Asthma and homeopathic treatment

This beautiful part has been taken from  Homeopathy Cures Asthma by WADIA S. R. and is worth reading.  Some of the important homeopathic remedies for asthma are also listed
One who has seen many asthmatic patients during the attacks will find the symptoms very similar unless he discriminates and observes the finer points. For instance, when he visits, he will find the patient having a great difficulty in breathing and panting for breath. He is not able to lie down and is sitting up in bed, at times leaning forward, very restless, wants something warm to drink and due to fear of suffocation he thinks he is breathing his last. 

The remedy that comes to mind first is Arsenic alb. But this remedy will only palliate and will not hold the case very long. It is very essential to observe the patient carefully and try to find some peculiar symptoms for instance if the patient is lying flat in bed in spite of severe difficulty in breathing Psorinum could be thought of. If he feels better in knee chest position Medorrhinum can be thought of. When the attack is worse with the onset of monsoon, Natrum Sulph helps. But if the patient is better in monsoon Causticum is the remedy. After vaccination as mentioned before Thuja and Silicia can be thought of. Very often, we hear the parents telling us that the child is worse at new moon or full moon and you may observe this yourself that he or she gets the attack on this day when Silicia, Phos, Alumina or Sulphur can be thought of. 

When there is a family history of Bronchitis or Pneumonia or Pleurisy, Bacillinum 200 or I M, one dose every 10/15 days is found very helpful but this remedy gives very severe reaction so it should be given very carefully. Dr. Clarke and De. Bernoville are of the same opinion that Psora is nothing but hereditary tuberculonism which follows successive generations. When I get a history of ringworm, I give Bacillinum as per advice by Dr. Burnett and not Sulphur and very often the results are excellent. When there is a history of patients getting worse in summer or at high altitude, Leuticum helps the patients very often.
 This term "Psora" leads us to the phenomenon of periodicity, morbid phenomenon appearing not only every month, or every season but also every year, every five years etc., this periodicity may extend up to the successive generations. Bronchial Asthma is a clear manifestation of Psora which may alternate or coexist with cutaneous eruptions which is generally aggravated the cutaneous affections are better and inversely.
 As regards the remedies useful in Asthma, I quote the opinions of some expert Homoeopaths.
 Dr. Jahr says "I always commence the treatment of Asthma with Ipec."
 Dr. Roger Schmidt "I would say that 8 to 9 times out of ten Ipecac has been the one remedy that has given me good result in Asthma of children."
 Dr. Hughes "If no exciting causes of acute Asthma can be traced Ipec should be administered when Bronchial symptoms co-exist."
 Dr. Laurie "For Bronchial Asthma during the paroxysms, IPEC is one of the most frequently used remedies."
 Dr. Nichol "Ipec is one of the first remedies of which we think in an attack of Asthma and it is worthy of the place it holds."
 Dr. Frank Bodman states "I will begin the treatment with Ipecac which I use most frequently in my practice."
 Dr. Hering states that his Ipecac subjects were fat children with pale skin and other ailments were worse from anger, vexation and indignation. - "The trigger factors which start the Asthma."
 Dr. Nash in his Leaders states that Ipecac is the best remedy in the first stage of Asthma before much mucus is present.
 He points out hat typical nausea is present even after the patient has vomited and the tongue is clean.
 Dr. Clarke in his Dictionary states at length about the clinical details in Ipecac cases. He also agrees about the patient's irritability and moroseness.
 Kent in his lectures uses Ipecac as a palliative to deal with acute episodes in incurable old cases of Asthma, attacks often start by catching cold.
 Dr. Russel states that Nux vom should not be forgotten for Asthma brought on by indigestion and indiscretion in food and drinks, particularly in patients of sedentary habits.
 According to my humble experience, I have found Thuja one of the most important remedies to be taken into consideration, as most of my patients who came to me for the first time have taken a lot of vaccinations and inoculations. Not only that, but they have dreams of falling form great heights missing of a step and falling down, dreams of dead people, dreams of anxiety and misfortune. The children are also worse after primary or secondary vaccination. This is a great remedy for hydrogenoid constitution i.e.  patients feel worse during the monsoon. This is very helpful also to patients who drink a lot of tea.
 Dr. Borland states that "if I have no other lead, I should probably start my cases on Thuja."
 The next remedy that I have found very useful and which follows Thuja is Sulphur. Here there is always a history of skin eruptions treated by various external applications.
 And even when we see the patient some eruptions are there, which might keep on appearing and disappearing. The remedy should be used very carefully and not in a very high potency.
 Dr. Fortier Bernoville says "Sulphur may be given to oxygenoids, to hydrogenoids and to carbo-nitrogenoids. In oxygenoid patients we must not prescribe it in very high dilutions because they may cause rapid emaciation. Let us not forget that the Asthmatic patient is to us, always a tuberculinic patient, but if this tuberculinic patient is emaciated, if his power of defence is bad, if he has easy and frequent febrile attacks, Sulphur may augment that tendency because the centrifugal action of this remedy is always extremely violent. Therefore, in oxygenoid patients, it is necessary to prescribe a dilution not beyond 30. In these cases it is preferably to check the centrifugal action of Sulphur by giving its compound Sulphur Iodatum. In hydrogenoid patients, Sulphur yields its place to its complementary Natrum Sulphuricum, the action of which is much more interesting and deeper in Asthma. Sulphur may at last be given in Carbo-nitrogenoids having chronic eruptions with an extremely slackened combustion. Whatever it may be and whatever may be the Biochemic constitution, Sulphur must be given if there is chronic or suppressed eruption if the periodicity is marked which may be irregular and last of all if the habitual hereditary antecedents of Psora are seen in the parents of the patients. We must not forget the keynote symptoms of this remedy: general aggravation by heat, by the heat of the bed, the periodic appearance of eruptions, which may be polymorphous and are aggravated by washing. We will find the characteristic redness of the mucosa specially of the lips that are intensely red."
 Natrum sulph is related to Thuja and is very vastly used in Europe and India. It is used for Asthma which is as a result of humidity specially in cold humid season, and for people staying in humid houses. The patient is worse by the side of a lake, river or sea, or in places where there is heavy rainfall. It suits children very well. The chest is very sensitive and the patient is obliged to hold the chest when coughing.
 Causticum: This remedy works exactly in the opposite direction from Thuja and Natrum sulph. The patient is very much better in monsoon and worse when the climate is clear and dry. There may be hoarseness of the voice and a peculiar symptom is that the cough is better by cold drinks.
 There are certain Functional and Drainage remedies given by Dr. Fortier Bernoville, M.D.  Among them, Drosera is of great interest.
 According to Dr. Margret Tyler, Drosera is one of the anti-tubercular remedies. It is well known as a Laryngeal remedy, and as the greatest remedy in whooping cough. After reading this drug picture I have used Drosera in many cases where there was history of Tuberculosis, pleurisy or chronic cough and cold, with excellent results. I recommend all homoeopaths to read this drug picture very carefully. Passiflora and Valerina are to be reserved for nervous patients whose spasms and fits cause insomnia. Nervous hypersensibility of Valeriana is to be noted. Both these remedies are to be given in Mother Tincture.
 Cuprum Metalicum: It should be given when the Asthmatic fit is very intense with violent spasms accompanied by cyanosis during and after the attack.
 The cough and suffocation are ameliorated sometimes by drinking some water. The time of attack is 3 a.m. 
 Asthma with predominant Catarrhal element: The most important remedies are Antim tart, Antim ars, Ipec, Pulsatilla, Senega, Kali Bich, Ars iod, Blatta orientalis. I have mentioned indication of some of these remedies above. Blatta orientalis like Passiflora should be used as a Tincture preferably in hot water during the attack. Very often it is indicated when Ars alb does not help. These remedies seem to act on patients who have a tendency to obesity.
 Sulphorous Acid: this remedy is called for in air pollution and specially affects the patient with Bronchitis, Emphysema and Bronchial Asthma. The main factor is the Sulphurdioxide content of the air. This is converted by humidity of the air to Sulphurous Acid, and when inhaled, causes a great irritation of the respiratory tract. Trials of this remedy in 30th and 200 potency have shown some very good results. Dr. Guttman.
 Asthma with high blood pressure. The remedies recommended are Baryta Carb, Baryta Mur and Viscum alb.
 Asthma with Hay Fever: Remedies recommended: Allium cepa Ambrosia, Euphraisa, Sabadilla, Sambucus, Aralia recemosa. Luffa, Operculata, has been introduced by Dr. Wilmar Schwabe of Germany. Provings were made by Dr. Raeside of UK. Dr. R.P.  PATEL of Kottayam has tried this remedy in 100 cases of Bronchial Asthma, allergic rhinites, and sinusitis of chronic type. To him, 6 X potency of this drug has been found more effective. In case there is any aggravation of symptoms, he states that 0/3 and 0/6 potencies are found very helpful, and this medicine can be continued even for months as long as there is no reaction.
 Tylophora Indica (Hindi-Jungli Pikvan) is a leaf of a creeper. Dr. Shivpuri of Patel Chest Institute has used this leaf with a great deal of success in Bronchial Asthma, allergic rhinites and chronic sinusites. It is also potentized the central Research Institute at Calcutta has done some research recently. It is worth giving a trial in low potency.
 Dr. P.S.  Krishnamurthy has shown in a paper published as "New Dimensions in the therapeutic approach to Asthma", the successful use of Influenzinum and Influenzinum and Co. He has prescribed on symptom totality and also as a nosode or as an inter-current remedy. The results are quite satisfactory. Copious expectoration was used as a criterion in these cases. It is generally held that H. Influenzinum is the most important pathogen in Bacterial infection, and complicated chronic bronchitis.
 Dr. Johanna E.G.  Brieger in the article "Winter Nosodes" of BHJ April 71 Page 117 offers as a remedy named by Nelson and Co. as Dr. Brieger's Vaccine. This contains H. Influenza A and B, Bacillinum, Streptococcin and Staphylococcin in the 30th potency. One dose weekly is given. Further, it is stated in this article "an autogenic vaccine would, in my opinion, be even better way of combating the pernicious pattern of recurrent respiratory infection with or without spasm." Dr. Krishnamurthy has used this with good results.