What do you do when you come down with a cough? In homeopathy, it doesn’t always matter why you have the cough, but more importantly it matters what type of cough is presenting. By this I mean, how does the cough sound? When did it start—is it more in the throat or the chest? Is it part of a cold or the flu? When does it occur—when mostly lying down or after eating? Is it dry or is it croupy?
There are many homeopathic remedies to take for many different kinds of coughs. To simplify it a bit, we will start out with a remedy that will stop a cough and will also work for a cold or flu as well. Such a bargain!
When you first feel the ticklings of a cough coming on, the remedy to take is Aconite 200C taken together with Bryonia 30C, every 3-4 hours. Take up to 4 doses to see if there is a change. Both remedies address the cough. Aconite is quite good if the cough has just developed in the last 12-24 hours. Bryonia attacks those coughs that go right to the lungs.
For a croupy liquidy cough try Drosera. It can come with spasms and being unable to stop coughing. For a gagging cough, Ipeccac can be given as an SOS. Hepar sulph 200C is another choice, and is great when there is an infection with a yellow discharge. Coughs can be tricky, but once you find what works for you and your family, it is well worth the effort. Always call if you have questions.