Travel Well Naturally with Homeopathy
November 2008
Articles
by Robert Ullman, ND, DHANP and Judyth Reichenberg, ND, DHANP, LCSW
Travel should be enjoyable, and getting sick or injured, especially in a strange city or a foreign country shouldn’t be part of the itinerary. Unfortunately, it often is. Who wants to be laid up in a hotel or worse, a foreign hospital when you would rather be enjoying sun, fun, fascinating sights, friendly natives, and exotic new foods? We have found homeopathy has saved many of our trips, so we recommend being prepared on yours with some basic knowledge and a travel-sized kit of homeopathic remedies.
Common traveler’s illness such as fatigue, jet lag, indigestion, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fevers, colds, flu and sore throats, strains, sprains and other injuries, sore muscles, allergic reactions, sunburn and other burns, back pain and sciatica, and headaches respond readily to homeopathic treatment when the correct medicine is taken. The good news is that it does not take very much training to be able to match your symptoms to the correct medicine.
Why are homeopathic medicines so well suited to travel? Homeopathic medicines are highly effective, rapid, inexpensive, lightweight, natural, non-toxic, easy to use, and available in many countries in the world. England, France, the Netherlands, Germany, India, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and other Latin American countries have homeopathic doctors and pharmacies selling homeopathic medicines, at least in the larger cities. If there is no homeopath available, though, you will just have to do it yourself. Here’s how.
If you have a homeopathic travel kit, like our Homeopathic Self-Care Medicine Kit, we advise, “Don’t leave home without it!” If you don’t have one yet, definitely get one before your next trip. Why? Because homeopathy can heal many of the illnesses and accidents which can befall travelers, quite often more quickly and effectively than conventional treatments, and you can carry fifty medicines in a small, one-pound kit that easily fits in your luggage, giving you the ability to treat more than seventy acute illnesses and first-aid situations.
Homeopathic home and travel kits, large and small, are also available from homeopathic doctors, pharmacies and manufacturers. Find one that suits your needs for compactness and a sufficient number of medicines to take care of the most common health problems experienced by travelers. You can also put together your own medicine kit by acquiring the remedies listed and described below for treating some of the more frequently experienced travel woes. You will also need a book, such as our Homeopathic Self-Care, The Quick and Easy Guide for the Whole Family, or another, such as Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines by Stephen Cummings and Dana Ullman. We recommend copying pages from your favourite homeopathic travel book for illnesses or injuries you are likely to encounter on the kind of trip you are taking. This will save some weight, rather than lugging around the whole book.
In Homeopathic Self-Care, we teach you to “Look, Listen and Ask”, until you understand the symptoms that you or your traveling companion or family member are suffering from. Then you can match your symptoms to a particular homeopathic medicine by using the charts and descriptions listing the top medicines used for each kind of illness. Follow the dosing instructions in the book until your symptoms are resolved and you are feeling better. For those just starting out with homeopathy, we recommend using low potency remedies such as 6C, 12C, or 30C. For those more experienced with choosing homeopathic medicines, 200C or 1M doses can be used quite effectively in acute or travel situations. For our Homeopathic Self-Care Medicine Kit, we chose 30C as an intermediate potency that most travelers could use quite safely and effectively. There are many other homeopathic kits available as well, varying in number of medicines and potencies.
What is different about using homeopathy as your travel medicine is that it doesn’t depend on the diagnosis, but rather the description of symptoms given by the person who is sick. For example, two people with traveler’s diarrhea might have completely different symptoms, leading to the prescription of very dissimilar homeopathic medicines. One traveler might have diarrhea that is gushing, that occurs after eating, with greenish stools, and a rumbling, gurgling abdomen, requiring Podophyllum (May apple). Another traveler may have terrible cramping, causing him to bend double to relieve the pain, with mild diarrhea that is worse from eating, from fruit, and from emotions, especially anger and indignation; such as when his flight is cancelled and he has to spend the night in the airport. Both travelers may need to head for the nearest rest room in a hurry, but the diarrhea remedies they need to take are different.
For most travel illness, you won’t need a doctor, unless your condition is serious. If you are seriously ill, you should seek medical attention. Most travel illnesses, though, are relatively minor, more annoying than life threatening. Also, even in a first-aid situation, homeopathy can help right away, along with standard first aid treatment, until you can get to a place with medical facilities.
Individualization of treatment is the hallmark of homeopathy, and you must try to find the closest medicine to your actual symptoms in order to obtain the best healing results. If one medicine does not work after a few hours, try another that also has similar symptoms to your illness. When you hit the right one, you will know because you will experience significant relief of the symptoms you have been suffering. Here are some common travel health conditions and some suggestions for homeopathic treatment.
Fear of Flying
Many people can’t even go on a trip to a foreign country because they would need to board a plane, and they are terrified to do so. Several homeopathic medicines can help, depending on the symptoms and circumstances.
Aconitum napellus (monkshood) is used for the fear that comes before flying, but also for fear or shock occurring during the flight, such as terror from turbulence. When you need Aconitum, you are sure the plane is likely to crash and that you will die. There is tremendous anguish and restlessness, perspiration, and heart palpitations, which may also be brought on by the claustrophobic conditions in economy class or when sitting next to a very large person without being able to get to the aisle.
Argentum nitricum (silver nitrate) also has problems with claustrophobia and with anticipatory anxiety. If you need this medicine, you may be anxious before the flight, fearing to be late and miss your plane. There is often a fear of heights when looking down from the window by your seat, with the impulse to jump out if you could.
Arsenicum album (arsenic), also mentioned for food poisoning and diarrhea, has tremendous anxiety with fear of dying when the plane crashes. These travelers have a desire to get up and walk in the aisle to relieve their stress.
Calcarea carbonica (oyster shell calcium carbonate) travelers worry about safety and security in general, and often have airplane phobia. They also feel responsible for the safety of others, such as family members. Often these travelers would not like their anxiety to be seen by others, so they may hide it.
Food You Wish You Hadn’t Eaten – and The Traveling Trots
Nothing ruins a good trip like running to the bathroom (if there is one) every 15 minutes for a round of V and D. That’s not a sexually transmitted disease, but rather the initials of the two most common symptoms from Turista, Montezuma’s Revenge or Delhi Belly (vomiting and diarrhea). From the example above of Podophyllum and Colocynthis you already know two of the main remedies, but here are the indications for some others. Remember that the symptoms are more important than the diagnosis, whether it is food poisoning, amoebas, Giardia or bacteria at the root of the illness.
Arsenicum album (arsenic) is given only in homeopathic dose and minus the old lace. Arsenicum is for food poisoning or nausea, vomiting and diarrhea so bad you fear you are going to die. The diarrhea is burning, the cramping is severe and you feel quite chilly, while being so restless you feel like getting up and pacing the floor.
Veratrum album (white hellebore) treats symptoms of strong nausea and violent vomiting that is exhausting, with chills and sweats. Sometimes there is a craving for lemons, pickles and other sour foods.
Gelsemium (yellow jasmine) has cured many cases of diarrhea with flu-like symptoms. You feel dull, drowsy and droopy, like it is too much effort to lift your arm or head off the bed. The feeling is like being totally wiped out, and you just wish it would go away, while you wish you had never gone away. The physical symptoms are often accompanied by an anticipatory fear, as can occur prior to or during travels.
Nux vomica (Quaker’s buttons) is helpful for indigestion or digestive problems while traveling that are caused by eating too much rich food, drinking too much alcohol or too much business travel. It’s the traveling business person’s friend.
Travel Injuries and Accidents
At the top of the list of “don’t leave home” without it remedies is Arnica Montana (leopard’s bane), the best initial homeopathic medicine for injuries, bruises and shock. Giving Arnica first after an injury or accident is often the best first aid, provided you have also employed the other indicated first-aid measures appropriate for the situation. Travellers needing Arnica feel sore, bruised and like the surface on which they are lying is too hard. They often tell people, “I’m all right, I don’t need any help!” Arnica is one of the best remedies for head injuries, black eyes, and any kind of bruising.
Ledum palustre (marsh tea) is excellent for puncture wounds, insect bites and tetanus. The affected parts feel cold, but are paradoxically better from cold compresses.
Hypericum perfoliatum (St. John’s wort) is also used for puncture wounds, but its specialty is injuries to nerves with shooting pains, and it is specific for crushing wounds, like slamming one’s finger in the taxi door, or falling on one’s tailbone.
Bryonia (white bryony) covers almost any injury where pain on motion is the prominent symptom. This is often accompanied by irritability and a desire to go home.
Rhus toxicodendron (poison ivy) is used when overexertion, strains or sprains leave you feeling stiff, yet restless.
Too Much Fun in the Sun
Sunburn is the best reminder of yesterday’s overexposure to those golden rays. We find that prevention is the best, with a good 30 SPF sunscreen, a hat and a UV-proof shirt, but if you forgot, you can take the sting out with doses of Cantharis (Spanish fly) 30C. Also liberal use of Calendula (marigold flower) cream, spray or gel can be very soothing.
For sun stroke and heat exhaustion, we use Glonoine (nitroglycerine – no you won’t explode!) and Belladonna (deadly nightshade – no you won’t die!). When you need Belladonna, you have the most pounding headache, a red face, and dry skin. Even taking a step feels too jarring, and you feel like you have to hold your head with your hands to stabilize it. Sometimes even your hair hurts. Though you won’t explode when taking Glonoine, your head feels like it would. Getting out of the sun can help a lot if you feel like that.
Insect Bites and Stings
There is nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy the beach, a forest walk or delightful picnic in a picturesque spot with mosquitoes, flies or bees and yellow jackets for company. Homeopathy comes to the rescue with the dynamic duo of Apis melifica (honeybee) and Ledum palustre (marsh tea). Apis takes care of the majority of stings, especially those that cause swelling. It is characterized by redness, swelling and stinging pain, that is locally worse from heat and better from cold. One should always remove a stinger if present, and apply ice. For mosquito and fly bites, Ledum is the ticket to relief, helping the swelling, itching and other pain. The symptoms are also better from cold applications, like Apis. When Apis doesn’t work for a sting, try Ledum, because it may also help.
Motion Sickness
The three remedies you should always have in your kit for motion sickness are Tabacum (tobacco), Petroleum (rock oil), and Cocculus indicus (Indian cockle). Tabacum is for severe motion sickness, which turns one green with nausea. Those needing Cocculus are worse from seeing moving objects like cars on the road, and Petroleum has sea or airsickness with a sensation of emptiness in the stomach that is relieved by constant eating. Of the three, Tabacum is often the most effective if the nausea and vomiting are severe.
Jet Lag
Gelsemium (yellow jasmine) is one medicine that often works for jet-lag, because people who need it often feel dull, drowsy and droopy or fluish. We have also had good results personally using the commercial combination homeopathic, No Jet Lag, which is taken every few hours during the flight and afterwards if needed.
Now you can see why whenever you travel, it’s a good idea to travel well naturally with your homeopathic traveling kit. As we say again, “Don’t leave home without it!” It can save your trip from being ruined by ill health, injuries and the rigors of air travel.
Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman are licensed naturopathic physicians board certified in homeopathy. Their books include: A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism, Ritalin-Free Kids, Rage-Free Kids, Prozac Free, Homeopathic Self-Care: The Quick and Easy Guide for the Whole Family, Whole Woman Homeopathy, The Patient’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicine, and Mystics, Masters, Saints and Sages-Stories of Enlightenment.
They teach and lecture internationally and practice at The Northwest Center for Homeopathic Medicine in Edmonds, Washington and Langley, WA. Avid and seasoned travelers, and residents on two continents, they are quite experienced with natural travel medicine. They treat patients by phone as well as in person and can be reached by telephone at (425) 774-5599 or by fax at (425) 670-0319. Their website is www.healthyhomeopathy.com.
Reprinted from Townsend Letter – The Examiner of Alternative Medicine, www.townsendletter.com. For subscription information email: info@townsendletter.com, or call: 360-385-6021.
by Robert Ullman, ND, DHANP and Judyth Reichenberg, ND, DHANP, LCSWTravel should be enjoyable, and getting sick or injured, especially in a strange city or a foreign country shouldn’t be part of the itinerary. Unfortunately, it often is. Who wants to be laid up in a hotel or worse, a foreign hospital when you would rather be enjoying sun, fun, fascinating sights, friendly natives, and exotic new foods? We have found homeopathy has saved many of our trips, so we recommend being prepared on yours with some basic knowledge and a travel-sized kit of homeopathic remedies.
Common traveler’s illness such as fatigue, jet lag, indigestion, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fevers, colds, flu and sore throats, strains, sprains and other injuries, sore muscles, allergic reactions, sunburn and other burns, back pain and sciatica, and headaches respond readily to homeopathic treatment when the correct medicine is taken. The good news is that it does not take very much training to be able to match your symptoms to the correct medicine.
Why are homeopathic medicines so well suited to travel? Homeopathic medicines are highly effective, rapid, inexpensive, lightweight, natural, non-toxic, easy to use, and available in many countries in the world. England, France, the Netherlands, Germany, India, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and other Latin American countries have homeopathic doctors and pharmacies selling homeopathic medicines, at least in the larger cities. If there is no homeopath available, though, you will just have to do it yourself. Here’s how.
If you have a homeopathic travel kit, like our Homeopathic Self-Care Medicine Kit, we advise, “Don’t leave home without it!” If you don’t have one yet, definitely get one before your next trip. Why? Because homeopathy can heal many of the illnesses and accidents which can befall travelers, quite often more quickly and effectively than conventional treatments, and you can carry fifty medicines in a small, one-pound kit that easily fits in your luggage, giving you the ability to treat more than seventy acute illnesses and first-aid situations.
Homeopathic home and travel kits, large and small, are also available from homeopathic doctors, pharmacies and manufacturers. Find one that suits your needs for compactness and a sufficient number of medicines to take care of the most common health problems experienced by travelers. You can also put together your own medicine kit by acquiring the remedies listed and described below for treating some of the more frequently experienced travel woes. You will also need a book, such as our Homeopathic Self-Care, The Quick and Easy Guide for the Whole Family, or another, such as Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines by Stephen Cummings and Dana Ullman. We recommend copying pages from your favourite homeopathic travel book for illnesses or injuries you are likely to encounter on the kind of trip you are taking. This will save some weight, rather than lugging around the whole book.
In Homeopathic Self-Care, we teach you to “Look, Listen and Ask”, until you understand the symptoms that you or your traveling companion or family member are suffering from. Then you can match your symptoms to a particular homeopathic medicine by using the charts and descriptions listing the top medicines used for each kind of illness. Follow the dosing instructions in the book until your symptoms are resolved and you are feeling better. For those just starting out with homeopathy, we recommend using low potency remedies such as 6C, 12C, or 30C. For those more experienced with choosing homeopathic medicines, 200C or 1M doses can be used quite effectively in acute or travel situations. For our Homeopathic Self-Care Medicine Kit, we chose 30C as an intermediate potency that most travelers could use quite safely and effectively. There are many other homeopathic kits available as well, varying in number of medicines and potencies.
What is different about using homeopathy as your travel medicine is that it doesn’t depend on the diagnosis, but rather the description of symptoms given by the person who is sick. For example, two people with traveler’s diarrhea might have completely different symptoms, leading to the prescription of very dissimilar homeopathic medicines. One traveler might have diarrhea that is gushing, that occurs after eating, with greenish stools, and a rumbling, gurgling abdomen, requiring Podophyllum (May apple). Another traveler may have terrible cramping, causing him to bend double to relieve the pain, with mild diarrhea that is worse from eating, from fruit, and from emotions, especially anger and indignation; such as when his flight is cancelled and he has to spend the night in the airport. Both travelers may need to head for the nearest rest room in a hurry, but the diarrhea remedies they need to take are different.
For most travel illness, you won’t need a doctor, unless your condition is serious. If you are seriously ill, you should seek medical attention. Most travel illnesses, though, are relatively minor, more annoying than life threatening. Also, even in a first-aid situation, homeopathy can help right away, along with standard first aid treatment, until you can get to a place with medical facilities.
Individualization of treatment is the hallmark of homeopathy, and you must try to find the closest medicine to your actual symptoms in order to obtain the best healing results. If one medicine does not work after a few hours, try another that also has similar symptoms to your illness. When you hit the right one, you will know because you will experience significant relief of the symptoms you have been suffering. Here are some common travel health conditions and some suggestions for homeopathic treatment.
Fear of Flying
Many people can’t even go on a trip to a foreign country because they would need to board a plane, and they are terrified to do so. Several homeopathic medicines can help, depending on the symptoms and circumstances.
Aconitum napellus (monkshood) is used for the fear that comes before flying, but also for fear or shock occurring during the flight, such as terror from turbulence. When you need Aconitum, you are sure the plane is likely to crash and that you will die. There is tremendous anguish and restlessness, perspiration, and heart palpitations, which may also be brought on by the claustrophobic conditions in economy class or when sitting next to a very large person without being able to get to the aisle.
Argentum nitricum (silver nitrate) also has problems with claustrophobia and with anticipatory anxiety. If you need this medicine, you may be anxious before the flight, fearing to be late and miss your plane. There is often a fear of heights when looking down from the window by your seat, with the impulse to jump out if you could.
Arsenicum album (arsenic), also mentioned for food poisoning and diarrhea, has tremendous anxiety with fear of dying when the plane crashes. These travelers have a desire to get up and walk in the aisle to relieve their stress.
Calcarea carbonica (oyster shell calcium carbonate) travelers worry about safety and security in general, and often have airplane phobia. They also feel responsible for the safety of others, such as family members. Often these travelers would not like their anxiety to be seen by others, so they may hide it.
Food You Wish You Hadn’t Eaten – and The Traveling Trots
Nothing ruins a good trip like running to the bathroom (if there is one) every 15 minutes for a round of V and D. That’s not a sexually transmitted disease, but rather the initials of the two most common symptoms from Turista, Montezuma’s Revenge or Delhi Belly (vomiting and diarrhea). From the example above of Podophyllum and Colocynthis you already know two of the main remedies, but here are the indications for some others. Remember that the symptoms are more important than the diagnosis, whether it is food poisoning, amoebas, Giardia or bacteria at the root of the illness.
Arsenicum album (arsenic) is given only in homeopathic dose and minus the old lace. Arsenicum is for food poisoning or nausea, vomiting and diarrhea so bad you fear you are going to die. The diarrhea is burning, the cramping is severe and you feel quite chilly, while being so restless you feel like getting up and pacing the floor.
Veratrum album (white hellebore) treats symptoms of strong nausea and violent vomiting that is exhausting, with chills and sweats. Sometimes there is a craving for lemons, pickles and other sour foods.
Gelsemium (yellow jasmine) has cured many cases of diarrhea with flu-like symptoms. You feel dull, drowsy and droopy, like it is too much effort to lift your arm or head off the bed. The feeling is like being totally wiped out, and you just wish it would go away, while you wish you had never gone away. The physical symptoms are often accompanied by an anticipatory fear, as can occur prior to or during travels.
Nux vomica (Quaker’s buttons) is helpful for indigestion or digestive problems while traveling that are caused by eating too much rich food, drinking too much alcohol or too much business travel. It’s the traveling business person’s friend.
Travel Injuries and Accidents
At the top of the list of “don’t leave home” without it remedies is Arnica Montana (leopard’s bane), the best initial homeopathic medicine for injuries, bruises and shock. Giving Arnica first after an injury or accident is often the best first aid, provided you have also employed the other indicated first-aid measures appropriate for the situation. Travellers needing Arnica feel sore, bruised and like the surface on which they are lying is too hard. They often tell people, “I’m all right, I don’t need any help!” Arnica is one of the best remedies for head injuries, black eyes, and any kind of bruising.
Ledum palustre (marsh tea) is excellent for puncture wounds, insect bites and tetanus. The affected parts feel cold, but are paradoxically better from cold compresses.
Hypericum perfoliatum (St. John’s wort) is also used for puncture wounds, but its specialty is injuries to nerves with shooting pains, and it is specific for crushing wounds, like slamming one’s finger in the taxi door, or falling on one’s tailbone.
Bryonia (white bryony) covers almost any injury where pain on motion is the prominent symptom. This is often accompanied by irritability and a desire to go home.
Rhus toxicodendron (poison ivy) is used when overexertion, strains or sprains leave you feeling stiff, yet restless.
Too Much Fun in the Sun
Sunburn is the best reminder of yesterday’s overexposure to those golden rays. We find that prevention is the best, with a good 30 SPF sunscreen, a hat and a UV-proof shirt, but if you forgot, you can take the sting out with doses of Cantharis (Spanish fly) 30C. Also liberal use of Calendula (marigold flower) cream, spray or gel can be very soothing.
For sun stroke and heat exhaustion, we use Glonoine (nitroglycerine – no you won’t explode!) and Belladonna (deadly nightshade – no you won’t die!). When you need Belladonna, you have the most pounding headache, a red face, and dry skin. Even taking a step feels too jarring, and you feel like you have to hold your head with your hands to stabilize it. Sometimes even your hair hurts. Though you won’t explode when taking Glonoine, your head feels like it would. Getting out of the sun can help a lot if you feel like that.
Insect Bites and Stings
There is nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy the beach, a forest walk or delightful picnic in a picturesque spot with mosquitoes, flies or bees and yellow jackets for company. Homeopathy comes to the rescue with the dynamic duo of Apis melifica (honeybee) and Ledum palustre (marsh tea). Apis takes care of the majority of stings, especially those that cause swelling. It is characterized by redness, swelling and stinging pain, that is locally worse from heat and better from cold. One should always remove a stinger if present, and apply ice. For mosquito and fly bites, Ledum is the ticket to relief, helping the swelling, itching and other pain. The symptoms are also better from cold applications, like Apis. When Apis doesn’t work for a sting, try Ledum, because it may also help.
Motion Sickness
The three remedies you should always have in your kit for motion sickness are Tabacum (tobacco), Petroleum (rock oil), and Cocculus indicus (Indian cockle). Tabacum is for severe motion sickness, which turns one green with nausea. Those needing Cocculus are worse from seeing moving objects like cars on the road, and Petroleum has sea or airsickness with a sensation of emptiness in the stomach that is relieved by constant eating. Of the three, Tabacum is often the most effective if the nausea and vomiting are severe.
Jet Lag
Gelsemium (yellow jasmine) is one medicine that often works for jet-lag, because people who need it often feel dull, drowsy and droopy or fluish. We have also had good results personally using the commercial combination homeopathic, No Jet Lag, which is taken every few hours during the flight and afterwards if needed.
Now you can see why whenever you travel, it’s a good idea to travel well naturally with your homeopathic traveling kit. As we say again, “Don’t leave home without it!” It can save your trip from being ruined by ill health, injuries and the rigors of air travel.
Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman are licensed naturopathic physicians board certified in homeopathy. Their books include: A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism, Ritalin-Free Kids, Rage-Free Kids, Prozac Free, Homeopathic Self-Care: The Quick and Easy Guide for the Whole Family, Whole Woman Homeopathy, The Patient’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicine, and Mystics, Masters, Saints and Sages-Stories of Enlightenment.
They teach and lecture internationally and practice at The Northwest Center for Homeopathic Medicine in Edmonds, Washington and Langley, WA. Avid and seasoned travelers, and residents on two continents, they are quite experienced with natural travel medicine. They treat patients by phone as well as in person and can be reached by telephone at (425) 774-5599 or by fax at (425) 670-0319. Their website is www.healthyhomeopathy.com.
Reprinted from Townsend Letter – The Examiner of Alternative Medicine, www.townsendletter.com. For subscription information email: info@townsendletter.com, or call: 360-385-6021.