Flu and Influenza Wave December 2022

by Gabriele Spooren-Bunzel and Markus Kuntosch from 18/12/2022 and update from 29/12/2022

An unusual flu wave is currently sweeping over us. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the figures are above the levels of previous years at the peak of severe flu waves. Around 50% are caused by influenza viruses, 20% by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and also by coronaviruses and other pathogens.

At times like this, a few homeopathic remedies often prove particularly useful. We would like to present these to you here. We also welcome further feedback from practitioners to identify especially helpful remedies for the current epidemic. In the practice of Gabriele Spooren-Bunzel in Bavaria, Natrium sulphuricum has recently proven particularly effective. From the Kandern practice, Markus Kuntosch reports success with Nux vomica.

Case report by Gabriele Spooren-Bunzel

An unprecedented flu and influenza wave is currently rolling across our country - with infection numbers that, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), are already higher than during the severe influenza wave in winter 2017/2018. This year's unusually strong and unusually early-onset flu wave is, according to the RKI, likely also due to the widely circulating RS (respiratory syncytial) virus.

1st case Natrium sulphuricum

A 10-year-old boy complained in the morning of nausea and headache. At 10:00 his mother had to collect him from school because he complained of severe lower leg pains and growth pains were suspected. His temperature then rose to 38°C, his cheeks turned red and he had severe chills. In the evening the mother called me and said that her son was crying out with severe leg and head pains and also had great pain when putting weight on his feet. My suspicion that a virus had settled into the bones was confirmed immediately after 3 doses of Natrium sulphuricum C200 (3 globules each, taken dry): the mother reported with enthusiasm that the pain subsided immediately and her son was able to sleep through the night pain-free. He received the remedy for another 2 days, 3 times daily, and was fever-free the following day.

2nd case Natrium sulphuricum

A 54-year-old man contacted me at 10:00 in the morning: he had had 41°C fever for 3 days, every single bone ached with an intensity he had never experienced before, and he could hardly stand on his feet. Paracetamol and ibuprofen had provided no relief. He also complained of severe headaches, a runny nose and cough; everything felt dry. Due to the modality “< damp-cold weather” and the pronounced bone pains, he received Natrium sulphuricum C200 for 3 days, 3 times daily. By 16:00 his wife wrote to me that his fever had dropped significantly (now only 37.6°C) and his general condition had immediately improved. Her husband was actually a homeopathy sceptic and could hardly believe this positive effect. He now had only mild body aches, his nose was freer with slightly yellowish discharge, and the cough had green-yellow sputum. On the 2nd day of taking the remedy he was finally fever-free and felt noticeably fitter. Because he also had a cold sore and quickly started sweating with exertion and when drinking warm beverages, with a slight feeling of weakness, and his right nostril was slightly blocked, I prescribed another 3 days, 3 times daily of Lycopodium C200.

3rd case Natrium sulphuricum

A 43-year-old patient developed overnight chills with burning headaches, stabbing ear pains (right side) and a sore throat. The sinuses felt burning and pressing. During the day a pressure with painful cough on the chest developed. Ear and throat pains improved significantly after the 2nd dose of Natrium sulphuricum C200. The headaches moved constantly from place to place and disappeared completely after the 3rd dose of Natrium sulphuricum C200. The sinuses also ceased burning and pressing after 1 day.

Key symptoms

In the last one and a half months I have successfully treated around 150 patients with Natrium sulphuricum C200. Sometimes, with persistent weakness and exhaustion, I needed a remedy for an activated Epstein-Barr virus.

I observed the following key symptoms of Natrium sulphuricum in my cases:

• - < damp-cold weather
• - extreme bone and limb pains (some could no longer stand)
• - very severe chills with up to 41°C fever
• - stabbing pains
• - painful cough with a strong feeling of dryness (“everything feels dry!”)

In the course of many treatments for this type of complaint with Natrium sulphuricum, the question arises for me why so many patients this year fell ill with colds so frequently and severely. The immune systems of younger patients may not have been trained enough by the corona measures. However, this argument does not apply to adolescents and adults. Here it would be worth examining whether there might be a connection between vaccination and weakening of the immune system through suppression. That would also explain why Natrium sulphuricum is still used successfully in so many such cases in my practice: Sulphur is regarded as one of the best remedies for suppression by medications or vaccinations, as I have repeatedly learned from my esteemed teacher Mohinder Singh Jus – and as it repeatedly confirms itself.

Update from 29 December 2022

In the meantime I have been able to gather further experience with Natrium sulphuricum C200. It helped not only with pneumonias that were on the verge of hospital admission (complete recovery of a seriously ill 5-year-old girl as well as an 82-year-old patient) but also with beginning middle ear infections and rashes associated with influenza. In several cases the onset of influenza (family members had a diagnosed influenza) could even be stopped by the immediate administration of Natrium sulphuricum C200 when they suddenly developed a sore throat and weakness.

Case report by Markus Kuntosch

Just in time for the onset of winter, we saw an initial cluster of flu-like infections in our Kandern practice over the past two weeks. Of 60 flu patients, 40 received Nux vomica, 15 gave positive feedback with sometimes very clear and rapid improvement. Not all patients needed a remedy.

As in previous years, in one case the polarity analysis of the current modalities according to Bönninghausen/Frei gave the decisive clue to Nux vomica (see evaluation of case 1). In addition to general symptoms such as fever, fatigue, lack of appetite and body aches, involvement of the paranasal sinuses with pressure on the forehead, eyes or upper jaw teeth and, in some patients, a subacute nausea with cramping abdominal pains are striking. Patients are mostly irritable and annoyed by noises and light.

Even if we are probably still at the beginning of the wave, the first courses are so encouraging that we would like to share them so that as many people as possible can receive quick homeopathic help. A single prophylactic dose of Nux vomica C30 given to family members at the first symptoms, such as chills or a scratchy throat, has also proven helpful. Often this can prevent the full outbreak of symptoms or significantly mitigate the course.

Another helpful remedy was Pulsatilla (4 patients). Notable here was a fever rise at 2 pm (Pulsatilla is in this case the only trivalent remedy) and nervous tension. Patients who are helped by Ranunculus family plants, to which Pulsatilla and Aconitum belong, usually describe it as if all their nerves were raw. In 3 cases Phosphorus helped. One patient was helped by Sanguinaria for severe one-sided headaches and heat flushes rising to the head. Some patients had tried Bryonia or Gelsemium themselves, but the courses were not satisfactory.

1. Nux vomica case

An office clerk with many customer contacts. The last weeks had been very stressful professionally and privately. She had a dreadful cold, fever up to 39°C, pressure on the sinuses, rib and bone pains and a dreadful cough that improved somewhat after drinking hot tea. No appetite. She feels better when she lies quietly on the stove bench. It bothers her when her husband clatters the dishes in the kitchen and she prefers to be alone. Mild stomach pain and a subacute nausea.

In the polarity analysis Nux vomica clearly comes out as the first remedy. The subsequent remedies are not common flu remedies. Camphora in 6th place does have the strong shivering at the onset but covers only 3 of her mentioned symptoms.

After Nux vomica C30 dissolved in water and taking a teaspoon every 30 minutes, within 2 hours the stomach pains were the first to go and then the pressure at the nose root decreased. Her husband noticed that she had not coughed at all during the night. She still had a blocked nose and was slightly hoarse and weak, but felt generally much better the next day. She no longer had a high fever and the joint pains had noticeably subsided.

Delighted with the rapid effect, she immediately recommended Nux vomica to her 84-year-old mother who lives 300 kilometres away and had been bedridden with 40°C fever and a cough for 3 days. And although her siblings were looking after her, they were concerned as she had already had 2 pneumonias in recent years.

Nux vomica helped her mother promptly. The next morning her fever had broken. She got up again and wanted to do her household chores!

2. Nux vomica case

The patient fell ill suddenly with chills, fever, a runny nose and body aches. Since her mother had had Covid 4 weeks earlier, she first took Bryonia. It was one of the most common remedies for Covid in the last 2 years and helped especially in the early stages with distressing hacking cough. The patient had celebrated with colleagues 3 days before the first symptoms at a late plentiful buffet at Christmas. The day after taking Bryonia she felt significantly worse. Pressing forehead pains, pressure on the eyes and upper jaw, sore throat and nausea had now appeared. She was irritable and sensitive to light and noise. Due to the rapid improvement in the first patient she was given Nux vomica D30 dissolved in a glass of water, a teaspoon every half hour. Already the next day she felt significantly better. She felt better. She had to sneeze a lot and a lot of clear discharge came from her nose. The pressure at the nose root, forehead and upper jaw had resolved, as had a lump-like sensation in the throat.

Link to earlier posts about flu

Source: case reports by Gabriele Spooren-Bunzel and Markus Kuntosch

Further titles on the subject

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