The text read: “Mom, super weakness, deep coldness, shivering in bed, nausea, chest feels hollow and weak, like bronchitis is coming.”
Whack! Here comes an acute illness.
By an “acute,” I mean a condition that does not reoccur frequently; one that has a distinct beginning and end. Colds, flu, and bronchitis are perfect examples of acute illnesses.
In an acute illness, one might repeat administration about every 3 hours, or if severe, even as often as every 15 minutes.
So for example, if plagued with the flu and the person cannot rise from bed, the medicine could be administered that often (every 15 minutes), especially at the onset.
Now you’re looking for clues to show improvement … any improvement, such as increase in energy, return of color to the face, less angst, ability to fall asleep, decreased nausea, a less debilitating cough, etc.
If you’re pretty confident that the medicine you’ve chosen is correct, then stay with it until there is marked improvement. This could occur after a few days or as little as a few hours.
Generally, for influenza or a bad cold, a small improvement is often seen within several hours.
When the illness is not so severe, the medicine is administered with a larger space between each dose, though it could still take a few days to note a positive change.
If there is absolutely no lessening of severity and/or duration of the symptoms, then stop administering the medicine.
In this case, it's time to begin a new remedy. You’ll be choosing the next medicine based on what is most prominent NOW; not what you started with, but what symptoms are most pressing at the moment.
They may have indeed changed, so don’t get stuck on the idea that you’re treating penetrating weakness just because it was there at the onset of the illness.
If it's no longer the most debilitating symptom and something else has essentially taken its place instead, that’s when you make an addition to the remedy schedule.
You want a homeopathic that is specific to the newest, most pressing set of symptoms.
By and large, however, if there is improvement (even if it's nominal), stick with the initial remedy. As the person improves, don’t stop; simply continue its use until the illness is over.
Now you’ll likely need to administer the medicine less frequently.
Keep observing.
This doesn’t mean you bombard the ailing individual with questions. Instead, watch, listen, note changes in attitude, energy, appetite, thirst, discomfort and other such behaviors.
These are your tools to determine whether the medicine you’ve chosen is correct and how often to repeat.
A rule of thumb: in acute illness, sleep is often an indication that you’ve chosen the correct medicine, so stay with it even if the person wakes to a return of the symptoms.
No worries. It's simply an indicator that it's time to resume the schedule again.
Another rule of thumb: The more severe the acute symptoms are, the more frequent the repetition of the remedy.
So when my son texted me that he had become sick on his trip overseas, I responded with “Nux vomica 30 (or 200) every 15 minutes, Aconitum 200 taken at the same time as Bryonia 200 (a Banerji Protocol), alternating with Nux vomica every 15 minutes.”
Within 2 hours, he texted back that there was some improvement to which I responded, “Stay with it. And stay in bed.”
A few hours later, he reported the first group of symptoms was fairly improved but that his bones and joints were quite painful and he couldn’t get comfortable in bed.
“Replace the previous schedule with Rhus tox 30 or 200 every 15 minutes.”
His next text didn’t come for many hours (which drove me nuts! After all, he was halfway around the globe) but when I received it, he said he had been sleeping and the previous symptoms had improved by about 60%, but now he was super nauseous.
However, his chest no longer had the feeling as though he was getting bronchitis and the weakness had improved.
I must admit, however, that I made a poor judgment call. We should have stayed with the original schedule that included Nux vomica and simply added in Rhus tox.
But since I hadn’t done that, I simply returned to Nux vomica 30 (or 200) every 30 minutes. He took this with an occasional dose of Rhus tox when the aches and pains returned, but mostly, he slept.
By the following day, he was not 100% but well enough to rejoin his friends and forget his 24 hour-ish illness.
He texted a grateful: “Thanks, Mom”
To recap:
- During an acute illness, find the medicine that best suits the condition.
- Repeat more frequently if severe, especially at the onset, and less frequently as the condition improves.
- Change medicines if the symptoms change and don’t be afraid to return to the medicine that worked in the beginning.
- Require a “thank you” text from your son!
That, my friends, is how you repeat a medicine in an acute illness and remain relevant in your adult child’s life.
Warmly,
P.S. Shhh… Don’t tell him about the relevancy part, ok?
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Joette is not a physician and the relationship between Joette and her clients is not of prescriber and patient, but as educator and client. It is fully the client's choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn't "treat" an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. Joette believes that the advice and diagnosis of a physician is often in order.
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The Author disclaims all liability for any loss or risk, personal or otherwise incurred as a consequence of use of any material in this article. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
