Gelsemium

Yellow Jessamine

Gelsemium sempervirens

People for whom Gelsemium is most suited fear losing control. They dislike being disturbed, especially while feverish, when they feel dull, drowsy, and dizzy, but want to be held. Their faces are flushed dark red, with a dull, besotted expression.

A general state of mental and physical paralysis, with weakness and an inability to perform, are key symptoms linked to this remedy. At times the remedy has been given to strengthen courage on the battlefield, and it is often used for phobias, exam nerves, stage fright, and other anticipatory terrors, which cause trembling, weakness, diarrhea, and frequent urination. In the long term, these symptoms may lead to more complicated, serious neurological disorders and possibly even paralysis, which the remedy may help.

Gelsemium is also used to treat acute influenza or sore throats, with weakness, limp limbs, chills, fever, headaches with double vision, and heavy, drooping eyelids. There may be a lack of thirst, even during fever. In addition, the remedy can be given for hay fever if accompanied by these symptoms.

Yellow jessamine came into regular use from the middle of the 19th century; chiefly as a treatment for nervous disorders such as sciatica and neuralgia.

Uses

In its homeopathic form, Gelsemium is prepared from the fresh root, which is chopped, soaked in alcohol, strained, and diluted to the desired, highly dilute potencies.
Homeopathic physicians prescribe dilute solutions of gelsemium for ailments that are accompanied by symptoms like those of gelsemium poisoning.
Gelsemium mainly affects the brain and spinal cord, the motor nerves, muscles, eyelids, and mucous membranes. Gelsemium alleviates the following: headaches that intensify with movement or bright light and feel as if there is a tight band around the head; a sore scalp due to nerve inflammation; muscle pain associated with fever nervous disorders, such as multiple sclerosis; uterine pain and painful menstruation; achy right-eye pain; a sore throat with red tonsils, difficulty swallowing and earache; and summer colds.
It is given for feverish symptoms, such as a sweaty, flushed face, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, a furred, trembling tongue, twitching muscles that feel cold and tingly, chills with waves of heat along the spine.
Gelsemium is also used for fears, such as surgery or going to the dentist, and fear after a shock. All are accompanied by trembling. Overexcitement that causes the heart to miss a beat, drowsiness, and insomnia are also helped by Gelsemium.

Comments

From Jessi

I had to stop and remark that Gelsemium has been very helpful to me. I have been in several car accidents over the years, all not my fault, all total-outs. I was never injured in any of these accidents, and developed a phobia to driving as a result. I had managed this fear silently, assuming that I could handle the anxiety. I was wrong. I commute to a major city each day, and seldom drive. Being a passenger made it worse. I looked into homeopathic medicine, because doctors want to dope you up for fear. Gelsemium is calming with no side effects. I recommend it for anxiety, I can actually read a book in the passenger seat, before I would be soaked with sweat and sore from tightening up my muscles so badly.

From Dr. Sheryl Wagner

Many times the flu is brought on by the emotional symptoms of this remedy--anticipatory anxiety or any emotional event accompanied by anxiety. Recently a boy with Asperger’s was transferring to a new school. The first day was marked with anxiety and obstinacy in not wanting to go to the new school and the boy quickly developed a runny nose and fever. Over the next 4 days, he just wanted to stay in bed under the covers and the fever was worse in the morning accompanied by fatigue. This is what I've found with Gelsemium fevers and flues. They are the type that make you want to wrap up in a blanket and lay in bed. One feels as if all the energy is gone. A dose of Gelsemium 30c cleared up his symptoms in less than a day.