Whooping cough is in the spotlight again and worried parents are looking for answers. It can be a scary thing hearing our children coughing and gasping for air all through the day or night. And not knowing where to looking for answers is just as frightening!
If we are armed with the knowledge and have the homeopathic remedies on hand, we can rest assured that we can cure our family and strengthen their immune systems.
Let’s go through the top remedies indicated for whooping cough. As always, especially for acute conditions, I usually start with the Banerji protocol. If you don’t know about the Drs. Banerji, here is an article about their work in India revolutionizing homeopathy, as well as healthcare, around the world!
The protocol that the Drs. Banerji have found that works in 80% of the whooping cough cases they see is: Cuprum metallicum 6 mixed with Ipecac 30, taken every 3 hours if severe, less often as needed. “Mixed with” means that the two remedies are taken at the same time.
My 1st choice is usually the Banerji Protocol, but if another remedy fits the symptoms really well or you don’t have the protocol or it hasn’t worked, then we look to the next remedy.
In Robin Murphy’s MetaRepertory (link) under whooping cough, there are hundreds of remedies but only two are capitalized and underlined. They are Drosera and Pertussinum, and so those two would be the first two to look at in the Materia Medica.
Drosera is the most commonly used remedy that fits the symptom picture for whooping cough. I would use a 30 potency and take a dose every 3-4 hours, more often if very severe, and less often if more mild. Pertussinum is made from the Pertussis bacteria that causes whooping cough and I would use it in a 30 or 200 potency. I would also consider my go-to for any cough, regardless of type, Aconite 200 mixed with Bryonia 30.
One of the great things about homeopathy is that it can be used alongside other paradigms of treatment. For instance, Dr. Suzanne Humphries has a fantastic protocol using high doses of vitamin C that I personally have used when my kids had whooping cough 8 years ago. (Here’s that link, which also has a PDF.)
At the time I was just starting to learn homeopathy and did not realize that I could have used both methods to help my family get through the illness faster. Today there would be no hesitation, we would be taking the Banerji protocol. I would put a dose (3-5 pellets or drops) of each remedy into a water bottle, shake it up, and every 3-4 hours everyone would get about a tsp of the medicated water. This is a method that I learned in the Academy of Practical Homeopathy that Joe DeLivera calls the wet dose. (Here’s a link to his page explaining the “wet dose”.)
We always adjust dosing according to the severity. So at first we would be taking a dose maybe every 3 hours or so, then as we improve, we can space out the dosing to every 6-8 hours and even less frequently as the symptoms continue to become more mild. Once the sypmtoms go away, we stop the medicine.
If I felt like it would be helpful, I would also have everyone start on the Vitamin C regimen recommended by Dr. Humphries.
Homeopathy has a way of stimulating your body to fight off the invading illness or healing the trauma it has incurred. It is gentle but very powerful. I no longer keep aspirin, tylenol, or benadryl on hand, or run to the nearest urgent care for antibiotics even in cases of infections. Although if a situation arises where homeopathy is not enough, I have gone to the emergency room which giving the remedies on the way.
If you want to learn more about how homeopathy can equip you to be the caregiver for your family, sign up to be notified for our upcoming Homeopathic Foundations class, 5 weeks of in-depth study of homeopathy. We are also fine-tuning our First Aid class which will be available online shortly. I am also available for one-on-one consultations to help guide you through your wellness journey.