Ruminating on Remedies, My thoughts on homeopathy

8/8/2026

12 Angry… Homeopathic Remedies

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We are definitely in the dog days of summer here in the desert southwest. It is monsoon season but the rain is not landing on us. We do have a couple of rooms in the house that have a little air conditioner, the rest of the house is cooled with a swamp cooler. For the most part, I definitely prefer the swamp over refrigerated air — the windows need to be open for them to work properly (we still hear the birds and the the little fountain!) and we’re not hermetically sealed inside and they add some much needed moisture into our desert house. For those unfamiliar, a swamp cooler is an evaporative cooler, meaning it only works during low humidity. How high does the humidity need to be for the swamp cooler to turn the house swampy? Not very — once we go above 30% humidity, it starts to feel fruitless. See here for more information. As I write this, the swamp has cooled our porch down to 80 (from the 99 outside), but with 56% humidity I have the unusual (for us) experience of a water glass covered in condensation.

These hot and (relatively) humid days, remind me of the movie 12 Angry Men. Have you seen it? The original film with Henry Fonda (1957)? Fantastic movie. If you haven’t seen it, put it on the list — again, the original black and white movie. (You’ll get over it not being in color soon enough. You can do it.)

12 Angry Men is about the 12 jurors stuck in a jury room where one juror holds out against the others — and, of course they have to confront their own biases and demons while enduring a hot, sweaty environment.
There’s so much to say about this movie — swimming against the current… doing what is right even though you’re alone and it’s difficult… bias, prejudice and yes, anger.

I’m not the only homeopath who watches a movie and wonders what homeopathic remedy may benefit each character. (See also, Fictional Wounds for a previous take.) I wish I had taken notes during the movie to flesh out the characters and their anger. In hindsight, it was really only 11 angry men and 1 who was determined, rather than angry.

With these memories of this movie popping into my head with these hot and sweaty days, I thought I would take a look at different kinds of anger. Well, sort of — more of how anger is expressed or what sets it off.

Let’s now look at our 12 angry men. It has been a couple of years since I last watched it and I didn’t take notes, so I did ask Grok for a review of the characters to refresh my memory (turns out I did pretty well without any notes — the movie must have made a bigger impression on me than I realized!)

A man who just had to be right
A man who was angry with the idea of missing his ball game
A man who was really angry about his estranged son and his anger colors his thoughts on the defendant.
A man who was openly angry about immigrants.
A timid man who would get annoyed at being ignored or talked over.
A man who was angry about being looked down upon due to his upbringing.
A man who would get angry when he felt older jurors were not being shown the respect he thought they deserved.
A man, the foreman, who was frustrated by the lack of order — he was trying to keep things proper and run an efficient meeting.
A man who was indignant about how he saw prejudice clouding judgement.
A man who was angry that others were not showing the proper respect to the justice system.
A man who was irritated at having to be inconvenienced.
The not very angry man, our protagonist, who was determined, rather than angry — he was frustrated by the rush to convict without giving it the attention the situation deserved.

Let’s ruminate on some anger remedies (and, rubrics)!
Are there other rubrics? Absolutely! It’s a movie, I went very surface level, here! Note: I used Murphy (via RadarOpus) unless otherwise noted and I kept it to just two possible remedies for each man — just enough to get a broad overview of the anger aspect of each remedy.

For the man who had to be right (#1) I would consider Platinum metallicum or Lycopodium.

Platina is known for its haughtiness and arrogance and a fear of losing control over themselves or their environment
Lycopodium has a fear of failure and a strong desire to be seen as competent and knowledgeable — leading to the need to always be right.
- Rubrics used:
  - Mind - CONFIDENT - excessive, self-esteem
  - Mind - SELF, general - self-sufficient, needs no help from others - overly confident
  - Mind - PRESUMPTUOUS
  - Mind - CONTRADICTIONS, general - intolerant, of

#2, the man who was angry about missing a ball game, Ignatia or Gelsemium.

Ignatia is known for anger with anxiety and silent grief; it may alternate with cheerfulness or anger from bad news.
Gelsemium is the anticipatory anxiety remedy. This man was anticipating his ball game and he was angry he couldn’t attend.
- Rubrics chosen:
  - Mind - ANGER, general - refused, when things he wants are
  - Mind - ANGER, general - trifles, at
  - Mind - SELFISHNESS (Gels is not in this rubric)
  - MIND - Emotions effects - Anger, bad news, disappointment, vexation (Boericke)
  - Mind - ANGER, general - vexation, from
  - Mind - ANTICIPATION, general - ailments, from
  - Mind - DISAPPOINTMENTS, ailments from

The 3rd man was really angry with (at?) his estranged son. This one was trickier because there is most likely so much underneath this anger. For the sake of this discussion, however, I would be looking at Natrum muriaticum and Lycopodium (and in this situation, it’s even trickier because both remedies are included in some very important rubrics).

Nat mur dwells on past unpleasant memories — how in the past is this estrangement, I don’t recall (or, they never said). They are easily provoked to anger and has a disinclination to mental work (like jury duty, I am assuming).
We looked at one aspect of Lycopodium anger above, let’s look further. Lyc has complaints brought on by fear and fright, chagrin, anger, vexation, anxiety. Might this man have been fearful for/of his son or embarrassed that his son was keeping his distance from him?
- Rubrics chosen:
  - Mind - ANGER, general - absent, persons while thinking of them, angry at
  - Mind - ANGER, general - grief, with silent
  - Mind - ESTRANGED, feels - family, from
  - Mind - ABANDONED, forsaken feelings - ailments, from being
  - Mind - DISCORDS, ailments from

Man #4 is an angry bigot. The top 2 remedies are Causticum and Lycopodium.

Causticum — has (most of) the word “Cause” in it. These are people who get angry over an injustice.
Lycopodium, Farrington (1935) tells us, is “irritable, malicious and intolerant of contradiction, and goes about seeking a quarrel. … He is restless, and full of anxiety and fears. At times he may be haughty and domineering…”
- Rubrics chosen:
  - Mind - PREJUDICED, attitudes
  - Mind - INTOLERANCE
  - Mind - CRITICAL, censorious
  - Mind - INTOLERANCE - ailments, from
  - MIND - PREJUDICED - traditional prejudices

Our 5th man is timid and doesn’t take kindly to being talked over. Here comes Lycopodium again, as well as Staphysagria.

Turning to Farokh Master (2017), Lycopodium has an “extreme lack of confidence in his own abilities… This arises from being verbally criticized by dominating parents.” (Was the 5th man dominated by his parents? We don’t have that answer.) Cowperthwaite (1909) adds: “morose, peevish, vehement, angry, timid. Easily aroused to anger.”
Staphysagria is well known for its suppressed anger and I don’t think it’s hard to see how suppressed anger can lead to timidity. Master, this time from his book Suppressed Staphysagria (2003), says: “He gets angry when any injustice is done but does not retaliate due to timidity.”
- Rubrics used:
  - Mind - TIMID
  - Mind - CONFIDENT - alternating, with - timidity (Staph)
  - Mind - TIMID - public, about appearing in, to talk (Lyc)
  - Mind - ANGER, general - ailments, from - suppressed, from
  - Mind - DOMINATION, by others, ailments from - history, of, a long

Juror #6 is the man who is angry about being looked down upon due to his upbringing. Once again, we are comparing between Staphysagria and Lycopodium.

I am going to make the assumption that shame (See, also: Shame.) plays a role in this man’s anger. Staphysagria is a big shame remedy. Murphy (2003) says: Great indignation about the things done by others or by himself, grieves about the consequences. Humiliation, deep guilt and shame.… Very sensitive as to what others say…”
Lycopodium shame, however, according to Jonathan Shore (1990): “Humiliation and shame, as opposed to indignation.… Indignation is a certain sort of anger, righteous anger. Mortification is anger with shame, humiliation.”
- Rubrics chosen:
  - Mind - ANGER, general - ailments, from - suppressed, from
  - Mind - DOMINATION, by others, ailments from - history, of, a long
  - Mind - SHAME, ailments from

Angry man #7 is the one who would get angry when he felt the older jurors were not being shown the respect he thought they deserved. Colocynthis and Causticum.

Colocynthis cannot tolerate injustice. Arndt (1904) tells us Colocynthis is “useful in troubles caused by anger or indignation.”
As we learned above, Causticum believes strongly in justice. Master (2017): “Cannot tolerate injustice; very strong morals and an innate sense of what is right and wrong.”
- Rubrics chosen:
  - MENS - SYMPATHETIC, compassionate - misfortune of others, greatly affected by (Mangialavore)
  - MENS - AILMENTS from - misfortune of others (Mangialavore)
  - R.R. - Mind; Anger, irascibility; injustice, from (Viva: Reliable Rep)
  - Mind - ANXIETY, general - others, for
  - Mind - INJUSTICE, general - injustice, cannot tolerate

#8 (should probably be #1 since he was the foreman) is frustrated by the lack of order — he worked hard to keep thing running properly. Aurum metallicum and Calcarea carbonica are two remedies which take their responsibilities seriously.

Aurum met can be angry with himself and his mistakes or about business matters; there may be some anxiety with the anger.
Calc carb may have some anxiety with the anger or, just thinking about former stresses may bring on some anger.
- Rubrics used:
  - Mind - CARES, full of
  - Mind - RESPONSIBILITY, general - ailments, from too much
  - Mind - CARES, full of - trifles, about
  - Mind - ANXIETY, general - business, about
  - Mind - BUSINESS, general - cares, worries about business
  - Mind - WORRIES, tendency, to - business, or work
  - Mind - ANGER, general - business, about

The 9th man was indignant about how he perceived others’ prejudices clouding their judgement. The two remedies I would think about for this man are Nux vomica and Ignatia.

Nux vomica is an irritable sort who gets easily annoyed by lots of things. According to New England Journal of Homeopathy (1995), Nux vomica “gets very angry at injustice. She does not watch the news, because it depresses her.”
Looking further at Ignatia from Shore (1990): “Except… you see she has this feeling for the children being teased… but it is not really like Causticum. It is not a question of injustice; it is a question of pain. … It is just sort of a passing thought, especially when she was talking about how she didn’t like it when other kids were being teased.”
- Rubrics chosen:
  - Mind - CONTEMPTUOUS
  - MENS - ANGER, irascibility - tendency (Mangialavore)
  - MENS - ANGER, irascibility - tendency - contradiction, from (Mangialavore)
  - MENS - IRRITABILITY - injustice, from
  - Mind - INJUSTICE, general - injustice, cannot tolerate (Mangialavore)

Juror #10 is the man who was righteously angry that others were not showing the proper respect to the justice system. This was a harder one to figure out, but I came down to Kali carb and Cuprum metallicum.

Kali carb, from New England Journal of Homeopathy (1996): “As a result of their perfectionism and self-containment, Kali carbonicum individuals develop a deep Resentment [sic] of any person who appears to be breaking the rules without evidence of conscience or remorse. They are driven to be ‘good’ by their internal critic, while they judge and condemn anyone who does not conform to their idea of correctness. Eventually they are filled with resentment and display a chronic Irritability [sic].”… “If, however, their partner embarrasses them by breaking a rule of behavior they can become quite angry and are unable to recapture the view of their partner as a good person.”
Vermeulen (2004) says Cuprum metallicum is “Very respectful of RULES; angry when others do not respect them.… He is a lover of leadership, rules and regulations.”
- Rubrics used:
  - MENS - LAW, very respectful (Mangialavore)
  - Mind - DUTY - sense, of duty, too much
  - MENS - DUTY - great sense of

#11 is a man who was irritated at having to be inconvenienced. This one, too, has so many underlying possibilities, it’s hard to get a handle on it, but I am going to make a couple of assumptions in my rubric choices. The main remedy that comes up is Nux vomica but further down the way were two rubrics that led me to an interesting choice of remedy that I would not have thought about: Ipecac.

Nux vomica is a big “business” and “work” and “anger”remedy, but it also has some selfishness, too. When we put together a man who is irritated at an inconvenience for his civic duty, perhaps some of these rubrics point us to Nux.
Buck (1895) says Ipecac is “Angry for the smallest trifle.” Clarke (1902) reminds us: “Irritability, and disposition to be angry.”
- Rubrics chosen:
  - Mind - SELFISHNESS
  - Mind - LAZINESS, behavior - business, when transacting
  - Mind - GLOOMY, morose - business, does not proceed fast, when
  - Mind - ANGER, general - business, about
  - Mind - MUTTERING, general - business, matters, about (Note: it has been too long to remember if this character muttered, but it felt right. Regardless, it’s an interesting rubric.)

Our final juror, our protagonist, was not actually angry but very determined and was frustrated by the rush to convict someone without giving it the attention the situation deserved. In this instance, there is nothing to be addressed, homeopathically speaking. However, here are a few rubrics that could be used in conjunction with this man:

Mind, general; determination, general (Viva: Murphy Meta)
Mind, general; determination, general; strong (Viva: Murphy Meta)
Mind - OBSTINATE, stubborn, headstrong
Mind; Dutiful (Viva: Reliable)
Mind - JUSTICE, obsessed with
Mind; Integrity, sensation of; concerned about his (Viva: Reliable)
Mind - VEHEMENCE

There is one more character in this movie: the weather. It was hot and muggy with all the men sweltering with just one measly fan in the room.

Mind - STUPEFACTION, mental - weather, during hot
Generals - HOT, weather - agg.
Generalities; Weakness, enervation; weather; hot (Viva: Reliable)
Generalities; Weather; hot weather; ailments from (Viva: Reliable)
Mind; Weather; sultry, agg (Viva: Reliable)

Since I have the information sitting in front of me, Antimonium crud and Lachesis are the predominant remedies from these hot weather rubrics.

12 Angry Men nicely illustrates the individualization of homeopathy — there is not one remedy that would address the various expressions of anger in all these men. Their past experiences and the way their anger shows up and what they do with that anger — these are all very important considerations in finding a suitable homeopathic remedy.

This article has been rolling around in my head since I last saw this movie a couple of years ago and I now know why it took so long to see the light of day — it’s actually a really big topic. (Look for the Digging Deeper into Angry Remedies soon.)

It turns out, though, that I was more than happy to while away some of these really hot days sitting in front of my fan, listening to my little fountain outside the open window and finally putting some possible homeopathic remedies to these characters.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Arndt, H. E., 1904. First Lessons in the Symptomatology of Leading Homoeopathic Remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software.

Buck, H., 1895. The Outlines of Materia Medica & Clinical Dictionary. accessed through Radar Opus software. B. Jain Publishers.

Clarke, J. H., 1902. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. accessed through Radar Opus software.

Cowperthwaite, A. C., 1909. A Text-book of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Characteristic, Analytical and Comparative. accessed through Radar Opus software.

Farrington, H., 1935. Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing : A study course for graduate physician.

Master, F., 2017. Clinical observations of children’s remedies. New Delhi, India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.

Master, F. J., 2003. Suppressed staphysagria. B. Jain Publishers.

Murphy, R., 2003. Homeopathic medical repertory : a modern alphabetical repertory. Blacksburg, Va.: H.A.N.A. Press.

New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1995, 4 (2).
accessed via Radar Opus software

New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1996, 5 (2).
accessed via Radar Opus software

Shore, J., 1990. Seminar Glasgow [Scotland]. Presented at the Seminar Glasgow. Accessed through Radar Opus software

Vermeulen, F., 2004. Prisma : the arcana of materia medica illuminated : similars and parallels between substance and remedy. accessed through Radar Opus software. Haarlem, Netherlands: Emryss.

3/1/2025

When you have to get up…

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I was beginning to think the flu season may have just skimmed over the world this year, but here it is … a little later than usual, but, just like always, it is no fun. And, just like always, a little prevention can go a long way.

(See also: Calming the Cold; Flu Remedies to Consider; Ho Ho Ho, (not Oooooh No!); Ahh-choo; On the 4th Day of Cell Salts… Ferr Phos.)

Let’s jump ahead to the unfortunate situation we see in the picture above where those early signals were missed (or, ignored) and, here we are, unable to get out of bed … feeling just awful and the kids are hungry. (Oh, man, I remember those days. So painful!) So, where would one start in this scenario?

Below are seven MAIN COMPLAINTs, followed by 4 or 5 commonly found remedies with 4 or 5 symptoms each which may help to choose a remedy to get back on your feet quickly. Remember! We are not looking for perfection. We are looking for improvement. We are looking to move the worst symptom out of the way for a minute so you can do what you need to do and then, when that’s done, get back into bed to rest properly.

This is far from a complete flu repertory. The intent here is to put as many remedies as possible in a quick list. Note: All of these homeopathic remedies could (pretty much) be listed under all of the headings. In other words, they are (for the most part) wide-reaching flu remedies.

Choose the worst MAIN COMPLAINT (found in BOLD CAPS) you are experiencing at the moment and then choose the remedy that best fits your current symptoms.

Notes:

All symptoms for each remedy are valid for all main complaints.
For instance, Bryonia’s irritability mentioned under “Aching Body” still holds for Bryonia under “Coughs” even though it isn’t listed again.
All of these remedies could be listed under all of the headings (pretty much).
For example, back ache may be relieved after a couple of doses of Nat mur that were taken to address the runny nose and sneezing.
All of these symptoms may be accompanied by fever* or chills.
Underlined symptoms are very highly indicated for that remedy/symptom.
In fact, all of these MAIN COMPLAINTS may be present at once. 😩
(If you are in this unenviable position, choose the one thing that is causing the most distress and begin there.)

ACHING BODY:

Arnica

shivering
worse for exertion
head feels hot, body feels cold
the bed feels too hard
wants to be left alone; says feels fine but is clearly not well.
Bryonia
- worse for motion (every little movement hurts, even the eyes!)
- worse for eating (there’s a lot of internal motion involved in digestion!)
- chills may begin in the tips of the toes
- pain everywhere: limbs; muscles; maddening headache; painful breathing
- irritable; doesn’t even want to speak
Eupatorium perfolatum
- intense aching in the bones; pains as if broken
- shivering, especially from drinking
- bursting headache
- moaning from pain/complaining
Gelsemium
- tremendous weakness
- no thirst
- trembling/shivering
- apathetic, just doesn’t care; wants to be left alone
- dizzy, droopy, drowsy, drained
Rhus tox
- physical restlessness/can’t get comfortable; better with change of position/stretching; tossing about
- stiffness; pain on first movement/better with continued movement
- severe aching in all the bones/joints, sneezing and coughing
- anxious

COUGH:

Antimonium tart

headache with cough, worse in the forehead
constant coughing; waking from cough
loose, rattling cough with lots of mucus in the chest; difficult to expel the phlegm
suffocative cough
anger and crying from the cough
Bryonia
- painful cough: ribs, abdomen, chest, back, sides; must hold chest while coughing
- worse on breathing in
- coughing fits at night
- headache on coughing
Ipecac
- nagging and gagging and choking coughs; nausea/vomiting during cough
- cough after eating
- exhausting coughs
- comes in fits /paroxysmal/spasmodic
- crying during cough; mental restlessness
Pulsatilla
- nausea during cough; retching during cough
- rattling cough and breathing
- constant cough; forcible, violent, hard; worse when lying down; must sit up; preventing sleep
- better in the open air
- bland coryza/discharge

FEVER:

Aconite

sudden onset
high fever*; burning fever
with vertigo/dizziness
extremely thirsty during fever
anxiety; crying; fearful during fever
Belladonna
- red, flushed face
- high fever*; burning heat
- worse for any cold: air, draughts, applications, drinks — (but thirsty for cold drinks)
- throbbing headache with fever
- fearful, chatty and restless during fever
Gelsemium
- chills alternating with fever; shivering with fever
- continued fever: high fever* OR low fever
- thirstlessness
- weakness
Nux vomica
- with pain: back pain, stomach pain, limbs, eyes, chest; hands may be painful when uncovering during fever
- movement brings on fever
- shivering with fever, especially after drinking; with perspiration; aversion to uncovering
- overly sensitive during fever; aversion to uncovering
- vertigo wth chill

GASTRO:

Arsenicum album

nausea and vomiting worse from anything being put in the stomach (even thinking of food makes it worse); no relief from vomiting
stomach pain, nausea during fever
burning pains: excoriating diarrhea
anxious/restless
thirsty for small sips
Ipecac
- constant nausea; diarrhea with nausea
- vomiting, violent; no relief from vomiting; headache during vomiting; vomiting during cough
- lots of salivation
- thirstless
Nux vomica
- nausea and vomiting; lots of retching; feels better from being able to vomit; vomiting with urge for bowel movement at the same time
- lots of burping; sour burps
- headache during nausea
- cramping pains
- mental dullness; irritability; sensitive;
Phosphorus
- craves ice cold things/drinks but vomits as soon as those drinks warm up in the stomach
- exhausting diarrhea; painless diarrhea
- great weakness after bowel movements
- lots of burping; burps coming on suddenly
- fearful

HEADACHE:

Belladonna

intense, throbbing, bursting headache
worse for: coughing; being bumped/jarred; moving head; having head uncovered; lying down
comes on suddenly OR comes and goes suddenly
an enlarged sensation to the head
irritable with headache; overly sensitive
Eupatorium perfolatum
- with vertigo
- occipital pain and forehead pain
- heat sensation in top of head
- pulsations
- bursting headache
Gelsemium
- headache may improve with urination
- as if a band or hoop was around head
- heaviness sensation
- headache from moving the head
Nux vomica
- with stuffy nose/head
- with vertigo
- worse coughing
- better for wrapping up the head/holding head with hands

NOSE:

Arsenicum album

copious discharge — it just keeps running — it can be thick or watery; acrid/burning discharge
discharge stops when in open air
burning pain in the nose
sneezing — frequent and violent; sneezing on waking in morning; runny nose with sneezing
pain in the root of the nose (way up at the top, near the forehead)
Kali bich
- discharge: ropy, tough, sticky; greenish/yellow; tenacious; post-nasal
- nostrils sensitive
- obstructed nose; worse blowing nose
- pain extending to frontal sinuses
- crusts/scabs inside the nose
Lycopodium
- stuffed/blocked nose
- acrid discharge
- flares the nostrils in a fan-like way
- nostrils agglutinated/stuck together
- sensitive to odors
Natrum muriaticum
- sneezing: in the morning; paroxysmal — coming in fits; frequent; from uncovering
- discharge: clear, like egg whites OR watery; copious; post-nasal
- dryness inside the nose
- obstructed nose
- sense of smell diminished
Nux vomica
- stuffed nose/obstructed at night, runny during the day; stuffiness alternates between nostrils
- loss of smell from stuffy nose
- better in open air
- sneezing: with a runny nose; in the morning, in bed; with vertigo; makes headache worse

SORE THROAT:

Causticum

rawness and tickling with cough; rough and scratchy
continuous swallowing
lots of mucus in the throat; thick and sticky; hard to cough up, must swallow it
hoarse voice; sore throat from overuse of voice
Lachesis
- worse swallowing saliva or liquids; swallowing solid food is easier/helpful; warm drinks aggravate
- pain extends into the ears; pain in ears with sore throat
- constricting feeling
- touching the outside of the throat causes pain; clothing aggravates
- worse on waking
Lycopodium
- burning pain; rawness; dryness in throat without thirst
- choking on swallowing
- painful swallowing; better by swallowing warm liquids; worse swallowing cold drinks
- tickling in the throat
- dryness
Phytolacca
- sharp pains which extend to one or both ears
- thick, difficult mucus/tenacious
- feels as if hot ball stuck in the throat
- swallowing difficult/painful especially worse for drinking hot liquids
Rhus tox
- better from constant swallowing; warm drinks
- difficulty swallowing solids
- hoarse voice; from overuse
- better with external neck covered
- sore throat with stiff neck; stiffness sensation in throat

It’s important to remember that there are many, many homeopathic remedies for each of these main symptoms. This is just a brief list which may help to get dinner on the table or that important email answered.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* Be sure to seek treatment if the fever is very high, continues to climb or is accompanied by seizure or fainting or severe headache or stiff neck (to name but a few concerning symptoms). For more information:

If you have already been through the worst of the flu, check out “Get Well Soon” to find a few helpful tips on recuperating.

7/14/2024

Quickie: News

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As seen many months ago in my news feed. I have no idea the source.

Anybody out there getting stressed out watching the news?

I suppose this post could have been written at any point in history, but 2024 seems to be gearing up for a new level of stressful watching/listening/reading.

If you find yourself getting upset by the news, have a think about a few of these homeopathic remedies:

Ignatia is a good place to start. (SEE: Homeopathy Can Make a Heavy World a Little Lighter)
Homeopathic Ignatia can be found in the following rubrics:

Ailments from bad news
Anger about bad news
Shock from bad news
Sleeplessness after sad news.
Mental/emotional excitement after bad news

Now, a short list of a few other remedies which may be applicable (as found in a quick look of Robin Murphy's Repertory):

Obsessive compulsive disorder (as may be acutely exhibited through an irrepressible need to keep checking the updated news feeds): Nux vomica or Argentum nitricum

Trembling with anger: Staphysagria or Gelsemium

Trembling from anxiety: Gelsemium or Argentum nitricum

Trembling as if frightened: start with Gelsemium but also Aconite, Coffea, Ignatia

Headaches following depressing or sad news: Gelsemium or Ignatia

Shock from hearing bad news: Gelsemium, Ignatia or Calc carb

Vertigo from bad news: Calc carb

Obsessed with justice: Causticum

If all these thoughts are creating anxiety: Argentum nitricum

If all of these stories and images and thoughts keep you from sleeping: Coffea

If all these thoughts are keeping you from concentrating: Nux vomica

If your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of the future: Argentum nitricum.

Persistent thoughts: Argentum nitricum is the place to start, but also: Calc carb or Nat mur.

Witnessing traumatic events: Aconite

Rapid thoughts: Coffea

Repetition of thoughts: Argentum nitricum

Shock from bad news: Calc carb, Gelsemium and Ignatia

One more thing to do, as seen on many on-line posts…

unclench your jaw.
soften your forehead.
relax your shoulders.
breathe.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

12/23/2023

Tis the Season for… Burns?!

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Tis the Season for… Burns?!

Yes. You catch that holiday spirit and suddenly you’re a baking fool and… that’s the way that went.

Are you frantically baking these days? I’m not. I want to be, but traveling was on the front burner this week. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the bad joke.) And, since we have no big at-home festivities planned, I decided to be honest with myself and acknowledge that if I were to start baking now, I would only just eat them all myself. Alas. All my cookie recipes will have to wait til next year. OK, maybe I’ll have to make just one*.

Baking. Cooking. Roasting. Heck, even a quick little zap from some old Christmas lights or stomping on an ember that shot out of the fireplace. Hazards of the festive season, I guess. If you are interested in a good fire glove, these have been a really impressive addition to our fireplace.**

Juggling all the pots on the stove while fishing the baked goods out of the oven and, boom, there it is… A nasty burn, generally on the hands or wrists in my experience.

I’m talking about little burns today. If you get a big, deep burn, be sure to pay a visit to your nearest emergency room. For previous blogs on burns, see: Kitchen Quickie: Burns and Summer Fun 1.

According to The Survival Medicine Handbook (Alton and Alton 2016), first degree burns will appear red, warm and dry and be painful to the touch. The conventional treatment is to simply relieve the discomfort. (Second degree burns are moist with blisters and will cause swelling.) So, in addition to the conventional application of a cool cloth, here are a few homeopathic remedies which may help, especially if the remedy is incorporated into the cool cloth.

Homeopathic remedies that come to mind for 1st degree burns… For all of these suggestions, repeat the remedy whenever the pain returns.

Urtica urens for stinging, burning pains. Burns with itching.

Calendula for burns that hurt more than they "should." Richard Hughes, a homeopath from the late 1800s, refers to Calendula as a remedy for "breaches of surface" -- an apt description for a superficial burn. Calendula cream can be applied directly on the minor burn, or, around the edges of the burn if it's too tender. For an interesting study on Calendula and burns, click here.

Causticum for burns with a sensation of rawness. Causticum is a good one to turn to if the other well chosen remedies aren’t quite doing the job, or, the burn is slow to heal. It is also useful to help heal up old burn wounds and scars.

Hypericum would be especially useful in cases of burns to nerve rich areas like the fingertips. May have a tingling or numb feeling.

Cantharis is an excellent choice for really painful burns -- a cutting, smarting pain. Cantharis is said to help prevent blistering from burns.

All of these remedies can also be applied topically, as well as taken internally. First Aid with Homeopathy (Ratera 2016) says to dissolve a couple pellets (whatever your tube recommends as a dose) in some saline (e.g. 2 pellets in 200 ml of saline) and to always keep the dressing moist.

Another option is to put a few pellets of your chosen remedy into a fresh bottle of clean water. As the pain returns, take a spoonful of the water in your mouth as well as applying some gauze soaked in that remedy water directly to the affected area.

How about when you just can’t wait another moment for one of those cookies and you pop it into your mouth before it’s cooled?

A dose of Cantharis, Calendula or Causticum would be where I would start.

If you decide to try your hand at a figgy pudding and suffer a burn from hot steam, in addition to the remedies listed above, Apis or Kali bich might be useful.

If the hot toddy spills on you (or, more likely, the boiling water for the potatoes spills on you) resulting in a superficial burn, Dr. Ratera recommends Causticum.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry (and burn free!) Christmas!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* The cookies I have just now decided to make this year are Brown Sugar and Nutmeg Snaps, a recipe I found in Bon Appetit way back in 1994. (Note: the dough needs to chill for 1 hour.)

1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour (Jules gluten free flour** is a terrific substitute)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sugar
--
Using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in bowl until fluffy.
Mix in egg.
Add flour, nutmeg, baking soda and salt; beat until well blended.
Chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter 3 heavy large baking sheets.
Roll dough into 1” balls.
Roll ball in sugar, coating completely.
Arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing balls 2” apart.
Using the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies to 1-3/4” rounds.
Bake until cookies are golden, about 13 minutes. Be careful getting them out of the oven!
Cool on baking sheets.
(Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight containers.)

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

Reference list
Alton, J. and Alton, A., 2016. The survival medicine handbook : the essential guide for when help is not on the way. United States: Doom And Bloom.

K. Chandran, P. and Kuttan, R., 2008. Effect of Calendula officinalis Flower Extract on Acute Phase Proteins, Antioxidant Defense Mechanism and Granuloma Formation During Thermal Burns. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition [online], 43 (2), 58–64.

Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Germany: Narayana Verlag.

9/23/2023

Cicadas

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As summer winds down, the cicadas seem to be winding up. Boy, they have been noisy this year! When they take a break, the silence makes me realize that living with something like tinnitus must be very trying, indeed!

Tinnitus (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2018), the perception of outside noise when no actual external stimulus is causing the sound, affects 15-20% of people of all ages but it is especially common in older adults. Sometimes there is an underlying cause that can be addressed to fix the tinnitus, but usually, treatments to make the tinnitus less noticeable are used (things like hearing aids, sound generators). Common causes are hearing loss, ear infection or ear canal blockage, head or neck injuries and medications (Mayo Clinic 2018).

Like so many chronic conditions, we are told there is no cure. Half the people who experience tinnitus do not have measurable hearing loss. A small percentage of people suffering from tinnitus experience serious debility in their daily lives (Prutsman 2023).

Homeopathically speaking, there are some remedies that can help though it’s not usually a quick fix, so be prepared to be patient.

There are a lot of rubrics and remedies associated with hearing noises in the ears — some of them quite specific as to the sound (for example, hearing bagpipes in the distance — Nat carb) or, specific circumstances or specific times of day when the noises occur.

A few remedies pop up more often than others: Petroleum, Lycopodium, and China officinalis, in particular. There is a theme amongst these remedies of sensitive hearing, hyperacusis, which is a common complaint of tinnitus sufferers (Hebert et al. 2013). It never ceases to amaze me how homeopathy figured this stuff out a hundred plus years before the research was done!

Petroleum is associated with chronic eustachian catarrh, (mucus or gunk in laymen’s terms). Conversely, there may be a dryness or a disagreeable feeling of dryness in the ears. There may be itching deep inside the ear or, diminished hearing in general. There could be an over-sensitiveness of not only hearing, but also of touch and smell, too.

Impaired hearing with noises in the ears; impaired hearing in old people or, progressive hearing impairment.

The sounds which may be heard for which Petroleum may be of benefit: bells; humming; constant roaring or rushing water; cracking; whizzing or the sound of wind.

Lycopodium may help when there is a swelling of the ear with discharge. Perhaps, a sensation as if hot blood has rushed into the ears.

Impaired hearing with discharge from the ear. Sensitive to noises and sounds, particularly music.

The noises which may be helped with Lycopodium are: roaring, humming, whizzing and rushing.

China officinalis is for a great over-sensitiveness of the nervous system — all sights, smells, hearing and taste are too strong. The external ear may be sensitive to touch.

Impaired hearing with constant noises in the ears, possibly with a headache.

The noises which may be helped by China officinalis are humming; ringing, especially with an accompanying headache; roaring; ticking as of a distant watch; buzzing; noises as if hearing singing.

Back to the bagpipes of Natrum carbonicum… this remedy isn’t as prominent as the remedies listed above, but there are some interesting things associated with it.

There may be a stopped sensation with diminished hearing. Sensitive hearing, particularly to music - they can’t bear it or, the rumpling of paper.

Bubbling noises or as if a bubble is bursting; sounds seem to come from the left side when they really come from the right; and, the illusion of hearing singing. And, though they can’t stand hearing music, they have the delusion they are hearing music — that must be frustratingly awful!

A list of a few noise rubrics and some corresponding remedies:

If you hear noises in your ears when blowing your nose: Calc carb or Hepar sulph.
Buzzing is a big one with a lot of possibly indicated remedies, but some good places to start would be Argentum nitricum, China off, Lycopodium, or Nux-vomica.
If the noises occur only at night, try Dulcamera or Graphites.
Cracking sound: Kali carb or Petroleum.
In bed, or, lying down makes it worse: Sulphur
Hearing noises during a headache: China off.
Humming: China off, Lycopodium, Phosphorus or Sepia
Difficulty hearing with the noises: Causticum or Lycopodium
Rushing water: Chamomilla
Boiling water: Lycopodium
As of wind: Petroleum
If it is synchronous with the pulse, it’s an easy one to remember: Pulsatilla, or, Puls for short.

Book a focused consultation and see if we can take the focus off those noises for you.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Cleveland Clinic, n.d. Tinnitus: Causes, Treatment & Prevention [online]. Cleveland Clinic.

Hebert, S., Fournier, P. and Norena, A., 2013. The Auditory Sensitivity is Increased in Tinnitus Ears. Journal of Neuroscience [online], 33 (6), 2356–2364.

Mayo Clinic, 2018. Tinnitus - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2018. Tinnitus [online]. NIDCD.

Prutsman, Dr. J., 2023. Tinnitus [online]. Sound Relief Tinnitus & Hearing Center.

9/9/2023

Sore Tootsies

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I was listening to a Russel Brand podcast the other day where he was talking to the man who began VivoBarefoot* shoe company -- shoes that changed my world.

I used to love my pointy-toe cowboy boots and my high heels and for a minute there I had some kickin' little, pointy toe boots made from army green cloth -- they didn't last long, but I loved them!

Somewhere along the line, a body worker suggested my footwear may be playing a part in my hip/spine aches.

So, me being me, always looking for ways to improve my condition, I put my binding and lifting (but cute!) shoes on the shelf and moved to a shoe with a negative or zero-drop heel and a wide toe box.

Lo and behold, it helped! A lot. I'm never going back.

It wasn’t over night, that’s for sure. It took quite a while to build up those long under-used muscles. When I first began, the ache in my feet, going all the way up the leg was definitely a thing. (If you are going to give this a try, be sure to go slowly — wearing the barefoot shoe for short periods of time and building up to a full day.)

The only problem, though, was that the bulk of these shoes were not cute. I would look down at my feet and think, “I’m wearing clown shoes.” But, I stuck with my unfashionable shoes and my toes can now move around like never before — the way they are supposed to. (Note: overall, comfy shoes are much better looking now than when I began this process.)

There are zero-drop shoes and there are minimalist shoes (like the Vivo Barefoot I mentioned earlier, as well as what I call my “frog feet” shoes — Vibram Five Fingers* — which they now do a nice job of disguising, but when I first started wearing them they were really goofy looking).

The point of minimalist shoes is to allow your feet to use all those muscles that become under-utilized when wearing modern comfy, squishy shoes. There are a lot of muscles in your feet and all those muscles connect to all those other muscles and ligaments and tendons and joints going all the way up the chain -- you know, the foot bone is connected to the ankle bone…. (For a little look at what’s going on down there: (Card and Bordoni 2020).

As we have all experienced, when your feet hurt, everything hurts.

I have written a little bit about plantar fasciitis and heel spurs here.

Without going into specific foot problems, a place to start for sore feet would be my go-to combination for all things joints/muscles: Arnica/Ruta/Rhus. See here and here.

Why Arnica, Ruta and Rhus?

Arnica is the first remedy to think about for trauma/injury. Excellent for bruising and muscle pain, in general.

Ruta is good for connective tissues -- tendons and ligaments as well as stiffness.

Rhus tox is a go-to for joint issues and is highly indicated in the following specific feet issues:

aching feet
sore feet due to exertion
while sitting
in the morning
walking/movement helps
restlessness feet
stiff feet

If you want to get a little more specific, rather than taking a combo remedy, try one of these remedies on for size…

Foot pain that extends upward: Ledum palustre
As if sprained: Arnica or Rhus tox
Toenail injuries: Arnica or Hypericum
Cramps: Mag-phos or Calc carb
Pain while sitting (the pain lessens during continued movement) & feels better in warmth: Rhus tox
Pain while standing: Ruta
Sole pain: Causticum
Shooting pain or tearing pain: Kali-carb

Take a step in the right direction and try some homeopathy and see if you can get a little relief for those sore tootsies.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I just like their products.

Reference list

Card, R. K. and Bordoni, B., 2020. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Foot Muscles [online]. PubMed.

Kassel, G., 2022. What’s the Deal with Zero-Drop Shoes? [online]. Shape.

Vibram, 2023. FiveFingers: The Original Barefoot Toe Shoes | Vibram [online].

Vivo Barefoot, 2023. Shoespiracy 2| Vivobarefoot | USA [online]. www.vivobarefoot.com.

6/3/2023

It's Never Too Late, part 2: Balance

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Next up in my series on aging, "It's Never Too Late," is #2, Balance issues.

What causes balance issues? Inner ear disorders, head injuries, neurological conditions and even medical issues such as diabetes, heart disease and thyroid problems, or, medications could be the culprit, too. In other words — it could be hard to find out what is causing these balance issues. There are a lot of avenues to investigate. It could make your head spin! Did I mention vertigo is a common cause of balance issues?

One of the beautiful aspects of homeopathy is we don’t need to know if it’s a thyroid problem or an inner ear disturbance. We only need to know what symptoms play out with these balance issues. Can it help if we know the cause? Sure, but it’s not necessary.

Let me be clear here, though. I am not suggesting to skip the investigation. Definitely figure it out with the help of a medical professional.

Signs and symptoms of balance problems include (Mayo Clinic 2018):

Sense of motion or spinning (vertigo)
Feeling of faintness or lightheadedness
Feeling like you might fall
Feeling a floating sensation or dizziness
Vision changes, such as blurriness
Confusion

This could become a long article with lots of twists and turns (a little vertigo-causing itself it could be, actually!) but we’re not going there. We’re going to make it simple.

We’re going to look at the top homeopathic remedies for vertigo, dizziness, falling and the sensation of falling.

Calcarea carbonica, Calc carb for short. Clumsy, awkward, falls easily. Feet may turn inward when walking. Get tired from a short walk. There may be a tendency to fall to either side, particularly the left side, or backward. Vertigo can be caused by turning the head, looking upward or going upstairs/uphill. This is an excellent remedy for the elderly in and of itself, regardless of a tendency to fall.

Cocculus indicus has a fear of falling and a tendency to fall to either side. Cocculus has an affinity for the spine, and especially of its motor nerves. “There may be a weakness in the small of the back, as if paralyzed; the small of the back gives out when walking; the soles of the feet feel as if they were asleep; the thighs ache as if they had been pounded; first one hand then the other goes to sleep; sometimes the whole arm falls asleep … These symptoms lie at the foundation of the symptomatology of the whole drug; they all seem to depend upon spinal weakness” (Farrington 2010). In most cases which respond well to Cocculus, there is some component of vertigo at play and may be accompanied by nausea which may be worse in a sitting position or when changing from a reclining to a sitting position.

Natrum muriaticum. Nat-mur has a fear of falling, too. With vertigo, this remedy has a tendency to fall forward or to the left. The vertigo feels as if they are falling and may be worse standing near a window (or looking out of a window) or on closing the eyes and is improved when lying with the head propped high. Vertigo may be worse in the morning, especially when getting out of bed and occasionally the vertigo may be accompanied by nausea or nosebleeds.

Nux vomica fears falling, too, but particularly in the afternoon. (Homeopathy never fails to amaze me with its odd specificities!) With vertigo, a person who may benefit from Nux vomica isn’t so particular which way they fall: forward, backward or to the side. The vertigo of Nux-v feels as if the brain (and other objects) turn in a circle.

Rhus toxicodendron tends to fall backward, forward, or, to the right. It’s a major remedy for the tendency to fall when rising from bed. Or, they may have the sensation as if they would fall over. There may be a fear of death or a weakness of memory during the vertigo. Vertigo may be worse when lying down. Rhus tox is also noted in a form of vertigo common in old age which gives a sensation of confusion and dullness (Choudhuri 2016).

Stramonium popped up in the search as the only remedy listed for the following: tends to fall backward while walking; tends to fall in the dark; tends to fall to the right while sitting or rising from bed from a sitting position. There is also a tendency to hallucinations that they are falling. Vertigo is worse walking in the dark or when the eyes are closed.

A few other remedies with some particular falling tendencies (single remedy rubrics):
Phosphorus for vertigo with a tendency to fall from a chair.
Causticum tends to fall to the left while looking upward.
Spigelia tends to fall while looking down.

Strength and balance training are always a good thing, despite your age. I know nothing about Elderlygym.com, but they had some good, common sense information and some clever exercises to get started on reclaiming your balance. Or, find a well-qualified yoga or pilates teacher who has experience working with people your age.

If you (or a loved one) finds yourself no longer vertical on a regular basis, get it checked out.

“To put everything in balance is good, to put everything in harmony is better.” Victor Hugo.
Homeopathy can help with both.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list:

Choudhuri, N. M., 2016. A study on materia medica : an ideal text-book for homoeopathic students. Accessed through Radar Opus software. Noida, U.P., India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.

Elderlygym.com, 2019. 12 Best Elderly Balance Exercises For Seniors to Reduce the Risk of Falls [online]. Eldergym® Senior Fitness.

Farrington, A., 2010. Lectures on Clinical Materia Medica in Family Order. Accessed through Radar Opus software.

Mayo Clinic, 2018. Balance problems - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic.

Morrison, R., 1998. Desktop companion to physical pathology. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Publ.

Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software.