Thrush is a fungal infection caused by any of the multiple candida species which gives it its technical name ‘candidiasis’. The symptoms of these infections vary depending on the exact form, with candida albicans being the most common. In some cases the symptoms are fairly harmless while in others the disease is potentially life threatening, this is very rare however and most cases are little more than an irritation.

Symptoms of candidiasis will also vary depending on the area that’s been infected. Infections of the vagina or vulva are common and tend to cause severe itching, burning, soreness and irritation as well as a white/gray discharge (that’s been compared to cottage cheese and curd). These symptoms lead to it being commonly mistaken for yeast infection. Meanwhile infection of the male genitalia causes red patches, soreness near the end of the penis or foreskin, itching and burning. This can also have a white discharge though this is less likely. It is also possible to experience thrush without symptoms, and in some more severe cases the symptoms will emerge later on in the infection.

There are many treatments and cures for thrush which can be very unpleasant for the sufferer otherwise as well as spreading to sexual partners. For this reason, and because of the growing support for homeopathy, homeopathic thrush remedies are gaining in popularity.

Homeopathic thrush remedies work by using small quantities of agents designed to mimic the symptoms of thrush. In this way it is thought that the substance will encourage the body to combat the true cause of the symptoms naturally. Meanwhile homeopaths have been known to advise against treatments that ‘go against’ the symptoms (as traditional medicine promotes) believing that these can drive the disease to infect the internal organs and do more damage that way. For this reason those taking homeopathic thrush remedies can experience their symptoms to worsen temporarily before improving, which can be alarming but is actually a sign that the treatment is working.

At the same time however they acknowledge that to exacerbate the symptoms of any illness could be dangerous and for this reason all their medicines are powerfully watered down – often to the point where none of the original active agents exist at all. It is thought that through the process the water, alcohol or sugar (whatever is used to dilute the substance) maintains some of the properties of that agent, or its ‘vital force’. In homeopathy the more watered down the agent (referred to by a C scale where 1C is a low ratio and 200C is a high ratio) the more ‘potent’ it is thought to be.

Homeopaths then use a chart to identify the symptoms of various conditions and choose herbs and remedies to combat them before watering them down. In some cases these herbs will be selected to work with the particular patient too and will address ‘miasms’ – innate complex conditions that lead to a variety of illnesses. Homeopaths don’t view illnesses and conditions as ‘infections’ but as ‘part of the living whole’ suggesting that the individual has an innate susceptibility that can only be addressed by looking at their preferences, behaviours and personality – these being viewed as further ‘symptoms’ of the condition.

As a general rule however homeopathic thrush remedies include borax (‘good for cases that occur between menstrual periods and sensitive/nervous individuals’), calcarea carbonica (for those cases where the itching occurs before the menstrual period and where a person ‘craves sweets’ and is ‘tired by exertion’), kali bichromicum (where the discharge is yellow), sulphur (when the discharge smells offensive), pulsatilla (for when the patient is pregnant) and natrum muriaticum (for those where the discharge resembles egg white and the patient is ‘reserved’ yet emotional).

It should be remembered however that homeopathy is a ‘pseudo science’ and does not subject itself to the rigorous and objective testing of modern medicine. The concepts on which it is based are also tenuous and there is no evidence for a ‘vital force’ nor for any ‘water memory’ (another suggestion for how water ‘retains’ the properties of the agents). Studies suggest that the effects of homeopathic thrush remedies are no more potent than a placebo, and while patients may vary in their experience, they certainly should not forego traditional treatment.

Mack LeMouse

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