Homeopathic remedies for colds and flu

natural cold remedies that are safe for toddlers and pregnant women

​​Influenza is a viral disease that is more common in winter.

Because it is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective.

​The main symptoms include tiredness and weakness, a runny nose, body aches, headache, high fever and a chesty cough, some of these symptoms can be confused with a cold but can be distinguished because the intensity is usually much higher in the flu virus.

Some people may experience a sore throat and swollen glands but this symptom will be less severe than the other ones.  If you have the flu, these symptoms tend to come quite suddenly and are very intense, especially the body aches.

Although most people feel better in a week time, the general feeling of weakness and cough can last up to 3 weeks. For lingering coughs, have a look at this homeopathic remedies.

Both colds and flu have  have different stages where the person will experience different symptoms. It depends where you are in the process that you can start to look into these homeopathic remedies to get relief.

Homeopathic remedies are completely safe for toddlers,  pregnant women or elderly people.

​Look at the different stages below to find the best remedy for you.

FIRST STAGE

During the first stage, you definitely know you are coming down with something, either you start to feel very tired, with a headache or you simply starting to sneeze. Your temperature may shot up at this point!
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Aconite: symptoms may start after the exposure to cold wind, dry cold weather or exposure to drafts while in a perspiration. Sudden onset of high fever and feeling very restless and anxious.

The patient is worse at night. Although face may be red and flashed, on rising up from the bed the face becomes pale. Face alternating red and pale. The patient may be very thirsty for cold water.
 
Ferrum-phos: the feeling of tiredness and can hardly move about and pains in the joints which are worst by any movement.

Sore bruised pain in the body. Wrists ache and loss the power to grasp. May have the fever but not as hot as Belladonna or Aconite. The face may be flushed.
 
Belladonna: symptoms are sudden and very violent, developing a very high fever[39.9C] where the patient is very hot to touch and looks very red on his face and may be delirious with the fever.

Although the patient is burning hot, he may have cold hands and feet. The patient may have red glassy eyes and dilated pupils. Pains are throbbing and burning and the patient is not usually thirsty. He feels worse in the afternoon.
 
Sometimes, these remedies manage to abort the whole process and other times, they help with the initial symptoms.

However, if more than 24-48 hours have passed since the first symptoms it is unlikely that the above remedies will help. If symptoms remain after the first 48 hours, the following remedies will be more helpful.
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​SECOND STAGE

At this point, you know if you have the flu or a cold. The symptoms are full on and you are confined to be in your sofa feeling quite miserable.You may have gone of food completely and feel very congested.

1.HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR COLDS

​Allium cepa : A streaming cold with much sneezing and watery eyes. Eyes feel  burning and smarting and are sensitive to light. 

The watery discharge from the nose is burning and can make the upper lip and nose raw.  All symptoms are better in the open air and person feels worse in the evening and in a warm room.
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Mercurius Sol: cold with alternating sweats and chills worse at night. Watery discharge. Inflamed throat  and glands.

Sweetish, metallic taste in the mouth  and you may have mouth ulcers.

Arsenicum: very restless and anxious, thin watery discharge that burns. Nose is blocked, sneezing without relief. Intense thirst little and often.

Feels better with hot applications, hot food and drink. Worse at night and in cold air.

The head is hot but the body is cold. Maybe feeling a bit breathless from a dry or a wheezing cough.

Pulsatilla: this is for colds where there is a lot of congestion and a thick discharge which  can be green-yellow.

The nasal congestion tends to be on alternate sides of the nose and  is worse inside the house but better in the fresh air. Loss of smell with the cold. Thirstlessness .

The person feels miserable and wants sympathy and comfort.

Nux-Vomica: the nose feels blocked but is running at one side.  It may alternate between a watery discharge and be blocked.

The discharges tend to flow during the day and in open air but are obstructed at night.

​The person may be very irritable with the cold.

There is a lot of abortive sneezing.
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Kali-bi: this is for thick, stringy, lumpy discharges and congestion at the root of the nose. Tough and elastic plugs.

Complete obstruction of the nose. Sneezing worse in the morning.

Tickling in the larynx with a cough worse when eating.

For coughs that remain and are really bothering, I have put together some remedies to help you deal with those annoying coughs.
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2.HOMEOPATHIC FLU REMEDIES 

Gelsemium: this is one of the most common flu remedies needed. This is a more established flu state that came gradually .

The person is weak, tired and muscles aches through the body and feels so weak that he may tremble. He feels drowsy and dizzy and his eyelids feel heavy and can hardly open them.

The person feels cold and may have shivers up and down the spine. In general, the person feels very heavy and dull.
 
Eupatorium perfoliatum: this remedy has much soreness and aching of the whole body. Bone pains, he feels as if bones are breaking or have been broken.

He is usually very thirsty and may be vomiting after drinking. A cough hurts the head and chest and the person feel like holding the chest when coughing.

This remedy may be useful in the early stages.
 
Rhus-tox:  the patient is very restless and has aching limbs with the stiffness of the joints, he feels like he must move all the time in order to ease the pain, feels worse by being still in bed.

The flu may come or be worsened by cold and damp.  He feels better by the warmth and stretching the limbs.

The fever is accompanied by bone and muscle ache and the person may develop fever blisters or cold sores around the lips.
 
Bryonia: this is also a very indicated flu remedy, when this remedy is needed, the person feels like he must keep still at all the times as he feels worse by any movement he makes so the person wants to be alone, quiet and still.

The person is very irritable and wants to be left alone. He usually feels very thirsty and feels like dryness in all mucous membranes and may have a bursting or a splitting headache as if hit by a hammer inside.

The cough is dry and hacking and the person may experience stitches in the chest after coughing.

Baptisia: the Baptisia stage is a very heavy stage.

There is a low grade fever that lingers and the person feels very sore and heavy with strong aching of all muscles.

There is a tremendous weakness and the patient feels like staying in bed all day, the feeling of drowsiness is quite strong if the remedy is required. This remedy is a key remedy for influenza.
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​DOSING THE REMEDIES

You may take a remedy 3 times a day or every 3 hours for a few days and then on, as the symptoms begin to improve reduce the frequency of repetition.

​If you have not noticed and improvement after the second day, then you may need a different remedy from the one chosen.

A PROTOCOL FOR HOMEOPATHIC FLU PREVENTION DURING THE WINTER.

Every year, coming the flu season patients ask for a remedy that helps to prevent the flu.

In fact, homeopathy has a good track record for that, during the 1918 influenza pandemic- Spanish Flu-  26,795 cases of influenza treated by homeopaths showed a mortality rate of 1.05%, while for  those treated with conventional medication, the mortality rate was ~30%. 

There is no one single remedy or protocol that can prevent the flu. Every homeopath have their own kind of variation into what they give to their patients. However, there are a few remedies that seem to be more effective than others to do so, and those remedies are the basis for the different prescriptions.

The most well known remedy is the branded homeopathic remedy Oscillococcinum,  which active ingredient is the homeopathic remedy Annas Barbariae. Either of these two remedies hold the same properties and will be equally effective. One is the branded and the other is the unbranded version.

Another good remedies that can help are called Influenzinum or Bacillinum. This are very specific remedies for the flu.

However, most homeopaths will have their own house protocol that can range from any of this remedies single or combined, in very low potency, 30s or 200s and any additional remedies that are well know for combatting the flu symptoms.

For instance, some may contain Gelsemium or Baptisia. The combinations and dosing are endless and they all be helpful.

Personally, my family do not take any flu prevention remedy. I think that general homeopathic treatment is the best preventive as it will enhance your immune system and having the odd flu one every 10 years, is a good way of cleaning your inner house!

But in some cases, such as where the patient is ill, elderly or is very anxious, I like to make sure the chances of getting the flu are kept low.

This is my recommended FLU PREVENTION IN HOUSE MIXTURE:

• Oscillococcinum200+ Bacillinum200+ Influenzinum30

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As some of the remedies are in 200c, I would recommend one dose monthly for a few months during the Flu season. 

If there is a flu epidemic and you are at work with a few people that have gone with the flu, then in that case you can take it weekly for a few weeks until the threat is gone. 

Dose: one globule or pill is one dose.

BANERJI PROTOCOL TIP
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For the Influenza, this Banerji Protocol can be very useful: 

• Rhus-tox 30c and Bryonia Alba 30c one dose every two hours alternately. 

If there is high temperature Belladonna 30c can be used as often as needed to get some relief.

​Sanguinaria 200 if used for sinus congestion

 

if you have not recovered from the flu, contact me to get rid of it for good!