Dr. Kirk Slagel-

Posted By admin on January 23, 2009

I was a Wilderness Guide, Outdoor Skill Instructor and finally a Wilderness Emergency Medicine Instructor for a combination of over 20 years prior to becoming a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor.  In these roles I lead hundreds of outdoor instructional classes and trips in nearly every avenue of beginner to intermediate outdoor adventures including canoeing- flat and whitewater, backpacking, rock climbing, spelunking, winter camping, bicycle touring, outdoor leadership training, cross-country skiing, and sailing and instructed well over 50 wilderness Backcountry First Aid, Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT courses.

The many outdoor skill and trip participants and wilderness medicine courses included weekend outdoor enthusiasts, professional trip leaders and outdoor skill instructors, seasoned wilderness guides and professional, soon-to-be ambulance attendants and rescue professionals, and special forces personnel of the various military branches. 

Throughout all of these experiences with all of the many participants there was basically one common theme: safety!  What can one know, prepare for and do to maintain safety in all of the various arenas of these adventures, or for the military personnel, the various conflicts they may encounter?   The ever present challenge in these situations includes the different levels of experience of the participants, the widely varied natural environment, the limited space for resources and access to outside assistance. 

As a wilderness medicine instructor a common axiom was ‘the best first aid kit one has is in one’s head’.  And, the second best was the modest bundle of bandages, gauze and topical treatments one placed in the small nylon pack in one’s gear.  The premise being that the capacity to think and reason outweighed the host of tools one might bring with oneself or the group.  This of course is very true!

A significant emphasis in wilderness medicine training is one’s ability to be creative and improvise with whatever resources are on hand.  If the actual first aid kit in fact, contained a few worthwhile ingredients for the emergency, then that is even better.  In principle one must make the best out of a challenging situation with limited resources and certainly limited medicines and then evacuate the ill/injured person to the waiting ambulance at the trailhead.  Medicines that are appropriate, safe, therapeutically effective and easy to use for the average person with wilderness medicine training are generally thought to not be available.

However, there exists a field of medicine called homeopathy that dates back over 200 years, which offers much promise in these challenging situations.  Samuel H. Hahnemann, M.D., Germany is considered the father of homeopathic medicine.  The basic premise of homeopathy is “the Law of Similars”.  This means that if a concentrated amount of a substance will cause harm, then taking a minute amount of that medicine that has been diluted and succussed (shaken) should relieve that harm.  For example, if one was hiking a favorite trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and was sensitive to and came into contact with poison ivy, Rhus toxicondrum, then one would develop the characteristic rash, oozing vesicles and “drive-you-crazy” itch from the irritating oil.  The homeopathic treatment of such a condition would be to take orally a diluted and succussed medicine made from the Poison Ivy plant, a homeopathic Rhus tox.  The homeopathic medicine would then stimulate a healing response to the skin irritation.

However, not all cases are this easily determined.  The Law of Similars states that the presenting characteristics of the condition need only have similar symptoms, as those that correlate to the treatment by the homeopathic medicine.  So, if one were to develop a skin irritation, which was ‘similar to’ the type of rash one would get from Poison Ivy, then Rhus Tox would be a likely homeopathic choice for treating this condition as well.  Homeopathy also works in more complicated cases whereby a full patient history including the various aspects of a person such as her/his spiritual-psycho-emotional-physical well-being is assessed.  In wilderness medicine, this extensive case assessment would not be necessary, or applicable, as most conditions are acute in presentation and stem from the immediate situation.  This is not to say that homeopathy would not be applicable for the trip participant that might experience a common flu, cold or sore throat while on a trip.  Indeed, quite the opposite would be true!  But generally, this is not a long-standing condition requiring a thorough medical case assessment. 

As it is said, had I known then what I know now about the application of natural medicines, as a wilderness guide I could have utilized a very different type of first aid kit for the backcountry.  The use of a few natural homeopathic products would have supported me and the victim’s condition further, with broader application and diversity, than the various creams and ointments I used to carry.  Not only that, but I would also have had a solution for situations untouched by typical first aid supplies. 

There are many types of homeopathic medicines on the market today.  For the first installment of the Natural Remedies for the Backcountry, I would like to review one of the most unique forms of homeopathy, which I have become aware as a naturopathic physician, the Isopathic/Homeopathic SANUM Remedies.

The SANUM Remedies are produced in Germany by the SANUM-Kehlbeck Company.  They are distributed in over 27 countries, used by thousands of doctors and healthcare practitioners and have along history of clinical use extending back to the early thirties for some products.  In addition, with their German source they come from a country with solid standards regarding the production and distribution of homeopathic and natural medicines.  Pleomorphic SANUM, located in Glendale, AZ, distributes the products in the U.S.  They are only available through doctors and healthcare practitioners.  However, you may contact the company directly to find a practitioner nearest you.  See the contact information at the end of the article.

I have reviewed and included the products that are most applicable to the conditions that I and many other leaders experienced, on our trips.

The SANUM products may be used therapeutically for a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions normally encountered in one’s medical office.  However, I would highly recommend that, with a healthcare practitioner’s prescription, one should keep them in their backcountry first aid kit and certainly in the home medicine cabinet, or travel kit.  The following are a number of remedies that I would suggest.

REMEDIES

Pleo Ex suppositories

Pleo Fort drops and tablets

Pleo Muc Eye Drops

Pleo Muc Ointment

Pleo Muc Suppositories

Pleo Not drops and suppositories

Pleo Oku drops

The product contents of the SANUM medicines are completely natural and safe, even for the young, old, or debilitated person.  Thus, they are great for the bulk of outdoor enthusiasts!  The suppositories are made from lactose, as with other homeopathic medicines and coconut fat.  They are, in my opinion, the most versatile product as they may be used rectally, vaginally, topically and orally.   The tablets consist of lactose as with other homeopathic medicines.  The drops are made of purified water and/or water and ethanol as with the Pleo Oku and some of the other botanical products from the company. 

 

PLEO EX

Pleo Ex suppositories are a combination of three different products: Pleo Fort, Pleo Alb, and Pleo Pef.  Pleo Alb and Pef are two strains of Candida that are used to treat various mycotic conditions.  Pleo Fort is used for many GI conditions.  The Pleo Ex suppositories are used for vaginal candida, skin conditions and some GI complaints that involve candida.  However, for the first aid kit Pleo Ex is also good for skin rash of the groin from bicycling or sitting in a wet swimsuit too long, athlete’s foot, and other fungal skin conditions. 

 

PLEO FORT

Pleo Fort is a good remedy to bring on the trip where the possibility of GI problems exists.  Pleo Fort, made from the fungus Penicillium roquefortii, like the other Penicilliums, does not cause, or trigger a person’s allergic response to the antibiotic Penicillin.  Penicillin is an acid produced from various Penicillium fungi and it is also synthetically produced.  Whereas, the Isopathic/Homeopathic Penicillium remedies are made from the actual fungus.  There is a possibility of what is called a “degradation response” where the body is stimulated to eliminate pathogenic microbial forms from the use of the Penicillium homeopathics, but one only needs to reduce the quantity of the treatment with the usual benefits of reducing the degradation response within the body.

 

PLEO MUC

Pleo Muc is great for many types of circulatory ailments.  It is recommended for the temporary relief of the bruises, sprains, strains, etc.  Basically, I would recommend Pleo Muc for all types of musculoskeletal and some soft tissue injuries. It is also very beneficial in the treatment of hemorrhoids.  One suppository will often provide a rapid dissipation of the affected tissue.

 

PLEO MUC EYE DROPS

There are numerous situations in the backcountry where a soothing eye drop would be appreciated.  Whether one is climbing, hiking, paddling, camping, cycling or skiing, dust and debris, direct sun exposure and reflection off of ice and water, wind irritation and general eye strain can cause discomfort without the means of therapeutic treatment.  However, Pleo Muc Isopathic/Homeopathic eye drops offer the backcountry traveler a simple solution to soothe irritated eyes.  Available in a handy 5ml dropper bottle, it is lightweight and convenient enough for even the discriminating rock climber to carry.  The suppositories would be a convenient ways to carry this product.  They come in individual plastic wrappers and offer the options of treating topically or rectally.

 

PLEO NOT

Pleo Not is another versatile product.  Made from Penicillium chrysogenum, one of the predominant fungi that yield the antibiotic Penicillin, Pleo Not is indicated for the temporary relief of coughs, fever and congestion due to colds and minor respiratory infections.  It has been found in clinical applications to work like a natural antibiotic, although, like the Pleo Fort, there is no real antibiotic action of which we generally think.  In backcountry settings it would be beneficial for all types of injuries or illness where one would be concerned about bacterial infections.  The drops and the suppositories offer the greatest versatility in dosing and application.

 

PLEO OKU DROPS

This homeopathic product has been used to provide temporary relief from acute and chronic diarrhea or GI toxicity.  It is made from a West African tree, Okoubaka aubrevillei.  It is said that the tribal chief’s food tasters would keep this remedy handy should they happen upon a tainted meal intended for the group’s leader.  If they found they became ill from the food they would administer this remedy to alleviate the toxic symptoms.  Also, Okoubaka is considered a sacred tree.  No metal blade from a machete may touch this tree.  Only a special wooden batten may be used to harvest the bark.  It can be used in acute conditions at a dosage of 5 drops every 30 minutes.

 

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