visualhomeopathy Posted by Dr. Sharif on FEBRUARY 11, 2014
Dear colleagues,
I would like to share that nearly every SINGLE patient I have been seeing over the last few weeks who has come in with any acute upper respiratory symptoms has benefitted greatly from the remedy Kali bich. This remedy has been very high on my list of prescribed remedies for acute upper respiratory tract infections for several months now, but it seems to truly be THE remedy of choice presently (over the last few weeks) for treatment of what appears to be an epidemic of sinusitis/cough going around (at least in the Puget Sound area). So much so that I basically don’t even need to consider other remedies, and have just been offering this remedy to anyone who comes in sick, with wonderful success.
Most of my acutely ill patients these days come in with complaints of sinus congestion, coughing, and much phlegm/mucous in the throat. In most cases this excessive mucous is stuck in the throat and does not come out freely, but in some cases, the mucous does come out. Regardless, the mucous is sticky and stringy, and if it comes out, it comes out in thick globs. The excessive mucous in the throat is what causes the cough, which can significantly disturb the patient’s sleep at nights. Other Kali bich keynotes may OR may NOT be present, including shortness of breath, vomiting (likely as a result of too much mucous in the throat that does not come out, and the forced coughing which is an unconscious attempt to bring the mucous up can cause vomiting in some patients), diarrhea, headache (often in one spot), and “wondering” aches and pains, foggy thinking (due to all the phlegm in the sinuses), and a strange sense of hopelessness and gloominess (that is out of proportion to what the body is going through). In one case, the patient acted as if she was dying of some terminal cancer!
Nearly all the patients I have treated have felt excessively cold.
One dose of Kali bich 200C has NOT been sufficient in a good number of the cases I have treated so far. Some patients do well with one dose, but many need 2-3 doses of 200C, taking one dose every few days. Over the last few weeks, I have been recommending Kali bich 1M, and have found it to be significantly more effective than the 200C. I send patients home with at least 1, ideally 3, doses of this remedy (be it 200C or 1M) and instruct them to take the extra dose only if their symptoms improve initially, followed by a plateauing effect for say 12 hours or by a return/worsening of the acute symptoms. As always, as long as the patient is improving, they do not need to redose. (For beginners, one “dose” should be at least 5 pellets.) In majority of the cases, patients report an opening sensation in their throat and sinuses before they even leave the office. The mucous breaks up and starts to flow down the throat. The decongestion effect of this remedy is absolutely incredible.
Clearly you must remember that the symptom picture might change week by week, so this remedy may or may not be the suitable remedy a few weeks from now. Just remember that if patients come in with sinusitis (sensation of pressure/discomfort in the sinuses), sinus headache, nasal congestion, complaint of much phlegm/mucous in the throat (thick mucus regardless of whether it’s stuck or flowing), and cough, you should most definitely consider prescribing this wonderful remedy. And, again, the 1M appears to be more effective than 200C.
My patients’ ongoing “constitutional” remedy does NOT seem to be very effective in the treatment of the acute sinusitis/cough that is going around at the present time. This is a great example of how “acute” prescribing is necessary at times. For example, a few months ago, I had a case of sinusitis/cough that I prescribed Phosphorus 1M for. The remedy Phosphorus happened to be the patient’s core or constitutional remedy, and seemed to cover the acute symptoms on hand fairly well. However, the patient was not helped much at all. The remedy Kali bich 200C was significantly more effective in her case. I have seen this situation in many cases so far during this cold/flu season, and that is why I am not even recommending that patients take their regular “constitutional” remedy for the treatment of their upper respiratory infections these days. In fact, one could say that, presently, for some reason (and I am not certain why) people’s “constitution” appears to be changing to Kali bich temporarily (or the remedy that best matches their present “state” or the acute state at hand is Kali bich) regardless of the underlying ongoing constitution that they used to have.
I have been told by all the patients who happened to have tried antibiotics that their symptoms were not relieved at all. Many seem so stay sick for over a month or two without homeopathic care. Some were sick for a few months before they took the remedy Kali bich at my office. Some were hospitalized and were put on numerous rounds of antibiotics and steroids only to find that the illness returned as soon as they stopped the above therapies. In fact, even herbal supplements designed for treating acute infections do not appear to be very effective. Unfortunately, I believe the only effective therapy for this acute upper respiratory tract infection going around is homeopathy. Therefore, please pass this information to other NDs or practitioners who may not be well verse in homeopathy.
You may also send patients home with the following information:
How often should you take your prescribed homeopathic remedy during acute conditions?
Take a dose. Wait to see improvements. Here are the various possibilities. Whether you take more of the same homeopathic remedy or consider a different one depends on how you feel after the first dose of today’s remedy:
1) As long as you are improving (or your health is climbing), you do NOT need to take another dose. In other words, you do not want to take two doses of the same homeopathic remedy too close to each other (if you are already improving) as this may have a negative effect on you. (The analogy would be to push someone too hard from behind to make him/her walk faster when (s)he is already walking as fast (s)he can! The person may fall forward and get hurt!)
2) If you stop improving (plateau for 24-48 hours or more) OR if your condition gets worse again (after an initial improvement), then you should take the next dose of the remedy. Most patients need to take a dose of their homeopathic remedy when the effect of the previous dose has worn off by at least 50%. In other words, don’t just take a 2nd or 3rd dose of the remedy just because you have had a small setback, i.e. just because you feel 10-30 or even 40% worse. Wait until you are certain the remedy needs a real boost before you take the 2nd or future doses.
3) If the first dose does not provide any improvements within a few up to 24 hours maximum, it is most likely because either the selected remedy is incorrect or you need other therapies along with or instead of homeopathic treatment. Having said this, sometimes patients need a 2nd dose of their remedy before they feel any improvements. In such cases, you may want to wait at least several hours after the 1st dose before you try the 2nd dose of the remedy.
NOTE: Remember that coffee (regular or decaf both) can antidote homeopathic remedies. Therefore, as long as you are ill you should be completely avoiding coffee. Additionally, you ought to avoid sugar, alcohol, fruit juice, soda pop, and junk food all together until you are completely well. Last, but not least, if you happen to know what foods you are allergic to, you may want to avoid them until you feel much better. And, if you don’t know what foods you are allergic to, you may want to note that the top most allergenic foods in the U.S. at the present time are gluten, dairy, soy, corn and eggs. The chances are that you are allergic to a number of the foods mentioned above.
How to maximize the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies?
There are various ways of helping maximize the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies. The following are the most common techniques I have discovered over the years which I recommend you take note of if you use homeopathic remedies at all:
Always take homeopathic remedies at least 15 minutes away from food/drinks. Ideally, you should be fully fed and hydrated BEFORE you take your homeopathic remedy. Prior to taking the remedy AND for at least 15 minutes after taking the remedy, you should be sitting down, relaxed, your mind free of all thoughts/worries; try to be almost in a prayerful/meditative state. If possible, avoid perfumes at least on the day when you take the remedy.
Do your best to have an easy day without much stress on days when you take a homeopathic remedy. On such days, go to bed early, don’t drink alcohol, don’t get into arguments with people, don’t work too hard and avoid junk food. The remedies seem to work better if you receive EFT or “tapping” (a form of acupressure) by me in the office. Therefore, ideally reserve your remedy and take it during our visits together. Remember coffee seems to antidote (or cancel the effect of) homeopathic remedies; therefore, for as long as you are enjoying the effect of your remedy (which could be a number of months or even years), you should seriously consider avoiding coffee (regular or decaf). Caffeine (from any source other than coffee) is fine, however. Other factors that can antidote homeopathic remedies are listed in the document called “Basics of Constitutional Homeopathy” which can be found under Educational Articles on our website, www.drsharif.com.
One “dose” of a homeopathic remedy is about 5 pills, all of which are typically dispensed in ONE small yellow envelope. In homeopathy the number of pills is immaterial (although you should take at least 3-5 pills at a time just to make sure you get enough of the medicine), it’s indeed the potency that counts.
Please share this blog with fellow practitioners and even patients.
Wish you all the best.
Dr. Sharif