Monday, February 22, 2010

Homeopathy 101

I'm not a medicine person unless I'm in pain or really really sick. When Ella started teething, I gave her Tylenol because that's what everyone else did. She had 1 fever as an infant and it was really low, so I never was faced with that. But when she was teething, the Tylenol would constipate her for a week. I started looking into other options and that's when I found Boiron Camilia Teething Relief. It is a liquid you squirt into your little one's mouth and it takes the pain away. No side effects and it is effective! That's when I started looking into other homeopathy for all types of health issues. The webinar I sat in on last month was designed for children's health. Dr. Merrell lectured about children's cold and flu season and enlightened me on many new things.

I have heard for years about Dr.'s over using antibiotics in children. The bad thing about over using antibiotics is that when the child becomes an adult and truly needs the medicine, they will be immune. A cold and the flu is viral and no antibiotic will help in any way, though they are still prescribed. If your child ends up with an ear infection, their doctor will more than likely prescribe a antibiotic. Even though 60% of ear infections are viral and will heal on their own. Luckily, my doctor doesn't like prescribing medicines to children and always finds an alternative.

I loved how Dr. Merrell described a fever. He said a fever is produced by an infection to tell your body to kill off an infection. That the fever "boils off infection" so your body gets better. I asked if it was OK to let a child run a fever and he said yes, but if it gets to 102 or higher, you want to give them something to bring it down.

Dr. Merrell also said that children under 6 years old also shouldn't take OTC cold and cough meds. A lot of doctors say that they do not work for young children because children express disease differently than adults. This is why the FDA pulled all infant cough and cold meds 2 years ago. Children's OTC cough and cold meds can also cause long term negative side effects.

Luckily there are safe and natural alternatives that are very effective. Homeopathic medicines have been around for hundreds of years. Majority prefer using homeopathy because there is no risk of overdose, no side effects, no drug interactions, no contraindications, they will not mask medical emergencies, and they are FDA regulated. The dosages you receive are not based on weight. So a child 2 and older can take any form of homeopathic medicines. There are children medicines that have a altered taste or come in a different form. Like the Coldcalm- they come in pellets for children and tablets for adults.

There are tons of homeopathic medicines for many symptoms such as allergies, coughs, colds, stress, flu, arthritis pain, muscle aches and pain, PMS, bruising, teething, constipation, sleep aids and so much more. They are available over the counter without a prescription. I have found Boiron at our local super market as well as our organic store. Homeopathic medicines can come in tablets, gels, pellets, ointments, creams, drops, and syrups.

Homeopathic drugs use natural substances (minerals, plants, and biological substances) in micro-doses. They relieve the symptoms by stimulating the natural ability of the body to re-balance and heal itself. OTC cough and cold meds only mask the symptoms until your body heals on its own. Homeopathy helps your body heal instead of just feeling better temporarily.

For more information, visit Boiron and learn the basics. If you have any questions, list them below and I will try to answer them or send them to someone who might be able to help. :)

2 comments:

  1. I just put that on my list. My baby is teething and hate giving her Tylenol. There is also a product called Hyland's that has a line of homeopathic remedies for babies.
    I agree with you about giving your immune system a chance to fight something off instead of getting on antibiotics right away. It's very frightening to think that we are heading back to the pre-antibiotic days due to overuse. SCARY! Like your blog a lot and I'll be back for sure.

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  2. i'm with you 100%! i'm "all natural" as much as possible. antibiotics are extremely overprescribed, and have been for decades. doctors think it's such a cure-all, but the truth is that they can also do damage, especially in the long run. they destroy your intestinal flora, which paves the way for a whole host of other digestive and metabolic problems. of course, doctors don't tell you that, so usually you just find out after your health goes in the potty. that's what happened to me, and i've spent 6 months trying to heal my insides (still not there yet). it has also taken me this long to find a doctor that is willing to consider natural remedies for my symptoms, as opposed to shrugging off what is going on and telling me to see a shrink instead (wtf?!?!?). i cannot stress this enough: acidophilus should ALWAYS be taken with antibiotics (and probably in general too). and for all you mommies out there - definitely watch what the docs want to give your children - YOU are their advocate and you can find healthier, free-of-side-effects options that you don't have to go to Med school in order to recommend.

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