Over the past 200 years homeopathy has developed a proven track record of
safety and naturally treating the flu, ranging from the basic bug to the many
epidemics and pandemics of history. In fact, the spectacular ability of
homeopathy to outperform allopathic treatment of influenza is well documented, beginning
with the deadly Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-1920. This epidemic resulted in
20-40 million deaths worldwide, with more than 500,000 deaths occurring in the
United States. The alarming death rate of the Spanish Flu epidemic exceeded
even the ravages of the Bubonic Plague of 1347, which killed a third of the
European population.
Fortunately, many patients in the United States had access to homeopathic care during the time of the Spanish Flu. A report in 1921 documented the dramatic success of homeopathy in the worst flu pandemic in history. Of the 24,000 cases treated with conventional medicine, the death rate was 28.2 percent; of the 26,000 cases treated with homeopathy, the death rate was an amazing 1.05 percent!
With the intensity of modern travel, flu strains can move quickly across communities and countries changing and mutating along the way. Traveling by jet, a new influenza virus from China could reach Tokyo in hours and arrive in New York City within a day. New viruses appear regularly, and flu vaccines are largely unsuccessful in managing this disease. Despite the availability of vaccines, 100,000 people died of the Asian flu in 1957, 50,000 people died of the Hong Kong Flu in 1968, and each year in the United States alone, 10,000 to 20,000 people die from complications of the flu. While the allopathic medical community struggles to manage influenza, homeopathic practitioners have been successfully preventing and treating the flu for more than 150 years.
The two most popular homeopathic flu remedies are Anas Barbariae (prepared from the Barbary duck, a known carrier of influenza viruses) and Influenzinum. From the years 1918 to 1957, homeopathic Influenzinum was derived from samples taken from patients infested with the deadly flu strain of the 1918 pandemic. Subsequently, remedies are now offered which use multiple flu strains chosen for each coming flu season by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
There are several studies and clinical trials which reveal the efficacy of both Anas Barbariae and Influenzinum in the treatment of influenza. Recent double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trials published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and British Homeopathic Journal show that Anas Barbariae provides a statistically significant action in decreasing flu-like symptoms, including cough, runny nose, sore throat, and muscle pain, as well as in shortening the duration of the flu. In one study, full recovery from flu symptoms within 48 hours was 66.0% greater in the Anas Barbariae group than in the placebo group!
The survey documented the use of Influenzinum over a 10-year period in 453 patients. Results of the survey showed that in approximately 90 percent of the cases, no instances of the flu occurred when Influenzinum was used preventively, no matter what the dosage protocol, and 98 percent of the patients expressed a desire to continue the preventive treatment.
The above studies, though conducted in different countries, during different flu epidemics, and involving a variety of participating treatment centers, show a striking commonality: homeopathic treatment of the flu is highly effective and welcomed by patients. Conventional antiviral drugs can reduce the duration of the flu by about one day if taken within the first 48 hours of illness, and can cause adverse effects such as nausea, dizziness, disturbed sleep, and depression. Comparing the results of homeopathic studies with the meager effect of conventional treatment shows that homeopathy carries the potential to make a dramatic difference in any flu epidemic, without the risk of drug side effects.
The ideal homeopathic influenza formula should cover a broad spectrum of flu symptoms including: fever, chills, night sweats, exhaustion, weakness, aches, nausea, vomiting, headache, mucus congestion, runny nose, sore throat, swollen glands, coughs, bronchitis, abdominal pain, muscle aches, and diarrhea. Combination formulas of greatest efficacy should contain official homeopathic remedies proven for the flu, particularly those remedies that have a history of successful use during even the most difficult of epidemics.
The following homeopathic active ingredients are the most effective remedies for influenza that I’ve found in my 40 plus years successfully integrating Homeopathy and Chiropractic.
Anas barbariae, hepatis et cordis extractum (See: Oscillococcinum) (Potency 35C, 50C, 100C, 200C) - Duck Liver and Heart Extract – Murphy: Of great assistance in the relief of fevers, chills, body aches and pains. Hoarseness. Tickling and irritation of the throat. Scraping and rough sensation. Induces free and easy expectoration. Viscid, thick, tenacious phlegm causes continued hawking. Soreness at the nostrils.
Arsenicum album -Arsenious Acid – Boericke: For alleviating a feeling of debility, exhaustion, and low vitality accompanied by anxiety. A great remedy for nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and high fevers.
Baptisia tinctoria - Wild Indigo – Boericke: Useful for epidemic influenza. Gives relief of sore eyes, fever, difficulty breathing. For muscular soreness. Dark redness of tonsils and soft palate. Abdomen distended and sore. Sleepless and restless. Vertigo. Chill with rheumatic pains and soreness all over body. Heat all over with occasional chills.
Bryonia alba - Wild Hops – Boericke: For use in the control of irritability, nausea and dizziness, unrelenting cough, painful joints, abdominal pain, and a pressure headache. Aching in every muscle.
Causticum - Potassium Hydrate – Boericke; Clarke: For relief during ailments of a burning, raw, sore character, also ringing in ears, hoarse cough, and weakness, heaviness, and pain in extremities. Attacks of headache, with nausea. Pain and roughness, scraping, and burning pain in the throat. Accumulation of mucus in the throat, and behind the palate, with expectoration by hawking.
Cinchona officinalis - Peruvian Bark – Boericke: For relief of throbbing headache, sneezing with watery discharge, violent, hacking cough, pain and weariness in limbs and joints, and fever with debilitating night sweats.
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower - Clarke: For relief of putrid fevers. Clears nose, throat and larynx congestion and lymphatic inflammation.
Eucalyptus globulus - Blue Gum-tree – Boericke: A powerful antiseptic, useful in conditions of the mucous surfaces of the air passages and gastrointestinal tract. Relieves dull headache, acute diarrhea, high fevers, and sore throat with swollen tonsils.
Eupatorium perfoliatum - Boneset – Boericke: For relief of throbbing headaches, sneezing, hoarseness and cough, soreness in chest, influenza with great soreness of muscles and bones, chronic loose cough. A great remedy for sluggishness of all organs and functions. Vertigo. Cracks in corners of mouth, yellow coated tongue and thirst. Also, for soreness and inflammation of joints associated with headaches.
Gelsemium sempervirens - Yellow Jasmine - Boericke: Centers its action on muscular weakness, influenza, headache with muscular soreness of neck and shoulders, nasal discharge, swollen tonsils, burning throat, dry cough, fever. For dizziness, drowsiness, dullness and trembling. Dull heavy ache with heaviness of eyelids. Pain in temple, extending into ear, wing of nose and chin. Deep inflammations. Tonsillitis, shooting pain into ears. Feeling of a lump in throat that cannot be swallowed.
Influenzinum – Influenza Nosode - Murphy: This nosode developed from the most current flu virus strains is helpful in alleviating inflammation of the mucous membranes, particularly respiratory, as well as general relief of flu-like symptoms.
Phytolacca decandra - Poke Root – Boericke: Helpful with runny nose, sore throat, swollen tonsils, tickling cough, shooting pains in limbs, and high fever alternating with chilliness and great prostration.
Rhus toxicodendron - Poison Ivy- Boericke: Rheumatic pains, mucous membrane affections, and a typhoid type of fever. Indicated for nausea, abdominal pains, and diarrhea. Also helpful with bodily aching and stiffness, dry cough, chills, and a sore, swollen nose. Headache in occiput painful to the touch.
Sarcolacticum acidum - Sarcolactic Acid – Boericke: For alleviating a tired, “sore-all-over” feeling, restless sleep, and nausea or uncontrollable vomiting. Epidemic influenza, especially with violent, retching and greatest exhaustion. muscular weakness, dyspnœa with myocardial weakness.
Sulphur - Sublimated Sulphur – Boericke: An effective remedy for beating headache, a red, dry, and burning throat, burning sensation in chest, loose cough, fever. Heaviness and fullness and pressure in temples. Sick headache. Heat and burning in eyes. Whizzing in ears. Nose stuffed indoors. Throat is burning, red and dry. For oppression and burning sensation in chest. Difficult respiration, Rattling of mucus. Rheumatic pain in left shoulder. Night sweat.
Wyethia helenioides - Poison-weed – Boericke: Extremely helpful in relieving sore throats, hoarseness, and dry, hacking coughs. Hay-fever symptoms; itching in posterior nares.
Zincum aceticum - Acetate of Zinc – Clarke: Heaviness of head. Throbbing frontal headache, dull, sticking, painful sensation in forehead, stitches: in forehead; needle-like in temple. Nausea. Vomit with salivation. Shaking chill. Burning heat in face, evening, and heat over whole face and redness of cheeks without sweat. Night-sweat. Weakness in both arms. Diarrhœa every hour during day.
Zincum muriaticum – Chloride of Zinc – Clarke: Headache, occipital and frontal. Faintness. Collapse. No natural appetite. Constant thirst, but aversion to swallowing any fluids. Nausea. Vomiting. Diarrhea: violent, with vomiting and collapse. Relieves inflammation, burning and constriction of throat. Swallowing is difficult. Sense of smell and taste perverted.
Zincum oxydatum - Flowers of Zinc – Clarke: Tension in muscles and painful sensation during movement; pain throughout body. Depressed state of whole body, sometimes with lassitude. Perceptible failing of the strength, sometimes with general internal uneasiness. Fatigue. Vertigo; with aching in forehead, in occiput, with heaviness. Liquid stools: Relieves stopped up nose. For relief of confusion in head. Relieves tickling in nose and impulse to sneeze. For relief of inability to breathe through the nose.
Because homeopathy works on a bioenergetic level, rather than a biochemical level, it can work quickly and curatively even with conditions previously thought to be difficult or incurable. Homeopathy offers the safest, most effective, time-tested resume when it comes to influenza, and the more intense the condition the more remarkable the results!
Watch for “Multi-Strain Flu Treatment & Prevention with Homeopathy - Part 2” to discover more ways to safely and effectively treat and prevent the flu.
See my related articles on CHIROFREEINFO.COM including:
1. Homeopathy is Like a Chiropractor in a Bottle
2. Classical -vs- Contemporary Homeopathy
About the Author:
Dr. Frank King, a Doctor of Naturopathy and Chiropractic, is a nationally recognized researcher, homeopath, speaker, naturalist, and the author of The Healing Revolution. He is also the founder and president of King Bio, an FDA-registered natural pharmaceutical manufacturer.
SafeCareRx, his high-potency professional line, is exclusively used in offices and clinics nationwide by Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Naturopaths, and Medical doctors. With a background in natural health care spanning 40 years, Dr. King shares a wealth of knowledge and insights regarding how practitioners can become even more effective with unique healing techniques, and how contemporary Homeopathic remedies can enhance all other healing modalities.
DrKings.com/en/professionals
Email: custcare1@kingbio.com
Phone: 866-298-2740
References:
Neustaedter, R. FLU: Alternative Treatments and Prevention. North Atlantic Books, 2005.
Sheperd, Dorothy MD Homeopathy in Epidemic Diseases C.W. Daniel Company 1996
William Boericke, Homeopathic Materia Medica
John Henry Clarke, Homeopathic Materia Medica
Robin Murphy, Homeopathic Materia Medica