July 2009 : Volume 11 : Number 6

Welcome to the July Newsletter,

July has been an interesting month in the clinic with influenza cases climbing around the country.  While some people have had very mild cases of the flu and I suspect this is the swine flu or H1N1 strain, some people have taken a long time to recover, or recovered and then become ill again, perhaps indicating one of the other strains floating around.  The convalescence period has also been quite long in some cases with severe weakness, intermittent fever and cough.

Remedies for Convalescence after Influenza

People who are slow to recover from flu generally seem to have a personal or family history of respiratory weakness or other conditions where the immune system is compromised to some degree.  Sometimes remedies like Calc Carb and Silica can be helpful to finish off a cold or flu, but often constitutional treatment is required, which also helps prevent ongoing issues with colds and coughs.

Just for your interest, here are a few of the remedies I have found useful during recovery from the current influenza epidemic.

Influenzinum - this remedy is made from the flu itself and has certainly been indicated in treating some of the cases I've seen.  However it has been very useful for some of the after effects of the flu such as rheumatic pains, headaches, weakness and fatigue, and a general unwell feeling that has lingered.  I have been using it in a high potency, so if you have not got over the flu, you may need a bit of a constitutional tune up, perhaps including some Influenzinum to clear the virus.

Tuberculinum - another constitutional remedy - has been very useful in patients who have a tendency to respiratory complaints or a family history of related illnesses.  Tuberculinum Aviare some of you may remember as a key remedy when Bird Flu was around, and is a great remedy for coughs which don't resolve after influenza or a cold.

Bacillinum is a similar remedy to the above and indicated in some cases of lung inflammation which are slow to resolve.

Gelsemium - is a good remedy where the patient is still feeling weak, tired, heavy and listless sometime after the other symptoms have resolved.

The sinus remedies such as Kali Bich, Silica or Merc can also be useful where the illness gets stuck in the sinuses or the Sinus Combination of tissue salts can be useful where the condition isn't usually chronic.  Alternatively try our Congestion Combination containing Kali Bich, Hydrastis and Pulsatilla which is a more heavy duty option, covering both sinus and respiratory congestion.

Neti Pots

It's the time of year when I remind you again of the benefits of using a neti pot to help resolve colds, sinus infections and even asthma.

Great for dealing with symptoms of hayfever, sinus, asthma and general congestion, the neti pot has been used for many centuries by yogis and people 'in the know' about respiratory health and nasal health!

Simple to use and with detailed instructions, fill your neti pot with warm salty water and flush the nasal cavity.   They are extremely effective and because of the flow of the warm water thru the sinuses will give much better results than using FES and similar. We know - we use them regularly ourselves!

Remedies for Winter Illness including Influenza

If you've already had a dose of the flu this year, don't become complacent around taking your Anas Barb. There is still quite a way to go with the winter and I have found from experience that spring and autumn are usually the worst times for viral illness to strike.  Not only can you use Anas Barb for prevention of viral illness (and bacterial) but you can use it if you've been in contact with a carrier or indeed start to get symptom.  See the Cold, Flu, Sinus flyer on the website.

Here's some feedback from a family who have been using Anas Barb and are happy with the results:

Just thought you'd be interested in some feedback. My family takes 1 dose of Anas Barb weekly. My son still got the flu (Milk Allergies, bowel infection history and goes to child care so more susceptible), but his brother, myself and my husband did not catch it. We had my Dad and another family of 4 staying with us at the time my son had the flu, every other person staying here caught it off my son. I am sure my husband, myself and my youngest son have been protected from the regular use of Anas Barb.

What you can treat at home

While homeopathy is safe and easy to use when you follow the guidelines, it is important to remind home prescribers that you should only be treating conditions which are acute and self-limiting.  By this I mean that the condition would have resolved itself under the influence of a healthy immune system; so situations like minor accidents and injuries, illnesses like coughs, colds, sore throats or headaches, and events like shock or acute anxiety (such as before going to the dentist).

Any condition which is chronic or an acute flare-up of a chronic condition should be treated by a qualified practitioner to ensure the correct protocol in terms of remedies, potency and dosage are used. Incorrect treatment in chronic conditions can make the problem more deep seated, more difficult to treat or, in some cases, results in other symptoms appearing if the remedies are incorrect and overused.  Home prescribers should not be treating conditions like asthma, skin conditions, migraines or heart problems - just to name a few.

Homeopathic treatment is affordable, as are the remedies, and you will generally find that homeopathic practitioners are results-driven and will always go the extra mile because of their determination to find "the remedy"!

Remedies at Kalamunda Chiropractor

Many of you will have made use of the above service, but were you aware there is a box of assorted remedies as well as our kits and standard single remedies?  This box includes many smaller remedies which you may not be able to get locally. If in doubt ask Tami, Kim or Hazel.

If you use this service regularly and there is an item you would like to see in stock drop me an email.

What's new on the Website

Many of you will know that my love affair with homeopathy began in the mid 80s treating my pets, before progressing on to study this amazing system of medicine. 

As I know many of you treat your animals, we have researched and added some specialized books and kits to our website over the last month.  We now have kits and related books for dogs, cats and horses, as well as a general book on Homeopathic First Aid for Animals.  These books are quite hard to source in Australia so stocks are currently limited.

Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth & Baby's First Year is another book which is very popular during pregnancy, but very hard to source.  In the past we've had a friendly bookshop in Perth order in copies for us from the USA, but have finally convinced our wholesaler to stock this book. 

Tissue Salt Handbook  I love the tissue salts and prescribe them most days in the clinic.  They are easy to use, particularly because there are only 12 of them, easy to buy in most pharmacies, and work really well.  If you like the tissue salts too, why not add this great little book to your bookshelf.

For the month of August, all website orders will receive a FREE bottle of Rescue Remedy in pilules and orders over $75 will also receive FREE standard postage.

As always, if your home prescribing does not prove effective, please contact your homeopath.

Vaccination - Swine Flu

Most of you will be aware that pharmaceutical companies are in a race to produce and sell a Swine Flu Vaccine and that the Australian Government has pre-ordered 21 million doses of this new vaccine.  While some of you will be pro-vaccination, there are two sides to every story and the information below has come to me via the AVN (Australian Vaccination Network). 

I believe we should all be able to make informed choices about everything in life, particularly vaccination because of its potentially damaging side effects.  We all value good health and we want to do the best for our children and families.  Whatever your views, I urge you to read the information below and consider it carefully. This information is an excerpt from the AVN Media Release.  View the full item on their website www.avn.org.au then make up your own mind.

The story today
Prior to April of this year, nobody had heard of the H1N1 swine flu. Having gone through several scares over the past decade with other influenza viruses which were claimed to have the potential to kill or seriously injure millions around the world (SARS and Avian Influenza), the world's populations could have been excused for greeting this new outbreak with more then a touch of scepticism.

In fact, if there is a pandemic of this virus, it is very possible - some think even likely - that it is a man-made pandemic. Australian researcher, Adrian Gibbs, one of the researchers who created the influenza drug, Tamiflu, has stated that his investigations have indicated that this is a laboratory-created virus which has escaped into the population.(5)  This hypothesis is of interest since the initial outbreak in Mexico City started in close proximity to Baxter Labs' vaccine facility.(6)

Baxter is now infamous for shipping batches of human influenza vaccines which had been contaminated with live Avian influenza (bird flu) virus to 18 European countries.(7)  It was only due to the excellent due diligence of a lab in the Czech republic that this contamination was discovered prior to the vaccine being administered to millions of people. Had that occurred, we might now be looking at a pandemic of bird flu rather than swine flu.

Swine flu vaccination - a shot in the dark
Influenza vaccines are among the most ineffective shots in the vaccine armoury. In healthy adults, the estimates of effectiveness range from a low of 0% to a high of 96% - depending on the study. In the elderly and immune-suppressed, the figures seem to hover at between 21 and 25% effective. In addition, some influenza vaccines still contain mercury in the form of thiomersal while the new swine flu vaccines are being made with novel, oil-based adjuvants which have been linked in the past with severe long-term neurological and other adverse health effects.

These vaccines are not being properly tested and in fact, the vaccine manufacturers have been indemnified against litigation so even if you or your child has a bad reaction, the company that made and profited from the shots will not be held responsibly - morally, ethically or financially.(12)

Despite the lack of information about these vaccine's safety or effectiveness, it is planned that every man, woman and child will be vaccinated - both here in Australia and overseas. In fact, the first targets for these needles will be pregnant women and children.

This vaccine - like all vaccines - has never been evaluated for its effect on developing foetuses. In addition, if we follow the lead of the United States, when this vaccine is administered to children, it will mean 4 additional shots in one year for kids - 2 of the human influenza vaccine - 2 of the swine flu. Our children will now be facing in excess of 60 vaccines before they reach school age if 4 annual flu shots are added to the childhood vaccination schedule.

NB:  The views in some of the items published in the newsletter are not necessarily those of Elements of Health but are included for interest and information.

Postage Price Increase: Not on our website!

The cost of postage has gone up yet again, however, we will be absorbing the increase so we can maintain prices for as long as possible.

Users of Homeopropylaxis (Homeopathic Immunisation)

If you have purchased a kit to use with your family, please ensure you keep me updated of any changes in your email/contact details.  Sometimes there are changes to the program and I may need to get in touch with you.

You can contact me at: melanie@elementsofhealth.com.au or phone 0409 089965

Please note the clinic is closed on Thursdays.

Until next time,
Warmest wishes

Melanie Creedy