Nux Vomica

Strychnine / Poison nut / Quaker buttons

Strychnos nux-vomica

The poison-nut tree was brought to Europe from southeast Asia in the 15th century. Strychnine, the toxic alkaloid from its seeds, was famous as a poison before 17th-century physicians discovered its stimulating effect on the digestive and nervous systems. Small doses can be diuretic, stimulate the appetite, and aid digestion, but excessive amounts can be fatal. Nux vomica was proved by Hahnemann in 1805.

Nux vomica is chiefly linked to workaholic personalities who drive themselves to stress and excess. Ambitious and pushy, they thrive on challenges, and often work in entrepreneurial or managerial jobs. The typical pattern is of someone who is oversensitive and intolerant of criticism, yet perfectionist and often very critical of others. Such highly driven people tend to overload their bodies at play as well as at work. They tend to have high sex drives, consume too much rich food, coffee, and alcohol, and abuse drugs. This indulgence can create tension and sleeplessness, and often leads to digestive disorders (most seriously, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, or liver problems when the body can no longer keep up with the lifestyle).

If the profile matches, Nux vomica is given for irritability, insomnia, digestive symptoms, colds and influenza, asthma, cystitis, and menstrual or pregnancy problems. Typically symptoms are worse for cold, noise, light, and odors.

Uses

To prepare the homeopathic remedy, Nux vomica, poison-nut seeds are ground to a powder and then diluted with milk sugar to the desired potency.
Nux vomica is mainly given for extreme oversensitivity and irritability. People who need this remedy feel angry and frustrated when their expectations are not met and become ill when they bottle up their anger. This may lead them to indulge in too many stimulants, resulting in insomnia. Digestive complaints, such as indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea with painful abdominal cramps, nausea with colicky pain, constipation, and hemorrhoids that cause rectal contractions are all helped by this remedy. These complaints may be due to the suppression of emotions, especially anger and irritability or may be brought on by overindulgence of certain foods, alcohol, and coffee.
Nux vomica is also good for colds with a blocked nose at night and a runny nose during the day; flu with fever and stiff, shivering, aching muscles; and coughs with retching or dry, tickly coughs with larynx pain.
Headaches and migraines, often due to a hangover, where the head feels thick or fragile on waking or as if a nail had been driven in over the eyes, are eased by this remedy.
In women, Nux vomica is given for early, heavy, or irregular menstruation, and where there is faintness before menstruation. Nux vomica is also used to treat cystitis; frequent urination, cramps, and morning sickness in pregnancy; and labor pain.

Irritability and insomnia - hangover-like symptoms, with disrupted sleep and great irascibility, due to an excessive lifestyle with too much alcohol, coffee, or other stimulants. A headache that feels as if a nail has been driven into the forehead is typical, as is waking at around 4 a.m. feeling very irritable and unable to sleep again until morning.

Digestive disorders - indigestion, and vomiting with painful retching. Diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal cramps, and nausea. Constipation may make it difficult to empty the bowel fully. Hemorrhoids and constipation may be due to rectal spasms. The abdomen is often bloated and flatulent. There may be cravings for stimulants or spicy, fatty, or rich foods, even though these only aggravate symptoms.

Colds and influenza - runny catarrh by day, especially in warm rooms, but a blocked nose at night. There may be sneezing, a sore throat and dry, tickly cough, headaches, and watery, sensitive eyes, or influenza with aching muscles and a shivery fever.

Women's health - cystitis with spasmodic pain in the bladder, and a frequent but ineffectual urge to urinate. Early, irregular, or heavy menstruation with cramping pains is treated with the remedy, and premenstrual syndrome with a violent temper. In pregnancy Nux vomica maybe used to help ease fatigue, frequent urination, numbness in the arms, leg cramps, constipation, and morning sickness.

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