Latest Updates

Pleurisy. Homeopathic vs Conventional Treatment

Pleurisy. Homeopathic vs Conventional Treatment

Pleurisy (often now called pleuritis) is a condition in which the layer covering the lungs, called the pleura, becomes inflamed. The most common symptom of pleurisy is sudden pain in the chest, which is made worse with deep breathing, coughing, and moving the chest. The pain may also be felt in the shoulders, the lower chest, even the neck or abdomen. A full description of Pleurisy can be found on this Hpathy website.


THE CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT OF PLEURISY

According to the NHS Choices website, the “treatment for pleurisy usually involves relieving pain and treating the underlying cause of the condition.

The treatment recommended for pain are NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), including Ibuprofen, Paracetamol or Nurofen and Codeine. The dangers of these painkilling drugs can be seen by clicking on these links, and of course, they only deal with the pain.

NHS Choices mentions several possible ‘underlying causes’ for pleurisy:

A Bacterial Infection - the treatment for which is “a combination of different antibiotics”. Despite the fact that conventional medicine continues to recommend them for a wide variety of illnesses, the adverse reactions of, and the increasing resistance to Antibiotic drugs is becoming increasingly apparent.

A Viral Infection - the NHS merely says that treatment “may not be required because the infection will usually resolve on its own after a few days” - which suggests that there is no available treatment! It says that hospitalisation may be necessary if the symptoms don’t resolve on their own.

Pleural effusion - the NHS Choices website that this happens when there is “a build up of excess fluid around the lungs called pleural effusion”, with the main symptom being shortness of breath that gets progressively worse. Treatment for this is to insert a tube, with a general anaesthetic, to drain away the fluid.

There is probably good reason to seek to avoid all this treatment, and homeopathy can help in doing so.


This description of the homeopathic treatment of Pleurisy is taken from two Hpathy websites. This one. And this one

In homeopathy the selection of remedy is based upon the symptoms of the individual. As always, the aim of homeopathy is not only to treat the individual’s symptoms of pleurisy, but also his or her susceptibilities to pleurisy. In more serious, or long-standing cases of pleurisy the patient should consult a qualified homeopath. However, these remedies are known to treat people suffering from pleurisy if they match closely the individual’s symptom picture:

Aconite. This remedy for the chills, high fever, sharply defined chill; but it is only useful in the first stage before the exudation has taken place; there may be sharp stitches in the chest from the intense congestion, but these,if marked, usually indicate Bryonia. An additional indication for Aconite would be in case the attack arose from a chill following a checked perspiration. The good effects of the remedy are usually manifested promptly. 

Bryonia.
This remedy often follows Aconite, and suits most cases of pleurisy as its symptom picture mirrors this disease more closely than any other remedy. It should be given after the stage of exudation has arrived and the fever has abated somewhat, though the fever may still be considerable. There are short, sharp, stitching pains, worse from the slightest motion; even breathing is painful and the patient lies on the painful side to relieve the pain.

Ranunculus Bulbosus. 
Sharp, stitching pains in the chest,worse on the right side. It is often found useful to absorb the effusion. 

Stannum. 
Knife-like pains in the left axilla. 

Asclepias. 
A pleuritic remedy where there is a dry, hacking cough, scanty expectoration, pains relieved by bending forward; the suffering is intense. Hale says: " It seems to be a lesser Bryonia and is probably not adapted to serve cases."

Apis.
Pleurisy with exudation, hydrothorax ; a useful remedy in the stage of effusion after the fever has abated and the pains have disappeared. Sulphur suits all forms of exudation; there is a sharp, stitching pain through the left lung to the back, worse lying on back and from least motion. It follows Aconite and Bryonia well. It is one of our most valuable absorbents. 

Hepar Sulph.
Where there is purulent exudation ; also an excellent remedy in pleurisy complicated with bronchitis. It will hardly ever fail in plastic pleurisy when its specific indications are present. It will often clear up cases of purulent pleurisy which tend to induce consumption.

Belladonna.
Pleurisy in children of the congestive type, often ushered in by convulsions rather than fever. 

Arnica. 
Pleuritis arising from external injury, and where pain continues. It is useful in traumatic and haemorrhagic (bleeding) cases.

Cantharis.
A valuable remedy in the treatment of ‘wet’ pleurisy, is indicated by dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing), palpitation, profuse sweats, weakness, tendency to fainting with scanty and albuminous urine. Dr.Jousset accounts Cantharis a leading drug in pleurisy with effusion. It has caused this condition in animals.

Arsenicum.
Serous pleurisy; it can promptly relieves the painful asthmatic respiration when there is a large accumulation of fluid, and prostration. It usually is a quick acting remedy. 

Ascl Tub
An early stage remedy where there is a dry hacking cough, scanty expectoration, and where pains are relieved by bending forward. This remedy is next to Bryonia in severity and intensity.

Sulphur.
A remedy to be used where there is sharp stitching pain through the left lung to the back, where it is worse lying on the back, and from the least motion. This remedy follows Aconite and Bryonia well, especially when chosen remedies fail to improve the patient.

Other homeopathic remedies that are often used to treat pleurisy are Abrotanum, Carbo Veg, Mercurius, Nitric acid and Sabadilla.


RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TESTS (RCT’s)

To date, I know of no RCTs done on Pleurisy. The evidence for the homeopathic treatment of this illness is entirely clinical, that is, the successful treatment of this condition by homeopaths over the last 200 years. See Homeopathy Evidence Base.


The Failure ConMed. Statins: those nice, safe drugs we should all be taking!

The Failure ConMed. Statins: those nice, safe drugs we should all be taking!
Statin drugs are supposed to be safe. This is what we have been hearing about them from the Conventional Medical Establishment now for many years. They were first introduced in 1987, and quickly became a blockbuster drug. One Statin drug, Baycol, caused over 50 deaths, and was linked to over 1000 cases of muscle weakness. It was quickly (and silently) withdrawn.

Soon, Big Pharma propaganda had convinced us that these drugs were entirely safe. The magazine 'What Doctors Don't Tell You', WDDTY, in January 2007 observed that 'everyone seems to be popping a cholesterold-lowering statin drug these days. They have become part of the daily health regime for millions of people, and they are considered to be so safe that one statin, Simvastatin, is available over-the-counter in the UK without a prescription".

And as late as May 2008, the Independent was able to publish an article - 'Prescribing more Statins could save lives'. The article reported that, in 2007, Professor Roger Boyle, the Government's 'heart tsar' had suggested that every man over 50, and every woman over 60, could be offered a daily Statin to reduce their heart attack risk. It also reported that NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Evidence) was advising that all adults aged 40 to 75 should be assessed for their risk of heart disease - and should be offered Statin drugs.

These were incredible, but quite typical claims that have been made for Statin drugs for over 25 years now. But by the time this article was published the dangers of Statins were known, but well hidden from view.

I have copies of WDDTY going back to the early 2000s - and they were regularly reporting on the dangers of Statins - all studiously avoiding by the mainstream media, Big Pharma, the Government, the NHS, and our own GPs.

The Health Sciences Institute has also been saying for years that Statins are unsafe. Indeed, as they say, the known disease-inducing effects (DIEs) of these drugs now include liver damage, acute kidney failure, memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, muscle weakness (including a condition, rhabdomyolysis, that can be fatal), fatigue, depression, type 2 diabetes and cataracts.

There is now considerable, if not overwhelming evidence, pointing to the dangers of Statin drugs. Indeed there is much more evidence than even I had imagined when I began researching for this blog. This article is perhaps the most useful link - as it provides links to a considerable number of scientific studies that points to the dangers of Statins - from peripheral neuropathy and poly-neuropathy, to neuro-toxicity, to psychiatric reactions, to cognitive function, memory loss, mental effects, to Alzheimers disease, and much more.

One of the most recent connection has been with diabetes. Statin drugs has been found to increase the risk of diabetes in post-menopausal women by a massive 70%. A long-term study in the USA, involving 1000's of women, found that female patients prescribed Statins had 48% greater change of developing diabetes. And this rose to 70% in older women. There is more on this research here. And the research is outlined here.

Equally important, Statin drugs is implicated with many kinds of nerve damage. There is now research evidence indicating that if you take Statin drugs for 2 years or more, nerve damage becomes the rule rather than the exception. An amazing claim indeed.

EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE DANGERS OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL
Yet, to understand the full enormity of the Statin drug scam, we also have to understand about cholesterol, and whether it is (as we have been told) an important contributory cause of heart disease. Remember, the main reason for people taking Statins is that we have been convinced that high levels of cholesterol cause heart disease. Yet there is a major clue that this link may be quite wrong, namely, that as cholesterol levels have become lower, rates of heart disease have not followed suit.

” … between 1994 and 2006 the percentage of men aged 65 to 74 with ‘high’ cholesterol decreased from 87% to 54% … Despite this, the rate of coronary heart disease for this age group stayed about the same … Other age groups have experienced an increase in the rate of heart disease as the number of people with ‘high’ cholesterol has decreased.”

The Big Pharma companies do, of course, have good reason to invent and/or support such a link. Indeed, as this article explains, there are about $29Billion Reasons to lie about cholesterol!

The evidence linking high cholesterol with heart disease is, at best, tenuous. And where there is a problem, it is probably best to deal with it is through diet rather than drugs!

SO WHAT ARE WE TOLD ABOUT THE DANGERS OF STATINS?
There continues to be a deafening silence about the dangers of Statin drugs. The research outlined in this blog is rarely, if ever, reported in the mainstream Media. They appear content going along with the views of the conventional medical establishment, and the drug companies. So as patients we are not told anything beyond a few bland and understated cautions, and the mantra that 'the benefits outweigh the disadvantages'.

The information is not even found on websites selling these drugs, or indeed, in the information contained within the packaging. One study, undertaken by the school of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (University of Portsmouth), and reported by HRI, asked this question, and discovered the following:

* General contraindications regarding statin use were absent in more that 92% of website advertising Statins.

* Contraindications relating to interactions with other medication were absent in over 47% of websites.

* Warnings about the potential for muscle damage were absent in 37% of websites

* Warnings about the potential for liver damage were absent in almost 50% of website.

The conclusion HRI reached, after looking at this research, was that it was impossible for consumers to make 'informed choices' about the likely benefits and harms of these drugs. Their dedicated blog, 'The Cholesterol Truth', believes that 'statin drugs are nothing but money-spinning concoctions that are putting people's health at risk'. It is difficult to disagree with this summary. They say, further:

"It's ridiculous to think doctors are prescribing drugs that are supposedly preventing a killer disease ... but in turn these drugs also increase the risk of another major disease - diabetes. It's hardly surprising that the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes is reacing epidemic proportions given the widespread use of statins.


Yet this is what we get with all Big Pharma drugs. We take them for one condition, only to find that we soon go down with another disease, often much worse than the original disease.

Big Pharma companies, supported by the Media, politicians and the NHS, continue to push Statin drugs quite shamelessly. This article describes the idea that they should be prescribed for the treatment of flu - something that is described as 'a ludicrous recommendation'.

Quite so. But perhaps recommending Statin drugs to treat any condition is equally ludicrous!

Why Homeopathy Heals

Why Homeopathy Heals
When I was first introduced to homeopathy, my comment was 'I don't believe in that sort of thing'! I was in pain at the time, and there may have been a few additional expletives connected to it! And my mind, then, was as closed as the homeopathy denialists are now, and who write into this blog so often. So perhaps there is hope, even for them!

But why does homeopathy heal? And why is it able to do so with such safety? It is not what most of us have come to know about medicine through our experience of ConMed.

First, it works by supporting our body, not by opposing it. It seeks to trigger the self-healing mechanisms we all have. When we are ill, our bodies strive to make us better - and it does so in many ways, some of which we do not understand. All natural therapies do this, in their own way. In fact, it is only ConMed, and its drugs, that seeks to 'second-guess' what the body is seeking to do - with its 'anti' this or that drugs, with its 'inhibitors' and its 'blockers'. This is how most ConMed labels most of it drugs. They unashamedly set out to fight the body. And this is what causes the adverse reactions, and creates the diseases, and kills so many people each year.

Second, it works through the principle of 'treating like with like', the very basis of homeopathy. It seeks to match the symptoms of our illness with a remedy, and triggers the body into a stronger, more powerful healing reaction. Homeopathy has been testing this hypothesis for over 200 years, and it has never been found wanting. The hypothesis was known by the Ancient Greeks, and it probably goes even further back, into pre-history.

Hahnemann started the process of cataloging the symptoms of various substances, and these have become our remedies. Actually, the cataloging began before Hahnemann, with the herbalists, and their knowledge of the healing activity of common plants and herbs. And the remedies used 200+ years ago are still with us, and indeed are still amongst the most used homeopathic remedies.

So where is this knowledge?
The knowledge of homeopathy is are written up in our Materia Medica, vast tombs clinical experience and information, built up over the years, first by 'proving' (healthy volunteers taking a substance, and observing the effects it has), and supported thereafter by the clinical practice of many skilled and dedicated homeopaths during the last 200 years. We know the remedies work, because we have used them for such a long time. We know what patients each remedy will help because we of our knowledge of the sort of symptoms they can treat.

Perhaps if I had been given a homeopathic Materia Medica all those years ago, and seen the vast amount of work and skill that went into their creation and development, my skepticism would have been more easily assuaged! So perhaps, for anyone searching for a more effective, and safer medical therapy, but who remains unsure, the best advice I can give is that you should look at one, and, like me, be amazed at the vast accumulation of clinical experience that are contained within them.

What the homeopathic Materia Medica also does is to dismiss the criticism that homeopathy is no more than placebo. If it was only this there would have been no need for the study of remedies to have been taken to such lengths!

Homeopathy denialists often ask us - where is the proof that homeopathy heals? The answer is - it is all in our Materia Medica.

See www.homeopathyheals.me.uk


Why Homeopathy is best for treating Asthma

Why Homeopathy is best for treating Asthma
This article was first published in the "Why Homeopathy?" website.

Asthma has become a common condition in recent decades. It can cause a cough, tightness of the chest, wheezing and breathlessness. It is caused by the inflammation of the airways, or the bronchi, which carry air to, and from the lungs. This inflammation is known to be triggered by a variety of factors which tightens of muscles around the bronchi.


Conventional Medical Treatment
NHS Choices says that “the aim of treatment is to get your asthma under control and keep it that way. Everyone with asthma should be able to lead a full and unrestricted life. The treatments available for asthma are effective in most people and should enable you to be free from symptoms”.

This indicates clearly that conventional medicine seeks to manage rather than to cure asthma.

The main treatment offered by conventional medicine is inhalers, that deliver a drug directly into the airways. Sometime a ‘spacer’ is used to increased the amount of medication reaching the lungs, and reduce the ‘side-effects’ of the drug.

Reliever inhalers, such as Salbutamol and Terbutaline, which aim to relieve asthma symptoms quickly, and contain a ‘short-acting beta2-agonist’ which ‘works by relaxing the muscles surrounding the narrowed airways’. NHS Choces claim that these are “generally safe”.

Preventer inhalers, such as Beclometasone, Budesonide, Fluticasone and Mormetasone, aim “to reduce the amount of inflammation and ‘twitchiness’ in the airways and prevent asthma attacks occurring”. These inhalers contain corticosteroid drugs. NHS Choices say that these “Inhaled corticosteroids can occasionally cause a mild fungal infection (oral thrush) in the mouth and throat”

Long-acting reliever inhalers, such as Formoterol and Salmeterol, are used when this treatment fails to work. “These work in the same way as short-acting relievers, but they take longer to work and can last up to 12 hours”. 

Preventer medicines. If this treatment does not work the following drugs are then used:

    Leukotriene receptor antagonists (Montelukast): a drug that “blocks part of the chemical reaction involved in inflammation of the airways”.

    Theophyllines: “a drug that helps widen the airways by relaxing the muscles around them”.

    Oral Steroids: NHS Choices say that these drugs ”are usually monitored by a respiratory specialist” as the “long-term use of oral steroids has possible serious side effects, so they are only used once other treatment options have been tried”


Omalizumab (Xolair). This is given as an injection every 2 to 4 weeks, at a specialist asthma centre. NHS Choices says that this drug “binds to one of the proteins involved in the immune response and reduces its level in the blood. This reduces the chance of an immune reaction happening”. NHS Choices say that the National Institute for Heath and Clinical Excellence (NICE) “recommends that omalizumab can be used in people with frequent severe asthma attacks which require visits to A&E or hospital admission”.

Bronchial thermoplasty. NHS Choices say that this is used “to treat severe asthma by reducing airway narrowing” and is a treatment “carried out either with sedation or under a general anaesthetic” where a hollow tube, or bronchoscope containing a probe “is inserted through the mouth or nose into the airway and expanded so it touches the airway wall, it then heats up”. It goes on to say that “the long-term risks and benefits are not yet fully understood”.

NHS Choices then goes on to discuss some of the ‘side-effects’ of these treatments, but as usual, their coverage seems to downplay what is known about these treatments, particularly some of the more worrying research. These concerns apply particularly to the ‘long-acting reliever inhalers’, and the subsequent treatment offered by Conventional Medicine.

Therefore, before accepting conventional treatment for Asthma I would recommend that some research is done into the more serious adverse reactions.

This website, whilst saying that these treatments are “usually well tolerated”, it does at least seem to cover most of the more serious dangers of this treatment. This includes evidence about a link between this treatment and Cataracts and Glaucoma, poor physical growth. 



Homeopaths have been treating people with Asthma successfully for a long time, not just in managing the condition, but curing it. However, it is important to remember that in Homeopathy any illness or disease, including Asthma, requires individualised attention. 

As usual, there are many remedies used by Homeopaths in the treatment of Asthma. These remedy descriptions have been taken from Robert Medhurst’s article on the Hpathy website.

Antimonium Tart
Commonly indicated in children, asthma appears suddenly at night with a suffocating cough and palpitations and the sufferer feels the need to sit upright. Worse from warm weather or being warm, better for motion, belching or lying on the right side

Arsenicum Alb
The sufferer has periodic attacks of asthma with a burning sensation in the chest, restlessness, anxiety, extreme fatigue and cold sweats. Attacks may be associated with hayfever or emphysema. Symptoms are worse immediately on lying down, from walking or exertion and better for warmth and warm food.

Arsenicum Iod
Occasional bouts of asthma that force the sufferer to sit up to breathe, with exhaustion and a burning in the chest. Worse for dry, cold weather or exertion, better for open air.

Bromine
Asthma with a sensation of exhaustion and weakness in the chest with difficulty getting air into the lungs. Worse at or near the seashore, warmth or drafts, better for motion or exercise.

Carbo Veg
Frequently useful in the elderly, this remedy may be indicated where there is an association with gas in the stomach. The sufferer experiences cyanosis, a coldness to the skin and extreme dyspnoea. Worse for sitting or lying down, better for eructation and walking.

Cuprum Metallicum
Characterised by suddenly occurring spasmodic attacks often arising from emotional disturbances or fright, with facial cyanosis. Hiccoughs often occur before asthma attacks. Worse from motion, menses, touch and pressure, better for drinking cold water.

Ipecac
Spasmodic asthma with wheezing, loose cough, a feeling of tightness in the chest, nausea, anxiety, perspiration and restlessness. Worse from motion or warm, humid air, better for open air, rest and pressure.

Kali Carb
May be indicated by the appearance of wheezing asthmatic attacks frequently occurring just after midnight or around 3 a.m. Worse from walking, cold air or change of weather, better for leaning forward, warm weather and motion.

Lachesis
Asthma attacks usually occur on falling asleep or when wrapped too tightly around the throat. Symptoms improve on coughing up phlegm. Worse during and after sleep, hot drinks and during menopause and better for open air and cold drinks.

Lobelia Inflata
Asthma with often brought on by exercise and preceded with a feeling of prickling over the skin, with nausea and profuse salivation. Worse from exertion, warm food, exposure to cold, better for rapid walking.

Natrum Sulph
Asthma that often has a familial basis, and may be associated with a rheumatic complaint and occurs during wet weather. It is accompanied by a loose cough producing thick white or greenish mucus. Diarrhoea often arises during or after each attack. Worse for damp weather and lying on the left side, better for open air and lying on the back.

Nux Vom
Asthma often arises from gastric disturbances, the sufferer is frequently nauseous, flatulent, irritable and constipated and has a yellow-coated tongue. Symptoms are worse after midnight or early morning, and worse for cold or exertion. Better after belching, damp, wet weather, lying on the back, changing sides or sitting up.

Sulphur
Asthma often associated with skin disease, or suppression of skin diseases, it occurs from a recurrent cough and produces an expectoration of thick offensive sputum. Worse for bathing and overheating, better for standing and dry, warm weather.

Like all Homeopathic remedies, these are all safe. But as asthma can be a serious disease, and it is recommended that anyone suffering from asthma should consult with a registered Homeopath to ensure a good match, at the correct potency.


Randomised Controlled Tests (RCTs)

Contrary to what the NHS Choices website says, incorrectly, about evidence proving the value of homeopathic treatment of Asthma, there are several RCTs which have looked into the treatment of Asthma with Homeopathy


“Researchers at the University of Glasgow in the UK, have found that 80% patients who received very small, “homeopathic”, doses of whatever substance they were most allergic to had significant relief of symptoms within the first week of treatment, compared to 38% of patients who received placebo”.


“This study provides evidence that homeopathic medicines, as prescribed by experienced homeopathic practitioners, improve severity of asthma in children”.



This paper looks at the clinical research into allergic conditions treated with homeopathy, including a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCT) for hay fever with positive conclusions, and two positive RCTs in Asthma. It also looks at cohort surveys that have shown improvement in asthma in children, and general allergic conditions and skin diseases. It also looked at some economic surveys that have shown positive results in eczema, allergy, seasonal allergic rhinitis, asthma, food allergy, and chronic allergic rhinitis, outlining some of the homeopathic remedies found to be useful in the treatment of hay fever, asthma, eczema and urticaria.

Allergies? Why Homeopathy is better than ConMed

Allergies? Why Homeopathy is better than ConMed

Allergies are now very common, indeed, they are at epidemic levels, levels never known before, and one of the major causes of this epidemic are conventional drugs and vaccines.

There are many substances known to trigger allergic reactions. These are called allergens, and include such everyday things as house dust mites, pollen, cat and dog fur, bee and wasp stings, feathers and a variety of foods.

Some of the most important allergic condition are AsthmaEczema and Hay Fever. All these conditions have been linked to conventional medical drugs and vaccines.

At its most extreme, allergies can cause Anaphylaxic Shock, which can be very dangerous indeed.


Conventional Medical Treatment of Allergies

Prevention
NHS Choices says that “the best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid the allergen that causes it”. Of course, this is not really prevention, as by this time the individual already has an allergy to the allergen! And as NHS Choices goes on to admit, this in itself is not easy, as allergens are usually common within the environment in which we all live. The advice given is also difficult, involving redesigning, refurbishing and redesigning your home, changing your diet, and banishing pets!

Treatment
NHS Choices admits that “medication can't cure your allergy” but only “the common symptoms of an allergy, such as a runny nose, itchy mouth and sneezing”. The drugs used by conventional medicine include:

Antihistamines which Antihistamines treat allergies by “blocking the action of the chemical histamine, which the body releases when it thinks it is under attack from an allergen”.
Decongestants which aim to relieve a blocked noses caused by hay fever, a dust allergy, or a pet allergy - but with the warning “they should not be used long-term”.
Leukotriene receptor antagonists block the effects of ‘leukotrienes’, the chemicals released during an allergic reaction that cause swelling of airways, and are used to treat asthma when other treatments have failed.
CorticoSteroid sprays which act on the nasal lining and airways to suppress inflammation, particularly nasal congestion.
Another treatment mentioned by NHS Choices is Hyposensitisation or Immunotherapy. This works by “gradually introducing more and more of the allergen into your body to make it less sensitive to it”
But this, of course, in Homeopathy! In other words, it is a therapy that ‘cures like with like’. The conventional medical establishment, however, refuses to admit this!


Prevention
There is no need for Homeopathy to ‘prevent’ Allergies, except perhaps to recommend that drugs and vaccines that cause allergy, and have to a large extent given rise to the Allergy epidemic, are avoided.

Treatment
Homeopathic treatment for allergies is different to the conventional approach. It is not based on ‘avoiding’ allergens, but getting the body to react normally to them. Whilst any allergy treatment has to be individualised, and so requires the advice of a qualified Homeopath, in this scientific paper that looked at the clinical research in the homeopathic treatment of Allergies, the following remedies were highlighted:
  1. *For preventive treatments in hay fever patients, Arsenicum Album was the most effective remedy, followed by Nux vomica, Pulsatilla pratensis, Gelsemium, Sarsaparilla, Silicea and Natrum muriaticum. 
  2. *For Asthma patients, Arsenicum iodatum appeared most effective, followed by Lachesis, Calcarea Arsenicosa, Carbo Veg and Silicea. 
  3. *And for eczema and urticaria, Mezereum was most effective, followed by Lycopodium, Sepia, Arsenicum iodatus, Calcarea Carbonica and Psorinum.

Many Homeopaths will use remedies based upon the allergen from which the patient suffers, given these in homeopathic potency, and then, as in Hyposensitisation, or Immunotherapy, begin given the allergen in tiny, but increasing doses to the patient until tolerance is achieved. By not using injections, and eginning the process with high dilutions of the allergen, the process is both safer, and more effective.

Randomised Controlled Tests (RCTs)

Dana Ullman, a leading American Homeopath, has written this interesting and useful guide to scientific research into the homeopathic treatment of Allergy. The article contains full references to all the studies he mentions.

This paper looks at the clinical research into allergic conditions treated with homeopathy, including a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCT) for hay fever with positive conclusions, and two positive RCTs in Asthma. It also looks at cohort surveys that have shown improvement in asthma in children, and general allergic conditions and skin diseases. It also looked at some economic surveys that have shown positive results in eczema, allergy, seasonal allergic rhinitis, asthma, food allergy, and chronic allergic rhinitis, outlining some of the homeopathic remedies found to be useful in the treatment of hay fever, asthma, eczema and urticaria.

It is not surprising, then, that Homeopaths have been treating Allergies, safely and effectively, for many decades now.