August 2010 : Volume 12 : Number 7

Welcome to the August Newsletter

Although we are really only part way through winter, spring looks like it's making an effort to burst through in our part of southern Tasmania. Many of our trees and shrubs have buds already and the early bulbs are starting to pop their heads up.

Finally the chooks have started to lay again and our new additions are doing their bit too. While it's said to be inadvisable to name your chickens, Bernadette, Lucy, Veronica and B2 - our latest additions to the flock - have started to do their thing, laying tiny, perfectly formed eggs too! The ducks (Sir Francis, Ringo, Queenie and Nursie) have got their full colours now and have joined the gang. They can be heard way up the valley at our neighbours calling out to be let into the garden where they love to sit under the giant conifer. They've also discovered our two very small ponds and all four of them squeeze in for a bit of a bath!

After my huge effort terracing the vegie garden, things are getting going in there too, with my brussell sprouts doing well (after nothing last year) and the beans starting to climb the wigwam. We've also had a reorg in the fruit cage, putting in three more strips of raspberry canes. If they fruit this year we should be inundated - I hope!!

This year has been very dry after last winter's deluge, but maybe you didn't realise Hobart is Australia's driest capital city! Our creek is way down for this time of year, but our spring fed dam is still keeping the toilet flushed, which maintains our tanks at a good level. You don't realise how much water you flush down the toilet until you stop doing it!

It's official, British Government backs homeopathy!

In a recent landmark decision, the British Government emphatically backed the people's right to NHS homeopathy.

A low quality, biased and deeply flawed report, signed by a small handful of MPs constituting the Science and Technology Committee (S&TCo) had sought to thwart the will of those GPs wanting to send patients for NHS homeopathy by calling for the removal of funding of NHS homeopathy. NHS-funded homeopathy has existed since several homeopathic hospitals were invited to become part of the NHS at its formation in 1948.

To read the whole article and other postings click the link: http://drkaplan.co.uk/2010/07/homeopathy/its-official-british-government-backs-nhs-homeopathy/

This decision will undoubtedly set a precedent worldwide and upholds the right of the people to choose their healthcare. This also gives hope and reassurance not just to homeopaths and their patients, but also generally in the power of the people to have their say and to protect their rights.

Homeopathy for Digestive Problems

Another problem that arises frequently in families is digestive issues, such as gastro, tummy aches and so on. Any condition that is ongoing should be treated by a homeopath, but you can certainly have a go at treating acute symptoms in the first instance. I've only covered bowel problems in this newsletter and will cover stomach issues, heartburn, etc next time.

Some of the triggers for more chronic digestive problems are food allergies and intolerances - which are definitely becoming more of a problem - parasites, vaccination, bacterial infections like giardia and obviously inherited tendencies.

While naturopaths generally see gut health as the cause of many health problems, the homeopathic view is that if your gut is not working properly, it's not down to the gut itself. It's obviously important to manage the gut health with probiotics, supplements and by limiting suspect foods among other things, but poor gut health is a symptom in itself - not a cause. The cause is usually something more deep seated (such as anxiety, trauma, stress, grief, poor relationships, etc) that has allowed the immune system to become vulnerable to a negative reaction. Even very small children presenting with tummy aches usually turn out to be suffering stress perhaps from disharmony at home or school, or maybe because a pet has died or a friend has moved away. Sounds simplistic, but in fact fundamental and needs to be addressed!

My 14 year old son tells me I think that everything is emotional and he's right! As a homeopath for over 12 years I've had a few experiences of looking at an acute illness in a patient and making the mistake of treating it purely as an acute. Then when my best efforts don't bring improvement I start to look a little deeper. My favourite question in acute illness is now "what was happening in your life (child's life) in the days, weeks, months before this came on". You'd be amazed at the kind of response this question brings in the vast majority of cases!

So here are a few remedies to use in the treatment of acute digestive problems, but do bear in mind if your home prescribing is not effective and/or the symptoms have been around for some time, you will need professional help to get the bottom of the problem. The remedies below should only be used where travel, holidays, etc disrupt normal diet and exercise habits, or during an acute illness.

Also remember that if you've had a problem for months or years, a single consultation is not going to "fix" the issue. It takes time to get well, just as it took time to become unwell.

Diarrhoea

Aconite Diarrhoea which comes on suddenly after a fright or shock, or after becoming chilled.

Argentum Nitricum Diarrhoea caused by anxiety or apprehension with belching and often a craving for sweet and salty foods.

Arsenicum Album Loose stool which burns, with cramping, colicky pain and anxiety. Worse from cold drinks, ice creams or over-ripe fruit and sometimes a bit better by sipping on hot drinks.

Calc Phos (tissue salts) Diarrhoea in teething children due to poor assimilation of food. Hot, watery, offensive, profuse, sputtering stool. Child is often thin, whingy and anaemic looking.

China Stool like chopped egg, very windy, worse from fruit, very irritable and very weak. Always worse from loss of fluids.

Colchicum Watery stools, tearing pain and nausea made worse by the smell of food.

Colocynthis Diarrhoea with crampy, griping pains. Bending over or pressing on abdomen may lessen the pain. Babies pull their knees into their chest. May come on after anger!

Phytolacca Copious, offensive stool with flatulence. Usually painless but can be urgent. My top remedy for painless diarrhoea and particularly traveller's diarrhoea along with Ars Alb.

Veratrum Album Profuse diarrhoea, vomiting, cold sweats and craving for iced water.

Constipation (acute)

Alumina No desire to open bowels until rectum is completely full. Even a soft stool is difficult to pass and maybe mucous covered or soft and like clay.

Bryonia Large, dry, hard and burnt-looking stool with dry mouth, headaches and congested feeling. Great thirst and irritability.

Ferrum Phos (tissue salts) Often associated with inflammation and fever which dries out the stool.

Lycopodium Great flatulence, no desire to open bowels for days on end then hard incomplete stools pass with pain and difficulty. Wind in intestines relieved by rubbing. Craves sweet things and worse between 4 and 8pm.

Nat Mur (tissue salts) Dryness of the bowels with watery secretion elsewhere eg hayfever. Dull heavy headache, hard, dry lumpy stool with torn smarting feeling after stool.

Nat Sulph (tissue salts) Usually accompanied by bilious symptoms; hard knotty stool or soft stool difficult to expel.

Nux Vomica Great urge to pass stool but nothing happens or passes some but insufficient. Worse in sedentary or older people, from excessive studying or overwork. Prone to chilliness and irritability. Often worse during travel or when away from home.

Sepia Constipation before the period, better once the period starts usually with irritability or general PMS!

Silica Peristaltic action poor so stool slides back in again (bashful stool!!). Person is chilly and prone to head sweats.

Hemorrhoids

Again, acute remedies should only be used if this is a one off. Ongoing problems should be treated by your homeopath.

Aesculus Internal piles associated with constipation and pain in lower back. Lumpy stool causes stabbing, tearing or splinter-line pain. Anus is hot, dry and itchy.

Calc Fluor (tissue salts) Internal and blind haemorrhoids sometimes accompanied by pain in the back. Tones up the relaxed condition of the veins and muscular fibres. Alternate with Calc Phos in anaemic people.

Ferrum Phos (tissue salts) Constipation with heat in the rectum with hard and dry stool, causing haemorrhoids.

Nux Vomica See constipation. Hemorrhoids are large and burn and sting.

Pruritis Ani (a nice way of saying itchy bottom!)

There a variety of reasons for an itchy bottom, one of which is obviously worms and the other thrush, but it can also be due to irritants in washing powder, scented toilet paper, excessive sweating, etc.

Cina Symptoms are worse at night with irritability and teeth grinding.

Ignatia Violent itching and crawling sensation around the anus, worse from warmth. I would expect there to be some emotional symptoms here.

Sulphur Anal area red and sore, burning diarrhea worse in the morning.

Teucrium Itching due to threadworm, continuous irritation, worse going to bed, restless and with crawling sensation in the rectum after passing stool.

Note on worms: We sell a combination wormer which includes Cina, Teucrium and some other wormy remedies.

What's new on the Website

Cold Comfort A belated addition to our range is a remedy to deal with the symptoms of colds such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion and minor sore throats. Sometimes the single remedy required is easy to pick, but other times - perhaps if you're not yet a proficient home prescriber - it's a bit tricky, so this remedy should help overcome this dilemma.

Red Cream What is this you say? One of my great homeopathic creams which like Cold Comfort, I should have made up ages ago. Like many practitioners I am treating more and more cases of eczema alongside allergies and asthma, and while the majority of my cases resolve really nicely, there are the odd few where the eczema improves but there is that dry, itchiness which takes longer to get to. Red Cream is made up in our natural base cream from remedies including Red (the colour which is represented by the redness of the skin), homeopathic Sulphur, and Morgan (a bowel nosode which focuses on the gut where many of these issues stem from).

If you cannot use essential oils, which are contained in very tiny amounts in the cream as a natural preservative, you could request the combination in drops and add to your own base cream. I would not recommend taking the remedy internally without a consultation because of the tendency of Sulphur to suppress skin symptoms if the remedy is not correctly indicated.

Bits & Pieces

Moist Pilules Sometimes I get phone calls or emails from people who find their pilules are moist and wonder if this is a problem.

The process of making up pilules involves dispensing a small number of drops of the remedy (which is in a suspension of 96% alcohol) onto the pilules. Because we make each remedy by hand sometimes an extra drop slips in, or sometimes the type of alcohol differs between pharmacies and the pilules appear wetter. Usually pilules are only wet for a short time then the alcohol evaporates and the pilules dry out. This can, however, cause a problem with the pilules sticking together and in this case you should be able to give your bottle a couple of sharp taps on something padded like a book (a bible was used in the old days) to break them up.

Homeopathy Babies In the past I've included a section in the newsletter where new parents can share their homeopathy birth stories with others. This can be really inspiring for families new to homeopathy or those who don't have great support, so if you've had a baby in the last few months and have something you'd like to share do please drop us an email. Photos of your beautiful baby are very welcome too!

Vaccination Issues

Homeoprophylaxis (HP or Homeopathic Immunisation) - Adding new babies to your program

If you have a new baby and want to use your homeopathic immunisation program for this child you need to complete a questionnaire and organise a phone consult, after which I will send you out a record card and offer the usual support. Your new baby will then be added to the register I hold in the clinic of all children who are currently using an HP program, which is at the request of the Australian Homeopathic Association.

And now a word on sharing HP kits between families or unregistered children!

People see homeopathy as being safe and effective - which it is when used according to the instructions. HP kits, while being similar in content are actually dispensed following a consultation to ascertain likely reactions to the program. Each child and each family is different, exhibiting different elements of the family medical history and having a different pregnancy/birth story.

Because homeopathics used in this instance are high potency and very specific, it is important to know what is likely to happen when the program is administered and to have support should things not go according to plan. There can be reactions to HP remedies and while generally mild and manageable, it is advisable to administer any such remedies following advice from a practitioner.

Homeopathy is great to share with your family and friends and there's no harm in giving out a few acute remedies. However, sharing your HP kit is like sharing medications from your doctor - it's a no-no!

Immunisation Information Database

I have a separate database for people interested in some of the information that comes across my desk from a variety of sources on vaccine testing and other issues. I also recommend you subscribe to AVN.org.au for regular information on the subject whatever your view.

Clinic Hours

I am now consulting in Hobart all day on both Tuesday and Friday. Saturday mornings are now by arrangement only. Consults (including phone consults) are available at Mountain River all day Wednesday and some Mondays if I have time.

Please remember to keep me updated if you change your email address as any changes to programs come out via email.

Until next time,
Warmest wishes

Melanie Creedy