Nux Vomica – Homeopathic Medicine: Its Uses, Indications, and Dosage

Nux Vomica is a plant commonly known by name Poison Nut of the family Loganiaceae. The seeds of the plant are used to extract the medicine. This plant grows in China, East India, Burma, and Australia. It has small flowers and orange colored fruits. The fruits contain numerous ash gray colored seeds that are coated with fine, silky downy hairs. As a homeopathic remedy, it is majorly used for treating gastric ailments, rectal ailments, anger management, urinary troubles, liver complaints, migraine, sexual complaints in males, sleep issues, and respiratory complaints.

Preparation

Nux Vomica as medicine is prepared from seeds of a plant poison nut. Trituration of the seeds is done to extract the medicine for use in homeopathy.

The Nux Vomica Constitution

In homeopathy, it is believed that every person has a particular constitution. This is the composition, structure, physical makeup and nature of a person.
Nux Vomica is suited to thin, active, energetic, ardent, careful, impatient, zealous persons with dark hair and disposed to get offended and irritable often and are spiteful and malicious. They are impatient, nervous, disposed to be quarrelsome and getting angry easily. Next, it suits literary, studious persons doing much mental work having a sedentary life, with gastric, abdominal complaints. It is also suited in drunkards prone to gastric ailments, indigestion. An oversensitivity to external impressions is frequently noticed. A tendency to chronic indigestion, gastric ailments and piles are usually seen.

Clinical Indications

Piles, constipation, indigestion, acidity, heartburn, migraine, sleeplessness (insomnia), asthma, colds, liver complaints, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, kidney stones, alcoholism, hangover headaches, umbilical hernia, inguinal hernia, drug abuse, tobacco addiction, anger management.

The Scope of Nux Vomica as a Homeopathic Remedy

1. Rectal Complaints

Nux Vomica is a very effective medicine to treat rectal complaints. In the case of rectal complaints it is indicated to treat constipation, diarrhea, piles, dysentery, and prolapse of rectum. The key indication for using Nux Vomica in constipation is frequent ineffectual urging for a stool but passing little quantity at a time. A constant uneasiness is felt in the rectum with frequent small evacuations. The stool is always insufficient and unsatisfactory with a feeling as if some part still remained in the rectum. A sensation as if the stool is not finished prevails. The stool is very hard, dry and knotty. Nux Vomica is highly preferred for treating constipation in infants, adults, elderly people, in women during pregnancy and person living a sedentary lifestyle. It is considered in diarrhea that arises in the morning, after rising, from indigestion, from taking alcoholic drinks, after drastic medicines and from prolonged drugging. Here stool is thin, brown, dark watery and offensive. Before and during stool, a cutting pain around the umbilicus is felt. The pains get better after passing stool.
It also helps rectify diarrhea in infants. Its use is also made in cases of alternating diarrhea and constipation. Nux Vomica helps to regularise the bowel movements. In cases of piles, it is useful for blind piles and itchy piles. There is burning, cutting, sticking, smarting at the anus. Slightest touch worsens the pain. Itching at the anus is worse at night keeping the person awake. Application of cold water at the anus offers relief in piles complaint. Piles during pregnancy or after parturition (delivery) are also indicative to use Nux Vomica. Apart from all these Nux Vomica is also given for dysentery. There is a discharge of blood with the slimy, watery, putrid, painful stool. Small quantities of jelly-like mucus pass with stool. Stool may be greenish in color. There is marked tenesmus, (a feeling of constantly needing to pass stools). Next indication for Nux Vomica is prolapse of rectum. Prolapse of rectum due to constipation majorly guides towards its use.

2. Gastric Troubles

Nux Vomica is an excellent digestive remedy for treating indigestion and acidity. The major symptoms for using it include – heartburn, sour bitter belching, water brash, nausea and vomiting with much retching. Pain in the stomach is also present. Vomiting gives relief in the pain for a while. Tension and fullness in the stomach gets worsen after eating. Burning in the stomach also attends. The stomach area is sensitive to pressure and person cannot bear tight clothing due to this. Excessive gas is present in the abdomen that is incarcerated or obstructed. Abdominal fullness, distension, rumbling is marked. Distension is worse after eating or drinking. Belchings gives relief. Abdominal colic arises. Pain in the abdomen is violent, drawing tearing in nature most times about the navel. Pain is worse from eating anything. Colicy, cutting pain in the abdomen with nausea is marked. Gastric ailments from taking alcohol, coffee, tobacco, highly spiced food are wonderfully treated with Nux Vomica. Dyspepsia from worry, anxiety and mental stress is also corrected with Nux Vomica. Nux Vomica is also a great anti-inflammatory medicine for the stomach. Its use is highly considered in gastritis with burning pain in the stomach and vomiting of everything taken, even in the smallest quantity soon after taking it. Motion sickness from traveling in the car also indicates its use. Nux Vomica is also a significant remedy for hernia – inguinal and umbilical. It is also prominently indicated for an umbilical hernia in infants.

3. Sleep Issues

Nux Vomica is an excellent medicine for insomnia (sleeplessness), mainly where maintaining sleep is the major trouble for the person. There is a rush of thoughts in mind causing insomnia. In daytime drowsiness is present. Tiredness and weakness are also present. Sleeplessness arising from abuse of coffee or tobacco or alcoholic drinks is indicative to use Nux Vomica. Mental strain leading to sleeplessness is also helped with Nux Vomica. Another feature for using Nux Vomica is talking during sleep. Complaint of loud snoring during sleep is also addressed wonderfully with this medicine. Nux Vomica also helps in cases of nightmares frightful dreams, anxious dreams, dreams about accidents.

4. Mental Complaints

Nux Vomica is frequently used for anger management. The person needing Nux Vomica gets offended very easily and explode with anger. They also have a spiteful and malicious disposition. They tend to be quarrelsome. They often scold and insult other people. They are highly irritable, headstrong, ill-humored and anxious and wishes to be alone. Along with anxiety, they have suicidal thoughts and tend to be jealous. They can’t bear criticism or minor contradiction is intolerable. They tend to criticize others, find faults in others and demands perfection. They reproach others for their faults. Usually, they are very careful, nervous, ambitious, workaholic zealous with fiery excited temperament. They are oversensitive to all external impressions including noise, smell, and light. It also helps in dealing with ailments arising after continued mental exertion and from disappointed ambitions. It is also useful in obsessive-compulsive disorders. They are extremely fastidious in nature.

5. Sexual Complaints in Males

Nux Vomica is also beneficial for treating a number of sexual complaints in males. It is frequently used for treating erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation. Next, it is suitable for the complaint of orchitis. The testicles are swollen and very sensitive to touch. Sharp, drawing or constricting pain is felt in the testes. Heated sensation in testicles attend. Pain gets worse from pressure and motion. Pain also worsens at night time causing restless sleep or sleeplessness at night on account of pain. Nux Vomica is also suggested to treat hydrocele. Next complaint where Nux Vomica offers help is spermatorrhea with weakness, backache, and irritability. Emissions during sleep with sensual dreams and exhaustion is also treated well with this remedy. Apart from this, it is helpful for treating chronic prostatitis and gonorrhea. In the case of gonorrhea thin discharge with burning on urinating are present.

6. Liver Ailments

Nux Vomica helps to rectify many of the liver ailments. Here, Nux Vomica is prominently indicated for an enlarged liver, fatty liver, jaundice, and hepatitis. The liver is swollen, sore and tender to pressure. Sticking, shooting, stinging, stitching, sharp or throbbing pain in the liver is felt. Motion worsens the pain. Tightness and constriction in the liver area is also present. Diarrhea and vomiting appear from liver complaints. Loss of appetite and aversion to food appears. Liver weakened from excessive alcohol intake, drug abuse also points towards the use of this remedy. Apart from above, Nux Vomica is preferable medicine for gall stones.

7. Headache

Nux Vomica is a highly suitable medicine for treating headache. Firstly it is recommended for migraine. Migraine from gastric troubles attended with nausea and acid vomiting indicates its use. Nux Vomica is also recommended for a headache that worsens from mental exertion or from anger. Headache from abuse of coffee, from light and noise, and from eating highly spiced food is also attended well with this medicine. Next, its use is suggested for headache from constipation. Hangover headaches also indicate its use.

8. Nasal and Respiratory Complaints

In the case of nasal complaints, Nux Vomica is given for coryza. There is stuffy nose or discharge of acrid nature from the nose. This majorly arises from cold air exposure. Nose blockage worsens at night time. Violent sneezing attends. This is most noted in the morning. Fluent coryza after rising is another key feature for its use. Intolerable itching in nose arises. Nose and frontal sinus may be inflamed. Headache attends nasal catarrh. Oversensitivity to strong odors is most times present. Its use is also made in cases of asthma. There is a suffocative sensation, oppressed breathing. Marked chest constriction and heavy load at the chest is felt. To it attends loud, whistling respiration with a severe cough. Very severe asthmatic attack after midnight appears. Asthma worsening from cold air also suggests its use. Apart from this, cough from gastric troubles and tobacco abuse are also treated wonderfully with Nux Vomica.

9. Urinary Troubles

Nux Vomica is indicated for treating kidney stones. There appears pain in kidney area. Pain may radiate to thighs. Walking worsens the pain. Relief by lying on the back appears. There appears constant urging to urinate. Burning and tearing pain while passing urine appears. Blood in the urine may be noted. Nausea, vomiting and ineffectual urging for stool is a major attending feature

Dosage

Nux Vomica can be used from 30 C to 1M potency. It is a short-acting remedy and its action lasts from 1 to 7 days approximately. The repetition and potency vary from case to case.

Relationship with Other Homeopathic Medicines

Sepia, Kali Carb, and Sulphur are complementary medicines to Nux Vomica.
Ignatia Amara and Zincum Met are inimical (interrupt the action of) to Nux Vomica
Its antidotes are Aconite, Arsenic Album, Chamomilla, Coffea Cruda, Opium, Pulsatilla and Thuja Occidentalis