Pharmacy shelves are stuffed with over-the-counter medicines that are marketed to the red-nosed, watery-eyed set every winter. These conventional medicines work by squelching the symptoms rather than by healing the underlying illness. “Anything that simply suppresses the symptoms of the cold or flu ultimately does more harm than good,” says Dana Ullman, MPH, author of several books on homeopathy.

There’s also the question of safety. We’ve all read warnings on conventional medicine packaging: “May cause drowsiness,” “May cause excitability,” “Do not take this medication if you have high blood pressure.”

By contrast, “the small doses used in homeopathic medicines make these medicines extremely safe,” explains Ullman, founder of Berkeley, California–based Homeopathic Educational Services. “Within a given year, it is common for the FDA not to receive a single report of any problem or complications resulting from a homeopathic medicine.”

“Homeopathy is without any side effects whatsoever,” adds Asa Hershoff, ND, DC, who has specialized in homeopathic medicine for more than 25 years. “There is no risk of poisoning even if bottles of the medicines are consumed or one accidentally takes the wrong medication.” This is especially important for children and the elderly, the two age groups most often likely to develop secondary infections from colds and flu.

At the first sneeze

If you’ve decided to try homeopathy the next time you get a cold or the flu, take a homeopathic remedy as soon as you feel the first symptoms coming on. “It’s easier to get the healing momentum started early on, rather than having to fight harder when the disease already has a foothold,“ says Ronald Boyer, MD, who has practiced homeopathic medicine for more than 30 years and is president of the Center for Education and Development of Homeopathy.

“Colds and flu,” Dr. Boyer says, “are viral diseases for which conventional medicines have no answer.” One reason is that some 200 viruses cause the common cold. Another is that people think they have the influenza virus when they have flulike symptoms. If they’ve been immunized against the flu, then they think their flu shot didn’t work. But in fact, only 15 percent of them actually have influenza. The other 85 percent are suffering from viruses for which flu vaccines are ineffective.

That’s where homeopathy steps in—with its support of the healing response. Because of the symptom-specific—rather than disease-specific—nature of homeopathic medicines, they can treat colds and flu very quickly. Several European studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals have shown that more than 60 percent of patients had clear improvement of flu symptoms within 48 hours of treatment.

Just one remedy? Or a combo?

“While practitioners tend to use single remedies,” says Dr. Boyer, “consumers may pick a combination remedy. In the U.S. we are in a country where people don’t know homeopathy very well. So the combination remedies are very good for relieving symptoms when people don’t know which specific remedy to use.”

Each of the homeopathic combination medicines uses several separate remedies. The goal is to target your specific symptoms with at least one of them if you cannot pinpoint the symptoms closely enough to choose a single remedy.          

Choosing a remedy that meets your needs 

“When the correct remedy is found,” Dana Ullman, MPH, says, “a very rapid healing response takes place.” Here are some popular single remedies for helping your body respond to colds and flu:

Allium cepa. Advised for a run-of-the-mill cold, Allium cepa is indicated for use where nasal mucus output is clear, runny, and profuse.

Belladonna. Taken for high fever, throbbing headache, and sore, red throat.

Ferrum phosphoricum. A remedy that no self-respecting medicine cabinet should be without, Ferrum phos is recommended at first sign of fever, headache, sore throat, and cough.

Gelsemium. If the flu sufferer is dizzy and weak, with trembling and drowsiness, Gelsemium is indicated.  Also for sneezing, dull headache, achiness, and chills.

Oscillococcinum. Ullman calls this “the best remedy for flu as long as you use it within the first 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.” Three multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, with a total of 1,159 subjects, have confirmed the efficacy of Oscillococcinum.

Pulsatilla. A parent’s remedy of choice when a child has a cold that produces greenish-yellow nasal mucus secretions.

Rhus toxicodendron. For the chills and fever of flu, Rhus tox is also popular for its effects on sneezing, coughing, and stiffness and aching in the limbs.