When you tell someone you’re treating the flu naturally their immediate response might be one of great concern. They even might begin to lecture you about being irresponsible. The truth is, the human body is incredibly powerful and it has the capacity for healing itself when given the right environment and tools. Please understand that I am not against taking medication or going to the doctor or hospital when it’s medically necessary!

Here’s my DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor and can’t diagnose or treat any disease or illness. What I’m sharing below is simply what I’ve personally researched and what I’m doing in my home and for my family.

What I’m Not Doing

First, I’ll tell you what I’m not doing for the flu. I’m not getting the flu shot. I explained why in my previous post How I’m Preventing the Flu. I’m not rushing to get Tamiflu at the first sign of flu because it also depletes the immune system and is not as helpful as some natural methods for cutting the duration of the flu. In fact, it only cuts the duration of the flu by one day. Elderberry syrup or Sambucol can cut the flu by 50%. I prefer that statistic much better.

I’m not rushing to the doctor to find out if I actually have the flu. Why? First of all, I don’t want to be exposed to other viral infections that are going around. Secondly, it doesn’t really matter if I know for sure if it’s the flu when I can treat the symptoms at home. I’m also not rushing to the doctor to get antibiotics. The flu (influenza) is a viral infection and antibiotics won’t help. They are only helpful for bacterial infections and do nothing to help a virus. In fact, the opposite is true, taking antibiotics when not medically necessary will only deplete your immune system, drive the virus deeper into your system and kill off your essential good gut bacteria.

Preventing the Flu

During cold and flu season I implement the steps outlined in How I’m Preventing the Flu. My family has not had the flu for over 8 years and even then my husband was the only one who had it. I decided this year that at the very first sign of the flu I was going to take action. This year, I’m experimenting with homeopathy. Homeopathy healed us from chronic tick-borne infections and quite frankly, I’m curious to see how they can work for everyday ailments and illnesses. So far, I’m totally impressed.

When We Got the Flu

When my husband came home from work last Monday evening, collapsed on the couch and declared he was sick, I immediately grabbed my arsenal. I administered a dose of Arsenicum album 200ck and Belladonna for the fever and headache and then sent him to bed. I’ve read about other remedies that are also effective against the flu but this was what I had on hand. Some of the other remedies you could research are Influenzinum alternated with Bacillinum (these are difficult to find) or Aconite alternating with Belladonna. Rhus Tox is also very helpful for joint pain.

I dosed elderberry syrup, Vitamin D and Vitamin C along with plenty of fluids. When hydrating I opt for both hot herbal tea with raw honey and water combined with electrolytes. If I didn’t have electrolytes on hand, I would juice a lemon and add that to a glass of water along with a little honey and a pinch of himalayan mineral salt. I never use Gatorade during an illness because once again it’s full of sugar, food coloring and other ingredients that I would prefer not be used in my family. We’re also running cool mist humidifiers and as always I’m diffusing essential oils.

I made homemade chicken soup for everyone because chicken soup stimulates the immune system, thins mucous membranes and is warming and healing. My recipe is here How and Why You Should Make Bone Broth. This post also contains my favorite chicken soup recipe.

My Husband’s Flu Outcome

I continued the Belladonna and Arsenicum and by Thursday my husband was well enough to go to work, although he had a dry hacking cough. I personally think he should have stayed in bed for the remainder of the week. Unfortunately, many employers insist you get a doctor’s note in order to take more time off and who wants to be exposed to more germs. He worked half days both Thursday and Friday and then he was back in bed, but this time his cough has turned into a more productive cough. I’ve been rubbing Thyme, Ravintsara, and Lavender on his chest to help soothe his cough. He’s been pretty amazed at the results and is now asking me for these things when he feels like he needs them.

The long-term benefit of homeopathy to the patient is that it not only alleviates the presenting symptoms but it reestablishes internal order at the deepest levels and thereby provides a lasting cure. – George Vithoulkas

My Son’s Flu Outcome

My son spiked a fever on Thursday in the middle of the night. His fever was 103 and so I administered the same protocol as my husband. An hour later his fever was down to 101 and we went back to sleep. Throughout the following day, I kept giving him the remedies, plenty of electrolyte water, hot herbal tea with raw honey, elderberry syrup and chicken soup.

I had read that putting a little hydrogen peroxide in your ears can also help reduce the duration of illness, so I did that for him and decided I would do it as well to hopefully keep myself well. By Friday afternoon my son’s fever was gone and he only had a headache. He continued to rest until Saturday when he wanted a bath. I made a bath for him and dumped in a cup of epsom salt and some lavender essential oil and let him soak. When I came in to check on him, he was playing and the color in face looked great. As of today, Sunday, he’s up and playing and eating normally and his cough is barely noticeable.

My Flu Outcome

On Sunday, I woke up with a pretty bad headache and I had a lot of body aches the previous night. After breakfast I decided to check my temperature and sure enough my  temperature was 101.6. I administered my own homeopathic remedies and got right in bed. Not too longer after, my temperature came down and other than having a bad headache and feeling fatigued I didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would. Of course, I rested throughout the day and did all the things I had planned on my protocol. Less than 24 hours later I’m up and functioning with just a little cough. I went ahead to my chiropractor for my weekly adjustment and I feel pretty good.

Why We Recovered So Well

I’m convinced that our pre-flu lifestyle choices, nutritional habits, and the protocol that I had laid out for us once we got the flu kept us from getting as sick as we might have. The success of this protocol was based on the foundation of eating a whole foods diet, eliminating sugar and gluten as much as possible, taking immune building supplements including elderberry and practicing habits such as good handwashing.

I’m planning to continue experimenting with homeopathy, add in herbs when needed and definitely continue our nutritional habits.

Using Caution

The flu can create very serious secondary infections in those who are very young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. It also seems to be more serious for those who chose the flu shot and Tamiflu. Self-treating is fine but please also use caution, especially if you haven’t done your research. I’ve been researching and applying natural health to my life for over 20 years. I have a friend who is a Physician’s Assistant and a friend who is a Naturopathic Doctor and I counsel with them often. Many times I just want to make sure I’m on the right path and have their reassurance as I learn how to heal naturally.

Do you implement natural healing modalities? What are your favorite ways to prevent or treat the flu?

Homeopathic Resources

Sue Meyer – Homeopathy for Mommies

Joette Calabrese – When a Cold or Flu Hits Hard.. Hit Back

How Chiropractic Care Helps with the Flu

Hydrogen Peroxide