Homeopathic Remedies for Flu: Four Remedies Compared
Not every flu feels the same
Flu has a way of announcing itself. One person is fine at lunchtime and flat on the sofa by teatime, shivering and fearful. Another drifts into it slowly, heavy-limbed and foggy, as if wading through treacle. A third feels as though every bone in their body has been bruised with a hammer.
Same virus, very different experiences. And to a homeopath, those differences are everything. In this post we’ll compare four remedies often named for flu-like illness: Aconite, Baptisia, Gelsemium and Eupatorium perfoliatum.
Important note
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you take prescribed medication or have an existing health condition, please speak to your doctor first.
First, the sensible bit: when flu needs a doctor
Most healthy adults recover from flu within about a week, although tiredness and a cough can linger longer. But please contact a doctor early if you are pregnant, over 65, have a long-term health condition such as asthma, heart or lung disease or diabetes, have a weakened immune system, or are caring for a young child with flu symptoms.
Please seek urgent medical help for:
difficulty breathing, fast breathing or chest pain
confusion, unusual drowsiness or being hard to wake
blue or grey lips or skin
a fever that lasts beyond a few days, or improvement followed by getting worse again, which can signal a chest infection
signs of dehydration such as very little urine, dizziness or a dry mouth
any baby under three months with a fever
a stiff neck, a rash that doesn’t fade under pressure, or a seizure
Simple comforts that are worth a try
Rest, properly. Flu is not the time to push through
Plenty of fluids, little and often, and light food when you feel like it
Staying home so you don’t pass it on, and washing your hands often
Following the label of any over-the-counter medicine, and never giving aspirin to children
Four flus at a glance
Aconite: very sudden, often within hours of a chill or a cold dry wind, with high fever, hot dry skin, thirst for cold drinks, restlessness and anxiety
Baptisia: sudden and severe, with a dusky, flushed face, a bruised, sore feeling, offensive breath or sweat, and a dull, stupefied state
Gelsemium: gradual, with heaviness, drooping eyelids, trembling, weakness, chills running up and down the spine, and little thirst
Eupatorium perfoliatum: deep, bone-breaking aching, sore eyeballs, a throbbing headache and thirst for cold drinks
When homeopaths tell these apart, they listen for how it started, how the person feels in themselves, and whether thirst is present.
Commonly used homeopathic remedies for flu
These are traditional remedy pictures described in homeopathic materia medica. They are not a suggestion to manage serious flu at home.
Aconite
Aconite, made from monkshood, is the remedy of the sudden start. The picture is a rapid onset after exposure to cold, dry wind or a sudden chill, with a high fever, hot dry skin, flushed face and a big thirst for cold drinks. The person is typically restless and anxious, sometimes frightened, in a way that feels out of proportion to the illness.
If you would like to know more about this remedy, I tell its story in Getting to Know Aconite.
Aconite may be considered where flu comes on suddenly with high fever, thirst, restlessness and anxiety.
Baptisia
Baptisia, made from wild indigo, is linked with flu that arrives suddenly and hits hard. The face looks dusky and flushed, the body feels sore and bruised as if lying on a hard bed, and breath, sweat and other discharges may smell offensive. The most characteristic feature is a dull, stupefied state: the person drifts off mid-sentence, and may feel as though their body is scattered in the bed.
Confusion, however, is a reason to call a doctor immediately, not to reach for a remedy.
Baptisia may be considered where flu comes on suddenly and heavily, with a dusky face, a bruised feeling and a dull, drowsy state.
Gelsemium
Gelsemium, made from yellow jasmine, is the remedy of the slow, heavy flu. It tends to come on gradually, often with a sense of dread before an event or after a shock. The limbs feel weighty and weak, the eyelids droop, the head feels dull and aching, there may be trembling, and chills run up and down the spine. Notably, there is little thirst, and the person wants to be left alone, quiet and still.
Gelsemium may be considered where flu comes on gradually with heaviness, drooping eyelids, trembling and little thirst.
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Eupatorium perfoliatum, made from boneset, takes its common name from the deep, “bone-breaking” ache that goes with it. The pains are felt deep in the bones, back and limbs, the eyeballs feel sore, the headache throbs, and there is often a strong thirst for cold drinks. A cough may make the chest sore enough that the person holds it while coughing.
Eupatorium perfoliatum may be considered where flu brings deep, bone-aching pains, sore eyes and thirst for cold drinks.
Using homeopathic remedies sensibly
Remedies are chosen for the whole person, not the flu alone, so a remedy that fits one person may not fit another
For babies, children, anyone at higher risk, or flu that is severe or lingering, please speak to a doctor first and a qualified practitioner as well
Tell your doctor and your homeopath about everything you are taking, and never stop or change prescribed medicines without medical advice
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to a qualified practitioner first
If symptoms continue, change or worry you, seek medical advice
Related information
Flu can leave you feeling flat long after the fever has gone, so you may like my post on Homeopathic Remedies for Recovery After Illness. For the everyday remedies homeopaths often keep to hand, see A Homeopathy Home Kit: Ten Remedies Homeopaths Often Talk About, and for the full story of one of the four remedies here, Getting to Know Aconite.
Individual Support
Flu is a good example of why homeopaths ask so many questions. A consultation gives us time to look at how you catch and recover from illnesses, not just the symptoms of one bout.
In a first consultation, I would explore:
How your flu or illness began: suddenly or slowly, and what was going on at the time
The fever pattern: chills, heat, sweating and thirst
Where and how the aching feels, including head, eyes, back and limbs
How you are in yourself: restless, anxious, drowsy, foggy, or wanting to be left alone
How often you catch colds and flu, and how long you take to recover afterwards
How it all fits together as one whole-person pattern
If you would like to talk it through, I offer a free online intro call, with no obligation.
This article is for general educational purposes only and describes how remedies are understood within homeopathic philosophy. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it is not a claim that any remedy prevents, treats or cures flu or any other medical condition. If you are concerned about your health, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Sharon McAllister — UK-qualified homeopath, former Registered Nurse of 35 years, and former Vice Principal of a homeopathy college.
