by Niri Pandit and Julia Schiller

About Homoeopathy

Homoeopathy has been successfully used in a lot of different epidemics in the past 250 years. This article gives a brief glimpse into the way this unique treatment modality can help our community reduce the distress and work loss related with influenza.

Homoeopathy’s Track Record Against the Flu

The most severe epidemic of all time was the great influenza pandemic of 1918. It is believed to have been an avian flu. Twenty percent of the entire world population was infected and perhaps as many as 40 million people died. During this epidemic homeopathic medicines were widely used both for treatment and as prophylaxis. The average mortality under standard treatment ranged from 2.5-10%, while only 1% or fewer patients under homeopathic treatment died. Gelsemium sempervirens, Arsenicum album and Bryonia alba were the primary remedies used in the United States during the epidemic [1].

In 1989 there was a double blind, placebo-controlled study done on 487 influenza patients who had been referred by 149 different doctors. Over half who were given the homeopathic remedy called oscilloccoccinum recovered from the flu within 48 hours. The Lancet was not only impressed with the results but by how well the study was conducted. The study was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 1989. [2]

The Homeopathic Approach to Flu

We would like to state that we do not advocate rejection of the current vaccination programme. Most people are aware that in an epidemic there is a mass response that is different from the routine, so whatever one’s individual nature, these viruses are powerful enough to infect a large section of the population in a set pattern. However, patients already under homeopathic treatment may find that the constitutional remedy their practitioner has given them can help to keep their immunity intact despite being in contact with infected people.

Patients presenting in homeopathic clinics with flu usually fit one of these profiles:

They are suffering from an influenza virus different from the strain against which they were vaccinated

They have a related viral illness, often called the flu syndrome, with a running nose, fever, cough, and body aches. Pneumonia can be a complication.

Those that refuse the flu vaccination

Those that cannot be given the flu vaccination

The homeopath usually will administer a remedy that best fits the symptom profile. In a major epidemic, homeopaths from the same area come together to compare the way the illness is presenting in their clinics. They attempt to find the remedy most apt to work; this remedy is called the genus epidemicus, the one closest to the symptomatic manifestation and pattern of the illness. This remedy could be given to all the patients having similar presentations and also to their healthy family members/contacts.

The National Center for Homoeopathy (NCH) is America’s leading open-membership organization dedicated to supporting and promoting homoeopathy in the United States. Last year, the organization decided to create a central place where flu information could be shared systematically. Using Information Age technology to help the homeopathic community keep in touch and spread the word about which remedies are working, the NCH has developed a Flu Tracking database.

Home Homeopathic Care for the Flu

The homeopathic remedies on display at the typical health shop are a fraction of the literally thousands available. However, because commonalties tend to run through injuries and some acute illnesses, including flu, it is often possible for an amateur to develop a repertoire of a few dozen low potency remedies to treat these conditions. Having some training and a good acute prescribing book on hand greatly improves the odds of success. It is important to be cautious, to know one’s limits and not to hesitate to call upon the expertise of professional health care providers when necessary. In particular, patients with conditions like heart or kidney disease, ongoing respiratory conditions, and diabetes should be under the care of professionals, perhaps a homeopath working in conjunction with a conventionally-trained doctor.

Remedies in 30C potency or below are commonly sold over-the-counter in New Zealand and are the appropriate strength for prescribers with no formal training to use. In the flu, a remedy is often given a few times a day until the patient is clearly on the mend. This is in contrast to courses of antibiotics and other conventional medicines, which often need to be continued to be taken even after the patient is feeling better.

Conclusion

In the era before vaccines and antibiotics, homoeopathy proved its usefulness in epidemics of flu and other serious illnesses. Today’s patients can have the best of both worlds. Optimally, professional homeopathic treatment will be used to bolster immunity prior to the flu season. Otherwise, patients already infected often find that their illness runs its course more quickly and with no complications when they use an appropriate homeopathic remedy. Remedies can also be used preventatively for those in contact with infected individuals or in the case of epidemic. Clearly, homoeopathy has a unique and significant role to play in easing the yearly misery and loss of productivity associated with the flu season.

Some of Homoeopathy’s Tried-and-True Flu Remedies

Arsenicum album

A flu patient needing this remedy feels chilly and exhausted, along with an anxious restlessness. The person may be thirsty, but often only takes small sips. If the digestive system is involved, nausea with burning pain or vomiting and acrid diarrhoea may occur. If the flu is respiratory, a watery, runny nose with sneezing paroxysms and a dry or wheezing cough are often seen. The person’s head usually feels hot, while the rest of the body is chilly.

Bryonia

Bryonia’s most prominent feature is that even the slightest motion is supremely aggravating, so when the patient is thus very grumpy and miserable, wanting only to lie still and be left alone, this remedy is likely to be useful. Headache, muscle aches and cough or stomach pain may be the major physical symptoms. The person’s mouth is usually dry and they have a thirst for long cold drinks.

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Flu with deep pain occurring in the legs or back (”as if the bones would break”) often responds to this remedy. Pain may be felt in the eyeballs, with a heavy sensation in the head. Illness often begins with chills and thirst, followed by high fever. Chills may also be felt in the back and legs, and the aching in the bones is worse from motion. The person feels “wiped out” and miserable.

Gelsemium

Symptoms of fatigue and achiness that come on gradually, increasing over several days, may indicate a need for this remedy. The face feels heavy, with droopy eyes and aching. A headache may begin at the back of the neck and skull, and the person may feel chills and heat running up and down the spine. Anxiety, trembling, dizziness, perspiration, and moderate fever are other indications for Gelsemium.

Belladonna

Sudden, intense symptoms – including fever, red face, hot skin, and extreme sensitivity to light and jarring – suggest a need for this remedy. The person may have a very red sore throat, a pounding headache, a nagging cough, or other throbbing and inflammatory symptoms. Despite running a high fever, the person’s hands and feet may feel cold, or chills and heat may alternate.

.Ferrum phosphoricum

This remedy may be helpful during flu with fever, headache, rosy cheeks, and a feeling of weariness. Sensitive eyes, a short hard cough, strong thirst, and vomiting after eating are other indications. This remedy is often helpful in early stages of flu or fever, even if symptoms are not especially clear.

Oscillococcinum (also called Anas barbariae)

Oscillococcinum is one of the common names used for a remedy that is widely used for prevention and treatment of flu in the United States and Europe. Research suggests that it has strong antiviral effects.

Profile of Authors:

Niri Pandit is a consulting homeopath from central Auckland. She is on staff at the Auckland College of Classical Homoeopathy

E-mail:

Phone: (09) 620-5696

Julia Schiller is a graduate of the Auckland College of Classical Homoeopathy. Her practice, Glendowie Homoeopathy, is located in the eastern suburbs of Auckland.

E-mail:

Phone: (09) 585-2285

References:

[1] “Homoeopathy In Influenza-A Chorus Of Fifty In Harmony” by W. A. Dewey, MD Journal of the American Institute of Homoeopathy, May 1921

[2] A Safer Alternative to Vaccinations by Rose Stevens: article downloaded April 6, 2005 from: www.eaglefoundation.net/Dr.%20Rastogi.htm