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Entries in homeopathic medicines (11)

Tuesday
May182010

Can You Simply CHOOSE Health?

DateTuesday, May 18, 2010 at 10:14AM

 

Choices are everywhere at every moment. What shall we eat? What shall we do or say? To those of you who like to be aware and conscious about how you are living your lives, you will be very aware that we also have a choice in every moment what to think or not to think. Although our minds are often very dominant in our lives, WE ARE NOT OUR MIND and we do have a say in what thought processes can be dominant at any given time. 


Let's get right back to basics here. When you are unwell and you know that getting more sleep or eating such and such will help you recover, and you do not do it, you are effectively saying to yourself that you are choosing to maintain or encourage your poor state of health. When you do the opposite, you are signaling to your body that you place a value on it beyond what it can do for you and that you are prepared to give yourself what you need to get well. 
 
But let's get beneath this surface layer and look at the deeper issues around choice and health.
 

Accommodation of Ill-Health 

 
As a Homeopath I see many chronically unwell patients. Some with a multitude of conditions lasting many years. Often they have done many practical things to try and get well and conventional medicine has had no answers for them. Sometimes they have also tried many alternative medical approaches for their health, and for some reason they still are unwell.  When this happens there is consequentially a considerable accommodation of their illness within their lives. They have to change behaviors to make sure there is a place for their illness; in effect ...they make room for it. Although completely understandable, this is also an encouragement for ill-health to be maintained. 
 

Sub-conscious Beliefs 

 
When we are suffering, on a conscious level of course we want our suffering and discomfort to stop. On a deeper sub-conscious level however, we might be telling ourselves a whole different set of things. These are often referred to as limiting beliefs and play a very powerful role in whether we get well or not. Some common examples are:
 
  • My body does not have the capacity to get over this 
  • If I let go of this illness who will I be then? (Common after very prolonged ill-health) 
  • When I am ill I get lots of attention from people who are close to me...this will stop if I recover 
  • If I am well I will have to face situations that are frightening to me and I am not up to it
 

So how can we access these limiting beliefs and change our health? 

 
Homeopathy is one of those medicines that actually works profoundly on all levels. The most rewarding part of constitutional Homeopathic treatment (when the Homeopath prescribes for the whole person rather then just their physical acute symptoms), is that the original complaint the patient presented heals, but more rewarding still is that the person undergoes a whole transformation in personal growth. The degree of which depends on both the condition and the person, as well as the efficacy of the Homeopathic prescription. For example:
 
A workaholic patient came to the consulting room with his chronic skin condition. Over time with Homeopathic treatment, his workaholic, obsessive nature softened and he ended up living a life free from self-restraint, feeling empowered about his choices and with a good work-life balance. (His wife was very pleased!). (His skin condition was also cured after 20 years.)
 
Or the patient with sinusitis for over 10 years learns after a Homeopathic medicine to express her emotions and starts connecting better with friends, family and work colleagues and feels a sense of freedom in her life that she had forgotten was possible. She also stopped having recurrent sinusitis.
 

Ask Yourself This...

 
One of the most important questions you can choose to ask yourself if you are chronically unwell is this:
 
What is the pay-off for me in maintaining this state of ill-health? 
 
Take a piece of paper and write this question at the top. When you have overcome the initial sense of understandable indignation from the idea that you might be getting any benefits from your ill-health, take a deep breath and start downloading all the things that spring to mind. Don't consider , just let ideas flow, and pretty soon you will find that although you detest your health issue, you often have quite a few benefits too. Becoming aware of this fact will in itself start to shift your subconscious beliefs as you are tapping right into your deepest fears and ideas and bringing them into conscious consideration. 
 
This is a great place to start. Once you have completed this exercise this may be enough to help start a conscious shift and release of old patterns. If it is not, then you need some assistance so make an appointment with me or your local Homeopath today. 
 
Happy Homeopathic Prescribing
 
 If you want regular homeopathic inspiration from The Homeopathic Coach, visit her new blog and join as a member to be the first in line for new tips and offers as they are released!  
© Sam Adkins 2010
Would you like to include this article in your newsletter or website? 
You can as long as you include the following blurb with it:
This article was brought to you by Sam Adkins The Homeopathic Coach who teaches families about healthy living and natural remedies using homeopathic medicine. An internationally renowned expert, her helpful articles are regularly syndicated online.  She publishes the ezine Homeopathy@Home to provide free Homeopathic tips, tools and resources to educate and inspire you to use Homeopathy at home. www.thehomeopathiccoach.com 
  

 

 

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Saturday
May012010

A New Approach to Asthma With Homeopathy and Diet

DateSaturday, May 1, 2010 at 1:59PM

  

Like eczema, asthma is an inflammatory disease. In asthma the airways become constricted by swelling, making breathing difficult. In developed countries 1 in 4 children have asthma as opposed to 1 in 18 people 40 years ago. Corticosteroids such as Flixotide and Pulmicort in the form of puffers are widely used to treat asthma but these pharmaceutical drugs do nothing to change the progression of the disease. A broader, nutritional and environmental approach is required, and when combining this approach with Homeopathy, significant improvements or cures can be achieved. 

 

Pharmaceutical medications

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, there was no difference in rates of asthma or morning breathing between those individuals using their medications daily as prescribed, and those using them intermittently.(1) This study suggests that daily use of corticosteroids may not be necessary and this is good news as these medications have some serious side effects. These longer term side effects include reduction of 1 inch of height per year in children and loss of bone density in later life. This does suggest that it would be worth exploring with your GP whether you can safely reduce the use of your puffer. 
(1) H Boushey et al., 'Daily versus As-Needed Corticosteroids fro Mild persistent Asthma' New England Journal of medicine, vol 352 (15), 2005, pp1519-28  

Environmental Load 

An effective approach to asthma treatment is to reduce the total 'environmental load' that an asthma sufferer is experiencing. This includes identifying food, chemical and environmental allergens, decreasing inflammatory agents in the diet, and reducing stress which is a well established asthma trigger. Reducing this load as well as introducing important nutritional and Homeopathic measures can have a highly positive effect on an asthma sufferer, sometimes eradicating asthma altogether!

Nutritional Self-Help Guidelines for Asthma

• Increase your antioxidants intake of fresh fruit and vegetables especially increase your intake of broccoli, apples, berries, peppers (capsicum) and citrus fruit. 
• Antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamin C and A have been shown in studies to have some positive results and I suggest combining them with Vitamin E and Selenium. 
• Take an Omega 3 supplements 1000mg of combined EPA/DHA daily (adult dose) 
• Reduce meat and dairy content of the diet to reduce the intake of arachadonic acid which contributes to inflammation. If you are a severe asthma sufferer remove all wheat and dairy from your diet for 6 weeks to see how you improve:) 
• Take an MSM supplement as it decreases allergic responses and provides intestinal flora with the requirements to make anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory amino acids. 
• Increase intake of Zinc, magnesium and Qercertin 
• East plenty of organic free range eggs
 

The Homeopathic Approach to Asthma 

Homeopathic medicines can be a viable alternative to steroid medications. They can be given as an acute treatment in place of puffers but more importantly, Homeopathic professional treatment working with the whole person can cure asthma entirely. Please remember that although you may be keen to try some natural and effective alternatives, you must consult your doctor before you take any steps to reduce your asthma medications. When treating asthma patients I always wait until significant positive changes are observed and then suggest the patient pays their GP a visit to discuss whether a reduction in medications might be viable. 

Some Homeopathic medicines for acute asthma 

The following medicines are a few of the many Homeopathic prescriptions for an acute asthma episode. If one of these medicines fits your asthma symptoms, you will find it highly effective. If you can't find a good fit here see your local Homeopath (or book a skype consult with me) because there are too many options to include in this post!
 
Antimonium Tartaricum 30
This is a good asthma remedy for children and the elderly particularly when the asthma has been caused by an infection such as bronchitis or obstructive pulmonary disease. The cough will sound wet and there will be coarse rattling in the chest on both inspiration and expiration. The patient will be worse lying down and at night generally.They may be irritable and want to be left alone.
 
Apis Mellifica 30
Use Apis for an asthma attack in an acute allergic reaction. Breath feels tight and painful with dry wheezing. The patient will feel better in open air and much worse for heat or hot drinks.
 
Carbo Vegetalis 30
Severe acute attacks of wheezing with significant belching and flatus. patient feel very weak and may collapse.
 
Arsenicum Album 30 
Short, dry asthmatic cough with a wheeze.
 
Phosphorus 30
use this medicine when every infection goes to the chest with a wheeze and cough. Worse in the morning, at twilight and especially at 10pm or with sudden changes in temperature. Better for lying on the right side.
 
Pulsatilla 30
This patient has both forms of asthma: wet acute infections with greeny discharges and also allergic asthma (often hayfever related). In both cases the patient must sit up during the asthma crisis and is better for fresh air. Even fanning may help them feel better. 
 
Natrum Sulph 30
Asthma worse in damp conditions often with morning diarrohea.

Warning!
If you try one of these Homeopathic medications because it describes your asthma well, you are in danger of seeing a significant improvement in the frequency and severity of your acute attacks. For complete overall improvement or cure you need to book in with your local experienced Homeopath. 

If this selection of Homeopathic medicines for acute asthma does not describe your type of asthma, then I advise you to visit your local Homeopath who can combine environmental, dietary and Homeopathic treatment to treat your asthma highly effectively. Or alternatively book a skype online consult  with me

Happy Homeopathic prescribing :)  

Note: I am indebted in this article to the excellent nutritional advice in Patrick Holford's book: " Food is Better Medicine Than Drugs"

 

AuthorSam Adkins | Comment4 Comments | |
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Monday
Apr192010

Treating Insomnia with Homeopathy

DateMonday, April 19, 2010 at 10:00PM

Insomnia is often a complex problem with many underlying factors at play. The most common cause of chronic insomnia is actually the fear of not being able to sleep which is kind of ironic isn't it? In my previous blog post: Homeopathy and Insomnia - The Background - I explained the main chemicals involved in sleep and gave nutritional and supplemental advice. Now I am going to look at some specific Homeopathic medicines that may help you with your sleeping issues.    

  
 

Using Homeopathy yourself for Insomnia

As insomnia is such a complex problem often with issues such as underlying anxiety, it usually requires the services of a professional Homeopath. I find that treating the whole person is highly effective. However, if your sleep issue fits the descriptions in the medicines below, they are definitely worth a try, especially if you have not had your insomnia for a long time. 
 


Some General Self-Help

  • Stop all work (including social networking on your computor)  1 hour before bedtime
  • Increase your exercise to daily but not after 5pm
  • Avoid eating after 8pm
  • Avoid ALL caffeine products including chocolate
  • A milk drink before bed supplies extra Tryptophan
  • Wake the same time each day
  • Remove the clock from your room

 
Homeopathic medicines that may help you

Coffea 30
Use this medicine when you have mental over-activity due to good or bad newsl and you are just unable to switch off. 
 
Nux Vomica 30
When you are under enormous mentaL strain or pressure, or you have withdrawn recently from alcohol or sleeping tablets. Significant irritability in the daytime will be experienced when you need this medicine.
 
Lycopodium 30
If you need this medicine you will wake regularly at around 4am. Your mind will be active at bedtime replaying events from the day over and over. You wil dream alot and talk or laugh in your sleep.
 
Arsenicum 30
Your wakeful time will be between 12 and 2am and you will feel anxious and very restless. If you dream they will be dreams of danger. 
 
Cocculus 30
Use this medicine when you are overtired and giddy, irritable from being up looking after someone else such as a sick child.
 
Rhus Tox 30
When you cannot sleep because there is pain or dicomfort and it makes you feel veryt restless so that you want to get up and walk about. Irritable and restless.
 

Dosage

Take your chosen Homeopathic medcine 30 minutes before bed and repeat when you turn the light off. Repeat if you wake in the night and use as long as you are getting relief. If you do not have an improvemnt stop the medicine.
 
These are just 6 of the medicines that can be effective for treating insomnia. Remember the best Homeoapthic treatment for chronic sleep issues will come to you from a qualified and experienced Homeopath.
 
Happy Homeopathic prescribing :) 

 

 
 
If you want regular homeopathic inspiration from The Homeopathic Coach, visit her new blog and join as a member to be the first in line for new tips and offers as they are released!

© Sam Adkins 2010
Would you like to include this article in your newsletter or website?
You can as long as you include the following blurb with it:

This article was brought to you by Sam Adkins The Homeopathic Coach who teaches families about healthy living and natural remedies using homeopathic medicine. An internationally renowned expert, her helpful articles are regularly syndicated online.  She publishes the ezine Homeopathy@Home to provide free Homeopathic tips, tools and resources to educate and inspire you to use Homeopathy at home. www.thehomeopathiccoach.com
 

AuthorSam Adkins | Comments Off | |
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Wednesday
Mar312010

Homeopathy and Insomnia - The Background

DateWednesday, March 31, 2010 at 10:57AM


Lack of sleep can be a terrible thing. It affects your mood, your physical condition and mental acuity. When it is chronic and insomnia becomes a part of your life, it can get overwhelming. In all cases chronic insomnia starts with a specific trigger such as being woken by a newborn baby,  or suffering an emotional upheaval or stress, and then is maintained either because the original stressor does not subside or because your body's response to it becomes habitual. This post examines the chemical and hormonal background behind insomnia with a view to increasing your understanding and therefore your ability to overcome it.
 

 

Mindset

It is so easy to say this and hard to hear, but your mindset can be an important factor in overcoming insomnia. I think it is very important that once you understand some of the underlying hormonal influencers on your sleep patterns, you can start to feel more in control and empowered around your sleep issue. The moment you relinquish the idea of you being able to effect a change, then you also give up the power to help yourself.


 
Anxiety and insomnia


More often than not anxiety plays a major part in insomnia. Even if anxiety was not your original trigger, the sense of anxiety that arises around not being able to sleep means that it can become a significant and understandable factor. This is commonly treated with Homeopathy.

Let's take a look at the main chemical and hormonal influencers on our sleep.
 


Adrenaline


This is our get up and go hormone. Levels are at their peak in the morning to get you going, and they drop at night to allow you to switch off and sleep. If you drink coffee or have other stimulants, or you are under stress, your adrenaline levels do not fall and this can pevent you from getting to sleep.


 
GABA


This is a neurotransitter called gamma aminobutyric acid. It has many functions but a key one is that is inhibits the production of adrenaline; so activities you can do that increase your production of GABA are important if you have difficulty getting to sleep. When your levels of GABA are low you feel anxious, and depressed and when your levels rise your heart beat slows, your breathing rate slows and your muscles relax. GABA can be bought as an amino acid in some health food stores and taken as a supplement.


 
Seratonin and Melatonin


Seretonin is known as the 'feel good' neurotransmitter. If we have low levels we can feel 'down' and Seratonin levels rise as adrenaline levels fall during the evening. As it gets darker outside, Melatonin levels (which is made from Seratonin) rise. This is why jetlag can be such as issue for some people as their wake-sleep cycle is disrupted and it takes a few days for their body to make the right nuerotransmitters in the right amounts for them to settle into a new sleep cycle. The key piece of information here is that if you do not have sufficient levels of Seratonin, you cannot make enough Melatonin and Seratonin is made from Typtophan. If you are lacking Melatonin your sleep symptoms may be some or all of the following:

1. Difficulty getting to sleep
2. Difficulty staying asleep/sleeping 'lightly'
3. Waking very early


 
So What Can you do to help Yourself?


1.Take specific Nutrients
One way to treat a lack of Seratonin is to supply your body with the nutrients it needs to make it. Seratonin is made from 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan). This
is basically a combination of Trypophan and the following nutrients:

Folic Acid
Vitamin B6
Vitamin C
Zinc
 
Taking a high potency supplement containing these nutrients should support the production of Seratonin and therefore Melatonin.

2. Eat more Tryptophan containing foods such as chicken, cheese, tuna, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds.
 
3. 5-HTP
As a Homeopath I would not reccommend taking Melatonin as it can have some unpleasant side effects. When insomnia is really entrenched however and the anxiety and emotional and mental root causes are being addressed, it can sometimes help to take a supplement of 5HTP. As the buidling block of Seratonin and therefore Melatonin , this allows your body to convert the correct amount and means your body is being encouraged to do most of the work to help get you back on track.
This can break the clinical loop that has been established and can be very useful when patients are on insomnia pharmaceutical drugs as it can enable them to reduce their dosages. 5-HTP needs to be taken 1-4 MG 45 minutes before sleep with a carbohydrate snack such as a cracker. Eating carbohydrate with your supplement cause the release of  insulin and insulin transports tryptophan to the brain.According to experts 5-HTP should not be taken in combination with SSRI anti-depressant drugs so please consult your GP.
 
4. Magnesium and Calcium
Both these minerals work synergistically to calm and relax muscles and nerves. If you suffer from insomnia you may find it helpful to take a supplement.
 


Homeopathy and Insomnia

While there is sometimes a place for a very short term use of sleep medications, they have been shown to cause dependency after 7 days. Homeopathy is a good support for stress, anxiety and trauma. It is also effective when well prescribed at treating sleep issues. If you are already on longterm sleep pharmaceutical drugs you need to reduce the dose very slowly in conjunction with your GP because most insomnia medications cause the body to be less sensitive to your own GABA so you can experience a rebound level of anxiety. Homeopathy can really help at this time but the ideal time to visit your Homeopath for insomnia treatment is before you get to the stage when you need to take any pharmaceutical drugs for insomnia.
 
 
Happy Homeopathic prescribing :) 

If you want regular homeopathic inspiration from The Homeopathic Coach, visit her new blog and join as a member to be the first in line for new tips and offers as they are released!
© Sam Adkins 2010
Would you like to include this article in your newsletter or website?
You can as long as you include the following blurb with it:
This article was brought to you by Sam Adkins The Homeopathic Coach who teaches families about healthy living and natural remedies using homeopathic medicine. An internationally renowned expert, her helpful articles are regularly syndicated online.  She publishes the ezine Homeopathy@Home to provide free Homeopathic tips, tools and resources to educate and inspire you to use Homeopathy at home. www.thehomeopathiccoach.com

 

 

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Monday
Dec142009

Treat Your own Nausea in Pregnancy with Homeopathy

DateMonday, December 14, 2009 at 5:09PM
 

Sometimes euphemistically called 'Morning sickness', nausea and vomiting can unfortunately be a common issue for pregnant women, especially in the first trimester. By week 14 many women find that their nausea symptoms are often improved and for some completely gone; however for some pregnant women nausea and vomiting can continue until birth (although this is rare.)

 
There are multiple theories around why nausea and vomiting are a common experience for many pregnant women. Dismissed by medics as a simple hormonal imbalance it is not actually known why this occurs and I believe it is more complex. It is an interesting thought that pregnancy is the first time that our bodies grow an effectively 'foreign' tissue inside them and the first time our bodies undergo such an amazing transformation. It is no wonder really that at many levels there may be hurdles and imbalances, and perhaps resistance on some deep levels, as this amazing effort takes place. 
 
On the physical, mental and emotional levels the mother has to surrender to the process of pregnancy whilst finding a balance within herself that takes care of her own person as well as the growing life of her baby. This is a really huge deal!
 
Homeopathy can alleviate these symptoms and it is also important to follow the self-help measures below.
 

Self-Help

1.Low blood sugar can sometimes be a trigger for nausea in pregnancy. In view of this, it is a good idea to keep a low sugar, high protein snack with you at all times.  I suggest pumpkin seeds or trail mix and that you eat small, frequent meals.
 
2.If your nausea is severe and you are having difficulty eating then try hard to ensure that everything you put in your mouth is nutrient dense. 
 
3.If your nausea is bad on waking then it often helps to consume something before you actually leave the bed. A cup of herbal tea with a dry biscuit or cracker often helps. It is also important that you set your alarm a few minutes earlier so you can take your time and not have to rush. 
 
4.Meditation may also help with nausea. 
  
5.Make a tea from fresh ginger and sip it warm or cold during the day.
 

Three Useful Homeopathic medicines

 
Sepia: If your nausea intensifies when thinking of or smelling food that you would normally like to eat, then this might be your medicine. You may feel irritable, emotional and ambivalent about many things including loved ones such as your children and partner. You are much worse for fasting, and when you eat a small amount the nausea is alleviated. You  may have a characteristic heavy or 'bearing down' sensation in the pelvis.
 
Pulsatilla: The nausea will be worse for being in stuffy rooms and better for fresh air. You will be worse for over eating, or after eating fatty/rich foods, fruit, milk and bread.
 
Nux Vomica: For nausea that is worse in the morning. The pregnant women who will respond well to this medicine for her nausea may well have signs of an overstimulated nervous system. She will be over-wrought or 'hyper' and may well be feeling stressed and anxious. Insomnia may occur and they will have a strong desire to vomit as they feel the nausea will abate if they do. Violent retching without vomiting is common and if the mother has retching as a more prominent symptom than the nausea then Nux Vomica is the right medicine for her.
 
These three Homeopathic medicines are very effective  in treating morning sickness or any other nausea if the symptoms match the description given. For more homeopathic medicines to treat morning sickness or nausea, check out The Homeopathic Coach's NEW Treat Yourself Natural Pregnancy System which I believe is the most comprehensive natutal pregnancy system available:)
 
Launch announcement coming soon!  
 
Happy Homeopathic prescribing :)  
 
 
If you want regular homeopathic inspiration from The Homeopathic Coach, visit her new blog and join as a member to be the first in line for new tips and offers as they are released! 
© Sam Adkins 2009
Would you like to include this article in your newsletter or website? 
You can as long as you include the following blurb with it:
This article was brought to you by Sam Adkins The Homeopathic Coach who teaches families about healthy living and natural remedies using homeopathic medicine. An internationally renowned expert, her helpful articles are regularly syndicated online.  She publishes the ezine Homeopathy@Home to provide free Homeopathic tips, tools and resources to educate and inspire you to use Homeopathy at home. www.thehomeopathiccoach.com 
  
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