Homeopathy has a reputation of being successful in treating measles, and even though there is a lot of fear surrounding the topic of measles in our world today, those of us that use homeopathy do not have to be worried! In fact, I’m more worried about government overreach and forced medical procedures than measles, but that is a subject for another post.
Let’s look at how someone could protect their child if they’ve been exposed to measles, and also how to help the child if they have measles.
In Robin Murphy’s MetaRepertory in the clinical section under Measles, infection, we find that the top remedies are: Aconite, Euphrasia, Morbillinum, and Pulsatilla.
Then in the materia medica we can read the indications for each remedy and decide which one to use first.
Aconite is indicated in conditions that come on quickly, or there is a lot of fear and delirium with a high fever. (Belladonna also has these conditions.)
Euphrasia would be useful if there is also conjunctivitis or the eyes are inflamed, red, and itchy. Typically, the eyes are more swollen, red, and watery in the 1st stages of measles.
Morbillinum is the measles nosode, meaning that it is made from the disease itself. The main use for this remedy is as a prophylactic, meaning that we take the medicine beforehand to protect against the disease. So if measles is in your immediate area, Morbillinum can be taken before you are exposed or infected. In this situation we would take a dose of 200c once a week for prevention. It can also be taken for problems that arise and never go away after measles.
Murphy’s Materia Medica 4th edition says this – “Morbillinum is extremely useful for cases of debility, weak eyes, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, etc., left after severe measles. …… Morbillinum will help to remove all these symptoms, prevent lung complications, and help them to assimilate their food well and to put on weight rapidly.”
Pulsatilla is the top remedy for measles in children and can also be used prophylactically. It is especially useful in the first stage and when there is conjunctivitis.
So if I heard that there was an outbreak of measles in my area, I might give everyone in my family a dose of Pulsatilla or maybe Morbillinum (harder to find) once a week for a couple of weeks. If I knew we were exposed, I would up the dosage to once a day. If we did end up getting infected with measles then I would go ahead and use the symptoms presenting to choose a remedy. Or better yet, use a Banerji Protocol!
We love having the Banerji Protocols, and the Banerjis do have one for measles. It can be found in their book (affiliate link) which I highly recommend owning! But I am also going to go over it here.
Their protocol is as follows:
Bryonia 200 twice a day
Belladonna 6c, in liquid, every 30 min if there is a high fever. Stop when fever comes down.
Ipecac 30 every hour if there is a cough.
Stop when improved.
If you have these exact remedies in these potencies, the protocol is always your best bet, because you not only have the remedy already chosen for you, but also the potency and frequency! This makes it a lot easier and less confusing, especially if you are just starting out.
Otherwise, choose the remedy(ies) that are most indicated and start dosing! We like to start out with a dose every 15 minutes for the first hour if the symptom or condition is severe, and increase the time between each dose as improvement is seen. If the symptoms are not terrible, then normally we would give a dose every 4 hours, always watching for improvement. It can take up to 4-6 doses before the medicine starts to work. If there is no improvement after that, it is time to stop taking the medicine and reassess.
It is important not to suppress the fever or the rash. Usually the fever will go down as the rash intensifies, and using homeopathy means that we are not suppressing the symptoms. Measles usually lasts for 1-7 days with no dangerous complications. Remember to keep the person hydrated if they have a fever.
You should also be aware that the symptoms of measles may change. Typically when using homeopathy with illnesses like this and viruses, the remedies may not uproot the problem right away – although sometimes that happens! In most cases the right remedy will move you along quicker to the next stage, helping you to get over the illness faster and with no complications. So if there is a fever to begin with and the person has hot, red skin, and glassy eyes, we may look at Belladonna or Aconite to start. As the disease moves to the next stage, the fever goes down and the rash becomes more pronounced or the eyes are very itchy and inflamed, we might move to Pulsatilla or Euphrasia.
Other remedies that are helpful in treating someone with measles include:
Arsenicum album, Bryonia, Gelsemium, Ferrum phos, Apis, Sulphur, Kali bichromium, and Antimonium tart. I would suggest looking up each of these remedies in a materia medica, either one you own or an online version.
If this seems like a lot, don’t fret! We do have a lot of options when it comes to homeopathy, and it can feel overwhelming to start. Thankfully we have the Banerji Protocols which is where I always recommend starting. It is a good idea to own the medicines before you need them since we want to be able to be ready for these illnesses without having to wait for them to ship or having to run to the store and hope they have what you need and that they are open.
Each of the medicines in the Banerji Protocol and at least the top 4 medicines discussed at the beginning of this article would be beneficial to have on hand.
If you or someone you know is dealing with measles or are just worried about a breakout, feel free to share this with them! We welcome any questions you may have. If you would like a more personalized consultation for any health conditions, I am available to work with you!
Thanks for reading.