That itching. Those vesicles. As the mother of three active boys I knew all too well what they meant. My boys were into the poison ivy again. Maybe your kids, like mine, have recently made the discovery of a little three-leafed plant that left them covered in blisters that itched and spread wherever they scratched.
Conventional medicine treats poison ivy, as it does most rashes, with oral or topical steroids. This removes the rash (a short-term solution) by blocking the body’s immune response. Homeopathic principles dictate that whenever symptoms are suppressed they are not resolved, but rather driven deeper into the body to reappear at a different time and perhaps in a more serious form. Keeping this in mind, I urge moms to treat their family’s itchy summer rash themselves, without harmful steroids.
When treating poison ivy, most people who are familiar with homeopathy automatically think of Rhus tox (the Latin name for poison ivy) because it is the remedy made from the poison ivy plant. Rhus tox is indeed a powerful treatment for poison ivy, but it must fit the symptoms in order to work. Actually, the most common remedy for poison ivy is Anacardium.
Keep the following list of remedies with their identifying features handy and you’ll be prepared whenever someone in your family accidentally comes in contact with this troublesome plant.
Pay special attention to the location of the rash, the type of pustules that form, and the general demeanor and preferences of the person when making your choice. As always, anything that seems peculiar is especially helpful in pointing to the correct remedy.
Remedies:
We can distinguish Crot-t from Anacardium by the presence of yellowish eruptions. In fact, Crot-t is known as the yellow remedy. The pustules can ooze yellowish matter, which then dries to form thick grayish/brownish scabs.
Light pressure ameliorates, but the person feels tight all over his body and mentally inflexible and rigid. Quite frankly, he cannot bear the rash.
Administer the chosen remedy in the 30th potency three to four times a day, reducing the frequency as symptoms improve. If a lower potency like 12X or 6X is all you have on hand, you can use it, but you may have to administer more frequently. If you don’t see even the tiniest bit of improvement after the second or third dose, try the remedy that seems to be the next most likely choice.
Prophylactic use
If you’re one of those people who always seems to get a rash if you’re anywhere near a poison ivy plant, I’ve seen excellent results with the following protocol. Use four doses of Rhus tox 30 in one day at the onset of the season to help minimize the intensity of the exposure. This is done one day a week for a month.
So although the suffering from this plant is noteworthy, the solution is always near at hand.
It’s that hay fever time of year again. Not only does springtime bring us bright, cheerful blossoms, but it also bestows upon many of us a not-so-cheerful-time: allergy season.
Fortunately, some of the great minds of homeopathy have taken up the subject of hay fever. They maintain that it’s the result of poorly treated fevers during childhood and youth.
In other words, hay fever can be directly attributed to the countless doctors, who unknowingly handed out detrimental drugs like aspirin, Tylenol and antibiotics to address fevers in children. This is what many believe cause hay fever later in life and this is reason enough not to use drugs of commerce when addressing fevers.
Since we can’t return to the past, we must work with what we have. Luckily for us, we have homeopathy!
Homeopathy is unique because it doesn’t treat the illness, but treats the entire person. This means that five people with hay fever could receive five different remedies, depending upon each person’s symptoms or how each illness presents.
A homeopathic remedy is chosen based on the symptoms at hand and generally, it’s given hourly, if the symptoms are severe. If the hay fever is not presenting yet, but is forthcoming, then give the remedy three times per day, every day, during the weeks leading up to it.
The premier remedy to not only prevent the threatening attack, but to subdue one that has already begun, is Mag Phos 6x.
Mag phos is a remedy for spasms, so it will relax the spasms of sneezing fits. It is best administered in a cup of hot water and then sipped, one sip at a time, every 30 seconds or so. I like to call this remedy Mug phos because it works so well in a mug of hot water; it is often the only remedy needed to abort a sneezing episode.
If a person craves salt and the sunlight worsens both the sneezing and runny eyes, and if the nose and other associated areas itch, then Nat mur 6x is indicated. This can be taken 3 times per day for maintenance and up to 10 times per day when the suffering is more extreme.
Silica 6x is a remedy for those who have itching deep in the nose, in the back of the throat and deep in the ears. There is often violent sneezing with tingling in the nose, especially in the morning. The mucus can be of a burning nature, accompanied by hoarseness and dryness in the throat. This is relieved by a cool drink of water. All of these symptoms, especially a tickling in the throat, are made worse by lying down at night. Use this in the same fashion as Nat mur.
Then, there are combination remedies such as Sabadil, made by Boiron. It’s made up of several remedies, all of which are known to address hay fever. Many of my clients have found relief from it.
We can’t assume that the above remedies will thoroughly eliminate hay fever forever, but they can certainly make enduring allergy season a bit easier.
It’s always worth a try to do this alone, but if complete success is the goal, and there’s an interest in deepening the curative action of homeopathy, contact your homeopath. This way, you’ll get to the bottom of it and prevent it from becoming an annual affair….often forever!
I've just returned to Buffalo after having spent a fantastic weekend in Chico, California. There was a great turnout for my two-day, intensive seminar on homeopathy and I couldn't have asked for a more lively, warm and welcoming bunch! There were mothers, grandmothers, chiropractors, nurses, farmers, a truck driver, teachers, and herbalists. The vendors were interesting and informed, and the food was out-of-this-world delicious.
My mouth is watering just remembering the beautiful cheesecake and acorn squash soup. All the foods were locally sourced, organically grown and true to Weston A. Price principles. I'd like to send a heartfelt “Thank You!” to Carol Chaffin Albrecht, the chapter leader for the WAPF chapter of Chico-Butte and all the wonderful folks who made my family and me feel welcom and appreciated.
And because I loved the meal so much, I thought I'd share a recipe I've found for the delicious cream of acorn squash soup. I can't say that it will be as good as what the talented volunteers prepared, but it's likely to come in a close second!
You'll need:
• 2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded • 1 medium onion, cut in half • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter • 1/4 c. flour (which can be coconut flour or gluten free, if necessary) • 5 c. bone stock • 1 c.raw heavy cream • Celtic Sea Salt to taste • Freshly ground black pepper to taste •
Here's what you do: On a buttered surface of a Dutch oven , bake the squash and onion until soft. Scoop out the meat from the squash and discard the skin. Put the squash back in the Dutch oven, add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add raw cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue stirring until just heated through.
Man, oh man…….Chico I’m coming back!
Frequently, my clients ask me how and when to avoid mint while they’re using homeopathic remedies. If you’ve ever had minty questions, I hope you, too, will benefit from my thoughts on the matter.
Because some people are more sensitive to this refreshing herb than others, I like to recommend that you avoid it entirely, until you know for certain that mint isn’t an antidote for you.
But let’s get a little more specific with one recent question: “If I’m taking a dose once every 2 weeks indefinitely, do I need to stay away from mint the entire time?”
My answer is both “Yes” and “No”.
If mint is an antidote for you then yes, avoid it; however, some people have no problem with it. If you're seeing improvement as a result of the remedy/ies, then try mint and see if it has an effect. If not, then go ahead and use mint.
Sometimes, just a little mint will not antidote, while a larger amount will.
If you’re trying to avoid mint and can’t find mint-free toothpaste, how ‘bout trying my homemade, mint-free tooth powder? I bet you won’t even miss the old stuff.
Cell salts are integrated into the building my sons used to construct. As they grew older, I'd leave it up to them to take their 4 pills while playing with Lego's.
I'd like to thank The Healthy Home Economist for first sharing the following post with her readers. Now, I'm glad to share it with you, too.
The quality of the teeth represents the status of the bone structure of the body.
Therefore, it’s important that the teeth be sound. If they are, the bones will be reliable, too.
Sometimes, parents are concerned when their child’s teeth show frequent and large cavities in spite of a nutrient dense diet.
This is rare when children are raised on raw milk, saturated fats and bone stocks but it indeed can occur in children who have certain predisposing DNA.
In this case, working with a credentialed homeopath would be in order; however, if the caries are not of a particularly worrisome level, much can be done to remedy the problem at home.
It generally takes a good amount of time, however Calc phos 6x and Calc fluor 12x taken thrice daily, for many months has been shown to strengthen and aid in the growth and integrity children's teeth.
These two remedies make a great combination since Calc phos “is concerned with formation of bone and teeth and [is] an important remedy for children”; Calc fluor “is found in the surface of bones and in the enamel of teeth.”[1]
But that’s not all. They’re specific for growth in general and it’s not uncommon to see children who have problems with their teeth display other growth issues.
Lovely! That means that with these two remedies, we can address the entire child.
Isn’t that what homeopathy is about?
When my children were growing, I had them take Calc phos and Calc fluor on a daily basis in spite of the fact that they were raised on raw milk bone stocks and saturated fats.
During these years, it appeared that two of our boys’ teeth were growing in a crooked fashion. In fact, I’m sure that if we hadn’t chosen our holistic dentist, we might have been pressured to consider dental braces.
Instead, I believed that as they grew, their teeth would grow and straighten accordingly.
That’s exactly what happened.
A simple technique for administering these remedies is to add them directly to jugs of milk. In one gallon of milk, add 10 or so pills of each, stir and the job is complete. As your children ingest their milk throughout the day, they’ll get these two remedies in each sip.
Now, our boys have fine, strong and straight teeth without the “aid” of orthodontia.
We saved ourselves not only thousands of dollars, but more importantly, allowed their bodies to complete the work of bone alignment on their own….with a little help from nutrient dense foods and our beloved homeopathic remedies.
[1] Chapman, J.B. The Biochemic Handbook. St. Louis, Missouri: Formur, Inc. Publishers. 1994.12-13
This is an excerpt from my upcoming system, “How to Raise a Drug Free Family”, which I'll be using to teach my first year-long webinar course for mothers and others. Stay tuned for the latest updates!
Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go! And to your sister’s and brother’s and maybe another’s and stuffing and eggnog and pies, oh my…before you know it, the holiday becomes a time of over eating and over drinking. So what can we do to prepare? Keep these must-have remedies on hand and be prepared for unending feasting.
The best way to use these homeopathic remedies is to take one dose every 3-4 hours over the period of 1-2 days. When improved, stop.
1) When over eating has caused nausea that you wish would just produce vomiting to get it over with, then your remedy is Nux vomica 30.
2) Nux vomica is also a capitol choice for the proverbial hangover. It will end nausea and vomiting in relatively short order.
3) When relentless vomiting is the main symptom, try Ipecac 30.
4) When there is simple indigestion and over acidity, then Nat phos 6x can be taken every hour. Use in place of antacids.
5) For true food poisoning such that causes chills, stomach pains and anxiety then Arsenicum album 30 should be taken. This is best saved for when your turkey is tainted.
6) And one more tip for good measure! For indigestion, add a splash of vinegar to a glass of water and drink. It will bring soothing relief.
Try these tried and true homeopathic remedies this year and you might just find it easier to enjoy yourself – Happy Thanksgiving!
Who am I?
I am fearful and anxious
I am restless and pace around the room
I have burning pain, but feel much better with warmth!
I am nauseous from food poisoning
I am Arsenicum album
Who am I?
I am over the top and over-indulge
I have gastro-intestinal disturbances
I am impatient and irritable
I am cold and chilly and want to stay under the covers
I am Nux vomica
So, just remember us especially when you have a gastro intestinal problem.
I designed it especially to provide a framework to guide you through your remedy choices. It is perfect for busy mothers and others who love curing their families themselves.
Deal with the flu without drugs and expensive commercial products.
The easiest, safest and most inexpensive way to treat your whole family.
Learn to choose the correct homeopathic remedy to give on the way to the emergency room or better yet,
avoid the trip altogether.
Homeopathy is inexpensive, non-invasive and profoundly curative.
Boost and maintain optimum health with simple foods, instead of vitamin pills.
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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. In order to be treated or diagnosed, Joette believes that the advice of a holistic physician is in order. Disclaimer: Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated. 2009-2023 © Joette Calabrese – Practical Homeopathy® - HomeopathyWorks® - Health and Wellness
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