Tag Archive: homeopathy


Homeopathy and Herbs During Ebola Threat Pt.1

Filed under: Alternative Medicine, Commentary, Emergencies, Medical, Pandemic — Leave a comment
October 13, 2014

ebola10There is no cure nor treatment for Ebola. There is only prevention, strengthening our immune system and supportive (palliative) care. While our country has some of the best healthcare available in the world there are other ways that you dear reader can help yourself in the event of the unthinkable…an outbreak of Ebola and what YOU can do before and during an outbreak.

First, let me clear, I am not a licensed health care professional, just someone who is very passionate about alternative therapies. I have managed to live to the rip old age of 42 with very little help from the medical community in dealing with illnesses. I have managed to keep my 5 children out of the doctors office also, none of them have seen a doctor for anything except one case where a school official forced me into getting an ‘all clear’ note from a doctor during a strep outbreak. So with this in mind, let me share with you what you can do for yourself to support your health in the event of an outbreak of ebola.

AS ALWAYS: SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE WHEN INDICATED. MY ARTICLES ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE USED AS TREATMENTS OR CURES, BUT ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. I REFERENCE EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE GIVEN BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS.

First things first, prevention is going to be KEY as is the case in type of viral or bacterial ‘outbreak’ within a given population or community. Since we have no vaccine for Ebola at this time we have to fall back onto the basics.

Frequent hand washing with soap and hot water. Hand sanitizers do NOT WORK against many viruses though rubbing alcohol will.
Not touching the eyes, nose or mouth (easiest pathway for germs/viruses/bacteria to enter)
Sanitizing surfaces with bleach or rubbing alcohol.
Avoiding contact with those who may potentially have Ebola (Isolation).

Seems simple right? Well, tomorrow I really want you to practice these preventative measures and then keep on going. It takes time to get into infection control practice.

Next, we want to help your immune system to be at its peak. Ways of doing so can be found here.

Okay, got that down. Now what specifically can YOU do to help your body fight off a potential viral infection? There are a few herbs that are known to help support the body in this matter. Boneset and Goldenseal are the two best for this. Use either one daily. You can find more information on viruses and how to protect yourself from them here in my discussion on Entero Virus 68.

Now, let us say you have done all this, taken all the precautions you can possibly take to keep yourself and your immune system healthy. You hear on the news that an Ebola case has been confirmed within 300 miles of your area. Now what?

Time to REALLY practice your ‘staying healthy protocols’. But there are other things to add to this. If you are a normal healthy person with no pre-existing conditions you could also begin to add either Kola Nut tincture or Japanesse Knotweed tincture. Both of these have highly active compounds that viruses of all sorts do not like. A recent paper was presented in St.Louis, Missouri speaking about and Kola Nut extract Ebola. Sam Coffman over at the Herbal Medic speaks about Japanesse Knotweed and Ebola. I would like to make 2 notes here. Kola Nut contains natural caffeine and would not be suggested for those with high blood pressure or anyone sensitive to caffeine. Japanesse Knotweed must be used sparingly as overuse can cause bowel bleeding in some individuals and must NOT be used in individuals prone to bleeding or suspected of having Ebola. For more information on viruses, herbs and tinctures please visit here.

Homeopathy also offers supportive measures. When dealing with homeopathy less is MORE! According to Dr. Vickie Menear, M.D. and homeopath, found that the remedy that most closely fit the symptoms of the 1914 “flu” virus, Crolatus horridus, also fits the Ebola virus nearly 95% symptom-wise! So what does this mean to you? If Ebola is in your area or near you, you can use Crolatus Horridus 30c to help support your immune system against Ebola.

How?

Homeopathy is a proven and safe method for supporting the body and helping the body to come back into a normal state of health. Used as a preventative this is what you do according to Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na):

ONE DOSE of Crolatus Horridus 30c DAILY IF NEAR BY or potentially exposed to the Ebola virus. (of course all other safety measures should be taken IF you have knowingly been exposed or come into contact with an infected individual)
Stop taking once threat is over!!!
this means in your local area and ONLY in an epidemic/pandemic situation…otherwise follow the advice below.

However, standard prophylaxis protocol maybe used in the event that it is in your REGION (about a 300 mile radius)

According to Miranda Castro (a trained homeopath):
OK, in brief here are my thoughts about using homeopathic remedies as preventatives.
1. The beauty of homeopathy is that less Is more. More is not more. In fact, more can be a bad, bad thing.
2. If you take too much of a remedy – whether you need it or not – and, if you are sensitive in general and/or if you are sensitive to the remedy in particular – you can get symptoms you never had before. They don’t usually last long but they can be a pain. Literally. It’s how we test our medicines.
3. Don’t give the children unnecessary medications. Including homeopathic medicines.
4. Use homeopathic preventatives only in an epidemic. And only if the epidemic is really and truly in your area.
5. The safest preventatives are the ones with a proven track record. Some are nosodes (Pertussin for Whooping Cough, Morbillinum for Measles and so on). Some are not – the genus epidemics is the very best preventative of all (homeopathically) – the remedy that is helping the most in any epidemic.
6. Stick with a 30C potency (unless you are under the guidance of a homeopathic practitioner who has made other recommendations). 30C is strong but gentle and has a proven track record. No need to go higher.
7. You only need to give a single dose every 3-4 weeks – that’s how long the effects of a preventative typically last.

REMEMBER: do NOT take more of any alternative method/remedy than recommended, especially homeopathic…you will make yourself ‘prove’ it (make yourself sick!)

So with this advice in mind, stay safe, be prepared and take good care of yourself and those you love. In a later post I will talk about how to support yourself in case you contract Ebola in spite your best efforts until you can get to professional medical care.

survivingshtfmom

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Entero Virus 68…Has Polio Mutated? Homeopathy May Help

Filed under: Alternative Medicine, Commentary, Medical, Pandemic — Leave a comment
October 8, 2014

entero 2Note: this is for informational purposes only. Always seek qualified professional medical care in the event of serious illnesses.

Our country is in fact in the midst of an epidemic called Entero Virus 68 and there are a few children who are dying, becoming very sick and experiencing varying degrees of paralysis. Mostly those with already weakened immune systems or with pre-existing conditions.

I want you to stop and think about something…the children who are getting very sick look remarkably like polio patients. Since the first noticeable out break in California last year (following a campaign to vaccinate everyone against whooping cough) the CDC and doctors have been acting like this is no big deal. But I would say it is. I would suggest that polio has mutated. Can’t prove it, but the duck is sure quacking. And given the population that this ‘entero virus 68’ is hitting I would also further suggest that vaccination of our children could very well be a precluder to this mutation. I am not suggesting not vaccinating, that is between you and your doctor, I am just making note of this.

Per Dr. Dorothy Shepherd:
“Are the inoculations against the various infectious diseases 100 per cent foolproof? Do they not in some cases lead to serum or vaccine disease? Is it not a fact that they often produce severe reactions? Indeed, they have been known to lead to fatal consequences. Have I been more unfortunate than the average homeopathic physician in seeing the negative or disease-producing effects of orthodox prophylaxis? Indeed I was not biased either in the beginning. I was extremely interested in prevention of such diseases as diphtheria and measles and the rest. It was a great disappointment to me to observe the frequent severe reactions in the wake of immunization against diphtheria, and later on the uncertain effects of inoculations against measles, whooping cough, and scarlet fever.
“Now some of my fears of the dangers inherent in the modern methods of inoculations have been proved to be well rounded and correct. Some impartial medical observers in Australia have found that the incidence of poliomyelitis, the modern infantile paralysis, has vastly increased since whooping cough and diphtheria inoculations have become more popular, and that the incubation period of infantile paralysis corresponds closely to, and follows exactly on the correct day after the inoculation has been made (my emphasis) It might have been coincidence, if it had only happened in one or two cases, but unfortunately it has happened in more than 5 per cent of the cases.
It was noticed hereafter that an enormous amount of sickness followed immediately after the immunization. It temporarily reduced resistance to any infection, and they went down with influenza, German measles, whooping cough, and the sickness rate among the nurses was higher during the six months following diphtheria immunization than in any period in the history of the hospital.
On Poliomyelitis
Infantile paralysis is one of the modern varieties of a disease which has come to the forefront during the last fifty to sixty years; gradually it has become more frequent and more virulent.

You can see the entire article here.

A direct quote from Dr. Humphries’ presentation, taken from the Centre for Disease Control website:
“CDC estimation of morbidity and mortality after infection of polio virus…95% infected have no symptoms…4-8% have minor symptoms such as fever, fatigue, nauseas, headache, flu-like symptoms, stiffness of neck and back, pain in the limbs which resolves completely…fewer than 1%(of the 4-8 %) result in permanent paralysis of the limbs, usually the legs and only 5-10% of that 1% die when it affects the respiratory muscles…what other vaccine targeted illness do you know of that is 95% -98 % asymptomatic. (taken directly from here)

With this said, homeopathy offers a way to help the body help itself against various diseases that we now vaccinate against. It is cheap and proven very effective. While homeopathic prophylaxis is now widely accepted in the veterinary community, we in the US are still eating up ‘professional conventional wisdom’ on the necessary need for vaccinations. Yes, they have saved lives, but mother nature has nothing better to do than figure out how to live. We are seeing this with antibiotics right now.

History of the Idea of Homeopathic Prophylaxis
The idea of using a medicine, prescribed homeopathically, for the prevention of disease was present from the very beginning of homeopathy. To my knowledge, the first presentation of this concept was by Samuel Hahnemann in an article, entitled Cause and Prevention of the Asiatic Cholera, which was published in 1831.(1) In this article, Hahnemann suggested a list of remedies (camphora, veratrum, bryonia, rhus toxicodendron, cuprum) that would be of most use in the cholera outbreak that was raging at that time. He was able, from an understanding of the principles of homeopathy and a knowledge of the medicines, to give this guidance even though he, himself, had little experience with the current outbreak of the disease. His followers quickly put these suggestions to the test with remarkable results. In no little way, this predictive ability of Hahnemann’s, in a time of great uncertainty in the use of medicines, was tremendously effective in convincing doctors of the efficacy of homeopathic medicine. To be able to have effective treatment in the face of an epidemic puts aside, at one stroke, the idea of indefinite, imaginary, or placebo effects from use of the medicine.
Later, Boenninghausen, one of Hahnemann’s most able and early students, describes his discovery of the similarity between smallpox (in people) and malanders (in horses).(2) He noticed that when smallpox would appear in an area, the horses would also show the disease of malanders — that these two diseases appeared together. So, because Thuya was considered to be the specific remedy for this problem in horses, Boenninghausen tried it in smallpox in people and found it to be very effective in treatment. He carried this one step further, giving the remedy to members of the same household of the patient ill with smallpox and found it prevented the disease with every person it was used.(3)
It is with this in mind that I would suggest and offer the homeopathic remedy Lathyrus sativa as a prophylaxis (preventative) for this epidemic of ‘entero virus 68’ as it fits the presentation of what we are being told is ‘entero virus 68’. See more information here.

How to do use this homeopathic remedy to help yourself in the middle of this growing epidemic?

According to Miranda Castro (a trained homeopath):

OK, in brief here are my thoughts about using homeopathic remedies as preventatives.

1. The beauty of homeopathy is that less Is more. More is not more. In fact, more can be a bad, bad thing.

2. If you take too much of a remedy – whether you need it or not – and, if you are sensitive in general and/or if you are sensitive to the remedy in particular – you can get symptoms you never had before. They don’t usually last long but they can be a pain. Literally. It’s how we test our medicines.

3. Don’t give the children unnecessary medications. Including homeopathic medicines.

4. Use homeopathic preventatives only in an epidemic. And only if the epidemic is really and truly in your area.

5. The safest preventatives are the ones with a proven track record. Some are nosodes (Pertussin for Whooping Cough, Morbillinum for Measles and so on). Some are not – the genus epidemics is the very best preventative of all (homeopathically) – the remedy that is helping the most in any epidemic. Lathyrus sativus is the one that has a proven track record in polio.

6. Stick with a 30C potency (unless you are under the guidance of a homeopathic practitioner who has made other recommendations). 30C is strong but gentle and has a proven track record. No need to go higher.

7. You only need to give a single dose every 3-4 weeks – that’s how long the effects of a preventative typically last.

8. Give an additional single dose if in direct contact with someone with the disease.
9. The beauty of homeopathy is that less is more

So basically, you will ONLY use lathyrus sativus IF your community has confirmed cases of ‘entero virus 68’.
ONE DOSE (consisting of 3-5 pellets) every 3 weeks. NO MORE THAN THAT
Take an extra dose IF you come into direct contact with a KNOWN/CONFIRMED case.
Stop taking once the threat is gone.

It is that simple.

If you would like more information on how to support yourself in this time of infectious diseases please visit survivalmedicineblog. I have listed 2 great articles on how to support the immune system and what to do to take care of yourself.

Entero Virus 68
Coughs, Colds and Flues

And of course, always use traditional means of prevention: hand washing, keeping your immune system strong, not touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

AS ALWAYS: SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE WHEN INDICATED. MY ARTICLES ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE USED AS TREATMENTS OR CURES, BUT ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. I REFERENCE EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE GIVEN BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS.

Be safe and be prepared.
survivingshtfmom

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Stress and Infectious Diseases: STOP THE STRESS!!!

Filed under: Alternative Medicine, Commentary, Medical, Mental Health — Leave a comment
October 4, 2014

stressimmuneWe have one great defensive team to protect ourselves in this world full of germs, viruses and bacteria our immune system. We are born with it and while not perfect, it keeps us alive in most cases if we ‘catch’ something and it has a great memory for prior foreign invaders.

Our immune system is what keeps us from having to live a sterile environment and it’s in our best interest to keep our immune system strong so that when some invaders comes a knockin’ we have a fighting chance to live. I would hazard to guess that most people don’t even THINK about their immune system and what would happen if it went bye-bye or was seriously compromised. Day in and day out we go about our lives full of stress and surrounded by germs. So, in this day and age when we typically don’t eat right, sit around a lot and stress out about everything and ding our immune systems with literally hundreds of different chemicals everyday what can we do to support our immune system? Fight STRESS!!!

Stress…stress can kill you and that isn’t a joke…according to Paige Bierma, M.A
“Some kinds of stress — very short-term, that last only a matter of minutes — actually redistribute cells in the bloodstream in a way that could be helpful,” says Suzanne Segerstrom, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky who has conducted studies on stress and the immune system. “But once stress starts to last a matter of days, there are changes in the immune system that aren’t so helpful. And the longer that stress lasts, the more potentially harmful those changes are.”
The fight-or-flight response (short-term stress) goes something like this: When a villager in Africa sees a lion charging at him, for example, the brain sends a signal to the adrenal gland to create hormones called cortisol and adrenaline, which have many different effects on the body, from increasing heart rate and breathing to dilating blood vessels so that blood can flow quickly to the muscles in the legs. Besides helping him run away, this type of acute stress also boosts the immune response for three to five days (presumably to help him heal after the lion takes a swipe at him).
When humans experience stress, our bodies react the same way that animals’ bodies do. Once the lion is gone, a zebra or gazelle’s stress level will return to normal, but humans have more trouble getting back to our routines after a stressful event, whether it’s a car accident or a divorce. We’ll think about it, dream about it, and worry about it for a long time, and that sets us up for long-term problems, says Robert M. Sapolsky, a Stanford University stress expert and author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.
Over time, continually activating the stress response may interfere with the immune system. How this affects your disease risk, Sapolsky suggests, depends partly on your risk factors and your lifestyle, including your degree of social support.

Infectious disease and stress:
A number of vaccine studies have also found that the immune system of highly stressed individuals have sluggish responses to challenges. In one study, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, a pneumonia vaccine was administered to 52 older adults, including 11 people caring for spouses with dementia. After just six months, the levels of antibodies produced against pneumonia in the caregivers had dropped off, while the non-caregivers’ levels remained stable. A similar study in which 32 caregivers were given the flu shot also found that caregivers received less protection from the vaccine than did a control group of non-caregivers.
If you’re stressed out, you’re more likely to get sick — at least it seems that way. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine actually found that higher psychological stress levels resulted in a higher likelihood of catching the common cold. The researchers accounted for many variables — including the season; alcohol use; quality of diet, exercise, and sleep; and levels of antibodies before exposure to the virus — and concluded that higher stress was to blame for lowered immunity and higher infection rates.
In the meantime, there is enough evidence to convince us that we should find healthy ways to keep our stress levels down, which is advice we got from our grandmothers: Eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep.
“Stress is inevitable,” Spiegel says. “The trick is to learn to manage it, to find some aspect of our stress and do something about it. Don’t think in terms of ‘all or nothing’ but in terms of ‘more or less.’ ”

An immune system that is continually ‘working, working, working’ never gets a chance to recover so when challenged by an invader it cannot mount an adequate defense.
Learn to manage your stress!

Stressful events are a fact of life and they can be even little ones like too much noise or activity going on around you. You can learn to identify what stresses you and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally in the face of stressful situations. Learn to UNWIND in a healthy way.

Stress management strategies include:
Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep
Practicing relaxation techniques or learning to meditate
Fostering healthy friendships
Having a sense of humor
Seeking professional counseling when needed
Learn to say no! Set yourself realistic expectations and learn how to say “no” when your workload or social and family commitments get too much.
Learn to switch off. Leaving the office for the day? Then it’s time to switch off your work brain as well as your mobile phone. Unless you need to be on call for work, there’s rarely anything that can’t be solved the next day with renewed perspective.
Breathe! When we’re stressed, we tend to shallow breathe. Try to take deeper breaths into your diaphragm.

But hey! There is good news on the stress/immune system relation using herbs called adaptogens and these can be included into your healthy diet as herbal supplements. According to Frank M. Painter, D.C.:
The body expends a great amount of energy keeping itself in a heightened state of readiness. When weakened by prolonged stress–be it caused by lack of sleep, poor diet, chemical toxins in the environment or mental assaults–the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis can be compromised, and illness can result. Adaptogenic herbs have traditionally helped prevent the imbalances that can result from stress and have therefore prevented or minimized disease. At the core of an adaptogen’s scope of actions is the ability to help the body cope more effectively with stress. Specifically, adaptogens recharge the adrenal glands, which are the body’s nominal mechanism for responding to stress and emotional changes. The adrenals, which cover the upper surface of each kidney, synthesize and store dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. These compounds are responsible for the changes that occur during the fight-or-flight reaction.

Well known adaptogenic herbs are:

Ginseng
Suma
Ashwaganda
Astragalus
Schisandra
Jiaogulan

And while mushrooms are not technically herbs Reishi, shiitake, maitake mushrooms have been shown to have adaptogen properties also.

Homeopathy can also play a role in reducing stress levels when needed and be apart of an overall stress reduction program:
According to Claire Zarb LCPH, it’s advisable to start with a 30c potency and take every hour or so when the feelings of stress are at their peak.

Argentum Nitricum
Ideal for treating anxiety, caused by the anticipation of a big event, such as an exam, party or public speaking event. Dizziness and diarrhea may also be experienced, especially in the morning. People who need this remedy are often enthusiastic and suggestible, with a tendency towards being quite impulsive. They often crave sweets which usually make their symptoms worse.
Gelsemium
When a dull, heavy, but restless, weariness dominates you, think of Gelsemium. A dose before an exam or interview can keep your mind from drawing a blank. Heavy fatigue with muscular weakness means it’s great for flu, restless colds, diarrhea and dull, pressing headaches. This can be a very steadying remedy, especially to quiet, often low-spirited people who dread public speaking.
Nux Vomica
This remedy’s reputation is based on its ability to treat modern day complaints of indigestion, intoxication, and stress. Nux Vomica acts to neutralize both the effect of stress on the mind, and excess intake of food, alcohol and drugs on the digestive system. Nux Vomica offers comfort when travel, hangovers, busy schedules, overwork, or late night meals cause digestive and mental distress. Ideal if you’re a ‘workaholic’ who is easily irritable and tired.
Lycopodium
Ideal for nerves and indecision and especially good if you worry a lot and battle with self-confidence (too much and too little!). Digestively, it applies to acidity, gas, bloating, colic and constipation. There may be a fear of change, irritability, obstinacy, stage fright and exam nerves.

And don’t forget the Food!
According to Michael Ozner, MD, the top 10 stress fighting foods are:
1. Spinach contains magnesium, which helps improve your body’s response to stress and may prevent migraine headaches.
2. Asparagus is a good source of folic acid, which produces serotonin and helps stabilize mood.
3. Beef helps stabilize mood by supplying zinc, iron, and B vitamins.
4. Dairy products such as milk and cottage cheese provide protein and calcium.
5. Nuts and seeds are good stress-fighting snacks. In addition to containing vitamin B12, magnesium, and zinc, almonds also provide vitamin E, which, like vitamin C, fights stress-related free radicals that cause heart disease. Walnuts and pistachios are known to lower blood pressure. Sunflower seeds include folate, which helps produce dopamine, a pleasure-inducing brain chemical.
6. Fruits such as oranges and blueberries contain vitamin C, which fights cancer-causing free radicals. Blueberries also counteract the effect of hormones such as cortisol, and bananas provide potassium, which lowers blood pressure.
7. Fish containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, can boost serotonin levels and limit the production of anxiety hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
8. Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fat and potassium, which lower blood pressure.
9. Milk, including skim milk, is high in antioxidants and vitamins B2 and B12 and also provides protein and calcium, which can reduce muscle spasms and tension and soothe PMS.
10. Crispy rice cereal or corn flakes aren’t necessarily low in sugar; however, they offer B vitamins and folic acid, which reduce stress. Have a bowl of whole-grain cereal with milk for a stress-fighting breakfast.
Four foods to avoid:
1. Caffeine, found in coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate, can cause anxiety and raise stress hormone levels.
2. Sugar causes spikes in blood glucose levels and increases insulin. This affects your adrenal glands, which regulate stress hormones and help the thyroid regulate body weight.
3. Trans fatty acids such as hydrogenated vegetable oil are found in many baked goods and can hinder the immune system and increase the risk of heart disease.
4. Alcohol puts more sugar in the body, and excessive consumption can damage the adrenal glands.
While stress is just one factor in keeping the immune system healthy you can see that there are ways of helping the body to defend itself against stress and boost our body’s resiliency against stress. So get moving, eat ‘right’ and get your SLEEP and don’t forget to add homeopathy and herbs into your life to LIVE! Your immune system will love you!

Stay safe, be prepared!
survivingshtfmom

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Homeopathic Self Care for Fevers and Coughs and Colds

Filed under: Alternative Medicine — 2 Comments
September 19, 2014

homeopathy

Homeopathic Remedies for Fevers and Coughs

What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is basicly the use of almost untraceable amounts of animal, plant and mineral substances that help to stimulate the body to heal itself. Homeopathic remedies that ‘heal’ are basicly the substance that would induce the ‘symptoms’. It is based upon the belief that like cures like.
The basis of homeopathy rests with matching the specific symptoms (physically, mentally and emotionally) of the illness or injury with those of the given remedy. If a remedy does not work, you can safely assume that the chosen remedy did not closely match the symptoms. In order to ‘choose’ the correct remedy you will want to ask a series of questions before choosing a remedy. You will want to choose the one that most FITS the description of the remedy. You may not have all the ‘symptoms’ that correspond to a homeopathic remedy, but you want the one that has the MAJORITY of the ‘symptoms’ for the remedy. In order to ‘choose’ the correct remedy you will want to ask a series of questions before choosing a remedy. You will want to choose the one that most FITS the description of the remedy. You may not have all the ‘symptoms’ that correspond to a homeopathic remedy, but you want the one that has the MAJORITY of the ‘symptoms’ for the remedy.

Homeopathy can be a very safe and effective way to handle many health challenges. It is fairly inexpensive and very easy to use. You can some on ebay and amazon but personally I like to order from abchomeopathy online.

General Guidelines for How Much to Take.

For the majority of colds and flues, you will give a 30c potency. As a rule, I will use 3-5 pellets or tablets, wait 15 minutes to see if condition improve and/or symptoms subside noticeably. If not, I wait another 15 minutes and then give another dose of 3-5 pellets/tablets. Again, wait to see if improvement happens. If still no improvement, I will give one more time. If no improvement then another remedy is indicated.

IF you see improvement do not give another ‘dose’ of the remedy until symptoms begin to return or become worse again, then give another dose. This will be an ‘as needed’ approach.
Once a person begins to feel much better drop back to only 3 pellets, 2-3 times daily until healed and then one ‘dose’ of 3 pellets daily for 2 more days.

Please keep in mind that there are many remedies for coughs, colds and fevers but typically you will find only 1 or 2 that WORK WELL in that particular person and for that particular illness. Not all colds, coughs and flues are the same!

Fevers: A fever is the body’s attempt to fight infection. In most cases, the fever is
actually helping the body kill the bacteria or virus that is causing the infection. Generally, fevers of 103 degrees or lower are safe; the exceptions are newborns younger than six weeks, those with chronic illness or immune system compromised conditions, and people who tend to have convulsions with fever. If you or your child has a fever and meet any of the exception seek immediate medical help.

Questions to ask yourself or the person you are trying to help to find the ‘right’ remedy for a fever. You may not have to ask all the questions  but this is the list:

How do you feel?
Tell me what’s bothering you.
Tell me more.
Anything else?
What makes it worse?
What makes it better?
When do you notice the fever the most?
How did the fever start?
Are you hot or cold or both?
Do you want to wrap up?
Do you want warm or cool air?
Where in your body do you feel the fever? Heat or cold there?
Do you want warm or cool drinks?
What emotions do you feel prior to and since getting sick?
How quickly did it come on?

Having gathered as much information as possible next look at the remedies below single out the ones that immediately match the answers given. Then look at each remedy selected and choose the ONE that most resembles the ‘symptoms’ (answers) and use that one.

Fever remedies:

Aconite: first stage of colds and coughs, sudden onset, develops after exposure to cold
air or wind, often with high fever, often with restlessness or fear, chill from drafts, heat
comes on during sleep, very thirsty, pupils contracted
Worse: night or after falling asleep, warm room, touch, fright, noise, light
Better: motion helps the chill but in general sitting still helps, open air

Arsenicum: chill from 12-2 a.m., periodic (fever comes and goes,) heat of face with
chilled body, thirsty for constant small sips, head feels better from cold, but rest of body
wants warmth, very chilly, increased appetite after chills, restless, fearful, worried
Worse: cold drinks, worry
Better: warm drinks

Belladonna: sudden, intense fever, chill beginning at 3 p.m., dry, burning heat without
chills, face and body burning hot, face red or redness anywhere on body, hands and
feet icy cold, right-sided symptoms, craving lemonade, but generally little thirst, twitching
face or body during fever (main remedy for convulsions/epilepsy after becoming
heated), throbbing, bursting headache, pupils dilated, can go into delirium and
hallucination
Worse: 3 p.m., sun, light, noise, jarring, drafts, motion,
Better: light covering, bending backward, leaning head against something

Bryonia: slowly developing high fever and painful inflammation, great thirst for large
amounts, left frontal headache, face pale during chill, deep red during heat, irriatable,
wants to be left along, wants to go home, anxiety about finances, very aggravated by
motion, touch
Worse: motion, anger, cold, wet weather, eating
Better: open air, lying still

Chamomilla: common children’s remedy, especially during teething, perspiration with
chills, heat only in back or front of body, shuddering with heat, one cheek red and hot,
other pale, excitement, irritability, nothing makes them happy, want things then throw
them away, desires to be held, but it doesn’t always comfort
Worse: 9 a.m. or 9 p.m. or in bed at night, teething, warm covering or uncovering, anger
Better: being carried, sweating, heat, fasting

China: famous remedy for fevers from malaria or fevers that come and go, thirst with
chills, headache with heat, skin sensitive to touch during fever, weakness or fatigue after
prolonged fever, worse after diarrhea or loss of vital fluids, most sensitive and irritable
during fever, anxiety before chills, sensitive to light, noise, odors, spaced out during chill
Worse: motion, open air, drafts, uncovering, touch
Better: hard pressure, warmth

Eupatorium Perfoliatum: fever with severe pain, especially bone pains, chill
beginning in back or hands, thirsty before or during chill, vomiting bile, craves cold things
during fever, warm things during chill, yawning and stretching before chill
Worse: morning from 6-9 a.m., cold air, motion, smell or sight of food
Better: vomiting bile, conversation, sweating, lying on face

Ferrum Phosphoricum: fever with few other symptoms, early stages of fever, fever
after head injury, headache and flushed face, inflammatory states
Worse: right side, night
Better: lying down, cold applications

Gelsemium: fever with weakness and trembling, chill running up and down back, chill
begins in hands or feet, face flushed dark red, eyelids heavy, blurry vision, worse
anticipating something, especially a test
Worse: fright or excitement, spring, humid weather,
Better: profuse urination, sweating, shaking,

Hepar Sulph: fever with suppurating glands, chills without heat after, can’t get warm
enough, needs all parts covered, fever blisters about mouth, voice hoarse
Worse: uncovering, evening and night, cold, dry air, winter, touch
Better: covering, heat

Lycopodium: chill in afternoon especially 4-8 p.m., forehead furrowed during fever, eye
pain during heat, anxious, wants someone in same room but doesn’t want to interact
Worse: in bed, after sleep
Better: rising from bed, warm drinks, motion, urinating
Mercurious: night-time fevers with sweats and weakness, sensitive to both head and
cold, runny nose, salivation on pillow at night, metallic taste in mouth, urine odorous
Worse: rising from bed, too warm or too cold, sweating, lying on right, changing weather
Better: moderate temperature, rest, morning

Natrum Muriaticum: fever or chill 10-11 a.m., begins in fingers or toes, severe
headache, especially on right side, especially after grief, complains little, reserved,
craves salty things
Worse: 10-11 a.m., heat of sun, exertion
Better: open air

Nux vomica: fever with violent heat and chills, after overeating or drinking, headache in
back of head, very irritable
Worse: uncovering at all, turning in bed, open air,
Better: lying very still, warm drinks, heat

Pulsatilla: patternless, constantly changing, clingy, no thirst, wants open air or open
window, tearing in eyes, fever with desire to urinate with nothing passed, numb hands or
feet with chill
Worse: 2-4 p.m., warm room, turning in bed
Better: cold bathing, motion, open air

Rhus-tox: fever with aching, stiffness, restlessness, thirst for small quantities, desire to
stretch, heat on left side, chill on right side or heat on back side of body,
Worse: cold, damp air or weather, getting wet
Better: warmth, warming up body with movement

Next up are the coughs and colds.
Again, we begin with questions-
Questions to ask:
How do you feel?
Tell me what’s bothering you.
Tell me more.
What does the cough feel like?
Anything else?
What makes it worse?
What makes it better?
What body position aggravates the cough?
What body position helps the cough?
What foods do you want?
Do you want warm or cold drinks?
How does swallowing feel (swallowing solids, liquids, empty swallowing?)
What emotions do you feel prior to and since getting sick?
What external things bother you? (light? sound? dust? touching throat? odor?
etc)
What kind of weather were you in prior to the cough?
What activities aggravate the cough? (breathing? moving? eructation? talking?
sneezing etc.)
What other conditions accompany the cough? (chills? sleepiness? fever?
diarrhea? etc)
What type of cough is it? (barking? deep? distressing? dry? paroxysmal?
suffocative? whistling? etc.)

Having gathered as much information as possible next look at the remedies below single out the ones that immediately match the answers given. Then look at each remedy selected and choose the ONE that most resembles the ‘symptoms’ (answers) and use that one.

Aconite: first stage of colds and coughs, develops after exposure to cold air or wind,
often with high fever, often with restlessness or fear
Worse: night or after falling asleep, breathing in, lying on either side
Better: lying on back

Allium cepa: cough from colds or allergies, often with lots of watery discharge from
nose that irritates skin and watery discharge from eyes that is not irritating, cough is
painful, may grasp the larynx with pain at each cough
Worse: evening, warm room
Better: open air

Antimonium-tartaricum: noisy, rattling, loose cough – sounds like chest filled with
mucous but cough too weak to expel mucous, especially in elderly or young children,
person may be irritable or not want to be touched, main remedy for pertussis (whooping
cough)
Worse: night, especially 10 p.m. to midnight, becoming irritated, lying
Better: sitting, bending head backwards

Arnica: pertussis remedy, painful, racking cough, person fears each cough, holds chest,
weeping with pain of cough, nose can bleed with cough or burst eye vessels, holds chest
wit each cough, thick, sticky, yellow, can be bloody mucous
Worse: pain
Better: lying with head low or outstretched

Bryonia: severely painful cough felt in whole head and chest, dry cough with each
movement or deep breath, afraid of breathing in
Worse: eating or swallowing, overheating, lying with head low, ascending, raising arms,
bending head backward
Better: open air

Belladonna: Sudden high fever, cough in paroxysms (many at a time), bursting
headache with each cough, bright red face
Worse: motion, deep breath, dust, touching larynx, yawning, bright light, noise, night
Better: less stimulus – resting in dark

Causticum: irritating, tickling cough, difficult to expectorate, but keeps coughing
deeper to try and get it up. Can have cough at any hour, but vanishing during the day is
a strong indication for Causticum. There may be urinary leakage with the cough.
Worse: Drafts or cold air, becoming heated at night, lying, bending head forward,
talking, bathing
Better: Cold drinks, rainy weather

Coccus Cacti: Paroxysmal (many at a time), tickling cough at 6 or 7 a.m. or 11:30 p.m.,
cough can be dry or produce ropes of thick mucous
Worse: becoming heated, warm rooms, warm drinks or food., lying, rinsing mouth, winter,
in alcoholics
Better: Cold or open air, cold drinks, cold food

Drosera: hard, deep, violent, paroxysmal cough, irritated airways, tickling and dry
throat, suffocative cough, can press the pit of stomach to start cough, but cough so
painful must hold chest, can have bloody expectoration
Worse: being enclosed
Better: sitting up, walking slowly

Hepar Sulph: dry or productive cough, mucous is thick and yellow if present, cough
dry at night, loose in morning, cough all night long, chilly, wants to be covered
Worse: chill
Better: warmth, expectoration

Ipecac: very dry cough, asthma, irritated or tickling cough in paroxysms, choking or
gagging with cough, frequent vomiting with cough
Worse: night, esp. 7 p.m., deep breathing in, esp. morning in bed, eating, warm room
Better: after expectoration, cold drinks

Kali-Carbonicum: cough at night, esp. 2-4 a.m., dry, tickling cough, bronchitis,
productive cough (sputum comes up), stitching pains in chest with cough, may be
vomiting
Worse: 2-4 a.m., on first going to sleep, cold air or draft, lying, exertion, deep inspiration,
warm food.
Better: Sitting upright or bent forward

Lachesis: cough from allergy, severe infections or heart problems, sensation of crumb
or obstruction in larynx, any attempt to talk causes cough
Worse: all night, disturbing sleep, wakes with cough as soon as falls asleep or in morning
on waking, stuffy room, lying on left, drinking
Better: open air, after expectoration

Mercury: paroxysms of cough at night and from warmth of bed, dry at night, yellowgreen
expectoration during day, tickling behind upper part of sternum, sounds and feels
like chest very dry, hoarseness, diarrhea, salivation, with running nose or nasal
congestion, can’t get temperature right, too hot or too cold
Worse: night, talking, sweating, drafts, artificial light
Better: rest, morning, moderate temperature

Phosphorus: every cold ends in cough and chest infection, dry, tickling cough, painful
cough, burning in chest with cough, headache during cough, must squeeze chest with
pain of cough, exhaustion, trembling from cough, can vomit with cough
Worse: cold air, talking, nervous, entrance of stranger, strong odors, morning in bed and
at night when falling asleep or waking from sleep, lying on back
Better: cold drinks, eating refreshing things, soda, fruit, sleep, dark

Pulsatilla: cough from allergy or asthma, loose rattling with green, juicy
expectoration, dry cough evening, loose morning, can have tearing with cough or
urinary leakage
Worse: evening or night in bed, becoming cold, warm room, smoky room, warm drinks,
exertion, lying, measles, before menses or if menses suppressed by pill
Better: open or cool air, gentle walking, sitting, deep breath, lying propped on pillows

Rumex: intense tickling with cough, covers mouth in cold because it causes cough
Worse: 11 p.m. morning, cold air, entering or leaving warm room, undressing, uncovering,
bending head backwards, pressing on pit of throat
Better: turning on right side

Spongia: dry, hacking, barking cough from allergy, asthma or infection, suffocative
cough, can turn blue, burning in throat, chest, larynx with cough
Worse: around midnight, both day and night, cold, dry air, cold drinks
Better: warm food or drinks, eating or drinking, sucking on hard candy or cough drops,
sitting, bending head forward

Squilla: sudden, violent, dry, paroxysmal cough with headache, copious sputum, but
only in morning, may pass stool, urine or have tears with cough, sore chest and abdomen
with cough, urge to blow nose after cough
Worse: taking deep breath, cold drinks
Better: expectoration, sitting up

Please keep in mind that I, Laura Macklem, survivingshtfmom, am NOT a medical professional…I am passing along information that I personally use that may or may not help you. If in doubt, please seek professional medical advice, especially in the event of a medical emergency. I am an advocate of self-care, not harm.

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UPDATED: EnteroVirus 68 ED-V68 Alternative Prevention Essential Oils, Herbs and Homeopathy

Filed under: Alternative Medicine — 2 Comments
September 12, 2014

virus681Enterovirus 68. It is here in the US and although considered ‘rare’, it would seem that it is currently reaching epidemic proportions if reports are true of hundreds of children across the country being admitted to hospitals for severe respiratory complications. According to the CDC, only Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri having confirmed cases. However, it is of such concern, that yesterday, September the 11th, 2014 that the New Kent County Public Schools in Virginia where I live (which is a rural area outside of Richmond, Virginia) felt the need to call all school age parents and issue a statement regarding enterovirus 68. The message was to let parents know that ‘they’ were monitoring the situation, to teach children not to touch their eyes, nose or mouth, wash hands repeatedly, do not share cups or toys or clothing and to keep home any child who was sick. The school system also referred parents to the CDC website for more information on the enterovirus 68.

About EV-D68

Typically, EV-D68 causes upper respiratory illness, such as low-grade fever, cough, runny nose, sneezing and body/muscle aches. Infected individuals generally recover on their own without incident by treating symptoms. However, some individuals, especially those with weakened immune systems or underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, may experience severe complications and require hospitalization with supportive therapy. This is what the CDC says about EV-D68. Although one documented case in Indiana the child had no such underlying medical conditions and yet was hospitalized.

However, many parents with children infected with EV-D68 report severe upper respiratory distress within hours of coming down with what seems to be a cold/flu. Including high grade fevers uncontrollable with Tylenol/ibuprophen, extreme headaches, neck pain, rashes and vomiting, blisters in the mouth, limpness of limbs and ultimately the inability to breath (shortness of breath, wheezing).
My own doctor called it a very, very bad ‘cold’

How do you contract enterovirus 68?

According to the CDC: Since EV-D68 causes respiratory illness, the virus can be found in an infected person’s respiratory secretions, such as saliva, nasal mucus, or sputum. EV-D68 likely spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches contaminated surfaces.

Prevention according to the CDC includes:
Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick.
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
According to the CDC there is no treatment, vaccine or ‘cure’ for enterovirus 68 (which is in the same category of viruses that cause polio and hand/foot/mouth disease) only ‘palliative’ care, ie, managing the symptoms and keeping people comfortable.
Okay, so we now have that out of the way…as a mom of several school age children and an alternative health care advocate/practioner and prepper, I have some thoughts on ‘prevention’ and ultimately managing this ‘rare’ virus that seems to be sweeping across this country so quickly.

The basic question is what can YOU do to keep you and yours safe without going overboard and setting up a clean room to enter and leave through. We are NOT talking about a biohazard level 4 after all. However, getting sick is not fun and the following is what I will doing to hopefully prevent my children and myself from getting this virus:

First and foremost, goldenseal tincture used once a day, daily for the duration of the cold and flu season. I personally make my own goldenseal tincture and use it regularly whenever someone gets a cough, cold or the flu given that this herbs nature is to work on viruses first and foremost in the mucus member body systems (eyes, mouth, sinuses, stomach, intestinal tract). There is no danger in using this herb preventively and maybe used in children 6 months and up. The tincture works best and the best part is that a small amount, when properly prepared will go a long way! Goldenseal is safe for pregnant and nursing women also.
Another herb worth noting is Devils Club (Oplopanax horridum or Fatsia horrida) though I would tend to reserve this herb for the first sign of cough or cold and not so much as a preventative.

Please be sure that when you buy any herb in tincture form you buy from a reputable source. The best would be to buy from an herbalist who makes their own tinctures (ie a private person). Next best a nationally known company. An herbalist who makes their own tinctures will have the strongest available tinctures. Unfortunately, due to FDA regulations and other national and state ‘authorities’ large companies engaged in herbal products often are required to dilute their tinctures down to the point that in many cases you have to use twice the amount of tincture recommended below to get the desired results.

How much to use and how?

The BEST way to use a tincture is to place the desired amount directly under the tongue and hold it in the mouth for as long as possible without swallowing!! Yes, it tastes nasty, but no one said medicine tasted great. If necessary, it is fine to dilute the tincture in a small amount of water or juice and sip very slowly, again, not swallowing immediately.

As a general rule of thumb for tinctures:

Adults: 60 drops
Children:
Younger than 3 months — 2 drops
3 to 6 months — 3 drops
6 to 9 months — 4 drops
9 to 12 months — 5 drops
12 to 18 months — 7 drops
18 to 24 months — 8 drops
2 to 3 years — 10 drops
3 to 4 years — 12 drops
4 to 6 years — 15 drops
6 to 9 years — 24 drops
9 to 12 years — 30 drops

In some cases if you do not want alcohol in your tincture or cannot tolerate it you may be able to make your own glycerin tincture at home or, to rid the tincture of alcohol, boil water, place the tincture in the bottom of the cup and pour boiling water over it. It is up to you, personally I just use as is as I have found it more potent this way.

There are herbs that are great for the respiratory system that you can buy bulk and put into a large pot of simmering water that will also help to disinfect the whole house without you going crazy cleaning.
They include:

Inula (not recommended if anyone in the house has asthma or other medical conditions involving the lungs)
Mullein
Thyme
Ginger

At the very least your house will smell great!

If you like teas then try a daily cup of Astragulus it is excellent for strengthening the lungs and helping the immune system stay strong.

Next up, homeopathic prevention. In past cold/flu season I have always had a homeopathic for the flu at hand to take one dose weekly when no known exposure has occurred or if know/likely once a day. Boiron Oscillococcinum is the traditional remedy for the flu. I am not sure how much this may or may not help, but it is cheap and only 5 pellets need to be taken. At best, it may help at worst you might not get the seasonal flu.
I also found a homeopathic called LUNG LIQUESCENCE,RESPIRATORY DETOX FORMULA that supports the lungs in getting rid of viruses and mucus that I am incorporating into our routine. It should be taken the same way.

I would be remiss not to discuss essential oils under prevention. My favorite is the following:

A blend of specific essential oils including clove, lemon, cinnamon, rosemary and Eucalyptus Radiata. Frankly, just a few drops in honey (or on a piece of bread) will work at keeping you healthy. You may also put this blend into an ultrasonic diffuser to spread the germ fighting virus killing essential oil particles around you home or workplace. Word of note: do NOT put this blend into water and use to disinfect anything besides metal as many of these essentials oils will break down plastics and paint and may harm stone surfaces also.

Now lets talk FOOD! Yes, food…food as medicine! Onion and garlic are two of nature’s BEST anti-virals available to everyone! I use a lot of these two ‘herbs’ in my own cooking. However, you can make teas or tinctures out them. There are a million and one ways that can be found online to do this. I also include onions and garlic in my homemade anti-sick honey syrup (do not give honey to children under the age of 1).

Take a clean quart sized jar and thinly slice up the following into about ½ inch sized pieces:
2 fresh lemons (including the rind)
2 medium sized onions
Fresh ginger root (I typically get a piece about the size of my hand)
4 tablespoons of minced garlic.
I put all of this into the jar and then cover with honey to the top. Be sure you stir the honey down to the bottom. Typically it takes just over 1 pound of honey.
Next, grab that crock pot! Place the jar (with lid on) into the middle of it and add enough water to almost fill the crock pot. Place the lid on it (most likely will not close, but the idea is to retain as much of the heat as possible) and then turn onto to low and allow it steep/warm up this way at least 16 hours or up to two days. Stir occasionally. The food ‘material’ will separate from the honey…that is okay, that is why you stir it and once done, it will be A LOT easier to get the pieces of food out before use. To use your anti-sick honey infusion, I use 1 tablespoon of honey stirred into one cup of hot water and drink slowly.

Another great ‘preventative’ is to cleanse your sinus cavities using a nettie pot or even simple saline solution daily before going to bed. This will help clean out any nasty germmies lurking around in your nose and sinuses and the added benefit is that you will help keep them from drying out during the winter preventing sinus headaches and sinus infections.

This is all I have for prevention at this time. In my next article I will be talking about what do IF you get that dreaded cough/flu called enterovirus 68.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me at laura@iempoweredhealing.com

Per law I am required to tell you that I am not a medical professional and all information above is based upon my private experience and documented research by medical professionals online. Always seek professional medical assistance if you are unsure.

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