Comparision of Influenza Remedies

Notes taken by Lynn Creamona.  This is the list of differentials I posted earlier, This is taken from Will Taylor's webinar on Influenza.  The  freecasts can be found here: http://www.wholehealthnow.com/courses/freecasts.html#q-t
Will has the lecture slides posted here:  

http://whncourses.com/

 

Scroll about halfway down the page until you see “Video of 12 December Influenza FreeCast...”

There is a link to the video, and below that, the handouts are available in two PDFs (which you can download）

My lecture notes are posted on this blog.

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"some" remedy suggestions for Flu symptoms :     

Aconite:

Sudden onset of the flu with great anxiety and fear. She thinks she is about to die.

<  especially after exposure to very cold, dry windy weather. The person is often anxious, and feels worse in a warm room and worse at night.

Per Will Taylor DO NOT give Aconite at first signs of fever, as it will alter the symptoms and interfere with getting a true picture of remedy needed, and will suppress the fever.
Dunham says:
you should not automatically give Aconite at the beginning of the fever because you can confuse the symptoms especially in a person of low vitality. If you give a remedy that is really not the Similimum you delay healing and make it difficult to give the really curative remedy.

Better: in fresh air
Worse: in a warm room, in the evening or at night, lying on the left side, hearing music, when exposed to tobacco smoke.

Other uses:  any situation where the person is scared, such if they just witnessed something horrible, were just involved in an accident, etc

Antimonium-tart  

Too exhausted to cough up the phlegm that is in their chest.

When they can finally cough up the phlegm they are relieved. 

Prolonged respiratory complaints following the flu

Arnica: 

Flu with a feeling of soreness, as if bruised internally and externally.

·         Symptoms come on very suddenly, especially after exposure to a dry, cold wind or from an emotional shock or fright.

·         High fever, dry cough, sore throat and feeling of great worry and fear.

·         The individual is very restless.

·         Fear of death with anxiety, tossing and trembling.

·         Croupy cough, early stages of croup.

·         Pneumonia with sudden onset.

·         Coughing up of blood.

Arsenicum Album:

Extremely restless, oversensitive, anxious and weak. 

·         Fear of death.

·         Extreme prostration, out of proportion to the disease.

·         Very restless, can’t stay in one place.

·         Does not want to be left alone.

·         Chilly.

·         Pale face with an anxious expression.

·         Burning pains that are better with warm applications.

·         Thirsty, drinks in small sips often.

·         Worse between 1 and 2 a.m.

·         Vomiting and diarrhea are common.

·         Diarrhea with acrid, offensive, watery stools.

·         Too neat, upset by clutter.

·         Desires fatty and sour things, especially lemon.

Other uses: Food poisonings, stomach flues.

Baptisia: 

Looks drowsy and drunk.  Flu with high fever and a feeling of being bruised all over.

• Flu that comes on suddenly.
• Sensation of being bruised and sore all over, the body and limbs feel as if they are scattered.
• Profuse sweating with a high fever and an intense thirst.
• Dull red face, looks dazed and sluggish as if they may fall asleep at any time.
• The bed feels hard (Compare with Pyrogenium and Arnica)
• Stupefying headache, with confusion.
• Delirium with strange sensations, like as if there is somebody else in bed with him, parts of her body are separated, etc.
• Patient smells bad.

Belladonna:

Flu with a high fever, red face and dilated pupils. Dryness and burning heat. Everything is intense and concentrated in the head.

• High fever that comes on suddenly, often as a result of a change in temperature (e.g. becoming chilled or overheated, washing the hair).
• Flushed face, sore throat, eyes wide and staring, pupils dilated, bright red tongue, red throat with white spots on the tonsils.
• Constriction on attempting to swallow
• Ejection of food and drink through the nose and mouth from spasm.
• There may be confusion, delirium or vivid hallucinations.
• Twitching and starting.
• Headache.
• Symptoms tend to affect the right side of the body.
• Craving for lemon or lemonade.
• General aggravation at 3 p.m.

Better: standing, sitting upright, in a warm room.
Worse: any noise, bright light, movement, lying down, night.

Bryonia: 

Extremely irritable, talks about business.
Flu with a severe, throbbing headache, body pains.  All symptoms are worse from any motion.

• Slow onset.
• Thirst for large amounts infrequently, preferably cold.
• Pains (headache, body pains) better by pressure.  Lies on the painful part.
• Dryness everywhere, dry tongue, with generally a white coating
• Nose bleed
• Pneumonia, especially of the right side; pleurisy (pain on breathing and coughing).
• Business: worries, talks and dreams about it. 
• Wants to go home.  May be confused and not realize she is at home.

Better: pressure, rest
Worse: any excitement, noise, touch, movement, bright light, from eating and coughing and at around 3am and 9pm.

 Camphora:

Flu with laborious, asthmatic breathing, accumultion of phlegm in the air tubes, cold, dry skin.

• Profound prostration/collapse.
• Coldness and shivering.
• Cold to touch, yet cannot bear to be covered.
• Very sensitive to cold air
• Face is pale and blue, lips are livid.
• Pulse is weak and scarcely perceptible.
• Pneumonia or bronchitis with collapse. Irritability

Worse: Cold   

Carbo –vegetalis:

"Corpse reviver”

• Desperate cases.
• Cold; even the breath and tongue are cold; very pale, air – hunger, asks for the windows to be opened, to be fanned.
• Shortness of breath.  Must sit up in bed. 
• Bloating, indigestion, and tremendous amount of gas.

           This is a frequent ICU remedy, when life seems to be draining away.              Prolonged respiratory complaints following the flu.

China (Cinchona officinalis):
Ailment from loss of fluids: blood loss, vomiting, diarrhea. 

• Desperate cases.
• Debility with chilliness.
• Anemic; pallid; weak. Sensitive to touch: motion: to cold air.
• Worse at regular period: alternate days, every third day, every seven days, etc.
• Weariness of the limbs, with desire to stretch, move or change position.
• Painless diarrhea with a lot of gas.

Eupatorium  perfoliatum:

Flu with body pains so severe, that the bones feel broken. 

·         Feels as if run over by a truck, with pain deep in the bones.

·         Bursting headache and sore eyes.

·         Thirsty for ice cold water (opposite to Gelsemium, which is not thirsty).

·         Chills running up and down the back.

·         High fever preceded by chills, especially from 7 – 9am.

Worse: movement

Ferrum Phos:

Flu without any localizing or characteristic symptoms.

• High fever, usually 102 degrees or higher.
• Right sided complaints - Pneumonia.
• Flushes or redness or pallor.
• Hemorrhage [Nose or Chest]

Gelsemium:

Flu with chills and paralytic weakness.   They feel as if run over by a truck.

• This tends to be the number 1 flu remedy.
• Slow onset
• After worrying about a forthcoming task or event such as a public speaking engagement.
• Sore throat.
• Bursting headache beginning in the neck and which may extend over the head to the eyes and forehead; relieved by copious urination.
• Double vision often before or during the headache. Eyelids are heavy and droopy, can’t keep them open.
• Fatigue, heaviness and dullness.  The legs feel weak and shaky and they just want to lie in bed.
• Pain is felt in the muscles.
• No thirst.
• Aching muscles.
• Chills begin in the hands and feet, and run up and down the spine.

Worse: early morning and last thing at night, in the sun, and when exposed to tobacco smoke.
Better: urination, fresh air

Comparisons:

• Bryonia also has pains, but they are much worse from any movement. 
• Gelsemium patient does not want to move due to fatigue and heaviness, not aggravation from movement. 
• Eupatorium perfoliatum patient also feels as if run over by a truck, but the pains are more severe, and they are felt in the bones. 
• In addition, Eup-per patient is thirsty, and Gels patient is not.

Ipecacuanha  (Carapichea) 

Always Bronchospasm *wheezing / asthma) 

Short of breath, nausea, vomiting, spasms.

These symptoms will be secondary to the main respiratory complaints of influenza.

Kali-iodatum is not typical, but we should be looking for it. 

Similar to Arsenicum

from

'Phatak's Materia Medica'

Generalities

Glands are swollen; or atrophied.

Weakness, emaciation.

Discharges are COPIOUS, watery, acrid, salty; thick; green or foul.
Diffused soreness; after pains; of affected p

- Craves motion in open air.

Coldness; of painful part in bones.

Worse:

- Heat.
Pressure.
Touch.
- Night.
Damp.

Better:
Motion.
Cool air.
Open air.

Mind

Bad temper, Harsh tempered and cruel.

Irritable, irascible esp. towards his children; his family.

Despondent, Trivial details of life seem insupportable

Nervous, must walk.

Head

Violent headaches, as if screwed, through sides of head agg. warmth and pressure.

Brain feels enlarged.

Eyes

- Puffy, burning, watery; conjunctiva red.

Winking is painful.
Oedema around.
Lower lids twitch

Nose

Red, swollen.
Coryza; descending, profuse, acrid, hot, watery discharge agg. cool air; with salivation and dyspnea.

- Tightness at the root of the nose.
Cool, greenish, irritating, discharge from nose.
Burning, throbbing in nose and sinuses.
Violent sneezing.

Face

Tight pain at zygomatic nerve

Mouth

Salivation.

Throat

Dry

Respiratory
larynx feel raw.
Whistling asthmatic breathing.

Dry bronchitis.
Frothy, greenish, soapsuds like expectoration.
Pneumonia.
Chest pains go backwards; Pain from Sternum to back.

Neck and Back

Small of the back as if in a vise.
Bruised pain in lumbar region agg. sitting bent.

Fever

Chilly in bones; in painful parts.
Heat in evening.
Uncovers then chilly.

Fever alternating with perspiration
Alternate heat and chilly.
Heat with shudders.

Hot and Dry then drenching sweats

Profuse night sweats which ameliorates

Kali sulphuricum: 

Yellow, slimy discharge

• Fever with easy sweating
• Yellow slimy tongue, nasal discharge, ear discharge, diarrhea.
• Cough with easily expelled yellow slimy sputum.
• Thirsty.  Averse to hot drinks.
• Wants to lie down, but it makes her worse, so she must walk for relief.

Mercurius solubilis:  

Dirty, smelly, drooling.

·                     Increased salivation, offensive breath, profuse offensive sweat.

·                     Filthy tongue, large, flabby, tooth – notched

·                     Thirsty

·                     Craves bread and butter.

Worse:  night, heat of bed 

Nux Vomica:

Flu with great irritability and over sensitivity.  Easily offended, angry, cold.

• Irritable, impatient, angry and easily offended.
• Very chilly. Chilliness on the slightest movement. On the slightest exposure to the open air, shivering and chilliness for an hour; dreads to go out into the open air. By the slightest draught he gets chilled. He cannot get warm. Great coldness not removed by heat, or by bed coverings.  Wants to be completely covered.
• Very sensitive to light, noise and odors.
• Shivering and chilliness immediately after drinking.
• Fastidious. Wants everything just so.
• Collapse and fatigue states from overwork.

Phosphorus:  

The flu quickly affects the lungs, especially the base of the right lung.  Lots of cough.  Bleeding.

• Bloody sputum, bright red.
• Craves cold drinks, which may be vomited when they become warm in the stomach.

• Burning, pressure and constriction in the chest; worse lying on the left side; worse lying on the painful side (patient and the cough).
• Nose bleed, bright red.
• Cough, worse talking and laughing.

§  Prolonged respiratory complaints following the flu.
§  Pneumonia following Influenza. Most often they are going to also need Sanguinaria.

Pulsatilla:

Clingy and weepy when sick.   

• Flitting chilliness; chills in spots.  Chilly in a warm room.
• One sided chilliness – heat – sweat.  One cheek red, the other white.
• Palpitations with anxiety: must throw off the clothes.
• Dry cough at night, better sitting up, worse on lying down again.
• Thick yellow-green discharge from nose.  Yellow-green expectoration.

• Craves butter, cream, pastries.
• Thirstless.
• Tearful, craves company and sympathy.

Worse: external warmth, closed room
Better: open air, outside, slow motion

Sanguinaria 

Bronchitis

Pneumonia

Prolonged respiratory complaints following the flu.

High fever

Aching of neck extending to the forehead, feeling the neck has to crack

Rawness in the throat. 

Influenza that progresses down into the lungs or does not recover.

Spigelia
Headache
Pain eyes, eyes feel too large, profuse acrid tears
Chronic mucus with post nasal drip,
Prosopalgia (facial pain)
Trigeminal neuralgia, < daytime
Offensive breath
Sweat offensive
Tongue coated yellow/white
Mapped tongue
Dyspnea
Neck stiff
Fever < night

Sticta (Lobaria) Pulmonaria

from

Phatak

Commonly known as Lungwort is a remedy for

Coryza, bronchial catarrh

Nervous and rheumatic disturbances

Rheumatic stiffness
General feeling of dullness and lassitude as when a cold is coming

Painful dry mucous membranes. (needs to blow nose, but there is no discharge)

Scabs in nose

> when nose drains

Forehead pain

Sore eyeballs

Dry hacking cough

Stiff sore neck and shoulders

Restlessness

Copious sweat on hands

Worse

Night.
Lying down.
Motion.
Change of temperature.

Better

Free discharges.
Open air.

Head

Aches before catarrhal discharge appears.
Heaviness; forehead.

Eyes
Burning of eyelids with soreness of eyeballs on closing lids or turning eyes.

Nose

Pressure or stuffy fullness at the root of nose.
- Constant need to blow the nose but not discharge.
Painful dryness of mucous membranes.
Coryza which dries up soon, forming scabs difficult to dislodge.

Throat
Dry; dropping of mucus posterior.

Respiratory
Tickling high up in pharynx.
Incessant dry hacking cough prevents sleep, agg. coughing, inspiration; towards evening and when tired; after measles, colds; influenza; whooping cough.
Air passages numb.
Bronchitis.
Pain from sternum to spine agg. motion.

Neck and back
Sore stiff neck; pains to shoulder.
Restless hands and feet.
Rheumatism.

Cold moist limbs.
Profuse sweat on hands.

Chorea like spasms

Sleep
Sleepless from nervousness; from cough; after surgical operation.

Similar to Sanguinaria

                                                            -------------

People who would improve with Ars., might not fully recover and they could next need  

Kali-bic.  

Kali-bic may also need be followed by Nux-vomica. 

                                                            ------------

Septic States

Septic flu remedies are much sicker than the above remedies.  

Septic means the blood is dark with toxins.  [They have Incredible Fever]

Arn, Bapt, Pyrogen. 

                                                            ------------

Aconite and Belladonna do not address remitting Pace

Fever Remittent:

Aconite and Belladonna may palliate the fever and do not address the fundamental disease process

Aconite should not be given at first signs of fever, it may be suppressive