By Dana Ullman MPH, CCH

(Excepted from Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants, Tarcher/Putnam)

NOTE TO READERS:  All homeopathic medicines are listed by their Latin names in order for manufacturers and users to be as precise as possible on the original source of the medicine.  Please note that homeopathic medicines are legally recognized as drugs (usually “over-the-counter drugs,” that is, drug that do not require a doctor’s prescription due to their widely recognized safety).  Homeopathic medicines are most effective when they are prescribed for the unique syndrome of symptoms the sick person has, not just the name of the disease s/he has.  Because of the need for this degree of precision, the more knowledge the user has on how to select the individually determined medicine, the better the results with homeopathic medicines.

To determine the best dose and potency, it is best to get a homeopathic guidebook such as the one listed above as the original source of this information.  The most popular homeopathic guidebook is“Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines” but we sell this and many others here.  We also sell some very practical and highly discounted home homeopathic medicine kits!  Click here to see the choices for medicine kits, or feel free to CALL us to order them (or ask questions).

To purchase INDIVIDUAL remedies, you will need to call us at 510-649-0294 or you can order them HERE.  We represent several leading American, British, and European homeopathic pharmacies.  Please let us know if you prefer your remedies from Hahnemann Labs, Helios, Boiron, or Standard.  Please let us know which potency or size of bottle you want (we generally recommend 6C or 30C for those people who are relatively new to homeopathy)…and you’ll need to let us know whether you want pills/pellets or a “liquid dilution” (please know that only select homeopathic pharmacies sell liquid dilutions).  We can help you make some of these determinations on the phone, though we cannot provide advice on which remedy to get, unless you wish to pay for a short or long consultation with our owner, Dana Ullman, MPH, CCH.  We will do all we can to serve you.

The information provided here is not only applicable to children but to most people with asthma.

REMEDIES LISTED IN CAPITOL LETTERS REPRESENT MORE FREQUENTLY INDICATED REMEDIES

  • Asthma is a potentially serious and even life-threatening condition. Infants and children with asthma should receive medical attention. Conventional drugs used for treating asthma, particularly steroids, can impair immune function and lead to more serious health problems. Homeopathic constitutional care is necessary to achieve a lasting cure of asthma, while the following remedies can often be helpful in reducing the distress that an acute attack can create.

Aconitum: This remedy is very useful at the very beginning stages of onset of asthmatic breathing. Noticeably present is anxiety, fear, and restlessness with the asthma.

Antimonium tart: The characteristic symptom of children who need this remedy is a rattling cough with an inability to expectorate mucus. Their condition is sometimes precipitated after being angered or annoyed. They feel drowsy, weak, and feeble, and their symptoms are usually worse at 4 a.m. Their difficulty in breathing may cause them to sit up rather than lie down. Concurrent with these breathing difficulties is anxiousness, restless, and irritability. They feel chilly but are averse to stuffy warm rooms and desire cool rooms and open windows. This remedy is rarely given at the beginning of an illness.

ARSENICUM: Restlessness and anxiety are prominent with asthmatic children who need this remedy. As the asthma continues, they get more and more frightened and agitated. Their symptoms are worse from midnight to 2 a.m., and they will toss and turn in bed, unable to find a comfortablable position. Their breathing is best when sitting erect. Despite their restlessness, they are tired and weak. They are very chilly and better by warmth. They are noticeably thirsty but for only sips of water at a time.

Chamomilla: This remedy should be considered for asthma brought on after a tantrum. Chamomilla children are very impatient during their suffering. They have a hard, dry cough during sleep, and their difficult breathing is relieved from bending their head backwards, being in cold air, or drinking cold water.

IPECAC: Persistent nausea with a loose cough and a rattling in the chest but an inability to expectorate are characteristic of children who need this remedy. They have wheezing and tenacious mucus that is blood-streaked. Vomiting provides some relief of their symptoms because it helps to eliminate some mucus. Their symptoms are worse in hot, humid weather and are aggravated by the least motion. They experience cold perspiration of the extremities. They may also have difficulty sleeping and excessive salivation.

Lobelia: This remedy is known for curing asthmatic breathing concurrent with nausea and vomiting. These children usually have prickling sensations all over, even on the fingers and toes, that precedes the asthma. The asthma is aggravated by exposure to cold. The child may feel weakness in the pit of the stomach and a sensation of a lump above the sternum (the chest bone).

Nux vomica: This remedy is good for treating asthma when children have fullness in the stomach, especially in the morning or after eating. They have asthma with choking, anxiety, pressure in the pit of the belly, humming in the ears, quick pulse, and sweating. Their attack is sometimes incited by hay fever. They feel they must loosen clothing around their waist. Emotionally, they are more irritable than fearful.

PULSATILLA: These children have asthmatic breathing in warm or stuffy rooms, in warm weather, or after eating fatty or rich foods. They want windows opened and cool air. They are more apt to have breathing difficulties in the evening, especially after a meal. They crave sympathy and the company of others. They are very clingy and needy. They are highly impressionable: if parents are anxious about the child, the child becomes more anxious, but if parents are confident in the child’s ability to get healthy soon, the child will be soothed.

Sambucus: These children get their asthma attack during sleep, commonly awakening them at 3 a.m. Their breathing is obstructed when they lie down and partially relieved when they sit up as they gasp for air. Their breathing improves while they sit up, but then is aggravated when they lie back down to sleep, only to rise again gasping for air. They sweat profusely during their waking hours but tend not to perspire during sleep.

Spongia: This remedy is known to be helpful for children with asthma who have a dry, barking, croupy cough. Their air passages are dry, the sputum is absent, and the voice is hoarse. The asthma and coughing can be exacerbated by cold air, warm rooms, tobacco smoke, talking, lying with the head low, drinking cold fluids, or eating sweets. The symptoms also tend to be worse in the early part of the night. Warm food or drinks, even in small doses, provide some relief, as does sitting up and leaning forward.