Apis Mellifica – Homeopathic Medicine: Its Uses, Indications and Dosage

Apis Mellifica is a homeopathic remedy prepared from honey-bees through the potentization process (a process by which homeopathic medicines are prepared). With this process, the latent medicinal properties of honey bee are extracted. It is known to be very effective to treat skin allergies, urticaria (raised itchy bumps on skin from an allergic reaction), bee sting, urinary infection and joint swelling.

The ‘Apis Mellifica’ Constitution

This medicine is suited to people who have sensitive skin and are prone to suffering from skin allergies and skin rash. Next, it is adapted to people who have tendency to get inflammation in various body parts like eyes, joints, urinary tract.

Drug Action

This is a first aid medicine for bee stings (without any anaphylactic shock symptoms). Next, it is a incomparable medicine to treat skin allergies and eye allergies. It is also used to manage inflammatory conditions of urinary tract, joints, with stinging, burning pains. Apart from the above, its action is marked to treat conditions with fluid retention in body parts like hydrocephalus (build up of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the cavities i.e. ventricle of the the brain), swollen ankles, oedema of legs, swollen joints, puffy swollen face.

Role as a Homeopathic Medicine

1. Meningitis and Hydrocephalus

This is an important medicine to manage meningitis i.e. inflammation of the meninges that refers to the protective membranes which covers the brain and spinal cord. It also is a very useful medicine to manage hydrocephalus cases. In both these cases it is used when the affected child is unable to hold the head erect and keeps boring the head into the pillow. The child also shows intense irritability with crying and loud screaming. Other attending symptoms shown by the child are drowsiness, mental confusion, dullness. Severe pain in the back of the head may also be experienced along with excessive sweating on the head.

2. Inflammation of Tongue (Glossitis)

This is a well-indicated medicine to treat inflammation of tongue where there is a prickling, burning, stinging sensation on the tongue. If we look on the tongue then it is fiery red, swollen. Sometimes cracks, ulcers or vesicles on tongue are seen. Person also feels the tongue is dry with inability to swallow. They may have bitter taste in mouth along with above symptoms.

3. Eye Complaints

When it comes to treat eye complaints, Apis is indicated for keratitis (inflammation of cornea), iritis (inflammation of iris i.e. the coloured ring around the eye’s pupil), swelling of the lower eyelids (bag under eyes) and eye allergies. The key features to use this medicine in above eye complaints are redness of conjunctiva with burning, stinging, shooting pain in the eyes. Along with it, swelling of eyelids and hot watery discharge from eyes is prominent.

4. Face Swelling

This is a valuable medicine to treat swollen, puffy face. Persons needing it have pale, sunken, waxy and puffy face. Puffiness of the eyelids mainly lower one is marked. They feel prominent stinging and prickling sensation in the face. They also complain of heat and burning sensation in the face. They wish to wash face with cold water to get relief in burning sensation.

5. Sore Throat, Enlarged/Inflamed Tonsils

This remedy acts on the throat, tonsils and helps in reducing its inflammation. It is given when the throat and tonsils are extremely red, swollen, inflamed, sometimes with ulcers. Along with this person feels stinging, burning, smarting, shooting pain in throat. They feel pain is worse on swallowing especially solids. Their throat is dry with heat along with constricted sensation. They also have thick stringy mucus in the throat.

6. Skin Issues

It is a beneficial remedy to treat various skin complaints. It is majorly used in homeopathy to treat cases of urticaria ( skin allergy where bumps / wheals appear on the skin). Here it is given when body is covered with large wheals that are red and inflamed or are white with red border. The wheals are painful, tender, hot and extremely sensitive to touch, and there are stinging pains. There is also violent itching and burning in the wheals. The itching gets worse from warmth of the bed and is better in open air.

Next, it is used as a first aid medicine in cases of bee sting. The results of bee sting including swelling, itching, burning, stinging on the skin are treated wonderfully with this medicine.

Other than this, this medicine is useful to relieve itching on the skin. It is used when itching is intolerable at night and it lead to sleeplessness. Along with itching, prickling over the whole body is present. The person feels better by scratching. Other symptoms that they usually have are roughness, dryness stinging, smarting and burning sensation on the skin.

Apart from above, it is highly considered in cases of skin allergies and skin rash. In such conditions it helps to heal the rash and ease the violent itch.

It also gives good results in case of large boils and carbuncles (skin infections with pus filled lumps on skin). Burning and stinging pains in them is characteristic feature to use this remedy here.

Next, it is given in cases of measles when there is intense weakness with eruptions. Its use is also thought for cases of imperfectly developing measles where eruptions did not come out properly. In such undeveloped eruptions cases fever, cough, diarrhoea and drowsiness are present.

Skin burns and prickly heat with stinging pains are the rest of the skin conditions which this homeopathic medication can very effectively manage.

7. Urinary Complaints

This is one of the top grade medicine to treat urinary tract infections (UTI), inflammation of urinary bladder and prostate gland.

In all such cases it majorly helps to relieve burning, smarting, scalding pain that is felt while urinating or after urinating. It also helps to manage attending complaint of weak urine flow, frequent urge to urinate and blood stained urine.

8. Joint Swelling and Inflammation

This medicine has a remarkable action on joints where it helps to reduce its inflammation and swelling. Among them it is majorly indicated for treating swelling of ankles and knee. In such cases along with swelling heat, sensitivity, soreness an stinging pains in the joints are marked.

9. Male Complaints

Males needing this medicine to treat cases of prostate enlargement have a frequent desire to urinate. The frequency is increased both day and night time. Another complaint faced by them where Apis seems to help is difficulty in passing urine with need to press hard to begin to urinate. It also helps to subside inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) and relieve the burning, stinging pains while urinating.

Next, it is an excellent medicine to treat cases of hydrocele. This medicine helps to reduce swelling of the scrotum. It also helps to relieve its associated pain.

10. Female Disorders

This is a leading medicine to treat complaint of ovaries, mastitis (inflammation of breast) and premenstrual syndrome ( PMS) in females.

The ovarian complaints that are effectively managed with it includes ovarian cyst, ovarian tumours, ovarian inflammation (ovaritis), ovarian pain, ovarian swelling, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). The major symptom to use this remedy in ovarian complaints is burning, sharp, stinging pain in ovaries like sting of a bee. The pain may also be cutting, shooting type. The affected ovary is sore and tender to touch. Many women needing it complain that the pain from ovaries radiate down the thighs. They may also experience worsening of pain in ovary before or during menses. The pain may also get worse during coition. Irregular menses in case of ovarian tumours is also indicative of its use. In most cases, it is the right ovary that is affected when this medicine is required.

Next, it is used to treat mastitis (inflammation of breast tissue). Females needing it have swollen, hard, tender breasts sometimes with pus formation in it from infection. They feel extreme burning, stinging in breast along with swelling.

Females having premenstrual syndrome are also greatly helped with this medicine. To use it in PMS the symptoms to look for are irritability, sensitivity of mind, and water retention.

Dosage

Use of Apis Mellifica is indicated in a tincture of 30 potency. It can be taken two to three times a day in 30 potency in case of acute complaints.

Relationship with Other Remedies

Complementary medicine is Natrum Mur, which completes its action.

Rhus Tox is inimical and should not be used before or after Apis Mellifica.

Antidote medicines are Carbolic Acid, Cantharis, Lachesis, and Ledum Pal as they neutralize the action of Apis.