Every winter it's that time again; you could almost set your watch by it. A new influenza pathogen is discovered and the press tries to make us break out in a sweat with ever-new updates about the looming threat.

Are we really that vulnerable?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Should we be prepared?

Why not? What speaks against having a homeopathic first-aid kit to hand in case your family is swept up by the flu wave?

In my opinion the current situation should give us no cause for concern, let alone panic. I would encourage you to view everything from a proportionate perspective. A watchful calm seems appropriate.

Ignatia for anxiety

If the anxiety nevertheless becomes too great – if it makes you nervous and irritable – I have found Ignatia C200 helpful, one dose twice daily until I can think clearly again and confidence returns.

But nothing disperses fears better than information.

Although there are currently no definitive findings about the coronavirus (this is partly because we homeopaths in the Western world have not yet treated any confirmed corona cases), there are some helpful suggestions.

In my assessment this outbreak does not differ from the many others we homeopaths have treated over the last 250 years. I have devoted several posts to this topic on Facebook and compiled a lot of information there. I recommend you take a look. Here I will give you a brief summary.

But first things first.

Homeopathic prophylaxis against flu and co.

Most of us prefer not to get sick in the first place, and so I receive many questions about homeopathic flu prophylaxis. At the time of publishing this post (February 2020) the press is in a frenzy about the coronavirus. In India the Central Council for Homeopathy issued a press release recommending Arsenicum album C30 for prophylaxis – one dose daily for three days, then repeat once a month.

In fact, in my last podcast I recommended precisely this remedy for prevention, only the intervals between doses were different. I have found the frequency of intake depends on the severity of the impending flu wave.

Arsenicum album

Arsenicum album C30 or D30 can be taken daily for a week (once a day) OR possibly twice daily for a week. Afterwards the dose should be reduced and the remedy taken only once or twice a week.

I asked a homeopathic colleague and friend in India, who told me that at that time (Feb 2020) there had not yet been a corona case in India and they had no experience.

We should take that into account in our considerations. We must know that the current recommendations of the Central Council are rather speculative and not based on clinical experience.

Be that as it may, we know that the coronavirus has a long incubation period (10–14 days) and initially presents like an ordinary cold. The slow course is indeed an indication for Arsenicum album 30, a remedy that has often proved effective in severe colds.

In every epidemic (of which there have been many over the centuries) homeopaths worldwide try to find the so-called "genius epidemicus" – the healing remedy that fits that particular disease and can help people globally.

Gelsemium

The most important remedy currently discussed among homeopaths for the coronavirus is Gelsemium C30, because of the extreme fatigue observed in this illness.

But here too these are theoretical considerations.

Unless we have the opportunity to treat many cases and repeatedly confirm the efficacy of particular remedies, we homeopaths must also work with our knowledge-based suppositions.

Gelsemium has already established itself as the genius epidemicus in other epidemics (notably during the Spanish flu in 1918, where its effect was observed worldwide). Gelsemium is best suited for extreme tiredness, malaise and muscle aches (all of which apply to the coronavirus). It therefore seems to fit well. In my clinic it has at least been very effective for ordinary colds.

Some homeopaths suggest the following prophylactic protocol:

• One dose of Gelsemium C30 per week, as long as the virus is not present in your immediate environment.
• As soon as there are acute cases near you: one dose of Gelsemium C30 daily for seven days. Then one dose twice a week until the danger has passed.

Other homeopaths recommend the use of nosodes (i.e. a remedy made from the pathogen itself). I have not found nosodes to be consistently reliable and prefer to use the simillimum, for example the remedies I present and discuss here. That is not to say using nosodes is wrong; they are simply not my first choice! I know many people who achieve very good results with Oscillococcinum in flu prophylaxis.

All in all, I believe the best protection against flu is to eat healthily, drink clean water, wash your hands regularly and get enough rest. People in the Western world seem to take the first three things for granted but generally ignore the last. We need sufficient rest! Unfortunately we have become used to exploiting our bodies and then wondering why we have become so susceptible to illness.

My advice to you: take good care of yourself, get rest and with a bit of luck you will be spared the flu.

The Banerji protocol for flu

Of course it doesn't always work and most of us will get ill from time to time. For those times I always have a Banerji protocol to hand and I suggest you do the same.

If I have the feeling that "something is coming on", I take Aconitum napellus C200 in combination with Bryonia C30 twice daily.

If I know a virus has caught me, I take the two remedies every few hours (this Banerji protocol also helps in flu illnesses with cough; I discuss this more in my podcast).

Suppose I were diagnosed with the coronavirus. In that case I would use the Banerji protocol for SARS (the disease has a similar course):

• Lachesis mutus C200, one dose every other day (this combats lung symptoms)
• Chelidonium majus D6 (preferably in liquid form as a dilution) and Hepar sulfuris calcareum C6, one dose every two hours (to treat cough and symptoms in the lungs and throat).
• Kali muriaticum D3*, combined with Ferrum phosphoricum D3, one dose twice daily (supports the blood and relieves exhaustion).

*In the USA Kali mur is usually available as D6 and works just as well.

Remain calm

It's important not to assume the worst automatically. Consider your viral infection first as a simple cold (ColdCalm can help here), until the diagnosis is certain. When you have flu symptoms, think first of an ordinary influenza, which may respond well to Oscillococcinum or Dr Dale’s ALL FLU (my sons swear by them).

Please do not assume you have contracted the coronavirus just because you have heard so much about it in the media!

I offer you a free flu chart https://antibioticalternative.joettecalabrese.com/ to help you sort the symptoms a little. This way you can assess for yourself whether you are dealing with flu or something else – for example a cold or an allergy. The chart also guides you through different treatment strategies you might consider after your "self-diagnosis".

For flu, in addition to the above-mentioned Arsenicum album 30 and Gelsemium C30, there is another Banerji protocol I recently discussed in one of my podcasts: Rhus tox C30 together with Bryonia C30. The two remedies are usually taken alternately every three hours at the start of the illness OR, if the flu is already advanced (with limb pain, breathing difficulties etc.), you let both remedies dissolve together under the tongue every three hours.

Nux vomica and Eupatorium

I might additionally give Nux vomica C30 for chills and fever (particularly suitable for overexertion and muscle pain). Ferrum phos C30 is a proven remedy for low fever (one of the prominent features of the coronavirus).

Often bone pain also occurs with flu. I do not mean slight aching, but the feeling that all the bones in the body are broken. The pain is very intense, especially in the back. This kind of bone pain brings a certain restlessness with it; there is an urge to move, but movement brings no relief. The sufferer also feels very cold and cannot get warm. In some cases the pain is temporarily relieved after vomiting.

If the flu presents with these symptoms, I can recommend Eupatorium perfoliatum C200, to be taken every 3–4 hours depending on the severity of the pain. If the flu is accompanied by cough, you can look up the appropriate remedy in my blog under the keyword "cough".

As you can see, I want you to look carefully at which symptom is dominant at the moment and will lead you to the appropriate homeopathic remedy. That way you can tackle each symptom in turn – when the respective remedy has finished its work, stop it and assess the next main symptom. Do that until you are fully recovered.

Aurum metallicum

One final note: please do not be alarmed if you feel slightly depressed after the flu – there is no need to be embarrassed. Many people experience this, but we tend to think we are the only ones affected. In such cases I rely on Aurum metallicum C200, one dose every 2–3 days until I feel like myself again.

And one more thing: please remember that a viral illness does not respond to antibiotics. Far too often patients demand that their doctor prescribes them an antibiotic. And unfortunately many doctors comply with this unnecessary request.

An antibiotic only works for bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, otitis media or sinusitis. But – and this is a big BUT – we as users of homeopathic remedies know that antibiotics can have long-term side effects.

And here too there are alternatives!

For example Aconit200/Bryonia 30 according to the Banerji protocol described above. It works in many cases even in pneumonia. Kali carb C200 is also an important remedy.

To use these remedies effectively, one should study homeopathic application more closely. I strongly urge you not to rely any longer on allopathic medicines with their countless side effects. Often these cause further health problems.

Homeopathy works reliably, gently, sustainably and effectively – as long as you know how to apply it. Maybe now is the time for you to learn more about homeopathic alternatives. Spread the word!

Yours sincerely,

Yours

Sources: https://joettecalabrese.com/blog/ferocious-flu-fears/