Manager's Corner

Flu fear factor…

The Influenza A Family

by Kathleen Boehning

“A” is for avian. And pigs, horses, whales, humans. The Spanish Avian Flu of 1918–19, which killed 25–50 million, was labeled H1N1. The Asian Flu of 1957–58 was H2N1. “H” is for hemagglutinin. “N” is for neuraminidase. Two protein spikes that the virus uses to attach to a cell, and with enzymes (N), triggers the release of duplicated virus from infected cells. Once in, they trigger an inflammatory cascade called “cytokine storm” that can cause a “toxicshock- like” syndrome. This current avian flu, H5N1, has killed to date 69 people worldwide, most of whom were daily handlers of birds. The president has warned that upwards of 200,000 people could die from this virus , possibly 100 million worldwide. The government just spent $2 billion on 20 million vaccines ($100 a shot). Fortune magazine (10/31/05) said that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made about a million dollars in the purchase of the antiviral Tamiflu. He is the former CEO and chairman of the research and development company, Gilead Science. Gilead receives royalties from Roche, the Swiss company that manufactures and distributes Tamiflu. Rumsfeld owns millions of dollars in Gilead stock. Interesting.

I remember another president who sounded the alarm of pandemic. Only 30 years ago, Gerald Ford hastily pushed through a vaccine for “swine flu,” the flu that never materialized. (Rumsfeld was Secretary of Defense then, too). That vaccine caused 52 deaths and 600 cases of the paralyzing Gillian Barre Syndrome. The British Journal of Medicine says there is nothing indicating any human-to-human spread of this H5N1 strain. Whatever scandal might unfold, that does not diminish the fact that every year 20–30,000 people perish from complications of the flu. Vaccines are absolutely no guarantee of immunity and there is the chance of complications from vaccines. Plus, there are the heavy metals like aluminum and mercury, as well as ethylene glycol and formaldehyde. I have been researching what one can do to keep from falling victim to this bane of wintertime. I would do what the Berkley University Medical Clinic recommends: Take homeopathic flu remedies. There are some interesting statistics on the survival rates during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic. In a survey done in this country, homeopathic MDs saw a 0–2% death rate with 26,000 patients, compared to 30% of the 24,000 in the care of convention doctors. That death rate nearly doubled, to 60%, if the patient took salycilates like aspirin.

Homeopathy has been used prophylacticaly since the great founder Hahnemann advised using the homeopathically prepared ( shaken 10-100 times between dilutions) Belladonna as a preventative of Scarlet Fever, a genus epidemicus remedy — that is, the main one or two remedies that are used most successfully during an epidemic — since all the symptoms are nearly the same from person to person. The melding of allopathic and homeopathic treatment occurs with the vaccine and its homeopathic dilution, influenzinum. I like the fact that this homeopathic “vaccine” is diluted beyond the point of harm. In 1998, the French Society of Homeopathy announced the results of a 10-year study that followed the patients of 23 homeopathic doctors. All of the 453 patients where given a preventative regime with homeopathic influenzinum during the flu season. It didn’t seem to matter how it was taken, since there were varying doses and frequencies, from once a week to once a month. The results showed that 90% of those patients were 100% free of flu during the entire 10 years studied.

Early homeopathy won over many with its astounding success rates with the epidemics of their day: cholera and yellow fever. There are usually two or three main remedies for any current epidemic. Over the last 100 years, two remedies have been more effective in more cases than any other remedy (and there are many that might be better suited to your combination of symptoms): Gelsemium and Bryonia.

We homeopathics refer to our remedies as pictures of characteristics that have common threads. We tend to personify the remedy has we have collective observations over centuries to see patterns emerge. So when I refer to the remedy, it infers that people who might benefit from the administration of this are experiencing symptoms that have been cured by said remedy. So both Gelsemium and Bryonia can help those who’s flu comes on slowly, feeling worse gradually. Both don’t want to move — Gelsemium is fatigued, while Bryonia is tired but restless and yet suffers from changing position. Bryonias hold their chest to hold in their cough from hurting. Bryonias are irritable — they want to be left alone and can have an emotional outburst of tears. Gelsemiums don’t have the energy for such displays of motion and emotion. Gelsemiums have no thirst, whereas Bryonias drink great amounts of water. Gelsemiums have alternating chills down the spine and heat sensations, soreness of the neck muscles and shoulders.

Eupatorbium was the genus epidemicus in Europe during the Spanish Flu. This energized form of boneset is for flu with terrible bone pain, high fever with severe aching. Belladonna is for rapid onset with high fever and red flushed face, eyes dilated. Hands and feet like ice, yet the face like on fire. Nux Vomica has rapid onset as well. They have a great sensitivity to everything, which makes them very irritable, very chilly with have intense chills. Rhus toxicodendron are in constant motion. They are anxious and restless. Arsenium has greater anxiety with as much restlessness. They take small sips of water and are markedly chilly. Arsenicum and Baptista may have diarrhea and vomiting. Baptista is for a severe flu that comes on fast with high fever and the patient worsens quickly. They are like in a stupor, falling asleep mid-sentence. Putrid stomach flu. There may by red ulcers in mouth, offensive body odor.

Many of these remedies are found in several of the formulas available at Honest Weight. Hyland’s has a Kids’ and Adult Flu Care, which has the main remedies listed above, plus influenzinum. Many love the BHI’s Eupatorbium Sinus Nasal Spray. It’s a safe and easy way to administer to a congested baby. It’s a proven antiviral.

Other ways to fight the flu is to take resveratrol. This compound and transresvertrol are found in grapes, wine and peanuts, but most abundantly in Japanese knotweed. The University of Milan found that resveratrol could stop virus replication and reduce inflammatory cytokine levels. Vitamin C blocks neurominadase. So does green tea. Other anti-virals are St. John’s wort, scuttellaria, lomatium, cranberry juice and lemonbalm , both which are safe during pregnancy. Cat’s claw is a cytokine blocker. Stock up on sauerkraut and kimchee. They are said to help. With the addition of garlic and red pepper, kimchee packs a more anti-microbial wallop. The process of fermentation creates lactobacillus bacteria. Lactobacillus fights our foes in the small intestine, where most of our immune cells are. Cabbage is rich in l-glutamine, an amino acid that repairs the small intestine. Many of the mentioned herbs are in Irwin Natural’s ImmunShield. Now, just because pinot noir grapes are high in resveratrol, go easy on the wine. It affects body ph. Raisins will do. But the capsules are best when fighting a flu.

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