Causticum – Homeopathic Medicine: Its Uses, Indications and Dosage

Homeopathic medicine Causticum is prepared from Potassium Hydrate by the potentization process, by which homeopathic medicines are prepared. By potentization the medicinal properties of potassium Hydrate are extracted. Causticum is widely used to treat urinary complaints, muscle weakness, skin warts, joint pains and paralysis.  

The ‘Causticum’ Constitution

It is mainly suited to dark-haired people with sensitive skin. Next it is suitable to people suffering from joint pains, weak muscles, and urinary complaints.

Drug Action

This medicine has a marked action on the urinary system. In cases of urinary complaints, it helps to strengthen the bladder muscle and the urethral sphincter to treat involuntary urination and also retention of urine. Next, it acts on joints to reduce its inflammation and pain. Thirdly, it acts on muscles and manages complaint of muscle weakness and even loss of muscle function. Lastly its action on skin is wonderful where it is very beneficial to treat skin warts.

Role as a Homeopathic Medicine

1. Eye Complaints

It is a very helpful medicine to treat eye complaints. Here, Firstly, it is indicated to treat ptosis, which is the drooping of upper eyelid over the eye. It strengthens the eyelid muscle to improve ptosis.

Other indication to use it is eye floaters ( spots that move or float before eyes). In such cases it helps when a person sees black points, sparks or flickering before eyes. The spots may be small or large. Sometimes they are round and other times they have uneven shape.

Lastly, in eye complaints, it is beneficial to treat twitching of eyelids.

2. Facial Paralysis, Bell’s Palsy

This is a top listed medicine to treat cases of Bell’s palsy. It is a condition in which facial muscles get weak or paralysed (loss of muscle function).  The mouth is drawn to one side along with drooling of saliva, and muscle twitches in the face may also be present. It works well especially in right sided facial paralysis cases. Here, whole side of right sided face from forehead to chin is affected.

3. Urinary Problems

This is a very beneficial medicine when it comes to treat urinary problems.

Here, it’s use is considered in cases of urinary incontinence (involuntary passage of urine). It offers relief in such cases by improving the weakness of bladder muscle and strengthening the urethral sphincter. It is known to give major help in cases of stress incontinence i.e. leaking of urine when pressure is exerted on the urinary bladder as while coughing, sneezing, laughing.

Secondly, it is valuable medicine to manage cases of retention of urine. It is primarily useful for treating this complaint  in elderly people and in females after childbirth.  Urinary retention from constriction of bladder neck and from bladder paralysis is manageable with this medicine.

Lastly, it is given in cases of bed wetting ( involuntary passage of urine during sleep)

4. Laryngitis, Hoarseness of Voice

This is a leading homeopathic medicine to treat cases of laryngitis (inflammation of larynx-the voice box). Persons who need it complain of hoarseness of voice. It is most worse in the morning and evening time. They also are unable to speak loud words. Along with this  dry, tickling cough may be present in them. They feel dryness and pain in the larynx. Apart from the above, it is well-indicated to treat hoarseness of voice in public speakers from over straining of voice.

5. Cough

It is of great help in cases of cough. Cough from tickling in the throat pit is mainly indicative to use it. Persons requiring have difficulty in expectorating phlegm. They may find relief in cough from drinking cold water. Along with cough, they may  also complain involuntary urine leakage upon coughing.

6. Rectal Complaints

When it comes to rectal complaints, it is indicated to treat piles,  (swollen veins in the anus or lower part of rectum), constipation and anal fistula.

In case of piles it works well to manage stitching, stinging, burning pain in the anus. Persons who need it mainly complain of pain on touching the anus or while walking, sitting. It also helps to ease itching felt at the anus from piles.

In constipation, it is used when the first part  of stool is hard followed by soft. Few times the stool is covered with mucus. There is frequent urge to pass stool and stool is passed with great difficulty. Sometimes it is followed by  pain and burning in rectum.

Lastly, it is used in anal fistula cases when there is pain and pulsations in the perineum

7. Skin Issues

This is a renowned homeopathic medicine to treat a number of skin complaints.

Here, it is a highly effective medicine to treat skin warts (hard, rough, thick growths on skin arising from infection by human papilloma virus.) It is considered in cases of warts which are large, jagged and have peduncles. They may also bleed easily. For using it the warts are mostly present on face, eyelids, fingertips.

Next, it is  of great service to treat cases of old burns. In such cases, it aids healing of old burns that are slow to heal. It also is indicated to treat cases where  already healed burns on skin reopen and become sore again.

Other than this, it is also a significant remedy to treat skin ulcers that are very sensitive with burning sensation. They also ooze pus that may be blood stained sometimes.

Apart from above indications, it is used to treat skin rash that arises between the skin folds (intertrigo). The skin folds include those behind ears, between thighs, under breast, between buttocks.

8. Upper Limb Complaints

In case of upper limb complaints, it works wonderfully to treat writer’s cramp. It refers to cramps in the muscles of the hand while writing or playing an instrument.

Next, it is a top listed medicine to treat cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that arise from  pinched or compressed median nerve in the carpal tunnel passage located in the wrist. In such cases, it helps to relieve symptoms of tingling sensation or numbness in the fingers of the hand. It also helps in cases where sometimes weakness in the hand and atrophy of muscles of thumb are present.

9. Lower Limb Complaints

If we talk about complaints of lower limbs, then it is recommended for treating sciatica of left side attended with numbness. Sciatica is referred to as pain that radiates from lower back through the hips  down the leg along the path of the sciatic nerve.

It is also used in cased of cramps in the feet, toes and calf muscles of leg.

Next, one can also benefit from this medicine in cases of restless leg syndrome at night. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a condition in which a person has an uncontrollable urge to move the legs to relieve discomforting sensations in the lower limbs.

10. Joint Pains

This is a wonderful medicine to treat joint pains and arthritis (joint inflammation.) It can be taken to relieve joint pain including those of shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankles. It also helps to manage joint stiffness. Additionally, it also offers excellent management of pain and stiffness in extreme cases of joint inflammation where deformity of joint has set in.

11. Muscle weakness and Paralysis

It is one of the most effective medicines to treat muscle weakness and even loss of muscle weakness (paralysis). It is well-indicated to treat weakness or loss of muscle function of face, urinary vocal cords, eyelids, tongue and limbs.

12. Ataxia

This is an excellent medicine to manage complaint of ataxia. Ataxia is a condition characterised by lack of muscle coordination that helps in voluntary movements. It results in problems with gait (manner of walking) like inability to maintain balance while walking, tendency to fall while walking. Additionally, there may be difficulty with speech (like slow speech, tremor while speaking), involuntary eye movement (nystagmus) and problem with swallowing. Here, this medicine can take care of gait  problems. It helps in treating complaint of unsteady walking and easy falling in persons with ataxia. Apart from it, this medicine helps manage speech and swallowing difficulties in ataxia.

Dosage

It can be used from 30 C potency to 1 M potency. In acute complaints it can be taken once or twice a day in 30 C potency. In case of chronic complaints high potencies are recommended once or twice a week.

Relationship to Other Remedies

Complementary medicines are Petroselinum, Colocynth and Carbo Veg. These medicines can be used after Causticum to complete its action when it is no longer acting.

Inimical medicine is Phosphorus, and should not be used with Causticum.

Antidotes are Asafoetida, Dulcamara and Nux Vomica. These antidote medicines can be used to neutralize its action.