Homeopathy 1933: THE COMMONER INFLUENZA REMEDIES Aconite: For the initial stages when there is a sudden onset of fever, with chilliness, throbbing pulses, and great restlessness with anxiety.
Arsenicum: For a flu with chilliness, restless anxiety, dislike of being alone and strong fear of death . The fear and anxiety are generally worse at night, especially around 1 or 2 am. There is exhaustion and prostration and burning pains which oddly enough are, relieved by heat. The patient feels hypersensitive and fastidious. There can be a sensation of ice water running through veins or boiling water going through the blood vessels. In addition, the patient experiences a thirst for sips of cold water.
Baptisia: The patient sinks rapidly into a stuporous or comatose state. The face looks red and dull, the appearance is drugged and drunken-like. The patient might fall asleep while answering questions. The temperature is high. This will be of use in ‘stomach flus’ with sudden attacks of violent diarrhoea and vomiting, and great weakness – as long as there is the above stuporous state. In the worst cases, the mouth and throat have a very foul odor with very offensive phlegm. An interesting symptom is a sense or delusion that the parts of the body are "scattered about the bed, and cannot get himself together."
Bryonia: With this type of a flu there is a feeling of great heat in the body which is worse with any motion. The patient feels irritable and dry with a thirst for large amounts of cold fluid. He wants to lie quite still, and be let alone. It is especially indicated when there is a respiratory problem, a developing bronchitis or pneumonia with the above symptoms. Often there are headaches which get aggravated by coughing. All pains and discomforts are better with pressure – for instance, holding the chest tightly or a massage, and worse with movement. A curious symptom is that there is anxiety, dreams and delirium related to work and business.
China: This remedy is useful when the flu results in a drawn out debilitated state. The patient is chilly, anemic and pale. He is sensitive to touch, motion and to cold air. The limbs feel tired and there is a desire to stretch, move, or change position. Another useful characteristic symptom is that the condition seems to alternate with one day feeling better then the next worse again.
Eupatorium perforatum: There is an intense aching limbs and back, as if the bones were broken. The patient dares not to move because of the pain. While there is aching felt deep in the bones, the skin feels sore. There is a bursting headache with the characteristic hesistancy to move for fear of the pain. Shivering with chills in back and soreness in the eyes are also symptoms of this remedy. In extreme cases the patient may vomit of bile.
Ferrum phos: This remedy is applicable in the first stage of the flu or in the case of symptoms that linger on after the flu has finished. Most characteristic is the bright flush of the face, especially the cheek and blood in the phlegm discharged from the nose or lungs. There is a dry hard cough, hoarseness and sore throat.
Gelsemium: Heaviness and tiredness of body and limbs characterize this type of flu. The head, eyelids and limbs all feel heavy. With this general weakness, there are chills in the back and a bursting headache, from neck, over the head into the eyes and forehead, which is relieved by abundant urination. While there is perspiration, thirst is absent. This is a very useful remedy when a malaise and weakness remain weeks after the flu itself is gone.
Mercurius solubulis: There is a profuse, very offensive sweat and increased salivation with a foul odor in the mouth. The patient feels worse after sweating; or at least feels no relief from sweating. The sinuses and/or respiratory organs are often involved with yellowis- greenish foul tasting or smelling mucous discharge. There may be diarrhea and the tongue often appears enlarged with indented teeth marks along the edges.
Pyrogen: This is for a flu with fever, violent pulsations – often experienced as a thumping in the heart - and intense restlessness. Characteristic of this remedy is that the higher the temperature the slower the pulse (the reverse is also true). There is a great chilliness, especially felt in the back. Bursting headaches are accompanied by an intense restlessness. A very characteristic symptom is a sense that the bed feels too hard and the patient feels he has to keep moving, rocking, wriggling to gain momentary relief. Another similar symptom is agonizing pain in lumbar and upper thigh muscles that made it impossible to keep still for even a moment.
Rhus toxidendron: Characteristic of this remedy is the stiff, lame and bruised feeling experienced on first moving. This gets better with continued motion, until he becomes too weak to continue and forces him to rest. But being still leads to restlessness and uneasiness, which drives him to move again. The worst discomfort occurs when at rest and unable to move (This is the opposite of Bryonia.) The flu often develops after exposure to cold, damp weather. Similar to Arsencium there is anxiety and fear, which is worse at night. There can be strong fever, thirst and great weakness. An unusual symptom is a fear of poison.
Sulphur There is frequent flushing of heat along with a sensitive to open air and drafts. The patient dislike and is aggravated by bathing. There is a heaviness, burning, sharp pains and congestion in the chest. The top of the head feels hot while the feet are cold. The soles of the feet burn at night, and the patient feels compelled to stick them out from out of the covers. There is often a bright red color to the mucous membranes of the body. Another characteristic symptom is a strong hunger at 11 AM.