The Alternative Medicine Blog

Beyond Symptomatic Relief

Beyond Symptomatic Relief II "Mast Cells"

The reason that respiratory and digestive symptoms are the most common reaction to allergens is that they both have a particularly large number of "mast cells." Mast cells have histamine and various other chemicals locked inside, which are released when a person is exposed to allergens. Histamine dilates capillaries, which then increase the blood supply to peripheral parts of the body in defense against the invading allergen. Histamine also constricts the respiratory bronchioles, tubes that help the body to cough and expel the allergen. Finally, histamine causes increased gastric secretion in the body's effort to digest the allergen. Despite these various efforts by the body to try to protect and heal itself, the body is not always strong enough to effect a cure, and it some times is so sick that it overreacts to substances that a healthy body can deal with effectively and without creating symptoms, though they can be triggered by psychological factors as well as by allergens.

Beyond Symptomatic Relief "Allergies"

Beyond Symptomatic Relief I 'Allergies"

This post was adapted from the text, Discovering Homeopathy, by Dana Ullman.

The word allergy did not exist in Shakespeare's time or even just a century ago. And yet, medical statistics indicate that one in seven Americans had an allergy in 1950, as many as one in five had an allergy in 1970, and approximately 75 million Americans, or one in three, had an allergy in 1985.

Homeopathic Principles of Acute Prescribing II

Homeopathic Principles of Acute Prescribing II

Dosage and potency in homeopathic acute prescribing are matched to the individual person, just as the remedy itself is. Generally, home prescribers use potencies of 30C or lower. In homeopathic acute prescribing, several doses may be needed to begin the recovery process. It is safe to repeat a remedy in an acute situation, but as soon as improvement begins, the remedy should be discontinued until there is a relapse or slowing of improvement. If a remedy has been repeated four times with no sign of a change, it is probably not the correct remedy; it is time to go back to the drawing board and find a different remedy.

Homeopathic Principles of Acute Prescribing I

Homeopathic Principles of Acute Prescribing I

In acute prescribing, the goal is to move the person safely through the acute illness and return them to the state of health they had before this acute began.

The scope of the homeopathic symptom picture that is considered in acute prescribing is limited to the acute illness itself: what might have caused it, and its specific individualizing symptoms. The homeopathic symptom picture consists of everything that is different about the person now, compared to their usual state of health.

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing VI "RHUS TOXICODENDRON"

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing VI

Flu as An Example

RHUS TOXICODENDRON

The main dynamic in Rhus tox is that motion causes pain at first, but then the pain is relieved with continued motion. After too much motion, though, the pain returns from overuse. This dynamic makes the Rhus tox patient extremely restless: they are in pain, and they are always looking for a position that will relieve it. The Rhus tox flu makes it so that the homeopathic patient “can’t rest in any position.” It may even feel as if the bed is too hard, so that they move around looking for a comfortable place. They may feel a bit stiff and want to stretch their limbs and joints.

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing V "Bryonia"

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing V

Flu as an Example

BRYONIA

The main issue in Bryonia is that their symptoms are “worse from motion and better from pressure.” This dynamic can refer to any of their symptoms, some examples being:

Overall, the homeopathic patient feels better lying perfectly still.
A headache feels best when lying still, with hands pressed to forehead or temples.
Coughing is painful (because it involves motion); when coughing, the homeopathic patients hold their hands tight on their chest or else bends over, putting pressure on their chest and limiting the motion.
A stomach ache makes them want to curl up in a ball, putting pressure on their stomach and keeping them still.

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing IV "Eupatorium"

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing IV

Flu as an Example

EUPATORIUM

The main symptom in a Eupatorium flu is pain in the bones. Whereas the pain in Gelsemium is in the muscles and head, in Eupatorium there is a definite feeling of bone pain. “My body hurts so much it feels like my bones are breaking” is a typical sensation in a Eupatorium flu. This sensation is felt even when the homeopathic patient is lying perfectly still in bed and looks like they should be very comfortable. They may feel somewhat restless, moving around in the bed to try to find a position that alleviates their pain, but without lasting success.

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing III, Arsenicum

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing III, Arsenicum

Flu as an Example

ARSENICUM

In homeopathy the Arsenicum patient is very chilly, exhausted, and restless. The fatigue and the restlessness are a tormenting combination: the person desperately needs rest, but when they try to lie still, they find they cannot. When the homeopathic patient gets up to move around, they are very quickly exhausted again. Their body is very cold and has to be wrapped up warmly, but their face may feel hot at the same time. If they have to uncover their body, they may have terrible chills.

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing II

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing II

Flu as an Example

Some common homeopathic flu remedies are:
Gelsemium
Arsenicum
Eupatorium
Bryonia
Rhus toxicodendron

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing

Homeopathic Acute Prescribing I

Flu as an Example

Homeopathic acute prescribing is appropriate for short-term, self-limiting illnesses. The classic acute illnesses are contagious ones such as childhood diseases, colds, and flu. In deciding wether or not to acutely prescribe, it is important to distinguish between acute and chronic: if an “acute” is recurrent (such as ear infections, migraines, upper respiratory infections, etc), then it is actually a chronic ailment and needs to be treated professionally.

The goal of homeopathic acute prescribing is to move the person back to the same state of health in which they were living before they contracted this acute. The scope of the homeopathic symptom picture that is considered in choosing the remedy is limited to the time of the acute.