Nux vomica

Common name: poison nut.

Is the greatest of polychrests, because the bulk of its symptoms correspond in similarity with those of the commonest and most frequent diseases (Br.).

One of the best remedies with which to commence treatment of cases that have been drugged by mixtures, bitters, vegetable pills, nostrums or quack remedies, especially aromatic or "hot medicines," but only if symptoms correspond (A.).

NUX is pre-eminently the remedy for many of the conditions incident to modern life. The typical Nux patient is rather thin, spare, quick, active, nervous and irritable. He does a good deal of mental work; has mental strains and leads a sedentary life, found in prolonged office-work, over-study, and close application to business, with its cares and anxieties. This indoor life and mental strain seeks stimulants, coffee, wine, possibly in excess; or again, he hopes to quiet his excitement, by indulging in the sedative effects of tobacco if not really a victim to the seductive drugs, like opium, etc. These things are associated with other indulgences: at table, he takes preferably rich and stimulating food; and wine and women play their part to make him forget the close application of the day. Late hours are a consequence; a thick head, dyspepsia, and irritable temper are the next day's inheritance. Now he takes some cathartic, liver pills, or mineral water, and soon gets into the habit of taking these things, which still further complicate matters. Since these frailties are more yielded to by men than women Nux is pre-eminently a male remedy (Br.).

These conditions (just mentioned) produce an irritable nervous system, hyper-sensitive and over-impressionable, which Nux will do much to soothe and calm (Br.).

Especially adapted to digestive disturbances, portal congestion, and hypochondriacal states depending thereon (Br.).

NAUSEA AND VOMITING EVERY MORNING WITH DEPRESSION OF SPIRITS (A.).

NAUSEA AND VOMITING AFTER EATING (Ars., Bry., Cocc., Puls.) (A.).

CONSTANT NAUSEA (Ipec.) (A.).

The patient feels, "If I could only vomit, I would be so much better." (A.).

Pressure in the stomach an hour or two after eating (A.).

Pressure as from a stone in the stomach (Bry., Puls.) (A.).

Feeling of tightness in the abdomen after a meal; must loosen clothing (A.).

Sleepy after dinner (A.).

Flatulent distension after eating or drinking (Hr.).

Cannot use the mind for two or three hours after a meal (A.).

PYROSIS (Ars., Bar-C., Bry., Calc., Carb-V., Lyc., Mezer., Par., Petr., Puls., Sabad., Sang., Sil., Staph., Sulph., Verat.) (A.).

PAIN IN THE STOMACH (GASTRALGIA) TWO OR THREE HOURS AFTER EATING (Anac., Con., Mag-M., Nat-P., Phos., Puls.) (K.).

SOUR OR BITTER ERUCTATIONS (Bry., Chin., Puls., Sep., Sulph.) (A.).

RISING OF WATER AND BITTER FLUID FROM THE STOMACH (Ra.).

Vertigo from excessive use of coffee or liquor (Bt.).

Vertigo with momentary loss of consciousness (Cann-I., Kali-P., Sep.) (Br.).

Vertigo, with tendency to fall sideways (Calc., Cocc., Con., Puls., Sil.) (K.).

Mouth and fauces full of fetid ulcers (Bor., Kali-M., Merc., Nit-Ac.) (G.).

Mouth dry and sore, with bloody saliva (G.)

Sour taste in the mouth (Calc., Lyc., Sulph.) (G.).

Offensive odour from the mouth (Aur., Bapt., Carb-Ac., Kali-P., Lach.) (K.).

Tongue coated thick white (Ant-C., Kali-M., Puls.) (C.).

Gums scorbutic (Ars., Nat-M.,) (C.).

Throat raw, sore, rough, as if scraped (Caust., Merc.) (C.)

Stitches in the ear when swallowing. Hepatic troubles arising from drastic purgatives and allopathic dosing (Podo., Sulph.).

Jaundice (Chin., Merc., Nat-S.) (B.).

ENLARGEMENT OF THE LIVER FROM ALCOHOLIC EXCESSES (Aur., Chin., Sulph.) (D.).

Sticking pains and soreness in the liver (Hep., Lach., Merc., Sulph.) (D.).

Gall-stone colic (Berb., Chel., Chin., Podo., Sep.) (B.).

Colic with pressure upwards towards the thorax (Arg-N.) (Ra.).

Flatulent colic with desire to stool (Aloe, Coloc., Puls.) (D.).

Sensation as if the intestines were squeezed between stones (Coloc.) (D.).

CONSTIPATION, DUE TO IRREGULARITY OF THE PERISTALTIC ACTIONS (D.).

CONSTANT INEFFECTUAL URGING TO STOOL (Sulph.) (D.).

Frequent, small, slimy, or bloody stools, with pain low down in the back and urging or tenesmus, relieved immediately after the stool (N.).

Incomplete and unsatisfactory motions (Alum., Mag-M., Sep.) (D.).

Sensation as if a part of stool remained behind (Ign.) (D.).

Itching hæmorrhoids, which keep the patient awake (Sulph.) (D.).

BLEEDING PILES, WITH INEFFECTUAL URGING TO STOOL (Lyc.) (D.).

Alternate constipation and diarrhœa (Aloe, Podo., Sulph., Verat.) (A.).

DYSENTERY (Aloe, Merc., Sulph.) (K.).

Strangulated hernia (Coloc., Lyc.) (A.).

Painful, ineffectual efforts to pass urine, with scanty discharge and burning (Canth., Merc., Tereb.) (D.).

Strangury (Bell., Canth., Clem., Con., Equiset., Merc-C., Puls., Sep.) (D.).

Dribbling of urine in old people from enlarged prostate (Con., Hep., Lyc., Sep.) (D.).

PAINFUL URGING FOR URINE WITH URGING TO STOOL (Alum., Canth., Dig., Kreos., Nat-M., Prun., Staph.) (K.).

Renal colic (Berb., Canth., Lyc., Mag-P., Ocim., Puls., Sep.,); pain extending to the genitals (Br.).

Urine passes in drops, with burning and tearing in the urethra and neck of the bladder (Canth., Puls.) (N.).

Cannot keep awake in the evening; falls asleep long before bed-time, and awakes at 3 or 4 A.M. (Bl.).

Falls into a dreamy sleep at day-break, from which he is hard to arouse, and then complains a great deal and feels tired and weak (Bl.).

Tendency to faint (Ign., Nux-M.), from odours, after eating, in the morning, and after every labour-pain (A.)

WEAKNESS AND PARALYSIS (Con., Kali-P., Plb., Sil.) (R.).

LEFT-SIDED PARALYSIS (Lach., Rhus-T.) (K.).

Paralysis after apoplexy (Bar-C., Phos.) (K.).

Paralysis with coldness of the paralyzed part (Caust., Dulc., Plb.) (K.).

Convulsions with consciousness (Cina, Stram.) (K.).

SPASMS, WITH TETANIC RIGIDITY OF NEARLY ALL MUSCLES, WITH INTERRUPTIONS OF A FEW MINUTES, DURING WHICH MUSCLES ARE RELAXED (R.).

Convulsions brought on by the slightest touch, or draught of air (R.).

Opisthotonos, with inability to move, but wants to be held (R.).

Jaws snap shut, stiff (B.).

Trismus or lock-jaw (Bell., Cic., Hyper., Op., Strych.) (K.).

Tired, worn out feeling in the morning on waking (D.).

Cannot tolerate noise, music, talking, strong odours, or bright light (Bell., Colch., Stram.) (C.).

VIOLENT (SUICIDAL) IMPULSES (Ars., Merc., Nit-Ac.) (B.).

ANGRY AND IMPATIENT; CAN'T STAND PAIN (B.).

Ailments after continual mental labour (N.).

Oversensitiveness (Ign., Staph.) (N.).

Finds fault and scolds (Lyc., Sulph.) (C.).

Gives surly answer (Cham.) (G.).

Easily offended (Ign., Puls., Staph.) (N.).

Ill-humoured (Bell., Ign., Puls.) (C.).

Disinclination to do or say anything (G.).

SPITEFUL, MALICIOUS DISPOSITION (Nit-Ac.) (N.).

QUARRELSOME, EVEN TO VIOLENCE (Anac., Aur., Bry., Sulph.) (C.).

Disinclination to do or say anything (Bry., Ign., Sep.) (G.).

Even the least ailment affects her greatly (Acon., Cham., Ign.) (Br.).

Cannot bear to be opposed (Aur., Bry., Cham., Hep., Nit-Ac.) (D.).

IRRITABLE AND IRASCIBLE (Sulph.) (D.).

Great disinclination to mental work (D.).

Catarrh, from sitting in cold places, or stone steps (A.).

Catarrh, worse in a warm room, and better in the cold air (A.).

Headache: Worse in the morning, from mental exertion, exercising in the open air, after eating, or from wine or coffee; better in the warm room and from sitting quietly, or lying down (N.).

Sick headache, commences in the morning, increases through the day, growing milder in the evening; with dimness of vision and sour or bitter vomiting (Kali-B.) (G.).

SENSATION AS IF HIS HEAD WERE IMMENSELY LARGER THAN HIS BODY; AS LARGE AS A CHURCH (Arg-N.) (G.).

Nose running through the day, at night stopped up (N.).

Snuffles of infants (Am-C., Lyc., Samb.) (A.).

Dry coryza; worse at night; nose completely filled up (Puls., Sticta) (Bt.).

Dry, hard cough, with great soreness of the abdomen (Bry., Puls.) (G.).

Dry, racking cough (Bry., Con., Sticta) (Bt.).

Photophobia, much worse in the morning (C.).

Cough brings on bursting headache (Bry.) (Br.)

Spasmodic asthma; muscles of the chest become rigid; great anxiety and suffocation (Ars., Cupr., Lobel.).

Dyspnœa, while coughing, after eating, on lying down and from walking; and relieved by eructations (Aur., Carb-V.) (K.).

Palpitation after eating, or on lying down after dinner (C.).

Pressure towards the genital organs early in the morning, in bed, or during a walk, with a sensation of contraction of the abdomen (G.).

EVERY PAIN DURING LABOUR PRODUCES A DESIRE TO DEFAECATE, OR TO URINATE, PARTICULARLY THE FORMER (G.).

Much pain in the lumbar region (Aesc., Calc., Rhus-T.) (Hm.).

Painless injection of the whites of the eye (ecchymoses) (N.).

Blood-shot eyes (Bell., Stram.) (B.).

MUCH PAIN IN THE SMALL OF THE BACK, WHICH IS MADE WORSE BY TURNING IN BED (G.).

BACKACHE, MUST SIT UP TO TURN OVER IN BED (N.).

Easily excited sexual desire (Phos.) (Br.).

NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS (Chin., Phos., Sulph.) (Hm.).

Troublesome erections (Canth., Phos., Pic-Ac., Plat.) (K.).

Erections wanting (impotency) (Agn., Bar-C., Calad., Calc., Calc-S., Chin., Con., Lyc., Med., Phos., Sel., Sep., Sulph.) (K.).

Spermatorrhœa (Con., Phos-Ac.) (Br.).

Gonorrhœa with thin or greenish-yellow discharge (Merc., Nat-S., Puls.) (K.).

Soft sore or chancroid (Merc.) (F.).

Smegma increased (Canth., Caust., Sang., Sulph., Sumb.) (K.).

Bad effects of sexual excesses (Phos-Ac.) (Br.).

Menstruation very irregular (Puls.) (Bt.).

Menses too early and too profuse, with weak, faint spells (Bt.).

Catamenia before the time, and rather too copious, or keeping on too long, with complaints at the onset and remaining after it is over (N.).

Fetid leucorrhœa, tinging the linen yellow (Ars., Kali-P., Nit-Ac., Sep.), with pain in the uterus, as if bruised (G.).

Morning sickness during pregnancy (Puls., Sep.) (T.).

Threatened abortion (Caul., Sep.) (G.).

Pain in the extremities during fever (Bry., Eup-P., Rhus-T.) (K.).

Repugnance to cold or to cold air (Hep., Psor., Sil.) (A.).

Chill at 10 or 11 A.M. (Nat-M., Sulph.) (K.).

Chilly, on least movement, from being uncovered (Rhus-T.) (A.).

MUST BE COVERED IN EVERY STAGE OF FEVER VIZ., CHILL, HEAT OR SWEAT (A.).

Great chilliness and coldness, with blue nails, decreased neither by warmth of stove, nor by covering; mostly in A.M. (N.).

ANTICIPATING TYPE OF FEVER (Ars., Bry., Chin., Chin-Ars., Chin-S., Eup-P., Gamb., Ign., Nat-M., Sep.) (K.)

Great heat, whole body burning hot (Acon., Ars., Bell., Sulph.), yet must be covered, as the least uncovering or motion makes him chilly (N.).

The face becomes red and hot during fever (Bell., Stram.) (A.).

Sweat after midnight and in the morning (C.).

Sour perspiration, only on one side of the body (Br.).

AGGRAVATION: In the morning; soon after awaking; after mental exertion; after eating; at 3 A.M.; from touch; at 10 or 11 A.M.; from noise; in cold weather; from anger; from lying down; from uncovering; from liquors; after debauchery; from coffee; from over-eating; and use of purgatives.

AMELIORATION: In the evening; while at rest; in damp, wet weather (Caust.); in a warm room; on covering; after stool; after discharging wind; from warmth; from hot drinks; from free discharges; and from loosening the garments.

RELATIONSHIP: Complementary: Kali-C., Merc., Phos., Sep. and Sulph. (in nearly all diseases).

N.B. Nux-V., acts best when given at night, during repose of mind and body; Sulph. in the morning.

Inimical to: Zinc. (must not be used before or after).

Follows well after: Aloe, Ars., Ipec., Phos., Sep. and Sulph.

Is followed well by: Bry., Puls. and Sulph.

Similar to: Anac., Bell., Bry., Canth., Caust., Cocc., Hydr., Ign., Lyc., Merc., Sep., Sulph., Thuj. and Zinc.

ANTIDOTES: Cocc., Coff. and Ign.