If you suspect COVID 19 (symptoms here) please avoid over the counter anti-inflammatory medication.

The French minister of health has said that "the taking of anti-inflammatories [ibuprofen, Advil, cortisone … ] could be a factor in aggravating the infection."  This position has been supported by the WHO. 

While there is lots of controversy in the medical community about this position, I think that it it is prudent to be safe and avoid ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medication if you are feeling unwell. If you are are on prescription anti-inflammatory medication please contact your prescriber. If you are reaching for over-the-counter fever reducing pharmaceuticals the current suggestion is to take acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Acetaminophen must be taken strictly according to the recommended dose, because too much of it can cause liver damage. Avoid all alcohol before and after using acetaminophen.

Before you reach for any fever reducing medications I urge you to consider the role that fevers play...

Fevers:

• are a part of of a healthy healing response
• are integral for a full immune response
• are one of the body's most important tools to fight the invasion of a pathogen
• activate the immune system - the heat triggers many important immune system reactions
• increase the circulation in the body to get the immune cells where they need to be
• increase the removal of waste products from your body
• can directly weaken the pathogen

Please only consider suppressing a fever if, in those ages 3 months to adult, there is a high fever (102°F/39°C). This is a great guide: Fever Treatment: Quick guide to treating a fever

With infants under 3 months if there is a fever of more than 100.4°F/38°C seek help from a registered health care practitioner. 

...and of course I suggest that you seek homeopathic treatment sooner rather than later to support your
system and speed your healing without having to worry about suppressing your fever.



Additional Resources:

Are patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus at increased risk for COVID 19 infection?

WHO - Now Officially Recommends to Avoid Taking Ibuprofen for COVID-19 Symptoms.

Should You Take Advil for COVID 19?

Elevated body temperature helps certain types of immune cells to work better, evidence suggests 

How a fever helps the immune system to battle infection

The protein that alters temperature reactivity

Caring for a child with a fever

Video - Reducing Fever, Good or Bad

​As amazing as it seems – given the weather this past week – we are in the dreaded Cold & Flu Season!
(insert ominous music here) If fact as I wrote this post CBC announced the first locally acquired flu case in Ontario!
 
In the next few weeks I encourage you to take some extra care of yourself and your family. We are in a near perfect storm for the onset of a colds and flus with the combination of: diminishing sunlight (lack of vitamin D); a return to chill inducing cold, damp weather; and the effects of the post Halloween sugar binge. The only thing that would make conditions more ideal would be large public gatherings with lots of small children!
 
Check out my website for Colds & Flus 101: A Survival Guide that includes cold & flu prevention tips as well as other cold & flu information.
 
For those that would like a little extra support staying healthy this cold & flu season I am once again offering free homeopathic flu prevention. With at least a 90% effectiveness (vs 19% for the 2014-15 conventional vaccine) homeopathic flu prevention is great alternative. Click the link for more information regarding homeopathic flu prevention and links to vaccine information.


I will be holding flu clinics at the Life Loft on:

• November 12th from 9:00- 11:00am
• November 17th from 9:00-11:00am
• November 19th from 3:00-6:00pm
• November 24th from 3:00-6:00pm

 
If you have any questions or if you can’t make it to any of the flu clinics but are interested in homeopathic flu prevention please contact me.

Yup – I was STUNG 3 TIMES IN THE BUTT! OMG the pain was crazy! Despite years of prescribing and promoting Apis (often referred to as homeopathic Benadryl) for all manner of stings, allergic and anaphylaxis reactions,  I quite luckily had never had a reason to use it personally…that is until this past Sunday…

Evidently a wasp had flown up my long skirt and gotten trapped. As the dictates of Murphy’s law demand, my hands were full at the time of the vicious attack on my bum. Sting #1 was shocking and mildly painful – I dropped my watering cans. Sting #2, millimeters from Sting #1, was met with some expletives and a futile attempt to get the wasp out of my skirt. Sting #3, nearly on top of Sting #1 and Sting #2, was excruciatingly painful - more expletives and mad slapping to crush the evil stinging beast that was attacking my innocent bum.

At various social gatherings I am often asked what people can do to feel better – my standard answer is “only eat real food, get outside and come and see me for an appointment”. I am often amazed at how many people dismiss my advice to get outside as flippant. I am serious – GET OUTSIDE and you will feel better.

From healing gardens, conservatories and greenhouses to restorative nature sanctuaries and forest bathing, being in nature has been used as a therapy for ages because it makes us feel better. Thankfully research is catching up and providing us with some quantitative data.

The benefits of spending time outside include: 

Thanks to some excellent new research and many professional sports figures we are becoming more aware of serious risks associated with concussions.

Most players, coaches and parents are aware of the major signs and symptoms of a concussion (loss of consciousness, vomiting, loss of memory, etc.) but are often unaware of the more subtle signs and symptoms of concussion. Fewer people still are aware that the signs and symptoms of a concussion can take hours or even days to manifest.

Things I have learned about concussions


1. Any violent, jarring motion can result in concussions

Concussions can be caused by more than just direct blows to the head. Anything that causes the brain to be shaken or bounce around in the skull can result in a concussion – think of: whiplash; players colliding together; or, flying through the air while tobogganing and landing with a thud. 

2. Symptoms can take days to develop

With any contusion or bruise (a concussion is like a brain bruise) the full extent of an injury only becomes apparent once the body has responded to the initial trauma. In the brain this delayed neuroinflammatory response can be more damaging then the initial impact itself!

It is imperative that if there is any indication that the brain has been effected you behave ‘as if’ there is a concussion, even if the initial symptoms – like ‘seeing stars’, ringing the ears, or loss of balance – lasted only a few seconds: 

1. Stop playing for the day
2. Rest and monitor health for at least 24 hours,  but especially during the first 3 hours.

Please ignore all advice to ‘shake-it-off’ or ‘get-back-at-it’. 


3. Children and youth are at greater risk

Developing brains are more susceptible to damage, take longer to heal, and are more likely to suffer cumulative damage from repetitive injuries. 

People under 18 are more likely to experience delayed onset of signs and symptoms is (from a delayed neuroinflammatory response) making rest and monitoring in the first 24 hours after an injury especially critical. 


4. Symptoms maybe subtle – even with serious concussions 

The obvious symptoms like headaches, vertigo or slurred speech are relatively easy to recognize and monitor. Many of the other symptoms are quite subtle and can be very hard to recognize – especially in children and youth. There are no definitive tests for concussions – like MRI or CT scans - diagnosis is based on changes in physical, cognitive and behavioral functions.

For a more complete list of concussion symptoms please visit Hockey Canada or one of the other links listed below.

With any injury, immediately seek medical help if there is:

• A headache that is getting worse
  
• Drowsiness or an inability to wake up
  
• Confusion or irritability
  
• Vomiting
  
• Seizures, uncontrolled twitching or jerking
  
• Loss of balance
  
• Slurred speech
  
• Weakness or numbness of the extremities
  
• Loss of memory 
  

5. Concussions cause compound damage

Once you have had one concussion you are more likely to have another – think Sidney Crosby. To make things worse, the health effects can be cumulative.

Anyone who has sustained multiple concussions, or heals slowly from concussions  should seriously consider avoiding all contact, collision and high risk sports or activities.


6. Rest = Recovery

The more you rest the faster you will recover. As hard as it may be to rest, if you return to activity while still concussed it can take 2-5 times longer to heal! For some people returning to activity too soon leads to an intensification of symptoms and an increased risk of another concussion.

Rest during a concussion means both physical & cognitive (thinking, concentrating, learning and reasoning) rest for as long as you are experiencing any symptoms. For adults the typical recovery period is between 3-10 days. Children and youth can take double that time to heal.

Try not to panic…cognitive rest includes eliminating screen time, you must avoid computers, cell phones and video games! This may sound impossible, but complete cognitive rest is required to heal your brain.

Slowly re-introduce activities in 5-15 minute intervals only once symptoms have significantly improved. Stop and rest if symptoms aggravate. As always – pay attention to your symptoms. Symptoms are the manifestation of your injury and a sign that your body still needs to heal and recover.

Avoid the use of any prescription or non-prescription medication without direct medical supervision – using headache medicine, pain killers and anti-inflammatories while concussed can cause serious complications.

 
7. Homeopathic Treatment can speed recovery

In my personal life and in my practice I have seen the correct homeopathic treatment substantially speed healing after concussions. I have even seen the resolution of lingering symptoms (tinnitus & vertigo) that were decades old!

With any trauma, and especially head traumas, the first treatment to consider is homeopathic Arnica*. In fact,  Arnica* is so effective at reducing inflammation, pain and bruising that it is routinely prescribed by plastic surgeons to speed healing and recovery times. Arnica* is widely available in pellet form from most health food stores and many major grocery chains.

Arnica* is indicated post trauma if there is:

• Neurological issues
  
• Bruising
  
• Irritability – especially if the injured person insists that nothing is wrong & wants to be left alone
  
• Slow thinking, fogginess or confusion
  
• Stupor or delirium
  
• Falling in & out of sleep
  
• Aggravation from any exertion
  

If after a few days of treatment with Arnica* there lingering symptoms or healing is slow, seek help from me or your homeopathic practitioner. In addition to Arnica* there are many remedies that can help speed recovery time – the remedies must be selected based on the specific symptoms being experienced.

 *Note - I am referring exclusively to a homeopathic versus a herbal preparation of Arnica.


Have fun, play safe and get outside – it is a winter wonderland!
 

Want to learn more?

Parachute: Concussion Toolkit

Sports Concussion Myths and Misconceptions

Sport-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents

Pocket CONCUSSION RECOGNITION TOOL

SCAT3: Sport Concussion Assessment Tool – 3rd edition

Brainstreams: Concussion

Hockey Canada: Concussions

Since it is hand washing season (or at least it should be given that it is cold & flu and holiday gathering season) – I am bringing up household antimicrobials again. A new study has given us yet another reason to avoid synthetic household antimicrobials. 

This study has linked triclosan – the most commonly used household antibacterial agent – with liver dysfunction. The study found that exposure to triclosan disrupted liver function, leading to liver fibrosis and liver cancer.

Based on research by the USA Food and Drug Administration “there currently is no evidence that over-the-counter (OTC) antibacterial soap products are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water”.

Why are there risky chemicals in our common household products that provide us with little to no benefit?


Things I have learned about triclosan

1. If it is labeled as antibacterial or antimicrobial chances are it has triclosan in it.
   
2. Even if it isn’t labeled as antibacterial it may still have triclosan in it -  triclosan is in 75% liquid soaps and over 30% of bar soaps!
   
3. Our skin absorbs triclosan.
   
4. The majority of us have triclosan in our bodies - the average blood serum level is high enough to be harmful to aquatic organisms.
   
5. Your out-of-whack metabolism may be linked to triclosan – it  is an endocrine disruptor that can mimic thyroid hormones in our bodies and disrupt our natural thyroid functions.
   
6. Triclosan can suppress our immune system and is linked to linked to asthma, allergies, and dermatitis.
   
7. The use of triclosan can breed ‘superbugs’ in your home.
   
8. Triclosan + tap water (chlorine) = chloroform. Chloroform is a carcinogen that we can breath in (shower steam), absorb through our skin, and ingest.  
   

On top of all of this, triclosan is everywhere. Since 2001 there has been a more than 225% increase in the number of triclosan containing personal health care products registered with Health Canada. Triclosan is in our toothpaste, mouthwash,  body washes, liquid soaps, bar soap, facial cleaners, lotions & moisturizers, deodorants, shaving creams, make-up, hair conditioners, and disinfectants. Triclosan has also made its way into toothbrushes, kitchen equipment, smartphone cases, clothes, footwear, socks, and toys. 

 
You can easily reduce your exposure.

1. Avoid purchasing products that are labeled antibacterial or microbial.
   
2. Use soap. Just plain, basic soap. Extra bonus points if it is 100% natural. 
   
3. Use natural products around your home. There are loads of natural antimicrobial cleaners on the market or you can easily DIY like this one or this one. 
   
4. The Environmental Working Group and Environmental Defence have tools that can help you. 
   
5. Read labels and avoid Amicor, Aquasept, Bactonix, Irgasan DP300, Microban, Monolith, Sanitized, Sapoderm, Ster-Zac, triclosan, and Ultra-Fresh…I can never remember all of the stuff to avoid so I just try to avoid products with ingredients I can't easily recognize. 
   

Holiday Idea: Locally made 100% natural (including fragrances) soaps can make wonderful hospitality gifts, stocking stuffers, and gift exchange items...hmmm…having just written that I realized that there are quite a few caveats inherent in that statement i.e. most 7 year olds would not enjoy a gift of soap…maybe a better statement is - I love beautiful hand milled soaps - hint, hint ;-)


Want to Learn More?

Environmental Defence: Resources

Triclosan: Environmental Fate and Effects

EPA Triclosan Facts

The commonly used antimicrobial additive triclosan is a liver tumor promoter

New assessment of triclosan supports call for ban

The Dirty Side of Soap

FDA Taking Closer Look at 'Antibacterial' Soap

Eat and Drink Well
I wish this meant copious amount of cake and whiskey….it of course means: eating nutritious whole, unprocessed, fresh foods; staying hydrated; and skipping immune suppressing sugar. I am also going to suggest eating live-cultured foods (yogurt, kefir, natural sauerkraut, natural pickles, kombucha, etc.) or adding a probiotic supplement to your diet – a strong healthy bacteria in your belly provides a foundation for a strong healthy immune system.


Get enough sleep
This one can be so hard to do, but chronic sleep deprivation will take an enormous toll on your system and weaken your defenses. Make setting aside time to sleep a priority.

 
Keep physically active 
Being active during flu season has so many benefits, in addition to boosting your immune system it will: reduce stress, help you sleep, improve your mood and make sure you still fit into your favorite summer clothes next spring! Find something you like to do and get moving.    

Living in a post antibiotic world…a reality I would rather not experience – Part 3

This is part 3 of a 3 part blog on antimicrobial resistance. In this final instalment I am expanding on the primer presented in Part 1. 

Part 1 – 5 Easy Things You Can Do To Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance and a  primer on the issue of antimicrobial resistance 

Part 2 – Alternatives to Medicinal Antimicrobial Use

Part 3- Antimicrobial Resistance – The Science Stuff 

I am again starting with the good news. After the good news I am going to really geek-out and talk about the research and science around antimicrobial resistance. At the end of this blog I have included a list of some resources that will give you lots more information about antimicrobial resistance.


The Good News...

There are things we can do  - 5 Easy Things You can do to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance 

There are  Alternatives to Medicinal Antimicrobial Use


The Best News…
Using fewer antimicrobials may effectively eliminate antimicrobial resistant ‘superbug’ populations!

Microbes compete with each other for resources. Studies suggest that carting around antimicrobial resistance is hard work and superbugs require more resources to reproduce – in more scientific terms, there is a fitness cost associated with antimicrobial resistance. Paying the fitness cost of antimicrobial resistance makes evolutionary sense as long as there is a selective pressure to do so - i.e. antimicrobials keep killing your competition and clearing the way for your offspring. Eliminating the selective pressure to have antimicrobial resistance (eliminating the use of antimicrobials) will put superbugs at a competitive disadvantage since they require more resources to produce offspring. In the absence of antimicrobials superbugs will have to either drop their antimicrobial resistance or be overtaken by the competition. 

Who is affected?

Everyone. Antimicrobial resistance is a global issue that affects people from all walks of life, but is of particular significance for the young, the elderly and anyone who is immune compromised,  e.g. chemotherapy patients, people with immune disorders, people battling chronic illnesses, etc.

Antimicrobials (antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitics, and antifungals) are the cornerstone of modern medicine. Superbugs, in addition to hobbling modern medicine’s ability to fight routine infectious disease, make many other routine treatments very risky. Many of the surgical procedures that have become common place – i.e. joint replacements, cardiac by-pass, organ transplants, etc. – become very risky without antibiotics to fight post surgical infections. Modern medicine’s treatment of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer weaken your immune system. These treatments rely on antibiotics to fight the inevitable subsequent infections that result.  As stated in the CDC report Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013 if the ability to use antimicrobials to fight infections is lost “…the ability to safely offer people many of the life-saving and life-improving modern medical advances will be lost with it.”


What is going on?  

Pathogenic microbes (bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi) are developing resistance to all of our antimicrobial agents (antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitics, and antifungals). These ‘superbugs’ are evolving faster than we are developing new antimicrobial agents to kill them. As a result simple infections – like bladder, ear, and candidiasis infections - are increasingly resistant to antimicrobial treatments and posing serious health concerns.

Some researchers note that the development of new antimicrobials is not as profitable as the development of other drugs. They cite the lack impetus on the part of the pharmaceutical industry to develop new antimicrobials as one of the major hurdles in the fight against superbugs. Other researchers note that it is the rapid development and spread of resistance to new antimicrobials – limiting the effective use of the new antimicrobial – that makes new antimicrobial development unprofitable.


Is this happening now?

Yes. The World Health Organization is predicting that a ‘post antibiotic world’ is a very real possibility during this century. Today, health care workers are encountering an increasing number of antibiotic resistant infections. 

In 2013 the CDC reported that superbug infections directly resulted in the death of at least 23,000 people in the USA and that numerous others died from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection.

In its Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013 report the CDC has identified and ranked various microbes based on the threat level they pose to the general population. Microbial strains that have been identified as Urgent include clostridium difficile (C. difficile), salmonella, e-coli, and shigella. Twelve microbes have been identified as Serious and they include strains of: campylobacter and salmonella, common causes of food poisoning; candida, a fungus that causes genital yeast infections, cradle cap, and thrush; staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which causes a range of illnesses, from skin and wound infections to pneumonia and bloodstream infections; and, tuberculosis (TB).


Where are the 'superbugs'?

Antimicrobial resistant ‘superbugs’ used to be mainly confined to hospital environments where antimicrobial use was high and many pathogens were prevalent.  Sadly this is no longer the case and superbugs have spread into the community and our homes.

It makes sense that the emergence of superbugs was initially detected in hospitals: if someone is unresponsive to antibiotics and getting worse they are admitted to the hospital, along with the superbugs they are carrying; the superbugs are now in the hospital and able to easily infect patients with already compromised immune systems. The Globe and Mail has reported that in Canadian hospitals 1 out of 12 patients is colonized or infected by a superbug.

More alarmingly, researchers have discovered a trend of superbug proliferation in the general community. Non–healthcare related infections with superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), that causes a range of illness from skin and wound infections to pneumonia and bloodstream infections, have rapidly increased. 


Why is this happening?

We are overusing and misusing antimicrobial agents - from the antimicrobial/bacterial soaps, cleaners and spays we use around our homes to the broad spectrum antibiotics used prophylactically and as growth promoters in our livestock industries. 

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics creates a selective pressure for antimicrobial resistance - susceptible microbes are eliminated while resistant microbes are left to flourish with no competition. At first this may only be a very small percentage of the original population, but over time the majority of microbes will be antimicrobial resistant.

Research identifies 3 likely reasons for the rapid spread of superbugs in the general population: household use of antimicrobials, non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials in the livestock industry, and medical misuse of antimicrobials.

1.    Household use of antimicrobials
The use of antimicrobials in our homes has rapidly increased,  particularly triclosan, and with it the populations of antimicrobial resistant microbes in our homes have also increased. The antimicrobials marketed for household use are either the same, or very similar to the antimicrobials used medically. The more we use household antimicrobials the greater the chance that we are inadvertently  breeding the antimicrobial resistant microbes that are threatening our health.

2.    The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in the livestock industry.
Many years ago the livestock industry realized that the use of antibiotics increased the growth rate and decreased the nutrient requirements of animals. Today the majority of antibiotic use in North America is for non-therapeutic use in the livestock industry. The blanket application of antibiotics creates an overwhelming selective pressure for antibiotic resistance. The antibiotic resistant microbes from the livestock industry are transmitted directly to us via our food supply or indirectly via environmental contamination from sewage and water outflows from the feedlots.

3.    Medical misuse
As noted above every time an antimicrobial is used it creates a selective pressure that favors antimicrobial resistant microbes. The misuse of both prescription and over-the-counter antimicrobials (e.g. Polysporin)  prophylactically, as a first resort (versus a last resort), or in a broad spectrum format (non-specific to the infection) is adding to the problem. Also adding to the problem is misuse of properly prescribed antibiotics (incomplete dosing, sharing, etc.) creating ideal environments for the proliferation antibiotic resistance.


How are 'superbugs' spreading so fast?

Every time we misuse an antimicrobial we are breeding ‘superbugs’. To make matters worse ‘superbugs’ are generous and they share their antimicrobial resistance with other pathogens – even other species of pathogens.

As noted above every time we use an antimicrobial we are creating a competitive advantage for microbes that are antimicrobial resistant.  Microbial populations can be intrinsically resistant to an antimicrobial – they are insensitive to a particular antimicrobial due to inherent structural or functional characteristics. This fact alone doesn’t fully explain: why there are now so many resistant stains of microbes; why so many strains are resistant to numerous antimicrobials;  and, how resistance to even new and very powerful antimicrobials is spreading so fast.

It turns out that microbes are able to acquire resistance to antimicrobial agents that they were previously susceptible to. Acquired resistance can result from the mutation of genes and from the acquisition of foreign resistance genes from other microbes.  Microbes will transfer resistance to other members of the same microbial species, as well as to microbes in another genus or species. In this way multiple drug resistance can be accumulated and passed on.



You can geek out too - Learn More

Antimicrobial resistance: global report on surveillance 2014

Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013

Antimicrobial Resistance Learning Site

Evidence of Extensive Interspecies Transfer of Integron-Mediated Antimicrobial Resistance Genes among Multidrug-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in a Clinical Setting

The antimicrobial resistance crisis: causes, consequences, and management

Antibiotic resistance mechanisms of clinically important bacteria.

Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria

Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics

Antibiotic Awareness

Antibiotic resistance and its cost: is it possible to reverse resistance?

Insights into Antibiotic Resistance Through Metagenomic Approaches

Food, Farm Animals and Drugs

Health Canada tightens antibiotic use

Phasing Out Certain Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals

A Ticking Time Bomb: Eliminating Antibiotic Overuse in Animal Agriculture

Hospital cleaning in the 21st century

Antibacterial cleaning and hygiene products as an emerging risk factor for antibiotic resistance in the community

Antimicrobial Resistance In Hospitals

How hospitals are on the front lines in a new era of germ warfare How hospitals are on the front lines in a new era of germ warfare

Should antibacterial soap be outlawed?

Triclosan and antimicrobial resistance in bacteria: an overview.

Triclosan and Antibiotics resistance

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in water environments

Flying the coop: Antibiotic resistance spreads to birds, other wildlife



Something to remember: Healthy bodies have strong immune systems that can fend off pathogens naturally – without the use of antimicrobials. And, each time your body successfully fights an infection it learns and fending off subsequent pathogens becomes easier.  Nutrition and homeopathic support can help naturally restore and maintain health. 

I feel like a harbinger of the fall cold & flu season…I guess I kind of am…except that, the main impetus for this post is actually Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) - a cold virus that is typically associated with summer colds!

You can find out more about EV-D68 here.

The best thing you can do for a cold or flu is prevent it! Check out Cold & Flu Season - Part 1: Prevention for the 5 Things You Can Do To Survive The Cold & Flu Season.

If you do start to feel the beginning of a cold or flu drop everything and rest ASAP – lots of sleep/rest now may save you 5-10 days of dragging yourself around at ½ speed. In the first 24-48 hours of the onset of a cold/flu try taking 3 doses (2 pellets) at 4 hour intervals of either:


Oscillococcinum (Anas barbariae): effective in treating the first stages (first 48 hours) of influenza (fever, chills, body aches & pains, etc.)
or
Aconite 30c or 200c: great for acute illness with sudden onset, especially after a shock or exposure.  Symptoms include: excitement, anxiety & fear; restless; a dry cough; and burning heat with a flushed face.

If the 'prevention' and 'nip-it-in-the-bud' ships have sailed and you are now SICK a great place to start is by following the recommendations provided in Cold & Flu Season - Part 2 Treatment. With colds and flus I generally only recommend homeopathic intervention if:

1. If there is either no improvement or a worsening of symptoms
2. If the symptoms are intense (headache, fever, etc.) or unbearable (aches & pains, sleeplessness, etc.)

Things I have learned about treating a cold/flu homoeopathically:

1. You are sick.
Homeopathy can reduce the intensity and duration of an acute illness, but you are still sick and you will have to rest and nourish your body while it finishes fights the cold & flu pathogens. Business as usual will result in a prolonged illness.


2. Convalescence is key 
It is not uncommon to take the right homeopathic remedy, fall into a deep sleep and then wake up feeling better. Try to resist the urge to ‘get back at it’ right away – your body is still actively fighting the pathogen, it is winning, but give it at least a little more time to finish the job.


3. Match the remedy to the symptoms 
There are lots of homeopathic remedies that lessen the duration and intensity of colds & flus. I have listed some of the more commonly required ones below. If none of these sound like they are right please contact me and we can figure out the best remedy. Follow these dosing instructions.

Allium Cepa: profuse, watery, burning, irritating nasal discharge; worse in a warm room and better in open air; red, watery eyes. 

Arsenicum Album: completely obstructed nose with acrid water nasal discharge; burning pains; restless, anxious and very chilly; worse for cold, better for warmth; thirsty for sips of water.

Bryonia: irritability with desire to be alone; aching pains; gradual onset; dry chesty cough – painful; dryness – cough, mouth, throat, skin, very thirsty; headache; worse in a warm room.

Belladonna: sudden intense onset; throbbing pains; hot & red, flushed & sweating; oversensitivity to noise & light; dilated pupils & glassy eyes; violent  - delirium, striking, biting, kicking; cold hands & feet with hot face & body.

Eupatorium Perfoliatum: unbearable aching - as if bones broken; high fever; thirst for cold drinks even during a chill; weakness, chills & shivering.

Euphrasia: extremely irritated, inflamed eyes with burning, itching and lots of watering; tickling cough; worse in the open air; sneezing. 

Gelsemium: weakness & debility; heaviness of limbs, eyelids (droopy) & head; shivering, shaking & trembling; inflamed eyes; difficulty swallowing; fearful.

Kali Bichromicum: violent sneezing; stubborn congestion; ropy, stringy or sticky discharge; better for heat; worse by exposure to cold or in the open air.

Natrum Muriaticum: profuse eggwhite-like nasal discharge; worse in open air; nasal obstruction;  frequent sneezing; dry and cracked lips or a cold sores.

Nux Vomica: sensitive to all stimuli; irritability; watery nasal discharge in a warm room and obstructed nose in open air; headache; chills from any uncovering.  

Pulsatilla: thick, yellow or greenish mucus; nasal congestion, often blocking one nostril; worse in a warm room and better in open air; eyes may be itching and burning or stuck together; weepy, clingy, crave sympathy and attention.