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 Bryonia.

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 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 patient, 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: A person needing the homeopathic remedy Bryonia will tend to be morose and irritable when sick with a desire to be left alone. They prefer to be quiet mentally and physically.

Key Physical Characteristics: A person needing this homeopathic remedy is particularly noteworthy for being worse from motion of any kind… no matter the symptom—motion makes them feel worse. They feel much better when they are able to keep perfectly still. They also tend to feel much better when lying on the painful side or part.

Bryonia patients are known for dryness of the lips and mouth and for being thirstier than normal when sick. They tend to seek large quantities of cold fluids at long intervals.

With flu-like symptoms, Bryonia patients often experience chilliness and heat alternately. Chills are often accompanied by shivering. The fever stage is typically dry (without sweat), with burning heat, mostly internal - the blood seems to burn in the veins.

If there is a cough, it is usually dry, hard, racking, with scanty expectoration and accompanied by a splitting headache.

If a headache is indeed part of the picture, it’s often felt in the front of the head and the pain feels as though the head is under great pressure. With this headache, there is a great desire to lie perfectly still. If a cough is present, each spasm of cough may make you or your family member feel as though the head is going to burst from the pain. You may see a Bryonia patient holding their head or chest when coughing. That behavior is not uncommon when this remedy is called for.

In general a person who will benefit from Bryonia may be worse on motion; stooping down; while coughing; from shutting the eyes (may make the pain in the head worse); and from lying on the painless side.

They feel better while lying down; lying on the painful side; when quiet; and from cold things; cold food, etc.

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

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