Homeopathy a form of alternative medicine used for the treatment of pneumonia, is based on the theory of individualization. It takes into account the lifestyle, hereditary factors, personality as well as the medical history of a person & aims to treat the person as a whole including their psychological & physiological health.
Some of the homeopathic remedies that are effective against pneumonia are [4],
Ferrum phosphoricum
This, like Aconite, is a remedy for the first stage before exudation takes place, and, like Aconite, if there be any expectoration it is thin, watery and blood streaked. It is a useful remedy for violent congestions of the lungs, whether appearing at the onset of the diseases or during its course, which would show that the inflammatory action was extending; it thus corresponds to what term secondary pneumonias, especially in the age and debilitated. There high fever, oppress and hurry breathing, and bloody expectoration, very little thirst; there are extensive rales, and perhaps less of that extreme restlessness and anxiety that characterizes Aconite. This remedy, with kali muriaticum, forms the Schuesslerian treatment of this disease.
Bryonia Alba
is the remedy for pneumonia; it furnishes a better pathological picture of the disease than any other, and it comes in after Bryonia is looser and moister than that of Aconite, and there are usually sharp stitching pleuritic pains, the cough of Bryonia is also hard and dry at times and the sputum is scanty and rust colored, so typical of pneumonia. There may circumscribe redness of the cheeks, slight delirium and apathy; the tongue will most likely dry, and the patient will most likely dry, l and the patient will want to keep perfectly quiet. It a right-side remedy and attacks the parenchyma of the lung, and perhaps more strongly indicate in the croupous form of pneumonia.
The patient dreads to cough and holds his breath to prevent it on account of the pain it causes; it seems as though the chest walls would fly to pieces. The pains in the chest, besides being worse by motion and breathing, are relieved by lying on the right or painful side, because this lessens the motions; of that side. Coughs which hurt distant parts of the body call for Bryonia. Phosphorus most commonly follows Bryonia in pneumonia, and is complementary. In pneumonias complicated by pleurisy Bryonia is the remedy, par excellence. Halbert believes that Cantharis relieves the painful features of the early development of the exudate better than any other remedy, a hint which comes from Dr.Jousset, who used the remedy extensively.[3]
Kali muriaticum
Since the advent of Schussler’s this has been a favorite remedy with some physicians, and not without a good ground for its favoritism. Clinical experience has proved that this drug in alternation with Ferrum Phosphoricum constitutes a treatment of pneumonia which has been very successful in many hands. The symptoms calling for Kali muriaticum as laid down by Schussler are very meager, it given simply because there is a fibrinous exudation in the lung substance. There is a white, viscid expectoration and the tongue coated white. It better suited to the second stage, for when the third stage appears with its thick, yellowish expectoration it replace by Kali Sulphuricum in the biochemic nomenclature.[3]
Phosphorus
is “the great mogul of lobar pneumonia.” It should remembered that Phosphorus is not, like Bryonia, the remedy when the lungs completely hepatized, although it is one of the few drugs which have known to produce hepatization. When bronchial symptoms are present it is the remedy, and cerebral symptoms during pneumonia often yield better to Phosphorus than to Belladonna. There is cough; with pain under sternum, as if something torn loose; there is pressure across the upper part of the chest and constriction of the larynx; there pressure across the upper part of the chest and constriction of the larynx; there are mucous rales, labored breathing, sputa yellowish mucus, with blood streaks therein, or rust colored, as under Bryonia.
Relationship of Phosphorus
After Phosphorus, Hepar Sulphur. naturally follows as the exudate begins to often; it is the remedy of the third stage, the fever is; of a low character. Tuberculinum. In lobular pneumonia this remedy surpasses Phosphorus or Antimonium tartaricum, and competent observers convinced that it has an important place in the treatment of pneumonia; some using it in very case intercurrently; doses varying from 6x to 30x. When typhoid symptoms occur in the course of pneumonia then Phosphorus will come in beautifully.
Phosphorus follows Bryonia well, being complementary to it. There is also a sensation as if the chest were full of blood, which causes an oppression; of breathing, a symptom met with commonly enough in pneumonia. Hughes maintains that Phosphorus should give in preference to almost any medicine in acute chest affections in young children. Lilienthal says Phosphorus is our great tonic to the heart and lungs. Hyoscyamus. Dr. Nash considers this remedy one; of the best in typhoid pneumonia, meaning that it is more frequently indicated than any other.[3]
Chelidonium
Bilious pneumonia is, perhaps more often indicative of Chelidonium than of any other remedy. there are stitching pains under the right scapula, loose rattling cough and difficult expectoration, oppression; of chest, as under Antimonium tartaricum, and fan-like motions of the alae nasi, as under Lycopodium. Mercurius is quite similar in bilious pneumonia; the stools will decide, those of Mercurius being slimy and accompan by tenesmus; the expectoration is also apt to blood-streak. With Chelidonium there is an excess of secretion in the tubes, which; is similar to Antimonium tartaricum, and an inability to raise the same. It has greatly praise in catarrhal pneumonia of young children where there is plentiful secretion and inability to raise it. The right lung more often affect in cases calling for Chelidonium.[3]
Antimonium tartaricum
This drug especially indicated in pneumonia and pleuro-pneumonia at the stage of resolution. There are fine moist rales heard all over the hepatized portion of the lungs; these are different from the Ipecac rales; they are fine, while those of Ipecac are coarse. With Antimonium tartaricum there is great oppression of breathing, worse towards morning, compelling the patient to sit up to breath. There are also sharp, stitching pains and high fever, as under Bryonia, and it, perhaps, more closely corresponds to the catarrhal form than it does to the croupous. Bilious symptoms, if present, do not contra-indicate, as there are many of these in its pathogenesis. There is one peculiar symptom, the patient feels sure that the next cough will raise the mucus, but it does not. When there is deficient reaction, as in the aged or; in very young children, this remedy particularly indicated.
Kali carbonicum
is, perhaps, more similar to Bryonia than any drug in the symptom of sharp, stitching pains in the chest. These are worse by motion, but, unlike Bryonia they come whether the patient moves or not, and are more in the lower part of the right lung. In pneumonia with intense dyspnoea and a great deal of mucus on the chest, which, like in all of the Kalis, raise with difficulty, wheezing and whistling breathing, Kali carbonicum is the remedy, especially if the cough tormenting. It comes in with benefit ofttimes where Antimonium tartaricum and Ipecac have failed to raise the expectoration. Kali bichromicum may indicate by its well-known tough, stringy expectoration.[3]
Sulphur
A remedy to use in any stage of pneumonia. It will prevent, if given in the beginning, if the symptoms indicate it. It will prevent hepatization and cause imperfect and slow resolution to react. When the case has a typhoid tendency and the lung and the lung tends to break down, where there are rales, muco-purulent expectoration slow speech, dry tongue and symptoms of hectic, Sulphur is the remedy. Weakness and faintness are characteristic symptoms. Dr. G. J. Jones says a dyspnoea occurring at night between 12 and 2 causing the patient to sit up in bed is a valuable symptom.
Its field especially in neglect pneumonias in psoric constitutions, with tendency to develop into tuberculosis. In purulent expectoration Sanguinaria is the better remedy, especially where it is offensive even to the patient himself. If the lung hepatize, the patient at night restless and feverish, ulceration threatened, and there is no tendency to recuperation then one may depend upon Sulphur. Lycopodium also; a most useful remedy in delay or partial resolution. There is a tightness across the chest, aching over lungs, general weakness. Hughes says it is the best remedy where the case threatens to run into acute phthisis.[3]
