Preparing for Measles with Homeopathic & Natural Remedies

Every so often there is another “measles outbreak” and mothers everywhere become fearful.  But I’ve made the decision to not be worried, but instead to be prepared.  If that sounds like the stance you want to take, keep reading!  I’ll fill you in on what I’ve got on hand just in case the measles makes its way to our house.  And, spoiler alert…these remedies are handy for MANY illnesses, so even if we never see measles in our family, I’ll still be glad I’ve got them.

(Before I begin, I must remind you that I am not a medical professional.  I’m just a mom who likes to be prepared to treat my family at home using homeopathy and natural remedies.  The information below should be considered a conversation between two friends, not medical advice.  Use it for ideas and do your own research.  And always consult a medical professional whenever it makes sense to do so.  One more thing…this post contains affiliate links.  The purpose of these links is to help you easily find any products I mention.  You can read more in my policies and disclaimers.)

Is Measles Serious?  A Look at the Data…

The measles virus is highly contagious.  Symptoms in the early stages of measles usually include a sudden high fever, runny nose, cough, and red eyes with watering.  A few days later Koplik spots, which are tiny white spots, appear in the mouth. A few days after that, a rash appears that includes flat red spots usually begins at the hairline and travels down the face, trunk, and to the extremities.  Some spots may have red bumps.  (source: CDC)

Most cases of measles are mild, but there are some serious complications that could result, such as pneumonia or encephalitis (brain swelling).  The CDC sites some scary statistics for these severe cases, but I think it is important to point out that many of their statistics are NOT United States-only data. For whatever reason, they include people from third-world countries that lack good nutrition, vitamins, and basic healthcare options.

Instead, I think this chart from Our World in Data helps put the situation in better perspective.

I like this chart because it is limited to the USA, which is most relative to my family and our environment. In the 1920’s, which charts the HIGHEST measles death rate in the US, the death rate from measles was 7.31 death per 100,000 people.  That means .007% of the population died from measles in a given year.  That is seven thousandths of ONE PERCENT of the population died. And the death rate from those that contracted measles was 1.6%.

But in the chart below, you can see that the death rate steadily declined since the 1920s to EVEN LOWER numbers.  For reference, according to the World Health Organization, the measles vaccine was licensed for public use in 1963 (source).  It is clear that the death rate was on the decline before 1963, and has continued to decline further in the years that followed. Some would argue that the vaccine is mostly unnecessary.

While it’s important to remember that every death is significant and matters, we must keep good data in mind as we evaluate our own family’s risks.  It is reasonable to believe that, since the vast majority of those who contracted measles survived, many of the deaths from the chart above were elderly patients or those that were already immunocompromised by another illness. Still, we want to be prepared with ways to help our families, no matter their age or previous health conditions, should the need arise.

 I love a quote from Dr. Dorothy Shepherd from her book Homeopathy in Epidemic Diseases.  She says that she went through 4 measles epidemics during her years of clinical practice and treated SEVERAL HUNDRED cases of measles. (Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find a doctor that has treated 10 cases of measles!) Dr. Shepherd says,  “I was fortunate enough with the help of homeopathic remedies not to lose a single case […] It was said that all my cases were extremely mild-they were mild because homeopathic medicines made them so.” You can check out her book here.

Bone broth, bone broth, bone broth!  If you’ve read many of my articles, I’m sure I sound like a broken record when it comes to bone broth.  But when it comes to fighting any illness, laying the foundation of good nutrition is so important! And a good, homemade soup with homemade bone broth is hard to beat.  You can pack in protein, vitamins, minerals, and all sorts of stuff the body needs into one comforting bowl.  I have found that it really helps to keep some frozen soup in my freezer for quick sick meals.  I love using these silicone freezer blocks to freeze perfect soup portions.  Just pop them out when frozen and store in gallon size freezer bags.  Here is an article about the benefits of bone broth.

Also, while our public health agencies would definitely disagree, if measles hits our house, you can be sure I’ll be offering my sick patient lots of raw milk.  It is a nutrient-packed superfood, and it can be really helpful for respiratory conditions.  You can read more about why I’m such a fan of raw milk here.

Other foods that you would want to push during a battle with measles would be foods high in Vitamin A, such as spinach, carrots, cantaloupe, peppers, squash, and sweet potatoes.

Nebulize to Fight the Measles

Again, I probably sound like a broken record when it comes to my beloved nebulizer!  That just shows you how useful it can be and how a nebulizer might be a good investment for your home. 

If someone in my family has the measles, you can bet I will pull out the nebulizer!  Not only will the infected person use the nebulizer 4-5 times per day to improve respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion , but the rest of the family will also nebulize too. I realize that home nebulzing can be a controversial topic, so I’ll refer you to a great article by Dr. Jockers.  He shares published research on nebulizing to fight respiratory illnesses, and he sites multiple doctors. He even shares a “recipe” for how to make your nebulzing solution.  

What does my family choose to nebulize when we’re sick?  After gathering information from a variety of doctors, I’ve settled on a recipe for my family that includes saline, Food Grade 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, and Lugol’s Iodine.  We will nebulize this solution when we are fighting colds, flu, Covid, allergies, sinuses, and more!  I even keep a spare nebulizer on hand in case we need it (Amazon sells them, so no need to get a prescription for a nebulizer)!

Supplements to Fight the Measles

The very most important supplement to fight the measles is Vitamin A.  There are numerous studies like this one and this one from the Cochrane Library that point to Vitamin A supplementation leading to an overall risk of death reduction, primarily related to lowering the risk of complications associated with pneumonia.  Even the World Health Organization recommends Vitamin A supplementation to treat measles (source).  The recommended dose is 200,000 IUs for children and 100,000 IUs for infants, but I probably wouldn’t dose that high. This recommendation is considering children who are malnourished. With good nutrition, supplementation levels could be lower.  

While the studies above recommend only two days of supplementation, I would personally choose to start as soon as the Koplik spots appear in the mouth (first real clue that measles is present) and continue until fever and the majority of the symptoms of measles were much improved. Cod Liver Oil is a great source of Vitamin A, so I would use the Carlson’s liquid form for my children. And here’s the adult version of their Cod Liver Oil.

And with any illness, I like to give my family my “Get Well Cocktail” to boost the immune system. In our house, adults will take Vitamin C (1,000 mg) 3 times per day (or more!), while the kids take about 500 mg of Sodium Ascorbate.  We also take Vitamin D3 + K2 (about 10,000 IU for sick adults and 5,000 for sick kids). Zinc is also in the lineup (about 50 mg for adults and 25 mg for kids).  And I make sure we are all getting in our probiotics.  To make it easier for my kids to take, I mix all of their supplements into a cup of filtered water and flavor it with some Stur.  They love their “Get Well Cocktail”!  If you want to see the exact brands of supplements we use, I have links for easy shopping over on my Master List of Product Recommendations.

Homeopathy to Fight the Measles

My go-to resource for protocols for different acute and chronic diseases is the Banerji Protocols.  You may have noticed their book on my Homeopathic Resources page.  For the record, I think this book is definitely worth adding to your collection if you are serious about homeopathy. In their section on measles, the Banerji doctors explain, “This is a viral infection, and has its own course.  Suppressive medicines should not be given at all, as they may cause complications [Tylenol would be considered a suppressive medication].  The protocols given below are completely safe and reliable.” (page 96, The Banerji Protocols)

The First-Line Medicines in the Banerji Protocol for Measles are:

• Bryonia Alba 30C- Two doses daily.  In this case, I’d give 2 pellets per dose.
• Belladonna 3C in liquid- The way I do liquid dosing is to simply drop 2-3 pellets in a plastic, disposable water bottle.  (Note: I typically avoid drinking bottled water due to concerns over the plastic leaching into the water.  I make a temporary exception for water dosing remedies.)  After the pellets have dissolved in the water, I give the water bottle 5-6 FIRM shakes.  For high fevers, they suggest one dose (which would be one large sip from the water bottle) every 30 minutes until the fever is stable. Re-shake before every sip.
• Ipec 30C- Optional add-in if cough is present.  One dose every hour (or less if not as intense).

 (When the First Line Medicines aren’t proving helpful for the sick patient, the Banerjis recommend moving on the the Second Line Medicines.  However, they teach that First Line Medicines are successful for about 80% of the population.)

• Bryonia Alba 30C and Antimonium Crudum 6C- Give one dose of Bryonia (In this case, I’d give 2 homeopathic pellets per dose.) then 3 hours later, give one dose of Antimonium Crud.  Then repeat the pattern every 3 hours.
• Chelidonium Majus 6X in liquid- In the case of lung congestion, the Banerjis suggest taking a liquid dose every 2 hours.  I’d would give the liquid dose in the same fashion that I mentioned in the paragraph above.

As the rash disappears and the fever is back to normal:​

The Banerjis recommend switching to Thuja 30C, one dose daily for 10 days after the patient is on the verge of completing the measles infection.  They explain that this remedy helps prevent any side effects from the measles.

While the Banerji Protocols above would be my baseline homeopathy plan, I’d also consult other professional homeopaths’ work for individualized symptoms that may arise.  Upon consulting Dr. Dorothy Shepherd’s book Homeopathy in Epidemic Diseases, I found several recommendations related to measles, so I made sure I had those homeopathic products in my stash, too.

Some of Dr. Shepherd’s recommendations for homeopathic treatment include the following:

• Apis Mellifica- Symptoms that may indicate the need for Apis include puffy face, swollen eyelids, child acts delirious, child may scream or cry out in his sleep.
• Euphraisa– Symptoms that may indicate the need for Euphrasia include much sneezing and runny nose, cold symptoms, watery eyes, burning tears, sensitivity to light, and a dry cough that is worse during the day than at night.
• Gelsemium– Dr. Shepherd emphasizes that this remedy is most often helpful for summer cases of measles where there is warm weather.  Symptoms may include lack of thirst, heavy arms and legs, congested feeling in head, and a feeling of not wanting to move.
• Kali Bich- Dr. Shepherd points out that Kali Bich may become useful towards the end of the measles.  Symptoms may include heavy discharges from the eyes and nose that are ropy and stringy.  Hearing may be muffled due to mucus in the ears.
• Phosphorus– Symptoms may include problems with the bronchial tubes or lungs.  Breathing may be rapid.  Pulse and temperature may be elevated.  She specifically points out that, “It is a serious case and without this remedy you would expect serious trouble, but Phosphorus will soon alter the picture.  The broncho-pneumonia will clear up in a surprisingly quick period of time, and all signs of lung involvement will disappear in twenty-four hours.” (page 48, Homeopathy in Epidemic Diseases)
• Rhus Tox- Symptoms may include restlessness, many aches and pains, very thirsty, and the tongue is covered with white, fur-looking coating.

Fun Facts You Should Know about about Measles

Getting measles sounds like no fun, but I’m NOT convinced that it’s something that should stress mothers out.  Not too long ago, measles in young children was considered completely normal, and it was no cause for alarm.  In fact, the 1970’s T.V. show The Brady Bunch made an episode where all 6 of the children in the family got the measles.  The light-hearted, just-deal-with-it mentality is very obvious in the episode.  I have to think that it reflected the attitude of most American mothers during that period of time.  You can watch the clip below. Or you can click here to watch it on Rumble. 

Also, there may be some benefits to having a childhood case of the measles.  The Mayo Clinic is doing some research not only on using measles to treat certain types of cancer, but also in how it aids with cancer prevention.  In short, the measles virus changes the way the body recognizes cancer cells, enabling the body to destroy them more easily.  Watch the Mayo Clinic’s video called “Measles as a Cancer Fighter” here.

There was also an interesting study from the Japanese Collective Cohort which found scientific evidence showing that a history of overcoming measles resulted in a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.  You can read more about their research in the article “Association of Measles and Mumps with Cardiovascular Disease”.

One other perk of catching wild measles is LIFELONG immunity. It is important to remember that childhood vaccinations wane, or lose their effectiveness at different rates in different people.  I found an interesting article regarding a measles outbreak in a 100% vaccinated school.  How could that possibly happen?  Waning immunity.  The vaccinated children simply weren’t as immune as they thought. You can check that study out here.

What If You Need Professional Medical Help?

While I want to treat as many childhood illnesses as possible myself, I also like to know my options should I need a health care provider. While conventional medicine could offer their advice on fever suppressers like Tylenol and antibiotics should problems like bacterial ear infections arise, I’d rather not run to conventional treatment too soon.  I’m aware that most of their treatments come with the risk of adverse effects.

Instead, I’d likely contact a professional homeopath for an online consult first.  I’d take advantage of their expertise to review my child’s measles symptoms.  An experienced homeopath can consider the particular individual and recommend the most appropriate homeopathic remedy.  They can also help to evaluate the effectiveness of specific homeopathic remedies so you will know when it’s time to move on to a different option.

If you need to find a professional homeopath, here is one resource you can use.  All of their homeopaths are certified by the National Center for Homeopathy.

Final Thoughts on Preparing for Measles

So, I hope I’ve helped you feel less worried about the measles and ready to get prepared.  One of my favorite Bible verses says, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31). Instead of worrying, I choose to become informed and prepared.  Then trust in the Lord.  I hope you will do the same!

Looking for more natural remedy ideas?  Check out my Remedy with Diligence page!