Hepar Sulph: An Antibiotic Alternative

The title may say Antibiotic Alternative, but I’m going to say that Hepar sulph is more like an antibiotic surpasser. And I know that’s not a word. But if Shakespeare could make up words, I can too.

When first learning about homeopathy, one question is, “What do I use instead of an antibiotic?” In our society, antibiotics are tossed around like a bean bag. There was a time when they were thought to be a miracle drug. At the time of their discovery, maybe they were. But as we are apt to do, we have overused them.

Brief History of Antibiotics

According to The History of Antibiotics Microbiology Society, Alexander Fleming is accredited with discovering penicillin. He was, it seems, a bit disorderly in his work. Alexander accidentally discovered penicillin by leaving out a culture plate of Staphylococcus while on vacation. Upon returning from his holiday in Suffolk in 1928, he noticed that a fungus, Penicillium notatum, had contaminated the culture plate of Staphylococcus bacteria. The fungus had created bacteria-free zones wherever it grew on the plate. Fleming isolated and grew the mold in pure culture. He found that P. notatum proved extremely effective even at very low concentrations, preventing Staphylococcus growth even when diluted 800 times. It was less toxic than the disinfectants used at the time.

After early trials in treating human wounds, collaborations with British pharmaceutical companies ensured that the mass production of penicillin (the antibiotic chemical produced by P. notatum) was possible. US government began supporting the mass production of the drug. By D-Day in 1944, penicillin was being widely used to treat troops for infections both in the field and in hospitals throughout Europe. By the end of World War II, penicillin was nicknamed ‘the wonder drug’.

Scientists in Oxford were instrumental in developing the mass-production process. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Alexander Fleming for their role in creating the first mass-produced antibiotic.

And Before That?

Before the mass production of penicillin, sexually transmitted diseases were the number one disease of concern, especially during World War I and II. In their book Disease and History, Frederick F. Cartwright and Michael Biddiss describe the treatment of communicable diseases before penicillin. The treatment for gonoria was to give the infected person the measles. The measles virus produces a high fever that kills the sexually transmitted bacteria. The problem with that treatment method was that the person was sick and out of commission for ten days. With the discovery of penicillin, a soldier could get a round of pills and be back to work in two to three days.

Side Effects of Antibiotics

I am going to be brief in describing the side effects of antibiotics. I want to get to the hero, Hepar sulph. So, in no particular order, here are the side effects: Headaches, digestive problems (which can vary between troublesome to life-threatening), sensitivity to sunlight, yeast infections and other fungal infections, tooth staining, poor tooth development in unborn babies if mom takes a lot of antibiotics during pregnancy, tendonitis and tendon damage. Some complications, such as medication interactions, allergic reactions, and bacterial resistance, may also occur while taking antibiotics.

Then a Hero Comes Along

No matter your opinion on the use of antibiotics, let’s agree that they have their place and that they are way overused in our society. You do not need one when you have a cold or a stomach virus, as antibiotics do not kill viruses. But what do you use when you have a dental abscess or a skin boil? How about when your child develops croup? What then?

Grab your bottle of Hepar sulphuric calcareum. I like to call it Hepar because we’re on a first-name basis.

Hepar, the Antibiotic Alternative

My favorite memory of using Hepar was for a cough and sore throat my husband was struggling with. He was lying in bed and coughing, coughing, coughing. I sat beside him, reading through my books, trying to find anything. I came across Hepar, and under cough, it says, “Croupy, choking cough. Worse whenever any part of the body gets cold or uncovered.”

So I told him to put his hands on top of the blanket. He paused while giving me a side eye but did it. He instantly started coughing again. I told him to put his hands under the covers. He stopped coughing. I made him repeat the action several times, shocked that it fit the remedy picture so well! I gave him one dose, and he stopped coughing. He took a brief nap and was fine. If you know me, you know that coughs are hard for me to get right. But, I think the Lord let me have that victory.

Hepar is great for non-descript coughs where you don’t know what else to give.

What Else Can Hepar Do?

Boils and abscesses respond wonderfully to Hepar. It doesn’t matter if those boils or abscesses are in the mouth, ears, throat, or on the skin. In my experience, these will heal from the inside out. Rarely do they “pop” or drain on the outside.

I’ve used Hepar for infected ingrown toenails, especially if there is an extreme amount of pain. One of my daughters was struggling with an infected toenail. Complete with pus oozing every time she walked. I gave her two doses of Hepar sulph, and the next morning, the infection was gone, and the skin was laid open to reveal a very long, sharp piece of toenail. She was less impressed than I was; she was just glad it was over.

Sinus infections with yellow-green mucus respond wonderfully to Hepar sulph. A dear friend of mine was on the antibiotic merry-go-round with her sinus infections. She had them so often that all she had to do was call into her doctor’s office, tell them she had another sinus infection, and they would call in a prescription to her pharmacy. No appointment needed. She took my beginner’s class and tried Hepar with her next infection. It was the first time she could remember she didn’t need an antibiotic. She was floored that she had found an antibiotic alternative.

But, Wait, There’s More!

I know I sound like an infomercial when I talk about remedies. Does it help that I truly believe in and love these remedies?

Hepar was a lifesaver in our home when my daughter struggled with earaches. She got her first one at six months old. I took her to the doctor due to a fever of unknown origin. Once he told me it was a double ear infection, I said I can fix that. She has been my only child to have had more than one earache. Due to that, she gave me more experience dealing with them. I learned that, for her, she needed two doses of Hepar in a low potency. After the first dose, she was still hurting and crying. After the second dose, she would heave a big sigh and go right to sleep. Sidenote: when the person falls asleep right after taking the remedy, it is the right remedy.

Just To Be Clear

I do think there are times when antibiotics are needed. Six years ago my husband had a ruptured appendix, without the appendicitis. His appendix had been ruptured for three days before he showed signs of infection. I was so thankful for all the antibiotics they pumped into him before his surgery. I would not have used an antibiotic alternative for him in that moment. However, our society has turned a useful tool into an everyday ax that whacks at windmills. We have used antibiotics to the point that we can’t use them anymore. They have created “super-bugs” that no longer respond to them. We need something better. We need an antibiotic alternative. Praise the Lord for homeopathy!