Ruminating on Remedies, My thoughts on homeopathy

7/4/2025

Boom!

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I don’t know many people or animals who like things that go boom in the night but some of us 2 and 4 legged creatures get a little out of sorts when they happen.
Where I live, the night time booming started a few days ago — pre 4th of July excitement, I guess.
If you or your pet are troubled by the fireworks, here are a couple of ideas to try.

Aconite, rhymes with fright, can help calm the nerves.
Bach Rescue Remedy. (See: A Remedy to the Rescue for more information.)
Borax for when the disturbance comes from the suddenness of the noise — a startled sensation.
Coffea for painful sensitiveness. The noises seem to penetrate into you… disturbing sleep.
Ignatia — fears and phobias triggered by noise. (See also: PTSD.)
Phosphorus -- is a very fearful remedy in general, including fears stemming from noise.

What else can help? Back when we still had our dog, Rufus, I would put him in an air conditioned room with all the doors and windows closed, with a nice playlist on at a pretty decent volume to help drown out the booms. I added both Bach Rescue Remedy and Ignatia in his water dish. I chose Ignatia because this poor fellow came to us in a pretty traumatized and fearful state.

I hope you have a safe, exciting, fun and joyous 4th Of July weekend and are able to enjoy the booms!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath
#wellnessawaits

8/19/2023

The Big Goodbye

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Fastest summer ever! We went on vacation for what seemed like just a minute and fall is already upon us!

If you have kids heading off to college, I bet it went by even faster for you!

Your college bound cherubs will be fending for themselves, often for the first time. With that in mind, I highly suggest sending along a few homeopathic remedies for them. I’m going to keep this short and sweet because they are going to be busy and they probably are not too (outwardly, anyway) interested in more nagging from mom and dad.

Please note there is a lot more to each of these remedies — I’m just thinking in terms of how to leave quick instructions for them as they are navigating the world for the first time on their own.*

Aconite 200c/Bryonia 30c is the Banerji protocol to take at the first sign of feeling unwell. (This would actually be 2 remedies, but I’m going to cheat and count it as 1 since they can be used as a combination remedy to ward off sickness.)

Aconite is for 4F: Fast onset; Fever; Fright and Fear.
Bryonia is for pains that are worse for the slightest motion -- when it even hurts to move your eyes. Good for illness or for injuries.

Arnica 200c for all those bumps and bruises and aches and pains from tag football on the quad. (Does this even happen any more? I suppose Arnica would help with a sore thumb from a mega-session of gaming. 🤣)
Arsenicum album 30c to help with diarrhea, vomiting, nausea; colds and flu and even panic attacks.
Hepar Sulphur 30c for little wounds and infections; sore throats, swollen glands and coughs and even hoarse voices from all those pep rallies! (Yeah, I'm thinking those don't exist any longer, either. Alas.)
Nux vomica 30c is probably going to come in very handy for a new college student. It’s excellent for over-indulgence: too much pizza, not enough sleep. It’s also really helpful to help keep the bowels moving when it’s bunged up from too much pizza.

Back to the big good bye…

Nerves have to play a part in the days leading up to departure, for them and for you (as well as little siblings and pets left behind). For previous posts on back to school, see here and here.

For the pre-leaving jitters, think of Gelsemium. “Nervous dread,” anticipatory anxiety which may result in headaches or nervous tummy — this remedy can be for the student, the parents or the little one who is going to be left behind.

For mom and dad, waving goodbye, oof, that can be a highly emotional few minutes (or hours). Ignatia is a good one to have in your pocket while you’re helping them set up their dorm room as well as that one last goodbye hug.

Ignatia is the go-to for everybody involved in this experience (even Rover) and can help to take the edge off and allow a return to a new normal. If Ignatia is not doing the trick, think of the following remedies:

For the younger sibling who is having a hard time adjusting to the missing brother or sister and Ignatia is not quite enough help, try a dose of Nat mur for feelings of abandonment and loneliness.

If your son or daughter who has just left home has a history of having a tough time adjusting to being away, Capsaicin is a good remedy to tuck into their things for them. There may be a tendency to moodiness and sleeplessness with the homesickness.

Bach Flowers really do a marvelous job in these situations. Here are a few to consider:

Walnut may help everybody adjust to new situations.
Red Chestnut may help the worried parents.
Chicory may help mom and dad let go a bit.
Larch for the new undergrad who may be feeling a little lacking in the self-confidence department.
Rescue Remedy may help someone who is really struggling with this change.

Sending your child (your baby!) off into the big wide world can be a daunting experience. If you are having a hard time adjusting to this change, book a focused consultation and we’ll see if we can get you back to a new (and maybe even better!) normal.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

*If you are interested in more detailed information on putting together kits for loved ones, let me know and if there is enough interest, I’ll see what I can pull together.

12/17/2022

Goodwill toward others

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Photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash

We bring shrubbery into our homes at this time of year. Why? I don’t know all the traditions behind it, but I do know that shrubbery is a good mood lifter in the bleak mid-winter. It brightens up our homes a little bit, smells good and reminds us of the greenness that will one day return when the snow has melted.

Little sprigs of holly on the dining table and placed around the serving dishes is my favorite Christmas green go-to. Holly has a long association with Christmas. According to treesforlife.com, in parts of Britain, holly was referred to simply as “Christmas.”

In folklore from all around the world, holly was believed to protect against evil, believing the prickly leaves would catch the evil thoughts or spirits and on a more practical level, the prickly leaves would lend protection from animals.

In the Bach Flower Essences, Holly embodies love and is known to help relieve temporary strong, angry emotions and jealousy; very negative and aggressive feelings directed at others — hatred, suspicion, envy and spite.

Someone in need of Holly is in a state lacking in love. Using this flower essence encourages our generosity of spirit and an openness toward others. You know who could have benefited from some drops of Bach Holly in their water bottle? Mr. Scrooge, that’s who.

Holly’s unhappiness comes from within themselves — there is no real outside cause for their unhappiness. (It can be said that all unhappiness comes from within, but that’s a whole other conversation for another day.)

If you or your loved ones are feeling a little prickly — if there’s a little extra sibling rivalry happening in your house right about now … Bach Holly may help to add a little peace on earth and goodwill toward others.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

6/24/2022

Summer Fun #1: Sun

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Summer is now officially in full swing! Whether you are jetting across the world or driving to the coast or just visiting your local water park, I hope you are out and about and enjoying the sunshine … with a nice, big, wide-brimmed hat, of course!

After decades of being told to avoid the sun, at least one group is warning us that we are not getting enough sun (Alfredsson et al. 2020). As a redhead, I know too well it’s a fine line between too little and too much. Finding that sweet spot of sun is tricky.

Sunburn. I’ve been there, done this and I feel your pain!

I was always under the impression the sun reflecting off the water played a part in a beach vacation sunburn, but Diffey and Mobley (2018) say otherwise. They claim it is just a simple lack of shade at the beach that is the culprit. Those passing clouds aren’t going to help much, either! According to Cancer Research UK (2019), 90% of the UV rays can still pass through light clouds. And, it’s not just the sun from above… hot sand can result in “beach feet” (Cohen 2019). (My personal thoughts on the water and the clouds are that you just don't feel the intensity of the sun as much in those conditions so you are less likely to be taking the necessary precautions.)

Years ago, I watched a TV program which said that adding lycopene (via tomato paste, specifically) to your diet can help keep your skin from burning. Apparently, they weren’t wrong: (Stahl et al. 2001; Cooperstone et al. 2017). Other carotenoids can also be helpful, too (Stahl and Sies 2012). But, if you haven’t eaten enough tomatoes and carrots and instead you find yourself turning into a sun-dried tomato*, I have some homeopathic remedies for you.

For each of these sunburn remedy suggestions, repeat a 30c dose, every half hour or so until some relief is felt and then space the doses out.

The first remedy to turn to for any burn, whether from the sun, a chemical or a flame, is Cantharis. Burns, as well as burning pains. Restlessness. Sunburn with blisters. Even burning pains in the eyes.

Belladonna for dry and hot skin with burning sensations. Swollen skin. Throbbing pains. Bright, red skin. “Burning, pungent, steaming, heat” (Murphy 2020).

If your skin is feeling itchy or prickly after a sunburn, Urtica urens is the remedy you’re looking for. Itching, raised, red blotches. (I had a childhood friend who used to get this after any exposure to the sun. I wish I had known then what I know now. Alas.)

If your skin is burning up and you’re sweating but are inexplicably NOT thirsty, Pulsatilla may be in order.

One more idea is Similasan’s Burn Recovery** for some quick, spray-on relief.

That big beautiful glowing thing in the sky not only can be too much on your skin, it can be too much on your entire system. Horrible to experience, but not generally life threatening is a terrible headache resulting from too much sun.

Belladonna or Glonoinum is what you need here.

As mentioned above for the sunburn, the sun-induced Belladonna headache will be throbbing and intense. A Glonoinum headache will, in addition to throbbing, also be bursting with “waves of terrible, pounding pain” (Murphy 2020) with a rush of blood to the head.

The person needing Glonoinum cannot tolerate having heir head laid backward and may also experience twitching or muscle contractions.

The person needing Belladonna will be more comfortable with their head laid in a backward position and sitting quietly.

This sun headache can be indicative of worse things to come. If you find yourself at this point — get out of the sun now(!) and get some fluids in you. Do whatever you need to do to gently lower your body temperature.

The Natural First Aid Handbook (Mars 2017) suggests making a spritzer to cool yourself down by filling an 8-ounce spray bottle with water, 2 teaspoons of witch hazel, 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and “spray or sprinkle over yourself.”

If you are unsuccessful in regulating your temperature, Heat exhaustion or Heat Prostration is the next step when you’ve been out too long and your body is not able to cool itself. Children are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon (SunSmart 2020). Symptoms of heat exhaustion include confusion, weakness, faintness, headache, muscle cramps, heavy sweating and nausea and/or vomiting.

Dr. Colin B. Lessell (1999) recommends giving either homeopathic Carbo vegetabilis for the exhausted person who seems ready to collapse or Bach Rescue Remedy and notes that expert medical assistance should be sought if the patient does not respond rapidly.

A further ill-effect from the sun is Heat Stroke or Sunstroke which is a serious condition and requires immediate medical attention. Administer Belladonna or Glonoinum while on the way to the hospital or while waiting for the ambulance.

How to tell the difference between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke? According to Lessell (1999, p. 116):

If you, like me, have a history of sunburns, check out my article on Sol, yet another homeopathic remedy which can help set things right after too much sun.

Now, get a big hat and a bottle of water, grab a friend (or a book) and head to the beach, the pool, the park or your balcony to soak up some (but not too much!) delicious vitamin D!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* Bonus remedy: Consider some China officinalis if you have experienced any dehydration from too much sweating or not drinking enough water. Note: putting a little pinch of salt in your water (Lessell 1999) can help balance your electrolytes … or, grab nature's electrolyte balancer, coconut water. (Clever thing that coconuts are what you find on an otherwise uninhabitable island!)

** I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products.

Reference list and further reading:

Alfredsson, L., Armstrong, B. K., Butterfield, D. A., Chowdhury, R., de Gruijl, F. R., Feelisch, M., Garland, C. F., Hart, P. H., Hoel, D. G., Jacobsen, R., Lindqvist, P. G., Llewellyn, D. J., Tiemeier, H., Weller, R. B. and Young, A. R., 2020. Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [online], 17 (14).

Cancer Research UK, 2019. The UV index and sunburn risk [online]. Cancer Research UK.

Cohen, P. R., 2019. Beach Feet: A Sand-associated Thermal Injury to the Soles of the Feet and the Plantar Aspect of the Toes. Cureus [online].

Connolly, S., Bertinetti, M., Teague, W. J., Gabbe, B. J. and Tracy, L. M., 2021. Sunburn Injuries Admitted to Burn Services in Australia and New Zealand. JAMA Dermatology [online], 157 (6), 729.

Cooperstone, J. L., Tober, K. L., Riedl, K. M., Teegarden, M. D., Cichon, M. J., Francis, D. M., Schwartz, S. J. and Oberyszyn, T. M., 2017. Tomatoes protect against development of UV-induced keratinocyte carcinoma via metabolomic alterations. Scientific Reports [online], 7, 5106.

Diffey, B. L. and Mobley, C. D., 2018. Sunburn at the seaside. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine [online], 34 (5), 298–301.

Gauer, R. and Meyers, B. K., 2019. Heat-Related Illnesses. American Family Physician [online], 99 (8), 482–489.

Glazer, J. L., 2005. Management of Heatstroke and Heat Exhaustion. American Family Physician [online], 71 (11), 2133–2140.

Kenny, G. P., Wilson, T. E., Flouris, A. D. and Fujii, N., 2018. Chapter 31 - Heat exhaustion [online]. ScienceDirect.

Lau, W. Y., Kato, H. and Nosaka, K., 2019. Water intake after dehydration makes muscles more susceptible to cramp but electrolytes reverse that effect. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine [online], 5 (1), e000478.

Lessell, C. B., 1999. The world travellers’ manual of homoeopathy. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel.

Mars, B., 2017. The natural first aid handbook : household remedies, herbal treatments, basic emergency preparedness everyone should know. North Adams, Ma: Storey Publishing.

Murphy, R., 2020. Nature’s materia medica : 1,400 homeopathic and herbal remedies. 4th edition. Blackburg, Va.: Lotus Health Institute, November.

Pirayesh Islamian, J. and Mehrali, H., 2015. Lycopene as A Carotenoid Provides Radioprotectant and Antioxidant Effects by Quenching Radiation-Induced Free Radical Singlet Oxygen: An Overview. Cell Journal (Yakhteh) [online], 16 (4), 386–391.

Stahl, W., Heinrich, U., Wiseman, S., Eichler, O., Sies, H. and Tronnier, H., 2001. Dietary Tomato Paste Protects against Ultraviolet Light–Induced Erythema in Humans. The Journal of Nutrition [online], 131 (5), 1449–1451.

Stahl, W. and Sies, H., 2012. Photoprotection by dietary carotenoids: concept, mechanisms, evidence and future development. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research [online], 56 (2), 287–295.

SunSmart, 2020. Alarming number of infants, children and teens presenting at Victorian hospital emergency departments with sunburn - SunSmart [online]. Sunsmart.com.au.

Tripathi, R., Mazmudar, R. S., Knusel, K. D., Ezaldein, H. H., Bordeaux, J. S. and Scott, J. F., 2021. Trends in emergency department visits due to sunburn and factors associated with severe sunburns in the United States. Archives of Dermatological Research [online], 313 (2), 79–88.