Common Acute Homeopathic Remedies to Keep on Hand

We keep a few commonly used acute remedies prepared in liquid in 30C potencies in our metal remedy box***. We remix new remedies every 2-3 months to make sure they are fresh and still active:

• Aconitum napellus – fear, fright; sudden onset of violent symptoms with fever after exposure to cold and dry wind
• Apis mellifica*** – bee, wasp, hornet, etc. stings; with pain, and red, puffy, shiny, hot swelling
• Arnica montana – after injuries such as falls, concussions, bumps, bruises, contusions, car wrecks; to prevent shock from any injury; emotional shock;
  
• Arsenicum album – colds, stuffy head, irritation from mucus and irritation in throat, better from warm drinks; food poisoning, with vomiting and diarrhea; such as from eating bad meat
  
• Belladonna – high fevers of sudden onset in children with hot, dry forehead, glassy eyes, thirst-less; affects of sun stroke; helpful at antidoting the adverse effects of rabies shot in animals
  
• Bryonia alba – Sprains and injuries worse from motion, better from rest and warmth; colds, flu, fever with great thirst for large gulps of cold drinks, aching all over, irritability
  
• Calendula officinalis – first intention healing of wounds, cuts, tears, ruptures of tissues, tendons and bones (orally in potency); anti-infective, antiseptic (diluted tincture applied directly to wound)
  
• Cantharis – burns and scalds, to first or second degree; sunburn; UTI’s or urinary complaints with burning pains
  
• Cellphone and Cell mast – to antidote any effects after second-hand cell phone and other wireless technology exposure
• Hypericum perfoliatum – concussion of head, neck, spine or tail bone; shock; injuries to nerve rich areas like fingertips, neck, groin, toes; to prevent tetanus resulting from puncture wounds in palm of hand or sole of foot.
• Hepar sulphuris calcareum – between the 3X-12X potency (whatever we are on), used to antidote mercury symptoms; remove foreign objects like a splinter, etc.; to antidote inhaled metal dust from aerosol spraying operations
• Ledum palustre – insect and spider bites; swellings and inflammations with white swelling and cool to touch (inflammations are generally warm to touch); to prevent tetanus resulting from any wound
  
• Rhus toxicodendron*** – poison ivy, oak and sumac; injuries for over-straining, pains worse from being still, better from motion, worse on first motion (creaky gate); as first aid in case of heart attack
  
• Ruta graveolens – (after use of Arnica ), strains of muscles and tendons; eye strain; parts feel bruised; injuries to periosteum (consider also Symphytum and Calendula)
  
• Staphisagria – anger, indignation, victimization; UTI’s; injuries from sharp object such as a knife or scalpel (think of it after surgery)
• Symphytum officinalis – breaks and fractures; injuries to periosteum; traumatic injuries to eye
• X-ray – to antidote radiation exposure such as after air travel, and to help neutralize any effects from solar flares, background radiation, medical x-rays or too much sun exposure

Depending on your individual health situation you may also have in your box any prepared remedies in Q-potencies to alleviate symptoms of your recurrent and chronic conditions. For example you may be on a broad constitutional remedy like Lycopodium that covers your hereditary gout, but you may find that occasional bouts of pain are relieved by Colchicum 30C. We keep tinctures of Calendula officinalis and Echinacea angustifolia in there as well, along with a bottle of pre-mixed, diluted (1:20) Calendula tincture in a 2 oz. amber glass bottle with a sprayer on it to use for abrasions, irritations, diaper rash, etc. We clean the bottle and mix it fresh every 2-3 weeks to prevent contamination or spoilage.

Homeopathic Self-care for First Aid and Common Ailments

Everyone and every family should have a homeopathic self-care remedy kit with vials of pellets in 30C potency to keep at home or bring on longer trips. A 100-remedy kit is best. It contains one hundred of the most commonly used homeopathic remedies. They are FDA-approved drugs and available without prescription. Homeopathic remedies last a lifetime, so you can’t loose on this one. (Note: it will have an expiration date on the bottle, but this is simply to keep the FDA happy; when properly kept, they do not spoil and they have been shown to be active for many decades). Having you own kit will save you many a trip to the store and guarantees that you have your remedies handy when you need them.

Self-care is recommended only for acute, self-limiting conditions, such as occasional colds, simple headaches, stomachaches, menstrual cramps, minor injuries and even emotional upsets. In such cases you can quickly relieve the condition if you know how to select the right remedy. This is not easy and requires considerable study. More complicated and potentially serious acute emergencies such a infections with fever and all chronic disorders require the expert knowledge and experience of a trained homeopathic practitioner.

*** While homeopathic self-care appears simple and even easy, there are many things to know. Some remedies cause adverse reactions when given right before or after other remedies. Others follow each other better than others. For example Apis mellifica is inimical to Rhus toxicodendon, meaning if you take them close together, they can aggravate the situation and cause new and unwanted symptoms. Sometimes in cases of rash, swelling, itching, etc., it can be difficult to choose between the two, as sometimes their symptom pictures overlap, and once you have chosen one and get no effect, you should not switch to the other. If you find yourself in doubt about which one to use, or if you have given (or taken) them, you should consider calling for an acute homeopathic consultation.

More Tips on Acute Prescribing

If you prefer to attempt to treat yourself and your family for acute conditions, do not rely on indications on a remedy vial. These are, for all practical purposes, useless. Homeopathic remedies are selected by their individual symptoms not just for a condition. You should get a book (such as M. Panos’ Homeopathic Medicine at Home) and/or attend a course on homeopathic self-care course (we’ll be offering one on DVD by the end of 2012). We can also provide our clients with a simplified “Acute Materia Medica” by Manfred Mueller – a great reference on how to pick an acute homeopathic remedy. You will find it very helpful to study this materia medica and other homeopathic literature to confidently learn how to handle common ailments – BEFORE you are faced with one.

Considerations

For home self-care situations involving high fever, or any other potentially serious condition, or in any condition you have no experience with, or if the remedies failed to improve, or if the condition gets worse, you should seek professional help. Some of these you may be able to treat yourself with homeopathic remedies from your kit. Where appropriate, you may be able to set up an acute consultation with Mr. Mueller. In such cases Mr. Mueller may be able to return your call even outside of business hours.

Some conditions require immediate medical diagnosis and treatment as provided by medical emergency services. Mr. Mueller does not provide emergency medical care. If you have a medical emergency or potentially life-threatening condition requiring immediate treatment you should call 911 or arrange for transport to your nearest urgent care facility.

***What’s the metal box for? To help shield the liquid remedies from ambient electromagnetic radiation. It doesn’t give 100% protection, but it helps! We usually use something like a cookie tin or thicker box (one that has a good seal and closes tightly).

Other Self Care Prescribing Resources:

• Self Treatment Gems – blog
• Acute Treatment- blog
• Homeopathic Medicine At Home by Maesimund B. Panos

Please note: the information contained in this post and on this website is provided for educational purposes only and may not be construed as medical diagnosis, treatment or advice.