Many of the patients I see have chosen not to get the seasonal Flu vaccine or the H1N1 vaccine. Whether it is because you have chosen not to get the vaccine or it has been unavailable to you; there are ways to keep your immune system strong and make it more difficult for viruses to infect you. These are by no means guarentees that you will not get sick, but they are what we reccomend for protection of seasonal viruses  and maintnennce of immune health.

Below is a list of  a protocol from the Woodlands Research Center which is an excellent family medicine center in quakertown PA. During the 2 years I spent working in Chinese medicine at woodlands I spent a great deal of time co-treating patients and witnessing their particular brand of natural family medicine. The current director Dr. William Kracht is a brilliant physician who’s mandate is to provide the least invasive and most natural form of healthcare possible for any patient. I had many discussions about the use of natural medicines with Dr. Kracht and his team during that time and  I found the combination of natural western supplements, acupuncture and herbal medicine to be a very powerful combination.

Before we get into the protocol here is some of the basic information on seasonal Flu (again mostly from woodlands. I just love these guys)

What is influenza?

Influenza (also called flu) is a viral infection of the nose, throat, trachea, and bronchi (air passages). Outbreaks of flu occur almost every year, usually in winter.

Flu viruses cause more severe symptoms and can cause more severe medical problems than cold viruses. The elderly, people whose immune systems are impaired, and people with chronic medical problems are particularly at risk for more severe flu symptoms or complications.

How does it occur?

The flu virus is almost always spread from person to person by droplets that are coughed or sneezed into the air. It can also be spread by the hands of an infected person who has touched their mouth or nose.

What are the symptoms?

Influenza tends to start suddenly. You may feel fine one hour and have a high fever the next.

The usual first symptoms are:

• chills and fever (often 101 to 103°F, or 38 to 40°C)
• sweating
• muscle aches
• headache.

Symptoms soon to follow may include:

• runny nose and nasal congestion
• cough
• sore throat
• eyes sensitive to light.

How is it diagnosed?

Influenza can usually be diagnosed from your symptoms (although viral tests are the only way to be 100% they are unnecessary in most cases) . Your health care provider may examine you to rule out other types of infection, such as strep throat and sinusitis.

How long will the effects last?

Flu symptoms usually last 3 to 7 days. They often start improving gradually after the first 2 -3 days.

Infection with the flu virus often leads to other infections, such as ear, sinus, and bronchial infections. Pneumonia can also occur as a result of the flu. It can be caused by the flu virus itself or by bacteria invading lung tissues that have been damaged by the virus. Pneumonia is the  common cause of death in Flu complications.

An unusual complication of flu is Reye’s syndrome, which usually occurs in children and adolescents and rarely occurs in adults. Reye’s syndrome is not well understood but it involves failure of the liver and brain swelling, which together can lead to coma and sometimes death. A link has been shown between the use of aspirin during influenza illness and the development of Reye’s syndrome. For this reason it is best to avoid taking aspirin when you have the flu.

Some of the protocols Woodlands put together were remarkably effective, safe and relatively low maintenance to use. The following is a protocol for Flu prevention and Treatment. This protocol should not be used in place of seeing your physician but should function as and informative additive. I am Also listing Some basic information on the Flu for those of you who would like to know a little more about it.

This is the protocol which I use with my team at the Droge Clinic, we also modify with specific herbal formulas (and physician referals ) when required.

The protocol is as follows:

Flu prevention and treatment protocols

Fluids

a. Drink a lot of liquids. Water, juice, and non-caffeinated drinks are best. Especially when you have a high fever, your body needs much more liquid than when you are healthy. Having enough fluids also helps the mucus in your sinuses and lungs to stay thin and easy to clear from the body. When the mucus is thin, it is less likely to cause a sinus infection or bronchitis

b. Chicken soup is a proven remedy for the flu!

Rest- the more you rest the quicker your body will heal itself

Vitamin D

c. Adults: 100,000 Units per day (yes, one hundred thousand units!) for 3 days, then 10,000 Units /day until the illness is resolved

d. Children: 1000 Units per pound of body weight for 3 days only, then 2000 Units per day until the illness is resolved.

Vitamin A (Micel A, water soluble Vitamin A @ 5000 Units per drop)

e. Adults and children over 2: Take 10 drops twice daily for 5 days

f. Children under 2 yrs old: call your healing arts provider

Colloidal Silver, 500 ppm solution

g. Adults: 1 teaspoon by mouth 3 times per day (Can use up to 1 tablespoon 3 times per day for severe cases). Take for the duration of the illness only.

h. Children: ½ teaspoon by mouth 3 times per day

Vitamin C (Multi Element Buffered C powder containing zinc

i. Adults: 1 teaspoon (2.6 grams or 2600mg of C) in powder every 2 hours while awake and to “bowel tolerance.” Bowel tolerance means to keep taking the Vit C until you get loose stools, and then stop for that day.

j. Children: ½ teaspoon (1.3 grams or 1300mg of C) every 2 hours to bowel tolerance

Zinc (if not using the Multi Element Buffered C powder as stated above, you will need extra zinc as follows):

k. Adult: 75-100mg per day until completely better

l. Children: 25-50mg per day until completely better

Gripp-Heel (Homeopathic Flu remedy)

m. Adults & Children: Dissolve 1 tablet under tongue or in mouth every 4 hours while awake