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Homeopathy's Top 10 for Travellers
by author Leith Stewart, PhD, DIHom

Checking in at the airport seems to take forever. Taking a train or bus might take even longer. You’re irritated, frustrated and already tired. Homeopathic remedies offer an excellent way to help your travel blues. They’re inexpensive, easily obtained and, when used as pellets or granules, are light and take up very little space in your luggage. They require no special equipment to administer and can even be taken without water.

The 10 to Take

The following remedies will stand you in good stead wherever you go.

1. If you’re nervous or anxious about travelling, Aconitum will help keep you calm. Take it before leaving and as often as you need during your trip. It won’t help you find missing baggage or speed up delayed flights, but it will help you feel less anxious while dealing with these problems.


2. Long lineups and crowded public transportation may create feelings of claustrophobia. Here, Argentum nitricum is very useful to have on hand.


3. Ideally, you should be able to sleep during a long journey, but your mind often churns over all the things you might have forgotten or the pleasant holiday experiences to come. In this case, Coffea cruda will help to slow down the flood of thoughts and allow you to rest. It acts in exactly the opposite way to caffeine in coffee. (It isn’t a good idea to drink coffee while travelling anyway. Not only does it act as a stimulant, it also tends to antidote homeopathic remedies.)


4. If you’re prone to travel sickness, Cocculus indicus will help to settle this problem. Alternatively, homeopathic Zingiber (ginger) is also useful at such times.


5. On a long trip in confined spaces, lack of exercise can lead to a number of discomforts. Stiffness and aching muscles can be relieved by Arnica montana.


6. Waking up with cramps, especially in the calf muscles, is quite common. This may indicate inadequate salt intake or excessive loss of salt that, in the longer term, may call for changes in diet. The immediate symptoms, however, may be relieved by Cuprum metallicum.


7. Sticking to your normal healthy diet may be difficult during travel. It’s also important to avoid items such as alcohol and high-fat foods that may be tempting but are likely to cause gastrointestinal and other problems. If you do overindulge in rich foods and have stomach pains, intestinal cramps or constipation, Nux vomica (Colubrina) is called for. This is also the remedy for hangover.


8. Bloating, burping and flatulence after meals can be embarrassing in the closed confines of a plane. Carbo vegetabilis will help to relieve this type of discomfort.


9. Nosebleeds due to pressure changes can also be messy and uncomfortable. Here, you should take Ferrum phosphoricum or Phosphorus.


10. No matter how smoothly your travel arrangements have gone, if you’ve passed through several time zones, you’ll probably experience jet lag. While your body does need time to adjust to the clock change, you can relieve the effects of jet lag with homeopathic Gelsemium. There are also several over-the-counter combination products, which typically include Arnica, Bellis perennis, Ipecac, Chamomilla and Lycopodium in low potencies.

How to Take Them

When taking a homeopathic remedy, allow it to dissolve on or under the tongue, as it is best absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth.

To ensure effectiveness, don’t drink, eat, chew gum or brush your teeth 15 to 20 minutes before and after taking the remedy.

Homeopathic remedies often react to metal, so when giving or taking a dose, use glass or plastic. If possible, take the remedy straight from the container to prevent any substance on the hands from interfering with the remedy’s action.

How often you take the remedy depends on how severe your symptoms are. In acute cases of stomach cramps, for example, you might take six granules of Nux vomica 30C every 15 minutes, whereas if you were simply feeling anxious at takeoff, one dose of Aconitum might be sufficient.

It is very unlikely that you will have a bad reaction to a homeopathic remedy. Occasionally, the symptoms may get worse to begin with. This is called an "aggravation" and is generally a sign that you have the right remedy and can expect a great improvement shortly afterwards. Very rarely, you may develop different symptoms. If so, stop taking the remedy and the symptoms will soon clear up. Side-effects and overdosing are not a risk with homeopathic treatments.

Homeopathic remedies can benefit both young and old. The elderly, even those on prescription drugs, can safely take them. Children and babies also respond well to homeopathy. For babies, the pills can be dissolved in a little water–give just a sip or teaspoonful.

When used wisely, this "top 10" can make your journey much more comfortable.

Homeopathy Travel Tips

• The remedies in your kit will keep for a long time without any special storage. To prevent damage to them, however, be careful to keep them away from perfumes, lotions, spices, aromatic oils or anything else with a strong odour.
• Pack homeopathic remedies in a small kit and request that they not go through
  the X-ray scanner–this can inactivate homeopathic materials. Security staff may want to open the containers but, to prevent contamination, do not allow them to touch the granules or the inside of the cap.

PDF Table of Top 10 Travelling Homeopathics

Leith Stewart is a homeopath, herbalist and writer with a practice in The Discovery Village, a holistic healing community in Edmonton, Alta.

Source: alive #238, August 2002