periorbital Cellulitis--Belladonna, Rhus tox plus others

 

It was a strange Christmas week.  Lots of people had colds and coughs.  I took time off to enjoy family and the snowy mountains for three days. One day in I got a call from a patient: her daughter had swelling in the lower right eyelid. She had had a mild cold for a week or more and now this happened. Mom had some homeopathics with her as well as colloidal silver which is great for eye infections. We discussed how to use them and they were able to avoid an urgent care visit during vacation.

After three days of snow, I came home, unpacked and went to bed. Then at 4:30am my daughter woke me up because her eyes were swollen. One eye was red, swollen on both upper and lower lids, and the whites of her eyes were slightly pink. Also her eyes were watering like crazy. She had had a bad cold/sinus infection for a few days while I was away and now this was happening.  This pointed more towards periorbital cellulitis, which can be serious.  In addition to colloidal silver and homeopathics, we made the decision to play it safe and get a second opinion for antibiotics. 

While at Walgreens to get some homeopathic eye drops, the girl in front of me was buying Benedryl and steroid cream because she had swelling in her lower eyelids. The checker mentioned that a woman had been in earlier that day to get medicine for swollen eyes.  Seems like it was going around! So here's what I think has been happening:

Periorbital cellulitis is infection/inflammation of the deep tissues surrounding the eyes. Usually it occurs a few days after onset of a cold or sinus infection. The infection can spread to the eyes or surrounding tissues by coughing, sneezing and touching the eyes, or spread internally in the tissues. For whatever reason, this circulating cold is getting into the eyes very easily.

I've mentioned that BELLADONNA flus are circulating. The eye inflammation now does follow a typical Belladonna pattern: rapid onset, painful, red, swollen. However, there are other remedies to consider:

BELLADONNA: rapid onset, hot, painful, swollen and eyes are sensitive to light. Throbbing or shooting pains go with this remedy. This is a top remedy for children.

APIS: rapid onset, stinging pain, better with cold applications (I don't think this is a good remedy now, but it might be for some people. Typically this is the remedy for allergic reactions that cause swelling.)

RHUS TOX: inflammations that are painful, particularly on movement, such as when you move the eye back and forth. If Rhus tox is the right remedy, using very hot washcloths/hot packs on the eye will feel very good. There can be eye watering and pus in the eye as well.

EUPHRASIA: great for redness and eye swelling that feels hot. The classic symptom is that this comes with watering of the eyes or even thick mucous discharge at times. The eyes will feel as if there is pressure on the back of them or surrounding them. 

HEPAR SULPH: a great remedy for lingering infections such a mild cold that has turned into a bronchitis or sinus infection. This remedy is used often for bacterial infections because it is best used towards the end of an illness when yellow or green sticky mucus is present. If the eye discharge is yellow, consider Hepar sulph. However, I think right now Rhus Tox and Euphrasia might be a better match.

ARSENICUM: for burning pain where warmth to the eye (not hot)  feels very good. If the person is also very chilly, Arsenicum may be a good remedy for blepharitis or other swellings around the eye. 

Luckily both Similisan and Walgreens have homeopathic eye drops (Pink Eye Relief) that have Belladonna, Euphrasia and Hepar sulph all in one. Another great thing about these products is that they also contain silver sulfate which is anti-microbial. You can also put colloidal silver  (if you have that on hand) right into the eye to kill bacteria and virus.

Periorbital cellulitis can be very serious so if the eye swelling is intense, it hurts to move the eyes or if the eye is bulging, then head to the ER. IV antibiotics may be needed to prevent the loss of vision or spread of infection to the brain (meningitis). Use the homeopathics and colloidal silver on the way to ER and if the symptoms are reduced by half or more by the time you get to the ER, you'll probably be able to avoid antibiotics. 

Corona Virus, Best Remedies for Pneumonitis--and Stop Diffusing Essential Oils!

*******UPDATE 3/20/20 ********

New Upate on Coronavirus and homeopathics that might be useful (note, the remedies listed have changed a bit):

We always try to find one best remedy for a flu that is going around.  However with COVID some people have a flu prodrome while others start with a sudden fever and shortness of breath.  It could be that people's constitutional remedy plays into how they get sick OR there could be more than one virus going around with people getting 2 or 3 problems at once.

In India homeopaths have been working hard on finding a COVID 19 remedy that might work for a majority of people, even though many people have different symptoms. Here is a link to that discussion which can give you insight on how homeopathic remedies are chosen:

https://www.doctorbhatia.com/treatment/coronavirus-covid-19-symptoms-homeopathic-remedies-for-treatment-and-prophylaxis/?v=7516fd43adaa

The main take home is they agree with me that BRYONIA may be the best remedy right now. See below for other remedies that are being discussed:

Symptoms of Coronavirus or other flus going around right now:

-Fatigue

-Fever

-Cough (mostly dry)

-Dyspnea (trouble breathing)

According to the latest chinese study, these are the symptoms which people with coronavirus have been presenting to the hospital: fever (98.6%), fatigue (69.6%), dry cough 59.4%, myalgia 34.8%, and dyspnea 31.2%. 

Laboratory and imaging findings in China have been the following: lymphopenia, prolonged prothrombin time (low platelets or inadequate clotting/platelet aggregation--do not take aspirin!), high lactate dehydrogenase (indicating tissue damage),  and a ground glass appearance on lung CT scan.   https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2761044

--Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China Dawei Wang, MD; Bo Hu, MD; Chang Hu, MD; et al, JAMA. Published online February 7, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.1585

Fangfang Zhu, MD¹; Xing Liu, MD¹; Jing Zhang, MD¹; Binbin Wang, MD¹; Hui Xiang, MD¹; Zhenshun Cheng, MD²; Yong Xiong, MD³; Yan Zhao, MD⁴; Yirong Li, MD⁵; Xinghuan Wang, MD⁶;Zhiyong Peng, MD¹JAMA. Published online February 7, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.1585

Ground glass Opacities of the lung on CT scan are the lighter/light grey areas inside the lungs:

Basically the alveoli--the end units of the lung where oxygen transfer takes place, can collapse, become filled with fluid or become smaller from inflammation of the surrounding tissues. You can imagine the feeling of shortness of breath that can happen when inflammation or fluid accumulates here rather than higher up in the bronchioles, which we see with bronchitis. Causes of the ground glass appearance and accompanying symptoms are typically viral, hypersensitivity reactions, or other inflammatory reactions.

Homeopathy is a great adjunct to any other therapy being used. Here is a list of the best remedies for current COVID

Bryonia-- This is the remedy for kennel cough that I wrote about in Fall. (http://www.flucaster.com/2019/11/kennel-cough-season-bryonia.html
Bryonia flus are slowly progressing (they don't feel terrible on Day 1) but coughing/chest symptoms do start pretty early. It may start with just fatigue and sneezing. It can even start with incredible thirst for dry mouth. Then it can progress to the upper respiratory tract (sinuses) causing infection, then lower respiratory tract causing bronchitis. Typically the cough is painful and the patient feels like they have to hold their chest while they cough due to the pain. One patient who had been coughing for a couple of weeks did not cough all day after one dose of Bryonia 200c.  Take the 30c strength if that is all you can find and take it every 3 hours or as needed for cough.

Gelsemium--I just added this back to the repetorization after hearing of a COVID sufferer in Seattle describe her flu symptoms.  Hers started slowly with fatigue, brain fog, chilliness, then went to a head cold and then the cough came on later.  These symptoms are exactly how a gelsemium flu starts. Now it could be that she had more than one virus. She could have had a gelsemium flu caused by Influenza A then COVID on top of that causing the cough.  At least it is worth noting here for anyone experiencing these symptoms. UPDATE: turns out this is the main remedy used in Hong Kong by some homeopaths. 

Aconite-- for fevers  that start suddenly, especially after exposure to cold wind. That exposure is happening a lot right now as we have sunny days followed by really cold evenings or sunny days with a very cold wind that picks up. Use Aconite for fevers that start sudden (within a few hours) and goes very high. 

Arsenicum--Dr. Klinghardt is suggesting Arsenicum for the pnemonitis/pneumonia of Coronavirus. There may be burning pains either in the chest or sinus or throat but the person feels extremely chilly overall. The chest feels tight. Typically this remedy is very good for elderly patients or people who are extremely debiliated/end of life.

Phosphorus--suggested by many homeopaths. with phosphorus there is a dry cough, tickle in the throat and a fever that gets very high very quickly. there is a great thirst for cold drinks. Usually the stomach is upset by warm drinks but better with cold drinks. Mucous that is coughed up can be blood tinged. Any bloody cough should be treated with Phosphorus, but you don't have to have bleeding to benefit from it. The shortness of breath is worse at night laying down and the person feels like they have to sit up to get enough air. There can be a heaviness in the chest as well as headache from coughing. 

Lycopodium--suggested by India and by Paul Herscu, well known American homeopath. This cough is dry, tickling, teasing and there is hunger for air (shortness of breath) worse laying down. People will feel better sitting up even if the cough is dry. This has been a good tuberculosis remedy in the past. Patients may or may not have the typical digestive symptoms of bloating and gas. I have seen a couple of people lately where the digestive symptoms are the only symptoms they have had (not tested positive for corona, but sick right now).

Sulphur--suggested by Paul Herscu who has treated people with bronchitis and pneumonia lately (but no one who tested positive for corona virus). Sulphur is a very common remedy used for all kinds of ailments. With corona, the symptoms sulphur can help with are dry cough, pain in sternum extending to the back which is worse at night. I have had a patient with these exact symptoms and I muscle tested another person who was recently sick and he responded well to sulfur. 

Antimonium tartarticum---I personally think this might be a very good remedy right now as i have used it successfully with 2 people with cough. This is best for advanced weakness and wet cough. With this remedy the patient just does not have the energy to clear rattling mucous in the chest. This can be used whether the deep lung problems are diagnosed as asthma, pneumonia or pneumonitis.  I feel that this remedy would follow Gelsemium well. Both have hallmark of fatigue. Ant tart is simply a deeper, wetter version of Gelsemium. The patient experiences a profound feeling of suffocation and may even turn a little blue. They usually will want to be left alone as they feel too weak for company and too drowsy to talk.

Ipecacuanha--I have heard of some people starting this flu with vomiting. In these cases, Ipecachuana (as a homeopathic only) can be used.  It clears asthma and pneumonia associated with coughing, gagging and vomiting. Usually the feeling of suffocation is worse than the actual O2 saturations when Ipecac is needed.  Remember, take the homeopathic, not Ipecac syrup!

Euphrasia--not for the coronavirus but for allergies which are also happening now that the plum trees have blossomed. Though a less debilitated or severe remedy, Euphrasia seems to be indicated right now for people allergic to pollens. It can be used for hayfever, asthma or hacking cough with a soreness behind the sternum.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT, BUT VERY IMPORTANT....

One thing I would like to note, explain and stress to everyone right now:  many of the lung symptoms we are seeing are hypersensitivity reactions to essential oils!  I have been testing many people over the last couple of months for colds, ear infections, eczema and asthma and one product keeps coming back as a problem: OnGuard or Thieves blend. Made by different companies, these two products are similar blends of citrus, cinnamon and clove. I think Cinnamon may be the main culprit but the citrus strips away the protective lipid lining of the tender mucous membranes of the throat, sinus and lungs. Citrus is used as a degreaser. We should not be degreasing our lungs. Is this causing people to become allergic to cinnamon? There has been at least one study investigating pneumonitis as a result of hypersensitivity to essential oils:

 'When Oil Meets Air: A New Cause of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis' by Kara Calhoun
https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(19)33664-5/pdf
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a complex lung disease whose cause may be difficult to guess. Reactions may not happen right away where the patient is first exposed. One article describes it this way: 
'The acute form occurs after hours or days of antigen exposure, that generally is a short-term and intermittent exposure. The patient’s symptoms begin with fever, cough, dyspnea, asthenia (weakness) and malaise that may persist for about a week after the causative agent exposure ends. --Gian Galeazzo Riario Sforza and Androula Marinou Clin Mol Allergy 2017; 15:6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5339989/  

Please, please STOP diffusing essential oils. Though they may be nice as an occasional air freshener, people are diffusing them non-stop in offices, schools, daycares, and homes.  Essential oils are very potent. It is not good to be breathing them in for hours at a time. In medical school we learned to use eucalyptus and thyme oil as a short inhalation for sinus problems, putting a few drops into a steaming bowl of water while the patient puts their face over the bowl, breathing in deeply.  But this is short use, never more than 5 minutes at the most. I know people are going to be mad at me because their MLM company has the "purest, most organic" form of oils that can heal the world. But essential oils are simply too strong to be used in the ubiquitous way they are being used now. Let me repeat, the quality of the orange oil doesn't matter. Orange oil is a strong degreaser. I have also seen Cedar oil and Lavender create strong allergic reactions. I don't think these oils are bad, they are simply overused.

I hope this article has been helpful.  Though I have not seen any coronavirus patients, the symptoms described in the research and symptoms that I have heard and seen in my community lately really match the above remedies.  If you use these remedies, let me know how they work.  I am leaning strongly towards Antimonium tart as a major flu remedy right now, potentially also for Coronavirus.

Colocynthis-the crampy stomach flu

There is a stomach flu going around since about the week before Thanksgiving. It has gone through whole families and it takes days for everyone to be done with it. 

You start with a little nausea then comes the crampy abdominal pain which can continue throughout the ordeal. The cramps are so intense you have to bend over double and/or press in on the abdomen. Pressure and heat both help the crampy pain. Colocynthis is perfect for this.  These symptoms also go very well with Mag phos, however so far, Colocynthis has worked well for several people.

The cramps cause diarrhea, urgent diarrhea. The patient will have to head right back into the bathroom after coming out. When the stomach cramps come, the bathroom better be close by. Babies with this flu can have colic all day and night. Men have described the cramps as akin to being able to understand how labor feels. So you can imagine what a little baby who can't talk feels.

The good news is Colocynthis works quickly no matter which phase of the flu you are in. If you are lucky enough to take it when the only symptom is a little nausea, you will avoid this flu altogether. If you have the stomach cramps, just keep taking another dose every time they come back. One dose should last a few hours or even a whole day. If you get little sharp pains, such as a pain low down, making you think you might have appendicitis, take another dose of Colocynthis.

Gelsemium, Hepar sulph, Arsenicum --and don't forget the Aconite!

No energy? Feel like just laying in bed? Chilly? Headache? Tummy ache?

I heard that last week 30% of of the 8th grade was out of the local middle school sick. At an elementary school all the 5th grade teachers except for one were out sick. Three flus are operating concurrently this spring. Two are carry-overs from the winter. Here are the main symptoms of each flu, according to the remedy that treats them:

Gelsemium: This is the main flu right now. Typically this flu comes on more in spring when weather changes from cold to warm. Person is tired and weak. The brain also feels foggy or too tired to think. There is a significant heaviness and chilliness which alternates with feeling of fever. Head feels heavy, eyelids feel heavy. The voice can be hoarse. The throat feels swollen or as if there is a lump in it. Pain and swollen feeling can extend to the ears especially on swallowing.  This remedy is also useful for muscle weakness or fatigue that lasts long after the flu seems to be gone.

Hepar Sulph: This can be used concurrently with Gelsemium or by itself. Use Hepar sulph when there is a lot of mucous that is difficult to cough up. The stuck mucous can also fill the sinuses or continue to drain from the sinuses to the throat after the person feels that they have gotten better. Mucus is always thick in the case of Hepar Sulph. The cough will sound terrible even when the person doesn't feel bad anymore.

Arsenicum: There have not been many people complaining of this but there have been some. This time the arsenicum flu symptoms are focused on the gastrointestinal tract. Arsenicum flus will exhibit some burning symptoms while the person feels very chilled overall. The person feels as if they just cannot get warm but the nose, throat and stomach (mucous membranes in general) can feel burning or acidic. This can lead to feeling nauseousness and vomiting. Warm drinks such as tea feel good to the throat and stomach. The nose can have thin, watery, acrid coryza rather than the thick mucous of Hepar sulph.

ALSO: as we get into spring don't forget Aconite!!! When people are exposed to a cold wind and sickness comes on quickly (within 12 to 24 hours), give Aconite. This happens a lot in springtime because although it looks warm and sunny outside, the temperatures have actually not risen to summer levels. People often go outside without proper clothing or kids take jackets and sweaters off while playing then a cold wind comes and gives them a chill. Aconite Aconite Aconite first, then choose one of the remedies above.

Get these remedies now and you will be set to ward of a flu when the first symptoms strike this spring. If you have already gotten over your flu but have residual symptoms that just won't seem to leave, Gelsemium, Hepar sulph and Arsenicum with set you to rights.

November 2018--Gelsemium flu

It is time for Gelsemium again. Whether you got the flu from a friend, family member or flu shot, consider Gelsemium for treating these symptoms:

--flu that comes on slowly. First you're tired, maybe the body/muscles feel a little heavy. Your brain feels a little slow or dull. But you don't yet realise you're getting sick.

--symptoms are worse with cold, damp foggy weather.

--heaviness in the limbs. All muscles feel relaxed, but not in a good way, more weak, heavy.  The weakness and heaviness can lead even to paralysis, which is why it may be a good remedy for Guillan barre or other paralysis caused by vaccinations.

--aching felt in the joints, but the main feeling is that of heaviness. The pain is a deep ache.

--Despite the relaxation of the muscles there can be twitching around the eyes or face and also writer's cramp in the hands.

--low back pain that feels deep, stiff, weak and goes to the hips.

--head feels heavy as do eyelids. The eyelids might even droop halfway. It's too difficult to keep the eyes open. Everything takes too much effort, even keeping the eyes fully opened.

--if there is a headache, it is in the occiput (back of the head) and behind the eyes. If not headache, the bones around the eyes feel bruised. Many areas of the body can feel bruised.

--there is not much thirst and the inside of the nose might be dry.

--trembling, dizziness, shakiness

It is always good to have Gelsemium on hand. Because by the time you realise you have the Gelsemium flu, you are too tired, weak, achy and dizzy to go to the health food store.

If you don't have any on hand, rest is the only thing that works for this flu. Gelsemium flus typically don't last too long once they are in the acute/feverish stage. But it's effects linger, with the achiness and slight heaviness lasting longer after the acute phase is over. So get some Gelsemium now so you can get better faster. A 30c dose is best.

Lycopodium, Aconite, Hepar sulph

Brrrr! It's cold!

There are a couple of illnesses going around right now. There is a stomach thing, a cough thing and Strep throat.  It starts with the cold:

ACONITE.....
When you get sick right after being out in the cold (especially cold wind), chances are you need Aconite. Aconite symptoms are:
Severe headache with fever
Sore throat, burning sensation, tonsillitis (enlarged, inflamed tonsils)
Increased thirst
Early stages of croup (loud unproductive cough)
in kids, one cheek will be red, the other pale
there may be anxiousness or fear with the fever, but not always
If you take Aconite within the first day of being sick, the homeopathic remedy has a good chance of turning things around.

If you let the sickness develop too long before taking Aconite, you may need Hepar sulph.
HEPAR SULPH follows many remedies and Aconite is one of them. When you have thick, stuck mucous or exudate (white spots) on the tonsils, Hepar sulph is a good choice.
The sore throat will come and go with Hepar sulph and the sore throat pain will shoot to the ear when you swallow. Sometimes it feels like there is a splinter in your throat when you swallow.

The third star remedy right now is LYCOPODIUM
I haven't talked about Lycopodium in a couple of years. What I've seen are a couple of very typical Lycopodium symptoms: lots of abdominal gas and bloating and increased appetite.
Sinus: right sided sinus inflammation, blocked sinuses worse at night, thick mucous
Resp: chronic, dry, tickling cough. Pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma

I've seen people with just the abdominal symptoms of Lycopodium, just the respiratory symptoms and just strep throat after having had a cough.  If there are any gastrointestinal symptoms, I would try the Lycopodium first.  If everything starts right after being out in the cold and the symptoms come on quickly, try the Aconite.  Use Hepar sulph when things go on too long (over a week or two) and the mucous seems really stuck.

Spider bite time February/March 2017

Taking a detour from talking about the flu, I'll write today about a very common thing happening now with already two patients coming to see me for this: spider bites!

Now, you will read all kinds of information from spider loving people that spiders do not bite. however, when you see two little bite marks right next to each other, it's hard not to believe it's from a spider. Still, whether the bite is from a flea, spider or mosquito, the homeopathic treatment will be the same.

Most bites look like this:

There is a clear central pore which looks like an injection site. You will not see this in eczema or in contact dermatitis. Many spider lovers will try to convince you it's one of these. Of course, it could be a flea or mosquito bite. But there are not mosquitos in the northwest right now. I've seen spiders at my house and the two patients do have cats.

The homeopathic remedy is always chosen based on the symptoms. Here they are listed:

better with cold applications

Ledum: number one remedy for insect bites. The area is cool but cold or ice applications feel good. The area may be red, bruised, and feel boggy.

Apis: Similar in look to Ledum and feels better with cold applications. However Apis type infections are bigger with more swelling and looks a bit more like hives. Usually there is an allergic component to the reaction.

Lachesis: the area can feel like it is burning or have an icy coldness to it and there is marked swelling as with Apis. It feels like the bite will burst. Sensitive to heat, touch or pressure.

Sulfur: also markedly swollen and warm and worse with heat. Itchy.

Advanced infections (I decided to spare you the picture of this, but feel free to google it!)

Rhus tox: swelling, pitting, purplish. Drains pus. Feels better with heat application

Hepar sulph: boils that turn into cellulitis which is very painful. Very sensitive to touch. Usually later stage when a different remedy was indicated at first but then the infection became worse.

If the lesion is not a bite but is a MRSA infection, a bleach/water application or bleach bath (1/2 cup of bleach added to a full tub of water) will usually do the trick. However see a doctor if you suspect MRSA or if you were bitten by a brown recluse spider. Just take the above homeopathics in addition to seeing the doctor.

Bryonia, dryonia --the horrible 2016-2017 flu

I think I've finally figured it out! The homeopathic remedy for this years flu.

It has been tough. People have had sinus inflammation, severe headache, cough, even pneumonia. Pretty much every symptom in the respiratory tract. Antibiotic herbs or even antibiotics have not helped the sinuses or cough. It's definitely been viral. Even the pneumonia has been viral only. I have resorted to using lomatium--the most potent anti-viral herbal tincture we have--for treating this flu (and it has worked). But the homeopathic for this flu eluded me.

We tried Belladonna because of the intense headache and quick sinus inflammation. I tried Gelsemium because although some of the symptoms (especially in the nose) come on suddenly, most of the other symptoms develop over a series of days, starting with having a chill. We have been using Droseraplex (a combination of homeopathics including Drosera, Belladonna and others) for the cough and headache together, but it has only helped reduce symptoms during the virus (especially the cough) rather than stimulate a very speedy recovery. Speedy recovery is what we want when using homeopathics.

I had this flu and it was bad. Then I felt like I was getting it again. Took lomatium.  Then a few weeks later felt like I was getting it again. It started with feeling chilled--like not being able to let any cold air touch my body. I don't like having to have a space heater next to me all the time. It makes me feel like a wimp. I especially felt cold after getting hot and sweaty, such as when I left the gym the previous 2 mornings after a workout.  Then I got pain in the sinus which leads to a frontal headache. I did NOT want to get this flu again.

I also realized that my nose had been VERY dry and I had woken up in the night with a dry throat. Heating houses in winter dries the air. Dry mucous membranes do not defend the body against invaders as they should. I got out the humidifier. Then I realised the remedy: BRYONIA.

Bryonia-dryonia. That is what Dr. Will Taylor, M.D. and homeopathic doctor and professor, used to say so that we remembered the state of the mucous membranes when Bryonia is indicated: dry.  My nose was so dry even a saline rinse with a neti pot did not help. I considered putting vaseline or some herbal salve in there. But luckily I remembered about Bryonia.  Here are the list of symptoms that seems to match this particular flu:

Nose: dry, painful. Cold air moving into the nose and sinuses hurts. Nose and sinus can also feel burning and inflamed.
Head: severe headache. This seems to be the hallmark of this flu. The headache, which at first is in the frontal sinus and then extends to the rest of the head, brings you to tears.
Ears: shooting pain in the ears
Eyes: eyes are sore, moving them hurts
Body: chilled. Worse with cold drafts, person wants to be wrapped up and laying in bed. Chill can be felt as achy pains or sharp pains and most of the pain is in the muscles. The chill and ache was so bad at first that I considered Eupatorium. It had even pushed me into buying a hot tub last month (which I had been looking at doing for awhile) and spending more than twice as much as I thought I would to do it! Bryonia can also treat swollen inflammations with sharp pains, such as those that come from gout, but I haven't seen this during this flu.
Respiratory: cough. Dry cough which is painful, breathing deep produces cough so the patient tries to only breath lightly. Holding the chest may diminish the pain. Pleurisy, pneumonia, bronchitis.
Gastrointestinal: constipation from dryness in the intestines. Stools can be hard, dark or black tinged, and there can be rumbling and abdominal pain. There has not been much vomiting with this one.

Here's a pic from Portland to help you remember a little about Bryonia and see how well we fare in snow. The below freezing temps dries out the air. Then imagine pushing a bus, getting hot and sweaty, then standing out in the cold and getting a chill. Perfect environment for a Bryonia flu!

I just ordered this supplement to better treat this flu.

It has the typical cough homeopathics: Drosera, Spongia, and the flu inflammation/pain remedy Belladonna, but also has Bryonia, which the Droseraplex did not have. It will be in tomorrow and we will start using it. Then I'll post and update. For now, I am taking Bryonia 30x and immediately after the first dose, my nose was became more moist and the sinus pain diminished greatly. You can usually find Bryonia at your local health food shop but this combination remedy pictured here is only available at doctor's offices.

Call the office at 360-433-2727

Ipecac--Vomiting Remedy? Northern West Coast October/November 2016

Most of us grew up in a house with a bottle of Ipecac syrup in the medicine cabinet.  It was there for accidental poisonings--like when the baby gets into the cleaning solutions or an open medicine bottle. It's actually rarely recommended these days, but the use of homeopathic Ipecac has many uses and in fact we just used it yesterday.

Carapichea ipecacuanha grows in South America and has long been known for it's emetic properties. Emetic means "induces vomiting" but it also can cause coughing to the point of expelling mucous, such as in the case of bronchitis. Basically it has an upward force, whether stomach contents or stuff in the airways it causes it to move up and out.

Homeopathic dilutions of Ipecac have the opposing effect.  As we know with homeopathy that like cures like, homeopathic Ipecac relieves vomiting and coughing.

When is it best to relieve vomiting and coughing? When the vomiting or coughing is not producing a good effect. Certainly if someone did ingest something not good for them, vomiting is the body's way of getting rid of it.  But in the case of a stomach flu, the virus will not be gone from the body after vomiting, it is only creating unpleasant symptoms. Similarly, if someone has motion sickness, vomiting will not alleviate vertigo. 

In the case of bronchitis, if a person does have a wet cough, certainly we want to expel the mucous. But in a dry viral cough or even asthmatic cough, the coughing is not producing any good effect. Pertussis (whooping cough) is a dry persistent cough where the child will cough and cough until they vomit.  This is the perfect time for using homeopathic Ipecac.

In Vancouver, WA there are two types of illnesses beginning to go around the schools. One is a 24 hour stomach flu and the other is a cough.  Both can be perfectly treated with Ipecac.  Two nights ago my daughter woke with a stomach ache and nausea in the middle of the night. She spent the next morning vomiting, not even able to keep down water. Her fever was 100.9.  I gave her a dose of Ipecac 30c homeopathic pellets (put under the tongue or in the mouth and let dissolve).

She did not vomit again after that. She was able to eat a little food that afternoon and able to drink two glasses of water.  Her fever stayed at 101 until the late evening.  That is Ok. Fevers are there to fight off viruses.  For the fever we only gave more water. This morning she woke fever free and feeling fine.

Did the Ipecac change the length of the illness? Probably not. But it did help the symptoms while she was ill, ensuring that she did not get dehydrated and she could feel better on her day off from school. In the same way, Ipecac will likely help a case of pertussis or dry cough (though there are a couple of other remedies also great for this), but the person taking it may still be contagious even as their cough quiets down.  A person with an asthmatic cough can be helped with homeopathic Ipecac, but they should probably also get their allergies eliminated (through NAET) to take care of the problem permanently.

Ipecac is not recommended much anymore. But homeopathic Ipecac definitely is! If this is not in your medicine cabinet at home, go out and get some. It may save you when vomiting hits in the middle of the night.

Available at Chuck's Produce, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods and New Seasons Market

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!

Belladonna December 2015

Belladonna--the name sounds so innocent, literally meaning "Beautiful lady". The purple flowers hand languidly from arched stems, seeming to mind their own business, offering up unassuming beauty to passersby.  However, the foliage and enticing berries which the flowers give way to in Autumn are extremely poisonous, giving the plant it's other common name: deadly nightshade.

The berries are mild tasting and many children have died by eating them. Women used to use a mild tincture of this plant to make their pupils dilate, which was thought to be beautiful. Too much of this tincture or eating the berries of this plant could result in any one of these symptoms:

• hallucinations
• high fever
• cramping pain in the abdomen, particularly along the transverse colon
• pounding headache, with so much pressure the eyes feel as though they will pop out. Headache is worse with coughing, light in the eyes, noise, mar, motion, stooping.
• sinus pain (frontal or maxillary), better with hard pressure, worse from stooping forward
• severe ear pain, throbbing
• tonsillitis with severe pain and exudate (white spots). Air passing over the tonsils makes it hurt worse
• constipation
• cold hands and feet but hot face

All of these symptoms fit a flu that has been going around.  The interesting thing about the Belladonna flu is that is is typically short lived. There are two flus that have been going around whose symptoms seem to last longer than a day or two. See my previous post regarding Bryonia and Hepar sulph.  If Hepar sulph doesn't seem to fit because there is not a lot of mucous, try Belladonna for dry sinus congestion/inflammation.

People with Belladonna symptoms over the last two weeks, though, have had sudden recurring bouts of abdominal pain across the transverse colon, hot flushes/fever, nausea, and feeling sick. These symptoms will get somewhat better, then return in a day or two. Usually Belladonna flus don't have a remitting/recurring style, but this year it seems to. Belladonna has worked very well for treating the abdominal cramping and fever lately.  Three patients so far have had intense cramping resembling a gall stone attack. Imaging has shown no stones and one patient did have a gall bladder polyp. Belladonna is a cholecystitis (gall bladder inflammation) remedy. So far over the last two weeks it has worked better than colocynthis and chelidonium which are more often used for gall bladder symptoms and cramping abdominal pain in the epigastrium.  Also Nux vomica, which is typically used during holiday time for over indulgence in rich foods, has not been working well for indigestion this year.

Belladonna is the best pick right now for fevers or abdominal pain that come on suddenly (within minutes to hours). Typically, the person with the flu will feel hot and a little "out-of it"--be it weird dreams or waking delirium at night. Their eyes will look glassy and the pupils will be dilated. These are the hallucinogenic effect typical of a belladonna flu, likely caused by a very high fever. Pregnant women should take care not to let their fever go too high (over 102 F). Taking Belladonna early in the flu onset can prevent this. 

Because a Belladonna flu comes on so suddenly, it is advisable to have some on hand in the medicine cabinet. Luckily, most natural health grocery stores will carry homeopathic Belladonna.  A 30c dose will treat most people, young and old. If you happen to have a 200c dose on hand, that will also work, but take only one dose daily as needed. Babies or young children can probably get away with a 12c or 6c dose, given as needed for symptoms.

And remember: DON'T EAT THE BERRIES!

Hepar sulph (Fall 2015)--the flu that just won't end

In my last post (please read), I told about the Bryonia flu, in which cold intolerance is a hallmark.  While Bryonia marks the beginning of this slowly onsetting flu, when it continues and morphs into the sticky, gluey, stuffy cold you get when mucous fills the respiratory tract and decides to set up camp, you might have the hepar sulph flu.

Hepar sulph is also known as calcium sulfide and is prepared by peeling the calcium rich inner layer of an oyster shell (see pic above) and combining it with sulfur and then treating it with hydrochloric acid. One of the hallmarks of this remedy is the inability to bear cold, so it is a remedy which follows the Bryonia flu well.

Similar to Bryonia, people suffering from the Hepar sulph flu feel worse with cold drafts, want to be wrapped and even their head covered up to protect the ears from cold wind. They feel better in warmth and humidity.  They are also irritable like Bryonia. People in a chronic Hepar sulph state are good workers (similar to Calc carb.--calcium carbonate) but they don't tolerate the imperfections and the annoying nature of other people and thus are known to be 'grumpy'.  At the same time, they are also sensitive and get their feelings hurt easily, mirroring their sensitivity to a slight cold draft.

In the flu state of Hepar sulph, there is much mucous. Take a look at the oyster shell picture above. It does not look clean and smooth. There is a lot of icky matter clinging to the shell. Simlarly, in a Hepar sulph flu mucous is abundant and becomes sticky and thick, coating the sinuses, throat, and bronchioles. It is difficult to expel.  Sinus infection ensues (or what is known as a sinus infection in western medical terms) as well as bronchitis. While these problems are commonly treated with antibiotics in the United States, the medicine does not solve the problem of the sticky mucous.

Hepar sulph is commonly used for tonsillitis and ear infection where the sore throat pain on swallowing shoots up to the ear in a piercing manner.  In a child who does not talk, you may notice them cry out every time they swallow and they may also tug on their ear or cover their ear with their hand  They want to be wrapped up.  Mouth ulcers and cold sores can also be helped by hepar sulph.

Already this year I have had a few people come to me at the end of their course of antibiotics thinking that they need something more--more antibiotics or something different.  I give them something different--homeopathy.  Their noses are still stuffy, they are still coughing. Though they might feel that their production of mucous has waned, the existing mucous still clings to the mucous membranes. Whereas the Bryonia cough is dry, the Hepar sulph cough is wet sounding, yet the mucous is difficult to bring up. When the nature of the cough changes from dry to wet sounding, you know you have to switch from Bryonia to Hepar sulph.

Actually, if people would take the Bryonia homeopathic near the beginning of the flu, I am certain that they would never reach a Hepar sulph state. However most people come to me after having gone to urgent care and having taken antibiotics already.  If you go to your nearest Natural Grocers, Chuck's produce, Whole Foods or other health food store, stock up on Bryonia and Hepar sulph in a 30c dose if you can find it.  Those in a less toxic state or children may get away with a 12c or 6c potency.  You can usually avoid antibiotics by having the proper homeopathic remedies on the shelf.

Forecast: Bryonia

I'm going to do something a little different this time and actually give a prediction. I predict that this season's first flu (in case you haven't had a flu already) will be a Bryonia flu. Also I have a prediction based on a couple of observations that the Bryonia flu will transform into a Hepar sulph state (see next blog post).

Although there have been some indications here and there of Bryonia flu, I haven't seen someone with a full blown case of it. Likely because I have been giving out Bryonia for people's symptoms. What symptoms you ask?

-flu that comes on insidiously (slowly). You feel like you are getting sick for a couple of days.
-back ache
-dry mouth, thirst
-laying still feels better than moving. even the movement of breath through the sinuses and lungs is uncomfortable, especially if it's cold air.
-sensitive to drafts. you want to be wrapped up.
-wants to be left alone.  When someone has the Bryonia flu, they don't want consolation. They want to go home and stay there.
-Headache will usually be left-sided, over the left eye or forehead, extending to the occiput, then the whole head (Morrison, Desktop Guide).
-Lung sequelae of colds and flus: bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia with painful coughing.


Try Bryonia if you have an inkling of these symptoms at the start of a flu.  If not sure, there is a great new product in our office that is a combination homeopathic by Hevert called Cold & Flu Relief. It has Bryonia, Aconite, Belladonna, Rhus tox, and other homeopathics that are great for taking at the start of a flu. call the office to get some at 360-433-2727.

Ipecacuana--Summer remedy 2015

There has been a large amount of nausea going around.  People are getting the flu, some with diarrhea, some with vomiting, most with a little fever. All have nausea.

When it comes to nausea, Ipecac is often the top remedy to take. Not Ipecac in a bottle that you give your kids when they eat poison. Homeopathic Ipecacuanha.  Liquid Ipecac causes vomiting and as usual, according to like-cures-like theory, homeopathic Ipecac helps relieve nausea.

Homeopathic Ipecac can be used for nausea and vomiting with cough, migraine, labor, and dysmenorrhea (painful menses). It is indicated for rattling cough in warm humid weather and asthmatic bronchitis,  making this remedy especially useful in summertime. In addition, it may be used for motion sickness nausea, which typically will happen on a boat, and boats are especially used in summertime.

Croup can have vomiting or coughing until gagging as a hallmark and Ipecac can be used to relieve cough due to pertussis. (it is recommended that antibiotic therapy be co-administered especially in anyone with asthma or other respiratory trouble).

This summer, many people have had one to two weeks of nausea, low grade fever (higher fever in babies), and some with abdominal cramps.  Certainly there are other differential diagnoses with these same symptoms but among the patients I have seen who have also been to the ER or seen their MD  none had any other complicating diagnoses and none had any other symptoms or sequelae.

When we see vomiting and diarrhea we usually think of Veratrum album. However, this sickness going around is not as intense as veratrum. The diarrhea may come on for a few days before the nausea. The patient does not get dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea together. Most do not have vomiting at all, just the nausea. Also the thought or smell of food may make them more nauseous.  In addition, they may have very stiff muscles of the face and neck during the cough as well as aching in the bones, particularly the legs.

So far, Ipecac has helped a great deal. Does it cure the virus?  The virus may last just as long as if the patient did not take the Ipecac. However, even if a person had to take two to three doses of Ipecac homeopathic daily for four or more days, that person could go on with their daily life or at least rest at home free of nausea while they recover.  So far, low dose Ipecac (12c) has worked well.

Ipecac can also be used for chronic asthma and any tendency to nausea and hemorrhage.

Lycopodium--attack of the club moss

Lycopodium. Club moss.  Technically it's a moss, but it doesn't lay low or horizontal like some other common mosses.  Although it propogates by travelling along the ground, it sends up shoots which stand straight up, resembling a pine seedling.  This gives  it one of it's names: 'ground pine'. Lycopodium clavatum is the species found in Europe, so is the species used to make the homeopathic medicine. 

When most homeopaths think of Lycopodium, they think things like abdominal bloating, gas, and feelings of inferiority.  The classic phrase "if you don't like a podium, you might need Lycopodium" helps us remember how the Lycopodium individual is not keen on public speaking and so the remedy can be used for these occasions. 

However, a well known homeopath recently identified Lycopodium as the genus epidemicus (flu remedy) for the flu this winter.  Indeed, many of the symptoms of this year's flu are symptoms that match the potential Lycopodium picture:

FEVER-Remittent (the illness waxes and wanes, coming back just when you think it's over)

MIND-Dullness-headache, with 

HEAD-Pain-light; from -agg.  (light in the eyes causes headache)

NOSE sinuses, complaints of -frontal sinuses

NOSE-congestion

EXPECTORATION-rusty (this was towards the end of the cold)

CHEST-inflammation-Bronchiol tubes-bronchopneumonia (seen in a couple of patients)

VERTIGO-lying-amel.

update 3/3/15: got the cold again, here are some more symptoms I forgot about:

THROAT-DRYNESS-lying agg.

THROAT-MUCUS-greenish (by the way, it is all coming from the adenoids but Lycopodium is not listed in the very few adenoid rubrics available).

HEAD-PAIN-Forehead-Middle of (one is tempted to use sinus rubrics here but more simple head pain rubrics seem to have been used)

I first got this flu in September. Usually I am happy to get the flu early in the season because then I can figure out the homeopathic remedy and use it on other people.  With this flu, you go down. Fast and hard.  Your head feels like lead, at least mine did.  I could not think. The sinuses were completely congested and heavy. Sinus headache.  Light shining in my eyes while driving made the headache worse. I felt vertigo when watching moving objects (although Lycopodium did not show up in the computer repertory for that symptom).

I had tried several flu remedies and nothing worked. I finally used an herbal bronchitis formula which worked for the cough with which this flu ended. (update 3/3/15: herbs seem to work well for this flu. When i got it last weekend, I was up at a hike-in cabin in the mountains and did not have any homeopathics with me (doh!).  Luckily I had thyme and oregano which I had just picked from my yard before heading out for the trip.  I chewed on the thyme and oregano buds and the sore throat went away and I felt much better in the morning).

Then Paul Herscu, homeopath, naturopathic physician and teacher, suggested lycopodium as the flu remedy this winter. I was over the flu so I couldn't try it (see update below). I asked other people to tell me their symptoms but it wasn't until late January when my family came down with the flu.  Lycopodium seemed to work. I had a few symptoms again, took lycopodium right away and was fine. I also took other remedies though (I can never keep myself to one remedy). Then a friend of mine took Lycopodium when she and her family were sick. She got better within hours but her husband who didn't think Lycopodium fit his picture refused to take it and his flu carried on for days.

After reviewing Lycopodium again, I can see how it can be a cold/flu remedy. Although it's classically used for gastrointestinal distress (which also is apparent in this flu in the form of loose stool and gas), like any remedy it can treat a multitude of other symptoms. It's interesting that Lycopodium, the plant, contains triterpinoids with acetylcholinesterase inhibitor activity.  Use of acetylcholine esterase inhibitors can carry an increased risk of bronchitis, pneumonia, and chronic cough.  Acetylcholine increases mucous secretion and congestion in the sinuses. So if Lycopodium as a plant can cause the symptoms associated with increased acetylcholine (via acetylcholinesterase inhibition), then using Lycopodium in a diluted and potentized homeopathic dose should treat the same symptoms.  This would prove Hahnemann's theory of 'like cures like'.

I will definitely be keeping this remedy in mind for future flus which have the sinus and bronchial symptoms listed above as hallmarks.  

UPDATE 3/3/15: did take Lycopodium this morning again as the cold is still lingering after getting back from my mountain excursion over the weekend.  The sinus pain is definitely right in the middle of the forehead, is sinus in nature, and worse with inspiration although it is not listed in this rubric in RADAR.  This shows the difficulties of using an incomplete repertory to find a remedy. Also my throat was very dry (THROAT-DRYNESS: 379 remedies) but only bothered me at night when I lay down (THROAT-DRYNESS-lying-agg.: 2 remedies). Although using large rubrics and tiny rubrics are both ill advised, using the smaller rubric brings us to the remedy in this case.  After a 200c dose, then a cup of coffee (I know, I know) then another 200c dose, the sinus pain is still there but congestion is improved.  Hopefully the dullness of mind caused by the headache will subside as I need to contemplate the periodic table in relation to disease for an upcoming discussion next week.

J Popul Ther Clin Pharmacol. 2010 Fall;17(3):e379-89. Epub 2010 Oct 26.

Cholinesterase inhibitors and the risk of pulmonary disorders in hospitalized dementia patients.

Helou R1, Rhalimi M.

Fall 2014, the Ferrum phos Flu

the Ferrum phosphoricum flu, Vancouver Washington, September October 2014

Vancouver has had mild rain storms in the last week with cloud breaks offering really nice sky views. At the same time, there has been a mild flu going around.  A ferrum phos flu.

With all the talk about Ebola in the news these last two weeks, I have been wondering one thing: what are the exact symptoms of Ebola?  How does the person feel?  The Liberian man in Texas described his first symptom as a sharp headache.  A couple of days later, I got a sharp headache. Other symptoms followed (not symptoms of Ebola, just symptoms of a flu). Since I had been studying possible Ebola flu remedies, I decided to try one I had picked as a possible remedy. Here are the symptoms which developed over the course of 4 days...

Fever: I knew I was not feeling well when I was putting on a thick sweater at the office.  Normally, a summer sweater would do in air conditioning on a 75 degree day.  Although the sweater felt nice, I didn't feel overly chilled, and definitely never got shakes. Throughout the flu, I actually felt warmer than normal, which was nice because I'm usually a little cold, especially in air conditioning. the warmth stayed near the surface of the skin, rather than feeling hot on the inside and cold at the extremities as is the case in other flus. So this was not a Gelsemium flu, Belladonna flu or Arsenicum flu.

Headache: quickly following the short lived chill I got a sharp headache. I knew what the Ebola victim meant by "sharp".The pain started in my right nostril/sinus and went up to my right forehead as if a spear or knife went straight up through those places.  The maxillary sinuses were very tender to air going in, especially on the R side.  Again, the pain could be described as sharp.  It also felt like a pressing pain on the forehead and at one point, both temples hurt and felt congested, almost throbbing, but not quite.  In addition, the headache started actually in the occiput on the Right side.  I normally have pain in that area, so at first, I did not know it was a sign of the flu. It felt good to press on the base off the occiput and also it felt as if I needed a chiropractic adjustment. The headache remained throughout the flu and in fact, was the last symptom to leave.

Nausea: nausea quickly developed with lack of appetite. Although at work, I didn't eat hardly anything the entire day.  At first, I thought it was just stress related stomach problems because I was buying a used car for my daughter that week.  But with the temperature and sinus symptoms, I was getting the picture that it was a flu.  The nausea was part lack of appetite, part dizziness, and part light headedness.  Every time the homeopathic I finally took wore off, the nausea and lightheadedness came back.  The one thing I did have an appetite for was ice.  I wanted ice cold water, and chewing on ice made my stomach feel better, more settled.

Eyes: When the headache started, photophobia came on as well.  I had to squint while outdoors so as not to make the headache worse.  By the third day, my eyes felt burning and as if there was sand in the lids.  I thought I might be getting conjunctivitis.

what was absent: with this flu there was absolutely no joint pain.  In fact, usually I have a little stiffness and joint pain.  I actually felt fairly comfortable throughout this flu, except for the crick in my neck around C1/C2.  I did drink less coffee, but the garden was producing oodles of cherry tomatoes and I ate plenty of those.  (As we all know, nightshades can cause joint pain). So whether or not a change in diet had any affect on joint pain is unknown.  Either way, this was definitely not a Eupatorium or an Arnica flu.

So what did I take?

I had insomnia as is normal during a flu and during the night I got up and took Sanginaria.  As I've mentioned in earlier posts, a Sanguinaria flu starts with a pain in the neck and trapezius on the Right side going up to the right forehead and eye. It did nothing for my symptoms. Later I took Ipecac due to the nausea because I had to go to work. At this point, I was still not sure if my symptoms were due to stress or a flu. The nausea did not get worse, but I had absolutely no appetite and felt that if I ate, the nausea would worsen.  Neither of these remedies stopped the headache, dizziness, or fever (and by fever, I really mean a warmth throughout the skin).  I took Causticum later due to it's connection with a feeling of a crick in the neck during a flu. Nothing.

Then I happened upon a remedy that I was investigating due to Ebola.  Ferrum phosphoricum.  It is iron phosphate. The iron remedies, especially ferrum phosphoricum, are used to treat iron deficiency anemia.  We know that people with iron deficiency crave ice.  That is what made me think of a ferrum phos.

Ferrum phos matches these symptoms in the repertory:

EYE--Photophobia, headache during
EYE--Photophobia, fever during
EYE-Pain, burning
EYE-Discoloration, red
EYE-Pain, sand, as if from

VERTIGO-Nausea, with

HEAD-Pain, accompanied by fever
HEAD-Pain, occiput, sore
HEAD-Pain, occiput extending to forehead
HEAD-Pain, sides, right
HEAD-Pain, eye, above

FEVER-without chill

STOMACH-cold drinks ameliorate

I had looked at this remedy due to it's possible accompanying symptoms of hemorrhages from any orifice (coughing up blood (hemoptysis), bloody stools, bleeding from the gums, nosebleeds).  Also it is listed as a remedy for the beginnings of contagions. Obviously I did not have these symptoms.  But I took the remedy.

I started to feel better. The pain in the nostrils subsided.  The headache lessened.  I had taken a 200c dose because I wanted quick results. A couple of hours later I didn't feel as well as I wanted to.  I wanted to take another dose but knew it was inadviseable to take another high dose.  I had some ferrum phosphoricum cell salts (6x) so I took that. Pain in the nose subsided the sinuses started to drain even though they had not really felt congested.  It felt as it does at the end of a cold when mucous is the last sign of residual illness.  I found a 30c dose and that was the next dosage I took when the headache worsened again hours later. All symptoms abated without any new symptoms arising.

I had to take more 30c doses, about 2-3 doses per day for 3 days before the symptoms completely subsided.   Taking the remedy helped me feel good enough for a few hours to go about what I had to do--purchase a car for my daughter, cook, eat, type up chart notes, etc.

But was this only my experience?  Was it isolated or was this flu going around? On the first day that I had a headache, a friend also had a headache. When I asked him to describe the headache it matched mine--on the Right side, in the nose and sinus and going up behind and above the Right eye.  He also had a sore throat.  I gave him a dose of ferrum phos 30c and asked him to get back to me.  4 hours later, he texted that he felt much better.  About 24 hours later, he wanted another dose. He took that and felt better again.

In addition, two other people had similar flu symptoms that week.  Their only complaints were nausea, lack of appetite, headache and slight vertigo.

It would be interesting for homeopaths to collect more detailed information about Ebola symptoms to see if ferrum phos could be of use, especially in the early stages.  Perhaps Ebola is getting out of hand due to a ferrum phos flu going around simultaneously with Ebola.  Either way, if you have any of the above symptoms in the next few weeks and try ferrum phos, let me know how it works.