Ruminating on Remedies, My thoughts on homeopathy

4/2/2023

What about coffee?

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I’m the queen of giving things up. My husband says I’m addicted to giving things up and has challenged me to give up giving things up. Well, I’m running out of things to give up, so, someday soon perhaps I’ll think about it!

My latest giving up thing has without a doubt been the hardest one I have tackled to date. Over the years, I have successfully kicked: alcohol, caffeine, grains, legumes, nightshades, sugar, dairy and even chocolate. There are more, but I won’t bore you with the list. Some of them were for short periods of time just to see how it affected me, but most have become incorporated into my way of life after discovering I felt better without them. This article is in no way suggesting that anybody give up anything in particular. I’m a firm believer in the importance of people doing what is right for themselves. You do you.

Back to this latest one that is so hard. ** Drumroll ** Crossing my legs while sitting.

Oooh! It’s killing me! Well, it’s a little easier today after a Rolfing session yesterday. She helped move my sacrum into its new home after being twisted up for many decades and it is now much easier to sit without desperately wanting to cross my legs. Argh. Yet, I know from experience, this, too, shall pass.

What’s the secret to successfully giving things up?
Putting things in. Don’t punish yourself when you give something up — swap it. Maybe that’s why the not crossing my legs is so hard — there is nothing I can put in to substitute for this habit. The other big obstacle is situational. These habits are engrained throughout your whole being. Hanging out with the old friend with whom you used to enjoy ice cream sundaes can set those cravings in motion. Passing the cafe where you used to enjoy a regular coffee and a cookie can likewise stir things up. Create new neural pathways and life gets much easier.

Why am I telling you this? Because I want to tell you my thoughts on coffee. I gave up coffee prior to finding homeopathy, so I never thought about it much from the alleged homeopathic interference standpoint for myself. Again, I am not suggesting you give up coffee.

What does coffee have to do with homeopathy?
Some homeopaths instruct their clients to not drink coffee while working with them (and, even coffee flavored things, too). Others expand the “do not use while taking homeopathic remedies” list to include: mint, (including toothpaste), mouthwash, onions, garlic, ginger, chocolate, tobacco, alcohol, and more…. (Here’s a link to a nice article on mint from the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists (Watkins and Foxman 2014) which dispels the mint myth.)

“What!?!?” I hear you saying. “You want me to forego my morning coffee in order to use homeopathy? No way is that happening!”
Not I, but, yup, some homeopaths even go so far as to say they won’t work with a client if they don’t agree to some pretty stringent rules. In case it isn’t clear, I’m not one of those homeopaths.

For the record, I am not suggesting that you should go against your homeopath's guidance. Perhaps you could start a conversation with them to understand their thinking. What I am sharing here are my thoughts on homeopathy and what I have found works with my clients.

Why is this coffee thing even a thing?
“Effect of coffee on Homeopathic medicine” does a good job of explaining one theory on where this idea originated (Varghese 2019).

It is true that some things can indeed cancel out your homeopathic remedies: both cancelling the effects of a remedy on the person as well as making the remedies themselves in their tubes inert (*see below).

In true homeopathic form — these things are highly individualistic. Some people are much more sensitive than others. However, in my experience, coffee and mint are not a problem for most people.

I’m not going to make a blanket statement that if you have your remedy and then drink a cup of coffee that it’s not going to counter-act said remedy. If you are a regular coffee drinker, coffee is most likely not going to affect you and your homeopathic remedy. Coffee is a part of who you are. If you don’t drink coffee regularly and you find yourself on a lovely vacation in Venice, Italy and you just can’t resist that special after dinner espresso — it may have an effect on the effectiveness of your remedy. Is this a problem? In a word? No. Just repeat the remedy.

So, what’s the big deal, then?
In a classical homeopathic situation, it is common that the client would be given one single dose of a remedy and then wait a number of weeks and see what happens. In these circumstances, I can see how a homeopath would want to limit any possible interference with said remedy. When homeopathic remedies are repeated at regular intervals, whether that be twice daily, once weekly or something else, possible interference is less of a concern.

So, are there other substances that actually might interfere with the effect of homeopathic remedies?
Yes. But, there’s a big caveat here. Again, like homeopathic remedies, it’s highly individual. Some common culprits are:

Prescription drugs. (It’s important that your homeopath know what medicines you take and how often, so be sure to tell them!)
Marijuana and other recreational drugs, even alcohol to excess has been said to be a problem. (Again, be sure to be open and honest with your homeopath so you can work together for the best homeopathic outcome for you.)
Acupuncture, and possibly other vigorous body work.
Strong essential oils or strong aromatherapy.

Other possible antidotes that I have heard about but have not seen to be a problem include:

Taking other homeopathic remedies not otherwise suggested by the homeopath. Classical homeopathy operates on the idea that certain remedies can antidote other remedies. I haven’t seen this to be a problem, with the exception of Camphor.** (Having said this, taking other homeopathic remedies while undergoing a homeopathic plan can confuse the picture. I ask my clients to contact me if acute situations come up and if they feel the need to take a remedy on their own to keep good records of what remedy, when they took it and what happened.)
Some claim dental work can stop the affect of remedies. I haven’t seen this to be a problem, but depending on the amount of work you’re having done, it might be worth keeping in mind.
Geothermal baths.
Electric blankets.

If you are noticing your remedies not working as well as they used to work, you may be a sensitive soul and you may want to time your remedies differently if you partake in any of the above possibilities. (A word on sensitive souls — we definitely exist and just because you have been sensitive to remedies in the past does not mean homeopathic remedies are not right for you. Work with a professional homeopath who can help guide you through this process.)

* How can you make a whole tube of remedies go inert?
Storing remedies next to strong smelling substances like cleaning products or strong essential oils has been known to “kill” the remedies themselves. If you find that tube of Arnica which has always worked in the past for you is no longer having that same beneficial effect, that tube should probably be discarded and a new one should take its place.

Some people say that putting remedies through the X-ray machine at the airport can have a negative effect on the remedies themselves. I never travel without my remedies and I have never had a problem after they have been through the X-ray machine. If you are worried about it, though, the few times I have asked the TSA agents to do a hand inspection, they have happily obliged.

What about keeping the remedies next to cell phones or computers?
I haven’t found this to be a problem.

Some people say magnets can have a negative effect on remedies — I have no experience with this and cannot comment.

Heat and sunlight has not been a problem for my remedies, either. I keep a small kit in the center console of my car and each remedy I have used has worked every time.

Tell me more about Camphor.
** Camphor as a homeopathic remedy is commonly used to stop further action of another homeopathic remedy. If an ill-advised remedy has been used and is causing unwanted effects, a dose of homeopathic Camphor can often bring that to a halt.

Likewise, some deep inhales of camphor itself or eucalyptus or menthol or tea tree oil can have the same halting effect.

“OK, we now know that coffee and mint and some other niceties of life are not (necessarily) going to interfere with the remedies. Anything else to take into consideration?”
There are a few general guidelines which may be beneficial.

In an ideal world, homeopathic remedies would be taken in a clean mouth, waiting 10-15 minutes after eating, drinking (except water) or brushing your teeth. Additionally, take the remedies away from allopathic medicines and herbs and supplements and other homeopathic remedies. In other words, give these delicate but powerful homeopathic remedies some time and space to do what they do.

Are these conditions absolutely necessary?
Not in my experience. But, if you have the time and the capacity to administer the remedies in this way, it certainly can’t be faulted.

What about touching the pellets themselves?
This could be a problem because the homeopathic medicine is just a thin coating on the pellet and any moisture on your fingers or hands may release the remedy at the point of contact, rather than utilizing that delightful and quick-acting sublingual absorption. (Having said this, the remedy can still be effective through the skin, but not as quick and sure.) Any creams or soaps on the skin may stop the remedy from entering your system. The best way to get the pellets into your mouth is to pour the desired amount of pellets into the cap and toss them into your mouth directly from the cap.

Under the tongue is best, but it’s perfectly fine to place the pellets between gum and lip — this is especially useful with babies and animals.

If you spill the pellets, it’s best to throw them out. Definitely don’t try to put them back in the tube if they have spilled.

As I mentioned above, I kicked the coffee habit prior to my knowledge of homeopathy. (I actually did it on vacation, when I was down for the count sick and I couldn’t taste it anyway, so I decided to stop cold turkey. I drank a lot of coffee all day every day and I was missing it both physically and mentally. I switched to fully caffeinated tea for a while and weaned myself from there.)

If you are looking to stop your coffee habit, remember homeopathic Chamomilla to help with those horrible caffeine withdrawal headaches. Other remedies which may help you through those tough days: Nux vomica, Ignatia and possibly Coffea cruda itself (but this is more akin to same cures same and most likely not as effective as the other choices.)

In terms of focusing on putting something in instead of suffering through taking something out, I found a Dandelion instant coffee*** to be a pretty good substitute. A word of caution: At the time of quitting coffee, I didn’t care about what ingredients I put into my system. When I gave up gluten, this coffee substitute had to go, too, because it is made from roasted barley.

For me as a homeopath, the long and the short of taking homeopathic remedies comes down to this: don’t overthink it and don't stress about it. If you take a remedy and it’s not helping, it could be that it’s not the right remedy for your current situation or it could be that your remedy tube has been exposed to one of the above possibilities and has become ineffective. If you’re sure of the remedy choice, perhaps a new tube will set you straight.

If you have successfully been taking a remedy and it seems to no longer be effective (and you're sure storage issues are not a thing), it could be that remedy has run its course for you or, it could be a different potency is now needed or, it could be that you have been inadvertently antidoting the remedy. If you suspect the latter, take a look at when you are taking the remedy in comparison to when you are doing one of the above possible antidotes — especially if you are a sensitive soul.

If you need any help with any of this, book a focused appointment and we’ll see what we can do to get you on your way.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

*** I have no affiliation with this company.

Reference list:
American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists, n.d. FAQs [online]. The American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists.

Boiron, n.d. Frequently Asked Questions | Boiron USA [online]. boironusa.com.

Varghese, Dr. S., 2019. Effect of coffee on Homeopathic medicine [online]. Homeopathy Resource by Homeobook.com.

Watkins, M. B. and Foxman, E. L., 2014. Don’t Skip the Mint [online]. The American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists.

3/25/2023

Salty Lips

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I couldn’t come up with a pithy lip quip so I’ll just get to the point — dry lips, chapped lips, cracked lips.

What to do about them? Most people resort to some sort of lip balm but I saw an interesting study on soldiers participating in desert training. They found that “lip protectants appeared to be relatively ineffective in the prevention and treatment of chapped lips” (Shulman et al. 1997).

What does homeopathy have to offer for lips? A little salt, actually.

Salt? Yup, Natrum muriaticum is made from common salt and it is excellent for helping to balance fluids in the body, including ailments from said imbalances.

Chapped lips
Cracked lips
Dry lips
Fever blisters
Peeling lips
Picking of lips
Salty lips
Sore lips
Tingling lips

That about covers it, I think!

My lips aren’t sealed when it comes to singing the praises of homeopathy!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

3/18/2023

The original drug testing… Homeopathic Provings

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A fascinating article appeared in my inbox the other day, a guest writer for The Free Press Substack wrote an article titled, “The Humans Who Live as Lab Rats.” As the title implies, it’s a look into the people who are clinical trial “professionals.”

How do conventional drug trials relate to homeopathy? Well, interesting you should ask.

Samuel Hahnemann, the man who thought this whole homeopathy thing up, has been called “the Father of Experimental Pharmacology because he was the first physician to prepare medicines in a specialized way; proving them on healthy human beings, to determine how the medicines acted to cure diseases. Before Hahnemann, medicines were given on speculative indications, mainly on the basis of authority without experimental verification” (Whole Health Now). He was the first to make the provings of medicine a system (Ameke 2007).

As noted in The Dynamics and Methodology of Homeopathic Provings (Sherr and National Center For Homoeopathy, 1994), Samuel Hahnemann wrote in his Organon of Medicine:

“Therefore medicines, on which depend man’s life and death, disease and health, must be thoroughly and most carefully distinguished from one another, and for this purpose tested by careful, pure experiments on the healthy body for the purpose of ascertaining their powers and real effects, in order to obtain an accurate knowledge of them, and to enable us to avoid any mistake in their employment in diseases, for it is only by correct selection of them that the greatest of all early blessings, the health of the body and of the mind, can be rapidly and permanently restored.”

The first remedy that Dr. Hahnemann proved in 1790 was Cinchona bark, or Peruvian bark, also known as quinine and known homeopathically also as China. (I think it’s important to note that Hahnemann had a history of malaria and therefore may have had a possible sensitivity to Cinchona bark (Morrell 2023)). It turns out this first proving wasn’t to learn about the medicine, it was to test a claim made by another that Cinchona was a tonic for the stomach. Hahnemann’s theory was that Cinchona “acts in malaria because in healthy people it can produce symptoms similar to intermittent fever” (Morrell 2023). He took the Cinchona and “produced in himself the symptoms of intermittent fever” (Morrell 2023).

Hahnemann “took for several days four drachms of good cinchona bark twice a day; my feet, finger tips, & etc., first grew cold, I become exhausted and sleepy; then my heart began to palpitate, my pulse became hard and rapid; I had intolerable anxiety, trembling (but not rigor), prostration in all my limbs; then throbbing in the head, flushing of the cheeks, thirst and in short all the ordinary symptoms of intermittent fever appeared one after another, but without actual febrile rigor. In a word, even the special characteristic symptoms of intermittent fever, dullness of the senses, a kind of stiffness of all the joints, and in particular the disagreeable numb sensation which seemed to be located in the periostea covering of all the bones of the body, made their appearance. This paroxysm lasted two to three hours each time and returned when I repeated the dose, otherwise not. On leaving off the drug I was soon quite well” (Ameke 2007).

That’s quite a discovery — to find that ingesting a substance can create the symptoms of a disease (in this case malaria) but not actually cause the disease itself. This is how homeopathy was born. This is how “like cures like” came to be.

In the beginning of his experimenting, Hahnemann was using crude substances, though often using very small doses. However, in an effort to “make medicine more effective and to reduce the poisonous levels of many common medications that caused as much suffering as the disease being treated,” by 1801 he began diluting his medicines (Feissel 2016). From there, he began adding shaking or succussion to the dilutions and with that, homeopathy as we know it was developed. (For more information on preparing homeopathic remedies.)

I have written about Cinchona/China a couple of times previously (Rufus update; Dehydration; Nobody needs; Sun), but let’s take a little closer look at this classic homeopathic remedy.

When I think of homeopathic China, the first thing that comes to mind is dehydration and the ill effects thereof. Anytime there has been a loss of vital fluids: blood loss, diarrhea, vomiting, even breast feeding — all of these things take a toll on the body and one may benefit from a dose of homeopathic China. Additionally, a person suffering from prolonged strain or over-work.

The second thing that comes to mind for me with China is periodic fevers. During these fevers, the skin may feel sensitive. They may have a red face. They may wish to be uncovered while feverish and they may feel a bit better after eating.

Periodicity is an interesting phenomenon in homeopathy — there are remedies which correspond to how often symptoms pop up. For China, symptoms return every two or every seven days.
The headaches of China feel better from hard pressure; may have some ringing in the ears; the scalp feels sensitive, even to touch the hair. There may be a pulsing pain, as if the brain is beating against the skull and the pain may come in waves.
Gastrointestinally, we may see bloating and distention with rumbling guts. This person gets no relief from burping and tooting, however.
Chills are a big part of the China picture. Chills in open air; chills with anxiety; prolonged chills and shaking — even rigors and violent chills.
The eyes may alternate with burning pain and be sensitive to light.
Nosebleed with clotting.
Cold, clammy sweats which may appear oily.

Back to provings… One can participate in formal provings of new, unproven remedies, or, one can conduct their own proving — just to see what happens*.

To learn more about how homeopathic provings are conducted:

Clinicaltrials.gov has a listing for a withdrawn proving which explains the process quite nicely (Integrative Medicine Institute et al. 2014).

The European Homeopathic Counsel lists the Homeopathic Drug Provings Guidelines. Their main website also provides links to sites with results of various provings.
Provings.info is a subscription-based specialized database on provings.

Homeopath Jeremy Sherr did a blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study to see if homeopathic proving symptoms were a result of local, non-local or placebo process (Walach et al. 2004), if you're interested in taking a look at that.

I'm so thankful for Dr. Hahnemann's curiosity and perseverance that led us to have this miraculous system of healing still in place all these years later.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* “It is true that a small number of provers do not emerge unscathed. Usually these sufferings do not last long, but on rare occasions I have known problems to last for months or even years. This serves to remind us that conducting a proving is no light task and should be undertaken with full care and responsibility” (Sherr and National Center For Homoeopathy, 1994).

Reference list:

Ameke, W., 2007. History of Homeopathy, Its Origin & Its Conflicts. B Jain Pub Pvt Limited.

European Committee for Homeopathy, 2014. Homeopathic Proving Guidelines [online].

European Committee for Homeopathy, n.d. Provings [online]. The European Committee for Homeopathy.

Feissel, J., 2016. Hahnemann’s History of Potentization. The American Homeopath [online], 22–28.

Hahnemann, S., n.d. Materia Medica Pura, Volume 1. Memphis, USA: General Books LLC.

Integrative Medicine Institute, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Heel GmbH, 2014. A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Homeopathic Drug Proving Using a Crossover Design [online]. clinicaltrials.gov.

Morrell, P., 2023. Hahnemann’s First Provings. - Peter Morrell [online]. homeoint.org.

Provings.info, 2023. Provings Info [online]. www.provings.info.

Sherr, J. and National Center For Homoeopathy (U.S, 1994. The dynamics and methodology of homeopathic provings. West Malvern, England: Dynamis Books.

The Field Provings, 2023. Provings [online]. The Field Provings.

Walach, H., Sherr, J., Schneider, R., Shabi, R., Bond, A. and Rieberer, G., 2004. Homeopathic proving symptoms: result of a local, non-local, or placebo process? A blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study. Homeopathy: The Journal of the Faculty of Homeopathy [online], 93 (4), 179–185.

Whole Health Now, n.d. Samuel Hahnemann, 1755 - 1843, Founder of Homeopathy [online]. www.wholehealthnow.com.

3/5/2023

What now?

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"I have taken my homeopathic remedy. Now, what can I expect to happen?"

Well, that depends. Today, we’ll talk about what to look for in an acute illness after taking a well-indicated remedy.

Generally speaking in homeopathy, a person suffering an acute ailment should be feeling a little better in a short amount of time and significantly better within 24 hours. We’re not looking for perfection, remember… we are looking for improvement or, “moving in the direction of cure” is the homeopathic terminology.

In terms of an acute illness, if after a few doses you are not feeling any improvement, there’s a good chance it is not the correct remedy for this immediate situation. Once again, we’re not looking for perfection.

If we’re not looking for perfection, what are we looking for?

Let’s use a stomach bug as an example, since it's going around these days. (See Nobody Needs a Nasty Nauseating Norovirus for some remedy ideas.) With our pretend bug, our pretend symptoms are:

headache
nausea with loss of appetite
burps
stomach pain
loose stools, feeling like full blown diarrhea is on the way
dizziness
chilly
irritable

A general rule of thumb in an acute illness is to repeat the remedy every 15-20 minutes for an hour. After that hour is up, re-assess. There should be some level of improvement, even if it's small.

What do we want to see happening with our stomach bug sufferer after taking some Nux vomica, which seems to be a pretty good fit for these symptoms? We want to see something shift in a positive direction.

We want to see the headache lessen a bit and the mood to lift.
We want to see the nausea ease up a bit and maybe be interested in entertaining the idea of some food again some day.
Burps, which were very sour and very frequent and even a little painful, are now a little less sour and not quite so frequent and they no longer hurt.
The tender, sore stomach is a little less tender and those waves of pain are now coming every few minutes instead of being constant.
The loose stools have ceased and diarrhea no longer feels imminent.
The dizziness which was constant is now only once in a while.
The blanket you couldn’t bear to part with is now just covering your still chilly feet after the rest of you has warmed up a little.

See what I mean? Not perfection, but definite improvement. Maybe not everything lifts all at once, but some of these symptoms should be heading in the right direction.

Now that things are improving a bit, back off the frequency of taking the remedy. Now, take it maybe once an hour, or if and when the symptoms return. If you find yourself snuggling under that blanket again or the sour burps are returning, it’s time to repeat the remedy, regardless of timing.

One of the best indications that a remedy is headed in the right direction is that the person feels better in themselves: they are less grumpy, or their energy picks up a bit, or their concentration improves. These can be subtle changes, so keep an eye out for them. For example, our stomach bug sufferer — they may still be feeling a little nauseous but they are now able to concentrate on that book or movie. These improvements in the mental and emotional arena are very good indications that the remedy is a good fit for the current situation.

If the symptoms change, it may be time to find a new remedy. Some acute illnesses require “chasing” the symptoms which requires sequential remedies.

Remember… improvement, not perfection is what we’re after.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

2/24/2023

Nobody needs a nasty nauseating norovirus

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With working from home and on-line school, we have been off the hook on the norovirus for a couple of years and now that we are resuming normality, this icky bug is rearing its ugly head again.

According to headlines this week, cases have risen by 34% in two weeks in the UK and cases are up 30% over last year in parts of the US, too.

I had a call the other day from a mom whose young daughter was sent home from school after going to the nurse’s office a few times in one day feeling nausea. When she went to pick her up, the nurse informed her that the Norwalk virus was going around the school. The girl was nauseous, but she still had an appetite, and sometimes she had a headache. Homeopathic Phosphorus 30c is what I suggested and she soon felt a little better. The report that evening was that she had a thorough bowel evacuation and she was feeling much better by the next morning. (At the time of writing this, the rest of her family didn’t catch it.) At the same time I learned of this little girl, another pre-schooler I know spent the weekend in and out of the hospital getting IV fluids. It’s not a fun bug, that’s for sure.

What is this norovirus? This is the disease you sometimes hear about in the news -- the nasty sickness which grips entire cruise ships. Highly contagious stuff that is commonly spread through contaminated food, water and surfaces as well as close contact — that’s a perfect recipe for sickness on a cruise ship. (Which reminds me of the one cruise we took when our kids were little where our youngest at the time actually licked the railing in the elevator! By some miracle, he did not get sick. Phew!)

According to the Mayo Clinic, a norovirus infection can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea that starts suddenly and is highly contagious. Symptoms kick in within 12-48 hours after exposure and usually last for 1-3 days. Most people recover completely without treatment, but some people (the young, the old and those with other medical conditions) may require medical attention.

So, what are the common symptoms?

Nausea. Vomiting. Stomach pain or cramps. Watery or loose diarrhea. Feeling ill. Low-grade fever. Muscle pain. Norwalk is a (relatively) new name for what we all remember as “the stomach flu,” even though it has nothing to do with influenza.

Seek medical attention if the diarrhea doesn’t stop or there is severe vomiting, bloody stools, stomach pain or dehydration.

Conventional medicine really has nothing to offer for this disease. So, then, what does homeopathy have to offer?

Arsenicum album is one of the first remedies to consider when there has been any sort of food “poisoning.” Weakness. Thirsty for small sips. Chilly. Coming out both ends at the same time. Stool may be burning and very offensive. Even tiny sips of water may cause vomiting.

Ipecac non-stop nausea — nothing gives any relief, not even vomiting. Lots of saliva with the nausea.

Mag phos is a good one to remember if there is a lot of cramping pain. Sour vomiting. Hiccups, even with vomiting. Diarrhea with abdominal pain.

Nux vomica is another go-to for nausea and vomiting, as well as food “poisoning.” There may be irritability and there may be the need or urge but nothing is coming out — retching.

Phosphorus, as mentioned above, is a good one. Symptoms which may point to Phosphorus: Similar to Arsenicum album in that drinking small amounts of water may lead to vomiting and it, too, also has burning pains. Diarrhea may be very watery or full of mucous. The unusual symptom here is that the appetite remains.

Podophyllum for explosive, painless diarrhea. Very weak after the diarrhea. Excellent choice for infants with diarrhea.

Sulphur has some nasty smelling diarrhea. Very thirsty for cold drinks. Insecure rectum — be careful with those toots! Nausea.

Veratrum album has a cold sweat with the diarrhea and vomiting. Very thirsty for cold water and may crave sour things. Burping and heartburn. Another insecure rectum remedy. Vomiting is violent and forceful, as is the copious diarrhea which is acidic.

What to do after emptying your system? In addition to replenishing your fluids (and having some nice cups of my favorite… bone broth), try some China officinalis to help your body regain its equilibrium.

These remedies, if chosen wisely and taken quickly enough, might just nip the whole thing in the bud and you might just escape the whole nasty business.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

2/18/2023

Wrangling Remedies

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Boiron* Remedy Holder

Ammo box of Narayanis

My Bisley box and a smaller option purchased on Amazon* for about $24.

9-compartment insert.

24-compartment insert

Lipstick riser

Have you begun to amass a nice collection of remedies yet?

When I first discovered homeopathy, I would read about Arnica and then pick up a tube at the grocery store. Then, after realizing how helpful the Arnica was, I would then read about Nux vomica and so I grabbed a tube of that. Merc sol was the one that really sent me down the homeopathic rabbit hole. Pretty soon, I found I had all these little blue tubes scattered around my house in various places.

When I started working with a homeopath for real, more tubes were piling up. Then, I started taking classes and by this time I had quite an assortment..

What to do with all these little tubes of marvelousness?

It’s a lot easier than herding cats, but once you discover how useful homeopathic remedies are, these little tubes have a tendency to multiply… quickly!

I began with little open containers. At one point I purchased Boiron’s* remedy holder ($49.99 at the time of writing this) which worked fine until I bought a new tube and then would have to rearrange all the previous tubes to put the new one in and keep them alphabetical. The other downside to this box is it only holds the Boiron-sized tubes. But, if you have a static collection, this is an excellent option.

When my collection outgrew my Boiron box (which tops out at 48 tubes), I moved to ammunition boxes. Alas, this method has the same problem as the Boiron box and another drawback — whenever you add a new one, you have to re-hole all the previous tubes to make room alphabetically for the new tube AND you have to put a sticker on the top of each tube so you know what you have. I still use ammo boxes, but they are no longer my primary storage.

I like to figure out storage solutions and I was over the moon when The Container Store* opened up in town. A place that sells stuff to hold stuff!

The Container Store can be a dangerous place for me, but on one visit where I was focused solely on storing homeopathic remedies, I hit the jackpot. Bisley 5-drawer Cabinet was my answer. (Note: These are often offered at nice sale prices, especially if you don't care what color it is.) The 5 drawer cabinet is what fits in my cupboard, but the 8 drawer cabinet has some deeper drawers that look like they would be perfect to hold tinctures and liquid remedies but I haven't seen it in person, so I can't be certain.

The best part about these little cabinets are the liners. The 9 compartment deep drawer insert holds a lot of remedies. Each compartment holds 12 tubes easily — that’s 108 tubes in each drawer — times that by 5 and that’s 540 homeopathic remedies. That is a very healthy selection of remedies! (As you can see in the photo below, many different brands of tubes fit in these compartments nicely — so you’re not locked into just one pharmacy’s packaging.) And, there is no need for an extra sticker on the top of each one to see what they are.

The 24 compartment insert is perfect for 1/2 dram (travel kit size).

What other things did I find on my trips to the Container Store? Acrylic Lipstick risers are a perfect fit for both remedy tubes and Bach Flower Essences.

February isn't too early to start some spring cleaning… Happy Organizing!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

2/12/2023

NWS

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NWS — nope, I’m not talking about the compass and I didn’t forget “East”. However, I am talking about what we’ve heard a lot about in the NeWS for the last couple of years.

Long Covid. It seems perhaps we're not hearing about it quite as much recently, but for the last couple of years those two words popped up all the time; talking about this as if it's a brand new thing. From a homeopathic point of view, there is nothing new about this phenomenon — the idea of never quite returning to your old self after being ill or suffering an emotional shock has been a thing for a long time.

Homeopathically speaking, this is known as Never Well Since, or NWS.

NWS doesn’t have to come after an illness. It’s not unusual to hear a person say that they have never been the same since… fill in the blank…

NWS a head injury — this is a big one
NWS a surgical procedure
NWS taking care of a loved one during their long illness
NWS some medical procedure or medication
NWS an emotional trauma/shock
NWS childbirth
NWS puberty
NWS a divorce (your own or your parents)

The list goes on…

We humans are complicated creatures and when we get hit with an outside influence, like an illness or a medicine or a shock, it can upset our delicate equilibrium and we may need a little help reclaiming our balance.

If you are aware of a precipitating event for your current symptoms and would like to see how homeopathy may be able to help you, click here to book a focused consultation.

Life is too short for lingering yuckiness.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

2/4/2023

Rooty Toot Toots

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Let’s take a look at toots — you know, gas… bottom burps… farts… stink bombs… fluffer-doodles. While there certainly can be some instances which may indicate a serious medical problem for which medical treatment should be sought*, for the sake of this article, we’re going to just stick to common, everyday gas.

If you go to a conventional medical practitioner for your gas problem, they will most likely offer you one of the following:

Enzymes to help break down the carbohydrates, (e.g. Beano)
Lactase supplements to help digest the sugar in dairy products, (e.g. Lactaid)
Years ago, our pediatrician suggested simethicone for our gas-prone little fellows which help break up the gas bubbles, (e.g. Gas-x.) (Looking back, I so wish I had known about homeopathy, I could have helped them much more!)
Activated charcoal (a supplement of which I am exceedingly fond, I have to say)
A change in diet

*According to Mayo Clinic, if you have chronic or unusual abdominal pain, severe heartburn, persistent vomiting or nausea, chronic diarrhea, bloody or black stool, weight loss and loss of appetite, severe bloating, constipation or difficulty emptying your bowels, seek medical attention.

All of these conventional treatments may help now and again and in the moment, but, to my knowledge, they don’t help get rid of the underlying problem.

Homeopathy, on the other hand, has many remedies for many kinds of toots. When I enter “flatulence” into my homeopathic software, Dr. Robin Murphy’s repertory comes back with 849 “different” rubrics. (I put different in quotes because there are overlaps, to be sure, but it’s a clear indication of how homeopathy differs from conventional medicine.) Remedies for specific complaints stemming from gas. How cool is that? Tailored toot remedies, you might say!

What kinds of flatus are there? Here are just a few descriptions from Dr. Murphy:

Painful abdomen with flatulence. Abdominal pain with flatulence after eating. Painful distended abdomen.
Distended abdomen in the evening. Flatulence in the morning on waking.
“Incarcerated flatus” is one of my favorite homeopathic terms — trapped gas.
Back pain which is better from passing gas.
Flatulence during menses.
Offensive flatulence. Offensive, sulphur-like odor. (And from Boger, we have a rather eloquent description: “copious, silent discharge of hot, bilious-smelling flatus.")
Odorless flatulence.
Flatulence from sour foods.
Rumbling in the intestines which improves after passing gas.
Flatus from anxiety.
Burning pain in the rectum after passing gas.
Then there’s the worst gas of all — the kind where the rectal gate keepers fail in their job.😳

I could go on — it’s a long and fascinating list -- but, you get the idea.

One of the most beautiful aspects of homeopathy is that it can not only help in the moment by relieving symptoms, it can help to lessen the problem altogether.

When you are using homeopathy, you should be looking for overall improvement: the problem should be less intense and less frequent. In short, you should be looking for the problem to be getting better in general, not just in the moment. For instance, if you suffer severe gas and bloating every evening, once you are taking the “right” remedy (there are many remedies which can help with many given symptoms), the amount of gas should be less and the abdominal pressure should be less and the rumbling should quieten. Soon, it won’t be happening every night, it will be every other night and then every few nights and then only once in a while. That’s what we’re looking for -- overall improvement in the complaint.

So, what are some go-to remedies for common gas?

My first thought when somebody is suffering from gas and bloating is Lycopodium.

Homeopathic Lycopodium is a very highly indicated remedy for gas and bloating, especially when said toots are a result of eating offending foods. Where else might Lycopodium be helpful in gaseous complaints? Abdominal pain; back pain stemming from gas; flatulence in the elderly; wind accompanying stool; evening flatus, and, rumbling guts which improve when you are able to release some air.

How about that “incarcerated flatus”? Trapped wind causing cramping pain might be Lycopodium, but it might also be Carbo vegetablis (which is actually made from charcoal). If all that trapped gas makes your belly so full it can be difficult to breathe, Carbo veg is probably gonna' be your new favorite remedy. Gas during diarrhea; offensive gas; so much trapped gas that the abdomen feels hard and maybe even tender.

Those poor little babies, scrunching up their legs trying to get some relief? Mag phos would be my first thought.

Toots which smell like spoiled eggs? Sulphur, or, even Arnica.

Another good gas remedy is Nux vomica for flatulence from anxiety; flatulence after eating or even while eating and toots which accompany coughing.

If you have a potent, musical bottom, give some homeopathic remedies a try. Your loved ones will thank you!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

1/29/2023

Smile on!

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I just saw a CHE (Centre for Homeopathic Education) post on a remedy combination that most people could probably use at some point in their lives. If you have children, I practically guarantee they could benefit from this one.

Seeing this CHE post, “Tissue Salts for Strong Teeth,” reminded me that a few dentist appointments ago, I was told I had some staining (I think that was the term they used) and the beginnings of cavity. I could feel nothing. I could see nothing. I only had the dentist’s word for it. They recommended some chemical-based toothpaste. That’s not my thing.

What is my thing? Homeopathy, of course!

I went home and I immediately started taking the following cell salt combination remedy, twice daily. (This remedy can sometimes be purchased together, or, if you can't find that, put a pellet of each into your mouth at the same time.)

Calc fluor 12x to help strengthen tooth enamel.
Calc phos 6x to help strengthen and repair teeth.
Silica 6x for the health and strength of teeth.

What happened?

Well, when I went back 6 months later for my next cleaning they didn’t mention it so I asked about it. I was told they saw no signs of anything that had been there previously. Whoo hoo!

To test this combination further, shortly after my experience, my teenage son was told he had a cavity behind one of his brackets for his braces. He, too, then began taking the Calc Calc Sil combination. I’m not certain he was as diligent as I was about taking it, but, when the day came, he told me they had a hard time finding it. Turns out it was there, but considerably smaller. He then said to me, “I think your stuff worked.” That’s huge coming from a teenager! He was impressed enough with my “stuff” that he has decided on his own to continue taking this cell salt combination for the duration of his orthodontic treatment.

It’s important to remember that my dental issue was caught in the very early stages and I have no experience with this combination for more advanced dental issues.

Cell salts are a good reason to smile on!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

1/22/2023

Canker Sores

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One evening, my oldest son called wondering what to do about a painful canker sore… My answer that night was Borax. (For another possible answer to that question, click here… Throat or Tongue?)

Borax is a homeopathic remedy whose physical symptoms focus primarily on the mucous membranes.

Borax also has an interesting keynote symptom in that there is found a fear or dread of a downward motion. Where might you find this strange sensation in everyday life? When you’re trying to place an infant in a bed. I remember experiencing this when my kids were little — (Unfortunately, I was not privy to this information then, though!) — a little fellow, sound asleep in my arms and the second the baby was about to be placed in their crib — that was it, they were up and not too happy about it either. In fact, they most likely screamed. Screaming, ironically, is another keynote symptom for Borax. Go figure!

It’s not unusual for me to get calls and texts from friends and family asking for quick remedy suggestions. As a matter of fact, these queries have been coming in even before I was an “official” homeopath.

You see, you don’t need to be an “official” homeopath to be able to help your friends and family — you just need a little know-how and, more importantly, a couple of successes under your belt, to provide the confidence to share this marvelous knowledge.

How do you get started with this? You are already in the right place! This blog provides lots of practical little nuggets for you to try. In case you missed them, here are some links to some quick go-to information…

Puncture wounds… Poked by a Branch
Stiff necks… A Pain in the Neck
Minor infections… Ingrown Toenails… ouch
Colds… Calming the Cold
Allergies Are Back!
Homeopathy & Dentistry
Grief and worry… Homeopathy can make a heavy world a little lighter
Injuries… I did a doozy…
Constipation… The Eagle has Landed!
Thankful for a Yeast Infection
Indigestion… Just going for a Pepcid…
Quick list of go-tos… Keep Calm and Carry a Homeopathic Remedy Kit
Cough cough!
Brace Face
Over-indulgence… Too Much!
Wasp Attack! part 1
Ear Infections
Back strain … Rhymes with box
Diarrhea… Traveler's Diarrhea
Nausea… Seasickness
Overwhelmed
Croup… Barks in the night
Hoarse voice… Hoarseness
UTI… When it hurts to go

There are more, this is just a short list to get you started. Go to ClassicallyPractical.com and have a peruse, get yourself a remedy kit and see how useful it can be for you and your loved ones.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

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