The following is a simple guide to the Homeopathic Remedies (especially Tissue Salts) most useful for common ailments such as coughs, colds, and sore throats.

Those remedies marked with an asterisk (*) are the most indicated or easily recognised and obtained. Choose the closest match to the presented symptom.

Aconite* - Constant short, dry cough, feeling of suffocation. Or dry, hard, ringing cough, worse after exposure to cold, dry wind. Spasmodic, as in whooping cough, wakes an individual from sleep. Anxiety, fear, and restlessness. Worse at night. It comes on suddenly after exposure to cold, dry winds. The sensation of dryness in the whole chest. No expectoration except perhaps some watery mucus.

Ant Tart - Persistent cough with rattling respiration, great accumulation of sticky phlegm. Great difficulty in expectoration, sudden onset of suffocation, must sit up. Very restless with a pale face.

Ars Alb* - Wheezing respiration, much frothy phlegm. Cannot breathe freely or fully. Worse, from midnight to 2 am. Very restless and anxious, utterly prostrated.

Belladonna - Dry, tickling cough in violent paroxysm, great dryness in the larynx. The cough seems to burst open head. The fit of coughing ends in sneezing or a whoop. The child begins to cry just before a coughing fit.

Bryonia* - Hard, dry spasmodic cough which shakes the whole body, associated with stitch/soreness in the chest. Bursting headache. Worse in cold, dry weather, worse for east winds, at night, after eating or last movement. Peevish wants to be left alone, thirsty for cold drinks. Holds head and chest as coughing.

Causticum - Hard cough wracks the whole chest. The chest is full of mucus, which makes it very hard to expectorate. Rawness in throat and hoarseness of voice. Better for cold water. Coughs until exhausted.

Drosera* - Crawling in the larynx, which provokes coughing. Violent tickling in the larynx wakes the patient. Spasmodic coughs until he retches and vomits. Coughs come from deep down in the chest, which provokes pain - the patient feels they must hold their chest until the coughing stops. Oppression of the chest so that breath cannot be expelled. Clutching, cramping, constricting, and burning of the larynx. Worse at night. Whooping cough.

Nux Vomica* - Dry, tearing, cough, gagging/retching. Feverish but can’t move or uncover without desperate chilliness. Bursting headaches after coughing.

Pulsatilla - Dry, tearing cough, possibly with gagging spells and choking aggravated by taking a breath. Worse in a warm room, evening and lying down.

Sepia - Violent cough with retching and gagging. Thick, tenacious yellow expectoration. Severe coughing on rising with much expectoration. No expectoration in the evening or by day. Sepia is a good remedy for finishing lingering whooping cough.

Ferr Phos - Hard, dry cough with soreness and feverishness.

Kali Mur - Cough with white, albuminous phlegm; white or grey-coated tongue. Children's cough.

Kali Sulph - Cough with yellow expectoration. Worse in a heated room or in the evening.

Mag Phos - Painful, spasmodic cough with a tendency to persist.

Calc Sulph - When the cough is loose and rattling with expectoration of thin, watery sputum. In alteration with Ferr Phos.

Silica - When the cough is accompanied by thick, yellow-green, profuse expectoration.

Calc Phos - Useful as an *intercurrent remedy and during convalescence.

Combin J - Ferr Phos, Kali Mur, Nat Mur - For coughs and colds - The winter seasonal remedy.

Ferr Phos - The first remedy for inflammation and temperature.

Kali Sulph - In alteration with Ferr Phos to promote perspiration and control fever. It should be continued if expectoration is yellow and slimy and for evening aggravation of symptoms.

Kali Mur - For the second stage, with thick, white phlegm, the feeling of stuffiness, and a whitish-grey tongue.

Nat Mur - Watery, frothy expectation with loss of taste and smell.

Calc Sulph - A helpful remedy, alternating with Calc Phos to speed recovery during convalescence.

Combin J - Ferr Phos, Kali Mur, Nat Mur - For coughs and colds - The "winter seasonal remedy."

A cold is often a cleansing process, indicating that the body is ridding itself of non-functional organic matter; consequently, it should never be suppressed. The individual should get plenty of rest, eat a light diet, fast gently if possible, and take a Vitamin C supplement (1,000 mg, 3 x daily.)

Allium Cepa - When there is much sneezing/watering eyes.

Ars Alb* - Good for watery catarrh and sore nostrils.

Gelsemium* - When the onset is rapid, chills run up and down the spine, aching in all body limbs and typical flu-like symptoms.

Hepar Sulph* - In later stages when catarrh is thick and yellow.

Mercurius - Use when there is much salivation, sweating, and thick catarrh.

Ferr Phos - This is needed for the feverishness, stuffiness and sneezing that herald the onset of a cold. A bout of sneezing is a first sign that a cold is threatening and Ferr Phos should be taken.

Kali Mur - For the second stage when there is white phlegm and stuffiness with congestion.

Nat Mur - Running, watery colds with chilliness and a general feeling of discomfort. Loss of taste and smell, and dryness of the skin.

Cal Phos - A short course of this remedy is helpful in building up the general health after a cold.

Combin J - Ferr Phos, Kali Mur, Nat Mur - For coughs and colds - The winter seasonal remedy.

Nat Sulph - The principal remedy. It should be taken in alternation with Ferr Phos throughout the feverish stage for inflammation and temperature.

Ferr Phos - For the inflammation and feverishness.

Kali Sulph - To promote perspiration and to control temperature.

Kali Mur - For the catarrhal symptoms in alternation with one or more of the other indicated remedies.

Calc Phos - To speed recovery during convalescence.

Ferrum Phos* - Indicated by heat, pain, dryness. For inflammation and burning heat, red throat is characterized by hoarseness and loss of voice.

Aconite* - Burning, smarting, dryness, tingling in throat - which is red. Sudden onset on exposure to cold wind. Swallowing water hurts.

Apis - Burning, stinging throat pains, and swollen, ‘soggy’ throat. Desire for cool, worse for heat.

Belladonna* - Typical fever throat - dry and burns like fire - tonsils inflamed and bright red. Red hot face and skin - no thirst.

Gelsemium - Sore throat develops several days after exposure in warm, moist, relaxing weather, very shivery, no thirst.

Hepar Sulph - Purulent infection, splinter-like sensation in the throat. High temperature, abscess forming. Low potencies accelerate suppuration. High potencies prevent it.

Lachesis* - The left side is worse on waking, and the pain is worse on swallowing. The throat tends to be blue/purple. Can't bear constrictions around the throat.

Mercurius* - Painful ulcerated throat, fetid breath, stinging throat pains and marked sweating with raised temperature. Do not repeat too often.

Ferr Phos - For inflammation and burning pain. The throat is red and dry, with hoarseness and loss of voice.

Kali Mur - in alternation with Ferr Phos when there is swelling of the glands or tonsils.

Calc Sulph - If taken in the early stages, it can prevent the development of a cold. In the later stages of tonsillitis when matter is discharged of abscess forms. Ulcerated sore throat.

Calc Fluor - Relaxed throat with tickling in the larynx. In alteration with Calc Phos. For enlargement of the tonsils.

Calc Phos - Sore, aching throat with pain on swallowing. Chronic enlargement of tonsils.

Combin J - Ferr Phos, Kali Mur, Nat Mur - For coughs and colds - The winter seasonal remedy.

Ferr Phos - The first remedy. Tonsils are red and inflamed, painful on swallowing.

Kali Mur - The second remedy is to treat the swelling as soon as possible. Tonsils spotted white or grey.

Silica - Periodical tonsillitis and when suppuration threatens.

Calc Sulph - During the last stage, when purulent matter discharges.

Calc Phos - Chronic swelling of the tonsils, causing pain when mouth opening and difficulty swallowing.

Calc Fluor - Large indurated tonsils, relaxed throat and elongation of the uvula.

See Also: The 12 Tissue Salts of Schuessler