How to deal with influenza: Fever may be used as treatment
BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7476.1238-a (Published 18 November 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:1238
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Interesting article!
I used to be one of those mothers who would RUN to the drugstore for
a bottle of Tylenol to bring down the fever as quickly as possible. Then
would scratch my head 24 hours later when the fever returned - even
higher, and likely to be accompanied by vomiting too. I would begin the
battle with Tylenol again, and would be fighting the fever, often for days
at a time, sometimes even up to two week periods.
Seventeen years ago I became frustrated with the number of fevers my
two preschoolers seemed to be afflicted by. In that frustration, I found
myself with my children at the office of a Naturopathic/Homeopathic Dr.
who taught me many things, including how to USE a fever. Also to
understand that the body NEEDS fever occasionally. I understand how fever
works WITH and FOR the body. It is a necessary function to cleanse and
purify, and is not to be feared.
I always use two homeopathics and alternate them hourly. Ferrum
Phos. 6x at the onset, for high temps, feverishness and quickened pulse;
Kali Sulph 6x the following hour, to control the temperarure and promote
perspiration. (The bug then comes out in sweat, through the pores) It
requires only about 6 or 8 doses, a maximum of perhaps 4 doses of each,
being sure to alternate the two every hour. Since I have adopted this way
of dealing with fevers in my children - I can assuredly work with the
fever and have the child up and about again in under 12 hours. I do not
give cool baths either - only the homeopathics. My youngest is nearly 14
and has never had a single dose of Tylenol. She has always been back in
class the following day after having a fever, and usually it happens only
about once per year. She has the least number of absences in her class
and is my healthiest child by far! This article needs alot more press!
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
CHILDHOOD TREATMENT FOR 'FLU: SWEAT IT OUT
Dear Sir,
CHILDHOOD TREATMENT FOR 'FLU: SWEAT IT OUT
When I was a child my parents admonished me to sweat out overnight
those shivery achy colds. It always worked except if I failed to
keep myself well wrapped up so that I cooled down. As long as you
were sweating with no drafts coming under the bedding, it was
working. The dreams were sometimes rambling but the effect the
next morning was to awaken fresh, rested and well, instead of being
dogged by the symptoms for some days.
This 'anecdotal' evidence will presumably be ignored, but when I read Alan W Fowler's letter How to deal with influenza - Fever may be used as treatment it struck a chord with me.
There are many simple remedies we are failing to use instead of
expensive side-effect ridden pharmaceuticals of doubtful benefit in a
world of sometimes manipulated clinical trial data and some medical
'scientific' papers where the authors' conclusions can bear little
relation to the results reported or which are leaps of faith or wild
extrapolations with little scientific justification.
I was amazed to be able to shake off water on the knee which had dogged
me for nearly two years on and off. A neighbour prescribed
drinking water in which a fresh bunch of parsley had been boiled, the
water retained and cooled and the flaccid parsley by-product discarded.
The water on the knee vanished in a couple of days, never to return.
Anecdotal and coincidence, no doubt medical 'science' will
proclaim. My excellent local pharmacist is in awe of some
herbalists, whom he describes as 'very clever' and is disappointed he
can no longer himself mix conventional preparations in the pharmacy as
a result of new legislation.
It seems the influence of the pharmaceutical industry lobby on our
legislators at home and in Brussels has been busy helping to wipe out
all forms of competition, alternative and conventional.
In the very bad old days herbalist were tried for sorcery. Now we will just stick 'em in jail. Shame that.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests