This week's remedy is one of the most common in the homeopathic Materia Medica.  It isn't surprising, because the source of this remedy is very plentiful on earth as well. It is very familiar as it relates to matches. 

This remedy has a lot to do with decay  and disgust.  Of things wearing out and dragging on so long that they get stale and old.  As one would expect, things then get smelly and stinky and sweaty and gross.

It is a specific for a child hood ear infection that comes on at the end of a stale old cold.  It is also for a cold that won't seem to go away.  It seems like it is past the acute phase where you don't really have a lot of symptoms, but the ones you have drag on and on.  You are sick of being sick.

Another symptom of this remedy is that your hair looks greasy and dirty, even if you just washed it that morning.  Definitely a bad hair day.

You might also have skin eruptions of some sort with this remedy.  It might be a rash or hives or just red skin from being warm.  It is pretty tough, but not impossible, to give this remedy when the patient isn't warm. 

This remedy of the week is Sulphur.

Not every stale old cold needs Sulphur.  But the symptoms include a tickle in the throat that is worse when you lay down and basically being sick of being sick.  Take Sulphur 200C 3x, 24 hours between each dose.  You could also take Sulphur 30C, 3x a day for 3 days.  Quit if you are better sooner than that.

For an ear infection at the end of a stale old cold, take Sulphur 30C 3x a day for a couple days.  if the ear infection goes away sooner, stop then.  It frequently does go away sooner than that. 

This week's remedy of the week is one that has been useful the past month or so.  This remedy is good for many things, but it is particularly well known for use in Food Poisoning.  You know the feeling.  Vomiting, freezing cold, you don't want to be left alone.

If you need this remedy, you probably are a bit anxious and restless. It may occur to you that you'll never get well, or you may even think you'll die.  You might WANT to die you feel so awful.

You may be wondering how this remedy has been useful in the past month or so.  Have that many people gotten food poisoning?  Is there something wrong with the local restaurants?  Not at all.  It also happens to be a really good remedy for gastroenteritis, sometimes commonly referred to as the stomach flu.  Who knows, it could be genuine influenza that is going around.  In homeopathy, we just look at the symptoms.  Diagnosis not necessary.  My colleagues and I have been using this remedy for the stomach flu that is going around.  The symptoms are the same, whether you are experiencing food poisoning or "stomach flu". 

This remedy is Arsenicum album.  Arsenicum is one of the more commonly prescribed remedies in the homeopathic materia medica. 

In addition to being able to recommend this remedy if you have the flu or food poisoning, it can also help prevent it under certain conditions.  In homeopathy, there is a concept developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the developer of the principals of homeopathy, called the genus epidemicus.  

The genus epidemicus is realized after a practitioner, or a group of practitioners, finds that they prescribe the same remedy or few remedies for the same disease.  For example, during the Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919, the Genus Epidemicus was Gelsemium, and Bryonia was very common as well. 

Not only does this make it quick to prescribe the remedies for people who are sick, it can also help prevent those who are well from contracting the disease.  During Hahnemann's time, he used this method to prevent people from getting cholera and typhoid fever and other infectious diseases that people frequently died from in the 1800's. 

So if you are sick, but fortunate enough to not be the first person to get sick of a particular named illness, you will likely get better faster and the rest of your family will not have to suffer through it.

Have you ever had too much to drink?

How do you feel when this happens?  Weak, nauseous, tired, full, headache, stomach ache?

This week's Remedy of the Week can help out in those situations and help you ring in the New Year feeling a bit more alive.  In addition to feeling like you have over indulged in some way, it also helps the feeling that if you could just throw up, you'd feel better.  If you could just have a BM, you'd feel better.  If you could just cough something out, you'd feel better.

Emotionally, someone who needs this remedy generally wants to be left alone to sleep or rest, if you just could.  You are crabby and irritable.

This remedy is Nux Vomica.  It is available in a 30C at most places that sell remedies.  

The best way to take this remedy if you have had too much to drink is to take a dose right before you go to bed.  And then take a dose when you wake up.  It may help you go back to sleep.  I would put it right next to your bed on your night stand because otherwise you probably won't remember to take it at night.  If you don't remember to take it at night, you can still take it the next morning.  It will still work, but you'll feel better the next morning if you also take it at night.  

If you feel sick from over eating, take it as soon as you feel that way.  It should help you feel better and help you sleep, which can sometimes be difficult on a full stomach.

Of course, the caveat for this remedy is that homeopathy isn't about living an unhealthy lifestyle and then taking a remedy to make up for it.  

If you tend to over indulge too much in either eating or drinking, call 651-748-1556 for help with that.

You all know this symptom.  You are sure you are coming down with something.  Your body aches.  Your throat hurts--maybe the worst sore throat you've ever had.  You are laying in bed all covered up when suddenly you are sweating and you MUST uncover.  You proceed to kick the blankets off, bringing instant relief.  After a short time, you are shivering and your teeth are chattering.  You cover up again.  Repeat many times.

Your hair looks terrible.  Your tongue may be coated gray or white.  When you bite into your tongue, small dents remain.  Your breath stinks--maybe a metallic smell.  You are salivating.  You are sweating.  You are restless.  You are MISERABLE.

And the remedy is....MERCURIUS VIVUS, sometimes called MERCURIUS SOLUBILUS.  

The other thing to know about Merc, as it is known for short, is that it is rarely the last remedy you need.  It is usually the first remedy you need and most often followed by other remedies.  So if you need this remedy first, be sure to call to find out what the next remedy is that you should take.  651-748-1556. 

Remedy for the Week of December 12th, 2011

COFFEA CRUDA

Ailments from too much joy is the description of this remedy, Coffea Cruda.  If you have ever had such a good time that you couldn't sleep, you may find that you can settle down with Coffea.  This applies to children as well.

There are many insomnia remedies, but for acute insomnia caused by a situation that has been fun and joyful, Coffea can't be beat.  If you need this remedy you may also be seeking additional stimulation to build on what you are already feeling, when in fact, you really need to calm down.

You may also feel like you have been drinking coffee, which shouldn't be a surprise since this remedy is homeopathic coffee beans, raw, not roasted.