There seems to be a lot of cases of the flu around at the moment, and despite increasing health care prevention measures our hospitals have been filling up with this years nasty flu virus. According the the NZ Herald earlier this month, more than 180 kiwis have been hospitalised with the flu per week. Thankfully there is a natural solution, in our homeopathic repertoire we have both support for if you have contracted the flu and a remedy that when taken weekly in flu season, may help prevent getting the flu virus in the first place.
Let's start with Anas Barb - our Homeopathic answer to Flu Prevention
Anas Barb, otherwise known as Oscilloccinum, is a very popular remedy for the flu in France. This remedy can be taken in a 200c potency once a week during the flu season as flu prevention, but it can also be useful for when the flu has taken hold and it is in it's early stages.
Other Homeopathic remedies for the flu
When you have been struck down with the flu it is helpful to have a few remedies on hand and get to know the keynotes of them so you know which one to choose for maximum benefit, here are a few that I have personally found helpful:
Gelsemium:
This is a classic flu remedy. The patient feels very weak and may tremble, their eyelids are droopy and there is heaviness, aching and tiredness of the body and limbs. They will be hot, then cold, have a terrible headache which may start in the neck and extend over the forehead.
The Gelsemium patient will NOT be thirsty, but they will be better for stimulants such as tea/coffee/alcohol and strangely their headache will feel better after urination.
Bryonia:
This is the remedy for the "man flu". This patient is extremely grumpy, irritable and just wants to be left alone. There will be chest involvement with this flu, they will have a cough that is so painful that they need to hold their chest while coughing. They will have a headache and aching muscles and joints. The Bryonia patient will be so busy at work that they "do not have time to be sick" and their illness can come on after an extremely busy or stressful work period. The person needing this remedy may be very thirsty for cold drinks.
Eupatorium perf:
This type of influenza is where the bones are aching with such intensity that it feels like they may break. All the muscles ache, there is a headache and even the eye balls ache. There is fever and chills early in the morning and they may desire ice cold drinks but these will upset the stomach.
There are of course many other homeopathic remedies for flu symptoms, the ones I have described above are ones I have personally found to be popular.
