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Colds and flu can make any time of the year a struggle. In this post I look at how using individually-tailored Homeopathic remedies can offer support and facilitate healing.

Using Homeopathic Remedies for Colds and Flu

‘Physician, heal thyself’

A year or so into my four-year Homeopathic training, I lay in bed in agony. I was at the last stage in my “flu journey” and had an awful pain deep in my bones. I had never experienced anything like it before and was astonished that flu could be so painful. I crawled out of bed and raided my supply of remedies. Taking the one whose profile matched my sorry state, I was relieved when the pain subsided straight away and I could sleep.

At the outset I had felt so poorly, that I reluctantly realized I did have to rest, as this was indeed proper flu. Not just a bad cold, but the kind of debilitating flu we dread. Once it set in, I took a remedy that covers the archetypal flu experience such as I was feverish, shivery, weak and tired, with a runny nose and sneezing.

I used the 6c and 30c first aid kit Homeopathic remedies I had on hand. Taking them around four times a day, and changing the remedy as the symptoms moved through their different phases.

My experience was that the Homeopathic remedies not only helped with the symptoms that I was suffering with at each stage, I also moved through the whole flu journey in a matter of days. Much less than the standard week or more that we are told to expect.

My overall approach is to use Homeopathic remedies to help myself to stay well in the first place, which is always preferable! However, some bugs do still manage to sneak through the defenses from time to time, and I will then reach for one of the thousands of Homeopathic remedies we have available.

Individually Tailored Remedies for Colds and Flu

As each and every one of us will have our own way of expressing a cold or flu, we try to make the remedy match as best we can for that individual. This is as true for self-help remedies for minor and self-limiting conditions as it is for the individually tailored deeper Constitutional support when a Homeopath is prescribing for you. It is also important to check-in with a healthcare professional if you have under-lying or chronic health issues where respiratory conditions need to be monitored and managed accordingly.

Homeopathy treats the person as a whole and considers their symptom picture as a whole, working holistically. This means that we can use the same remedy for a cold or flu, if the profile matches. That is the key to remedy selection, is that we consider the whole person, not just the label of the disease or condition.

Homeopathic Remedies for Colds and Flu

We have a huge selection of remedies that can be helpful but here are some that I have found to be useful both personally and professionally. I have given my experience for each and you can also find more general information on Homeopathic Materia Medica by following the links in the References and Resources [1], [2].

• Aconite – this is the remedy to reach for even at the threat of a cold or flu, as well as at the onset. I personally find this can often help me to avoid me going down with the full cold or flu about nine times out of ten. A soon as I feel the early warning signs that a cold is coming on, I reach for this.
• Arsenicum-Album – has a wide range of applications and it is often used in colds or flu where the person feels chilly, has a very watery runny nose and eyes, sneezes a lot and wants lots of little sips of water.
• Eupertorium-Perfoliatum – this was the remedy I took to help myself get over the last stage of that bout of flu. It is characterized by terrible bone pain where the person will just want to be still and rest, and will be very thirsty.
• Ferrum-Phos – this can be a very useful remedy to have to hand if you have a cold and may feel run down. I have also used it as a tonic after a cold or flu.
• Gelsemium – this was the remedy I used as my flu took hold and is commonly used for colds and flu that present in the ‘classic’ flu way described above.
• Pulsatilla – with many uses, this is also remedy that is often used in colds. There may be lots of thick yellow or green catarrh, the person will feel better for fresh air. Children may be tearful and want to be with Mom or Dad – which is quite understandable when they feel poorly!

If more than one remedy looks relevant for how you are feeling at a particular point, you can ask your Homeopath or a Homeopathic Pharmacy for advice. It is also possible to simply alternate the individual remedies throughout a day, adjusting according to how you feel.

Getting Better and Staying Well

It is also really important to take good care of yourself when you are unwell. To do everything you can think of to boost your immune system and help your system to throw off the cold or flu and to make a good recovery. Having enough sleep, eating sensibly, keeping yourself well hydrated by drinking enough water and if you find them helpful, home remedies like a hot drink of local honey and fresh lemon. If you are doing all the right things and you are not responding, see your healthcare professional,  just to check something is not being overlooked.