When you have to get up…

a quick repertory of some common flu symptoms

I was beginning to think the flu season may have just skimmed over the world this year, but here it is… a little later than usual, but, just like always, it is no fun. And, just like always, a little prevention can go a long way. (See also: Calming the Cold; Flu Remedies to Consider; Ho Ho Ho, (not Oooooh No!); Ahh-choo; On the 4^th Day of Cell Salts… Ferr Phos.)

Let’s jump ahead to the unfortunate situation we see in the picture above where those early signals were missed (or, ignored) and, here we are, unable to get out of bed… feeling just awful and the kids are hungry. (Oh, man, I remember those days. So painful!) So, where would one start in this scenario?

Below are seven MAIN COMPLAINTs, followed by 4 or 5 commonly found remedies with 4 or 5 symptoms each which may help to choose a remedy to get back on your feet quickly. Remember! We are not looking for perfection. We are looking for improvement. We are looking to move the worst symptom out of the way for a minute so you can do what you need to do and then, when that’s done, get back into bed to rest properly.

This is far from a complete flu repertory. The intent here is to put as many remedies as possible in a quick list. All of these remedies could (pretty much) be listed under all of the headings. In other words, they are (for the most part) wide-reaching flu remedies.

Choose the worst MAIN COMPLAINT (found in BOLD CAPS) you are experiencing at the moment and then choose the remedy that best fits your current symptoms.

Notes:

1. All symptoms for each remedy are valid for all main complaints.
   For instance, Bryonia’s irritability mentioned under “Aching Body” still holds for Bryonia under “Coughs” even though it isn’t listed again.

2. All of these remedies could be listed under all of the headings (pretty much).
   For example, back ache may be relieved after a couple of doses of Nat mur that were taken to address the runny nose and sneezing.

3. All of these symptoms may be accompanied by fever* or chills.​

4. Bold symptoms are very highly indicated for that remedy/symptom.

5. In fact, all of these MAIN COMPLAINTS may be present at once. 😩
   (If you are in this unenviable position, choose the one thing that is causing the most distress and begin there.)

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ACHING BODY:

• Arnica

  • shivering

  • worse for exertion

  • head feels hot, body feels cold

  • the bed feels too hard

  • wants to be left alone; says feels fine but is clearly not well.

• Bryonia

  • worse for motion (every little movement hurts, even the eyes!)

  • worse for eating (there’s a lot of internal motion involved in digestion!)

  • chills may begin in the tips of the toes

  • pain everywhere: limbs; muscles; maddening headache; painful breathing

  • irritable; doesn’t even want to speak

• Eupatorium perfolatum

  • intense aching in the bones; pains as if broken

  • shivering, especially from drinking

  • bursting headache

  • moaning from pain/moaning

  • dizzy, droopy, drowsy, drained

• Gelsemium

  • tremendous weakness

  • no thirst

  • trembling/shivering

  • apathetic, just doesn’t care; wants to be left alone

  • dizzy, droopy, drowsy, drained

• Rhus tox

  • physical restlessness/can’t get comfortable; better with change of position/stretching; tossing about

  • stiffness; pain on first movement/better with continued movement

  • severe aching in all the bones/joints, sneezing and coughing

  • anxious

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COUGH:

• Antimonium tart

  • headache with cough, worse in the forehead

  • constant coughing; waking from cough

  • loose, rattling cough with lots of mucus in the chest; difficult to expel the phlegm

  • suffocative cough

  • anger and crying from the cough

• Bryonia

  • painful cough: ribs, abdomen, chest, back, sides; must hold chest while coughing

  • worse on breathing in

  • coughing fits at night

  • headache on coughing

• Ipecac

  • nagging and gagging and choking coughs; nausea/vomiting during cough

  • cough after eating

  • exhausting coughs

  • comes in fits /paroxysmal/spasmodic

  • crying during cough; mental restlessness

• Pulsatilla

  • nausea during cough; retching during cough

  • rattling cough and breathing

  • constant cough; forcible, violent, hard; worse when lying down; must sit up; preventing sleep

  • better in the open air

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FEVER*:

• Aconite

  • sudden onset

  • high fever*; burning fever

  • with vertigo/dizziness

  • extremely thirsty during fever

  • anxiety; crying; fearful during fever

• Belladonna

  • red, flushed face

  • high fever*; burning heat

  • worse for any cold: air, draughts, applications, drinks — (but still may desire cold drinks)

  • throbbing headache with fever

  • fearful, chatty and restless during fever

• Gelsemium

  • chills alternating with fever; shivering with fever

  • continued fever

  • high fever* OR low fever

  • thirstlessness

  • weakness

• Nux vomica

  • with pain: back pain, stomach pain, limbs, eyes, chest; hands may be painful when uncovering during fever

  • movement brings on fever

  • shivering with fever, especially after drinking; with perspiration; aversion to uncovering

  • overly sensitive during fever; aversion to uncovering

  • vertigo with chill

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GASTRO:

• Arsenicum album

  • nausea and vomiting worse from anything being put in the stomach (even thinking of food makes it worse); no relief from vomiting

  • stomach pain, nausea during fever

  • burning pains: excoriating diarrhea

  • anxious/restless

  • thirsty for small sips

• Ipecac

  • constant nausea; diarrhea with nausea

  • vomiting, violent; no relief from vomiting; headache during vomiting; vomiting during cough

  • lots of salivation

  • thirstless

• Nux vomica

  • nausea and vomiting; lots of retching; feels better from being able to vomit; vomiting with urge for bowel movement at the same time

  • lots of burping; sour burps

  • headache during nausea

  • cramping pains

  • mental dullness; irritability; sensitive

• Phosphorus

  • craves ice cold things/drinks but vomits as soon as those drinks warm up in the stomach

  • exhausting diarrhea; painless diarrhea

  • great weakness after bowel movements

  • lots of burping; burps coming on suddenly

  • fearful

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HEADACHE:

• Belladonna

  • intense, throbbing, bursting headache

  • worse for: coughing; being bumped/jarred; moving head; having head uncovered; lying down

  • comes on suddenly OR comes and goes suddenly

  • an enlarged sensation to the head

  • irritable with headache; overly sensitive

• Eupatorium perfolatum

  • with vertigo

  • occipital pain and forehead pain

  • bursting headache

  • heat sensation in top of head

  • pulsations

• Gelsemium

  • headache may improve with urination

  • as if a band or hoop was around head

  • heaviness sensation

  • headache from moving the head

• Nux vomica

  • with stuffy nose/head

  • with vertigo

  • worse coughing

  • better for wrapping up the head/holding head with hands

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NOSE

• Arsenicum album

  • copious discharge — it just keeps running — it can be thick or watery; acrid/burning discharge

  • discharge stops when in open air

  • burning pain in the nose

  • sneezing — frequent and violent; sneezing on waking in morning; runny nose with sneezing

  • pain in the root of the nose (way up at the top, near the forehead)

• Kali bich

  • discharge: ropy, tough, sticky; greenish/yellow; tenacious; post-nasal

  • nostrils sensitive

  • obstructed nose; worse blowing nose

  • pain extending to frontal sinuses

  • crusts/scabs inside the nose

• Lycopodium

  • stuffed/blocked nose

  • acrid discharge

  • flares the nostrils in a fan-like way

  • nostrils agglutinated/stuck together

  • sensitive to odors

• Natrum muriaticum

  • sneezing: in the morning; paroxysmal — coming in fits; frequent; from uncovering

  • discharge: clear, like egg whites OR watery; copious; post-nasal

  • dryness inside the nose

  • obstructed nose

  • sense of smell diminished

• Nux vomica

  • stuffed/obstructed nose at night, runny during the day; stuffiness alternates between nostrils

  • loss of smell from stuffy nose

  • better in open air

  • sneezing: with a runny nose; in the morning, in bed; with vertigo; makes headache worse

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SORE THROAT:

• Causticum

  • rawness and tickling with cough; rough and scratchy

  • continuous swallowing

  • lots of mucus in the throat; hard to cough up, must swallow it; thick and sticky

  • hoarse voice; sore throat from overuse of voice

• Lachesis

  • worse swallowing saliva or liquids; swallowing solid food is easier/helpful; warm drinks aggravate

  • pain extends into the ears; pain in ears with sore throat

  • constricting feeling

  • touching the outside of the throat causes pain; clothing aggravates

  • worse on waking

• Lycopodium

  • burning pain; rawness; dryness in throat without thirst

  • painful swallowing; better by swallowing warm liquids; worse swallowing cold drinks

  • tickling in the throat

  • tonsillitis

• Phytolacca

  • sharp pains which extend to one or both ears

  • thick, difficult mucus

  • tonsillitis

  • feels as if hot ball stuck in the throat

  • swallowing difficult; especially worse for drinking hot liquids

• Rhus tox

  • better from constant swallowing; warm drinks

  • difficulty swallowing solids

  • hoarse voice; from overuse

  • better with external neck covered

  • sore throat with stiff neck; stiffness sensation of throat

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It’s important to remember that there are many, many homeopathic remedies for each of these main symptoms. This is just a brief list which may help to get dinner on the table or that important email answered.

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

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* Be sure to seek treatment if the fever is very high, continues to climb or is accompanied by seizure or fainting or severe headache or stiff neck (to name but a few concerning symptoms). For more information:

• Johns Hopkins Medicine

• Mayo Clinic

• Merck Manual

If you have already been through the worst of the flu, check out “Get Well Soon” to find a few helpful tips on recuperating.