Homeopathy - An Awesome, Effective and Natural Alternative to the Flu Vaccine

Sujata Owens CCH, RSHom, HMC, DHMS and Marylu MillerPeterson RSHom

In the light of recent events and news reports around the controversy related to flu vaccine: its efficacy, its shortage due to the fact that vaccine production was shut down at Chiron, a manufacturer of the influenza vaccine, impact of Thimerasol on a person's constitution because of live vaccine, its side effects, negative reactions, we want you to know about the alternative, natural and effective choice you have at your fingertips in homeopathy.

A report to the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1921 documented the dramatic success of homeopathy in the worst flu pandemic in history. Of 24,000 flu cases treated with conventional medical care, the death rate was 28.2%; of 26,000 cases treated with homeopathy, the death rate was a nearly miraculous 1.05%. Similarly, many individual homeopathic physicians reported that they had treated thousands of patients with very few deaths.

In 1998, the French Society of Homeopathy conducted a survey of 23 homeopathic doctors concerning their use of homeopathic medicine Influenzinum as flu preventive. The survey included use of Influenzinum over a 10-year period (1987-1998) in 453 patients. Results of the survey were remarkable. In approximately 90% of the cases no instances of the flu occurred when Influenzinum was used preventively. Physicians deemed its effectiveness good to very good in 90% of the cases, and not effective in 5% of the cases.

Is It Cold or Flu?

The flu tends to come on more suddenly than a cold and the symptoms are more extreme. Fever and chills, muscle aches and pains, severe headaches, exhaustion, painful dry coughs, and chest pain are very prominent with the flu. While those with a cold feel unwell and may have a slight headache and mild muscle aches, they are usually able to go about their normal routine with minor difficulty.

Those with the flu often cannot even get out of bed, feeling as though they have been "hit by a truck." Flu sufferers may have a runny nose, but they rarely have the kind of intense nasal congestion and stopped up nose that is typical of a head cold. While a cold usually runs its course within a week, the flu may last up to two weeks with additional time for recuperation. In the Northern Hemisphere, the flu occurs almost exclusively during the fall and winter months, whereas colds occur year around.

Preventing the Flu, Naturally

• Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids.
• Increase fruits and vegetables in diet. Reduce refined sugar.
• Continue to get regular exercise. It helps to keep you healthy by reducing or countering stress, enhancing circulation and offering another mode of elimination via perspiration.
• Wash hands often, especially before eating.
• If you are feeling run down, try to take a day off for rest and relaxation.

Reduce your risk by keeping your immune system strong. People who have a strengthened immune system because they are being treated with constitutional homeopathic medicine are much less susceptible to flu virus. Your homeopathic practitioner will decide whether a different remedy or the same remedy in different strength is needed for you based on your symptom picture and responses to your constitutional remedy. Many clients in this scenario, if end up getting the flu, exhibit quite mild symptoms confirming the evidence that homeopathic medicines strengthen the immune system.

Dealing With the Flu

Once a person comes down with the flu, your homeopathic practitioner will carefully take the case and prescribe the homeopathic remedy that best fits your symptoms. There are many homeopathic medicines that help treat the person who has flu and the key is to find your individualized homeopathic remedy based on totality of your symptom picture.

Homeopathic Flu Medicines

The following three homeopathic remedy descriptions will give you an insight into how an individualized homeopathic medicine is prescribed for a person.

Gelsemium: The most frequently indicated homeopathic flu medicine over the past 100 years. Flu comes on slowly over a 6-12 hour period. By the second day you have aching muscles, feel pretty bad and usually have a headache. Head pain is more in the back of the head with stiffness and aching in the neck and across the shoulders. You do not want to move but that is primarily because you are so tired. The characteristic state of and fatigue. Clients needing Gelsemium are not thirsty. Gelsemium are chilly and sensitive to cold, cold shivers go down the spine. Gelsemium is also clammy with fever and feelings of heat and cold may alternate. Gelsemium does not have the energy to be emotional. Gelsemium is too exhausted to respond.

Bryonia: Bryonia is also frequently indicated for flu. Bryonia flu comes on slowly over a period of 6-12 hours. And just like in Gelsemium has aching muscles, person feels pretty bad and usually has headache. The pain in head is more in front of the head which is definitely made worse by moving the head or moving the eyes, and feels better from pressing the hand on the head. Bryonia has tiredness but also restlessness. Discomfort is worse by motion, and has urge to move around due to restlessness. No position seems comfortable enough. Clients needing Bryonia are thirsty. Bryonia clients feel warm and dry. Bryonia wants air and cool temperatures to calm the heat. Bryonia has more coughing and chest symptoms, a painful cough that aggravates the sore throat. The Bryonia cough will also cause chest pains, and the inevitable reaction to this situation is to press the palm to the chest to minimize the movement caused by coughing. Bryonia is irritable, worried and fretful. Bryonia wants to be left alone.

Rhus toxicodendron: The Rhus toxicodendron flu immediately distinguishes itself by its extreme restlessness. With all of the aching pains, Rhus tox is better from moving. Constant motion, changing positions, and stretching provide the only relief. If you lie still with a Rhus tox flu you begin to ache, which forces you to move. Nighttime is the worst for those with Rhus tox flu because of the difficulty remaining in one position. You will toss and turn looking for relief. Mentally and emotionally, those who need Rhus tox are anxious with a restless mind, and a sudden depression with crying is common. Rhus tox is sweaty, chilly, sensitive to cold and better from warmth like Gelsemium. The headache has its focus in the back of neck and head with aching across the shoulders. Rhus tox has a very dry mouth, but despite the dryness is not very thirsty.

There are many other homeopathic remedies that may be indicated for influenza such as Baptisia (sudden onset, dull, delirious very quickly, offensive odor and flu accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting), Eupatorium (when the bones feel broken), Pyrogen (when the bed feels too hard), Arsenicum (when there is great prostration, chilliness and restlessness with burning pains).

In conjunction with a well-chosen, individualized homeopathic remedy, you could use following tips.

• Sponge bathing is effective and should be resorted to bring high temperatures down.
• Appetite reduction is usually a symptom. So do not force feed.

Dealing With Side Effects of Flu Vaccination

There are many homeopathic remedies that are proven in clinical research that reduce the symptoms that come as a result of taking flu vaccinations.

Note: Please do not use homeopathic remedies without proper supervision and consultations with health practitioners.

For web browsers, feel free to visit our website at www.vitalforceconsulting.com. For further information on the topic please refer to National Center for Homeopathy website www.homeopathic.org or through the link on our website and www.cure-guide.com.

Clincal research appendix: "A controlled Evaluation of Homeopathic Preparation in the Treatment of Influenza-like syndromes" Ferley, J.P. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 1989, 27, pp 329-225

Resources: Homeopathy Today, Dec. 2004 publication