Stock up on these homeopathic remedies to relieve sleeplessness, digestive issues and negative feelings during the festive period, says homeopath David Needleman
Having manned the Homeopathic Helpline for 28 Christmas Days, 28 Boxing Days and 28 New Year’s Days, I’ve noticed several seasonal issues crop up year after year. No matter what you’re dealing with, from tired children too excited to sleep to digestive problems caused by overindulgence, below are some of my top remedies to have on hand at this time of year.
Homeopathic remedies can come in many forms, including pills, tablets, powders, granules, tinctures, creams and ointments. They’re also available in a myriad of potencies (strengths). Lower potencies are usually given more frequently than higher ones.
The remedy and potency prescribed depend on the patient, symptoms and case history. Your prescriber should always explain how to take any remedy they prescribe. Also see ‘How to take homeopathic remedies,’ below, for details about how to take them for the greatest effectiveness.
Christmas and the festive period can be an exciting time for children, but all the excitement and changes to routine can cause problems with sleep and lead to tired, irritable children. Here are some remedies that can help.
Chamomilla. Best known as a teething remedy, Chamomilla is also useful in children exhibiting whining, restlessness, irritability, impatience and petulance. A single dose is often enough to calm the child and allow for peaceful sleep.
Note: Homeopathic remedies are not chemical hypnotics, which are definitely contraindicated in children.
Coffea Cruda. This remedy is ideal if you or your child is suffering from an overactive mind and can’t switch off, leading to trouble falling or staying asleep.
Lycopodium. This remedy is not as useful as the two above but is handy to have in reserve for excited children who can’t sleep, or for those with a fear of sleeping alone at night. It won’t dampen the child’s excitement but may help with sleep.
Phosphorus. This is good for tired, excited children who have trouble sleeping, as well as for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in both children and adults. The child or adult may feel tired at the onset of dusk or night and then feel renewed energy at dawn and the reappearance of light.
Suggested dosages: For the above remedies, use 30C potency about 15 minutes before bed; a single dosage should help
After around 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Day, the Homeopathic Helpline is often inundated with callers complaining of indigestion, heartburn, bloating, reflux and other common symptoms of overindulgence.
The main remedy I recommend is Nux Vomica. It’s ideal for all these symptoms, which can be caused by eating or drinking too much. It’s especially good if you’ve overindulged in alcohol or are suffering from a hangover.
Suggested dosage: The best potency is 30C, but if symptoms are intense, 200C might be better; you may need to take it more than once, depending on the level of overindulgence
For many, the festive period can trigger or emphasize feelings of sadness, loneliness and grief, especially if you’ve recently lost a loved one or split with a long-term partner. The remedies below can help with these and other negative emotions.
Ignatia. This is the most important remedy for immediate grief (especially the first holiday period without someone). Some of the obvious symptoms are introspection, sadness, tearfulness, brooding, being noncommunicative and sighing. Often, the joy or happiness of others can be a trigger.
Suggested dosage: Ignatia is better in 200C potency, but 30C will do if it’s all you have; take one an hour for three hours, followed by one or two a day, then move on to Nat Mur (see below)
Natrum Muriaticum. Nat Mur for short, this is an effective remedy for older grief. The most common symptoms are the same as for Ignatia, but with the addition of stoicism and putting on a brave face. The remedy is especially helpful for grief experienced around anniversaries or special events.
Suggested dosage: 30C and 200C are both appropriate; take one twice a day for two or three days
Aurum Metallicum
This is useful for someone with depression and suicidal thoughts. A typical symptom is profound despondency, which can manifest in many ways, such as a lack of enjoyment all the time or a bleak outlook. The most frequent explanation is a loss of perfection producing a loss of faith, or a material loss such as the death of a partner, parent, child or sibling.
Suggested dosage: The potency that works best is 200C, but 30C will do; one or two doses should help get past the immediacy of the depression
Oral remedies, such as pills, tablets or granules, are usually allowed to dissolve on or under a clean tongue. This often means waiting a short time before or after eating. Many homeopaths would prefer you not have certain drinks, such as coffee or other caffeinated products, during a course of treatment, but others, like me, are less draconian in our suggestions.
Some homeopaths are also concerned about the use of mint, camphor, eucalyptus, menthol or other volatile oils or inhalations during treatment. They fear those items may counteract the remedies or prevent them from working.
Another issue when taking homeopathic remedies is touch. Remedies should always be tipped from the bottle into the lid and from there tipped into the mouth. Avoid putting them into your hand first.
This is especially important when dosing children, as often touch means the parent gets the dose instead of the child. Oils in the skin can affect the energy (which is the remedy), which is usually on the outside of the pill or other dosage form. Remedies are made by coating the outside of blank pills or tablets with a liquid.
For young children, granules are often used, and the dose is then not just one pill or tablet but sufficient to just cover the insert in the bottle lid (not to fill the lid), and then tipped into the child’s mouth without touching it.
Some people like to crush a pill between two spoons, but I feel that process may significantly alter the remedy. Instead, drop a pill into a small glass of boiled and cooled water, let it sit for a few seconds, then dribble a few drops of the liquid into the child’s mouth. If you keep the glass covered, you can give a second or third dose from it later that day, if needed.
Where there is an issue with oral doses, such as if nil by mouth is required, you can obtain the remedy as a medicating potency (from a dedicated homeopathic pharmacy) and place one or two drops onto the pulse point of the wrist, which works just as well.
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