Lachesis – Homeopathic Medicine: Its Uses, Indications and Dosage

Homeopathic medicine Lachesis was introduced in homeopathy by Dr. Hering. It is a leading medicine to treat schizophrenia, depression, sore throat, menopausal complaints, ovarian pain and haemorrhages (i.e bleeding).  

The ‘Lachesis’ Constitution

It is suited to weak, thin people who have a melancholic (sadness) disposition. It is suitable for women during the menopause period. Other than this, it is suited to alcoholics.

Drug Action

This remedy has a prominent action on the mind where it acts oat a deep psychological level to manage the complaint of depression and schizophrenia. It also works on blood vessels where it helps control bleeding. Next, it helps to improve blood circulation and offers help in treating varicose veins and varicose ulcers.

Role as a Homeopathic Medicine

1. Mental Complaints 

Among the various issues of the mind, this is a top listed medicine to treat schizophrenia (mental health illness that affects how a person thinks, feels and interpret reality). It mainly result in hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that don’t exist), delusions (false beliefs that are not based in reality), and disordered thinking. It is mainly indicated for persons having delusions of being poisoned or being followed by enemies who are trying to harm him. Another delusion they may have is being under the control of superhuman power. Along with delusions they may be excessively talkative, constantly jumping from one subject to another.

Next, it is a beneficial medicine to treat cases of depression. Persons who need it remain sad, unhappy, anxious. They feel forsaken. They become weary of life and doesn’t wish to do any work. They doesn’t wish to talk and want to remain alone. They loathe life and long for death.

2. Left-sided Headaches

This is a prominently indicated medicine for treating left sided headache. Persons who need it mainly have throbbing, tearing or drawing pain in left side of the head. They feel congestion and heat in head along with pain. Sometimes they also get nausea and vomiting during headache. Other people needing it may have dimness of vision or flickering before the eyes. People requiring it experience worsening of pain at night. They may also get headache from heat of sun. Apart from above its use is highly recommended in females who suffer from headache at or after menopause.

3. Inflamed throat and Tonsillitis

This medicine works effectively to reduce inflammation of the throat and tonsils. People needing it have pain in throat and tonsils. Most times the pain from throat extends to ears in them. They feel increase in pain from swallowing liquids. Pressure and touch on throat also worsens the pain. Other symptoms include dryness, constriction and a burning sensation in the throat. Sometimes a lump in throat is also experienced. In some cases stinging sensation is felt in the throat. If we look at the throat it is red, swollen with dark red/purplish colour of tonsils. In many cases ulcers may be seen on throat. Apart from the above, Lachesis is also indicated to treat quinsy (pus collection behind the tonsils).

4. Rectal Complaints

This is a prominent remedy to treat constipation and piles.

It helps to improve the sluggish bowel movements and gives relief in constipation. It is helpful when the stool is hard and passed with difficulty. The stool is scanty and insufficient. It also has an offensive odour. The persons needing it have ineffectual urge to evacuate stool. Along with it they feel pressure in bowels with gas. They also feels as if the anus is constricted.

Next, it is a very useful medicine to treat the complaint of piles. Protruding piles with stitching pain is a key feature to use it. Here piles protrude after each stool. After passing stool soreness and burning is felt at the anus. In addition to above throbbing, shooting pain and itching at the anus are also experienced by the person. It is also very beneficial for women having piles during their menopausal period.

5. Female Complaints

This is a highly suitable medicine to treat many female complaints.

First, its use is highly suggested to relieve troubles during menopause. Here the complaints like hot flashes, palpitations, headaches, heat in the head, inter menstrual bleeding (metrorrhagia) and fainting spells during menopause period are well managed with this medicine. Apart from this females suffering from depression during menopause are also benefited with this medicine.

Second, it is indicated in females having pain in the ovaries. Mostly they complain of pain in left side of the ovary. Nature of pain as narrated by them may be sharp, shooting, stitching, drawing or burning type. Pressure tend to worsen this pain. They also feel that the pain increase from exertion and walking. Menses may also be profuse and prolonged in them. It works good in ovarian pain from various reasons like ovarian cyst (fluid filled sac forming within the ovaries), ovarian tumour, ovarian inflammation (ovaritis).

Next, it is given to females to manage painful periods. Females requiring it have pain during periods especially during first day. They have labour like pains in pelvis. Ovarian pain on left side is also experienced.

Other than this, it is given for improving menstrual flow. Females who have scanty periods of short duration are greatly helped by this medicine. The menstrual flow is dark in colour and may have offensive odour.

6. Complaints of the Lower Limbs

If we talk about lower limbs, then firstly it is well-indicated to treat sciatica (pain that radiates from lower back through the hips down the leg along the path of the sciatic nerve). It is considered when the pain is violent, intolerable and shooting type. Person feels the pain worsen after sleeping. The pains come suddenly and disappear gradually.
Secondly, it is helpful to treat varicose veins on legs  (enlarged, twisted or engorged veins due to improper functioning of valves in the veins of the legs)

Lastly, it is recommended to manage cases of varicose ulcers (sore developing on the leg mostly on the inner side of leg just above the ankle due to poor blood circulation).

 7. To Control Bleeding

This is a great anti-hemorrhagic (that helps to stop bleeding) medicine. It is indicated to control bleeding from nose, blood in urine, blood in stool, blood in vomiting. Here dark, blackish bleeding is the characteristic feature to use Lachesis.

8. Skin Complaints

For matters of the skin, this medicine gives excellent results in case of carbuncles and boils (skin infections with pus filled lumps on skin). In these conditions bluish purple surroundings to the lumps is key feature to use it.

Next, it is useful to treat purpura that refers to purple coloured blood spots under skin that arise from bursting of small blood vessels.

Apart from the above, it is recommended in case of bed sores when they have black edges. 

Dosage

Lachesis is recommended from 30 to 200 potency. It is a strong medicine so its frequent repetition should be avoided. 

Always use this medicine under a physicians recommendation.

Relationship to Other Remedies

Complementary medicines are Lycopodium and Hepar Sulph. These medicines can be used after Lachesis to complete its action when it is no longer acting.

Inimical medicines are Acetic Acid, Nitric Acid and Carbolic Acid. 

Antidote medicines are Arseniuc Album, Nux Vomica and Opium, which neutralise the effect of Lachesis.