My stomach is groaning and quite frankly I feel like vomiting!  I've really enjoyed an extended lunch with my family and a couple of wines but holy guacamole I feel sick now...
​Rarely do I let this happen but every now and again my defences are down and I stop paying attention or the food is just toooooooo...good.  That was today.  I think I ate my weight in chocolate!

​What do I do beside lie down and hope it will pass?  NUX VOMICA either a 30c or a 200c because I'm not fussy.  I just take the 30c more often ie hourly and the 200c every couple of hours but either can be taken as needed even if you get 10min relief and then need another dose.

​Think of Nux Vom if the food is too rich, too fatty or you've eaten too much sugar.  The symptoms of overindulgence of all sorts can be managed with Nux Vomica.

​Overindulged the night before and feeling a wee bit hungover?  Consider Nux Vom to manage the churning stomach and throbbing head (along with a bucket of water).  Hangover be gone!

​Don't despair.  You can have your cake and eat it too!  Nux Vomica to the rescue...

NB Nux vomica is traditionally used in Homeopathic medicine for the symptoms overindulgence of all sorts.

Disclaimer: Homeopathy is a traditional medicine.The TGA considers Homeopathy a low risk medicine. It may be used in conjunction with other medicines. For any ongoing chronic condition, it is important to be assessed or examined by your healthcare professional or specialist. Information given here is in no way intended to take the place of advice from your chosen healthcare professional or specialist. Any examples given from the authors life do not indicate that the remedy in question will work for everyone in every instance. They are used solely to illustrate the use the medicine in a practical situation.
Always seek medical advice in emergencies.
​

"Fever all through the night,  FEVER!".  Oh dear! The secrets out.  I love jazz!  Fever isn't as much fun as a song when you're experiencing it or watching a wee one go through it.  It's important to note that fever is a natural part of the healing.  When we lower it by using Panadol or Ibuprofen we are dulling the bodies own healing process.  The fever is designed, by our very clever bodies, to kill the viral or bacterial pathogen. 
​Of course there are times when the fever makes us miserable and we really want something to manage that.  Instead of reaching for something that dulls the immune system's ability to deal with illness have a look at Homeopathy to help manage the symptoms. You'll not only allow the body to get on with healing but support it to do so.

​There's lots of choice for the home prescriber!  Here's the main ones you need to have in your kit. 
(Please note the following remedies are traditionally used in Homeopathy to support and help reduce a fever that appears with the following set of symptoms)

Aconite- Fevers that come on suddenly.  The child may have an earache.  These fevers are often preceded by cold, windy days. Fever here is dry with a red face. Thirst and restlessness are present.

Belladonna- High temps with red faces.  The eyes are glassy, face red and the heat dry.  They are  typically thirstless.  Any headache will be throbbing.  They may be very irritable too!

Chamomilla- Typically a great teething remedy but can be used for general fever as well.  These folk are cranky too but specifically will reject everything offered even if they have requested it ie they can't be made happy!  You may see only one cheek is red as well.  If it's a smaller child you may find they settle easily in the car and insist on being carried all day.

Ferrum phos- Milder fevers that indicate the early stages of infection. The cheeks may be flushed but the face won't be red. The temperament is also milder and they won't be restless like Aconite or have the higher fever and crankiness of Belladonna.

Gelsemium- Dull, droopy, drowsy are the key words here!  This is a super flu remedy. The eyes will look droopy and be difficult to open, the body may ache and there will most probably be a headache.  The fever may present with shivering chills.

​Pulsatilla- I can't leave out such a lovely remedy for kids!  If the child (or adult) is in need of company and consolation then look to Pulsatilla.  They may be a little teary and children will be invariably clingy and want someone (usually mum) with them patting their head or cuddling them up.  Generally they aren't thirsty and will want fresh air.

Other things you can try for comfort and nurturing are luke warm baths (not cold), cool face washer on heads, cool drinks and of course plenty of rest!  Lavender foot baths are also a lovely thing to do for fever (or any time).  Try not to use a scent stronger than this if you are taking Homeopathics. I'm thinking specifically of tea tree and Eucalyptus.

Have a look at the ​Royal Children's Hospital for some general guidelines for fever but basically if the child is under 3 months old with a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius take them to see a doctor.  If a child complaining of a stiff neck or light hurting their eyes, vomiting and refusing to drink much, a rash, more sleepy than usual, problems with breathing or if your child is in pain considering taking them to a doctor.

Disclaimer: Homeopathy is a traditional medicine.The TGA considers Homeopathy a low risk medicine. It may be used in conjunction with other medicines. For any ongoing chronic condition, it is important to be assessed or examined by your healthcare professional or specialist. Information given here is in no way intended to take the place of advice from your chosen healthcare professional or specialist. Any examples given from the authors life do not indicate that the remedy in question will work for everyone in every instance. They are used solely to illustrate the use the medicine in a practical situation.
Always seek medical advice in emergencies.
​

Love and laughter til next week!
​Sarah

​Either you're wondering what on earth I'm talking about or you're thinking 'What's the difference?'

For those asking the first question, these are two traditionally used homeopathic remedies generally used for the symptoms of sprains and strain type injuries. They help support the body to deal with these uncomfortable injuries. Like most homeopathic remedies their reach is larger than a single symptom but we can stick to the basics. What we're looking for is damage to soft tissue with tenderness, pain, swelling...sounds like arnica too?  Yep.  I'd use Arnica at the time of the injury but after a day or two as the swelling subsides you may see some clear patterns that will help you decide on the next remedy.

​Rhus Toxicodendron is made from Poison Ivy. Itchy? Forget the rash for now, we're concentrating on the sprain and strain aspect of the remedy! This remedy is also about the joints, tendons and connective tissue.  The pains will ALWAYS be better for gentle movement.  For example you've twisted your ankle and it was throbbing overnight. The pain is more tearing than bruised. In the morning, you get up and that ankle is painful and stiff as you hobble to the loo then to the kitchen for a cuppa.  After pottering around for a bit you find that the ankle has loosened up a bit and the pain eased.  But the next morning it is rinse and repeat...RHUS TOX is your friend.  It can also be used in the management of arthritis and sciatica that presents like this too.  For Rhus Tox conditions the cold will make things feel worse as will rest.  If you are better for movement and warmth Rhus Tox is the remedy you seek!​

​
​Ruta Gaveolens is from the well known herb of grace, Rue. We're looking more at injuries to tendons, cartilage, joints and periosteum (this is most likely to happen in places like the shins, outside of the eye socket or the cheek bone).  You'll find the pain is more of a bruised feeling. 

​The big thing to remember is Ruta is ALWAYS better for rest. Not necessarily lying down but just not moving the injured part so much. The movement will aggravate the injury rather than make it feel better.
​Achilles tendon injuries, shin splints, growing pains in shins...all are Ruta type ailments . 
​To use the ankle injury above, if you needed Ruta the pain would be worse for walking around.  The pain would be a bruised feeling rather than tearing. Unfortunately Ruta is also worse for cold and better for warmth so that's not going to help you differentiate!
​As I mentioned Rue is the herb of grace.  Ruta will often follow in a 'fall from grace' whether that's falling off your high heels or tumbling after you just scored a goal...if there was a moment of pride followed by a fall it could be RUTA.  

So that 's the highly simplified version of when to use Rhus Tox and when to use Ruta. They follow Arnica very nicely after an injury. Give it a go! Let me know how you went. 

May your day be filled with laughter!

​Sarah

Disclaimer: Homeopathy is a traditional medicine.The TGA considers Homeopathy a low risk medicine. It may be used in conjunction with other medicines. For any ongoing chronic condition, it is important to be assessed or examined by your healthcare professional or specialist. Information given here is in no way intended to take the place of advice from your chosen healthcare professional or specialist. Any examples given from the authors life do not indicate that the remedy in question will work for everyone in every instance. They are used solely to illustrate the use the medicine in a practical situation.
Always seek medical advice in emergencies.
​

Grief. It's a big bottomless pit that feels like you are in free fall when you are unceremoniously dumped in it.  The further down you go the less likely it seems you will be able claw your way back to the top.  My own memories of deep, deep grief are black...I know it sounds ridiculous but they just aren't there.  Instead it is just black.
​The loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, moving, a change of circumstance, saying good bye...all lead to some sort of grief. It is a natural response and a normal emotion.   I'm not going to tell you Homeopathy can stop the pain or Bowen will numb you.  I won't mention nutrition as most people grieving are completely unaware of what they are eating even if they remember. But all have a place to help you move through the grief in a healthy way.
​Grief belongs to the individual and is different for everyone. As you stand at the edge of that bottomless pit, ready to fall in and be enveloped please know that as you spiral in it is possible to spiral out.​​

​The first time I consciously remember the free fall was horrendous.  I couldn't leave the house and could barely get out of bed.  The deep sobbing lasted weeks and came on doing the simplest of things.  I wouldn't even say I was functioning at that time.  It just seemed endless...Of course it wasn't but it took me so long to move out of that deep stage of grief, I wondered if I would ever feel ok again. 
​The next time grief struck I had homeopathics and my experience was different.  Grief with homeopathics was still painful but I wasn't stuck there.  I was totally enveloped by it, I wallowed in it but never did I feel stuck. I moved through the grief but never did I feel it was taken away from me. It was like finding a ledge in that bottomless pit to hang out on for a while to catch my breath and work out what to do next.
I had my share of sleepless nights but when I did sleep it was restful.  After a short time I was sleeping deeply and restfully through the night.  I definitely feel that I faired well through an exceptionally traumatic and challenging time.  It's not that the pain went.  It was that I could deal with it better.
​
​My top two favourite Homeopathics for grief are Ignatia and  Pulsatilla although there are plenty of others! 

These remedies are traditionally used to support an individual through a time of grief. If you are unable to move it please seek out professional help from your chosen health care provider.
​
​Ignatia (aka ignatia amara)- this is generally used to manage the initial stage of grief.  The inconsolable weeping and shock that can occur.  The grief may also cause inappropriate responses such as laughter at something serious or tears at something funny. 
​Pulsatilla- also a teary remedy but these folks will crave, and be better for, consolation.  They will need to have others around and be much better outside. Their moods will be quite changeable.

Had I been aware of the full benefits of Bowen at the time I would of jumped at the opportunity to have a Bowen session.  There are specific moves that can be used to support the grief but the biggest benefit in terms of grief is putting the body back into rest and repair mode.  It works on settling the nervous system which is something that the grieving person will hugely benefit from. Bowen will give the grieving person time out from the world. 

It is hard to deal with grief and hard to know what is part of the normal process and what is not.  As a society we seem turned off to grief and this makes navigating it even harder.  Counsellors and psychologists are awesome allies to get you through as well so please, please pick up the phone. 
​A GP can organise a mental health plan so you can get a few counselling session free. I've added a few organisations below that do phone or online counselling as well. 
​
​If it is all too much go and see your GP.  Homeopathics and Bowen can both be used in conjunction with any conventional treatments and medications.  The solution can be many fold it doesn't need to be exclusive!

http://griefline.org.au/beta/pages/12
http://www.sands.org.au/find-support
https://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help/

Disclaimer: Homeopathy is a traditional medicine.The TGA considers Homeopathy a low risk medicine. It may be used in conjunction with other medicines. For any ongoing chronic condition, it is important to be assessed or examined by your healthcare professional or specialist. Information given here is in no way intended to take the place of advice from your chosen healthcare professional or specialist. Any examples given from the authors life do not indicate that the remedy in question will work for everyone in every instance. They are used solely to illustrate the use the medicine in a practical situation.
Always seek medical advice in emergencies.
​

References
http://www.naturalmedicine.net.nz/homeopathy/homeopathy-for-grief-and-emotional-trauma/
​http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/bha-charity/how-we-can-help/conditions-a-z/grief/
​http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/homeopathic-medicine-for-sadness-grief-and-depression/