What You Can Do: Homeopathic Options for Facing COVID-19
This is the first in a series of four posts about homeopathy and COVID-19.
BE VIGILANT BUT DON’T PANIC ; - )
Understandably, I’m getting a lot of calls from concerned clients about COVID-19. The best protection, as always, is hand washing (key!), good nutrition, rest, and, above all, stay calm, keep a light heart, and avoid the rabbit hole of fear.
Fear and stress trigger the adrenal glands to release cortisol and this suppresses the immune system.
A suppressed immune system makes us more vulnerable to contracting disease.
Homeopathic treatment acts as a stimulus to the immune system. If you’re struggling with fear at this time, we can select a treatment with this symptom included.
SO, WHAT CAN HOMEOPATHY DO?
There are two approaches:
Preventative Measures and Treatment.
Preventative Measures
HYGIENE
The first step is to pay attention to your Hygiene. There is already abundant information circulating regarding practical aspects of hygiene, like this page of advice for the public on the WHO website. I also include a recipe at the end of this post for making your own hand sanitizer.
HOMEOPROPHYLAXIS
You can also prepare your immune system by a method called Homeoprophylaxis. This approach is used to educate the immune system to the disease using an attenuation of the pure viral component prepared as a homeopathic remedy, called a noseode. Noseodes:
do not contain crude material substance
do not contain chemicals or additives
are attenuated via extreme serial dilution and succussion
are administered orally
stimulate the general immune system
there are no side-effects in the use of noseodes for homeoprophylaxis, only the desired effect of a temporary mild immune system response demonstrating the appropriate immune system function.
Homeoprophylaxis has been practiced widely, and often shows an 80+% success rate in human studies, even for some bacterial and viral infections that there are no vaccines for. I’ll discuss a modern success story illustrating the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments in another post later this week.
Homeoprophylaxis can be used BEFORE exposure, as well as during and after.
I use these viral and bacterial remedies in my everyday practice for Whooping Cough, Lymes Disease, Herpes, Strep, Chlamydia, Human Papilloma Virus, Pneumonia, and others.
Here’s how to apply the method of homeoprophylaxis to the circulating COVID-19:
We can apply the HOMEOPATHIC NOSODE which I have available for existing clients. Reply to this email if you are my client and interested.
FHCI, Free and Healthy Children International, is rolling out a research platform conducted on HP COVID-19 to track the noseode use. We would like to capture as many doses given as possible and resultant efficacy. Your HP Supervisor (that’s me, or other registered HP supervisor) can help you set up your participation. Participants will be electronically followed up with after three months.
Another approach recommended by the Ministry of the Central Council for Homeopathy in India was described in a statement they released advising Arsencium album 30c as a possible prophylactic remedy match for the Novel Coronavirus. Be aware that these recommendations by the Indian Council for Coronavirus are somewhat speculative, and not yet based upon experience with patients (at the time of statement release, February 2020). Updates are expected.
Coronavirus has a long incubation period (10-14 days) and initially presents as a cold. This slow manifestation does suggest Arsenicum album 30, which is an excellent medicine for extreme colds and has great scope on the upper respiratory system, also matching the Coronavirus. Find out more.
Treating Symptoms
IF you start to get sick with a common cold, runny nose, fever, eye discharges, fear, anxiety, etc., don’t let it run its course. TREAT THE SYMPTOMS in the earliest stages. Be pro-active at this time.
Even if you’ve taken preventative measures, you might begin to display symptoms. Fortunately, we can start treatment based on the individual symptoms or the collective symptoms (genus epidemicus). The pace and strength of infection will vary from person-to-person, based on their own susceptibility, as well as the susceptibility of the collective.
Based on reports from China and homeopaths around the globe, as well as the flu cases I have already treated this year, the symptoms of people who get the Coronavirus point towards Arsenicum or Gelsemium (as first choices, or most seen) and Bryonia or Eupatorium perf. (as the next most seen, or second choices). One other potentially very important remedy is SQUILLA MAR. (research on this rx is intriguing by how well it fits the known symptoms).
It is always best to individualize treatment whenever possible. The recommendations below are for clients experienced with homeopathic treatment and want to self-prescribe using their own remedies.
Early and Middle stages
Arsenicum album 30c - slow onset, coryza of early cold symptoms, weakness, fear and anxiety, esp. relating to germs and ones own health. 1-2 doses daily for one week, then stop. Repeat one or two doses a week if the need continues. Alternately, 1 dose every other day for 1 or 2 weeks if concern is there. Adjust the dosing according to the need and circumstance.
Ignatia 200c - anxious, fretful, feelings of grief (a remedy for the sads, including environmental, epidemic, climate-change sadness, etc). 1 dose daily, until the outlook has returned to sound thinking. (do not continue for more than 2-3 days max).
Ferrum phosphoricum 6x or 30c - in the very earliest signs of being ‘off’, dry tickling cough, low-grade fevers, usually in the first 24 hours only, or otherwise cell salts (6x) to support and energize a low-grade fever (which uniquely presents with Coronavirus). This rx is an excellent blood oxygenator.
Gelsimium 30c or 200c - extreme fatigue, malaise, chills, achy muscles, heavy eyes (also presenting in Coronavirus). In fever use 200c. As a possible prophylactic use 30c:
One dose Gelsimium 30c weekly when an outbreak is geographically distant.
One dose Gelsimium 30c daily for seven days if you are close to an outbreak. And then twice a week after that until the threat passes.
Differential Diagnosis
Gelsimium - can be shaky, shivery, tremulous, weak, nervous, heaviness in the eyes, headache, backache, just needs to go to bed. There is no energy. Cannot think anymore. Cannot hold eyes open anymore. Wilted. Done. Its physical symptoms are situated more in the neurological system.
Arsenicum - has fear, anxiety, but is more OCD, germ-phobic, and truly anxious in its expression (than Gelsimium), there may be trouble sleeping in the mid-night hours, person is chilly, and weak, wants to ‘hug the fire’. It’s physical symptoms are situated more in the respiratory system.
Belladonna - Sudden onset, plethoric, red face, glassy-eyed, a hectic hot fever. We can give a 200c. [this remedy picture is not showing up much in relation to COVID-19 symtpoms, but still worth having on hand during any acute viral infection and flu season].
Bryonia - a very DRY, hard even painful cough, with stitching sharp pains, worse with any motion, person might hold chest when coughing, has great thirst, needs to be still, and wants to be alone.
Eupatorium - flu with BONE ACHES, as if every bone in the body is breaking - DEEP, intense pain, especially in the back. Use 200c in fevers or with intense symptoms.
Squilla maritima - HARD VIOLENT coughs either dry or loose. Respiratory infections - bronchitis, pneumonia. Sharp pains especially in the left lower chest. Involuntary loss of urine or stool during cough.
Aconite - first 24 hours, SUDDEN DRY cough, esp. after exposure to cold air or wind, hoarse, loud rough cough. Restless, anxious. Fear of death, will sometimes say ‘I think I am dying’, and they really mean it. The fear is real.
Rhus tox - symptoms develop from exposure to cold DAMP air (Mendocino coast simillimum extraordinaire!), stiff joints, yet restless, and better with some gentle movement, dry chesty cough.
Rumex - dry, incessant, teasing & fatiguing cough, worse slightest inhalation of cold air, or any change of air, may cover the head to keep air warm. Tickle in the throat pit. Worse touching the throat pit. Worse lying down.
Nux vomica - chills, fever, gastric complaints, especially in those who are high-powered, overworked, irritable, and/or imbibe in ‘high!’ living. ; - )
Later Stages if the Symptoms Go Deeper
We may see conditions like:
Pneumonia
Pleurisy where the patient presents difficulty breathing, bubbling rattling of the chest
Mucus
High fever
In these instances, we need to treat the individual rather than the genus epidemicus, so contact your Homepathic Practitioner. Remedies to be considered include Antimonium tart, Bryonia alba, Squilla mar, Phosphorus, Kali carb, and Lycopodium, to name a few.
End Stages and Sequelae (after effects following an acute disease process)
Lingering symptoms of weakness may follow a flu process. We can consider remedies like Carbo veg, Phosphoric acid, or even return full circle back to Arsenicum.
Don’t be surprised—or embarrassed—if a bit of depression sets in after you’ve traveled through a flu. It’s very common, yet we all seem to think post-illness depression is unique to us. We can consider remedies like Aurum metallicum 200c (one dose every few days until back to our usual self), Ignatia, Natrum muriaticum, or Phosphoric acid, may also be considered.
Historical usage of Pneumococcinum, Influenzinum, or Bacillinum in such times have given remarkable immunological response to the flu disease. Tuberculin aviare (bird), and Oscillococccinum in the beginning of the disease has recovered many from Flu-like symptoms. [The use of these remedies requires more education than provided here].
If you want to explore your options for addressing COVID-19 with homeopathy, you can make an appointment
on my website. or contact me by email.
Face-to-Face appointments online, globally, are available with any booking.
UP NEXT: Tomorrow we look at fevers and how to treat them.
Aloe Vera plant
Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
Mix 3 parts rubbing alcohol with 1 part aloe vera gel. For 1 cup of hand sanitizer mix 3/4 cup alcohol with 1/4 cup gel. The rubbing alcohol sanitizes your hands while the aloe vera moisturizes them. Some people prefer using witch hazel or even vodka in place of the rubbing alcohol.