Carmarthen Homeopath ~ Petra Wood RSHom

Homeopathic e-Newsletter No. 13

This edition features:

• Behavioural problems in children
• Clinical trials show that homeopathy can help children who suffer with behavioural problems
• Did you know…

Behavioural problems in children

The number of children classed as having behavioural problems is growing dramatically. So-called difficult children can drive parents, siblings, teachers and other carers to distraction. Even the most patient parents may find themselves at the end of their tether. However, it needs to be kept in mind that most of these children are very unhappy with their own behaviour too – yet they are unable to 'switch off'.

Hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, aggressive and/or impulsive behaviour in children are increasingly labelled as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The conventional treatment for ADHD is a drug marketed as Ritalin.

Ritalin contains methylphenidate, a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is related to amphetamine and has effects similar to cocaine. Ritalin is a Class 2 drug and actually has a street value for drug dealers and abusers!

CNS stimulants are used to treat narcolepsy (overwhelming sleepiness) in the elderly. Ritalin, however, has the extreme opposite effect on children, where an artificial calming effect is most commonly described. It is recommended that it should be discontinued when the child reaches puberty, apparently because its effects can change to be stimulating.

Side effects of Ritalin include:

• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Excitability
• Euphoria
• Tics
• physical symptoms

It can exacerbate behavioural disturbances. (Source: BMF)

But not all children with behavioural problems have ADHD. And often there is an underlying reason as to why the child is behaving badly. A few examples could be:

• Grief after loss or moving house
• Jealousy over a new baby
• Bullying at school
• Exposure to inappropriate TV and computer programmes
• Lack of physical exercise
• Insufficient sleep
• Sensitivity to food additives

This list is by no means complete!

Clinical trials show that homeopathy can help children who suffer with behavioural problems

Two clinical studies involving nearly 200 children diagnosed with ADHD showed that there were considerable positive outcomes for those that were treated with homeopathic remedies - the children's moods were more stable and their short term memory was vastly improved. Simultaneously, the children themselves felt their condition to be far better. The trials also concluded that the beneficial effect experienced as a result of homeopathy, continued long after treatment had been completed. (Sources: Homeopathy, Healthy Medicine - June 2010 , An Overview of Positive Homeopathy Research and Surveys, ENHR, August 2009 )

Up to 64% of parents of children with ADHD choose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their offspring. No serious side-effects have been reported as a result of these homeopathic trials. By contrast, the US Food and Drug Administration have issued a warning that conventional ADHD drugs may cause cardiovascular disease. (Source: Homeopathy, Healthy Medicine - June 2010 )

Homeopathy may therefore offer a safer and potentially more effective form of treatment for children suffering with behavioural problems.

As a homeopath I treat every child as an individual, rather than treating a disease label of ADHD for example. Behavioural problems are classed as psychiatric disorders and I cannot recommend for a parent or carer to treat their child themselves. Giving a list of remedies here would therefore be misleading.

If your child suffers from behavioural problems then please feel free to give me a ring to discuss how homeopathy may be of benefit. If you are not near the Carmarthen area then check your local Yellow Pages or check the Society of Homeopaths website to find a homeopath near you.

Did you know…

According to the European Commission, 75% of people within Europe know of homeopathy whilst 29% of the European population uses it as part of their health care. Additionally, 65% of Europeans report they use complementary and alternative medicine (World Health Organisation). (Source: Homeopathy, Healthy Medicine, August 2010 )

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the e-Newsletter. Please feel free to pass this e-Newsletter on to your friends or relatives.

With best wishes
Petra Wood

Homeopathic e-Newsletter April 2011

In this edition:

• Exam stress
• Free hay fever clinic
• Homeopathy for the garden

Exam Stress

It's the time of year again: Youngsters and parents are getting wound up and stressed about school exams.

Stress can lead to a range of symptoms, as well as reducing the function of your immune system,(1) making you more susceptible to colds and other bugs.

Homeopathic medicine may help calm exam nerves and deal with symptoms such as headaches, insomnia and digestive upsets.

In 2005, a service evaluation of homeopathic treatment at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital reported that 70.7 per cent of 6,544 follow-up patients experienced improvement in their health, in a variety of conditions including migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. (2)

A registered homeopath or other health practitioner should be consulted if symptoms are serious or long standing, but minor, short lived symptoms may be treated at home with homeopathic medicine (known as remedies). Here are just a few remedies and their situations which might be useful at home:

Nux vomica
Symptoms include: wakes at 3am or 4am, suffers heartburn and indigestion, and irritability. Particularly suitable for last-minute revisers who have been burning the candle at both ends.

Arsenicum
Symptoms include: diarrhoea from anxiety, with thirst, waking around midnight until 1am. Suits people who fear they will fail, worry about their health and money, and need to plan.

Sulphur
Symptoms include: offensive diarrhoea which drives from bed in the morning, excessive sweating, burning feet, and waking after three or four hours. Suits teenagers who need to be praised for their work, often have grand unrealistic ideas and crave sugar.

Argentum nitricum
Symptoms include: severe wind with loud passing, twitching, palpitations and diarrhoea from anticipation. Suits impetuous but nervous people, always in a hurry, with lots of fears and anxieties and much heat. "What if…" is the motto of this teenager.

Lycopodium
Symptoms include: bloated with wind, huge appetite, wakes as if from a fright, symptoms worse late afternoon/early evening, heartburn with sour burping. Suits people who lack confidence but usually do well on the day. They don't like undertaking new things, but can be assertive at home.

(This text has been adapted from a press release by the Society of Homeopaths.)

For guidelines on how to take homeopathic remedies please check the self help page.

Homeopathic remedies are available in most health food stores and pharmacies. I stock the whole range of high-quality homeopathic remedies (individual and kits) and creams made by Helios Homoeopathic Pharmacy available for sale in Aardvark in Carmarthen. Other remedies will need to be ordered from a homoeopathic pharmacy directly, e.g. Helios.

Disclaimer: Nothing contained in this e-Newsletter should be taken as individual medical advice or as a substitute for consulting a professional homeopath or healthcare practitioner.

Free hay fever clinic

Together with students from the Welsh School of Homeopathy I will be available to give free advice and support for hay fever sufferers on Thursday 5th May. Hay fever sufferers call me earlier and earlier each year. Many people do not like taking conventional antihistamines for their symptoms because it makes them feel awful. Homeopathic remedies are free from side-effects and safe to use at any age and for many people they really help with alleviating the symptoms in a natural way. (3, 4, 5, 6)

Between 15 and 20 per cent of the British population suffer from the often debilitating symptoms of pollen allergy7, ranging from sneezing to itchy swollen eyes. A survey carried out in January 2009 (8) showed that nearly three quarters of sufferers would prefer a natural alternative to anti-histamines.

We want to give people the opportunity to give homeopathy a try, without any costs involved. Two students and myself will be available for free hay fever consultations and homeopathic prescriptions between 1pm and 6pm on Thursday 5th May at Aardvarks Health Food Store on Mansel Street, Carmarthen.

Homeopathy for the garden

I have recently come across a book and a website which gives suggestions on how to apply homeopathic remedies to plants. For an organic gardener like myself this is such an exciting possibility: get rid of aphids or slugs by boosting the plants homeopathically so they don't taste nice to these pests any more!

Have a look at the website and read for yourself. This project is open to everybody and the organisers are keen to get as many people involved as possible, to find out what works and what doesn't. The website will guide you to a German company for supplies, but you can try a British homeopathic pharmacy first, e.g. Helios.

Happy gardening!

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the e-Newsletter. Please feel free to pass this e-Newsletter on to your friends or relatives. Past editions of my e-Newsletters can be found on the archive page.

If you have not subscribed to my e-Newsletter directly yourself, then please send me an email via the contact page

With best wishes
Petra Wood

References:

1. Herbert T and Cohen S. Stress and immunity in humans: a meta-analytic review. Psychosomatic Medicine 1993: 55 (4) 364-379
2. Spence D, Thompson E and Barron S. Homeopathic treatment for chronic disease: A 6-Year, university-hospital outpatient observational study. J Altern Complement Med 2005; 5: 793-8.
3. Reilly DT, Taylor MA, McSharry C, Aitchison T. Is homeopathy a placebo response? Controlled trial of homeopathic potency, with pollen in hayfever as a model. Lancet,1986; 2: 881-6.
4. Kleijnen J, Knipschild P, ter Riet G. Clinical trials of Homeopathy. Br Med J, 1991; 302: 316-22.
5. Launsø L, Kimby CK, Henningsen I, Fønnebø V. An exploratory retrospective study of people suffering from hypersensitivity illness who attend medical or classical homeopathic treatment. Homeopathy, 2006; 95: 73-80.
6. Kim LS, Riedlinger JE, Baldwin CM, Hilli L, Khalsa SV, Messer SA, Waters RF. Treatment of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis Using Homeopathic Preparation of Common Allergens in the Southwest Region of the US: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial. Ann Pharmacother, 2005; 39(4): 617-24.
7. Asthma and Allergy Information and Research website.
8. One Poll survey of 3,373 respondents on behalf of Nelsons.

Homeopathic e-Newsletter July 2011

In this edition:

• Insomnia
• Travelling advice
• Homeopathy courses

Sleep easy the natural way

To sleep or not to sleep – a question asked by one in five people (1 according to Patient UK, www.patient.co.uk/health/Insomnia-Poor-Sleep.htm). Many people are keen to try natural approaches to better sleep but are unsure whether they may work. Homeopathic medicines have been proven to affect sleeping patterns with trials involving rats, mice as well as college students prone to coffee-induced insomnia. (2 Bell I.R., Howerter A., Jackson N., et al. Effects of homeopathic medicines on polysomnographic sleep of young adults with histories of coffee-related insomnia. Sleep Med, 2010; Jul 27).

This year's Homeopathy Awareness Week, 14 – 21 June, will be highlighting sleep problems, among the most common ailments seen by homeopaths.

Lack of sleep can trigger or exacerbate other health problems, and significantly impair quality of life. There are things people can do for themselves (see below), but long-term chronic problems should be seen by a professional homeopath, who will aim to get to the root of the problem. They will look at the whole person, taking into account not just the sleep problems, but a range of other factors such as stress triggers, other health issues and personality traits.

The Welsh School of Homoeopathy in Carmarthen is marking Homeopathy Awareness Week with an open day and the opportunity to chat with practitioners. Students and graduates from the Welsh School of Homoeopathy will be available for advice and a chat throughout Thursday 16th June. We can be found on Notts Square or just around the corner at 17 Bridge Street, Carmarthen.

I will also be available at Holland & Barrett on Merlin's Walk in Carmarthen on Tuesday 21st June between 11am and 3pm.

Please feel free to come along for either event, or tell your friends and relative to come along. A lot of people don't know exactly what homeopathy is and are unwilling to spend their money on it before finding out whether it might be able to help them. That's why we are happy to meet people without obligation, to answer their questions.

Here are a few remedies that can be tried in self-help, but keep in mind that you need to see a qualified health practitioner if symptoms do not change or are severe.

Coffea cruda
Coffea is indicated for people suffering from insomnia after excitement or strong emotions (e.g. anger, fright, joy, falling in love). The mind is racing with uncontrollable thoughts, they are constantly planning and theorizing. There is a general overexcitement of all senses, causing them to wake from the slightest noise. There can be an oversensitivity to pains, driving them to despair (e.g. toothache, headache as if a nail was driven into the side of the head).

Ignatia amara
Ignatia is indicated for people who suffer insomnia or excessive sleepiness after grief, disappointed love or anger. They will greatly dislike any consolation and prefer to be alone to brood. There can be hysteria with alternating laughing and crying. There is often excessive sighing, yawning or nervous coughing. The patient may feel a constant lump in the throat. They may develop little tics or spasms. Smelling tobacco or coffee and eating sweets makes them feel worse.

Rhus toxicodendron
Rhus is indicated for people who feel anxiety and apprehension at night, about family and loved ones or for unknown reasons, causing restless sleep. They cannot get comfortable in any position and may be driven out of bed. The mind is restless and jumps from subject to subject. The patient will feel much better in dry, warm weather and will be miserable in damp, cold weather. This is also a good remedy for people who suffer joint pains which are worse in damp, cold weather.

Avena sativa compound
This is a liquid combination remedy by the company Weleda, aimed at calming the nervous system to allow deeper, more restful sleep. Many health food shops stock it, or will be able to order it for you. Dosage instructions are on the packet, but I would suggest you use warm water with the drops (and not too much, as you don't want to have to get up to get to the toilet).

Bach Flower remedy White Chestnut
This flower remedy can be of help to those who cannot sleep due to persistent, unwanted thoughts and mental arguments. Bach Flower remedies are available in all good health food shops. They are not homeopathic remedies, but work very well alongside homeopathy.

Travelling advice

Nearly time for your annual holiday. Here are a few useful tips and ideas to cope with the upsets that can make travelling unpleasant at times. Did you know that there are homeopathic remedy kits available especially for travelling? I would certainly recommend taking one of these for travelling to 'exotic' destinations. The travel kits and also general kits are made by Helios Homoeopathic Pharmacy and are available for sale in Aardvarks, Carmarthen, too.

Anxiety and phobias about flying

Homeopathic remedies to consider:

Arg nit:
very restless, hurried and anxious; with diarrhoea; desires and feels better for fresh air; craves sweets which cause diarrhoea.

Gelsemium:
almost paralysed with fear; trembling; feels unable to move.

Rescue Remedy: universal remedy to help with fear and panic.

Travel sickness

Ginger (crystallised or as tea) has a reputation of easing queasy tummies. Acupressure wrist bands are available in high street pharmacies and at airports and ferry ports.

Homeopathic remedies to consider:

Cocculus: travel sickness starts with feeling faint, chilly and lacking ability to think clearly; nausea much worse from any strong smells (avoid wearing perfumes); worse for lack of sleep; headache with retching.

Jetlag

To avoid jetlag, try taking Arnica 30c the night before travelling and, on long-haul flights, take at 6-hourly intervals throughout the flight. Avoid dehydration during the flight by drinking plenty of water or watered down fruit juices. Remember that alcohol, tea and coffee aggravate dehydration.

Homeopathic remedies to consider:

Cocculus:
severely disturbed sleep with starting from sleep; feels exhausted, sluggish and cannot think clearly.

Nux vomica:
feeling of being hung over with irritability, nausea, tension headache and constipation.

Gelsemium:
tired, heavy limbs and almost paralytic weakness; disinclined to move.

Over-Exposure to Sun and Sunstroke

Homeopathic remedies to consider:

Nat mur:
cold sores from sun or from being at the seaside; heat rash/prickly heat from exposure to sun; generally sensitive to sun.

Urtica urens:
sunburn with itching; itchy skin eruptions (like nettle rash) from exposure to sun; can also be used externally as an ointment on sunburn or minor burns or scalds. Helios Urtical Cream is available in Aardvarks.

Belladonna:
sunburn with bright red, dry skin; throbbing headache; looking flushed; delirious from sunstroke.

Vomiting and Diarrhoea and Tummy Upset

Ensure that fluid intake is kept high to avoid dehydration.

Homeopathic remedies to consider:

Arsenicum:
extreme prostration from vomiting or diarrhoea; when vomiting and diarrhoea occur together; extreme chilliness and needs warmth in any form (covers, radiator, hot drinks); very anxious and feels much better in company; vomiting and diarrhoea that start between midnight and 3 am.

Veratrum album:
when vomiting and diarrhoea occur together; sudden, projectile vomiting; watery diarrhoea; sensation of icy-coldness in stomach before vomiting or diarrhoea; icy-cold sweat on forehead before vomiting or diarrhoea; desires cold drinks; involuntary stools.

Carbo veg:
bloated abdomen and extreme discomfort from trapped wind; constant belching and burping; severe cramping pains and diarrhoea with a state of near-collapse; cannot bear tight clothing esp. around waist; desires fresh, cool air and to be fanned.

China:
if weakness and prostration remain after body fluids have been lost due to vomiting and diarrhoea.

Nux vom:
hang-over from too much alcohol or over-indulgence in rich food; constipation with ineffectual urging and straining, with cramping pains; very irritable, over-sensitive and impatient.

Altitude Sickness

The homeopathic remedy Coca can be helpful but must be ordered from a homeopathic pharmacy (see below). Request labelling as "Altitude Remedy" or similar to avoid hassle at airports.

Remedies to consider for general self-help situations:

Aconite:
useful in early stages of colds, fever and inflammation if symptoms come on suddenly.

Apis:
insect bites, esp. if they look like bee stings: red, shiny swellings which itch and are painful and feel much better for cold applications.

Arnica:
bumps and bruises, aching muscles from over-exertion, any physical trauma/accidents.

Belladonna:
sudden, very high fevers, bright red inflammation.

Calendula:
internal or external (tincture) for abrasions and other wounds to speed up healing and avoid infection.

Hepar sulph:
to drain painful wounds that appear to turn septic; dental abscess.

Rescue Remedy:
for shock, panic (e.g. over lost luggage or missed connections) and any emotional upset; can be applied externally to bumps, rashes and sunburn.

For guidelines on how to take homeopathic remedies please read the Self Help page.

Homeopathic remedies are available in most health food stores and pharmacies. I stock the whole range of high-quality homeopathic remedies (individual and kits) and creams made by Helios Homoeopathic Pharmacy available for sale in Aardvark in Carmarthen. Other remedies will need to be ordered from a homoeopathic pharmacy directly, e.g. Helios.

Disclaimer: Nothing contained in this e-Newsletter should be taken as individual medical advice or as a substitute for consulting a professional homeopath or healthcare practitioner.

Homeopathy courses

The Welsh School of Homoeopathy in Carmarthen (17 Bridge Street, SA31 3JS) is offering not just the only professional course in homeopathy in Wales, but also one-day introductory courses. The next one of these will be on Saturday 25th June. This day will be facilitated by Bill Rumble. Another day will be held on Saturday 3rd September 2011, facilitated by Linda Gwillim.

The one-day course will run from 10 am to 5 pm. It costs £40, which includes refreshments but not lunch. The course will cover basic homoeopathic philosophy and first aid treatment of common ailments. It is meant as a stand-alone course for anybody interested in the philosophy and principles of homeopathy. It also provides a great taster for the four-year professional course.

If you would like any further details about this Introductory Course or about the Professional Practitioners Course then please feel free to contact me by return email or phone on 01559 384085.

Starting later in September I will be running a ten-week evening class in homeopathy on a Monday night. I will post more detailed information about this in the next e-Newsletter in August or early September.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the e-Newsletter. Please feel free to recommend this e-Newsletter on to your friends or relatives.

If you have not subscribed to my e-Newsletter directly yourself, then please send me an email.

With best wishes
Petra Wood.

e-Newsletter September 2011

In this edition:

• Homeopathy and cancer
• Sustainability of medicine
• Homeopathy evening course

Homeopathy and cancer

By law (Cancer Act 1939) I am not allowed to advertise that homeopaths treat cancer patients nor am I allowed to advise on the treatment of cancer. Nonetheless I would like to share with you some facts about homeopathy and the treatment of cancer.

Experiments performed at the University of Texas showed that homeopathic preparations had an increased toxic effect on cancer cells, whilst not affecting non-cancerous control cells, thus leaving normal cells intact. This needs to be viewed in light of the fact that conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy struggles with exactly that point – the toxicity to the overall system. (Frenkel, M. et al. Cytotoxic Effects of Ultra-Diluted Remedies on Breast Cancer Cells. Int. J. Oncol 36, 395-403 (2010), source: http://www.homeoinst.org/sites/default/files/newsletters/HRI_Newsletter8_Spring2010.pdf)

In surveys of users of complementary medicine, about 80% are satisfied with the treatment they received. Interestingly, this is not always dependent on an improvement in their presenting complaint. For example, in one UK survey of cancer patients, changes attributed to complementary medicine included being emotionally stronger, less anxious, and more hopeful about the future even if the cancer remained unchanged. (Zollman & Vickers, Complementary Medicine and the Patient. BMJ 319, 14861489 (1999), source: http://www.bmj.com/content/319/7223/1486.full)

The lead clinician of the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital (part of the NHS) has written an article on her experience of supporting cancer patients with homeopathy. The article can be downloaded here: E. Thompson, Adjustment and Empowerment. http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/export/sites/bha_site/hh_article_bank/conditions_a_to_e/adjustment_cancer_spring_2009.pdf

Sustainability of Medicine

Can you imagine just how much the pharmaceutical industry is costing the planet? Years of research and trials on animals; large amounts of raw materials and manufacturing waste; marketing and packaging; patients with chronic conditions on medication for the rest of their lives (plus medication to treat the side-effects, plus medication to treat the side-effects of the medication to treat the side-effects, plus…).

Homeopathy is sustainable. Homeopathy is based on the idea that only a minute amount of a substance is needed to stimulate the body’s innate self-healing capacities. This means the prescription of only one or two tablets to act over weeks, months or even years. This also means a manufacturing process, called potentisation, in which only a tiny amount of a raw material is needed to make enough of a remedy to treat a nation. It can mean the end of pill-popping for the rest of a patient’s life. A plus for the ethical-minded: the healing powers of homeopathic remedies are not found through testing on animals.

Lots of good reasons to consider homeopathy.

Homeopathy evening course

Starting on the 22nd September, I will be running my usual 10-week evening course, Introduction to Homeopathy. This course will take place on a Thursday night, from 7 to 9pm, at the Welsh School of Homoeopathy, 17 Bridge Street, Carmarthen SA31 3JS.

This course is an in-depth introduction to homeopathy. Its aim is to enable participants to prescribe for themselves and their families in acute situations and for minor ailments. We will be discussing homeopathic philosophy and the principles underlying health and illness as well as studying a number of major homeopathic remedies.

The fee for this 10-week course is £50. It will be necessary for all participants to purchase the course book “The Complete Homoeopathy Handbook” by Miranda Castro (costs £15.99).

If you would like to book a place then please contact me.

Last but not least, can I remind you of my changed contact details. My new telephone number is 01267 237520.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the e-Newsletter. Please feel free to pass this e-Newsletter on to your friends or relatives. Past editions of my e-Newsletters can be found on this website http://www.carmarthenhomeopath.co.uk/news.htm.

If you have not subscribed to my e-Newsletter directly yourself, then please send me an email.

With best wishes
Petra Wood

Homeopathic e-Newsletter November 2011

In this edition:

• Flu Vaccination
• Homeopathy and Treatment of Flu
• Find me on Facebook

Flu Vaccination

Winter is upon us and with it the annual fear of flu and other respiratory illnesses. The flu vaccination programme is well under way already, using advertising methods that are meant to scare. For example:

“If you are in an at-risk group and do not have the jab, you will have a greater risk of developing serious complications or even dying if you get flu this winter.”

(http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu-jab/Pages/Introduction.aspx)

Here is the latest news on the supposedly anti-allergic version of the flu vaccine that does not contain egg protein:

“Baxter Healthcare Corp. has just announced that it is recalling some 300,000 doses of their Preflucel Influenza Vaccine because it is has had far too many ‘adverse events.’

The British online newspaper The Daily Mail reported that individuals injected with the apparently tainted batch reported such symptoms as headaches, fatigue and muscle pain.

Preflucel Influenza Vaccine was developed by Baxter to cater especially to individuals with egg allergies and while those adverse side effects are expected in limited subjects, the particular batch had a very high incident of effected individuals.”

(Allvoices - accessed 18/11/2011)

The flu vaccine has to be made different for every year, because the flu virus changes from year to year. The flu vaccine is only effective against the particular strain of the virus that scientists predicted (or hoped) would be around for that season. If another flu virus is prevalent, then the flu vaccine will have no immune enhancing effect on that whatsoever. (http://www.medicinenet.com/flu_vaccination/article.htm)

However, researchers are now wondering whether immunising against a few particular flu viruses will actually make us more likely to succumb to any of the major flu epidemics:

“Vaccinating children annually against influenza virus interferes with their development of cross-reactive killer T cells to flu viruses generally, according to a paper in the November Journal of Virology.”

(Medical Express website - accessed 22/11/2011)

For some people, the side effects of the flu vaccine are very similar to those of flu itself. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been associated with at least one vaccine (swine flu vaccine 1976) with studies finding links to another flu vaccine. (http://www.medicinenet.com/flu_vaccination/page2.htm#tocc) GBS is characterised by fever, muscle weakness and nerve damage and as such is very similar to post-viral, chronic fatigue or mononucleosis. The ‘official’ side effects of the flu vaccine include “soreness at the site of the injection, muscle aching, fever, and feeling unwell.” (http://www.medicinenet.com/flu_vaccination/page2.htm#tocc)

Homeopathy and Treatment of Flu

Around the turn of the 19th/20th century, homeopathy was a major part of medicine in the USA. The reports and results of homeopaths treating victims of the Spanish Flu in 1918 in America are just astounding. They reported death rates (from several thousand patients treated) of 1% or less, with death rates of patients treated conventionally being as high as 30%. (http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/Spanish-flu.html)

Not quite flu, but a study comparing homeopathic and conventional treatment for acute respiratory and ear complaints involving 1500 patients in primary care practices of at least 6 different European countries concluded that “homeopathic treatment for acute respiratory and ear complaints was not inferior to conventional treatment.” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1831487/) On the contrary, the onset of improvement within the first week of treatment was faster for patients treated with homeopathy than for those treated with conventional means. (http://www.extraordinarymedicine.org/2011/01/14/extraordinary-evidence-homeopathys-best-research/)

For practical help and self-help ideas on how to support yourself when you are suffering from flu symptoms, please follow this link to Helios Homoeopathic Pharmacy. The page is titled Swine Flu, but the information is valid for all types of flu. As homeopaths we do not take disease labels into account, but we always consider the individual’s experience of their illness.

For guidelines on how to take homeopathic remedies please check the self-help page. Homeopathic remedies are available in most health food stores and pharmacies. I stock the whole range of high-quality homeopathic remedies (individual and kits) and creams made by Helios Homoeopathic Pharmacy available for sale in Aardvark in Carmarthen. Other remedies will need to be ordered from a homoeopathic pharmacy directly, e.g. Helios.

Disclaimer: Nothing contained in this e-Newsletter should be taken as individual medical advice or as a substitute for consulting a professional homeopath or healthcare practitioner.

Find me on Facebook

You can now find me on Facebook where I regularly share links and information relevant to homeopathy and natural health. Please join me and become my friend: http://www.facebook.com/petrawood.homeopath.

With warm wishes for cold winter nights
Petra

Homeopathic e-Newsletter January 2012

Welcome to the first e-Newsletter in 2012 – wishing everybody a Happy New Year!

In this edition:

• Homeopathic remedies – what is in them and how do they work?
• Top 20 homeopathic remedies every home should not be without

Homeopathic remedies – what is in them and how do they work?

Homeopathic remedies are fab: no big clumpy pills to swallow and sweet tasting. Kids love them, and so do some animals too!

Homeopathic remedies are safe to use at any stage, including during pregnancy and for new-born babies. There are no harmful side effects and they can be taken alongside any prescribed medication without worries about interference.

So what is actually in them? So-called quackbusters usually accuse homeopaths of prescribing 'placebo', because – they claim – there is nothing in the pills other than sugar and a trace of alcohol.

It is absolutely true that homeopathic remedies are prepared in a process that includes numerous dilutions. (However, this process, called ‘potentization’, also includes – and vitally so – vigorous shaking. More about that below.)

And yes, from a pure chemistry-based point of view, there is nothing more in a homeopathic remedy than the sugar from the actual pill, moistened with a trace of alcohol from the medicating process. However, scientists have proven that water (and therefore alcohol) carries information about the original substance even in highest dilutions: Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier's research for example has verified that “electromagnetic signals of the original medicine remain in the water and have dramatic biological effects.” (1)

The idea, that small amounts (even of poisonous substances) can produce beneficial results compared to large amounts being dangerous, is not new. The 15th century medic and alchemist Paracelsus is commonly known as introducing the idea that “the dose makes the poison”. Anybody who ever suffered from a hangover knows what that means! The concept has been accepted in mainstream medicine under the term 'hormesis’': “something that produces harmful biological effects at moderate to high doses may produce beneficial effects at low doses.” (2)

Dr Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), the originator of homeopathy, would have known about the importance of dosage. Hahnemann started his career as a medical doctor but chose not to practise, because he considered the medical practices of his time (blood letting, purging and over-dosing on mercury etc.) as too dangerous and detrimental to the patient. Through study and self-experimentation he came to the basic idea of homeopathy, that ‘like cures like’. He then started treating patients according to this principle, with some success.

Hahnemann, from early on, believed that most benefit was to be derived from the 'minimum dose' of any medicine. He therefore began to dilute the substances he prescribed. However, he came to a point in the dilution process where his remedies did not produce a reaction in his patients any longer. Here genie struck – and Hahnemann introduced the process of 'succussion': vigorous shaking with impact at each step of dilution.

How did Hahnemann come to this enlightened idea? Nobody knows. Here are two possible stories:

Hahnemann treated some of his patients in their homes, visiting them on a horse-drawn cart loaded with a large number of his homeopathic remedies in liquid form. He found that the patients he treated at the end of the day always improved more than those he saw early in the day. The only difference being that the remedies at the end of the day had had a long journey of being shook on bumpy roads!

This story is my favourite: Hahnemann was sitting at his desk, trying to understand why his patients didn’t improve as he hoped – and knew – they should. In anger and despair he grabbed one of the vials with a liquid homeopathic remedy he was in the process of preparing and beat the vial on one of his big pharmacopoeia books that lay on his desk, whilst uttering: “I know this must work, I know it!” (Plus, probably, a choice of words I don’t want to repeat here.) When he then used that particular remedy on a patient the following day, the patient improved dramatically!

Once Hahnemann introduced potentized remedies into his practice, his success rate increased dramatically. Hahnemann ran a homeopathy-only general surgery until shortly before his death, with great successes.

The process of potentization consists of serial dilutions (most commonly 1 drop of substance to 99 drops of alcohol) with succussion at each stage of dilution. Here is a video that explains the process in simple ways.

According to the Italian mathematician Avogadro (1776-1856), from a certain level of dilution not one molecule of the original substance or material can be found. Mathematically, this would be the case from a 12c potency onwards.

However, scientists in India “have demonstrated for the first time by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction and chemical analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), the presence of physical entities in these extreme dilutions, in the form of nanoparticles of the starting metals [of the metal remedies they analysed] and their aggregates.” (3) It seems that homeopathy can be explained better in terms of quantum physics than simple chemistry!

How do homeopathic remedies work? We still don’t fully understand it. It seems to me that science has a way to go to catch up on this. But does it really matter whether we can explain it in scientific terms? We know that homeopathy works. There have been numerous studies showing that patients benefit from homeopathy. The biggest of these studies was done by the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital. It involved over 6,500 individual patients whose outcome was recorded at follow-up over a 5-year-period. More than 70% of these follow-up patients recorded improvement following homeopathic treatment. These patients had been referred to the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital because conventional treatment did not help them! (4)

Top 20 homeopathic remedies every home should not be without

See Amy Lansky’s brief but succinct list of remedies

I regularly post advice like this as well as links to research on homeopathy on my Facebook wall. Please feel free to become my friend. You find me on http://www.facebook.com/petrawood.homeopath.

I hope you found this e-Newsletter of interest. Please feel free to forward to any of your friends.

With warm wishes
Petra

References:

1. http://www.naturalnews.com/031210_Luc_Montagnier_Homeopathy.html
2. http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/hormesis
3. http://www.iberhome.es/boletin/docs/extdilu.pdf
4. http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/export/sites/bha_site/research/JACM_11_5_p793-798.pdf