At the
bottom of this guide is a section on dosage and repetition of the remedies.
Please read this carefully, and feel free to call or email us if you are stuck.
We are happy to give free advice for self-prescribers!
Insect bites and stings
Apis mel - You need Apis when there is
oedema, a watery swelling of the area (not a firm, hard swelling) that is rosy
red rather than scarlet and hot to the touch. The pain is burning and stinging,
and there is itching, all of these symptoms are worse for heat and better for
cold bathing. Apis is particularly useful when there is an allergic reaction to
the sting, although constitutional treatment from a professional homeopath is
the best way to treat allergies and sensitivities in the long term. Apis mel is
made from bees and is very useful for bee and wasp stings.
Ledum is another useful remedy for bites
and stings. Mostly we use Ledum for puncture wounds such as splinters, and a
bite or sting certainly punctures the skin! Ledum is especially useful for
mosquito bites, as well as wasp and bee stings, and again the symptoms are
worse for heat and better for cold, like Apis. However, often the site will
feel cold to the touch, and be purplish or blue.
Ledum
tincture is an external remedy that can be applied to all stings and bites,
just a drop of the tincture (undiluted) can be applied to the site, and often
this is all most bites and stings will need.
Cantharis is a good remedy for stings that
become very red and inflamed, with a burning sensation that is worse for touch.
Jetlag
The change
to the circadian rhythm of your body is a shock to your system, so take Arnica to help you adjust. You can take a dose before you travel and
when you arrive, followed by a few doses the next couple of days until you have
adjusted.
If you find
sleeping on flights is impossible and that you feel irritable and weak after a
long flight, then Cocculus Indicus
is the remedy for you - it’s also fantastic for dizziness and nausea caused by
any sort of motion, whether it’s cars, trains, boats or planes!
If on the
other hand a flight leaves you feeling tired with heavy eyes and a bit shaky
and dizzy, then Gelsemium will help.
These
remedies can be used preventatively - if you know, for example, that you have a
long flight ahead that is likely to leave you feeling a bit tired and fluey,
then you can take Gelsemium before you board and another dose when you land,
repeating the dose as necessary.
Sunburn
There are a
number of burn remedies which you can use to help your skin heal from
sunburn.
Urtica tincture is made from nettles and is a
soothing external remedy when you have spent a bit too long in the sun. Simply
add a half teaspoonful of the tincture to a cup of clean water and pat on to
your skin, leaving it to dry naturally.
Cantharis is particularly useful for sunburn
(and insect bites) where there is redness, heat and burning pains. Repeat the
remedy as necessary if the pain returns.
Causticum is a great burns remedy, but this
would be for serious sunburn with blisters, pain and restlessness. Please avoid
this state if you possibly can! However, remember that shock is a very real
issue in these circumstances, so start with some Arnica and then go to
Causticum, preferably as you head for your nearest hospital.
Sunstroke/heat
stroke is also a nasty problem after too much sun, characterised by hot red
skin, dizziness, weakness and nausea. Glonoine
and Belladonna are both useful for
this state, but diabetics, children under two, people with
heart/kidney/circulation problems and the elderly should be taken to hospital.
For the rest of us, moving to a cool shady place and drinking plenty of fluids,
along with the right remedy, will normally sort the symptoms out.
Injuries to fingers and toes
First and
foremost comes Arnica. Remember, the
bigger the injury, the higher the dose or the more frequent the repetition! If
you only have Arnica 30, that’s fine for everyday knocks and bangs. But if the
injury is such that you are thinking about going to hospital, then you will
need a higher dose (200c for example) or you will need to repeat the remedy
more frequently. A guideline is that if the remedy only gives ten minutes
relief from the pain then repeat every ten minutes or as necessary. See below for
more instructions re dosage and repetition.
Hypericum is a remedy for injured fingers and
toes as these are areas that contain a lot of nerves and Hypericum is helpful
for injuries to nerves, especially where there is a lot of pain that is worse
when touched.
Travel sickness
See the
section on jetlag for information about Cocculus,
a remedy for dizziness and nausea caused by motion sickness.
Tabacum is also useful for travel sickness.
Remember how you felt when you tried your first cigarette - sick, dizzy, with a
cold sweat and lots of saliva? Well, Tabacum is a remedy made from tobacco, and
those symptoms, when caused by travelling, are what Tabacum treats.
Petroleum is another motion sickness remedy,
and like Tabacum the patient will feel sick and salivate a lot. He or she may
be sweaty, but it’s a hot sweat not a cold one, and they won’t want to eat as
eating will make the symptoms worse.
DOSAGE - 30c –Take one dose and
repeat up to four times daily. 6c or 12c - repeat up to six times daily. 200c -
up to three times daily.
Stop taking the remedy if:
- The symptoms go.
- You have taken the
remedy for three days and nothing has changed.
- If the symptoms get
worse. In this case, stop the remedy and wait - it is likely to work well
in the next two or three days.
- If in doubt call either
of us - we are happy to help!
It's always wise to go to the
doctor, get your problem checked out and get a diagnosis before treating
yourself. Don't assume you know what's wrong, and remember pain is always a
warning that something is not right.
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