Next Wave has been hearing from many of you who are dealing with colds and flu… many of you mention a reluctance or inability to take traditional medicines or even over-the-counter medicines for a variety of reasons.
Dr. Dahlia Shemtob, who practices Classical Homeopathy in Southern California, recently sent out this great information regarding how to choose homeopathic remedies for colds and flu. We pass her advice along in hopes that it provides you with a starting point in your research regarding alternative choices for dealing with cold and flu symptoms.
Here is Dr. Shemtob’s useful advice, in her own words, regarding how to choose homeopathic winter remedies for colds and flu:
”When choosing a homeopathic remedy to counter a cold, look for the most outstanding features of the cold to match the most outstanding features of the remedy. A 30 potency administered every 1-3 hours for up to 5 doses is the method most often found efficient. When improvement ensues, stop the remedy.
If need be, switch to another remedy after giving the first one a good chance – after at least 4 doses. It takes practice, but once you become adroit with homeopathy, you’ll never return to the old ways.”
“Here are a few cold remedies with their corresponding symptoms to help you differentiate:
1) The best remedy for the commencement of a cold is Nat mur 6x. However, it must be ushered in with a number of sneezes copious clear mucus and taken at the onset. If these characteristics are present, then this remedy is nearly infallible. If not, don’t bother because it simply won’t work.
2) If chill is the outstanding feature, then Aconitum is often the remedy. It is particularly valuable when the chill is as a result of standing in the cold or getting cold after getting out of a shower etc. It must be taken within the first 12-24 hours or else it will not be effective.
3) Nux vomica is the remedy of choice when the body feels blocked, such as when the nose feels stuffed and would feel better if it could just release. The forehead feels heavy. The person is often irritable and impatient and they resent touch, noise and odors. The bowels may also feel blocked and the sufferer has recently over done it; such as too much artificial food, not enough sleep, recent meds.
4) Is the weather wet and cold? Then Oscillococcinmum is the remedy most likely to address your cold. This remedy is the best selling medication including over-the-counter and prescribed meds in France. That’s right – not Tylenol!
5) If the cold comes from moving from a very warm climate to a cool one, such as when the city dweller goes for a drive on a hot day to the cool mountains, then Dulcamara is the best suited choice.
6) If the cold has caused a weakness as its most prominent complaint, then Gelsemium is your best choice. Chills up the back, beating of the arteries at the neck and hands that are hot and dry are also symptoms associated with this remedy. If any symptom of your cold is made worse from movement, then this is the correct remedy.
7) Mercurius is the best choice when serious mucus from the nose is prominent. The nose is swollen and red from which there is a foul smell. A heavy headache prevails in the facial area; there is thirst and nightly sweats. The person who needs this remedy wants to be left alone, is depressed during the cold or is often low in spirits. The extremities are achy and all the symptoms are made worse from both heat and cold. Excessive saliva is also an indicator that Mercurius should be considered.
8 ) A closely related remedy to Mercurius is Hepar sulph. It is often a good choice when Mercurius fails and is particularly valuable when the person is over sensitive to pain and is irritable.”
”Homeopathy restores well-being during the most uncomfortable colds as long as the correct remedy is chosen. If the remedy you’ve chosen doesn’t work, it’s likely you’ve chosen incorrectly….homeopathy always works when the symptoms match. “
”*PLEASE NOTE: If you are taking your constitutional remedy for chronic symptoms, there is always a chance that your remedy could be antidoted by matching acute remedy! Please contact your Homeopath to get expert advice.”
Please remember that this information is provided for educational purposes only. Contact your medical practitioner for medical advice.
