Lessons from Latest C-Flu
Laura Shaw
As a practicing herbalist for over ten years, there are different herbs every couple of years that respond to the latest variant of the flu. C-flu is no exception. Here are my discoveries after observing myself and over 50 people ranging in age from three-year-olds to 90-year-olds process this virus.
This is an update to the article I wrote in April of 2020, which is still pertinent. The links included are not affiliate links nor I am not promoting Amazon, I’m offering a link for a visual reference to the exact product so that you can hopefully find it at your local co-op or natural foods store.
I’m not a medical doctor, this article is based on my observations and experience after witnessing so many cases and noting the patterns and similarities. This post is not a substitute for professional medical care.
CAUTION I’ve had a handful of cases where herbs or supplements were being overused and caused a problem. Herbs and homeopathic remedies are meant to be taken when the symptoms match and stopped when the symptoms stop or no longer match the remedy. It can be tempting to use remedies and supplements to try and constantly put up an immunity shield to avoid getting sick, but that’s not the way the immune system is designed to work. Focusing on the foundational health basics of exercise, nutrition, digestion, breathing, sleeping, connection with nature and stress reduction are always the best approach to strong immunity.
If this information feels overwhelming, especially when you don’t feel well and are worried, I get it. At the end, I offer a quick cheat sheet of the protocol I’ve been using.
THROAT Many folks experience this version in their throat first with many losing their voice. It presents just like Strep, but without the white spots in the throat or the tell-tale strep breath. This may be why the at-home kits aren’t picking it up right away because they swab the nostrils and not the throat.
All of the tried and true throat remedies can be effective, particularly Slippery Elm. Traditional Medicinals makes a Throat Coat tea that contains Slippery Elm as well as Licorice and Marshmallow Root, all of which are very soothing, not curative, but will ease the discomfort. Poke root salve applied topically on the lymph on the sides of the neck under the earlobe can help with the jammed up lymph. Homeopathically, Boiron makes a product called Throat Calm that has worked well in about 50% cases. Kids seem to respond better, probably because Pulsatilla is in the blend.
IVERMECTIN works. Many countries have been using it as a first line of defense against this virus. Most members of the US Congress and the Senate have used it. Ivermectin seems to be most effective when used at the beginning stages. I was able to get it for my parents and they were dramatically and measurably better after each dose. Many clients have also reported back that it was enormously effective.
Many doctors and big name pharmacies will not fill prescriptions, but there are legal ways around this. Text or send me an email if you’d like some tips on how to get some.
Along the same line of thought, a couple colleagues had results with Wormwood (using micro-doses 1-3 drops 1-3x/day).
This strain of C-flu seems to responds well to bitter remedies in general.
HEADACHE & BODY ACHES For those who experience a long headache and achy bones like I did, good old Boneset (aka Eupatorium perfoliatum) is the answer. This is what helped folks back during the Spanish Flu of 1918 to which Covid is a cousin, and it’s still one of the most effective remedies available. I like to mix the homeopathic version, Eupatorium Perf 200c with Bryonia 30c one pellet of each in the mouth at the same time for these symptoms. Then I will alternate with the Boneset tincture but you don’t need to alternate. You can use one or other. As one of my teachers said, “The right remedy is the one you have.” Tincture can be hard to find, which is why I’ve been recommending the homeopathic version listed above. I have Boneset tincture in my pharmacy that I wildcrafted myself, so let me know if you’d like some. Boneset is very bitter and bitter substances are characterized by the fact that they activate the body’s defenses in the area of the respiratory tract in addition to improving digestion.
Another option for classic flu symptoms is Gelsemium 30c which is an all-purpose flu remedy and has helped in 65% of cases.
DIARRHEA is a less common symptom with this latest variant of the virus. As with any diarrhea, the important thing is to stay hydrated. Blackberry tincture works best for most cases or Oak bark tincture if the stool is also very watery both are astringent and help resolve the issue. Gelsemium 30c can also help more generally.
FEVER “Give me a fever, and I can cure any illness.” - Hippocrates. Too often fever is treated as a bad symptom. The importance of fever is now it is increasingly confirmed by scientific data. Routinely suppressing fever can have health consequences. A very large study of more than 200,000 children from 34 countries studied the use of Paracetamol (the equivalent of Acetominophen—i.e., Tylenol) found that:
“Use of paracetamol for fever in the first year of life was associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms when aged 6–7 years”—with an average 46% increased risk of asthma when a child reached first grade age. Risks of developing rhinoconjunctivitis (hayfever) and eczema were also both elevated by paracetamol use.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18805332
The usual fever helpers are Belladonna 30c, Yarrow and Catnip but I try to let the fever do it’s work without interference.
There is a great write up about Catnip in Plants have so much to give us, all we have to do is ask: Anishinaabe botanical teachings, by Mary Siisip Geniusz.
Belladonna 30c can be used when there is redness, shiny bleary eyes and the person seems really out of it.
COUGH Coughs are the body’s way of expelling phlegm and is part of the healing process. I never treat a productive cough but instead let it do it’s work. Sometimes coughs can become non-productive or spasmodic or become stuck in other ways in which case I’ve found the products below very helpful. The top two products that I like to use are Chestal - Honey.and Serious Cough .
Chestal - Honey is homeopathic blend made by Boiron. It contains all of the top cough remedies in low potency, so it fits most types of coughs. It has worked in 85% of cases. As a homeopathic remedy, it will either help or do nothing, so it is quite safe. Whole Foods’ brand, 365 now makes a knock-off version that is the same formula. This is a staple of my home natural remedy kit and virtually foolproof. It’s a great product for those who are overwhelmed or new to homeopathy or herbalism or want something all-in-one.
The other product that we use contains all of my favorite herbs for coughs. It’s called Serious Cough and it’s made by Wish Garden Herbs. The key herbs in the formula are: Cherry Bark, Pleurisy Root, Grindelia, Coltsfoot, Licorice root, Mullein, Marshmallow Root & Lobelia.
When my daughter was coughing spasmodically to the point of throwing up we alternated Chestal-Honey and Serious Cough, holding the dose in her mouth for 15-20 seconds before swallowing.
For stubborn, ropy, sticky phlegm, Kali Bich 30c is helping a lot of people right now.
If a cough sticks around or there is trouble breathing or any other more serious symptoms these remedies alone won’t cut it, but for the standard flu progression, they have worked well.
REST This seems obvious, yet I’ve had a handful of cases where a normal flu progression verged on pneumonia due to an unwillingness to rest. Stoicism and “the show must go on” are admirable, but they can also be dangerous when applied here. Stop, rest and give your body the time and space it needs to heal itself. The C-flu takes a lot longer than other flus.
DEPLETION The other commonality that I noticed with this version of the C-flu is that it is there is a significant depletion of minerals.
Products such as Powerade or Pedialyte have proven effective, especially during a fever. There are many healthier natural “Gatorade” options without dyes or caffeine. Cell salts have really helped people, as have: seaweed, Calm Mg product, high quality pink or gray salt, or other mineral replenishment products.
One of my clients’ kids drinks pickle juice after a flu and another one craves the juice from Bubbie’s Sauerkraut.
Many folks have been testing for Burdock and Nettles in either tea or tincture form, both of which contain many minerals and help to tone and rebalance the system. Burdock especially seems to be effective in either tea or tincture form.
PREVENTION All the same things apply as the original article with a few additions listed below:
Elderberry can be used prophylactically prior to or after exposure, but ideally isn’t used daily.
Zinc, Vitamin C, D3, Quercetin are still effective. Vitamin D3 has really performed well.
Instead of taking these daily, I would rotate them in and out and only ramp up prior to exposure or after exposure.
Ocsillicoccinum doesn’t seem to be working as well with this version of the C-flu, but it’s hard to know and still might be worth a shot if you have it. Aconitum 30c, Arsenicum 30c (see below) and Cold Calm have been effective preventively, especially if started at the immediate onset of symptoms.
As always, it’s best to avoid mucus-forming and immunity-depleting items such as alcohol, sugar, and dairy.
Aconitum Napellus 30c is best used at the first inkling of getting sick. It is for when there is fear and even panic. This is a good one to take when you feel afraid that you might be getting sick and start to manifest symptoms. A few of the clients who had effective results with Aconite had no awareness of their underlying fear, while others have had outright panic attacks for which it was also effective. I took aconite the other day after a troubling trip to the grocery store. I started to get a headache and worried that I was going to give my parents the virus with the groceries that I was delivering. One dose instantly healed and I completely forgot that I even thought I had a problem. This should only be used as needed but it is one of the best defenses because it stops the disease from taking hold and going any further. Again, has to be taken right away when symptoms first come on or at any time for symptoms as a result of fear/panic, especially when there is a fear of dying.
Arsenicum Album 30c This has been a top performer in my practice since the beginning of the C-flu situation. It addresses the prevalent fear and anxiety from which so many are suffering. It can be used for when people feel like the world is toxic and they are not safe. The personality that will respond best to this remedy tends a little toward anxiety and fear, maybe some germaphobia to begin with and tends to feel chilly and exhausted. Disease starts in the etheric body and then becomes physically manifested, so Arsenicum Album 30c can work by interrupting the fearful and anxious thoughts that lead to the manifestation of the symptoms. In that way, it can be considered prophylactic in the right personality type. This is not something that can be taken daily, it is best used when there is a slight symptom or extreme fear or anxiety about getting sick.
Here is a helpful homeopathic flu flow chart from my colleague, Joette Calabrese that can help understand which homeopathic remedy to use based on symptoms.
FLU PROTOCOL
This is what I do for my family.
1. At the very first sign of any itty bitty inkling of anything, even if it’s just a thought or fear about maybe starting feel sick, I would take either Arsenicum Alb 30c or Aconite 30c and repeat any time you feel on the verge of getting sick.
2. Then I would wait 10-15 minutes, and then take Cold Calm as directed on product label
3. 5-10 minutes later, I would take 3-4 drops of Elderberry tincture followed a few minutes later by 2-3 drops of Boneset
4. Get some heat – soak feet in hot water, or hot shower, hot ginger tea, fire cider, bundle up, shut down and rest.
6. If the symptoms are definitely coming on, or you wake up with a sore throat and you’re at risk, and you’re pretty sure it’s the C-flu, then I would start the Ivermectin if you have it.
7. If your symptoms are manifesting in your throat, then I would use Cold Calm and Throat Coat Tea or Throat Calm along with Elderberry and Boneset tincture.
8. I would keep the Elderberry and Boneset going, 4-5x/day with frequent shots of Fire Cider, Throat Coat tea and Throat Calm tablets for as long as the throat has discomfort.
8. If there are stronger symptoms or your symptoms are headache and achy, I would take Eupatorium 200c combined with Bryonia 30c at the same time. I would also take Gelsemium 30c, if you have it.
9. If the glands are feeling swollen or painful, you can use Poke or Plantain salve along the neck in a downward motion from the earlobe to the base of the neck. This can be done multiple times per day.
10. Obviously, warmth, rest, hydration, etc.
11. If you enter a coughing stage and it is not productive or stuck in some way, I would use Chestal Honey and/or Serious Cough, alternating as needed to manage the cough.
Beyond the above, it becomes very personalized in terms of how the disease is processed by each person.