Homeopathy for Infections

The alternative medicines we have been looking for!

Here it is, finally: Homeopathy for Infection. Since writing my most popular article— Homeopathy for Pain— the topic of homeopathy for infections has been the most requested, by far.

And since every year millions die from drug-resistant infections, wouldn’t it be amazing if we had an alternative option? Well, we do, and it is our top homeopathic remedies for infection.

As you may have figured out already, I only write articles that aim to offer either super practical how-tos for utilizing homeopathy, or other information that you likely won’t find anywhere else. There are zillions of articles on homeopathy out there, and I am only interested in adding something new and useful, from direct experience— not just rehashing what everyone else says, or posting what you could find just as easily yourself with a Materia Medica and Repertory.

Therefore, this topic, Homeopathy for Infections, has to be super practical and with tips you probably won’t find elsewhere.

First off, most of the following homeopathic remedies have been used extensively in clinical practice. As you will see, these medicines show up time and again in the Banerji Protocols, which means they were effective in insanely busy clinics in India time and again. As effective as acting curatively in 80%+ of the cases. (Remember that the medicines in Line 1 of the Banerji Protocols became Line 1 because they solved 80-85% of the cases with that condition.)

So, let’s first review the top homeopathic medicines for infection and then discuss how to use them when called for.

Hypericum Perforatum + Arsenicum Album

Hypericum Perforatum + Arsenicum Album, known as ‘HyperArs’ for short, comes to us from the Drs Banerji. When combined these medicines are more than their individual parts, and are a go-to for all kinds of generalized cuts, abrasions, lacerations, injuries, infections/pus, traumatic wounds, and many types of pain as well (including bone, skin, lupus).

HyperArs is found in the Banerji Protocols for— avascular ulcers, Bartholin’s cyst, breast abscess, erysipelas (bacterial infection of the skin), leg ulcer secondary to venous insufficiency, osteomyelitis (bone infection) as well as cavitations, dry socket, and dental pain, perianal abscess and fistula, lupus (for pain and ulceration), human and animal bites, and more. This combo is a first-line homeopathic medicine used by Practical Homeopaths for all types of infection.

Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum

‘Hepar Sulph’ is an equally important homeopathic medicine for infection, and Joette Calabrese often refers to it as our ‘homeopathic antibiotic’. It’s our go-to remedy for all types of abscesses, bacterial infections, boils, pustules, corns, styes, ingrown nails (whitlows), ingrown toenails, and ingrown hairs, fungal infections, gum inflammation, gingivitis, gumboils, and much more.

Hepar can be found in the Banerji Protocols for — Bartholin’s cysts, bed sores, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, brain abscess, burns with suppuration, breast abscess, dacrocystitis (blocked and infected lachrymal duct), cellulitis, diphtheria, ear infections, impetigo, leprosy, skin lichens, all types of lymph, throat, tonsil, and adenoid issues, mumps, perianal abscess and fistula, liver abscess, eczema and dermatitis (peri-oral, seborrheic etc), skin scale, red skin syndrome, diaper rash, syphilis, colitis, lung abscess, and other lung conditions such as pneumonia, sinus infections, bacterial vaginosis, balanitis (inflammation of the head of the penis), psoriasis, herpes, and is also known as a premier homeopathic option for halting Strep bacteria and for MRSA. (It may also be helpful for dental pain, but is not known for being as helpful for bone infections— in that case we would go for HyperArs.)

[Not all of the above can be found in the Banerji Protocol books. Some of the protocols came to me from Joette’s courses within the Academy of Practical Homeopathy.]

Hepar is our top remedy for lipomas as well. Though expect it to take a long time. One of my cats has been on Hepar Sulph 200 for most of two years (for various reasons) and, as a bonus, a dime-sized lipoma he had on his side is almost totally gone. It has been a very slow and gradual disappearance.

In addition to the above two homeopathic powerhouses for infection, we have:

Pyrogenium: This is one of those remedies you must own in your homeopathic first-aid kit, because when you need it you often need it NOW. Pyrogenium is premier for blood poisoning (also known as sepsis or septicemia). It is used in the Banerji Protocol for infections with fever— such as if you had a UTI with a fever. It’s in the protocol for Toxic Shock Syndrome and liver abscess. And although it’s not in tons of the Banerji Protocols, we Practical Homeopaths think of it for any infection that develops a red streak going out from it (and think of Hepar too). Pyrogenium has been shown to be very helpful with jaw and tooth pain, and for infections or abscesses that need some extra help. It can be used in addition to the other infection remedies.

Dr. James Compton Burnett wrote a tiny book about Pyrogenium that is called Fevers and Blood Poisoning. The summary of the book is that no other homeopathic remedy is such a perfect and consistent match for infection with fever or septic states, and he used it over all others for Typhus and Typhoid with great success.

[We would call Typhoid Fever Salmonella poisoning. And Typhus is a group of bacterial infections spread by mites, fleas, lice or chiggers.]

I recall reading a case of a man who was literally dying from blood infection and within a day of starting Pyrogenium his situation turned around. Every time I hear about a person who is in the ICU, and the doctors have tried every antibiotic and nothing is working, I think, ‘Pyrogenium!’.

We tend to think of Pyrogenium as only for extreme acute situations, but that is not necessarily the case. I have taken it twice a day for months for dental infection.

Psorinum: Homeopathic Psorinum shows up in the Banerji protocols for ear infection, colitis, osteomyelitis (bone infection), scabies, dermatitis (seborrheic and atopic, aka eczema) and in cases with open ulcers with offensive discharge.

I often include it in cases where there is dental infection or cavitation (much more on this topic in the future, as far more of us are dealing with this than we know!), and for chronic ulcers or skin conditions that the other remedies aren’t quite enough for, as well as chronic sinus issues and allergies.

Psorinum can be very supportive, and has become one of my favorite homeopathic remedies for chronic situations. But don’t count it out for acutes either. Psorinum is very important for ear infections, for example, and I have used it for a terrible cold/flu I had once that would not improve until I added Psorinum (and which was the perfect fit when I repertorized my symptoms.)

[Reminder- You do not have to have the ‘miasm’ or fit the mentals of any of these remedies for them to act when called for as a medicine for a condition.]

Gunpowder: This is a remedy that is very under-represented in the Materia Medica. If you look at the entry in Murphy’s Materia Medica, it is quite short— and it doesn’t even show up in many other homeopathic references. If you’d like to read more about Gunpowder, there is a tiny book by Dr. John Clarke on Kindle for only $1.50.

[In contrast, other remedies are overrepresented, such as Sulphur, which might seem to be a cure-all based on the long entry in the Materia Medica. This is because it was one of the original remedies that homeopaths were working with, and it has been extensively used and documented. However; although Sulphur is a great medicine, there are many conditions that other remedies would actually be better suited for.]

A brief summary of the info I have shows Gunpowder to be a useful homeopathic medicine for blood poisoning (sepsis again), as a prophylactic against harmful germs (when shepherds regularly ate ‘black cheese’, which was cheese coated in gunpowder, they didn’t get ‘shepherd’s feet’ which could lead to amputation or even death), for boils, carbuncles, abscesses, cuts, osteomyelitis (bone infection) and ulcerations.

Soldiers back in the day would put black gunpowder directly in wounds (in crude form) to prevent infection. And ‘saltpeter’ (black gunpowder is carbon, sulphur, and kali nitricum— which is potassium nitrate, aka saltpeter) was used to treat mange in cats and gonorrhea in soldiers.

I’ve linked before to the article about the wildlife rescue that employs Gunpowder and Calendula with great success in many cases of infection in their animal care. And I know directly of bedsores and diabetic sores that have been cleared up using Gunpowder. In practice Gunpowder is very useful in many types of infection, right alongside our other top medicines.

Gunpowder is the remedy my husband takes for canker sores, and which resolves them completely in a couple of days— and far more effectively than anything else we’ve tried for him over the years.

I find Gunpowder to be a gentle remedy (versus others which are harder hitting) and it may be employed twice a day long term (where appropriate). I have yet to see any provings or aggravations from it. (Though it is always possible if we are still taking a remedy that is no longer needed.)

SPACH Topical: And don’t forget the SPACH topical skin combination. I would (and do) use this topically for any type of wound or infection, in addition to whatever remedies I might employ internally as well.

[Note: It is no problem to use the Hypericum 3X that is in the SPACH topically in addition to the Hypericum+Arsenicum (HyperArs) taken internally in higher potencies.]

To Consider— Silica/Silicea: As most of us know, homeopathic silica is an incredible remedy for helping to expel things from the body that do not belong. Such as splinters, glass, and other embedded objects. It is also useful for bringing infections to a head, so that they will expel their contents and suppurate.

And Silicea is the remedy most responsible for my conversion to homeopathy!

My beloved cat was 18 years old and was starting to really go downhill health-wise. In desperation, searching online, I kept coming across homeopathic remedies. I had seen the Boiron blue tubes before, but had no understanding of what they were. (I think I imagined vaguely they were some sort of supplement.) I ended up getting a book on homeopathy for cats and dogs and started to read, and started to understand this alternative medicine.

One of the first remedies I gave my cat was Silica. I probably gave him Silica 30 once a day for three days only. (I was terrified of overdoing it in the beginning. Pre-Banerjis, pre-Joette, most sources seemed set on scaring the bejeezus out of me about using homeopathy too often!)

Some time before this I had noted a hard round lump, like a ball, inside my cat’s hind leg. I felt it by chance when picking him up, as it was internal, located between the tendon and bone above the knee joint. Within a week of giving him Silicea I noticed him walking funny, an odd-sort of gimp that I’d never seen before. When I looked closely, the inside of his hind leg had what looked like a sore. It was oozing and hot and red and clearly painful.

After much more reading and deliberating (oh, how I used to stress about using homeopathy!), I gave him some Hepar Sulph 30.

By morning the hard round ball had literally come out of his leg, and had popped and deflated. Within a day it was dissipating entirely, and in no time the hole closed right up and healed as if it never there. It was like watching a perfect surgery in action, with nothing but some ‘sugar pills’.

It was quite magical and really opened my eyes to the power of homeopathy.

Bonus— Carbo Vegetabilis: Carbo Veg might not be my first choice, but do keep it in mind for septic conditions and infections. It is homeopathic charcoal(!), which is a premier deodorant and disinfectant, with anti-septic properties that is useful for decay, putrefaction and states of collapse. It also has many detoxification properties.

A friend had a kitty who got bit on the rump by some unknown animal. He was in a terrible state and she had been using all of the above listed remedies frequently. But the poor little guy was in a state of collapse and could barely lift his head. When we added Carbo Veg 200 (frequently) things turned around and within a couple days he was up, had started eating again and was on the mend.

[Reminder: When you read about a remedy in the Materia Medica, you may think your situation has to fit everything in there. Cold and blue are big keynotes for Carbo Veg, for example, but you don’t have to have those in order to use Carbo Veg. If that is part of the picture, then great, but if not and there are OTHER keynotes that match, you can still utilize the remedy!]

How to use these medicines— Frequency and Potency:

Number 1; own the Banerji Protocol books (see here and here). This is your reference for what remedies, potencies and frequencies are used specifically for the conditions you are dealing with, and as a template for other similar conditions.

You can also use the protocols just to see the potency and frequency they used for specific medicines. You will want these on your shelf to see how they used these medicines in practice!

Second; bookmark the INDEX I made of all the Banerji Protocols so you can easily search and then look them up in your books.

Here are some general guidelines—

Hypericum + Arsenicum

200C, 1M

Generally we use HyperArs in a 200. Typically the Banerjis call for two to four times a day for most conditions.

However, if you are in an acute emergency situation, you can use them SOS, meaning as often as needed. For most infections every 2-3 hours is a good frequency, but it’s possible you may need more often to start.

A common mistake with infections is to try to be to overly conservative or to cut back too soon. When you need them, you need them! You can always test this, but if on day two you go to twice a day and things worsen, then just go right back to the frequency that was working before.

You can buy Hypericum and Arsenicum separately and combine them. There are only a few places you can buy these prepared in combination, and for most of you it will be much easier just to get them individually. I always make a wet dose bottle with the remedies combined in it.

If the 200 is helping, but you have to give it very often, then you might look to the 1M. If you had to use the 200 every 30 minutes, for example, you might be able use the 1M every few hours instead, and it might give that extra boost that is needed. HyperArs 1M really packs a (great) punch for intense infections. And in general 1Ms can be very helpful with acutes.

For more on using HyperArs for chronic conditions, please reference the Banerji Protocols for the potency and frequency ‘recipes’ in the books.

[Note: Typically when we say every 3 hours, for example, that means waking hours. But there are those times when the situation is dire and we have to keep them going through the night.]

Hepar Sulph

6C, 30C, 200C, 1M

For Hepar Sulph I’m including all of the potencies that the Banerjis (and Joette Calabrese) use. The 6C is typically twice a day for chronic lymph conditions. The 30C is generally twice a day (or more often) for skin infections. The 200 might be used every other day or twice a day in a variety of protocols, including infections. And the 1M I reserve for infections that clearly need extra help.

I have had clients using Hepar 200 every few hours when needed. And I have used the 1M every few hours for serious infections.

Since I don’t know what you are dealing with, please use this as a general guideline, and check the Banerji Protocols to help guide you further, if needed.

For general SOS situations I would use Hepar 30, 200 or 1M as needed.

Pyrogenium

200C, 1M

Generally we use the Pyrogenium 200 every few hours to twice a day for septic and infected conditions. I have used it twice a day for many months for people recovering from tooth extraction who had pain and were still healing from infection.

I own the 1M as well, and would use it for more extreme cases, such as blood poisoning with fever when the person was in a critical state.

With any of these, if you don’t have a 1M on hand, then you use what you have in a lower potency much more often.

Gunpowder

200C, 1M

Gunpowder might be used in the 200 or 1M. When my husband has a canker sore coming on, he takes the Gunpowder 200C twice a day. It is also used twice a day for dental pain and mild infections. But when more is needed, you might use it every few hours, or switch to the 1M.

BONUS— Sepsis Combo

Hepa-s/Gunpowder/Pyrogen, SKU: c-seps

200C, 1M

Helios offers a ‘Sepsis’ combination that includes Hepar Sulph, Gunpowder and Pyrogenium. You can get it in any potency you want, and most own 200C at minimum, plus 1M for more serious situations.

Yes, you can make your own, but this is great value (three remedies for the price of one) and has become the first stop that I, and many of my friends and fellow-homeopaths, use when dealing with infections.

[Here’s the link. If for some reason the link changes, the easiest way to locate it at Helios.co.uk is to search ‘Sepsis’, ‘Gunpowder’ or ‘Pyrogen’ (which is the same as Pyrogenium), otherwise it may not come up in your search results. For more on ordering from Helios, check here.]

As a side note, I have someone who is using the Hepar+Gunpowder+Pyrogenium 200 combo from Helios twice a day with great success for cystic acne on their back that has been around for most of their life. We were using the Hepar Sulph 200, which is part of the Banerji Protocol for acne, and it was helpful— but the combo is even more effective in this case.

Psorinum

200C, 1M

Most often the Banerjis use Psorinum in a 1M every 14 days. But there are times it would be used up to every other day, such as for ulcers that aren’t healing. I have utilized it once a week for very long periods, in cases of bone infection, for chronic sinus infections, and for other chronic skin conditions that need extra support to heal fully.

Joette Calabrese often recommends the Psorinum 200 once a week for chronic infections. But I almost always use the 1M.

Also, it is interesting to note that Psorinum 1M may be helpful in cases where the person has never been well since having an infectious disease.

SPACH Combo

Here’s the full article on making and using this topical combination.

This may be applied topically as often as needed, or you might even use a soaked bandage over the wound to keep it moist and in constant contact.

Silicea

30C

Typically Silica is used in a 30C two to four times day to help speed along the suppuration of wounds. Let’s say the infection is raised and hot and red and you feel like it’s not progressing. That might be a time to add Silicea.

I have seen this with infected tonsils too— after starting Silica, the next day the tonsils suppurated and then the healing really accelerated.

Carbo Veg

200C, 1M

If I was going to add Carbo Veg, then I would would employ the 200C as the others above (2-4 times day, or more often in acute conditions), or the 1M in more intense situations.

What this could look like in action for acute infections:

I’ve given you the overview of the top homeopathic remedies for infection, both chronic and acute. So what to do when you are facing a person or animal with an infected and suppurating skin issue, something hot and intense and worsening.

First off, check the protocols if you have a specific condition or diagnosis. (Such as Breast Abscess is on pg. 54 in the Banerji Protocol book.)

If dealing with a general and acute infection, let’s say a bump on the arm that is intense and worsening, or an animal bite, a common place to start could be—

HyperArs 200C every 2-3 hours

alternating with

Hepar/Gunp/Pyro 200C every 2-3 hours

and SPACH topically as often as desired

Then you watch closely.

If the remedies are helping some but you feel you need something more, you might try a higher potency, or add on. For instance when we added Carbo Veg for the kitty, we didn’t abandon the rest. If you are in pain, you can add remedies for pain, etc.

And sometimes, if something more is needed, we might look to a more specific homeopathic medicine, such as those for different types of bites. Remember that like cures like, so you don’t necessarily have to have the exact venom, just something that produces a similar symptom picture.

Here are some that might be worth owning, and that have helped people— in addition to the ones above. Get out your Materia Medica and read about them!

Snakes— Crotalus Horridus 30C or 200C, Lachesis Mutus 200C

Spiders— Tarentula Hispanica or Cubensis 30C or 200C, Loxosceles Recluse (Brown Recluse) 200C, Latrodectus Mactans (Black Widow) 200C.

If the body part looks like it was stung by a bee— hot, red, super swollen, better with cold— then don’t forget Apis 200 or 1M. (Like cures like, based on the symptom picture, no bee had to be involved!)

And I’m not discounting others such as Aconitum and Belladonna, which may prove useful for infections as well. If the Banerji Protocol for the condition calls for Belladonna, definitely use that. And Aconitum is a wonderful remedy. In addition to helping many conditions, it is excellent for people who are super restless and freaking out— whether it’s you as the caregiver or your patient!

However, the medicines I focused on today would be my starting point for just about any infection.

When in doubt get some fresh eyes on it, get a diagnosis, or go the ER. (And keep taking your remedies all the way there!)

On a final note, if you have been dealing with chronic infections (for years and years), I will be sharing more info on dealing with situations like that in coming articles. In those cases it’s not just about getting rid of the infection, but dealing with the CAUSE. More to come…

Until next time, thank you for reading and subscribing!