FW: Chickenpox & Homeopathy

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Copyright 1997 Will , MD Homoeopathic Family Medicine

Chickenpox

While it is true that we cannot select a homoeopathic remedy merely

on the basis of the name of the disease - we need to select the one

remedy that is homoeopathic to the disharmony of the patient we are

treating - it is also the case that the epidemic illness of

chickenpox impresses a distinct enough stamp on the organism that

we - even in our individuality - have a small enough range of

common responses that it is meaningful to talk about them. With

some understanding of acute-care prescribing & a rather small

materia medica, it is possible to effectively treat most cases of

chickenpox at home.

Good resources for the materia medica (information on appropriate

remedies) needed for home prescribing for patients with chickenpox

can be found in any of the following books:

-Miranda Castro, The Complete Homeopathy Handbook (my favorite

home-care reference by a long shot - this takes a classical

approach to acute-care prescribing, and if you only have one

home-care book, it should be this one). If you find my comments

below interesting, and wish to procede with preparing yourself to

do homoeopathic home care, buy this book and perhaps one or two of

the following list as well.

-Phyllis Speight, Homoeopathic Remedies for Children

- Hammond, How to Use Homoeopathy

-Cummings & Ullman, Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines

-Dana Ullman, Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants

-Panos & Heimlich, Homeopathic Medicine at Home

Knowing that the following list does not include *every* remedy

that a homoeopath might use to treat patients with chickenpox, I

would recommend you have the following in your medicine kit to be

reasonably prepared:

(1) " An empty bottle " (I'm kindof teasing here) - not every person

with chickenpox needs to be treated, and in my experience most do

not. A very healthy response to this virus involves a small

smattering of spots, a runny nose, a low-grade fever & perhaps some

small drop in energy that may last a few days. If the picture of

a homoeopathic remedy does not emerge clearly in the child, don't

treat them. Give them hugs, fluids, baths with oatmeal* for

itching, one of those really neat bed-tables you make out of a

cut-out cardboard packing box with cut-outs for a bowl & cup, read

to them from Winnie-the-Pooh, etc. (especially " Wheezles &

Sneezles " from Now we are Six). For my oldest boy (now 10),

raspberry sherbet & a backrub is the most consistently effective

remedy for any ailment that comes along.

* - grind rolled oats in a blender or food processor, put a couple

tablespoons in a hank or dishrag & hang it from the faucet when you

draw the bath.

If the illness takes a course departing from this normal pattern of

response - e.g. excessive itching, horrible-looking eruption, a

disturbing cough, mental/emotional difficulties such as excessive

irritability or clinginess, difficulties with sleeping, or

whatever, the organism is asking for help, and the appropriate

remedy will get things back on track. The following short list of

8 remedies will cover about 95% of the cases of chickenpox you'll

encounter; the remaining 5% will need any one of a huge variety of

remedies at the discretion of a trained homoeopath. I generally

recommend that my patients who stock remedies for home care get

them in 12C potencies. Most of the following will be in a kit put

together for homecare, such as the 50-remedy kit of 12C potencies

put together by Washington Homeopathic Products. Dosing,

repetition of dose, etc. are discussed in the home-care manuals

above, most thoroughly in Miranda Castro's book.

These are listed in order of the frequency with which I've

prescribed them for patients with chickenpox, from most frequent to

least frequent. The pictures below are fragmentary pictures of how

kids needing these remedies will look in a bout of chickenpox -

don't rely just on them, but use them as a jumping-off point in

working with your reading resources.

(2) Pulsatilla nigrans (perhaps 60% of the cases I've treated)

When the child has developed the disharmony calling for this

remedy, it is usually the mental/emotional and general symptoms of

the person that identify the match to this remedy. The classical

symptoms of " Chickenpox " are not that remarkable - modest rash,

modest fever. However, the child is weepy, clingy, wants to be

held & to sleep with the parent. The itching is worse from heat,

such as a hot bath or heat of the bed, so they are likely to

uncover, sleep poorly in a warm room, prever a tepid bath, etc.

Bedtime is especially hard, because of separation from the parents

& warmth of the bed, but it's just a hard time of the day for them

anyway. Despite fever they may not be very thirsty. There may be

some cough, worse on lying down at night & from the heat of the

bed, better with cooler & moving air & on sitting up.

(3) Rhus toxicodendron (perhaps 15% of the cases I've treated)

The striking symptoms indicating that the child is in a state

calling for this remedy are generally tremendous itching and a

physical and emotional restlessness. Bedtime may be hard again,

but this time because restlessness makes it difficult physically to

lie in bed & fall asleep. They may wake exhausted with busy dreams

& have to get up - they may come into the parents' room, but not so

much for the snuggle as out of restlessness driving them out of

their own bed. Itching is awful, especially at night, but not

because of the heat of the bed; itching is worse with cold, and

relieved by an extremely hot bath, worse when at rest, and they

feel they have to scratch & will excoriate their rash by

scratching. The pox may be expecially large & filled with thin or

thick pus-like fluid which may run when the blisters break. I have

never seen the red-tipped tongue keynote reported in the literature

in this acute presentation of a Rhus-tox picture.

(4) Antimonium tartaricum (<10%)

Here it is the cough that will most often alert you to the need for

this remedy. the cough may be very moist-sounding and rattly,

raising the concern about bronchitis or pneumonia (both of which

may complicate Chickenpox - this will often be the remedy when that

is the case, but do not ignore conventional medical supportive care

[i'm refering to supportive care, not to allopathic treatment] if

this is a concern). The rash may be large, and may weep a yellow

fluid crusting like dried honey - sometimes it is only the

appearance of an extensive eruption of this character that alerts

to the need for this remedy, even in the absence of problematic

cough. The child will often be mildly ill-tempered, not wanting to

be looked at or touched. A white coating is often seen on the

tongue.

(5) Antimonium crudum (pretty unusual)

Very much like Antimonium tartaricum, above, but when the

ill-temper is much more evident.

(6) Mercurius vivus (or Mercurius solubilis) (<5%)

High fevers, at night, with profuse sweat. Large eruptions with

pus-filled blisters and pus-like discharge that may be irritating,

with soreness of the affected skin. Much redness about the

eruptions. Narrow range of temperature comfort - worse with cool

and with heat. These kids are normally pretty sick.

(7) Aconite

Usually a phase very early in the illness, folks in this state

generally are well past it & onto another phase of the illness by

the time they get into my office, so when I've given this it's

usually an 11pm phone prescription.

Very sudden onset of high fever, most often around 11pm to

midnight, with fear, night-terrors or nightmares, & tho apparently

awake they don't respond as if they were, being inconsolable in

their fear. The illnes often begins following exposure to cold

wind. At this point, you probably wouldn't know it's chickenpox

yet, they probably won't break out until the next day; if the rash

has already come out, the symptoms above eclipse the concerns that

the rash might raise directly.

(8) Belladonna

Very hot, dry fever, without thirst, usually of rapid onset, worse

in the mid-afternoon & on into evening (3pm, fever on waking from

the afternoon nap). Dry, flushed red skin, burning up tho the

hands & feet may be cool. Headache. Twitchings & startings in

feverish sleep. Usually early in the illness, & tho the rash has

often come out at this point, the rash itself doesn't seem as

significant as the feverish symptoms above.

(9) Sulphur

Usually recognized as the remedy when the illness has dragged on

with slow recovery, the eruption crusty & weeping after scratching.

Warm, uncovering at night, worse from heat (itching & generally),

itching with redness about the eruption which is worse with heat of

bed or bath.

Good luck with your kids! Working with an illness such as this,

where you can exercise a classical homoeopathic approach within a

limited range of possible remedy pictures, is a great way to

introduce yourself to learning good homoeopathy.

Copyright 1997 Will , MD Homoeopathic Family Medicine

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