What is a cure?
I’m often asked if homeopathy will cure a specific disease. Let's use ear infections as an example.
If your child has a screaming ear infection with a high fever and you give him Tylenol paired with an antibiotic and, as a result, the pain and fever cease, is that a cure?
What if the ear infection and fever return in a month or so; does the first illness still qualify as cured? The pediatrician might believe so, but I don’t. Why? Because as a mother, when raising my kids, I was in it for the long haul.
I didn’t count each illness separate from the next, blindly assuming they were unrelated. I planned to be with my children into adulthood and even beyond and if the illness morphed into something else, the side effects caused a new disease, or the original illness returned, I certainly would not have called this a cure.
Instead, I’d call it a deepening of the original illness. Perhaps even a will for the illness to return until the disease is met with the correct medicine; the one that uproots the disease instead of thrusting it into the future, only to compound it.
Does this sound familiar to you…ear infection on top of ear infection, on top of ear infection? Repeated otitis media is not only common; pediatricians actually expect it to return.
Their solution?
More antibiotics.
That, my friends, is sloppy work that doesn’t give a hoot about the future.
This is the place where I would normally offer the homeopathic remedy for otitis media but instead, I’m going to show you how to integrate it with medicines to help on other levels as well so that you see an entire picture of correction for now and into the future.
Returning to the child with recurring ear infections; this is how I’d put this case together:
Why did I start with Camphora? Read this so that you have a good understanding of this remedy choice and how it will help antidote previous drugs.
What will this do, you ask? Well, besides correcting the present illness within hours and gently removing it in about a day or so, it will also likely put a stop to the repetition of these infections. It puts the child where he should have been after the initial incident, had homeopathy been employed the first time.
Consider a weed. We don’t douse it in pesticides (well, some might, but they’re not reading this). Instead, we uproot it. If it returns, it will likely be a milder version and will typically only require another gentle nudge. By and large, that’s all it takes because the foundation it had previously built itself upon has been effectively treated to the point it doesn't have the necessary strength to grow back.
This same scenario relates to repeated strep and sinus infections, boils, urinary tract infections, repeated coughs, and even croup, to name a few.
If the child has had antibiotics, it's also likely he now has gut dysbiosis. Depending on how it presents, it will determine what other homeopathic medicines need to be employed in the above schedule.
I’ll give you a few ideas here but to be honest, the subject of wiping out the effects antibiotics may have caused is a rather vast subject. Not impossible to treat; in fact, it's not all that difficult. It just takes some understanding and specific protocols. (I cover this thoroughly in my course, Good Gut, Bad Gut.)
So let's say the child has the above conditions and lately, is suffering from bloating and gas after every meal as a direct result of antibiotic treatment.
This would call for Lycopodium 200C, taken twice daily, usually for about 2 months. This is a Banerji Protocol that I have been employing for the last four years with great success.
As such, the schedule would now look like this:
If more time is needed to fully correct the ill effects of the old antibiotic gas and bloat, it should be continued.
With this plan, you’ve not only protected the child from another round of antibiotics by knowing how to use Hepar sulph if it presents, but you’ve corrected the inherited immunity concern with Calcarea carbonica AND corrected the gnarly hand of previous antibiotics that caused chronic gut illness.
This is how homeopathy can reach back into the past, set the present straight and protect the future with one schedule of protocols.
Is it any wonder that it’s the fastest-growing medical method on earth?
Warmly,
P.S. Remember that Hepar sulph is not the only medicine we can turn to for otitis media. We also have Pulsatilla, Chamomilla, Nux vomica and others, but Hepar sulph is the one that more often does the work.
I am a homeopath with a worldwide practice working with families and individuals via Zoom. I'm also a teacher and most importantly, a mom who raised my now-adult children depending on homeopathy over the last 31 years. I lived decades of my life with food intolerances, allergies, and chemical sensitivities until I was cured with homeopathy, so I understand pain, anxiety, and suffering. You may feel that your issues are more severe or different than anyone else’s, but I have seen it all in my practice and in my work in India. My opinion is that nothing has come close to the reproducible, safe and effective results that my clients, students and I have achieved with homeopathy.
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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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Joette, it is fascinating that I am awake at 1:30am with my 8 year old dealing with this exact issue presently. He began yesterday waking at 5:30am with severe pain that woke him .
A look at the ear drum revealed an angry red bulging drum. He had just most resolved a febrile illness from the prior week that Belladona 12 slowly helped, but it had taken 4-5 days. I immediately ran for Chamomilia30 but after 5-10 min and severe pain (he was crying out) I broke down and gave him motrin. He fell back alseep till 8:30am. The rest of the day we dosed with Chamomilia30 and Belladona12, every 30 min at first. when he was in more severe pain again I tried Ferr Phos30, then another motin by 11:30 because he begged for it, then more relief. Able to eat a healthy lunch by 1pm and get through the day,he got worse around 5pm. First more Chamomilia30 and Belladona 12 then another ferr Phos 30, then he fell asleep: without mortin: yay! Now its 1am and I see your blog
on the way to his bedroom, so I repeat Chamomilia30 and Belladona 12 and after 5 min add: hepar 30. H
Hopefully I can repeat the dose in the morning. As I type he fell asleep again, yay again!
When do I start Calc Carb? And do I give Camphor at the end of this illness?
I also would love a comment on the severe nature of the pain of otitis and my guilt
over the motrin. I felt that rather than an either or I’d do both,
because he was suffering tremendously and we had dealth with illness the whole
week prior. I avoided it as much as possible, but felt I needed the extra help.
Comments on extra pain relief with a med? Many moms I’m sure struggled with a similar scenario.
Let me start with saying…Good job, Paula! Using homeopathy is a learning process. You should know that the severity of the pain is not an indicator or the severity of the disease; only an indicator of the homeopathic to choose. It usually is a call for Chamommilla and/or Belladonna. I’d change only one thing; and that is the frequency with which you used them. If you had administered more closely together, you could have avoided Motrin. Calc carb is to be used once you get otitis media resolved to help build immunity in general. Also, I urge you to order the book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, Dr. Robert Mendelsohn. Its usually $1 on Amazon. It will give you more confidence in what you’re doing.
I just ordered the book. I’m excited. I also treated 2 children with Hep Sulp 30 around Christmas. My 7 year old had both glands on the side (under ears) of her neck swell up like goose eggs with no fever only neck pain. I had read just read your article on Hep Sulp. I went out and bought some and in less than 12 hours pain gone and swelling began to reduce. I ended up treating her so many times we actually went through the borion bottle. It took a month and 1 trip to the chiropractor for all the knots to go away but she is all good now. I was so thankful for the article about Hep Sulp. Shortly after my 4 year old complained of ear pain and Hep Sulp was all I had since I had restocked and it only took 1 day treatment for her and the pain was gone and she never mentioned it again.
Will do! And I am going to order the BJ book per your recommendations in the Allergic class, but seek guidance as I use it. Again, after we clear this episode, would I go to Camphor first for him, then Calc carb? And do you prefer Calc carb 200 EOD or 30 ED 2D for an 8 yr old? So amazing how this was the very issue I was having when your post released. I was going thru my mind planning to start him on Calc Carb (He is a bit of a Charlie Brown type of kid, got the shoulder shrug down pat, lol).
The schedule I included here fits what you’re describing.
In follow up to the above Otitis episode, I need more direction. Poor little guy is still feverish and has severe ear pain in both ears and now his jaws. Using the Hepar but he is begging for Motrin. He’s sad and depressed, weepy, and frustrated. Hungry but doesn’t know what he wants to eat. Coughing up green yuck. I’m starting to feel like he does need an antibiotic. This is testing my will and heart as a mom. I am wondering if switching to Pulsitilla makes sense. I am trying a bunch of cell salts that I just received: Kali sulf, Kali Mur, Calc phos, and even Mug phos to help the pain. If you are willing to direct here other moms may get some ideas. I’m also willing to call your office. Thank you!
I really can’t take cases on this forum. I urge you to read my blog for more information on remedy choices for ear infections and bone up on what to do next time should you decide to use an antibiotic.
You might want to join one of our study groups. This is where moms who are new not only learn from my book but from each other.
I know this is not homeopathic but I keep a bottle of Nutricillin in my cabinet. My naturopath prescribed it to use when treating a rash on my daughter. Its a natural “antibiotic”. If things are bad I always include it with my homeopathic treatment but that is just me. You can find it on pure formulas for about $10.
What if you do not remember if the gas started due to antiobic use. Mine did start after having child #4 and at some point I did use antibioc for mastitis before I learned better. I did take probiotics during that time because I knew I needed to do that much. I don’t have gas all the time but I do notice I get a little bloated in the evenings and gassy. I have another child who did take antiobics (first and last time) from an infection she got while we were at the beach and I had not learned any other way to treat it. She has taken probiotics for a long time and worked with a naturopath to clear out skin rashes without steriods or antibotics. The rash has been cleared for almost 2 years now with no convential treatments but she still gets gassy with certain foods. (Beans ect…). Would that be Lycopodium 200 also? She is 8 and she has made comments that make me sad. Like, I’m afraid people won’t play with me because I have gas and it smells. I have followed the Weston Price diet except for dairy. I have children who do not do well with dairy. She gets the occasionally raw sheep cheese that is available to me and yogurt from time to time but we highly limit sugars escpecially any refined sugars. I’m caught between this food combining issues, low enzymes, or imbalance gut flora and treating with probiotics or try Lycopodium. I’m torn with using homeopathics myself if case they are wrong and they began proving. Especially 200c. And with me nursing I would won’t to do anything wrong for the baby. I try to keep with probiotics or small amouts of Kefir. Saurkraut juice gives my baby horrible gas and me taking just a little kefir will give her gas also.
Carrie, I know you are wanting Joette’s expertise but I hope it is ok with you (and Joette) for me to share my experience while you wait. First, about your fear of proving: I first began using homeopathy for awful and persistent glue ear as part of my I’ll-try-anything-at-this-point approach. I hadn’t found Joette yet and looking back I can see that I got a lot wrong. But I never had problems with proving. I wonder if provings are less common than we fear. The worst I’ve experienced is no improvement, in which case I simply move on to a different remedy. Second, I have had great success with milk issues using Joette’s Aethusa 200. Joette, if this is not the appropriate place for peer to peer teaching, please tell me!
Thanks so much for your reply. I do appreciate it. Do you mind me asking what glue ear is? I have an issue with my left ear and have for years now since a doctor tried to clean my ear out and hit my eardrum. The gland under my neck on that side also stays ever so slighly puffy. Enough that only I notice. That ear clogs up with wax and then I can’t hear for days until I can get it to move or clear out. Is that was glue ear is?
My fear is not just proving which as I understand can go away once you stop taking it but I’ve read that taking the wrong remedy can cause your symptoms to move to another disfunction system or organ and continue to mask the real issue and cause even more problems. Some have even used terms like now its uncurable or worse. THAT is what I don’t want to happen. Especially in treating my children.
I’m new at this and I don’t have alot of confidence as my personality is to blame myself if something goes wrong. It has taken me years to stop feeling like it was all my fault my children have issues though to some degree it probably is due to plain ignorance and not really knowing what I needed to do to help or keep them healthy and myself. I’m glad I’ve found it now I just want to do right by it.
Glue ear is by and large the same as otitis media. But it sounds like you need to address not just your ear but the lymph node as well.
A proving is not a horrible thing as long as you stop taking the medicine. It is not my experience that a proving will cause a long lasting condition and I work on 50+ cases daily and have been in private practice for over 20 years.
You might want to consider starting a study group that is the 1st thing that you see on my homepage. It will help you understand how to use this simple kind of homeopathy that gives moms permission to take on their family’s ills themselves. If that’s not in the cards for you, simply use this blog and the search bar to find answers to specific conditions.
Yes a study group would be great. Treat my lymph node. I agree and have thought about it for a year but not sure how or where to start. I have also been watched by doctors for 4 years now due to low wbc count. Though that is just a piece of my long and complicated journey. Diet changed extremely thanks to learning about the Weston price foundation and buying my favorite book nourishing traditions. I guess this is just part of my healing journey.
I’ve been reading for months on Lycopodium for mine and my 8 year old daughters gas issue. I fit Lycopodium very well, even constitutionally. I was wondering on how to know to dose. Sometimes I’ve read Lyco 200 2x a day and then I read once everyother day. What is the best approach? I am also nursing. I would love to take your classes but with 5 kids, 1 in college, and 2 in daycare with a teacher salary we are maxed out. I read online as much as I can and I have bought Dana Ullman book on children and infants and the one you recommend as long as it’s reasonable priced. Your kits and courses are on my wish list. My daughter in college has even started reading you and bought a homeopathy book. She has SOOOO many issues. I’m so glad she is going this route.
I can’t tell you how often you personally should take a homeopathic without taking your case, but if you read the information in this blog, its pretty clear how I use it.
I urge you to join or start a study group (found on my front page) since its inexpensive and is the 1st step to moving in this direction.
I purchased your study group curriculum and think it is a great course! However, I have not found anyone to take it with me. Would you consider offering a service to help other people who read this blog , and are interested in taking the study group course, a way to find each other?
You’ll be contacted by our staff within a day or so to help you find a group.
Joette,
I am currently taking the GGBG course and on the free chart download, you have lycopodium 200/arsenicum 3 listed as the remedy for bloating. When should one take that instead of the Lyco 200 for bloating and gas?
For the same prob, my son had surgery for tonsils and adenoids, he has sleep apnea and asthma because of repeated ear infections. Now he is 10 and they find strep in his blood. Do I follow same protocol now too? The strep in his blood is now resistant antibiotics which they tried again. I wish I had turned to homeopathy 8 years ago.
It matters not what the cause of his ear infections are.
But no more ear infections, he has strep in the blood. How to treat if strep is in the blood?
If a child is not presently symptomatic, but has been given several rounds of antibiotics can she still be given the Camphora to “clean the slate”?
I’ve never used it as such because in homeopathy, we treat pathology, not supposition. No symptoms means no pathology to treat.
I have just come across your blog and must say how refreshing it is to find someone speaking the absolute truth about conventional medicine with no messing around! I am surrounded by people who worship every word that comes out of their doctor’s mouth and it drives me crazy! There is no talking to them. ‘Doctor knows best!’ RUBBISH. I have been learning about functional medicine, but have some health issues that are not budging, so kept on researching and have found homeopathy. I have just started taking a couple of remedies, and am excited to see of there is a good result, but if not, am so happy to not be concerned about the side effects as I would with prescription drugs. Please keep on speaking up, maybe one day the light will go on for all the sheeple out there. 😉
Thanks for your encouragement. Its folks like you that I write and teach to most eagerly.
So… if someone (of any age) has had antibiotics and currently has gas/bloating issues but is not currently in the throws of an active infection, would the protocol be the same minus the hepar sulph? I had lots of antibiotics as a kid and now have fibromyalgia with ongoing gas/bloating… wondering if the Camphora/Calc Carb/Lycopodium might be beneficial. Thanks!
Do you know anyone who has not had antibiotics and plenty of them? Regardless of the cause, use the symptoms to determine the protocol. So one protocol for fibroMyl. and another for gas/bloating.
My 5 year old son had ear infections all last winter. We did not give him antibiotics, and were working with a homeopath but I wonder if he would have responded better to higher potencies (she uses really low, often 6x for most everything, 30 at highest). My son only had pain and a fever with the first bout in October, but his ears had fluid and he could not hear well until June. Since we don’t often go to a dr office, I have wondered if he has had a similar infection (fluid but no pain or fever) other winters, and just couldn’t hear us when we thought he was ignoring us. In any case, that could be why he has unclear or slurred speech and uses incorrect grammar, namely that he hasn’t been able to hear well for some part of the time since infancy during speech development. So I wonder, when you say that fluid in the ear is not worth treating, in a young child, if it causes temporary hearing loss? I had an ear infection when my youngest was born, treated with pulsatilla during acute stage, and then could not hear well for several months following. I just trusted that it would clear up, and it did, so I understand it treating for an older child or adult. But is there something that would have helped in my son‘s case?
Sorry this was supposed to be a reply to the next comment, the one made by Emma Melissa Garrido.
Joette,
In cases where there’s no infection or pain, just a lot of fluid in the ear, which one is the best remedy?? Thanks so much!
I wouldn’t treat something where there is no pathology. If there is fluid but its not causing illness, pain, discomfort, etc., I’d allow the condition to right itself without medicine.
My son has this same issue. He has fluid drainage from his right ear consistently throughout the day for the past 4 months without pain, but it has done this in the past and gotten infected. It is also a nuisance, as he has to carry kleenex with him to constantly wipe at his ear. Would the normal ear infection remedies be recommended for drainage alone (resulting from an original ear drum rupture from having strep many months ago)?
I can’t say that that you should use this medicine or that but if you look up the medicines I teach regarding ear infections in a materia medica, you’ll likely determine which one is a good fit.
What would you do if there was lots of drainage? One of your posts talks about silica but without any additional information would you use it cell salt form or higher?
If there is an infection with drainage it’s still infection and the article information may still apply.
My son has not been the same since he had antibiotics a year ago to treat viral & bacterial pneumonia. He has many gut issues and has presented some tics too. Would you suggest this same schedule for correcting his gut issues?
It’s not as generalized as correcting gut issues. We’re more specific with exactly what is presenting. We use the symptoms that present and/or the diagnosis. In other words, diarrhea is one remedy while burning stomach pain is another. Approaching in this manner will make the corrections.
Should you be interested, you might want to seriously look at my online course, Good Gut Bad Gut what to do about this such using homeopathy.