Many of you have asked for more extensive guidance on remedy selection for flu-like symptoms. In this article, I will describe the symptoms you’ll want to see to reach for the homeopathic remedy Mercurius solubilis.

Remember - the key to choosing the correct/helpful remedy is ALWAYS the same. One must match the “characteristic symptoms” (ie, unusual or peculiar) of the person you are caring for (not the common ones like headache, sore throat, cough, fever, etc.) to a remedy capable of producing similar characteristic symptoms to have success. If you choose a remedy with characteristics most similar to the characteristic symptoms of your family member, you should have a happy outcome every time. If you don't - you or they will either feel no effect, or one that is mildly positive at best, but there is never a bad effect from choosing the “wrong” remedy.

Key Mental Characteristics: The mental symptoms of a person needing Mercurius solubilis are not terribly remarkable… suffice it to say that folks needing this remedy are often restless and worried.

Key Physical Characteristics: Many of the leading characteristics of this remedy are found centered around the mouth. The mouth is generally quite moist with salivation that is soapy or stringy, yet the patient has intense thirst. (Rarely does one give Mercurius if the tongue is dry.) What’s more, the odor from the mouth is typically very offensive; one can often smell it from across the room.

With flu-like symptoms, Mercurius solubilis patients often experience a peculiar type of chill. It is not a shaking chill, but simply “creeping chilliness.” Often this “creeping chilliness” is felt as one of the first symptoms. These patients also tend to sweat profusely during their illness and the sweat can have an offensive odor and at times feel almost oily. They tend to sweat more at night and with even slight exertion, with an aggravation of the flu-like symptoms during the sweating stage.

If a headache is part of the picture, the head may feel as though it is stuck in a vise. To that end, the patient may feel congestion in the head with the head feeling as if it would burst from the pressure.

Symptoms of the nose may include considerable acrid discharge and sneezing. The discharge may at times be thick and green – and may have a strong odor. Also it’s common to have mucus trickle down into the throat, causing hawking and scraping and soreness of the throat. Hoarseness may also occur. If there is any ear pain, it is typically right sided and worse at night.

In summary, a person who will benefit from Mercurius solubilis feels worse at night in the warmth of the bed, while sweating, and while lying on right side. They will typically generate some kind of disagreeable odor from the mouth or sweat. And any discharges are likely to be greenish, and even irritate the skin.

If you or someone you know is experiencing flu-like symptoms and their symptoms match those of this remedy, dose with either a 30C or 200C potency to start - placing one pellet under the tongue or one pellet in water, stirring vigorously and taking teaspoon doses as needed. Always cease dosing when relief begins and only re-dose if symptoms again worsen. As with any medical condition, consult with your physician if you have any concerns about the severity of your problem as it may first require medical diagnosis and/or intervention and monitoring.

If you think you have the influenza virus, please seek the advice of a medical professional.

About Dr. Lisa Samet

Dr. Lisa Samet N.D. provides Washington Homeopathic Products with a weekly column on using homeopathy for the family. She's a naturopathic physician who specializes in homeopathic medicine and she's a partner with Dr. Andre Saine N.D. Dr. Samet graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1998 and has been practicing in Montreal since then. She was born and raised in New York.

Dr. Samet has chosen to focus on homeopathy because in her experience it is the deepest healing modality available in that it does not just soothe or palliate symptoms but can actually stimulate the body to start to heal itself. Dr. Samet sees patients in her Montreal office as well as long distance using Skype. Learn more here: Dr. Lisa Samet

Photo credit: Divine in the Daily via Foter.com / CC BY-ND