Thankfully, we have found two homeopathic remedies that excel at taking away the itch: Apis mellifica and Ledum palustre. You may recognize these two remedies from my post earlier this year about the remedies in my purse first-aid-kit. My family uses these two mosquito remedies almost daily at this time of year.
Why Two Different Remedies?
As a system of medicine, homeopathy is different from many other modalities in that the remedies are individualized based on a person's specific symptoms. That means, for instance, that one person's migraine may be treated with Bryonia alba, while another's is treated with Sanguinaria canadensis, while another's is treated with Iris versicolor (and there are numerous other remedies that can help with migraines as well). So there is no "one" homeopathic remedy for migraines; it really depends on the person's specific symptoms, and that is why treating a migraine with homeopathic remedies is not generally a do-it-yourself situation.
Fortunately, when it comes to first-aid, there is often a much smaller number of homeopathic remedies that are known to be effective in the vast majority of cases. For mosquito bites, those two remedies are Apis mellifica and Ledum palustre. Within my family, my daughter's and husband's mosquito bites both respond well to Apis mellifica, whereas my son's and my own mosquito bites respond well to Ledum palustre.
My Method For Treating Mosquito Bites
Rather than taking remedies for our mosquito bites internally, I find that it works well to apply the remedies externally directly on each bite. This is especially true since we have new mosquito bites almost daily, and having these remedies ready to apply topically means that both of my children can take care of their own mosquito bites as often as needed. NOTE: I do not use this method if there are mosquito bites that have been scratched to the point of broken skin. In those instances, I would use Calendula salve instead to promote healing and reduce inflammation.I like to use both of these remedies in 30x potency for this particular method, because the pellets can so quickly dissolve and are less likely to be affected by being left on the counter than higher potencies would be.
I make our remedy solutions as follows:
- In a clean container with a lid, dissolve one 30x remedy pellet in 1/4 cup of filtered water. (I do NOT mix the two types of remedies in the same container; rather I make a separate solution for each one.)
- Stir to combine.
- Try to store away from light, heat, and strong odors (such as cooking odors or essential oils).
- Depending on the temperature in the house and the quality of the water used, this solution should keep for several days up to a week or so. Alternatively, a small amount of unflavored vodka (~1.5 tsp) could be added to preserve the solution for longer periods.
- Dip a q-tip in the remedy solution.
- Dab the remedy solution directly onto the mosquito bites.
- Shortly thereafter, the itchiness dissipates and then disappears altogether.
- If one of these remedies does not work, try the other one instead.
Apis Mellifica
Ledum Palustre
Homeopathic Ledum palustre is a great remedy for puncture wounds as well as mosquito bites. Insect bites/stings that respond well to Ledum tend to have a white center with redness around, and may be numb or cold.Are mosquitoes a bother where you live? What are your favorite methods for treating those itchy bites?
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or licensed healthcare professional. I am a homeopathic practitioner whose services are considered complementary and alternative by the state of New Mexico. The uses of homeopathic remedies described herein are provided for educational use only.
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3 comments:
Is it possible that one might have a mosquito bite for which EITHER of these remedies might work? Or is it typically a one-or-the-other situation? Also, you mentioned that your family members tend toward one or the other. Is that typical, that a person's bites usually respond to one or the other better? As in, if they figure out which one worked today, it's likely to be the one they'll need throughout the whole season? One more question: is it okay to use the pellets orally for instances when we are away from home, or is there a reason to stick with the liquid topically?
Generally one or the other of these will work, not both. And yes, we do find that, once we figure out which remedy works for each of us, that same remedy seems to work every time.
The pellets can be used orally if necessary, but it is less ideal if you will be taking them day-after-day; with homeopathic remedies, taking them day-after-day can sometimes lead to aggravations (since homeopathic remedies work on the principle of like-cures-like, taking them repeatedly can lead to a homeopathic proving, where the person actually starts to show the same symptoms that the remedy can alleviate).
Additionally, within my own family, since we are taking homeopathic remedies for chronic conditions, I try not to administer any other remedies orally unless there is a strong need for one, as they can interfere with the chronic treatment that is in-progress.
I think a better plan for when away from home would be to put the remedy solution into a spray bottle that could be easily transported and applied as needed.
Interesting! I've used both of these for bites, but never thought about applying them topically (we've just taken them orally). I'll have to give it a try. My current favorite topical remedy for insect bites and stings is to use an essential oil blend called Purification (I wrote about it here: http://everydaymindfulliving.com/all-natural-insect-bite-and-sting-relief/ ). It helps to take care of the itch and swelling.
I love that I've learned so many new things from you. It's really wonderful. Thank you. :-)
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