Will , MD Homeopath, on whooping cough

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Will , MD Homeopath, on whooping cough

This is from a conversation on an email list......

ashryn wrote,

>well, one of my worst nightmares may have come true.. my unvaccinated 3year

>old has a very nasty cough that i have been told sounds like the beginnings

>of whooping cough.

It is never easy when our own young-ones take sick. I find it easy to

offer knowledgable reassurance to my patients, but struggle so often in

these same situations with my own pain at seeing my own boys not feeling

well. Find someone for hugs (someone must know a nifty little e-mail

symbol for hugs?)

> i guess what i am looking for is reassurance that i am doing the right

>thing, it is so hard to hold on to my faith in homoeopathy (actually in my

>own abilities) when i am so close to it.. there isnt anything allopathy can

>do anyway, is there?

Conventional medicine can only intervene with supportive care (observation,

humidity, hydration, oxygen). Antibiotics do *not* affect the course of

the illness (except, perhaps, in the very early catarrhal phase, before

there is any clue that this might be whooping cough); they may be given to

the patient to reduce the possibility of contagion to others. But consider

that the most common side-effect of erythromycin (the antibiotic most often

used for this) is nausea ...

Perhaps one of the reasons allopathy worries so much about pertussis is,

that they " gots nothin' to do " for it. & allopaths basically *hate* it

when that happens.

>the cough is worse at night, and she has to sit up to cough, and ends up

>with tears streaming down her face after each bout.(not crying from grief,

>but from the sheer exertion.) she seems to be being very brave, and when she

>isnt coughing seems perfectly fine

My experience with pertussis is, that it is much much more difficult for

the parents than it is for the child. It is very hard to watch these

paroxysmal coughing episodes. I mean sure, they're rough for the kid to go

thru, but as parents we feel so incredibly helpless. The kids seem mostly

to recover just fine.

>her picture is that of a perfect pulsatilla, although the remedy does not

>act. so i gave her one dose of silica (the first chronic of puls)

Recall what Edouard wrote recently about the pace of remedies (he used Bell

& Calc-c as examples). It would be very unusual to see Silica called for

in an acute pertussis case in the paroxysmal cough phase - the pace of this

remedy just does not match the pace of the acute paroxysmal illness.

Many of the common symptoms of pertussis seem to fit Pulsatilla - worse in

the first part of the night, <lying down, > (or at least prefers) sitting

up, etc. You usually need to look further at more differentiating symptoms

to find the simillimum.

As an aside, not really applicable to this case, if a " chronic of Puls "

does need to be given, it should still be a remedy that fits the whole

picture. Only Silica if it fits. See Boenninghausen's concordances (in

the back of his repertory) for other possibilities.

>and it

>seemed to ease the cough for one night, but the next day she was back to the

>same deep wrenching cough that makes her feel like vomiting. it does seem

>that she has more mucus when she coughs now and it is slightly less

>spasmodic.. is this an improvement?

I suspect it is an indication that the remedy was not correct.

>her cough seems to fit drosera, but not the mentals..if i gave this, would

>it be supressive?

I have rarely seen the persecution, etc. of Drosera during a Drosera

whooping cough acute. Go to the most characteristic symptoms of the case -

which will likely be in the modalities ( & times), the physical generals,

concomitants to the cough, and any strongly characterizing physical

particulars.

>it has been going on for about 2 weeks now and i am starting to get very

>worried.

Going on for 2 weeks as it has, it is likely that you've pretty much

already seen what is in store for you. Emphasize rest ( & restful activity)

for all of the family during the day, so you can all pace yourself through

this. Plan on little treats for yourself during the predictable night

wakings, & breaks for self-refreshment during the day, & work out some

alternation of responsibilities so you don't all get exhausted

simultaneously.

I hope for the best for your family -

>i guess i am having some trouble just sitting back and waiting..

>in my experience, homoeopathy works faster than this..

It usually does. I would expect at the least to see the cough settle down

into a semi-disturbing, no-gagging night-time cough without nausea or

wretching.

Will , MD