Incessant tickling in the throat keeping you up at night? Or is it a loose productive cough that just won’t go away? In my experience, homeopathic medicines can provide quick relief for a cough that persists despite all kinds of syrups and teas though the symptoms must fit for it to work, so choose wisely.
Here are my top recommendations for coughs
1. For dry, irritating coughs that don’t let up: Rumex 30C. If a tickle is keeping you up at night, worse from the least cold air, Rumex is your remedy. It’s the #1 dry cough remedy.
2. For hoarse coughs that sound croupy or barking: Spongia 30C. Coughs that are hoarse, dry and irritating and improve temporarily from sipping warm drinks typically need a few doses of Spongia for relief.
3. For violent coughs that don’t let up and leave you gasping for breath choose Drosera 30C. Dr. Margaret Tyler, who worked at the London Homeopathic Hospital, treated many cases of whooping cough during World War I and writes that she can only remember one failure in the Children’s Outpatient Department, where she had to give a different medicine. Drosera is the #1 remedy for whooping cough or violent coughs.
4. For coughs that descend to the chest, causing tightness and threatening to become bronchitis, Phosphorus 30C will often keep it at bay. Sometimes at this point a more customized remedy is needed, as homeopathy always works best when chosen according to the symptoms a person experiences, hence, seek the advice of a homeopath when in doubt.
5. For wet coughs that linger, where the mucous rattles but can never be completely coughed out, choose Antimonium tart 30C. As this medicine is typically needed several days into the cough, expect a gentler response.
Recommended dosage for self help
Choose the widely available 30C potency, dissolving 2-5 pills on the tongue, 3 times a day for the first day or two, matching the frequency of repetition to the severity of the cough. There should be a noticeable difference after three doses of the remedy and once you notice improvement, stop–repeat only if the cough returns. If you’re not sure, take a fourth dose, but if there’s no noticeable change, don’t be afraid to switch to the next best remedy choice. It can take a couple of tries to get the remedy right and you’ll be pleased when you do, since homeopathic medicines help the body recover much more quickly, preventing that lingering cough that can drag on for weeks. If this happens despite a good homeopathy prescription, see a homeopath for a constitutional remedy, to help give the immune system a little extra boost and fully recover.
Homeopathic remedies are excellent for children, the elderly and even adults on medications as they don’t cause side effects nor interact with conventional drugs. Do hydrate well; hot lemon and honey is a natural cough syrup. However use your common sense, if a cough persists or a person seems truly unwell, seek professional medical advice.