Join Joette for an evocative journey into the wonders of Practical Homeopathy®. Discover how it can help you, your family, and everyone you love to build healthier, happier homes. Each episode explores a new topic. Join Joette as she offers practical tools and insights to address the everyday health concerns moms and dads (just like you) face. Other inspirational episodes feature mothers and others sharing their real-life stories of overcoming health challenges using Joette’s unique methods. Homeopathy can often feel vast and seemingly confusing. However, Joette and her guests cut through the complexity by detailing her clear, effective and reproducible method: Practical Homeopathy®. One helpful tip or tool could make a real difference in your life or in the lives of those you love.
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This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 178, with Joette Calabrese.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction: Types of Sore Throats and Their Associated Homeopathic Medicines
Kate: (01:00)
Welcome back to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. I’m Kate, and I have a question for you, Joette.
Joette:
Let’s go.
Kate:
I’ve been thinking. A sore throat is one of those symptoms that seems so ordinary, yet it can keep you from everyday things like talking, eating, sleeping, even sometimes thinking clearly.
So, I want your perspective. When that annoying sore throat occurs, many people reach for lozenges, maybe a saltwater gargle, sometimes even an antibiotic.
Joette:
Exactly. But we know, of course, with Practical Homeopathy®, we have some really efficacious solutions. We don’t think of a sore throat as just a sore throat, regardless of the presentation. We often look at the kind of sore throat that’s in front of us.
Because a fiery red, sudden, painful sore throat is not the same as one that’s pus-filled, splinter sensation in the throat, and neither is the same as the one that makes the pillow wet from drooling.
They’re all a little different.
Kate:
I’d like to ask you, Joette, to give us some homeopathic solutions to different kinds of sore throats. Can we look at three very different sore throat pictures, and will you share the medicines that might match those pictures?
An easy go-to combination medicine for sore throat
Joette: (02:24)
Sure. I’ll give you some clear practical tools you can use the next time a sore throat shows up in your home. But let me also say, before I discuss the different types of sore throat, I’d like to share an easy go-to combination homeopathic medicine by Boiron. It’s called ThroatCalm®.
Now, I also have to say parenthetically, Boiron’s not the only manufacturing homeopathic pharmacy that we can buy combination medicines from. But this is just one of them that I’d like to talk about today.
So, these combination medicines, I think, have extraordinary value because they’re so easy to use and easy to share with loved ones and friends.
So, I’m looking right now at the back of the box of the product called ThroatCalm. Every ingredient is, of course, homeopathic. There’s also a spray that they call ThroatCalm Spray. And what’s interesting is that remedies that are in it are Echinacea 1X and Plantago major 1X.
Kate:
And that’s the spray, right?
Joette:
That’s the spray. Yes. I should have made that clear. Yes. Yes.
Kate:
I love these combination medicines from Boiron and other manufacturers, like you said, Joette, but can you share some specific types of sore throats now and what specific single homeopathic medicine we might consider for each of those types of sore throats?
And friends, I just want to mention that we’re coming into cold and flu season, depending on when you’re listening to this podcast, of course. So, I want to suggest that you have these medicines on hand so you don’t have to try to get them when someone comes down with a sore throat.
Joette:
That’s prudent. No doubt about it.
A painful, fiery red, quick-onset sore throat
Joette: (04:09)
So, the first homeopathic remedy I think of for a sore throat, especially if it’s really painful and fiery red, and especially if it has a quick onset. In other words, one minute the child or the person (whomever it might be) is fine, and then the next minute, oh my gosh, it is really, really painful.
And so, it’s a quick onset. It’s sore, it’s bright red, sometimes with high fever. Sometimes, it’s a high fever.
Now, if it’s an adult, usually there isn’t a high fever, but the face can be flushed, red — and face or skin. For those of you, my friends, who have been studying homeopathy, you probably already have figured out that it’s likely Belladonna.
So let me go further with it.
Tonsillitis, it can have that. There can be little or no pus. The throat might be dry, and it’s painful. Swallowing is painful. Even warm liquids can be painful.
So, you might think, “Well then, but why Belladonna?”
Well, it’s the first remedy to consider when the inflammation is intense, sudden-onset and dry and red.
And then the next question is, “Well, if I decide to use this, how do I administer it?”
Well, I like a 30th potency — 30C. If you happen to only have 30X, that’s really great. And it can be taken every four hours, for example.
At the height of pain — let’s say it’s very severe in the very beginning — you might use it every few hours, and for one to three days you might need to take it … to use it that long.
And a lot of times people think that if the first dose doesn’t do it, then it’s not working. No, you really need to show some repetition, not over a period of many days necessarily, but at least enough repetition to allow the medicine to act fully.
Kate:
I just want to clarify, Joette. You had said that you might take it up to maybe every two hours if it’s really painful, but you wouldn’t do that for three days.
Joette:
No.
Kate:
It’s generally, you’re going to see improvement, right?
Joette:
Yes. Yeah. I would like to see some improvement over a period of a day or so.
So, in the beginning, we might use it more frequently. And then as the symptoms back off a little bit — not just the pain in the throat, but also the well-being of the person (maybe they have a little more energy or the fever’s not as high or et cetera) — then we’re going to back off and use it less frequently.
One of my important teaching points is if it came on like a lightning strike and everything looks red and hot, Belladonna is a good medicine to consider. So, it’s a good way to differentiate from others.
Kate:
Okay. Do we have to have all of those symptoms that you just mentioned to warrant the use of Belladonna, or how do we determine how many of these symptoms we need to lead us to consider this medicine?
Joette:
Well, when I’m describing a homeopathic medicine picture, you don’t have to have all the symptoms to warrant the use of the medicine. But if this general picture occurs or develops — perhaps two to three of these or other symptoms — that might indicate the use of this medicine … actually could be a good indication that this medicine would be a good fit.
So, the symptoms I just mentioned are just a few of the keynotes of this medicine.
And as I always say, it’s always prudent to do your due diligence, my friends, and look up these homeopathic remedies in a materia medica. And if you don’t own one, you can look up one online for free. Just Google the name of the homeopathic medicine and the word “materia medica” and you’ll likely find some good information there.
Kate:
Okay, let’s go on to the second type of sore throat and what homeopathic medicine you might consider.
Infected sore throat with a splinter sensation
Joette: (07:45)
The next one is a sore throat that’s infected. There might be a splinter sensation in the throat.
First medicine that I think of for that is Hepar sulph. The full name of the remedy is Hepar sulphuricum calcaria [Hepar sulphuris calcareum], but Hepar sulph, for short.
So, in this information — this picture — we get severe, infected feeling. There can be swollen tonsils with pus or just plain old swollen tonsils. There might be a sensation of something stuck in the throat like glass or a splinter or even a fishbone. And the pain, often it can extend to the ears.
And when someone has this, we often see, not always, but we can see someone who might be irritable, or chilly, or worse from cold air or cold drinks, or warm drinks make them feel a little more comfortable.
So, let’s talk about why Hepar sulphuricum calcarea [Hepar sulphuris calcareum].
When the throat feels infected, and there’s a certain sensation to that … might say, “Well, isn’t Belladonna infected too?” Yes, but there’s a sensation, and the pain has a distinct, sharp, stuck quality.
And I also want to point out that the lymph nodes might be swollen as well (tonsils are lymph nodes) and not only on the inside, perhaps on the outside under the ears.
So, when we’re using this, the same general frequency, adjusted according to the intensity of the symptoms, as we discussed for Belladonna. Pretty much they’re all about the same.
So, let me give you one more teaching point. If the person is crabby or cold and describes a splint or a stick in the throat — just to reiterate it again — I want you to think of Hepar sulph.
Kate:
That stick or splinter feeling is such a great indication for that remedy.
All right, let’s move on to the third type of sore throat.
A sore throat with excessive saliva and odor
Joette: (09:40)
The third one has often a distinct set of symptoms. One of them is that the person can be drooling either in their sleep, or they find that they have excessive saliva, and they have to kind of suck the saliva in so that it doesn’t come out of the sides of the mouth.
There can also be bad breath. And some people call this the way it looks. If you look at the throat, it looks like pizza throat. And so, what that means is it looks like it’s all red and white and pussy, and it really looks bad. And when they open their mouth, there’s an odor.
The picture is that the glands are swollen, not unlike Hepar sulph, but there’s these other pictures that help you distinguish between the two. There’s raw, sore, smarting, burning throat, and it’s also pretty painful.
But in this case, there’s often a desire to swallow, sometimes even constant. Perhaps it’s because of the excessive saliva that’s being emitted from the mouth.
So, there can also be painful dryness of the throat. And again, the throat looks bright red and pustular and puffy, like pizza or macerated meat.
And again, profuse salivation that’s excessive. The pillow might be wet because of the drooling, and there might be a constant need to swallow. And again, there’s an odor from the mouth, and the voice might be rough and/or hoarse.
It might often be — if we need to use Mercurius — we’re going to be looking at how often it is worse at night.
So, just to reiterate a little bit, why Mercurius sol? There’s another name for another remedy that is very closely related. It’s called Mercurius viv. They are different homeopathic remedies, my friends, but they are so closely related that they’re pretty much interchangeable.
So, there’s excessive saliva, foul odor are prominent alongside the sore throat.
And how often is it used? Well, it’s usually used in a 30C. That’s the way I like to use it. Again, the same way that we would use Belladonna and Hepar sulph. And they space out and use the remedy less frequently as the condition improves.
So, just a little quick teaching point again — reiteration. If the pillow is wet and the breath is offensive, Mercurius is usually the remedy.
Kate:
And again, this is just a reminder that you don’t have to have every symptom Joette just listed to warrant the use of this particular medicine. We look at the overall picture, and if the sore throat has two or three or more of these indications, this could be the homeopathic medicine for the type of sore throat that you’re experiencing.
Joette:
Yes. And it’s always good to read up on that medicine again in the materia medica and see if the picture fits.
When to stop the chosen homeopathic medicine and when to pivot
Kate: (12:22)
Joette, can you explain how we know when to stop using a medicine if it’s not acting or when we would try a different homeopathic medicine?
Joette:
Well, when using homeopathy, especially in an acute situation such as this, we don’t keep repeating a medicine indefinitely hoping it will eventually work. For acute conditions, we generally give the chosen remedy a fair chance, often about four doses, based according to the intensity of the symptoms.
And if after those doses there is still no clear improvement — we want to see even just a tiny bit — we might stop that medicine and move to, perhaps, a better-matched one, one that is now presenting because the symptoms may have changed.
On the other hand, once we see that the remedy is acting and the person is becoming a little better or even very much better, then when it’s very much better, we’re going to stop using it because its work is done.
And then we should know that we go back to it again should it return, say, two or three days later.
The key is observation, my friends. Continue only while meaningful improvement is occurring and switch promptly when there is no response or the condition is very much improved.
Kate:
Okay, great. Are there any other medicines, Joette, that you want to mention for sore throat before we finish today?
Two more considerations and some supportive tips
Joette: (13:42)
Well, there are plenty of homeopathics that could be used for a sore throat, but let’s just go to two more because they’re pretty common.
One is Arsenicum album, and then Arsenicum album’s keynote is it has a burning pain. And often the person can be restless, and they can be chilly with a fever. They want a drink. They want a warm drink, and they want to sip it. They don’t drink long drinks; they drink little sips. So, Arsenicum album is another consideration.
Then another is Phytolacca, and that’s when the sore throat has a dark or red or purple hue to it, and the throat and body aches are prominent as well as the sore throat and, of course, then swollen glands.
So, in all of these, a good supportive measure is to gargle with warm salt water to keep the throat clean and don’t push foods.
If someone doesn’t have an appetite, it is an indication that they don’t need to eat, even if it goes on for a few days. Oftentimes, the body just needs to correct what’s going on, not to take on the digestion from eating.
A sore throat recap
Kate: (14:49)
Okay, so I want to recap what you just said, Joette: the three pictures that we covered today for sore throat.
The first is, of course, Boiron’s combination remedy ThroatCalm, and that covers a wide range of symptoms.
But the three specifically you spoke about: one is the Belladonna sore throat, which comes on suddenly. It’s dry and a fiery red sore throat.
The next is Hepar sulph, and that is often a pussy, has a splinter sensation, and the person is irritable and chilly.
And the third is Merc sol or Merc viv. And that might be indicated by drooling, bad breath, and a puffy or pizza-looking sore throat.
You also mentioned that the person should stop taking the homeopathic medicine when very much better or after about four doses if the condition shows no improvement, and at which point, we reassess and pivot.
Joette:
Yes. Yes, I would say that’s a really good recap, Kate.
So, when you see the difference between these presentations, you can stop guessing and start matching the correct homeopathic remedies with how the sore throat presents.
And I’d like to ask that if you found this podcast helpful, friends, please consider sharing it with a friend who may need this information. They’ll not only thank you, but then, you’ll have a friend in alignment with the way you are thinking and being able to share this kind of information back and forth can really encourage your learning curve.
So, until next time, keep your kits stocked and your observation skills sharp.
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
Disclaimer: Joette is not a physician, and the relationship between Joette and her clients, students and followers is not that of prescriber and patient, but that of educator and learner. It is fully the learner’s choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn’t “treat” an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. To be treated or diagnosed, Joette believes that the advice of a holistic physician is in order. Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.
Podcast 177 — Moms with Moxie: Raising 11 Children With Practical Homeopathy®
Friday, August 28, 2026 • Duration 21:40
In this podcast, we cover:
00:58Introduction: Raising 11 Children With Practical Homeopathy®
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 177.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction: Raising 11 Children With Practical Homeopathy®
Kate: (00:58)
Welcome to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. I’m Kate, and I’m thrilled you’ve joined us today for this podcast. I think you’re going to find this particularly interesting because it will have you on the edge of your seat and give you some ideas that you can use in some scary situations.
So, today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Mary. Mary has homeschooled 11 children, and she is now thoroughly enjoying her 10 grandchildren. She has a deep love of learning and an affection for classical literature.
So, today in this podcast, Mary will be sharing her extensive experience with acute trauma cases — as you would expect with having 11 children, right? Mary has handled snake bites, scorpion stings, brown recluse spider bites and a wide range of sports injuries, always with a calm presence with homeopathy coming to the aid.
And it all started with autism. So, Mary, welcome to the podcast.
Mary:
Hi, Kate.
Kate:
I’m so glad you’ve joined us, Mary. Thank you for doing this. You have many interesting things to share. So, let’s get started with how you came to homeopathy.
It all started with autism
Mary: (02:11)
All right. It all started with our twin daughters acquiring autism after they had their infant shots. And I found out our family was sensitive to pharmaceuticals, so we had to find a way to take care of our family’s health.
I first started learning about herbs and added essential oils in, but I became really curious about homeopathy. It just worked so well. It was very efficient.
First time I used it was for my son, and he was getting injured in wrestling. So I went to the store, and someone helped me find something for that. And she pointed out homeopathy, and she gave me two vials of homeopathy. And I brought it home, and it must have worked because he ended up asking me for more.
Kate:
Wow!
Mary:
Yeah, right? A high school boy asking for more homeopathy.
Kate:
Yeah.
Mary:
Yeah. So, I thought, “Oh, maybe it’s time to learn this.”
Kate:
Maybe.
The mystery of the little tubes
Mary: (03:06)
It was a mystery to me … all the little tubes. That was around 2006.
And so, we went to a classical homeopath to get some help, and she was a sweetheart. She was really good at it because she taught it, but I wanted to learn more. She helped me with some acute situations, but I thought there was more I wanted to learn.
And then another friend showed me Joette’s website. The first course I took was Allergic?! because my food allergies had gotten so bad I needed to do something.
And I fell in love with Practical Homeopathy® because it was a way I could learn it and get pretty well caught up in learning it quickly. It was usable, and my food allergies started to go away.
So then, of course, I was using it with the whole family for their allergies also. We just saw it; we made some really great gains in the allergy area.
Then came the Gateway community
Mary: (03:56)
In 2020, I started leading Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study groups, and I continued to do that because I really love it. And I have some of the same people from that time keep taking it over and over again, and we keep learning.
Kate:
Do you find that you’ve really built a community that way by doing those?
Mary:
Absolutely.
Kate:
Yeah.
Mary:
It’s been really sweet. Even the people that don’t keep doing the groups, I still hear from … how they’re doing. My husband and I are thinking about doing a trip to where we can see a whole bunch of people from my …
Kate:
From your study groups? Oh, how exciting.
Mary:
Yeah. And go out east and do that. Yeah, that would be very fun.
On to The Academy and Mastery
Kate: (04:36)
So, you were leading these Gateway study groups, and then I know you’ve gone into The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® and graduated, and now you’re in the Mastery program. So, tell me what led you to do that.
Mary:
So, after I took the Allergic?! course, I started taking Joette’s courses — one or two a year. I think I took six courses. One of our daughters ended up in the hospital with ITP, which is idiopathic thrombocytopenia. And I couldn’t crack the case.
APH … I knew it was available, and I was talking to my husband about it because I wanted to learn more. I wanted to be able to take care of our family even better than I had been taking care of them with homeopathy.
Kate:
Yeah, you wanted to have more knowledge.
Mary:
Yes, I really needed more. And the amazing thing was there are points in The Academy … things that I learned that helped me to take care of my daughter.
At first, it seemed like she’d have to stay on this medicine the rest of her life, and now she does not have to be on those medicines for the rest of her life. And homeopathy took care of her issue, and it’s because of The Academy.
Kate:
Wow.
And now you have a whole ‘nother group of study group friends that you’ve gotten throughout the years of being in The Academy and Mastery, right?
Mary:
Yes. I’m so excited that three of the people in my study groups are in this year’s Academy. I’m so excited for them.
Kate:
Oh!
Mary:
So much fun learning. So, yeah.
Using homeopathy for snake bites and autism
Kate: (06:21)
So, Mary, you’ve had so many experiences. It’s hard to know what to ask you about first.
But maybe let’s dive right into snake bites because you’ve had several instances of those, unfortunately, in your family. So, talk to me about how you handled those situations.
Mary:
We’ve had snake bites, spider bites and scorpion stings. And I have used The Survivalist Guide as a start on how to take care of those. And it’s been really, really helpful here in Texas.
Kate:
Yeah. So, your daughter was actually hospitalized, and you didn’t know it was a snake bite at first, right?
Mary:
Correct. Yeah. She was hospitalized with what they said it was idiopathic thrombocytopenia, and her platelet counts was down way too far.
And so, they worked on it in their paradigm, but the medicine would make her autism worse. She was just sitting on the couch staring. So, I knew I had to do something else because I didn’t want her going backwards in her development.
So, I got in The Academy, some of the things in the Organon lessons and learning about the remedies helped me to figure out what remedy would help her to get over this. And now it’s not a problem for her. She doesn’t need to be on the medicines.
Kate:
And I think you said earlier that they said she would have to be on this medicine for the rest of her life.
Mary:
Yes, they did. And that’s why I was like, “No, no, no, no. I can’t have my child going backwards.”
We worked a long time with her for her autism, and she made so many great improvements that I couldn’t watch that.
Kate:
And so, we had said earlier in the podcast that this all started with autism. So, talk to me about how you’ve helped your daughters with autism.
Mary:
We have used homeopathy for that, and it’s actually the same remedy that I used for Katherine with the ITP. And I’ve been seeing them continue to improve and learn more.
We just visited family last week for a wedding, and people were commenting on how good the girls were doing that they were shocked. How they can cook and clean, do laundry. They’ll remind me of things that need to be done.
And their reading level is great. We also did a neurodevelopmental program with them for years, so that gets some of the credit, but homeopathy is helping them to continue to develop well.
Maintaining a calm presence through it all … even the scary bites and stings
Kate: (08:55)
Yeah. You’re amazing working with two autistic daughters — and all 11 of your children actually — and homeschooling, and all that you’ve done. It’s really incredible.
And what strikes me about these situations — and we’re going to talk about a few more of them — is that you seem to handle this with such a calm presence. I mean, you’re talking about snake bites, scorpions, all these things. And to me, that sounds terrifying, you know?
How do you do it? How do you handle these situations so calmly?
Mary:
I really give that credit to God for keeping me calm during these situations. I just have the presence of mind to know what to do, but that is because I have been learning it. Learning about the remedies. Learning what they’re for, and not being afraid to use them. And I think that’s kind of a key.
We’ve had a brown recluse bite and used Lachesis. Grandson had a black widow-relative bite, and I helped them out with their remedies for that.
Kate:
Scorpion bite.
Mary:
Oh, yeah, the scorpion sting. And we used the scorpion remedy for that one.
And like Ledum, which is great for puncture wounds. So Ledum’s always up there with all those bites.
You can always give Ledum. Ledum for ticks, Ledum for snake bites, puncture wounds, dog bites, because we’ve had a dog bite too. I forgot.
Kate:
Oh, my goodness.
Mary:
Yeah, we had a dog bite.
Kate:
So, it sounds like Ledum has had a big presence in your family’s life.
Mary:
Yeah. We’ve also used it for old puncture wounds too … ones that are older. And they’ve helped the family … that have helped with that a lot.
Success Story: Dog poisoned with xylitol
Kate: (10:42)
So, let’s move on to your dog, because I hear there was a situation where it was very serious.
Mary:
Yes. Jax, the dog, got into some xylitol gum. It was quite a bit.
He came downstairs, and he started throwing up and having diarrhea at the same time. And then he collapsed.
And my daughter called me and said, “Mom, Jax … he’s dying. I don’t know what to do.”
So, we used Aconitum and then dosed Arsenicum — and she was dosing it frequently. And after an hour, he was able to get up and go outside.
And normally xylitol gum will kill a dog, and he was on his way.
So, Joette was laughing about him being the gum-chewing dog.
Kate:
Well, I mean, I guess it wasn’t funny at the time, but …
Mary:
It wasn’t funny, but he’s still around, and he still tries to get into things. But we don’t have xylitol gum in the house anymore.
Success Story: Gallstones
Kate: (11:42)
Yeah. That’s amazing.
Okay. How about gallstones?
Mary:
Gallstones. So, this was my big win with my husband because he wasn’t quite sure those little sugar pills were doing anything.
And he had a stone that must have been horrible because he just asked me to take him to urgent care.
So, he went to urgent care, they gave him some morphine. And I think that helped relax him, and the stone passed.
I had some remedies ready, but I didn’t have the whole Banerji Protocol yet.
So, he appreciated the relief, but then he did not like the effects of morphine. And so, the next time he was ready to go with the homeopathy. I had it ready to go for him, and we used it, and the events became fewer.
The time where it was hurting became less, and now he doesn’t get them anymore. And the option that the doctor had given him was to take out his gallbladder, and he didn’t want to do that.
So, that was his big win. That made him see that homeopathy is really terrific and can work well. I mean, he saw it with some of the children, but sometimes it helps to have your own experience with it to know that it works well.
Success Stories: Injuries
Kate: (12:56)
Right. All right. Let’s move on to sprains and concussions and talk about some of those things.
Mary:
Sure. So, our son. He sprained his ankle playing baseball, and he’s limping back to the car. He takes his shoe off. His ankle quickly swells up.
I had my remedies in the car ready to go. So, we started dosing on Arnica and Ruta. And by the time we got back home, it was pretty sore. It wasn’t as swollen. And the next day he could put on those athletic sandals to go to practice to just watch.
Kate:
Wow.
Mary:
Yeah. Three days later from the sprain, he was able to get his shoe on. I mean, he could do it the day before, but he was able to get his shoes on and go practice gently.
So, by the next week, there was no problem with his ankle whatsoever after taking the remedies.
And because he grew up in our family, he knows how to take the remedies. He knows how to take them well, and he does it on his own now, which is really amazing.
Kate:
Awesome. So, your husband’s on board; your son is on board.
Mary:
Yes.
Kate:
Yeah. And then concussions.
Mary:
Okay, concussions. I was in a car accident during APH and hit my head twice. Car hit me going 40 or 50 miles an hour.
Kate:
Oh, wow.
Mary:
The remedies were just amazing. I took Arnica to start healing the brain right away.
There were remedies that I took for memory. There were remedies I took for depression because a friend warned me. She said, “Mary, you might get depressed after a concussion at some point.” So, I knew in APH what I could take for that also.
I think I healed up pretty well considering my age. Every once in a while, my neck might hurt, and then I take something for that.
But for the concussion part, I think I’m pretty well healed up.
And our daughter has gotten concussions from judo, from hitting her head. We’ve used it for her.
And then my husband, he had an event where he gets vasovagal syncope. So, he passes out if he laughs too hard …
Kate:
Oh, wow!
Mary:
… because he has had asthma before. I think it shuts him down because it thinks something is dangerous.
So, when I was in Chicago visiting our daughters, and he was here, he was laughing at a video and stood up because he couldn’t breathe and fell back and hit his head on the bookshelf. And he woke up in a pool of blood.
And one of the twins with autism knew where to find the remedy I told her to get. She got Arnica, and she gave him the Arnica.
The bleeding was slowed down quite a bit. And then, my other daughter came home, and she gave him Aconitum.
And it was amazing talking to him on the phone because it just … all of a sudden, I could tell his head cleared. He could think about what he needed to get done. He needed to get to the doctor to get the wound closed.
So, it ended up being an eight-staple wound on his head. And our girls took care of him with homeopathy.
They stayed with him in the hospital to make sure he had an advocate there. And it all turned out really well.
This happened on a Friday, and he was able to go to work with a clear head on Monday.
Kate:
My goodness.
Mary:
Yes. I know, right?
Kate:
Such quick recovery in your family.
Mary:
Yeah, it’s been really good. I mean, he needed a little bit going forward for a little while, but really not very long. So, it’s so cool. Such a great medicine.
Success story: A burn from boiling water
Kate: (16:36)
Yeah. So, what else have you done?
Mary:
Recently, my daughter was boiling noodles for spaghetti, and her hand slipped on one of the handles, and it dumped on her stomach. And she had this huge burn spot.
So, I went over and grabbed the Cantharis and Hypericum and Aconitum and gave her the Aconitum for the fear, to help clear her head.
And myself, I gave myself some, too, because it helps for the person taking care of them too —to have that Aconitum. It just helps you think clearly.
So, I alternated Hypericum and Cantharis, and I touched her stomach, and it was warm. After I would give her the Cantharis, it was cool. It was amazing to find that out, that part of Cantharis, that it will cool the burn.
She didn’t end up having a big blister. There was just a little scab in the middle where it had been the worst. And then, it would’ve been good to keep dosing Cantharis.
After we were done with the Cantharis and the Hypericum, I used Calendula and comfrey salve to finish the healing. And then the skin just was lightening up.
It’s very small now, which is quite amazing considering it was boiling water. I mean, it made the kitchen tiles hot to walk on.
She still cooks and boils noodles.
Closing advice
Kate: (18:00)
Mary, you have shared so many things with us, and I know that you have so much more that you could go into. But I want to ask now that you end this podcast with some words of wisdom that you have for the listeners, because really I’m amazed at all you’ve accomplished, both with your family and with homeopathy.
So, what advice do you have to share with those who are listening today?
Mary:
I would say to learn about homeopathy as much as you can. You can never stop learning about it. And the benefit to your family and your friends is enormous.
So, there are so many options with Joette to learn at the level that you are. You could start with study groups. She’s got Mighties. She’s got Mighty Members Plus. She’s got courses to take.
And eventually, if you wanted to go to The Academy, I’d highly recommend it. It’s fantastic. And Mastery is super wonderful.
And if you need any help, there’s plenty of Practical Homeopaths™ now available to help you on your walk through learning homeopathy and getting help for … You know, sometimes we just need a little help — it’s a little more than we can handle — and we can get advice from other people too.
Kate:
So, what Mary was referring to was FindAPracticalHomeopath.com. You can go there and find those people who are leading study groups or seeing clients that have graduated from the Academy/Mastery programs.
So, Mary, I really appreciate you taking the time to share with us from your many years of experience. It’s been a pleasure having you, and I’m excited to see what your future holds. And hopefully you won’t have any more emergencies that you’ll need homeopathy, but we know that that is what happens in life.
So, I’m so glad for this medicine, and I know you are as well.
Mary:
Yes, I am so thankful for it. It’s God’s medicine, right?
Kate:
Yeah.
Mary:
It’s a special blessing He’s given to us, and we can take advantage of it and learn it and use it.
Kate:
Yeah. And I like what you said to me earlier, Mary, that people should just start now. That’s your advice. So, I think that’s wise, wise words.
So, thanks for joining us on the podcast today, and we’ll see you next time.
Mary:
Okay. Thanks, Kate.
Joette:
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
Disclaimer: Joette is not a physician, and the relationship between Joette and her clients, students and followers is not that of prescriber and patient, but that of educator and learner. It is fully the learner’s choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn’t “treat” an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. To be treated or diagnosed, Joette believes that the advice of a holistic physician is in order. Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 176, with Joette Calabrese.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction: Diarrhea: Specific Symptoms Indicate Specific Homeopathic Medicines
Kate: (01:00)
Hi everyone, and welcome to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. I’m Kate.
Today, Joette will be tackling a topic that’s equal parts common and uncomfortable. Yes, it’s diarrhea. But don’t worry, we’re keeping things light and practical.
Joette, are you ready to help our listeners feel empowered instead of panicked the next time the tummy rumbles?
Joette:
Yes, Kate. Yeah, let’s turn those bathroom dashes into a thing of the past with a little — I don’t know — I guess I’d call it “homeopathic know-how.”
Homeopathy: the little nudge the body needs
Kate: (01:33)
Agreed. Okay, so how about we start with the fundamentals? For anybody who might be new to this podcast, can you explain a few of the basics about homeopathy and why it’s such a game changer for issues like diarrhea?
Joette:
Yeah, absolutely. Let’s get started.
So, homeopathy is based on the principle “like cures like.” We use highly diluted, potentized — which means it’s highly diluted — medicines from natural substances that in larger amounts might cause similar symptoms.
But in these tiny, micro or nanodoses, they very gently nudge or stimulate the body’s own ability to heal itself.
And these medicines … they have been helping families for over 200 years. There are no side effects, just smart support that works with the body.
It’s actually our first stop for all sorts of woes, including belly troubles. Think of it as giving your system the precise little nudge or whisper it needs to remember its own ability. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
Kate:
Yes. Oh, I love it.
Okay. It also empowers us, I would say, to handle things at home, and so helps alleviate that fear that we don’t have something to help.
Intense diarrhea? Veratrum album
Kate: (02:57)
So, we’re going to get practical right now. What are the top medicines for diarrhea, and how do we match them to the various kinds of diarrhea that one might experience?
Joette:
Okay, first, let’s talk about Veratrum album — two words: Veratrum and then the word album — for the more intense cases. Doesn’t have to be intense, but we know that if it is intense, we are going to be thinking about this.
So, there might be severe, voluminous diarrhea, even with vomiting or nausea, cold sweats, clammy skin and weakness. There’s kind of a real weakness. It’s an in-depth weakness. It’s the big debilitating picture.
And often I’ve paired it with Cuprum metallicum — two words, Cuprummetallicum — in a Banerji-style approach for cramps.
So, Veratrum album steps in like, I guess I’d call it a “steady hand,” helping restore balance and strength. Used judiciously and hydrate well and watch what I’d call the “bounce back.”
Kate:
It’s pretty incredible. I’ve used Veratrum album many a time in our family for this condition, and it is a game changer. Absolutely.
Burning diarrhea from food poisoning? Arsenicum album
Joette: (04:12)
Yeah. Then we have another remedy that I like to consider, and that’s Arsenicum album. So, we have Veratrum album and Arsenicum album.
And so, Arsenicum is my hero for diarrhea that feels like food poisoning or something that didn’t sit right.
So, think frequent, watery stools with burning — often there’s burning. It can be at the site, or it could be in the belly. It could be burning anywhere in the body.
Plus, a sense of restlessness and anxiety. And sometimes the person can be chilly, and they want warmth. And often, they’re thirsty, but not for thirst in large, long drinks, but rather for small sips.
So, Arsenicum album. When used every hour or so at first — and then spacing out as it improves — it can calm this kind of a storm beautifully. I’ve seen it rescue many on a vacation or a questionable dinner out, for example.
Kate:
Good to know, especially for those travel tummy surprises.
So, I keep Arsenicum album in my bathroom — just in case — and emergency homeopathic kit for any issues with food that might not be sitting quite right.
What’s next?
Gurgling, explosive diarrhea? Podophyllum
Joette: (05:25)
Another homeopathic medicine that’s really great is Podophyllum.
And just so you know, for those of you who are new, these are all Latin terms because this is science, and so we are using the Latin words. It is phonetic. So, Po-do-phyl-lum. Podophyllum.
And this is perfect for explosive episodes. Profuse, watery. Sometimes the stool is yellowish or greenish with lots of gurgling and rumbling beforehand.
Now, when we are looking at Podophyllum, we’re thinking that it’s often painless, but urgent. It can be quite striking, especially in the morning. It’s great for kids or after too much fruit, which is a questionable behavior anyway.
Podophyllum 200 turns Niagara Falls back into a gentle stream. So, if your toilet’s suddenly a waterpark, this one’s your friend. Really makes it memorable.
Kate:
Waterpark? Think Podophyllum.
Joette:
Right, right.
Kate:
Okay. So, we need to keep that in our kit as well. Any other remedies we should consider?
Great loss of fluids? China
Joette: (06:32)
Yes. We want to also keep in mind that the homeopathic medicine China … sometimes it’s known as cinchona bark, but it’s China. They’re two names for the same remedy. China 200, which I think can be really great for a loss of fluids.
So, I want you to know that this is not just for a loss of fluids through diarrhea. It can be a loss of fluids through perspiration that’s associated, for example, with some of the other medicines — with Veratrum album, for example. Or loss of fluids even if there’s a lot of coughing and mucus is lost.
We think of China for loss of fluids. And let me also say parenthetically, China’s a great remedy for loss of blood from an accident or even heavy menses.
So, remember China or Cinchona in a 200 is really great for this condition.
How to use homeopathic medicines
Kate: (07:20)
So, we have to keep these medicines on hand.
Could you give us a quick reminder on how to use these homeopathic medicines for those who may be new to homeopathy?
Joette:
Well, the first place to start is to match the symptoms to the homeopathic remedy. Because as you can see, each of these remedies have specific characteristics, just like the person who’s suffering has specific symptoms.
So, we start with a 30C, often for most acute cases and repeat as needed based on the improvement.
Remember in homeopathy, less is more.
And we stop when the symptoms ease up. And we always combine these remedies with rest, the correct amount of fluids and common sense.
Don’t expect to have an appetite. People often say, “But I haven’t eaten in three days.” Well, that’s because the body is not ready to do that. So, we follow what the body’s telling us to do.
And “I can’t get out of bed.” Stay in bed then. Your body’s telling you, you need to do that.
So, if it’s severe, of course we’re going to seek professional care.
But homeopathy works with the body, not against it. And we can often take care of a lot of these conditions on our own without any medical intervention.
Kate:
Such wisdom as always, Joette.
So, remember, as she said, if you are experiencing severe symptoms and it’s a medical emergency, we always recommend that you do go to the hospital or to your physician and get help.
But this is why we love our homeopathics … that oftentimes, we can avoid those things. So, we have our medicines with us, and we’re ready if the diarrhea or the waterpark begins.
Closing advice
Kate: (09:04)
Any final thoughts or encouragement for the audience before we wrap up?
Joette:
I think of one of the most important concepts that I have not made clear here, I don’t believe — so, I want to make a point of it: And that is we needn’t know whether it’s amoebic, whether it’s viral, whether it’s bad food, whether it’s from the weather change. That can be useful in determining which medicine to consider, but we don’t really need to know what the microorganism, for example, is that’s causing this.
If we have that information, okay, we can consider that. But long before there were microscopes or anything in order to determine which microorganism might be causing this, we were able to — “we” meaning homeopaths — were able to determine which homeopathic medicine to use.
Because again, it’s based on “like cures like,” not “specific microorganism causes this or that, hence it must be dealt with differently.”
So now let’s get back to the subject at hand again, and that is that diarrhea might try to crash the party, but with Practical Homeopathy® and a very well-stocked kit, you’ll be equipped to send it packing.
Stock those remedies. Study the symptom pictures. I mean, just study them right then and there while this is going on. And don’t take wild guesses. Really look at the differentials between the remedies that we just discussed today and keep empowering your family.
Kate:
Absolutely. So, just to summarize this episode today, we’ve covered the basics of homeopathy that like cures like in potentized form, and it gently supports your body’s own healing.
And we highlighted three powerhouse remedies:
Veratrum album for severe depleting storms, you might call them. The Arsenicum album for burning, anxious and food-related upsets, and Podophyllum for the gushing, gurgling episodes.
Joette, thank you so much for sharing with the listeners today. And listeners, if you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please share it with a friend and check out Joette’s other offerings on joettecalabrese.com or practicalhomeopathy.com.
Join our community. We have so many amazing people. They’re all learning together.
Joette:
Thanks, Kate. Until next time, stay prepared. Keep your remedies ahead and keep your powders dry.
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
Disclaimer: Joette is not a physician, and the relationship between Joette and her clients, students and followers is not that of prescriber and patient, but that of educator and learner. It is fully the learner’s choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn’t “treat” an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. To be treated or diagnosed, Joette believes that the advice of a holistic physician is in order. Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 175, with Joette Calabrese.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction: Sinus infections and other stuffy situations
Kate: (01:00)
Welcome back, everyone, to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. In today’s episode, Joette will be talking about how we handle stuffy situations, you know, the ones that require endless tissues, nasal rinses, maybe a hot shower to get relief from the steam, and anything else that brings comfort to help with the pain and congestion of a sinus infection.
And worse yet, sometimes those sinus infections can even go to our ears and cause earaches.
Joette, sinus infections seem to last a lifetime when we’re experiencing them, and if it’s allergy season, that can make it even worse.
Joette:
Yes, I suffered for years from allergic states, but now I no longer suffer. I don’t at all, actually.
We have our homeopathic medicines that we can turn to … should I need to. But it’s so occasional now, I might use a dose or two, and it’s gone for another year.
So, we don’t have to sit in a stuffy suffering or resort to drugs.
What is Practical Homeopathy®?
Kate: (02:00)
I think you should take a minute, just talk about what is it that you’re referring to when you refer to homeopathy?
Joette:
Yes, because I’m not referring to just any homeopathy. This is different. What I teach is a method that I call Practical Homeopathy®.
Why we call it that is because it’s straightforward. And it’s protocol driven, which means that there’s a specific condition, then we use a specific homeopathic remedy. The potency and frequency are often baked into the whole protocol.
And it makes it easy for families to confidently use homeopathy instead of wondering, “Oh my. What remedy again? What potency? What frequency? How often should I be using this?”
I make it extremely easy. It’s like a recipe of sorts. When the symptoms first start presenting, you can address them right away, even if you have a few remedies or a small kit at home.
And I hope that, should this condition plague you or someone in your family, that you have these medicines at home already. Because there’s nothing worse than saying, “Okay, I know what to use, but, ohhhh, I don’t own it.”
Kate:
Right, right. So, as you listen to these podcasts, read Joette’s blogs, be writing down the names of those remedies and start purchasing them when you can.
We say, Joette, that we don’t buy shoes. (Well, maybe we buy a few shoes.) But instead of buying lots of shoes, we accumulate homeopathic medicines.
Joette:
Yeah, it becomes a source of pride when you go to your cabinet and say, “Oh wow, look at all the choices that I have for all the different conditions that my family suffers or may suffer.”
A closer look at Boiron’s SinusCalm®
Joette: (3:33)
So, getting back to sinus infections, let’s start with something that you can definitely find at a local drug store or even many grocery stores or even big box stores.
Yes, these homeopathic medicines can be found there. And usually, they are the combination homeopathic medicines manufactured by a homeopathic pharmacy, such as Boiron.
Now I’ll share some other single homeopathic medicines shortly, but this is a great option to start with. And it’s so easy and so accessible, and it looks like any other drug of sorts because it’s not in the little blue tubes (although we also consider those), but they’re in bubble packs, and you’ll see that it’s got all the directions and everything is laid out perfectly.
Kate:
Yeah. I keep those Boiron combination remedies around. I like to have them on hand just in case, but I also love it because I can show people here’s what homeopathy looks like, and you can find these in stores. So, it’s helpful to be able to share with friends and family that way.
Joette:
Yeah. So, if you look at the homeopathic medicines on the package — if you read what’s on the package — it will actually give you the medicines that are most frequently used if you decide … let’s say you decide … No, let’s try just choosing, instead of one of those three or four medicines that are written on the back of the package, you try one of the medicines in a blue tube, and you’ll see that that may help you indeed.
So, that’s how you’re going to learn about homeopathy as well.
So, if you look at the homeopathic medicine, for example, in SinusCalm, it includes Belladonna 3C, Sanguinaria 3C, and Spigelia 3C.
Now, what’s interesting is that Belladonna is specifically for pain and/or fever and/or redness and heat, et cetera, in the area. SinusCalm reads it temporarily relieves symptoms of sinus pressure, headaches and nasal congestion.
And if you look on the box itself, what the names of the medicines are that are incorporated, there are three: Belladonna 3C, Sanguinaria 3C, and Spigelia 3C.
So, I want you to consider depending on these kinds of combination medicines, but I also want you to then crack open a materia medica and look up each of these and see how they fit into this relief of sinus pressure, headaches and nasal congestion. And then that’ll help you understand why Boiron, for example, chose these three.
Now this specific remedy called SinusCalm, I would use it perhaps every four to six hours, but I have to say they already tell you that on the package. They give you an idea of time.
And so, if you find this isn’t acting within the first, say, I don’t know, 24 hours or so, I would consider switching to a different homeopathic medicine altogether. And we want to see a shift in the symptoms. May not be perfect, but you might find the head pain or the sinus pain is not as grand.
It may not be perfect. You might still feel a little stuffy, and you still have a little headache, but you’re finding you have increased energy.
And that in many ways, my friends, is the whole point of homeopathy, that we watch our symptoms and see what’s helping spur our body on to a fight against this condition.
And we will see that there might be little satellite conditions that are associated with the sinus infection that you hadn’t even considered, like fatigue. You were so perhaps focused on the pain in the sinuses or the stuffiness that you hadn’t noticed that you were also fatigued.
So, we’re watching for that also to melt away.
Kate:
Now, if it doesn’t help in the first or the second dose, would you stop using the medicine, or how long would you continue?
Joette:
I would go … First, second dose? No, I would carry on. First, second, third, fourth, I would definitely get a full day out of it and perhaps even into the next day.
But then the next day when you wake up in the morning, that’s the time for assessment to determine whether or not there’s been any shift, even a small shift. And if there’s been some improvement but not enough, then we can carry on into the second day as well.
Allopathic drugs cover up symptoms like a Band-Aid on a gash, whereas homeopathic medicines actually help the body to know how to fight the cause of the symptoms and therefore heal the body. And the reason it’s such a beautiful system of medicine is that we’re not suppressing.
Using a homeopathic repertory
Joette: (08:18)
So, for those of you who are one of my students, especially my Academy students, I wanted to talk a bit about how you find this in your repertory.
Kate:
Right. Because it’s not necessarily intuitive, but this is a good discussion.
And if you are not a student in Joette’s Academy or you’re not familiar with a repertory, we want to inspire you to maybe look into the tools that we use in homeopathy to figure out what medicines are helpful. So, a repertory is one of those tools.
And so, Joette, how would we find sinus infection in the repertory?
Joette:
First of all, what is a repertory?
It’s a consolidation of pretty much all of human suffering categorized in a very organized fashion. And it gives us … There are no sentences. They’re simply the names of the medicines that are used for specific conditions and/or symptoms.
So, for those of you who are familiar with a repertory, what you might do (if you want to look at it that way) is to go under the category of “nose” and then “sinusitis.” And that’s where you’ll find the medicines that are considered, certainly by Boiron. They’ve done their homework. There’s no doubt about it.
It will show you that the medicines that are showing up in that combination medicine are indeed listed in this little rubric. So, there we see Kali bichromium [bichromicum] is one of the top medicines, which is a mainstay medicine for sinus infections and for headaches that may come with them.
Even, I might add, something that’s not necessarily an infection. It might simply be barometric pressure shift, might simply be allergies, but it feels like it could also be an infection.
Kate:
Oh, another one of the top medicines listed there I know is Sanguinaria, which we already talked about in that combination from Boiron. So, we’re sharing now about the other ones.
Joette:
And so Sanguinaria is one of our great medicines in these kinds of conditions because it is such a hyper-focused remedy on the sinuses in general — the nose and the sinuses.
It’s also good to note as well that in your repertory, these medicines have other abilities.
For example, Kali bichromium is also listed for bronchitis or rheumatism and, of course, sinusitis.
So, if your sinus infection is accompanied by or started after those other issues, it might be smart to grab a materia medica or your repertory and think about how this medicine can help address more than one issue simultaneously — because that is often the way homeopathy works. It has such a sweeping ability in each of its medicines that you might find conditions that you thought were unassociated are indeed associated with your propensity for getting these infections.
So, the medicines, in summary, that we want to consider first is, as I said, that combination medicine by Boiron, which is called SinusCalm.
And if that is not available or you can also consider using the medicines that are perhaps included in SinusCalm, such as Kali bichromium or Sanguinaria or Belladonna.
And so, you can see that we’ve got a couple of different avenues from which to approach this.
Closing advice
Kate: (11:30)
Now, if you’re listening to this podcast and you’re saying, “Wait, I’m not taking notes, but I want to write these things down. Don’t worry. You can go to the transcript of this podcast on JoetteCalabrese.com.
Joette, this has been great. Is there anything else that you want to say as we finish up this podcast?
Joette:
Just that healing can be in your hands. It doesn’t have to be stressful or a rushed trip to a doctor just for them to prescribe you something that only induces temporary relief and causes new symptoms … or worse yet shoves the cause of your symptoms to become suppressed and driven to a deeper state.
So, this is in our hands and the freedom — the health freedom — that this promotes in your life will be really surprising.
I think many of you, if you’re not familiar with this, I encourage you to give it a try. It is a completely different system of medicine.
And remember, homeopathy is not to be confused with the general category of, say, natural remedies or holistic medicine. It is its own system of medicine.
Once you really learn about homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy® and start using it, nothing else compares.
So, friends, if this information has been helpful to you and you know someone who might benefit from what I share today, send them this podcast and remember, stay curious.
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 174, with Joette Calabrese.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction: Remaining Relevant in Your Family with Practical Homeopathy®
Kate: (01:00)
Welcome back to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. I’m Kate, and today we’re going to do something a little different. And honestly, it’s kind of special.
Because earlier today, the three of us — Joette, Nathalie and I — found ourselves deep in conversation, and it felt really important, and we wanted to share these little nuggets with you.
So, today we’re talking about what it means to stay connected to our adult children and grandchildren as life shifts and roles change. Woven through that conversation, you’re going to find a beautiful realization that knowing homeopathy doesn’t just help us keep our families healthy, it helps keep us relevant in their lives. And it gives us a way to show up, to be useful, to be present, and that presence naturally brings us closer.
So, today we’re inviting you in to eavesdrop just a little … to pull up a chair and join us as we pick up on that conversation right where we left off.
Three mothers; one conclusion
Joette: (01:58)
Hi friends. We’re happy that you’re here with us today — eavesdropping, as Kate put it. We have three mothers here, and we’ve all come to the same conclusion. Right, Nathalie, wouldn’t you say that?
Nathalie:
Exactly.
Kate:
Yeah, it was such a fun conversation, and we thought that the listeners could benefit by some of the things that we’re saying.
And I had a pivotal moment when I was talking to my daughter.
And Joette, you were the one that says over and over again how homeopathy keeps you relevant. And recently my daughter had several illnesses back-to-back. And, Nathalie, your son, what happened with him?
Nathalie:
My son had a major hip surgery, and this was very recent. So, it definitely brought some things to light.
Joette:
You said though, Nathalie, it didn’t just bring things to light. It made you closer to him.
Nathalie:
It made me much closer to him, partly because we’ve spent so much time together these last few weeks, but also because I’ve been able to help him and be there for him in a way he didn’t realize I could.
It’s their realization that they need us
Joette: (03:02)
That’s it. It’s their realization. They have to come to that realization. And as I was saying earlier, the sicker they are, the more they need us, the more they’re willing to learn from us.
And I think it was so much fun because we started to talk about it’s not just about giving them the remedies and bringing them their bone stock and keeping them warm or whatever they need to keep them comfortable. It’s also an opportunity to kind of get in there a little bit more, especially when the children are adults or young adults.
Sometimes we think, “You know what? I think I missed that idea about how important it is to uphold our family name. Or maybe I didn’t stress enough how shame can be a good thing in life, so we want to do what’s right. Or maybe I missed the point …”
And so, you’re thinking: This is an opportunity.
You administer the medicine, you listen to them, and then maybe you give them a couple of words of wisdom that come from the mother. That might have come … remind them:
“You know what? This came from your grandfather.”
“You know what your grandmother used to always say?”
These are opportunities to be close to them when they’re most in need. I don’t mean to say we’re taking advantage of their suffering, but in a way it’s an opportunity for them and for us. No doubt.
Kate:
Well, knowing homeopathy is the catalyst that brings them to us. Right?
For my daughter, it’s the conversation to her mom, “Mom, what do you think? ” And she knows homeopathy, so she does pretty well. But when we’re sick, it’s so nice to have that person we can call and help us to brainstorm what to do.
And so, it’s that little fire that ignites — that draws them to us, I should say — and it gives us that opportunity.
So, I just encourage the listeners to use their knowledge of homeopathy — or even to learn it to help. So, that their kids come to them when they are adults or when they’re adults and they have children, they come to us. And that is the little spark that ignites that time together.
Joette:
You know, I think that, for humans in general, we have memorable moments that are happy moments that bring tears to our eyes and really touch us deeply. But I think that what really is indelible is our sufferings.
And so, when we’re suffering, if we can fill that in and help them move out of that, I think we’ve touched a nerve. I think we’ve touched a place that maybe is, I don’t know, more special, more sacred. I’m not sure what it is, but I think we’ve touched an area in them that will perhaps hold and carry on, as you said, not just for them, but for their children and maybe their grandchildren too.
A mom helping her son through hip surgery
Joette: (05:41)
So, I love what you were saying, Nathalie, because that’s kind of how we got started on this. Because your son has gone through this surgery, and you had some remedies that you helped him with before because he was worried, right?
Nathalie:
Yeah. He was very worried about the surgery. He had never been in a hospital before. He had to stay overnight. So, he kind of depended a lot on Gelsemium, and it made him feel better just to hold it in his hands sometimes … just knowing “My mom gave me this; this is okay.”
He’s a young adult. He’s not a child. But I think sometimes when we’re sick — and especially if it’s a major thing — we almost emotionally regress a little bit. So, he was very happy to have Gelsemium.
Joette:
Did it help him, Nathalie? Did the Gelsemium help him with the anxiety?
Nathalie:
It did.
Joette:
Oh, that’s great.
Nathalie:
It helped him a lot.
After the surgery, he was greatly affected by the anesthesia — coming out of the anesthesia and then the pain medication they were giving him. So, at that point, we gave him Ignatia because he was very, very emotional, and it was almost like a grief.
It was hard to explain, but when we are in what felt like a dire situation for him emotionally, it came kind of out as grief. And that helped him a lot.
Joette:
So now he’s gotten some relief. He’s got his mother by his side, and he’s learned two homeopathic medicines that have helped him.
Nathalie:
Yes. And he loves that. He’s asked me to order more so that he can have it with him when he needs it.
And one of the beautiful things is that my younger children, because they have helped me take care of him, they’ve grown very observant.
And so, my son’s 19. He has a little bit of a quirk where he definitely teases his younger sisters. He’s not big on hugs. He’s a little reserved in that area, but my younger children have learned to be very observant while they’re helping me.
And they’ll say, “Mom, I think Wyatt needs some more medicine. He’s being very nice.”
Because he’s very sweet when he’s sick or in pain. He changes to this just angel, and that’s very sweet.
So, they’ll say, “Mom, Wyatt’s being really nice. I think he needs some more medicine.”
Joette:
So, in other words, that means that he’s feeling a little weakened. A little bit …
Nathalie:
Vulnerable and weakened.
Joette:
Vulnerable.
Nathalie:
When he feels that way, that’s usually because the pain of something’s creeping up.
Joette:
Yes. That’s just precious.
So, it’s that trickle down. It’s going down to the next children without even waiting another generation. That’s already been observed by them. And so, they’re learning what the watchful eye of a mother means. Now it’s the watchful eye of the siblings. It’s so great.
A grandmom helping her children, their spouses and grandchildren
Kate: (08:28)
And Joette, tell us about how homeopathy helps you remain relevant for your now-grandchildren, with your children and their spouses.
Joette:
I’m not someone who uses texting very often, but when I know someone in the family is not well, then I will make sure that my phone is consistently plugged in at night, and I know where it is.
And so, I will get a text even about my son’s cat or his best friend’s mother. And I love being connected that way.
Not only do I know about who they’re spending time with and what they’re worried about and what’s going on in their lives, but even small things. “Mom, the cat has not been … the cat’s, I think, got a urinary tract infection. Did we use Cantharis last time?”
That’s the kind of stuff I want to know. I want to know what’s going on. Because again, of course, my kids are adults and out of the house. And now with grandchildren, I have my daughter-in-law who contacts me, which is a great thing.
And sometimes even her family. I’m in touch with them as well. So, it even connects me to my daughter-in-law’s family, which is also a great thing.
It’s a reach-out-to-others opportunity that you might not get under any other circumstances. I don’t want to just see them at the christening. I don’t want to just see them at the birthday parties. I want to be in contact with them, too, because they’re such an important part of my daughter-in-law’s life and my grandchildren’s lives.
So, this really extends further and further and further. And so, when we talk about community, this is the ultimate of what we’re talking about.
Kate:
Yeah, it’s a bridge builder — right — with not only our children, but with others around us. And yeah, my son’s girlfriend … I’ve become closer to her because of homeopathy. And she’s interested in homeopathy now, and it gives you another thing to talk about.
Joette:
Yeah, when you’re on the same page about something and especially if they’re interested in learning, and then you can say, “Well, maybe you want to, I don’t know, read this book or listen to the podcast or listen to this podcast.” Or just give them suggestions and then back off and let them do it at their own pace because that really has a lot to do with it.
And a big part of this is also we raise our kids, and we’re always … we want so badly that they learn this — that they learn good eating habits, and they know how to use homeopathy, and they don’t fall into line with what society is feeding them. And we wonder if we’re overdoing it.
Well, this is that opportunity. Because as you said, they’re vulnerable, they’re willing, they’re open.
Nathalie:
They’re captive.
Joette:
Yeah, they’re captive. It’s like the same thing when you drive them to school or something.
You got them for 45 minutes. I’ve got them. I’ve got them full-time now, and I’m going to pick them up on the way back again — another 45 minutes. I can just listen and then throw in a couple of little bits of wisdom if I can possibly slip it in.
When they’re sick, they have more time to get closer to you
Kate: (11:20)
Well, I was talking to my daughter about this and why we’re closer during the times that she’s sick. And she said, “Mom, it’s because I have the time to talk to you more.”
And she has the need to talk to me more to talk about the remedies, but also, she has the time because she’ll work less if she’s really sick.
And I hadn’t thought of it that way until she mentioned that, but yes, it slows their lives down and enables that time with you.
Nathalie, Wyatt is with you, and he’s a captive audience there because he had to have a surgery, like you said on his hip. He’s on crutches, and he’s really slowed down for a long period of time.
Nathalie:
Yes. He’s very slowed down. And I think I was telling you both earlier, we are closer and more friends than we ever have been in his life. I mean, being a young adult, of course I’m getting to know him better, but this was a very concentrated time that I got to really get to know him, and he got to know me.
And my children have always said nice things about me. That’s great. But because he’s sick and I helped him, he bragged about me! And I thought, “Oh!” Well, that made me so proud, I thought, bragging about me!
Joette:
Isn’t that a great feeling?
Nathalie:
Yes. Especially from some of our kids. I think maybe especially the boys. They’re a little more stoic; they’re a little more tough. They’re not talking about these things a lot. So, it felt good that he thought I did something important by helping him.
Joette:
Because you had. It was important. Yes. Yes.
And if they come — when they come out of the anesthetic after surgery, and there you are right there, you’re his guardian angel.
Nathalie:
That’s going to make me get teary-eyed. You say it like that, Joette.
Joette:
Well, he didn’t see your wings. They were tucked down, folded back.
Nathalie:
Yeah.
Homeopathy for the caregiver
Kate: (13:17)
So, I want to ask Nathalie: When Wyatt had that surgery — because it was a pretty major ordeal — did you take anything?
Because I was thinking about (as we were talking) how you get that phone call, and you’re hoping that the adult child is calling you with some good news. But there’s always in the back of my mind like, “Okay, is something wrong?”
Because nowadays, we text so much that if you actually get a phone call, you wonder, “Okay, is everything okay?” So, there’s that heart, maybe, rate increase for just a moment.
So, what did you do for yourself during that time?
Nathalie:
So, in the beginning, what I did is took Aconite. Because I felt like to me this was a great big thing.
Yes, it built up to the surgery, but it didn’t feel like I was prepared. I did feel shocked afterwards. So, I did that.
And then I did also take Ignatia for about a week, but you know what? Then, it was fine because I think the emotional side of us being close together and me being with him all the time actually calmed me down because I could see what was happening. I could respond to what was happening. I didn’t feel lost and not in-the-know.
So, after that first week, I didn’t need to take anything anymore. And I felt like, I don’t know, I was really happy with how we got through it.
Kate:
That reminds me of that text message I got from my daughter when I was out of town, and she said, “Mom, I’m not feeling well. I have really bad lung congestion and wheezing, and I’m having trouble breathing.”
Nathalie:
I remember that.
Kate:
Yeah, full stop. And then, she did not text me back.
I’m texting her frantically, and she didn’t text me back for many hours. I had to take something at that point because you start worrying about your son or daughter, and you’re wondering what is happening.
So, I took Ignatia, and I think maybe Aconite at the time because it was a fright to get that text message and knowing good remedies.
Closing Advice: Everybody wins
Joette: (15:15)
Well, what I love about all this, too — and kind of circling back around again — is the continuity.
It feeds them, then it feeds you, then it feeds them, then it feeds the younger kids, et cetera, et cetera.
I love that natural flow of being able to do this. And a lot of this could be done just by being there, even if you knew nothing about homeopathy, just being there by their side.
But there’s something about having something that actually works, and works to counteract ill effects of the anesthetic, or ill effects of the lung infection or whatever. We have an extra measure of ability that, unfortunately, a lot of mothers and grandmothers don’t have.
That’s our mission is to get it out there because this is very, very important information for people to get.
Kate:
Well, we hope that you’ve enjoyed listening in on this conversation and appreciate Nathalie, your willingness to share so openly.
Joette:
Thank you both for doing this because it did seem kind of private when we first started talking about this earlier. But we thought, you know, this is the kind of thing that women like to share. So, let’s do that.
So, I hope we’ve shared enough information with you today so that you can feel confident in passing this on even to others who could be benefited by this kind of thought.
And also, you want to pass it on to someone who you already have a relationship with. Perhaps it’s your daughter; perhaps it’s your son; maybe it’s your sister. So, get this information out, friends. We need to share this. It’s really important stuff for the family.
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 173.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction: From Frustration and Overwhelm to Empowerment and Healing
Kate: (01:00)
Welcome back to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. I’m Kate, and today we’re diving into a story that I believe many of you will resonate with. It’s the journey from frustration and overwhelm to empowerment and genuine healing through Practical Homeopathy®.
I’m joined by Nicole here today. She’s a homeschooling mom of seven, a registered nurse and one of Joette’s Mastermind students. Nicole has walked through The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® program, Mastery and now serves as one of Joette’s Ambassadors and is in the Mastermind program.
But more importantly, she’s someone who came to homeopathy the way so many of us do. Not skipping but crawling … searching for answers. Nicole’s story is raw, relatable, and incredibly encouraging: from debilitating migraines and autoimmune diagnoses to parasites, hormone issues and more. She has lived it, and she has uprooted so much of it using Practical Homeopathy®. You’ll hear more about that in just a minute.
So, on today’s podcast, she’s going to share how she went from her chronic illness and conventional limitations and years of searching to raising a family that relies solely on homeopathy. She now has a busy, thriving practice teaching homeopathy and helping her clients regain their health.
Nicole is here today to share what she’s learned, what she teaches, and why she believes there is hope for those who feel like they’ve tried everything. And this is going to be good.
Welcome, Nicole.
Nicole:
Thank you so much, Kate, for that beautiful introduction. Thank you for having me. I’m super-excited to be on with you today, and I cannot wait to dive into all of this.
Kate:
Yes, I am excited, too, because you mentioned just a minute ago, while we were talking before the recording, how you said that this has changed your life. Can you just elaborate on that just a bit?
Nicole:
Yeah. I mean, just a bit is so hard because it’s been so profound. This has just touched my life in so many different ways, not just from a business perspective and a shift, but it’s also affected my family greatly.
And then, as you mentioned in the beginning, just on a personal health struggle, I’ve conquered so many different ailments through Practical Homeopathy®. So, I’m ever grateful for all of the education that I’ve learned with Joette.
Kate:
And you went from learning about how to help yourself to now helping so many others through your teaching and seeing clients in your busy practice. And I think that’s exciting too, and how now you’re using what has been given to you, to now give to others.
Nicole:
Exactly. I started out as a conventional registered nurse. And for me, it was always my passion to help people. And when I quickly found in the health care system that we were essentially putting a Band-Aid on things, I knew there had to be a better way.
And once I found Practical Homeopathy®, I knew that that was going to be my contribution to help give back and to help people see true health can exist and give them back hope.
Going Back to School … Again
Kate: (04:17)
I think it’s funny because you said when you told your husband that you were going back to school yet again …
Nicole:
Yes.
Kate:
What was his reaction?
Nicole:
Oh, my goodness.
So, like I said, I started out as a conventional nurse, so that took some years to complete that schooling.
Went through conventional nursing; realized it wasn’t what I thought it was. So, I went back to school for my holistic bachelor’s degree.
My husband’s like, “Okay.”
Then I went back to school for nurse coaching — holistic nurse coaching. I dabbled in all these different modalities and all these things.
And then, when I learned Practical Homeopathy® was the missing link, and Joette started her Academy program. I turned around to my husband, and I was like, “Babe, I’m sorry, but I have to go back to school yet again.”
And he laughed, but he encouraged me to do so.
And then after I went through APH, Joette had, at that point, created the Mastery program. So, I was like, “Okay, Hon, I know I said, ‘yet again,’ like last year, but now I have to do this another year.”
So, I love education. I love learning, and I feel like this is kind of an area where we can learn forever. We can continue learning forever.
So, my husband, I think at this point, knows that I’m just going to keep on going. I’m just going to keep learning and adding.
Kate:
Right, because now you’re in Mastermind, and that could go on for years.
Nicole:
Exactly, exactly. You guys are kind of stuck with me at this point.
Kate:
No, we’re not stuck with you. We’re blessed to have you.
So, let’s just go through some of the things that you’ve personally addressed in your life with homeopathy, and then we’ll break it down — maybe several of those. And those who are listening to this podcast can hear how you helped with all of these conditions, and they can get some information and pass this on to others who might be needing it as well.
So, can you go through some of the things that you’ve addressed?
Nicole:
Yeah, absolutely. So, I have a long list, unfortunately.
Kate:
You’ve been pretty sick. Yeah.
Spent My Twenties Chasing Health
Nicole: (06:20)
Yeah. Yeah. I spent a lot of my life very sick. I do look at it as a blessing now, though, because it’s led me to be able to, like you said, be able to help other people and really come from it from an empathetic place of understanding and my own healing to kind of inspire other people with that. So, again, that’s what I like to do.
But my story kind of starts back in my 20s, when I kind of knew something was wrong. And I spent all of my 20s basically chasing my health, as so many people do. I was so sick that I looked at my husband one day, and I was like, “Wow, if this is what I feel like in my 20s, what am I going to actually feel like when I’m older?”
My husband used to look at me and say that “You are the oldest young person that I know.” Because I would get up and my knees would crack, or I would have aches and pains and all those things.
So, I spent all my 20s chasing my health. Being told by practitioners that I just needed to eat better; I needed to sleep better; I needed to exercise.
I, Kate, kid you not, that I even went to the ER once because I felt like something was stuck in my throat. And I was told by the doctor that I needed to chew my food better, that I probably just scratched my throat.
Well, it turns out, years later, that I was actually diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and that thing that was in my throat turned out to be a thyroid nodule. So, I know how to chew my food apparently.
Kate:
Wow.
Nicole:
Yeah. So that’s kind of where my journey began with my laundry list of diagnoses. After that, I had almost every diagnosis under the sun, every letter of the alphabet: my EDS and my MCIS and all those different diagnoses that we accumulate over the years. But I’ve been able to turn a lot of that around.
I found great help in the holistic world, but there was still a missing piece. And once I found Practical Homeopathy®, I was able to reverse a lot of that. So, I don’t know, did you want me to go into a little bit of each of those?
Kate:
Yes, I think that would be helpful. Do you want to start with the migraines?
Success Story: Migraines
Nicole: (08:40)
Yeah, absolutely. So, the migraines that I had were debilitating.
I first started suffering with those when I was probably about 14 years old. They definitely affected me greatly in my teenage years.
I remember I would be out with friends, and I would know that they were coming. I would sense that they were coming on, and I knew that if I didn’t go home quickly that the next thing would be vomiting.
And the only thing that really helped me at that point was going home and laying down and trying to sleep them off. So, that was earlier on.
As the years got older and I started working and became a mom, you can’t always go home and go to sleep. So, I ended up starting to use Excedrin. And so, Excedrin was basically the only thing that would take my migraines away, but I even got to the point where sometimes the Excedrin wasn’t working.
A lot of times, I would end up in the ER.
Sometimes, these migraines lasted days and even weeks. They were really debilitating. I would say that I got them very often, at least a couple times a week. So, they were very disruptive of my daily life.
As a nurse, I remember when you count your medication cart, you’re not supposed to stop. And I remember getting so bad that I would have to stop counting my med cart so that I could go into the bathroom and vomit because the migraines were so bad.
I remember driving home from my shifts and pulling over and vomiting.
So, it was brutal. It was really disrupting my life.
Kate:
Wow.
Nicole:
And to say that I have not had a migraine in years, that is one of the most profound things to me.
A couple of months ago, I looked back at my husband, and I said, “Do you realize that I have not had a migraine in years?” Not even had to take a pharmaceutical for it or even a homeopathic remedy for it. I don’t get them at all anymore, Kate. They’ve been completely uprooted.
So, something that affected my life so significantly … to not have it at all and not even have to use homeopathic remedies for it anymore, there’s no better medicine than this.
Kate:
Yes. Wow. And tell us what was one of the medicines that you used? I think, was it Bryonia that you …
Nicole:
Yeah. Yeah.
So, a funny story: When I first started with homeopathy, I was basically like most people, where I was like, “Okay, this stuff is great. I have a laundry list. Where do I start? I need 35 remedies for all the things.”
And obviously that’s not the way we do homeopathy. But in the beginning, I was like, “Where do I start?”
And so, I tried to tackle my headaches first. And headaches are one of the hardest things to … You’re like shaking your head, right?
Kate:
Yes. Yes.
Nicole:
I know because Joette did a podcast, I think, on this recently about how headaches are so hard to cover. And that was one of the things that I wanted to tackle first.
And believe it or not, at first, I didn’t know what the right remedy was. And it wasn’t working because I wasn’t choosing the right remedy. And I almost gave up on homeopathy because I was like, “Oh, this stuff isn’t working.”
And then I found the right remedy.
I found Bryonia, and that was what worked for me. I found that actually by taking the Gateway classes, some of the keynotes of Bryonia is worse from movement, better lying down, you know, that kind of thing. And it’s a really great headache remedy in general, and that fit my picture so well. And that’s something, like I said, I learned in the Gateway classes.
So, when I started taking Bryonia, I was just taking it as an SOS for acute headaches, and I started noticing over the years that I was getting them less and less often, to the point where I wasn’t getting them at all anymore. So, it was kind of unintentional, but that’s how it worked. So, that was Bryonia.
Kate:
Yeah. There are many homeopathic medicines that address headaches, and it depends on the type of headache that you have. But yes, Bryonia can be one of the ones. And I’m so glad that that worked for you because I just can’t imagine having to deal with that, those debilitating headaches like that.
Nicole:
Yeah. So, one of the other things that I wanted to mention about headaches is that when I took the pain (Make It Stop!) In the Protocol Course, I found multiple remedies, including a Banerji Protocol, that can help with headaches and migraines. So, that might be helpful for your listeners to check that course out.
Kate:
Right. That’s a great course.
Success Story: Parasites
Kate: (13:31)
Let’s talk now about parasites. I feel like parasites are a hot topic these days. So, tell us your story with dealing with parasites.
Nicole:
Yeah. So, my story with parasites happened just before they were a hot topic. I know that they’re a hot topic right now, but when I was actually going through The Academy, I was dealing with all kinds of health issues.
My health was moving along pretty well. I was pretty stable at that point with my thyroid conditions and all the things. And something hit me out of nowhere, and my health tanked. My thyroid numbers tanked, my nutrient levels tanked. I had yellow around my mouth. I had facial swelling; my lupus was flaring; I was having recurrent pink eye; skin things were popping up. I had elevated liver enzymes — enlarged liver.
I mean, all of this hit me out of nowhere. And I was doing a little bit of research on parasites at that time, and I was completely convinced that this was a parasitic infection that triggered all my autoimmune things.
And I actually went in to my holistic doctor thinking that she was going to run the labs and help me out that way, and she essentially blamed all my symptoms on autoimmune conditions.
So, then I went in to a conventional medical doctor with a textbook parasite story, and that doctor also blamed all of my symptoms on autoimmune conditions.
And my husband looked at me, and he said, “Nick, you know the parasite protocol with homeopathy.” He said, “So what have you got to lose? Why don’t you just give it a try?”
And all of us want validation, right? We want someone to agree with you and say, “This is it. This is what your problem is.” But I wasn’t getting that. And so, my husband was like, “Just do the protocol.”
Kate, when I did that protocol — within a week of being on the parasite protocol — I actually started detoxing parasites and within three days after the first parasite that I had detoxed, a skin condition that I had for years that nothing was touching ended up resolving and has not come back since.
And that was probably about three years ago at this point. Everything that I had going on then, all resolved after that.
Yes. And that blog actually includes Cina, too, and that is one of the remedies that I had used that was mentioned in that blog. And that’s where my health really turned around using that remedy.
Success Story: Thyroid issues
Kate: (16:24)
Nice.
So, you also mentioned just a bit ago your thyroid and problems that you’ve had with that.
Nicole:
Yes. Thyroid’s another hot topic, unfortunately. Unfortunately, hypothyroidism specifically is usually very either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. I mentioned earlier that I had been chasing my health earlier in my 20s, and when I finally hit 30, I was so incredibly sick at that point, Kate, I thought I was dying. I thought I had cancer.
I crawled into the doctor, basically like Joette says. I crawled in, and I was like, “You missed something. I’m dying. I have cancer.”
My body systems were completely shutting down. And this is after a decade of going to various doctors and being told again that I just need to eat better, sleep better, exercise, all those things.
And so, they finally had diagnosed me. Nobody had thought to check my thyroid in all of those 10 years. And that happened, I think, because I wasn’t overweight for the norm, but I was overweight for me. And so, nobody thought to look even though I had every other textbook symptom.
Once I was finally diagnosed, I was thrown on a synthetic drug. Did not do well with that synthetic drug.
Then I went to a holistic doctor. She put me on the natural thyroid hormone. I had great success with it. However, the one thing that really hit me once I learned Practical Homeopathy® was that by being on a natural desiccated thyroid hormone that I was on, we’re essentially tricking our body into thinking that we healed, right? Because we’re putting something into our body and we’re telling our thyroid, “Okay, you don’t have to do the work anymore. We got this.” Right?
And so, we’re really not getting to the root of the problem. My body is depending on me to get lab work done and put this medication in my body. And I went the holistic route because I wanted to heal. I wanted to get better. And when I found out that there was Practical Homeopathy® for hypothyroidism, it became my goal to heal my thyroid so that I no longer needed these medications, even though they were considered natural.
So, that’s what I did. It took me a long time; I’m not going to lie. It definitely took me a long time, but I am now at the point in my life where, after using various thyroid protocols … which again, they can be found in several of Joette’s courses. She covers hypothyroidism in Good Gut, Bad Gut and Feminopathy and all those things. She does a lot on hypothyroidism in her courses.
But I found that I was able to not only get off of being on medication. For at that point, I had 20 years of my thyroid not functioning. At that point, my thyroid was severely atrophied. And I was able to come off of my thyroid medications, which I was told by natural doctors and holistic doctors that I would be on for the rest of my life — that my thyroid was so damaged that I would never come off of those medications, and Practical Homeopathy® changed that for me.
The protocols changed that for me. So, I am at a point now where not only have I been off of those medications, but I don’t even need the protocols, for the most part.
Kate:
Wow. That’s really incredible because, like you said, when you have a condition for so long, it sometimes can be difficult to heal from that. And so, I think that’s pretty incredible.
Nicole:
It’s been life changing. And again, it’s one of those debilitating disorders that can cause you to not participate in life because there’s so many umbrella symptoms with hypothyroidism, including crushing fatigue.
So, just to be able to free yourself from that and not have to worry about even taking a daily medication and seeing a doctor and getting labs done and getting the prescriptions filled and all those things … to alleviate all that stress off of you and to be able to function like a normal person again, it’s profound. It’s amazing.
Kate:
That’s a really good point. It’s not just having the right homeopathic medicine, it’s that you don’t have to do all those extra things and pay all that money. Really good points.
Success Story: Plantar warts
Kate: (21:01)
Okay. Well, let’s go into something not quite as serious: plantar warts.
Nicole:
Yeah, definitely not as serious as some of the other things that I’ve experienced. However, they were not fun either.
So, I had this plantar wart at the bottom of my foot. It was embedded into my foot, so it was flat. But it was causing me so much pain that I found myself that I was kind of walking on the side of my foot a lot to avoid stepping on it all the time.
As a nurse, I was on my feet a lot. That pain was getting to a point where it was really difficult.
And again, at that time I was working with a holistic doctor, and even she said, she’s like, “Even holistic things don’t really work for this. Usually, people have to have them cut off or frozen off, lasered, all these things.”
And I was like, “I don’t want to do that. I want to do it the natural way.” Right?
So, I found in Joette’s blog … it’s for warts. That blog is …
Yes, that one. I refer so many people to that blog because it’s so beneficial. She has a couple variations on that blog. There’s a couple of different remedies on that blog that were suggested, and just within about a week of using Antimonium crud (suggested on that blog), my wart resolved and has not come back. And that was probably about six years ago.
Kate:
I love it.
Nicole:
So, even the holistic doctor said I couldn’t get rid of that thing, and homeopathy did it.
Success Story: Trigeminal neuralgia
Kate: (22:36)
Yeah.
Okay. There are a few more things that I would really like to fit in if we can, because we could probably go on for a long time — many hours — but maybe we’ll have to do another podcast.
But today we’re just focusing on some of the things that you have experienced and one of those — and this is again, a painful condition — trigeminal neuralgia. So, talk about that.
Nicole:
Yeah, Kate, this is one of the most excruciating pains I have ever dealt with in my life, and I’ve dealt with some things. I’ve had kidney stones and migraines and all of these things, but this one came about. I had a dental cavitation, which, incidentally, I had learned through Joette that that was a thing.
Once I realized that I had a cavitation issue, I went to my holistic biological dentist, and I said to him, “I don’t know how I don’t have a cavitation, so we need to look at that. ” And he did the proper testing and found that I had several dental cavitations.
While I did use Practical Homeopathy® to help support my body through that healing, I also chose to go ahead and do a surgical protocol where they go in, and they basically clean out the jawbone and the infections. It’s a pretty extensive surgery.
It’s very taxing on your body, and I actually had three of those done within less than a year. And I probably, in retrospect, should have waited and should have spaced that out. But that third one was like opening up a Pandora’s box of I-don’t-even-know-what in my body, and with that came the trigeminal neuralgia.
I also have burning mouth syndrome, all of these things happening, but the trigeminal neuralgia is known as the suicide disease. And they call it that because the pain is so excruciating that people literally don’t know what to do with themselves.
And I attest to that pain. Hey, it’s a nerve pain in your face, and it goes in different areas. So, this pain was shooting into my ear. It was shooting up my eye. It was going down into my chin. It was excruciating pain. And luckily, Joette had a blog on trigeminal neuralgia.
So, of course, I went to her blog for that, and I was able to within less than a day find alleviation from those symptoms. And it was really sad for me because I’ve seen — now that I recognize it, and I’ve experienced it myself — I’ve seen other people experiencing it. And this is a condition that goes on for people for years, and I cannot imagine living with that type of pain.
And it’s no wonder they call it suicide disease because if you had to live with that kind of pain for that long, that’s horrible. If only people knew that there was a homeopathic solution and they didn’t have to suffer with that pain, that would just be profound for people to be able to deal with that.
Kate:
Oh, yeah. How long had you suffered with the pain before you found the remedy?
Nicole:
I right away went on the Joette’s blog and was looking for answers. So, I dealt with it maybe for a day or two. It was immediate relief. It was only a few doses, and it was immediate relief, and it did not come back.
Kate:
I was going to say that’s incredible, but I say that, it seems like, every day with homeopathy. I say, “That is incredible!”
Nicole:
I’m telling you, Kate, I cannot tell you how many times a day that I say that with even my own healing testimonials. We hear from students, from colleagues, from clients. It’s just you can say it forever.
Homeopathy does so much healing that it never gets old.
My dad used to say it, “You never cease to amaze me.” Well, Practical Homeopathy® never ceases to amaze me.
She also has Podcast 139, where Joette talks about cavitation. So, that would be another resource.
Nicole, I know these are just a few of the conditions that you’ve dealt with over the years, and I would love to hear more of your story at some time, and maybe the people that you’ve helped because you really have built a thriving practice now. And I know you have these kinds of stories. You hear them every day, which is so exciting. But can you give us some of your final thoughts as we wrap up this podcast?
Closing advice
Nicole: (27:11)
Absolutely, Kate. And again, thank you so much for having me on and just allowing me to share all the suffering that I’ve dealt with. I would love to be back on at some future date and share the so-many success stories that we’ve had with our family and clients as well.
But just from a personal note, again, like you said in the beginning, something that Joette has always said is that we don’t come skipping in; we come crawling in. And that is certainly the way that I came into homeopathy.
And so, some of your listeners might be in the same place of suffering, or I find a lot of people start to feel hopeless. They start to think that there are no solutions for them. Maybe they’ve been let down like I was by conventional medicine or even holistic medicine. I just want to let everybody know that with Practical Homeopathy®, there is hope. There is healing.
We can uproot the chronic conditions, and the things that we’ve been told that we can’t heal from is possible. So, I think, as Joette says, this is the medicine that we all thought that we were getting.
And so, I think that our listeners should jump in and get started on their healing journey so they could take back their health and allow their body to do what it was meant to do, which is to heal.
Kate:
Well put, Nicole, if you’re listening to this podcast and you’re wondering about maybe finding a Practical Homeopath™ like Nicole, you can go to FindAPracticalHomeopath.com, and there you’ll find Nicole and many other Practical Homeopaths who can help you on your journey.
And so, I hope that Nicole’s story has brought you encouragement, clarity and maybe even a spark of hope that you didn’t expect. Her journey is really a testament to what can happen when you refuse to give up and finally find a system of medicine, Practical Homeopathy®, that aligns with how the body was designed to heal.
So, if you are ready to begin your journey, there’s a place for you. It’s here.
So, if you’re hearing this podcast, you might want to check that out as well, and we’ll put a link in this podcast so that you can join our Founders’ list and get more information on The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®.
But for now, share this podcast with someone you know who could use the encouragement and information that Nicole shared here today. And I want to thank you for spending this time with us. We’ll see you in the next episode.
Joette:
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 172, with Joette Calabrese.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction:
Broken Bones Are No Match for the Intelligent, Orderly Action of Well-Chosen Homeopathic Remedies
Kate: (01:00)
Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. Today we have another jaw-dropping, bone-shattering episode with Joette.
We’re going to hear from Joette about her decades of experience with broken bones — how she’s handled those situations and the details — broken all the way down for you, even case management.
Hi, Joette.
Joette:
Hi, Kate.
Kate:
Where do we start with this topic?
Be prepared in case of emergency
Joette: (01:23)
Yeah, no one wants a broken bone, right? And it’s always so shocking and scary when it happens, especially at that moment. You’re wondering if that bone will ever be the same.
It’s a very scary thing, and it can be for any age. But especially as people age, it’s even more important.
So, we need to know what to do and own the medicines and have them on hand. That’s important.
It’s one thing to know what to use and not have them on hand. In the end, it becomes very frustrating.
Kate:
I know we take our remedies — our homeopathic medicines for emergencies — with us when we’re on the go because that’s the definition of an emergency. You just don’t know when it’s going to happen.
Joette:
That’s right.
What is homeopathy and Practical Homeopathy®?
Joette: (02:03)
So, I want to take a step back first and start at the very beginning. Since you’re listening to this podcast, you might already know what homeopathy is, but for those who are new to homeopathy and listening for the first time, I want to explain what it is.
It’s often confused with the general term natural medicine or naturopathy, et cetera, referring to kind of a broad category: modalities such as herbs, essential oils, supplements, vitamins, et cetera.
Kate:
Yeah. We hear that all the time, don’t we?
“Oh yes, I know what homeopathy is.”
And come to find out they think it’s other things.
Joette:
They think it’s vitamins or nutrients or something.
Kate:
Yeah.
Joette:
But that’s not the case.
So, homeopathy — let’s give you a definition — is a system, a very specific system of medicine that is fundamentally different from allopathic medicine, which is the conventional method and also other natural healing modalities.
So, let’s start with allopathic medicine, which is conventional. It tends to focus heavily on suppressing symptoms — just getting rid of the pain at the cost of something else, perhaps.
But in contrast, homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanism because it’s always looking to correct the problem (that’s what fever’s about; that’s what pain and swelling is about) and correct that underlying imbalance that causes the symptoms in the first place.
So, symptoms are not worthy of being removed. They’re worthy of the underlying problem being corrected, so the symptoms are no longer needed.
And now Practical Homeopathy®, which is what I teach, is the method of using homeopathy in a more straightforward, protocol-driven — so formulaic — way for families (especially mothers and grandmothers because they take that so seriously) to confidently heal their families at home, even in conjunction with modern medicine.
Kate:
It’s pretty exciting because you’ve trained actually hundreds of homeopaths through your Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, and they’re helping people all over the world with this method.
Joette:
Yes.
But if you’re a mom and you want to treat your own family —or grandmother — this is your place.
So, let’s get back to broken bones, shall we? Right.
What do we do immediately after a bone break?
Joette: (04:17)
What do we use after the accident happens? Right after it’s happened. You discover there’s a broken bone, or you don’t even know if it’s broken yet. You just think, “Uh-oh.” You might feel disoriented. You don’t know where to go from here.
What do you do next?
So, let’s start with some homeopathic medicines that help with the severe pain and even the initial shock. And you want to have these on hand, friends. I can’t reiterate it enough.
There are three medicines: Aconitum (Aconitum napellus), Arnica (Arnica montana) and Hypericum (Hypericum perforatum).
So, I like to use these generally. I like to have them in a 200 potency. Or sometimes we own higher potencies, too. Arnica or Hypericum can easily be used in a 1M. So, you might want to have that on hand for when the trauma is pretty noteworthy.
So, what do we do with those three medicines?
Well, I like to call it “toggling.”
We toggle these medicines back and forth when the accident first happens for the first, say, hour or two, or even after that.
And we begin to space them out, as the use of the medicines become less and less needy.
So, at first, you might perhaps alternate them every five to 10 minutes. Aconite, Arnica, Hypericum. Then, the next one.
Now you’re not using them all simultaneously in the mouth all at once. You’re toggling them so that there’s time in between them — maybe five, 10 minutes or so.
And you use that over the first hour or two, and then you would take them less and less frequently as the symptoms determine.
Now we’re not treating symptoms, remember. We’re using the symptoms to determine how often these medicines should be used.
And what are the symptoms? The shockiness, the shakiness, the anxiety, the pain, the disorientation.
We’re using these medicines to see how these things move along … how these symptoms move along.
Kate:
Now, you’re not saying don’t go to the hospital if you know you have a broken bone.
Joette:
No. I’m not saying that. No, you’re on the way to the hospital.
In fact, if you’ve got someone in your family who knows how to use this (because perhaps you’ve trained your children how to do this), they’re driving, and maybe someone else is in the car administering the medicines to you (if it’s you who has the broken bone or potential broken bone).
What homeopathic medicines might we use over the next few days?
Kate: (06:35)
Okay. So that’s the first few hours. Now what about the rest of the day and the following day, once you’ve received the proper medical attention that is needed, what would you do next?
Joette:
Well, we might continue using Aconitum a few times every day, especially if it’s that shocky feeling. Again, Aconitum is for that sense of being overtaken by something big like this. And you can use that in the next few days.
But usually, we stop that medicine because that shocky, that shaky feeling, that core feeling like something big has happened starts to go away. And what replaces it — or is in conjunction with it — is the pain.
The pain of a broken bone can be really noteworthy. So, then we would continue perhaps with Arnica montana and Hypericum — toggling them.
And, as we use these medicines, I want you to take note. “Wow, every time I take that Hypericum, I do feel a little bit of relief. Arnica sort of helps, but Hypericum is really the one that …” Okay. Now we’re going to concentrate more on Hypericum and maybe back off of Arnica.
Or it might be the other way around. It might be that Hypericum is not acting as well as Arnica is. So, then we pull away from using Hypericum as frequently, and we drop any that we don’t need.
But always, my friends, we’re keeping in mind that you may not need it now, but in six hours, 12 hours, a day later, “Oh my gosh! I think I need that Arnica again.”
Or “I think that Hypericum really was helping.”
Reinstate it back in again. Don’t assume that what’s happening is that that medicine is no longer correct. No, we’re going to adjust accordingly.
Kate:
Talk about how we can maybe go down in potency as well. Maybe we’re using it in the 1M potency at first, but we could start to see as the pain gets less and less that maybe, now, we don’t need it in the 1M potency anymore, and we go down to 200.
Joette:
Yes. And that could be … maybe.
It’s too complex at this point in time if you’re not experienced with doing this. But yes, we adjust. We adjust accordingly.
If we start with Hypericum in a very high potency, like a 1M because the pain is extraordinary, and we’re finding that it’s acting, then we might go down a little bit. We might go to a 200, but I don’t know that it’s as necessary as you might think. We might just stay with Hypericum 1M and just use it less frequently.
You’ll get the hang of it after a while, and the more accidents that you treat broken bones, et cetera, the more likely.
Or maybe it’s not even a broken … maybe it’s a bruised bone. We don’t know that until you get into the hospital and get those X-rays.
Once we’ve got that extraordinary first few minutes, that first day under our belt, then we can start thinking about another medicine, and that medicine is Bryonia (Bryonia alba).
It’s for that pain that is worse from movement, especially if it’s significantly worse from movement. It’s kind of a dull and aching and bruised pain. Sometimes it might have something more stabbing (pain), but it is generally known for its bruised and aching pain.
And so, people who end up needing to use Bryonia usually want to be completely still — at least in that bone, that area of the body — and rest. Or they want to apply a little bit of pressure to it to help hold it in place and give it a little more comfort just to have that gentle pressure applied.
There’s your indication that Bryonia alba is the medicine you want to start using.
Kate:
Okay, great.
So, to recap, the first-line medicines that we might think of are Aconite, Arnica and Hypericum. And then we transition to Bryonia if the pain continues and we feel like something else is needed to help with that.
Joette:
Especially if there’s elements from movement. Yes.
After the bone has been set and it’s healing
Kate: (10:25)
Okay. So, what about after the bone has been set? We know what to do for the pain. It’s getting better. What is next?
Joette:
The next place to go is you can still employ some of these pain medicines should they be needed, but they may not at some point. Depends on the person and the location, et cetera.
Then we start thinking about a combination medicine of Symphytumofficinale — Symphytum 200 and taken with Calc phos 3. (Now, sometimes people don’t have Calc phos 3. They only have 6. I would call them both very valuable.)
Sometimes they’re mixed together: you can mix them together in the mouth and put them in simultaneously. Sometimes, they’re toggled also: Symphytum 200 and then a few minutes later, Calc phos 3 or 6.
These two medicines are specific for bone injuries and especially for knitting the bone. And the reason that I emphasize the word “knitting” is because before we start knitting, we have to make sure that the bone is in its proper place.
So, if there’s a chance that this bone could get out of place, and it has to be … and the doctor is assuming that it’s going to be many, many weeks before they’re going to even look at placement again. No, no. You want to make sure that you’re using this medicine ONLY if the bone is absolutely in its place, because no one expects this medicine to work as quickly as it does — except for homeopaths.
So, the doctor will not know this. It’s important that you do not use this medicine until the bone is absolutely in its proper place.
Addressing the emotional component of physical injury
Kate: (12:02)
Along with these physical injuries, there can be excessive worry. The ongoing stress of this accident happening, maybe even infection, the “what-if” questions: “What if this doesn’t heal correctly?”
What would you use for those kinds of thoughts?
Joette:
Well, the biggest one that I always think of is Ignatia (Ignatia amara) 200C.
See, fixing the bone is great, but sometimes the trauma of the accident happening or the body going through surgery (which could happen … could result in surgery) in a kind of unsteady mind.
That is completely normal and real, but don’t use Ignatia if it’s not necessary … if the person doesn’t have these feelings. But if they do and they’re plagued, by all means, Ignatia 200, twice daily, is a great medicine for this.
So, you’ve most likely seen this through a lot: emotional pain because of the trauma of an accident happening or a physical pain or trauma of a bone being broken. All that goes with this: the bruising, the blood loss, having the bone reset, et cetera. And not to mention if the person needs surgery, the body is then subjected to a bunch of drugs and anesthesia.
Now, all of this can be hard on the body and the mind. So, in a case where, after we’ve experienced all of this, this whole cacophony of your life after such a condition or a situation, things are then left constantly worrying. I would definitely choose Ignatia 200, say, twice daily.
If surgery is required
Kate: (13:33)
That’s great, Joette.
Now, what about surgery? Because sometimes we have to go in and have that surgery to correct that fracture.
Joette:
Surgery: We’re going to be looking at the use of Arnica montana, which you might’ve already been using. We might use Arnica montana just before the surgery, which helps protect against bleeding and infection, et cetera.
But what might even precede that is the angst of surgery. Now, not everyone feels angst over surgery. Many people feel nothing about it. Don’t give it a second thought. They’ve never had surgery. They don’t realize what a big deal it can be. It’s not always … what it can be.
And that’s when we use a medicine named Gelsemium. So, we don’t ever want to overlook this because Gelsemium is the medicine for courage, and it really does act. It’s amazing how often we might want to use that for the angst that precedes or starts boiling to the surface when we know that surgery is forthcoming.
So, before they wheel their loved ones into the operating room, Gelsemium is a quiet hero for those facing that ordeal: the dread, the trembling or that heavy anxious feeling — feeling like the knees go weak and the mind gets foggy with anticipation.
So, it’s especially useful for someone who feels overwhelmed by the thought of the anesthesia, the incisions, or all of those little details that keep piling up on their thought process.
And sometimes those people who get to this point and have such angst that they even can get chills or even diarrhea from that nerve-wracking thought of forthcoming surgery.
So, then I suggest Gelsemium 30 taken every, maybe, two or three times the day leading up to the surgery and maybe the morning of if needed.
And I find time and again — I’ve used it myself — it calms the nervous system. I’ve actually used it before I go into a dentist’s office. It doesn’t dull the mind like psychotropic drugs do, like synthetic drugs do in the allopathic world. But instead, just helps the body go into the procedure in a more relaxed state.
And it doesn’t force relaxation; it simply puts you back to yourself. And then, I think it helps lead to a smoother recovery afterward.
Kate:
Okay. So, before we talk about case management, what if the person has had things like screws or plates put in the body during surgery? Is there anything else that we might need to know about maybe an infection or possibility?
Joette:
Yeah, let’s talk about one more medicine, shall we? And that’s Staphysagria.
Staphysagria, usually in a 30 or a 200 potency, my friends, is especially important when surgery is involved. And it is specific for the incision at the site of the screws, the plates, the pins holding that bone together. Staphysagria is the go-to medicine for when there is a clean surgical wound.
And that’s not before. Generally, we’re going to use it afterward.
It’s remarkable for that sharp, stinging, cutting pain that lingers after the surgeon’s knife, and it helps the tissues heal smoothly around foreign objects like hardware, metal hardware.
So, we give it once or twice a day. This is after the surgery, shortly after, within a day or so, and then tapering as the incision calms and the pain eases.
So, we watch for that typical Staphysagria picture: The person may be oversensitive to pain or feel as though the wound is still fresh even many days after.
You might not realize that this should be used until many days after. Because when it’s used, it prevents excessive scar tissue, reduces the deep soreness around the screws and those incisions, and it keeps the body from building into an infection and allowing the body to accept the hardware without ongoing inflammation.
Case management
Kate: (17:35)
Great. Now we’re going to talk a little bit about case management.
Once you’ve gone through these things, and you’re on your way to healing, can you tell us how to know which medicines are working and how to know when to stop using the medicines or maybe start another one again?
Joette:
This is one of the most common questions, and it’s a good one.
Let’s talk a moment about proper case management. This is huge, friends, because this is where so many people miss the real power of Practical Homeopathy®.
Once you’ve chosen your medicine, whether it’s Arnica, Calc phos, Symphytum, Gelsemium or a combination, your job now is really to focus on the case like a hawk.
You want to look for shifts in pain — I mentioned that earlier. A reduction in swelling, changes in bruising, color, and probably most importantly, the improvements in the person’s overall energy, their appetite and sleep, because those are satellite aspects of being human are all the other conditions that seem irrelevant, but they are quite relevant.
Now, in the first few days, you may need to repeat the remedy more frequently — or the remedies — sometimes three to four times a day, but as soon as clear improvement sets in, and you’ll know this because your skills, your observational skills will have been honed by then, you back off perhaps to say twice a day, then even once as needed.
So, we don’t want to overtreat a condition that’s improving. If something stalls or a new symptom picture emerges, you might layer in a complementary remedy or switch to repeating the remedy more frequently, or even, as you become more nimble at doing this, switch the potency.
And this is a responsive approach. It requires thoughtfulness and is what turns a simple bone break into a more swift and better, stronger recovery instead of a long painful ordeal. This is where the art of Practical Homeopathy® is at its finest, my friends.
Closing advice
Kate: (19:46)
Joette, this has been a lot of great information. I’m sure everyone has been taking notes during this. But also, you can go to JoetteCalabrese.com or PracticalHomeopathy.com and look up the transcript from this podcast, and all of it will be right there for you.
Can you kind of wrap this up and give us some additional wisdom as we finish this podcast?
Joette:
Well, let me just say this, because if you happen to look at the X-ray of the broken bone, it looks really dramatic. But that X-ray is no match for what I consider the intelligent, orderly action of well-chosen homeopathic medicines.
So, from shock to pre- or post-surgery, nourishing the bones, or simply pain management, Practical Homeopathy® has been quietly and reliably doing this work for over 200 years.
But remember, it’s not just about grabbing a remedy and hoping for the best. That’s where proper case management makes all the difference in the world.
So, watch. Watch the case. Note the changes in pain, the swelling, the bruising, and especially the person’s energy, their sleep and their overall well-being or lack of it.
Sometimes we repeat the frequency in the early days and then space it out as improvement sets in.
Other times we may need to layer in a second medicine if something lingers on.
Kate:
This has been so great, Joette. I think everyone will benefit from hearing your words of wisdom on broken bones. Is there anything you want to leave us with today?
Joette:
Well, I’ve seen it time and time again in my practice, with my students, in their families, and even in my own family: The child who was back on the soccer field within weeks … earlier than expected. The grandmother whose hip fracture healed with far less pain and dependency. Even the, say, athlete who regained full strength without that lingering weakness so many suffer.
This is the real medicine, my friends. This is God’s medicine. It’s gentle, it’s deep acting and without the side effects that often come with conventional approaches.
So, keep your kits stocked, your powder dry, your notebooks handy, and your confidence intact. You don’t have to live in fear of every fall or every accident. You, my friends, now have tools that work with the body’s own wisdom instead of against it.
So, I say, if you want to go deeper into bone healing, trauma protocols or any methods I teach, head over to my website or join us in one of our ongoing courses.
And so, I guess I’d say until next time, stay close to Practical Homeopathy®, trust the process and remember you were made to heal.
So, we’ll see you next episode. Thanks, Kate.
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 171.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Introduction:
Finding Your True North
Kate: (00:58)
Welcome to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. I’m Kate, and today I’m joined by my friend, Kelsey.
Kelsey has come up with a theme for this podcast, and it’s called “Finding Your True North.” And I can’t wait for her to tell you why she’s chosen that title for today’s theme of the podcast, but I want to tell you a little bit about Kelsey.
So, as a mother whose greatest charge is caring for her family, Kelsey has seen Practical Homeopathy® work powerfully in her own life, from healing stubborn boils and gut issues to resolving a serious staph infection in hours, as well as insomnia with a single well-chosen remedy.
So, like Sherlock Holmes, she knows it’s not just what we know but what we can prove. And today, Kelsey will share how, after exploring far and wide, she’s arrived back where she started, only now with a deeper appreciation and understanding.
So, Kelsey, I can’t wait to hear your stories, and I want to welcome you to the podcast.
Kelsey:
Thank you so much, Kate. It’s so good to see you today.
Kate:
So, Kelsey, tell us a little bit about your background.
Kelsey:
Well, Kate, as you know, I was privileged to take the Gateway I and II with you and Michele many years ago, and I was hooked. I actually ended up taking Gateway I and II for a solid year. I just kept coming back again and again.
Kate:
We’ve known each other for quite a while.
Kelsey:
Truly. And it was the community that I enjoyed so much and the camaraderie and just kind of finding a place to ask my questions about homeopathy. It was such a wonderful opportunity. So, that was my first real entry into homeopathy.
Kate:
Right.
Kelsey:
In kind of the natural progression, I took Joette’s larger courses. And so those blew my mind because it was just unraveling the onion of learning.
I did all of her larger courses, and then after taking Joette’s larger courses — around that time — The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® was opening up. And so, I naturally dove right in and was a part of the pioneer class, graduating in 2022.
And I just loved that. It offered a solid foundation for students studying homeopathy in history and in the materia medica.
But I think what I loved most was the interviews. Joette actually interviewed the late Robin Murphy, and it was such a great opportunity to learn from one of the masters.
Kate:
Right. That was such a good interview. I loved that, and it’s too bad that he’s no longer with us. But we use his repertory and materia medica all the time, don’t we, Kelsey?
Kelsey:
We do. It’s a foundation of everything Joette teaches. I mean, it’s one of my favorite books to have around me.
Kate:
Then tell us what happened next.
After searching, coming back home to Practical Homeopathy®
Kelsey: (03:40)
Okay. So, after I graduated with Joette and APH, I decided that I would try classical school. So, I went for one year. And for a variety of reasons, it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
So, I decided to step back and reassess my priorities. And as I stepped back, I came to realize that really it was the strict teaching in classical homeopathy that wasn’t really sitting right with me — that there’s only one way to use it. I was having a bit of a tough time with that, especially considering all that I had learned in The Academy.
And so, really, I started to do more research and look back on what I had learned in The Academy.
If you look at the “Organon” and its various editions written by Hahnemann himself, as well as the great book by Dr. Thomas Lindsley Bradford called “The Life and Letters of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann,” it actually shows the progression of Hahnemann’s understanding of homeopathic methodology over time.
And if you look at it, the third edition is really different from the sixth edition. It’s obvious that there were changes and updates as Hahnemann unearthed and understood more about his craft.
And so that really stood out to me as a reality that there are more ways to use this modality than just one.
So, I think all of us would agree that scientists and practitioners need to be open to change and growth in their fields. The laws of the universe stay the same — like the Law of Similars, of course — because the Creator doesn’t change, and He put these laws in place. But our understanding of them and how they work is subject to change.
And so, I think no matter what field we’re in, human beings are constantly uncovering and learning more about God’s world. The Drs. Banerji and Practical Homeopathy® both humbly acknowledge this fact by blending a variety of methods together for a truly effective modality.
Kate:
So, what led you to this, what you’re calling “a coming home”?
Kelsey:
Yeah. Well, it’s interesting. In the midst of my searching, I was given a very sobering diagnosis, and it made me just stop everything completely and reassess what I knew about homeopathy.
The rubber met the road for me.
With this diagnosis, I had to ask myself, “What method of homeopathy would I employ during such a time?” And I turned to what I knew — and what I knew worked.
And that’s when I came home again to Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
Oh, I love the way you put that because we missed you when we didn’t see you, and we’re glad to have you back. And it’s very exciting what you’re doing, and I can’t wait to see what your future using this medicine and helping others leads to.
So, I want to ask you now to talk more about that coming home for you and what that felt like and what that means to you now.
Why Practical Homeopathy®?
Kelsey: (06:26)
The thing I love about Joette’s method and Practical Homeopathy® and what the Banerjis have put out is that these methods are accessible, and they’re reproducible.
So, even when I was in school, I would constantly refer people to Joette’s blog because she provides so much information, and she makes homeopathy so easy, anyone can use it.
And what I love is that this method is not out of touch. It’s really logical. And I think the best part — honestly for me because I love research — is that it’s backed up by over 200 years of clinical data and success enjoyed by the Drs. Banerji.
I truly believe that Practical Homeopathy® moves us forward. I’m reading a book right now about George Washington. And he was a farmer, and he was a master gardener. He came up with more effective ways to plant his crops, and in the book it talks about this invention that he made.
He developed a barrel with holes in it that could be rolled around in a field to drop seeds more efficiently. This was a fantastic invention at the time, but we would not use something like this today, right?
Kate:
Right. Yeah, that’s true.
Kelsey:
Right. Most large-scale farmers have developed greater technology to get the job done.
To me, this is not unlike what led to the development of Practical Homeopathy®. The method that Joette teaches has its roots in the genius findings of Hahnemann, while also making room for the discoveries and advancements that took place over time.
I mean, we would expect this kind of progression with any other form of science or technology, right?
Kate:
Right. Yes.
Kelsey:
So, like, the Banerjis and Practical Homeopathy® does not stay stuck in one place. They move us forward and allow us to expand our knowledge of just how this gorgeous modality works in daily life. I love that.
Kate:
You’ve really put a lot of thought into this, Kelsey, about the differences and the different methodologies and why you’ve come back to Practical Homeopathy®.
Kelsey:
Yeah. I mean, I think it helps to have both sides and to see sort of why people do what they do, and then to look at reality and see how science actually works and how things change over time. It really has helped me to have a foundation that is solid.
Success Story: A large, scary boil
Kate: (08:40)
Okay, Kelsey, let’s get to the meat of the podcast, which is your successes. I know you have a lot to share, but if you can boil it down to maybe three or four things that you think could be helpful to those who are listening today.
Kelsey:
Oh, that’s tough because there’s a lot of good things that have happened, but I’ll try.
Kate:
Okay.
Kelsey:
I will start with a neat story that was about me because that’s where I really learned how to use homeopathy was with myself first.
But essentially out of the blue, I got this boil, and it was super large and scary and developed really quickly. And so, at the time I didn’t have a lot of experience with homeopathy. And, of course, I did what most people would do, and I just went and got an antibiotic.
Well, we didn’t know that I was allergic to this antibiotic. And so, after one dose, I had a really bad reaction. It was anaphylactic. It was scary, and it really just made me think like, “I can never take this again.”
And so that, for me, was when the rubber met the road. I went searching, I found Joette’s blog. The blog name is “Nailing MRSA with Homeopathy,” and I just thought, “Well, let me go ahead and try these remedies. I’ll see if they work.”
And within just a few days, the boil that was angry, red, infected was completely better, and it just blew my mind.
Unfortunately, in that same story, I endured the most horrendous gut dysbiosis following this antibiotic, which can happen sometimes. I was at my wits’ end, Kate. I didn’t know what I was going to do.
I was very limited on what I could eat. It was like overnight my world changed. And if you do any research about gut dysbiosis, you know that this can happen for folk.
And so, I went crawling to Joette — as she says people often do — to homeopathy. And I had seen functional medical doctors; I had seen allopathic physicians. And truly Joette and Practical Homeopathy® was what got me up the mountaintop and down again.
From there, I was absolutely hooked. So, I became a client of Joette, and she recommended a protocol specific to gut dysbiosis.
Those are in the Good Gut, Bad Gut course for those of you that have it or are looking to learn more. And it actually changed my life. It made me so much better.
In about six months, I was back to my normal self.
Success Story: Staph infection
Kelsey: (10:57)
Okay. The next story I have is about a family member who got a staph infection on her lip.
Now, this family member was getting a makeover done and was using borrowed lipstick. And unfortunately, she had already had a little bit of a canker sore on her lip, and within just a few hours of getting the makeover, her lip got really big. I mean, it happened quickly.
And so, she reached out to me. Went to bed that night (didn’t seem like that big of a deal), but by morning her lip had doubled in size. She could barely close her mouth, and it was severely infected.
She had a staph infection.
And so, we worked together, and she basically gave herself eight hours before she was going to take an antibiotic. She ordered the antibiotics in the morning; she took the remedies recommended in the morning as well. And by that evening, her lip was completely down. And by the next day, the infection was gone. She was amazed.
We found a protocol for such an instance on Joette’s blog called “Holy Cow! Blood Poisoning.” And so, if you want to look there for that information, it’s all there.
But it was truly one of those moments where we thought, “Is this going to work?” And it did, and both of us became even bigger believers.
Kate:
Oh, good. So, she didn’t ever end up taking the antibiotic for her.
Kelsey:
She didn’t. They were ready to go — available for her if she needed them — but she did not need them.
Kate:
That’s awesome.
Okay, and I think you have one more story that you’re going to share with us.
Success Story: Insomnia
Kelsey: (12:21)
Yes. This one is just a sweet one.
I spend a lot of time with my mom. And she just turned 70, and she has been experiencing insomnia, and it’s really gotten her down. And so, we looked on Joette’s blog. And on it you’ll find one called “Ditch the Drugs and Use Homeopathy for Insomnia.”
And so, my mom employed Ignatia 200C, and it has completely resolved her insomnia. She sleeps like a baby every night, and it’s glorious.
Kate:
Oh, I love that remedy. I think so many people could use that.
Kelsey:
Oh, it’s true.
Kate:
What a great thing. It’s tough when you can’t sleep for sure.
Kelsey:
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Joette brings homeopathy into the home
Kate: (12:57)
So, Kelsey, you have something funny that we had talked about earlier regarding lipstick and Joette.
Kelsey:
How ironic that we would talk about lipstick after that staph story, Kate.
Kate:
Right? Exactly.
So, tell me how you’re comparing Joette to Chanel and lipstick and homeopathy, and how you’re incorporating that all together.
Kelsey:
Okay. So, what I love about learning from Joette is that she literally puts red lipstick and Chanel on homeopathy. And what I mean by that is she has a way of making it stick. It’s beautiful. It’s elegant with her stories and her charisma.
And I also was thinking about it further. Another analogy I like to say is that I believe Joette is to homeopathy what Julia Child was to French cooking.
Okay. So, most of you know that Julia brought the beauties of French cuisine into the homes of the average American housewife. She made something that was very unreachable into an accessible pleasure for the ordinary home cook. And in the same vein, I believe Joette has brought an otherwise ethereal and quite out-of-reach modality into the home, in order to aid the family in caring for itself.
I mean, I believe French cooking should regularly grace our tables because it’s so good. And along those same lines, I think that homeopathy deserves its rightful place in the home first.
Both Julia and Joette have made that a possibility.
Closing advice
Kate: (14:23)
So, as we wrap up the podcast, do you have any final thoughts or wisdom that you want to share with the listeners?
Kelsey:
I do, Kate. I have two quotes I’d love to share with you if you’d let me.
Joette:
Sure.
Kelsey
The first one is from the great classic “The Hounds of Baskerville.” And in this book, Sherlock Holmes says, “It is not what we know but what we can prove.”
And as you know, the materia medica is made up of provings — both accidental and intentional. And so, with Holmes, we can confidently say that homeopathic medicine is not just about what we know in theory, but about what we can actually prove. And I just love that.
And the final quote I’d like to share is from T.S. Elliot, and it goes like this: “We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time.”
And why this quote rings true for me especially is because I went searching, when really, I had everything right in front of me.
I had these beautiful methods of Practical Homeopathy® and a stellar guide in Joette. And it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t explore or extend our learning, but when we do, we might just find out — like I did — that we come home with a deeper appreciation and understanding of what we had all along.
And so, with Holmes, I can confidently say that I don’t just know this to be true now. I can prove it.
Kate:
Oh, I love that.
Kelsey, it’s been a pleasure having you here, and I know the listeners have enjoyed the podcast, just like I have enjoyed talking to you. So, thank you so much for your time.
Kelsey:
Thank you so much, Kate. It’s been a pleasure.
Joette:
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 170.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction: A Skeptical Nurse Becomes a Confident Homeopath
Kate: (00:59)
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast. I’m Kate, and I’m so glad that you’re here with us today.
I can’t wait to introduce you to our special guest. If you’ve ever felt stuck between conventional medicine and natural options or if you’ve wondered whether homeopathy could really work for serious everyday family health challenges, today’s episode is going to speak straight to your heart.
Joining us today is Erin. She’s a registered nurse with decades of experience. She’s also a mom, a breast cancer survivor, and now a successful homeopath.
Erin went from being deeply skeptical of the little white sugar pills to using Practical Homeopathy® confidently for everything from insomnia and vertigo to abscesses, injuries and chronic conditions in her family.
So, Erin, I want to welcome you to the podcast. It’s so great to have you here, finally. We’ve been waiting for the listeners to hear your story.
Erin:
Thank you, Kate. I am so happy to be here.
Why look for alternatives to conventional medicine?
Kate: (02:03)
Oh, I’m happy you’re here.
So, let’s start at the beginning. You are a registered nurse — have been for many years — and you followed the conventional medicine paradigm with your family. What finally made you start looking for alternatives?
Erin:
It actually started with our oldest child, when he entered kindergarten. After about two weeks, the school called us and told us that he needed to be medicated because he couldn’t sit still, and he was too disruptive.
My husband and I weren’t willing to jump to medication as a first step. That led us down the common path many people take. We tried herbalism, essential oils, naturopathy, functional medicine, but everything felt so complicated and time-consuming or just managing symptoms without really giving any lasting improvement.
We stayed in those approaches for a while simply because we didn’t know there was anything better.
Kate:
Right. And then you faced a health crisis. Tell us about what that was and what happened afterward that led you to homeopathy, if you wouldn’t mind sharing.
Erin:
Oh, sure. So again, I was completely in the Western medicine paradigm with my routine checkups. And I went to just a regularly scheduled appointment, and they found something that led to more tests. Eventually I ended up with a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Again, I followed every recommendation they had. I did the surgery and the treatments — the whole protocol. But when it was over, I was left with all the side effects that I wasn’t expecting: the months of insomnia with the crushing exhaustion and the brain fog and the anxiety. And then the constant vertigo started day and night, and I just really had no quality of life at that point.
My mom kept telling me about this lady on the internet named Joette, who had something that could help. She kept offering me these little white sugar pills. And at first, I completely brushed it off.
I thought my mom was falling for some internet charlatan, and I was genuinely concerned for her because now that became an extra worry that I didn’t feel that I had, I guess, the brain power to deal with.
Kate:
That’s funny. So, I think a lot of listeners can relate to that skepticism.
So, what finally made you try these little white pills?
Erin:
Honestly, it was desperation. The insomnia was unbearable, and my thought was, “If I can just sleep, maybe I can function again.”
So, I agreed to try the remedy that my mom had learned from Joette’s blog. It was Coffea cruda. And within three days, I was sleeping again. I could not believe it.
My mom never once said, “I told you so.” She was very gracious in that regard.
But a few days later, I mentioned how terrible my vertigo was. And, of course, my mom said Joette had a protocol for that, too.
Even though I was still on the prescription medicine that was causing the vertigo, I decided to try it. It took about 10 days before I began noticing a real difference. And over many months, the vertigo finally improved significantly — I would say, 90 to 95%. And I was amazed all over again.
Kate:
Yeah. Vertigo can be debilitating. So, I can imagine you were very relieved.
What came next for you was you wanting to go deeper and really study this. Tell me about that.
“Why didn’t I learn about this in nursing school?”
Erin: (05:27)
Sure. I just kept thinking, “Why didn’t I learn about this in nursing school?” I knew that I needed to learn more. And that’s when I heard that Joette was opening her Academy of Practical Homeopathy®.
My mom encouraged me to apply. Even though I felt brand new to homeopathy, I decided to go ahead and try it. And I was part of the Pioneer class of 2022.
Then I went on to complete the Mastery program, and now I’m in my third year of the Mastermind program.
It truly changed my life. I’m now living my dream of helping others, and I owe it all to Joette and my persistent mom and Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
What a long way you’ve come, Erin. I mean, think about it. You didn’t even know what homeopathy was, and now this is a big part of your life, and you actually see clients. So, it’s very exciting.
Erin:
Yes.
Tip #1: Don’t wait to start. Practical Homeopathy® meets you wherever you are.
Kate: (06:21)
So, Erin, you’ve put together some top tips for listeners of this podcast who may be just starting out or a little hesitant. So, I’d love it if you could go through them.
And your first tip is: Don’t wait to start. Can you explain what you mean by that?
Erin:
Absolutely. Yes. Don’t wait to start learning or using homeopathy. I think so many people feel like they need to learn everything first or they need to clean up their diet or change all their habits before they can begin using homeopathy. But Practical Homeopathy® meets you exactly where you are on your wellness journey.
You don’t have to be perfect or fully prepared. Just begin.
Joette has wonderful resources on her website. You can just go to JoetteCalabrese.com and click on the “New to Homeopathy” link.
You can also click on the link for her blogs or podcasts and just start listening and reading. I send these links out to people all the time because they are just so informative.
I also think it’s really important to find a community of like-minded people — your tribe, right? That’s what we call it. And now we talk about finding our tribe.
A really great way to do that is to take the Gateway class that Joette has written.
Kate:
It’s called Gateway to Practical Homeopathy®, and it’s a study guide that you can use to guide you through a study of homeopathy.
Erin:
Yes. I teach that class, and so do many others. It’s a great way to meet other people who are wanting to learn homeopathy also.
Kate:
And if you’re looking for a community of people to do that with, once you purchase the Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study guide, there is a list of study group leaders on the website that you’ll see.
And also, Joette has a Facebook page called Joette’s Study Group, Find Your Study Group Friends. So, that’s where people who are leading study groups post, “I’m leading a study group starting next Thursday.” And they give all the information, so you could find a group of people there to go through your study guide with.
That’s great advice, Erin. I love that.
Okay. Let’s move on to your second tip, Erin, which is about being patient with the homeopathic medicines. Talk to us about that.
Tip #2: A tincture of time
Erin: (08:42)
I think this is probably the hardest part for most of us (it certainly was for me): the waiting for the homeopathic medicines to work. Because homeopathy is not like taking Tylenol or Benadryl or something that forces our body to do something immediately.
It’s more like giving the body a set of instructions that it reads and follows at its own pace to bring itself back into balance.
So, for chronic issues especially, patience is key.
Sometimes you experience a quick resolution with the homeopathics. But it can also take time, as I said, especially when you’re healing chronic conditions you’ve had for many years.
Healing also isn’t always linear. Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back. There are good days and not-so-good days, but overall, from start to finish, we see that we’re headed towards healing.
Kate:
Kind of like when you had the vertigo, I imagine, Erin, is what you’re talking about: when it didn’t happen overnight that your vertigo was completely gone, but you mentioned it was days that it gradually kept getting better.
Erin:
Yes, exactly.
Kate:
Great advice, Erin, to be patient with the medicines and consistent. I think that’s the other thing. Yeah.
Erin:
Right.
Kate:
You have to take them.
Tip # 3: Fear not
Kate: (10:01)
And your third tip gets to the heart of why so many of us are drawn to homeopathy. Tell us about that.
Erin:
Yes. Take control and conquer your fear.
Practical Homeopathy® has removed so much of the fear surrounding illness in our family and replaced it with real hope. Since I took the first dose of Coffea cruda, we’ve faced all sorts of challenges.
My dad has suffered with tremors for many years. I was in the first year of The Academy studies, and Joette spent a great deal of time teaching us about our homeopathic medicines, and she does it alphabetically.
So, fortunately for me, Cuprum metallicum was a C. It’s at the beginning of the alphabet, and I learned about it pretty shortly in. I wanted to help my dad with the Cuprum for his tremors, and it did! Over the course of several weeks, we saw an improvement in his tremors for about 50%, but then it stopped. It plateaued right there.
So, I was concerned, and I wanted to talk to Joette about what do we do now.
But while I was having my consultation with Joette, my dad and my mom got together and decided, “Well, if a 6C worked, we’ll try it in a 200C.” And they switched that to a 200C.
And he had had a head injury several years ago that had taken away all of his sense of smell and taste, and a few weeks on the 200C, suddenly he was able to smell and taste again. Not everything, but about 50%.
So, it was truly amazing that head injury was old. It wasn’t what I thought we were working on. I was just simply looking at the tremors, and we were able to help both with the same medicine.
Kate:
That’s so funny that they just went ahead and made that change. What a great thing. And we know that Cuprum is one of the top remedies — Cuprum metallicum, that is — is one of the top remedies for head injuries. So that’s great.
Success Stories
Erin: (12:01)
Yes. Then I’ve used the first year of The Academy — A, the beginning of the alphabet. Arnica, at that point, was the only remedy I had learned in The Academy.
And I burnt my thumb on the hot burner of a stove, and it immediately turned white and kind of crispy. And I didn’t know about other remedies other than Arnica. So, I just started taking Arnica. I took like three doses, and the pain went away, and it never even blistered. So, I was truly amazed by that as well.
Kate:
Arnica never ceases to amaze me.
Erin:
I know.
Kate:
It’s useful for so many things. Yeah.
Erin:
Yeah. I have people ask me, “Well, can I use Arnica for that? ” And I’m thinking, “Probably.”
Kate:
What else do you have, Erin?
Erin:
So we’ve used, again, homeopathy for so many different things within our own family with internal abscesses and pleurisy, pneumonia, UTIs, migraines, chronic back pain, sciatica, poison ivy, allergies, eczema, road rash, essential tremors, the irregular heartbeat, frozen shoulder, low thyroid, high blood pressure, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety. I mean, the list goes on.
The Practical Homeopathy® has risen to every single one of those challenges for us.
Kate:
Well, that’s amazing. And what an inspiring list, and I’m sure you have so much more that you could talk about.
Closing advice: Give Practical Homeopathy® a chance
Kate: (13:30)
Before we wrap up today, is there anything else that you would like to share with our listeners?
Erin:
Just that if you’re feeling overwhelmed or skeptical like I once was, give it a chance. Start small, be patient and watch what happens. The results can truly be life-changing.
Kate:
Oh, Erin, thank you so much. That was beautiful. I appreciate you sharing your personal story that took you from a skeptical nurse and cancer survivor to a confident homeopath, and you’re truly helping families every day. I love hearing what you’re doing. Your journey is an encouragement to me and all of us.
So, friends, if you’re listening to this podcast and Erin’s story resonated with you, I want to encourage you to share this with someone else that you know might be suffering as well, and want to share homeopathy with.
Consider, as Erin said, going to Joette’s website and just starting … reading her blogs and listening to the podcasts. And consider possibly, even like Erin, joining The Academy at some point the next time a class opens up.
As you said, Erin — so well — Practical Homeopathy® helps us to be fearless, and it truly puts us back in the driver’s seat of our health and the health of our families.
So, I want to thank you for listening today. Thank you, Erin, for being here. And until next time, stay curious, be empowered and use Practical Homeopathy® to take charge of your health with confidence.
Joette:
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 169, with Joette Calabrese.
Joette:
Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have retaken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.
So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.
This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.
Introduction:
Get Rid of Headaches With Practical Homeopathy®
Kate: (01:00)
Welcome back to the podcast. If this is your first time here, you’re in for a treat today. Or maybe a better way to say it is, you’re about to get out of a real pickle.
We’re diving into headaches with Joette — from the extremely painful ones that knock you flat to that dull ache after a long day in the sun. But even more importantly, we’ll hear exactly what Joette did to finally relieve her headaches for good.
Now, I know most of us listening have dealt with a headache at some point, even if it was just a mild one. But Joette, earlier, you were sharing how we can approach different types of headaches in a smarter way. So, can you start by explaining what you mean by different kinds of headaches?
Different types of headaches
Joette: (01:41)
Oh, absolutely, Kate. Headaches come in all shapes and sizes: dull, throbbing, sharp, stabbing, tight-band-like pressure around the head, pain behind the eyes, or sometimes a heavy squeezing sensation. And then there are migraines, which are in a league of their own.
So, let me clarify the difference between a regular headache — even a really painful sinus one — and a true migraine.
Now, migraine is far more than just a bad headache. It often brings debilitating, throbbing pain, sometimes on one side, sometimes both sides, that can leave you in bed for days. Lights, sounds, movement, or certain triggers can worsen it, along with nausea, vision changes, even fatigue or irritability.
So, whether it’s a headache or a migraine, the key is to investigate before reaching for the homeopathic medicine. We want to try to find the cause, if possible. If we can’t pinpoint it exactly, at least narrow it down to the specific symptoms, because sometimes the cause can give us very good information.
Kate:
So, you are saying that headaches don’t usually just appear out of nowhere.
Joette:
Well, sometimes it feels like that. But if you look a little closer, there’s often a trigger — not always — but often there can be. It can be a long day in the sun, sudden weather, pressure changes, too much screen time, dehydration, or even stress, or, let me also add, food intolerances that you hadn’t considered in the past.
So, if the cause isn’t obvious, then, okay … then, focus on the symptoms instead.
Where exactly is the pain? What does it feel like? Is it only at night or in the temples or dull pressure behind the eyes?
We often slap the broad label headache on everything and stop there because most people are accustomed to just simply taking a drug for just pain regardless of where it is and how it presents. But these details that I’m listing really matter in homeopathy.
Kate:
So, I’m wondering if the cause and symptoms are the real clues to how we look at this. I think that’s really smart.
Joette, why does the type of headache even matter? Isn’t it all just the same thing in the end?
Joette:
Not really. Once you understand the difference between migraines, certain common headaches, their causes, their unique symptoms, everything changes.
Two personal examples: barometric pressure and dehydration headaches
Joette: (04:12)
So, let me share two personal stories that show the cause made all the difference in the pain I experienced.
The first one was years of barometric pressure headaches back in Buffalo, New York, that I suffered over a long period of time — as I said, for years. Every time the barometric pressure changed — the weather shifted — I’d get these intense sinus headaches.
The pain would start above my eyes and spread, feeling like — I don’t know — a vice grip, squeezing my sinuses in my whole face. It was miserable and predictable with the forecast, but only once I recognized that. I never realized that.
And living on the Great Lakes, there was always a barometric pressure change. One was rolling in, or one was rolling out. But once they started up, once the headache started, it was practically unstoppable until the pressure changed in the weather.
I’d be foggy, irritable, in lots of pain just trying to function.
The second time, some 40 years later, was after I moved to Florida. The intense sun and heat led to dehydration headaches that became my new normal.
Now, why would I be in the sun? Well, because I made a point of walking on the beach every day. And I also made a point of sitting in the sun every day, in addition to that walking, for, I don’t know, 15 minutes, an hour. But you can’t sit much longer at certain times of the year.
And I would sit in the sun without sunscreen, I might add, my friends. I’d end up with that dull, however, exhausting ache, a heavy draining, and often hitting in the late afternoon or evening after having been outside in that draining sun. It felt like my whole head was worn out, and it kept coming back no matter what I did.
Kate:
Oh, that sounds miserable, Joette. I actually can’t imagine dealing with nagging headaches like that all the time. I don’t get headaches, which I’m thankful for.
So, tell me, how did you make it through those periods, and what changed? You don’t still suffer from headaches today, right?
Joette:
No, I don’t. So, the first headache was before I knew enough about homeopathy. I thought the answer was over-the-counter pain relievers or even prescriptions.
And now, I never got a prescription. I’d only lived on … I believe the medicine that I used on a regular basis was a cover-up. It was a band-aid. And it was “222s,” is what they were called. And I used to go to Canada to buy them because you couldn’t buy them over the counter in New York State. And they had codeine in them.
So, I would take a codeine drug every time the barometric pressure came in. Now this, again, this was a good 40-some years — something like that. And it would dull the pain, and I would relieve the pain, actually, for hours or even a day if I was lucky. But the headaches always came roaring back once the next barometric pressure change came back in again.
So, it was a haphazard cycle, not a real solution.
But once I started to learn a little bit about homeopathy, I realized that there are specific medicines that matched the headaches perfectly, something that I hadn’t noticed up until that time. The first one — and I’ve talked about this so many times, perhaps this is old news to some of you — is the medicine Kali bichromicum. Sometimes people call it Kali bic, and that’s for those extreme sinus headaches triggered by barometric pressure changes.
So, the second medicine that I used specifically for those dull, exhausting headaches caused by dehydration was China — C-H-I-N-A — which is also sometimes called Cinchona. (Both of those names are used for the same medicine.)
So, China … and I used it specifically for when I got those headaches right as they happened. And it was often because I was dehydrated. I had not been drinking enough water and had not been adding anything to my water, such as salt.
Kate:
So, that was when you were out in heat and just ….
Joette:
Perspiring.
Kate:
Yeah. Right.
Joette:
And it didn’t take me long to figure this out once I realized, and Perry and I kind of watch each other about this because if we find that we’re exhausted throughout the day, we’re thinking: “Oh yeah, of course. We’re not rehydrating. We’re not drinking enough water with electrolytes or with salt in it after having walked on the beach in that hot weather or after having sat out in the sun for 15-20 minutes in the afternoon.”
So, these beautiful medicines were the real game changers for me. They didn’t just mask the pain. They spurred my body to address the underlying issue, and then just relieved it once and for all.
Now, as far as the Kali bichromicum is concerned and those extreme headaches triggered by barometric pressure changes, I simply have not had them again in many, many decades.
But the China medicine and that medicine specific for dehydration and headaches that address that need for salt and water … I still have to remind myself every once in a while because I still insist on walking in the hot sun and sitting in the sun later in the afternoon. So, those can be brought on time and time again if I’m not careful.
Kate:
Yeah. I love how homeopathy helps to truly address those conditions and heal our bodies, and it doesn’t just cover up symptoms.
Different homeopathic medicines for different headaches
Kate: (09:31)
But I want to ask you, what if someone’s headache cause or symptoms aren’t exactly like the ones you mentioned today? Because, as you mentioned earlier, there are a lot of different causes of headaches. So what if someone’s headache isn’t like the ones that you just mentioned, and they’re different?
Joette:
Well, there are different homeopathic medicines for different headaches. It all depends on matching the unique cause and symptoms and sometimes the name of the condition, too — exactly the name: that it is a migraine.
So, I would say that if someone is already familiar with homeopathy, they can explore the repertory, the material medica.
And so, these are all available for your use at, of course, no cost.
And so, I also cover headaches in greater depth should this information not be of use to you because as I said, there are a myriad of different types of headaches. So, there’s also [Make It Stop!] Escape from the Prison of Chronic (and Acute) Pain, which is an in-depth course, which covers headaches as well as many other kinds of pain that people suffer.
So, if you want to learn how to use more of these medicines and how they’re specific to certain kinds of headaches and certain symptoms related to these headaches, this might be where you need to go next.
The beautiful truth of our bodies and homeopathy
Kate: (11:05)
Homeopathy is so empowering, and it shifts our mindset from feeling helpless to feeling hopeful. As we hear from so many of your students, Joette, that their fear just melts away.
Joette:
Yes. And here’s the beautiful truth: Our body is designed to heal. It’s always looking for homeostasis. So, headaches — even the stubborn, recurring ones that have plagued one for years — does not mean that it’s a lifelong sentence.
When we learn to listen closely to the symptoms — pay attention to them and match them with the right homeopathic medicine — it gives the body that gentle nudge that it needs to do what it was made to do, and that is to shift outside of that suffering.
So, I guess the upshot is if someone is suffering, I urge them to take heart. Relief doesn’t have to be complicated nor even expensive. It can be simple, natural and restorative. So, start paying attention to the patterns. Trust the process and remember freedom from pain is possible … one well-chosen homeopathic medicine at a time.
So, you’ve got this. Your body is stronger and wiser than you may realize right now.
So, I guess I’ll end by saying, thanks for joining us today. Don’t forget to send this podcast to someone you know who suffers from headaches, at least to get them started.
And until next time, stay curious, friends, stay observant and stay Mighty.
It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.
But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.
So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.
Kate:
You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.
To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.
