Jet Lag? Try Homeopathy

Jet lag can happen when you move swiftly from one time zone to another. Moving from one time zone to another can confuse and upset our body-clock.

It is not a serious condition, but one that can spoil the initial few days of a holiday, and it probably causes many millions of pounds of non-productive work by employees as our bodies struggle to adjust to the new time zone. But Jet Lag can cause:

• Disturbance in sleep patters
• Excessive fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Disturbance of appetite
• Upset bowel movement

CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT

There is no conventional medical treatment for the prevention of Jet Lag. The NHS Choices website says simply:

“Jet lag can’t be prevented but you can take steps to reduce its effective”.

However NHS Choices does offer sound and sensible advice concerning what people can do before travelling, during the flight, and on short trips.

The only treatment for Jet Lag suggested is the drug Melatonin: but that “there is currently not enough evidence to say whether melatonin supplements are effective”. NHS Choices also say that th 

NHS Choices also say that “there is also insufficient evidence regarding the possible side-effects of melatonin for people taking thepeople taking the blood-thinning medicine warfarin, or those with epilepsy (a condition that causes repeated fits or seizures)”.

The adverse reactions of Melatonin are known, however. This website says that most commonly Melatonin causes daytime sleepiness, dizziness, and headaches (the same symptoms as Jet Lag?), and also abdominal discomfort, mild anxiety, irritability, confusion, and depression. It also says that Melatonin can interact with far more drugs, including immunosuppressants, diabetes drugs, and birth control pills.

Sleeping pills are also mentioned but “they are not usually recommended because they can be very addictive if used for more than a few days”. We are also reminded that sleeping pills can also cause runny nose, headaches and diarrhoea!

The Homeopathic Treatment of Jet Lag

Please click here to see the evidence basis for Homeopathy

In addition to good general advice, there are several homeopathic remedies that can be used, both before travelling to prevent, or after travelling to treat Jet Lag. Moreover, these remedies can be used without any of the side-effects of conventional drugs, such as Melatonin.

Arnica

Arnica is a ‘trauma’ remedy, and jet lag has caused trauma by upsetting the body’s natural thythms and cycles. Arnica is needed when you feel weak, achy, even sore or bruised, with tiredness.

Cocculus Indicus

This is the remedy most recommended by Homeopaths. It is indicated by excessive tiredness, to the point when it is difficult to sleep. Feelings of weakness, nausea, dizziness, even fainting can be experienced. Often this can be worse in fresh air, and worse for eating and drinking. Vomiting is also a symptom, with the patient feeling better lying down.

Gelsenium

This remedy can be useful when the person feels almost paralysed.

Combination Remedies

Most Homeopathic pharmacies can provide combination remedies for jet lag. For instance, Helios offers a Jet Lag remedy here. The remedies come with instructions about how and when to take it.

This article was first published on the "Why Homeopathy?" website.

Menopause. Why Homeopathy is best!

This blog was first published on the "Why Homeopathy?" website

The menopause represents the gradual process of the end of menstruation for women. It is a natural life-transition although in conventional medicine it is often seen as a ‘disease’ requiring medication. The menopause can produce irregular, heavy or painful periods, and problems such as hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, concentration and memory problems, vaginal dryness, fatigue, depression, headaches, heart palpitations, loss of libido, weight gain, and much else.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT

Most women will know that up to about 2007  ‘the Menopause’ was routinely treated by HRT (Hormone Replacement) drugs. These were said to be ‘entirely safe’ - long after many people realised they were linked with caused breast and cervical cancer, heart attacks, strokes and blood clots, and were also to an increased risk of dementia. In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative, described as “the largest and best designed federal studies of HRT”, began, but were stopped in 2007 when women taking HRT had significantly increased risk of dying from these drug-induced diseases. 

For more information on the history of HRT click on this link.

The NHS Choices website now states that the main treatment for the Menopause, if the symptoms are severe, is - HRT! So the main treatment used in conventional medicine for Menopausal complaints is a drug that has been found to be deadly!

NHS Choices also describe some other treatments, including:

• Tibolone - a synthetic steroid hormone drug that “acts in the same way” as HRT. It should be noted that this is a treatment that  the FDA (the USA drug regulator) has apparently refused to approve. However, despite this, in the UK it only “carries some small risks, including a small increased risk of breast cancer, cancer of the womb, and stroke”. Patients should ask why a treatment in one country is more dangerous than the same treatment in another!

• Clonidine - this drug was apparently designed to treat high blood pressure “but has been found to reduce hot flushes and night sweats in some menopausal women”. However, as NHS Choices continues:

    “Clonidine can cause unpleasant side effects including dry mouth, drowsiness, depression, constipation and fluid retention”.

It is uncertain why the side-effects of Clonidine are described as ‘unpleasant’ whilst those for Tibolone are considered to be just ‘small risks’.

• Anti-depressants - presumably these drugs are used to treat the mental and emotional outcomes of a bad menopausal experience than to treat the condition itself.
• (For an outline of the adverse reactions of Antidepressant drugs, go to this link).

The Homeopathic Treatment of Menopause

Please click here to see the evidence basis for Homeopathy

Whilst conventional medicine over the years has been dominated by men, Homeopathy has always been heavily influenced by women, and perhaps largely as a result has focused quite significantly on ‘women’s ailments’ such as the Menopause. These homeopathic remedy descriptions, for instance, have come from the website “Homeopathy for Women”, one that women should all know about. 

However, whilst these brief descriptions give only a general, outline picture of each remedy, and it is important to state that finding the correct homeopathic remedy, that will work effectively with such a variable condition, is a highly complex professional task, and should be done only by a qualified, registered Homeopath.

Belladonna

This remedy can be useful if flushes of heat during menopause are very sudden and intense. Pulsation or throbbing may be felt in the head, or any part of the body. A heavy flow of blood that feels very hot appears with some periods. Although the woman  may be fairly stable emotionally, short bursts of anger can occur during headaches or in stressful situations. Migraines, blood pressure fluctuations, and a craving for lemons or lemonade are often seen when this remedy is needed.

Calc Carb

This remedy may be helpful to a woman with heavy flooding, night sweats and flushing (despite a general chilliness), as well as weight gain during menopause. People who need this remedy are usually responsible and hard-working, yet somewhat slow or plodding and can be easily fatigued. Anxiety may be strong, and overwork or stress may lead to temporary breakdown. Stiff joints or cramps in the legs and feet, and cravings for eggs and sweets are other indications.

Glonoinum

Women with intense hot flashes and flushing during menopause, along with feelings of pulsation or pounding in the head, may find relief with this remedy. Menstrual flow may start then stop too early, and be followed by a palpitation, surging sensations, or headaches, accompanied by irritability and muddled thinking. Problems can be aggravated if the woman gets too warm or stays in the sun too long, and are often worse from lying down.

Graphites

A woman who is chilly, pale, and sluggish - with trouble concentrating, and a tendency toward weight gain during or after menopause - is likely to respond to this remedy. Hot flushing and sweats at night are often seen. A person who needs this remedy may also have a tendency toward skin problems with oozing cracked eruptions, and be very slow to become alert when waking in the morning.

Ignatia

This remedy is often helpful for emotional ups and downs occurring during menopause. The woman will be very sensitive,but may try to hid her feelings - seeming guarded and defensive, moody, or hysterical. Headaches, muscle spasms, and menstrual cramps can occur, along with irregular periods. A heavy feeling in the chest, a tendency to sigh and yawn, and sudden outbursts of tears or laughter are strong indications. 

Lachesis

Intense hot flushes with red or purplish flushing, palpitations, and feelings of pressure, congestion, and constriction may indicate a need for this remedy. Tight clothing around the neck and waist may be impossible to tolerate. A woman needing this remedy is often very talkative, with strong emotions (often including jealousy and suspicion) - a ‘pressure cooker’ needing an outlet both physically and emotionally.

Lilium Tig

A woman likely to respond to this remedy feels hurried, anxious, and very emotional - with a tendency to fly into rages and make other people ‘walk on eggs’. She often has a sensation of tightness in her chest, and a feeling as if her pelvic organs are pressing out, which can make her feel a need to sit a log or cross her legs.

Nat Mur

A woman who needs this remedy may seem reserved but has strong emotions that she keeps inside. She often feels deep grief and may dwell on the loss of happy times from the past, or brood about hurts and disappointments. During menopause she can have irregular periods accompanied by backaches or migraines. A person who needs this remedy usually craves salt, and feels worse from being in the sun.

Pulsatilla

A person who needs this remedy is usually soft and emotional, with changeable moods and a tendency toward tears. Women are very attached to their families and find it hard to bear the thought of the children growing up and leaving home. They usually feel deeply insecure about getting older. A fondness for desserts and butter can often lead to weight problems. Changeable moods, irregular periods, queasy feelings, alternating heat and chills, and lack of thirst are common. Aggravation from stuffy rooms and improvement in open air may confirm the choice of this remedy.

Sepia

This remedy can be helpful if a woman’s periods are sometimes late and scanty, but heavy and flooding at other times. Her pelvic organs can feel weak and sagging, and she may have a craving for vinegar or sour foods. Women who need this remedy usually feel dragged-out and weary, with an irritable detachment regarding family members, and a loss of interest in daily tasks. Exercise, especially dancing, may brighten up the woman’s mood and improve her energy.

Staphysagria

A person who needs this remedy usually seems mild-manner, shy, and accommodating, but has many suppressed emotions. Women around the time of menopause may become depressed, or have outbursts of unaccustomed rage (even throwing or breaking things). Many people needing this remedy have deferred to a spouse for many years, or have experienced abuse in childhood.

Sulphur

This remedy is often helpful for hot flashes and flushing during menopause, when the woman wakes in the early morning hours and throws the covers off. She may be very anxious, weep a lot, and worry excessively about her health. A person needing this remedy often in mentally active (or even eccentric), inclined toward messy habits, and usually feels worse from warmth.

RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCT’s)

RCTs are the third, and decidedly the least important type of evidence supporting Homeopathy as a medical therapy.

There have been a number of RCT tests done on homeopathy and the main symptoms of the menopause.

1. Efficacy of a non-hormonal treatment, BRN-01, on menopausal hot flashes.

This trial used a single homeopathic remedy (not the way homeopathy normally functions)

http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/11640240-000000000-00000

The finding of the trial were as follows:

“(The remedy) seemed to have a significant effect on the HFS, compared with placebo. According to the results of this clinical trial (the remedy) may be considered a new therapeutic option with a safe profile for hot flashes in menopausal women who do not want or are not able to take hormone replacement therapy or other recognized treatments for this indication”.

This trial is considered here in more readable detail!

http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2012-09-16/homeopathy-works-for-menopausal-hot-flashes-gold-standard-study/

1. Management of distress during climacteric years by homeopathic therapy

This trial, found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22087613,  came to this conclusion:

“Homeopathic therapy was found to be useful in relieving menopausal distressing symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, palpitation, depression, insomnia, and so on. Influence on serum levels of FSH, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein was not significant but serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and very-low-density lipoprotein decreased significantly. Effect size of the study was found to be large. The medicines found to be most frequently indicated and useful were Sepia, Lachesis, Calcarea carb., Lycopodium, and Sulphur”.

3. Treating hot flushes in menopausal women with homeopathic treatment - results of an observational study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18194760

The findings of this study were as follows:

“The results of this observational study suggest that homeopathic treatment for hot flushes in menopausal women is effective. Further studies including randomized controlled trials should be conducted”.

This article was first published on the "Why Homeopathy?" website.

Codeine. A harmful and addictive medical drug

Codeine is an opiate or narcotic painkilling drug, often used by conventional doctors to treat mild treat mild to moderately severe pain. Opiates have been used for thousands of years, in ancient Egypt and China. Codeine was developed in the 19th century, and used commonly in Britain.

Codeine is one of many drugs derived from the active components derived and isolated from the opium poppy, like morphine. It has now become the most widely used opiate in the world.

It is often combined with other drugs, like Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) or Aspirin. It can often hide behind many brand names. And it is often an ingredient of cough medicine, and the like. 

Conventional medicine has often claimed that the popularity of Codeine based drugs is that it is relatively safe, and has less chance of causing addiction. Any close examination of these claims shows that this is not correct.

The first problem is that not everyone can take the drug, for example, people with liver disease, 

asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders; people with kidney disease, with low blood pressure, with an under-active thyroid, with mental illness, or a history of drug or alcohol addition, and a number of other medical conditions, cannot take Codeine.

It is not known whether Codeine harms an unborn child. But for babies it is known to cause breathing problems, behaviour change, or even serious withdrawal symptoms or life-threatening addiction if feeding mothers take it.

The side effects, or DIE’s caused by Codeine.

The Nervous system. Codeine is know to cause mental and respiratory depression, stupor, delirium, somnolence, dysphoria and seizures. One side effect this these side effects is an increased risk of falls and hip fractures. Opiate drugs like codeine are also known to result in psychotic symptoms.

Withdrawal Symptoms. When coming off Codeine, and other opiate drugs, the withdrawal symptoms include agitation, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, abdominal cramps, blurred vision, vomiting, and sweating.

Cardiovascular. Codeine is known to cause Hypotension and dizziness, especially with high doses.

Gastrointestinal. Codeine is known to cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, urinary retention and acute pancreatitis.

Dermatologic. Codeine is known to cause a number of skin complaints, including rashes and severe dermatitis.

Renal. Codeine is known to cause acute renal failure.

For a description of many more of the DIE’s caused by Codeine, visit this website.

Addiction and Withdrawal

Yet perhaps Codeine, as a painkiller, is more known (or infamous) for its addictive effects. The conventional medical establishment has provided rules for its medicinal use, but it would appear that these are often ignored either by patients, and indeed by individual doctors. The result is that my people, once they have started to take Codeine, legitimately, for medical reasons, find that they gradually feel a compulsion to take the drug, even if they have no reasonable reason for continuing to do so. Often, people who become addicted have a generalised lack of self-control. 

And the more codeine is taken, the larger to dose required to achieve the same medicinal effect; the escalation of drug taking is almost part of the written script!

Addiction is often caused by the recreational use of opiate drugs. But this should not be used to hide the fact that the medical use of Codeine is another primary cause of addiction.

And once addicted to Codeine, the withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Addicted people often neglect themselves as personal hygiene and appearance becomes unimportant. And knowledge of what the drug can do is usually no deterrent to the addict, whose decline can be rapid. 

The recommendation of the conventional doctors is not to stop taking them except under medical supervision. But surely this does not excuse the conventional medical use of such a harmfully addictive drug in the first place.    

This article was first written in the ebook "Dangerous Big Pharma Drugs"

Tetanus, Homeopathic and Conventional Treatment

Tetanus is a serious but rare infection caused by a bacteria called Clostridium tenani, which lives everywhere in the soil, in house dust, and in animal and human wasted, such as manure. NHS Choices says that it usually occurs when a flesh wound becomes contaminated.

Tetanus disrupts the normal workings of the nerves, causing symptoms such as stiffness and muscle spasms, and also difficulty swallowing, muscle stiffness and spasms in the jaw muscles – often referred to as lockjaw.

Conventional Medical Treatment

The Tetanus vaccine (DPT, or a modern derivative) - click here for the adverse reactions to this vaccine is given as a preventative treatment for Tetanus

NHS Choices outlines the conventional treatment for tetanus here. It describes what it calls “tetanus-prone wounds”, which include:

1. *    wounds or burns that required surgery to repair, but access to surgery was delayed for six hours or more
2. *    wounds or burns that cause a significant amount of tissue loss
3. *    puncture injuries, particularly if they may have become contaminated with soil or manure
4. *    wounds that contain foreign bodies, such as an animal’s tooth
5. *    severe bone fractures that may have left the bones vulnerable to infection
6. *    wounds and burns in patients who have systemic sepsis (a fall in blood pressure as a result of a serious bacterial infection)

For these would tetanus immunoglobulin (TIG) is recommended, even if your vaccinations are up to date as “there may be a very small chance that the vaccine did not give you total immunity against tetanus”. TIG contains antibodies that kill the tetanus bacteria, and is given as an injection into a muscle to give immediate, short-term protection against tetanus. This treatment is said to have the following side-effects:

1. *    Short-term discomfort at the site of the injection
2. *    chest pain
3. *    shortness of breath
4. *    dizziness
5. *    swelling of your face
6. *    Mouth ulcers
7. *    shaking
8. *    joint pains

This is usually given in combination to a booster DPT vaccine.

NHS Choices says that if someone develops the symptoms of tetanus, they will need to be admitted to hospital, and transferred to one of the larger NHS hospitals, where doctors with experience in treating tetanus are usually based. The three main types of medication used to treat the symptoms of tetanus are:

1. *   Sedative drugs - to make you feel physically and mentally relaxed, to relax the muscles in order to help relieve and prevent muscle stiffness. The side effects given for these drugs are drowsiness, irritability, depression, shaky movements and an unsteady walk, hyperactivity, and hallucinations.

1. *   Muscle relaxant drugs - that help relax the muscles, and used when sedative treatment (which can be addictive) is withdrawn.

1. *   Neuromuscular blocking agents (NBAs). These drugs block nerve signals sent from the brain to the muscles, leading to an inability to move certain muscles (paralysis) “which can be useful in people with severe muscle spasms and stiffness”. The drug prescribed is Vecuronium which causes paralysis of the muscles used for breathing, so assistance with breathing is provided before it can be given.

NHS Choices say that to prevent the further spread of neurotoxins Tetanus immunoglobulin can be used to prevent further damage and disruption to the nervous system. Antibiotics are also used to try to kill any bacteria and prevent any further toxins being released. 

Surgery is also used if a tetanus-prone wound is large. “It may be necessary to remove as much of the damaged and contaminated muscle as possible using a surgical procedure ..... (which) involves cleaning an open wound by removing foreign material, such as dirt and manure, as well as any dead tissue”.

This is quite a frightening description of what can happen with this condition, and the conventional treatment that becomes necessary when it is contracted. With Homeopathic treatment, and the early and accurate selection of a remedy, reaching this stage can be avoided, alongside the known DIEs of conventional treatment.

As normal in the practice of homeopathy, remedies are selected not only to treat tetanus symptoms but also to address its underlying cause, and individual susceptibility to it. In order to individualise the selection of the best remedy, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. However, there are several remedies known to treat tetanus symptoms, and which can be used as soon as necessary, or in any situation where tetanus could have been contracted. The following remedy descriptions have been taken from the Hpathy website:

Ledum  – this is one of the two most important remedy. Tetanus with twitching of muscles near the wound; indicate din punctured wounds produced by sharp pointed instruments.

Nux Vomica – another leading remedy for tetanus. It has tetanic convulsions with opisthotonos, distortion of eyes and face, with dyspnoea excited by any external impression.  Perfect picture of tetanus, with its convulsion of muscles renewed by the slightest external impression, its “risus sardonicus,” its respiratory spasm, with blue cyanosed face.

Hydrocyanicum acid – tetanus produces a persistent spasm from its direct action on the spinal cord; symptoms of lock jaw; frothing at the mouth, with a sudden attack.

Cicuta virosa – useful in tetanic convulsions with sudden rigidity and jerking followed by prostration; the characteristic symptoms are the bending of the head, neck and spine backwards. Intense oppression of breathing, lockjaw and the patient becomes violent with frightful distortions.

Passiflora – suitable for tetanic convulsions in children with neuralgia; it is suitable for curing tetanus in summer.

Physostigma – tetanic spasms with stiffness of the spine and legs; alternate expansion and contraction of the pupils; the sensory nerves are irritable.

Hypericum – injuries to the nerves and also spasms; prevents lockjaw associated with skin affections, eruptions and itching.

This article was first published in the "Why Homeopathy?" website

Suffering from a Cough? Why Homeopathy will help you more.

This blog was first published on the "Why Homeopathy?" website

NHS Choices tells us that a cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of mucus and irritants such as dust or smoke. It also says that there is “no quick way of getting rid of a cough caused by a viral infection. It will usually clear up after your immune system has fought off the virus”.

This is fine, if it does, but many coughs have a tendency to endure longer than we would wish. There  are many different types of cough ranging from irritating, tickly coughs, chesty coughs, croupy coughs, dry coughs, wet coughs - all of them irritating, uncomfortable, and even distressing. They can lead to other problems, such as irritability, sore muscles, and a lack of sleep.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT

NHS Choices tell us that the simplest and cheapest way to treat a short-term cough may be a homemade cough remedy containing honey and lemon. It then suggests cough medicines but warns that “there's little evidence to suggest cough medicines actually work, although some ingredients may help treat symptoms associated with a cough, such as a blocked nose or fever”. Further, they say that many cough medicines contain Paracetamal (with all the inherent dangers of this painkilling drug), and warn not to take more than the recommended dosage, or for more than two weeks.

Indeed, in treating children NHS Choices reminds us that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommends that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under the age of six “because it feels there's a potential risk of these medicines causing unpleasant side effects, such as allergic reactions, sleep problems or hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that aren't real). These would outweigh any benefit provided by the medicines”.

NHS Choices then mentions Cough suppressants such as Pholcodine, Dextromethorphan and Antihistamines, drugs that “act on the brain to hold back the cough reflex” - but which are in any case only used for ‘dry’ coughs. They say that these drugs ‘have few side effects’ beyond a dry mouth, constipation, difficulty passing urine and blurred vision, although Antihistamines are also known to cause drowsiness; but even so they warn not to take cough suppressants without first consulting with your doctor or pharmacist.

Expectorants, to help bring phlegm up so that coughing is easier, is NHS Choices next recommendation to help with ‘chesty’ coughs. Again, they say that they have few side effects.

The only other suggestion NHS Choices  has is to stop smoking!

None of this is presented with much conviction or confidence, in contrast to Homeopathy, which has a variety of remedies that can be used, safely and effectively, for the treatment of coughs for people of all ages.

The Homeopathic Treatment of Coughs

Please click here to see the evidence basis for Homeopathy

Much of the information in this section has been taken from the Homeopathy Plus website. It is interesting to read this Australian-based website because much of the information has had to be redacted because of complaints from parts of the Conventional Medical Establishment, and the Big Pharmaceutical lobby. It is important for any looking for safe and effective treatment, for coughs and anything else, that there are people out there who do not want you to find them!

Aconite

The sudden onset of a cough after exposure to a dry cold wind or from getting chilled. There is a suffocative feeling with a constant, short, dry cough and chest. Aconite is for the early stages of croup and croup coughs, and also night-time coughs, accompanied by shortness of breath and agitation. In the case of croup, Aconite may need to be followed by Hepar Sulph as the symptoms develop.

Antimonium tart

A rattling, choking, chesty cough with negligible expectoration and where the patient has to sit up in order to breathe. The patient sounds like they are drowning in mucus and there are suffocative paroxysms of coughing, with sweat (see Ipecac)

Arsenicum

An asthmatic cough with wheezing and frothy expectoration. There is burning expectoration or sensation, with constricted airways, making breathing difficult. The patient is very chilly, restless, anxious and may be sweaty, with marked exhaustion. The patient feels worse after midnight and is sensitive to cold.

Belladonna

A short, dry tickling cough, with sudden onset and worse at night. The cough lubricates the throat a little, but it dries out again and causes sudden violent spasms of coughing. There is tickling, burning or a scraped sensation in the throat. Belladonna symptoms are aggressive and can include high temperatures with a flushed face, staring eyes, swollen glands and red or inflamed membranes.

Bryonia

A hard dry cough with soreness in the chest, where the patient clutches at their chest to ease the stitching pains caused by coughing. Bryonia symptoms are clearly better for hard pressure and keeping still. All symptoms are accompanied by dryness and are worse for any motion (including eating or drinking). Warm air aggravates and entering a room can trigger a bout of coughing. The patient wants to take a deep breath and sigh, but this is too painful and they are irritable, thirsty and want to be left alone. The cough may be caused by exposure to cold dry winds and builds up slowly over a few days. Always wants to lie on the painful side.

Calcarea carb

Tickling cough, dry at night and loose in the morning with easy expectoration. Cough aggravated by various activities like eating or playing. Will suit the chubby, sweaty Calc-carb type of patient.

Drosera

[REDACTED]. Spasmodic cough ending in retching and even vomiting. Cough from deep in the chest forcing the patient to clutch their abdomen on coughing. A choking cough with bouts following each other so rapidly that it is difficult to breathe. Cough is triggered by tickling in the throat and wakes patient from sleep. Worse lying down, after midnight, after getting warm in bed (see also Ip, Ant-t).

    For more information about Drosera, one of the most valuable cough remedies, visit this website.

    Also see the Whooping Cough page on this website.

Ferrum phos

The early stage of a respiratory infection, or colds which head rapidly for the chest and ear resulting in bronchitis or otitis. A very common remedy in children’s coughs which start with a fever and flushed face, followed by a short painful tickling cough with soreness over the sternum. Blood-streaked sputum or nosebleeds may be reported. Also covers croupy coughs.

Hepar sulph

Croup from cold, dry winds or cold air. Cough is triggered by any part of the body being exposed. Choking spells of coughing. The Hepar patient is very sensitive to cold air, or cold in any form, and is especially irritably, although they are much better for warmth or humid weather. This is an important croup remedy in children.

Ignatia

Dry, hacking, spasmodic cough, where the more the patient coughs, the more the irritation.  [REDACTED] (see Dros). They are unable to take a full breath and sigh frequently.

    (For more information about Ignatia visit this website).

Ipecacuahna

Suffocative coughs,  [REDACTED], coughs with choking or gagging (compare Antim tart, Drosera). Cough incessant and violent with each breath. Stiff and blue in the face with choking cough. Rattling cough with very little expectoration. Coughs accompanied by nausea or nosebleed. Wheezing coughs that recur annually.

    (For more information about Ipecacuahna visit this website)

Kali bich

A barking, hacking cough with rales of white sticky or ropy mucus, the consistency of egg-white, and hoarseness. A croupy cough with tickling in the throat and accumulation of tough mucus. It may be triggered by undressing.

Lycopodium

A tickling cough, with shortness of breath and fan-like motion of nostrils at each intake. Tickling cough accompanied a throbbing headache with each bout of coughing.

Nux vomica

A dry teasing cough with a sore chest, where colds usually settle. An immobile, feverish patient who is very sensitive to being uncovered. There is a spasmodic cough, with retching, which causes a headache and a bruised sensation around the navel. The patient is oversensitive, irritable and is worse in cold, dry, windy weather.

Phosphorus

An exhausting and violent, dry and tickling cough with irritation deep in the throat. The cough may be triggered by laughing, talking or by a change in temperature, e.g. going out or coming in. There is a bursting pain in the head, a tight painful chest and pain may spread to abdomen. The patient may clutch their head, chest or abdomen on coughing. They can’t lie on their left side and are usually anxious, seek reassurance and feel chilly, but want cold drinks.

Pulsatilla

This is a gagging, choking cough that comes and goes. It is dry at night and loose in the morning, worse and night and on lying down, causing the patient to sit up or use extra pillows. The chest feels sore, they can’t lie on their left side and there may be spurts of urine passed with coughing. The cough is triggered by coming into a warm room or by breathing in. This patient needs reassurance or sympathy and a child will be weepy and clingy. Fresh air helps, while a closed room aggravates symptoms.

Rhus tox

A dry teasing cough from tickling in the chest, which is triggered by uncovering the smallest part, even a hand. It is a dry, night cough with a bloody taste, although no blood is seen. The patient must move about as it is worse at rest and from cold, wet weather.

Sepia

A violent cough with thick, yellow expectoration, with retching and gagging, that is worse on rising. The expectoration is only at night or only in the morning and the patient is tired and indifferent.

Sulphur

A strong desire for fresh air accompanies this suffocative cough which is worse at night with the rush of blood to head and chest. There is a burning feeling on the face and chest, with red lips and eyelids. The patient feels worse after a bath and has burning feet which are stuck out of the end of the bed.

Many of these remedies can be found in simple home-use remedy kits that can be obtained from these Homeopathic Pharmacies.

Randomised Controlled Tests of Homeopathy and Coughs

RCTs are the third, and decidedly the least important type of evidence supporting Homeopathy as a medical therapy.

This information has also been taken mainly from the Homeopathy Plus website.

Frass, M, Dielacher, C, Linkesch, M,  Endler, C, Muchitsch, I, Schuster, E, Kaye, A..  Influence of potassium dichromate on tracheal secretions in critically ill patients, Chest, March, 2005.

This interesting study, with seriously ill patients on respirators in an intensive care unit, showed that homeopathy not only effectively reduced their respiratory secretions but also helped them come off their respirators more quickly. The length of time they spent in the unit was also shorter and without respiratory complications. In contrast, those in the control group, who had not received homeopathic treatment, took considerably longer to recover. Some also had to be returned to the respirator after extubation because they were struggling to breath from excessive secretions in their airways – something that was not a problem for the homeopathic group. As excess respiratory secretions are a major trigger for coughs, the homeopathic treatment would also have reduced the incidence of coughs – something that is also substantiated clinically.

Steinsbekk, A,  Fønnebø, V, Lewith, G, and Bentzen, N. Homeopathic care for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections in children: A pragmatic, randomised, controlled trial comparing individualised homeopathic care and waiting-list controls. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Volume 13, Issue 4 , December 2005, Pages 231-238.

This study of children with upper respiratory tract infections, including coughs, showed that those who received homeopathic treatment recovered much more quickly than those who were treated conventionally in the control group.

Trichard, M, Chaufferin, Nicoloyannis, N., Pharmacoeconomic Comparison Between Homeopathic and Antibiotic Treatment Strategies in Recurrent Acute Rhinopharyngitis in Children, Homeopathy (2005)94, 3-9.

A third study showed that those children whose colds (and accompanying coughs) were treated with homoeopathy were more likely to feel and do better than those children whose colds had been treated conventionally. The homeopathically treated children had fewer complications, and their parents took significantly less sick-leave than the parents of those children treated with antibiotics.

A further study is this one:

Homeopathic medicine for acute cough in upper respiratory tract infections and acute bronchitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Zanasi, Mazzolini, Tursi, Morselli-Labate, Paccapelo, Lecchi.

Conclusion. We concluded that the homeopathic syrup employed in the study was able to effectively reduce cough severity and sputum viscosity, thereby representing a valid remedy for the management of acute cough induced by URTIs.

Sinusitis. Reasons for choosing Homeopathy for its treatment

This article was first published on the "Why Homeopathy?" website.

Sinusitis can be an uncomfortable condition. I like this description of the condition, given by Dana Ullman, on his healthy.net website.

“Imagine a type of torture where there is great pain in what seems to be the very center of your skull, when facial tenderness and pain is experienced by simple touch, where eyes ache and feel like they are coming out of their sockets, and where there's pain in the teeth and even a sensation as though the teeth are too long. Many people today feel this type of torture too frequently because these people suffer from chronic sinusitis”.

Ullman continues:

“Sinusitis is most often the revenge of a lingering cold or allergy, which can impede proper nasal drainage. This congestion becomes a breeding ground for infection which then causes the lining in the sinuses to become inflamed and swollen. Other problems that can create congestion leading to sinusitis are polyps, a deviated septum, large or inflamed adenoids, an abscessed or inflamed tooth, or a change in air pressure from flying or swimming.

And, emphasising the need for effective treatment, Ullman says:

Sinusitis can create its own revenge too. Unless it is successfully treated, it can sometimes lead to ear infections, bronchitis, or pneumonia.

So just how effective is the conventional medical treatment for Sinusitis?

Conventional Medical Treatment

NHS Choices says that two-thirds of people with sinusitis do not need to see their doctor. It says that as a viral infection it clears up on its own in 2-3 weeks. So for “mild sinusitis” it recommends over-the-counter painkillers such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen (Nurofen) to relieve a headache, high temperature, facial pain or tenderness. So for a mild problem, conventional medicine is recommending drugs that can have serious side effects.

Perhaps in recognition of the damage these pain killers can do, it retracts this advice, slightly, by reminding us that children under 16 years should not take aspirin, and that ibuprofen is not recommended for people with asthma, stomach ulcers and heart failure.

For unblocking the nose it recommends nasal sprays or drops, decongestant medication, although NHS Choices admits that these “won’t speed up you recovery from sinusitis and should not be used for more than a week at a time”. So again there is a recognition that this treatment can be injurious to health.

When eventually you see a doctor, when you have severe or persistent sinusitis, NHS Choices outlines the following treatment options:

Antibiotics

NHS Choices says that your GP may prescribe a course of antibiotics if your symptoms of sinusitis are severe, of if they haven't improved after 7 days. For the serious adverse reactions and resistance to antibiotic drugs, click here.

Antihistamines

NHS Choices says that Antihistamine drugs may be recommended in cases where sinusitis is associated with an allergy. NHS Choices admits to the side effects these drugs can cause in another webpage.

Steroid sprays or drops

NHS Choices says that steroid drops or sprays are usually prescribed if you're diagnosed with chronic sinusitis because they can help reduce your swollen sinuses. Again, this treatment is mentioned without reference to the side effects these sprays can cause. Some information on this can be found at this website.

Surgery

NHS Choices says that surgery is used “if all other treatments have failed”. The surgery described is called ‘functional endoscopic sinus surgery’ (or FESS), where an endoscope, a thin tube with a lens at one end, is inserted into your nose. This allows the surgeon to see the opening of your sinus drainage channels. The surgeon will then either remove tissue, such as nasal polyps, that are blocking the affected sinus, or inflate a tiny balloon inside your nose to open up the drainage passages from your sinuses. The surgeon “may also insert a self-dissolving implant into your sinus, which expands to hold the sinus open and deliver a steroid called mometasone directly to the sinus lining”.

So conventional medicine appears able to offer little other than ameliorative drugs, which so many patients find to be ineffective, or giving just temporary relief. And of course, for these meagre benefits, they can all have serious effects on our health. 

In contrast, homeopathy has safer and more effective treatments to offer someone who is suffering with Sinusitis, and can avoid the necessity for an operation.

The Homeopathic Treatment of Sinusitis

Please click here to see the evidence basis for Homeopathy

There are a number of remedies known to treat people suffering from Sinusitis, remedies that can actually quickly overcome the condition, and eventually cure it. These remedy descriptions are taken from Roger Morrison’s book, “Desktop Companion to Physical Pathology”. The first two of these are probably the most important remedies.

Kali Bich. Ethmoid and all other sinuses affected. Thick, sticky, yellow or yellow-green mucus which is difficult to evacuate. Stringy mucus. Post-nasal discharge. Fullness at the root of the nose. Complete nasal obstruction; nasal tone of voice. The nose itself appears to bulge with the stubborn mucus.

Mercurius Vivus. Especially frontal sinusitis. Greenish fluent discharge. No resistance to infection; every cold he is exposed to results in sinusitis. Dirty, coated tongue, generally whitish discolouration. Excessive salivation. Offensive breath. Pains generally worse at night.

Aurum. Chronic sinusitis and nasal catarrh. Deep sinus pains, expecially at the right side of the root of the nose, with a boring sensation. Pains worse at night. Fetid discharge. Nasal ulceration.

Belladonna. Generally right-sided symptoms. Almost always associated with fever, flushed face, cold hands and feet. Extreme pain upon stooping or bending the head forward. Worse: for mothing and jarring. Sinusitis associated with Meniere’s syndrome.

Causticum. Chronic nasal obstruction and post nasal discharge. Constant mucus sesation and a desire to clear the throat. Almost always some degree of hoarseness. Nasal discharge may be absent or thick and even bloody. Nasal obstruction and catarrh better during rainy weather.

Cinnabaris. Sinusitis with acute pains from the root of the nose extending or shooting outward or above the eyebrow. Much post-nasal discharge but scant discharge through nostrils.

Hepar Sulph. Sinusitis with obstructive and thick nasal and post-nasal discharge after every exposure to cold or uncovering the head. Offensive discharges, odour like old cheese. Exquisitely painful inflammation of the sinuses.

Hydrastis. Thick, ropy or stringy yellow discharge. Especially post-natal discharge. Swelling and obstruction worse on the left side.

Kali Iodatum. Recurring sinusitis with pain through the face, especially at the root of the nose. Inflammation and burning inside the noise, worse with each inhalation. Hay fever with thin, excoriating coryza which eventually ends up in a sinus infection. Yellow or greenish discharge and post-nasal discharges. Worse: right side, warm room.

Kali Sulph. Acute and chronic sinusitis with marked nasal obstruction. Generally worse in a warm room but the nasal symptoms improve. Thick and sticky yellow mucus. Snorting.

Lac Delphinum. This recently discovered remedy has a strong effect on the sinuses. Painful sinsitis often associated with vertigo.

Lemnor Minor. Chronic nasal obstruction, especially during cold, damp weather. Swelling of turbinates; nasal polyps. Thick nasal and post-nasal discharges from mildew exposure. Smell absent. Putrid odour and taste from mouth and throat in the morning.

Lycopodium. Right sided siusitis and nasal discharge. Severe nasal obstruction, expeicially at night and during sleep. Thick nasal discharge, yellow and crusted. Frequent colds.

Medorrhinum. Chronic rhinitis and sinusitis expecially in damp weather. Thick nasal discharge and post-nasal discharge which drain into the throat causing constant desire to hawk and scrape. Worse: cold, damp weather. Better: at the seaside. Children with constant thick, joicy, green nasal discharge.

Psorinum. Frequent colds from the slightest exposure to open air or cold. Long lasting nasal catarrh after every cold. Worse: in the winter. Better: wrapping the head warmly. Wearing a fur hat. Severe hay fevewr with aphthae in mouth and rawness in nose. Thick and offensive nasal or post-nasal discharge.

Silica. Chronic sinusitis, lasting months after every cold. Post-nasal discharge; purulent discharge. Frontal sinusitis. Chilly and worse from cold weather. Sinusitis associated with vertigo.

Spigella. Generally left-sided symptoms, especially frontal sinus. Severe stabbing pains in forehead which radiate backward or are felt as if in or behind the eye. Worse: cold, damp weather. Smoke. Face may appear swollen.

Sticta. Chronic or acute catarrh extending especially into the frontal sinuses with severe nasal obstruction. Constant urging to blow the nose though nothing is evacuated. Nasal secretions rapidly dry, causing hard crusts in the nose. Dry and full sensation through nose; dry mouth, throat and palate. Hay fever; sneezing paroxysms; influenza - each end in sinusitis.

Sulphur. Chronic and acute sinusitis with thick yellow discharge; sometimes offensive or blood-tinged discharge. At other times, dry obstruction with crusts inside the nose. Worse: winter. Indoors. Also hay fever attacks settling in the sinuses. Better: open air. Sometimes burning pains or soreness in the bones of the sinuses. Nasal polyps. Nasal ulcers.

Teucrium. Tremendous tendency for recurring nsal polyps, expecially affecting the right side. Constant inclination to blow the nose with no discharge. Prickling and tingling in the nose, especially at the root of the nose.

Thuja. Thick, generally clear or greenish post-nasal discharge with obstruction. Worse: left side. Cold, damp weather. Marked left frontal headache, often boring or nail-like. Pain into the teeth on blowing the nose.

This symptom pictures clearly show that Sinusitis is not a single disease, with a single set of symptoms that cannot be treated with a single remedy. One of the reasons for homeopathic treatment being so much more superior to conventional treatment is that homeopaths have looked deeply into this condition in order to individualise the treatment.

Randomised Controlled Tests (RCTs)

Euphorbium Compositum nasal spray for sinusitis (1995) 

Conclusions. This study substantiates the reliable efficacy and good tolerance of Euphorbian composition S nasal spray in therapy of chronic sinusitis. In addition it demonstrates maintenance of a high standard of methods and acquirement of meaningful test results to indeed be feasible in homeopathy.

Economic evaluation of Sinfrontal in the treatment of acute maxillary sinusitis in adults

Sinfrontal led to incremental savings of euro 275 per patient compared with placebo over 22 days, essentially due to the markedly reduced absenteeism from work. Incremental utility amounted to 0.0087 QALYs (95% CI 0.0052, 0.0123), or 3.2 quality-adjusted life-days (QALDs). Bootstrapping showed that these findings were significant, with Sinfrontal being dominant in 99.9% of simulations. The results were robust to a number of sensitivity analyses. In the secondary analysis, Sinfrontal led to incremental cost savings of euro 511 and utility gains of 0.015 QALYs or 5.4 QALDs compared with placebo. Compared with antibacterials, Sinfrontal had a significantly higher cure rate (11% vs 59%; p < 0.001) at similar or lower costs. The results of this economic evaluation indicate that Sinfrontal may be a cost-effective treatment for AMS in adults.

Efficacy of a Complex Homeopathic Medication (Sinfrontal) in Patients with Acute Maxillary Sinusitis: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Clinical Trial (2007) 

Conclusion. This complex homeopathic medication is safe and appears to be an effective treatment for acute maxillary sinusitis.

Homeopathic treatment of patients with chronic sinusitis: A prospective observational study with 8 years follow-up (2009) 

Conclusion. This observational study showed relevant improvements that persisted for 8 years in patients seeking homeopathic treatment because of sinusitis. The extent to which the observed effects are due to the life-style regulation and placebo or context effects associated with the treatment needs clarification in future explanatory studies.

Homeopathy in acute rhinosinusitis: a double-blind, placebo controlled study shows the efficiency and tolerability of a homeopathic combination remedy (2007)

Results. In the homeopathic treatment group, the average sum score dropped from initially 12.1+/-1.6 to 5.9+/-2.0 points after 7 days. In the placebo group it decreased from 11.7+/-1.6 to 11.0+/-2.9 points. The homeopathic treatment resulted in freedom from complaints in 90.3% of the patients and improvement in a further 8.3%, whereas in the placebo group, the complaints remained unchanged or became worse in 88.9% of the patients. Only one adverse event occurred in one patient from the placebo group.