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

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

​Though my first few experiences with homeopathy were through using single remedies suggested by classical homeopaths, the big wowee moment about homeopathy for me came when I was first treated with the Banerji Protocols. That is when very big changes happened very quickly for me. Those changes were so impressive and occurred in such a short amount of time that I stopped everything I was doing and started studying homeopathy. Those first classes that followed were all about the Banerji Protocols and I was absolutely hooked on the wonders of homeopathy. Banerji Protocols remain near and dear to my heart and I use them every single day. (If you are interested in classes on Banerji Protocols, Joette Calabrese* is the way to go.)

I then went to Homeopathy School International* because at that time, I just wanted to learn more about homeopathy. I had no idea that I actually wanted to become an actual homeopath. Because the only way I could get more knowledge was to take the tests, I did just that and then without any real intention to become one, I was a CHom, a certified homeopath.

When that finished, I was still hungry for more knowledge and I lucked in to a Bachelor of Science (BSc) program that was going to be offered one last time through Centre for Homeopathic Education*, (a.k.a. CHE) in conjunction with Middlesex University in the UK. At this time, I still didn’t think I wanted to be a practicing homeopath, but if I thought I was hooked before — now I was really hooked and just a couple months into this one, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! This program focused on the science of homeopathy, learning advanced materia medica, anatomy and physiology as it relates to homeopathy and diving into the research of homeopathy. Don’t let anyone tell you that good research does not exist for the efficacy of homeopathy, because it does! 

I still can’t get enough homeopathic knowledge. I am constantly enrolled in deep dives into many different topics; some because they interest me and some because I have clients with specific issues and I do whatever I can to learn how to further help them.

Last year I embarked on some classes looking into the Narayani Remedies. (If you are interested, Caroline Gaskin* does a good class.) On one hand, the Narayani remedies seem simple and straightforward, yet on the other hand, it’s like learning a whole new dialect of a previously familiar language.

Like the Banerji Protocols (BPs), Narayani Remedies are combination homeopathic remedies but unlike the BPs, the Narayani combinations frequently intermingle. Often, many different Narayani combinations are used at one time resulting in a mind-boggling amount of many different remedies being given/taken all at once. Fully classical homeopaths must balk at these combos (all combos, really), but… I’m going to say that they shouldn’t knock ‘em before they try them!

“The Narayani Remedies were created by Swami Narayani and Swami Ananda in 1968 to simplify their practice treating large numbers of patients in India and South Africa. These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success. The combination remedies are used to manage people with a variety of conditions… a truly wonderful set of combinations” (Narayani Remedies*).

Let me tell you about a particular favorite of mine: a delightful little combination called Narayani Calming Pills Mix 6. I have many clients who have referred to this combination as “a life saver” and I have found it to be very helpful for both clients and caregivers of clients with difficult conditions.

From Davidson’s book, “The name speaks for itself. The pills do just that — they calm the entire system, mentally and physically. There are times when, after taking the first few doses, people want to sleep and sleep. This proves that the nervous system needs to rest — needs to stop for a while. For busy parents with naughty children. Tense business people. After a visit to the dentist. Any grieving family. Any condition of stress or apprehension.”

What’s in it? Again, from Davidson (2005):

Avena sativa for nervous exhaustion and tremors
Coffea for nervous agitation and restlessness
Humulus (Lupulus) for unstrung nervous conditions with nausea
Ignatia for sobbing, sighing, depressed conditions
Kali phos — a great nerve tonic
Passiflora has a quietening effect on the nervous system
Sumbul for hysterical and nervous symptoms
Valeriana for hysterical, over-sensitive nervous affections

When I first looked into these combination remedies, I thought — “but, my client isn’t ‘hysterical’ and isn’t nauseous — this is just too much stuff in here and is not applicable.”

I was wrong. Not every remedy listed in a Narayani combination remedy needs to be “a good fit.” You see, the body is just amazingly intelligent and knows what it needs. And, when it comes to homeopathy, the body is somehow able to sort through what it needs and discards what it doesn’t; this seems particularly true when it comes to using homeopathic combination remedies.

What prompted this article today was an ad in my inbox that got me a little excited…

TapRoots* has announced their new Top 50 Narayani Remedies Kit 1. (That #1 gets me excited that there will be more to follow!) 

From the email:
PRE-ORDER NOW & SAVE $30!
This kit will begin shipping May 20, 2024.
The Narayani Remedies are an incredibly powerful set of combination remedies that were put together by "classical homeopath", Swami Narayani, in 1968.

These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success and are now being used in 80 countries!

SAVE $30 when you pre-order by April 30, 2024! No coupon needed!

Should you decide to go ahead and make this purchase, I highly recommend purchasing a book to help you navigate your way through these simple but sometimes confusingly named remedies. Robert Davidson’s book (mentioned above) or, Nimisha Parekh’s Narayani Remedies, A Condensed Guide, or, (even better!) Helios Pharmacy has done an updated and revised handbook (2023) which is even a little clearer.

As an example, “Calming Pills” is pretty straightforwardly named; CB 8 Mix 69, not so much. CB 8 Mix 69 is “akin to” a combination of “Calming” and “Shock” (another Narayani combo) but it is different — It is, however, for the nervous and emotional system. (I did mention this was a little like learning a different language!)

“A single remedy is like a solo artist, unique and individual. The combination remedy is like a choir. Each has to be in harmony with all the others, working for a single outcome. Truly harmonious, effective combinations are quite rare and Narayani remedies — they just sweetly sing” (Davidson 2005).

If you would like to learn more about how single or combination homeopathic remedies could help you, click here to book a free 30-minute consultation.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this company (or any other, actually) — I just like their products!

​Reference list

Davidson, R., ed. 2005. Narayani’s Materia Medica: Homeopathic Combination Remedies For the 21st Century. 2nd ed. Milton Keynes, U.K.: Robert Davidson.

Narayani Remedies, n.d. NARAYANI REMEDIES [online]. narayaniremedies.com. 

Quitting coffee can cause one heck of a nasty headache.

I remember hearing years ago that the nasty headache that people encounter following surgery was due, in part, from caffeine withdrawal. 

One familiar with homeopathic remedies might be forgiven if one were to assume that the homeopathic remedy Coffea cruda would be the remedy to turn to for help with this pain. And, to be fair, it may help in this situation. Keep reading…

However, using Coffea for caffeine withdrawal would be more akin to isopathy, or, “same cures same.” See: Buzz on Apis  and Hom, not home.

This is not to say that Coffea doesn’t have a place in helping headaches, it does. Particularly if:

• Chills during a headache
• Headache from music
• Headaches experienced on the sides of the head or a one-sided headache.
• A cracking sensation on the top of the head

Might there be a better homeopathic remedy to help if you are suffering headaches from caffeine withdrawal? Generally speaking, were I to be suffering from this hellish experience again today, I would start with Chamomilla. But, to be fair, Coffea cruda is also indicated in a number of these symptoms — It’s a matter of degree.

From Roger Morrison’s Desktop Guide:
“Chamomile is characterized by an unsurpassed hypersensitivity to pain and an angry, almost accusatory response to that pain. Often the patient seems to complain of more discomfort than could possibly be felt from the existing condition. Furthermore the complaining is usually hostile and vehement. There is always irritability…”

Yep. That sounds like someone going through caffeine withdrawal.

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms, as noted ffrom Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition:

• Irritability
• Blurred vision
• Drowsiness/sleepiness
• Yawning
• Lethargy/fatigue/tiredness/sluggishness
• Thick head
• Headache
• Heavy feeling in arms and legs
• Hot or cold spells
• Decreases desire to talk/socialize
• Flu-like feelings

Chamomilla also has a keynote of being aggravated from coffee, ailments from coffee and headaches from NOT drinking coffee. Once again, Coffea cruda is in some of these rubrics, but not to the degree that is indicated in Chamomilla.

Heck, Chamomilla even has an aggravation at nine AM — just about the stereotypical time the caffeine would have been consumed and had “kicked in!”

Other remedies to consider if you are dealing with this type of headache: Nux vomica and Ignatia. (See Overwhelmed for a bit more information comparing those two remedies.)

It is not at all uncommon for people to use coffee first thing in the morning to get their bowels moving. So, if you are considering ditching the coffee habit, know this is a possible “side effect.” Chamomilla can help with this, but so, too, can Nux vomica. (See The Eagle has Landed).

Is there a reason to quit coffee? Lots of homeopaths recommend to not drink coffee when taking homeopathic remedies. (I don’t agree with this. See HERE for more thoughts on this.)

Sarah Ballantyne*, (I first learned about her when she was known as The Paleo Mom), has now written a book (being published in May) called Nutrivore. Her new system is based on nutrient density. “The Nutrivore Score is an objective measurement of the total amount of nutrients a food contains per calorie. There are 33 nutrients that go into the calculation.” Well, guess what the number one food item is according to this system? That's right… Coffee. Hmmmm.

Having said all that, from someone who has been there, done that — drinking many, many cups of coffee all day, everyday -- I don’t think you’ll regret kicking the coffee habit if you choose that route. It may take a little time, but I bet you’ll be waking more refreshed and feeling much better at being able to function without relying on the coffee crutch.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with Sarah Ballantyne, I am just intrigued by her new dietary system.

Works Cited:

Ballantyne, Sarah. “Brewed Coffee Nutrients.” Nutrivore, . 

Morrison, Roger. Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms. Nevada City, Calif., Hahnemann Clinic Pub, 1993.

Watson, J. “CAFFEINE.” ScienceDirect, Academic Press, 1 Jan. 2003, . 

Weber, Joseph G., et al. “Prophylactic Intravenous Administration of Caffeine and Recovery after Ambulatory Surgical Procedures.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, vol. 72, no. 7, July 1997, pp. 621–626.

Rufus was acting strangely tonight. He was pacing back and forth from the door to his bed to the other side of me and back again. I talked to him. I opened the door for him. He went out once, walked around the house and came back in through his personal door and then he continued this strange behavior. I petted him. I gave him water. He didn’t seem particularly distressed, just really restless.

Additionally, he was panting. The panting is not unusual, in and of itself. He’s a big dog with a lot of hair and we live in a desert. But, tonight, it’s a cool autumnal evening, so it was definitely out of the ordinary behavior. Panting can be a sign of anxiety in dogs (Helmer 2020) and we have seen other signs from him showing some anxiety over the years.

What to do?
​
Homeopathic Ignatia 200c delivered to him in a small bowl of bone broth. Within a few minutes the pacing stopped and he was lying on his bed. The panting stopped and started for a few more minutes but then stopped all together and he eventually settled into a nice, rhythmic breath.

How did I come to the idea of giving him Ignatia?

Ignatia Amara 200c is part of the Banerji protocol for mental shock, both immediate and in the past, making it an excellent remedy for PTSD — for dogs and for humans.

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be an absolutely debilitating condition stemming from any number of situations: abuse of all kinds and occurring at any age, now or in the past; being in or witnessing an accident; experiencing a natural disaster; combat exposure; physical assault or any life-threatening event. As renown homeopath Dr. Robin Murphy says, a person has a toxic memory that haunts them; they can’t eliminate it. The person is on heightened alert and the toxic memory is overwhelming their life.

PTSD can lead to depression and anxiety; substance abuse; eating disorders; sleeplessness; irritability or angry outbursts; overwhelming guilt or shame.

Farokh Master, MD and homeopath notes that stress causes disease and  disease causes stress leading to a vicious circle. Dr. Master cited a study finding that individuals diagnosed with a stress-related disorder were more likely to be diagnosed with an auto-immune disease*.  It's important to address these mental and emotional issues before they lead to further physical or emotional degeneration. 

If PTSD is the diagnosis, try Ignatia 200c and Coffea cruda 200c, each twice daily until significant improvement is seen. (Note: this may take many weeks or even months). Ignatia is not the only remedy for PTSD. If you do not see any improvement, work with a professional homeopath to find a better suited remedy. 

Coffea cruda is an excellent remedy for insomnia in general and those repeating thoughts that plague in the night… when you just can't shut your brain off.

In the case of an acute mental shock, give one dose of Ignatia and see if any relief is found. If there is some improvement but the symptoms return, repeat the remedy until very much better. An acute mental shock could be: a parent dealing with a sick child; witnessing an accident; experiencing the death of a loved one; receiving bad news or experiencing a fright; sadness or worry; separation anxiety as well as experiencing general anxiety or any psychological stress short term.

Back to Rufus. A few years ago, Rufus came to us following what appeared to be a pretty hard life. He was only 80 pounds (now he’s about 130) and his coat was a mess and he was very itchy. His teeth were in a bad way. He stunk. He cowered easily, expecting who knows what. He was afraid of traffic. Though the vet judged him to be about 4 or 5 years old, he had to be taught how to walk on a leash. Yes, we are pretty sure he had it pretty rough before he got here. 

What could have been troubling him tonight? I’m not sure. There was a particularly hyped up teenage on-line video game going on in the next room, but that isn’t completely out of the ordinary. A little wind outside tonight, but not too bad. Or, just doggie senses on high alert, perhaps.

Often when the correct homeopathic remedy is given in an acute situation, sleep follows soon after. In the case of old Rufus who spends a lot of time sleeping anyway, it’s kind of hard to tell if it was the Ignatia or if he was just doing his normal thing. But, given his odd behavior 10 minutes earlier and the almost immediate change following the Ignatia, I’m going with the idea that this was the correct remedy for him at this moment.

PTSD can put an enormous damper on living a full and happy life and homeopathy may help. Contact me to see if homeopathy could possibly help you or your loved one.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical Homeopathy

#wellnessawaits
​#homeopathycanhelp

* Apologies, I was listening to this lecture and missed the details of the study to which he referred.