Homeopathic medicine – Antimonium Crudum: Its Use, Indications And Dosage

The remedy Antimonium Crudum is derived from black sulphide of antimony (a metal) from the mineral kingdom. This black sulphide of antimony undergoes potentization (a process of preparing homeopathic medicines that arouses curative properties of a drug). By this process, it is converted into a brilliant homeopathic medicine Antimonium crudum to treat multiple health concerns.

The ‘Antimonium Crudum’ Constitution

Though it can be used in people of any age group, it mostly suits children and elderly people. A tendency to grow fat is found in children requiring it.

Drug Action

It is known to have an effect mainly on the skin, nails, gastric system, mind, mouth and joints. It is highly valuable in treating cases of rough & scaly skin with horny growths and gastric derangements.

Clinical Indications

Corns, callosities, warts, urticaria, fungal infection of nails, joint pains, indigestion, irritability, depression, mouth ulcers, coated tongue, piles, diarrhea and obesity in children.

Scope As A  Homeopathic Remedy

1. Mind (irritability, depression)

This medicine has a marked action on the mind. It is well-suited to children who are highly irritable. Children who need it do not like any attention and cannot bear to be looked at. They also have an aversion to being touched or washed. They become agitated if they are touched. They remain ill- humoured all the time. Next, this medicine is used to treat cases of depression. The person needing it feels very sad and weeps often. They feel that life is a burden and have a disdain for life. Depression can vary from mild to intense. Sometimes, suicidal thoughts may come up in those affected.

Key indicating features

1.  Irritability in children

2. Depression with sadness, weeping or suicidal thoughts

2. Skin issues (corns, callosities, warts and urticaria)

It has given wonderful results in treating many skin problems. It is highly recommended for cases of corns and callosities on feet.  These are thick and hard areas that develop usually on the skin of feet and toes as a protective mechanism against pressure. Antimonium Crudum helps in softening and healing them. It also eases the associated pain. Any sort of inflammation and burning sensation in corns is also taken care of with this medicine. Next, it is helpful in treating warts (growths on skin caused by infection by human papillomavirus). It is most beneficial for warts that form on hands and soles. Antimonium Crudum fights back the infection and heals warts, especially horny warts. This medicine is also known to treat warts that grow near the nails. These may cause irritation and bleeding too. Its further action on skin is seen in urticaria (a skin condition characterised by red, itchy wheals-shaped bumps on skin mostly due to an allergic reaction). Itchy white bumps on skin with a red centre is a key indication to use it in urticaria. Besides these, it proves to be effective in treating freckles. Freckles are small light brown spots on skin areas exposed to sun and eczema accompanied with gastric troubles.

Key indicating features

1.  Corns and callosities

2.  Warts on hands and soles

3. Urticaria with white bumps and red center

4. Eczema with gastric troubles

3. For nail fungus

Nail fungus medically known as onychomycosis finds a great cure with this medicine. Antimonium has proven to be beneficial when nails are discolored and break easily. They can also be distorted and may grow out of shape. Sometimes nails are thick. Pain and sensitivity under the nail is marked.

Key indicating features

1. Discolored, brittle nails

2. Distorted nails grown out of shape

3. Pain and sensitivity under nails

4. Gastric troubles (indigestion, loss of appetite, vomiting of milk in nursing children)

There is a great scope in treating multiple gastric concerns with this medicine. Firstly, it is capable of setting down indigestion. It is useful when there is heartburn, stomach bloating, nausea and vomiting.  Bloating and fullness of the stomach occurs after eating. There is excessive gas in the abdomen with a rumbling sensation. A characteristic attending feature with gastric issues is thickly coated white tongue.  Next, Antimonium can be given for excessive burping. The burps taste mainly of food that has been eaten. It can also effectively deal with loss of appetite. There is dislike for food in general but desire for sour acidic things & pickles may be present. One may have a loss of appetite after a severe illness. Besides these issues, Antimonium can also be given to the infants for complaints of vomiting milk after feeding. Milk is vomited in the form of curd. Following this, the child becomes irritable and refuses to take feed again. Not to forget, its remarkable action in treating headaches related to stomach disorders. This medicine is also selected to manage gastric troubles arising after intake of acidic food, bread, pastries, and also gastric problems that arise in hot weather.

Key indicating features

1.  Indigestion

2. Excessive burps tasting of food

3. Loss of appetite after severe illness

4.  Vomiting of curdled milk in nursing children

5. Headache associated with stomach disorders

5. Rectum (diarrhea, piles, inflamed rectum)

Antimonium Crudum settles many complaints of rectum as well. It can be useful in managing loose stool that occurs from eating acidic food or from overeating. The stool may have undigested food particles or hard lumps in it. Cutting pain in the rectum accompanies loose stool. Urgency to pass stool is marked. Nausea and vomiting may accompany it. Apart from this, it is very suitable for elderly people complaining of alternate diarrhea and constipation. Not only this, it can be given to treat piles if mucus is discharged in stool. The discharge can be constant and may leave a yellow stain on clothes. Prickling, tingling or a burning sensation may be present. This medicine can also deal with cases of inflamed rectum (proctitis). In such cases, excessive passage of mucus from rectum is a notable feature.

Key indicating features

1.  Diarrhea from acidic food and overeating

2. Alternate diarrhea and constipation in the elderly

3. Piles that discharge mucus

4. Rectal inflammation with mucus discharge

6. Joints (inflammation of finger, toe joint)

When it comes to joints, Antimonium can do wonders in treating cases of inflamed finger joints. There is pain in finger joints in persons requiring it. Sometimes, deformity of fingers may happen. This medicine is also valuable to manage joint inflammation and deformity of toes.

Key indicating features

1. Finger joint pain, inflammation and deformity

2. Inflammation of toe joints and its deformity

7. Mouth (coated tongue, cracks in corners of the mouth)

It is also a highly preferred medicine for treating some complaints of the mouth. With its effect on the mouth, Antimonium has the ability to reduce thick milky white coating on the tongue. There can be redness and soreness on the margins of the tongue. Excessive salivation that tastes salty can be present. Sometimes, there are blisters in the mouth. Cracks on the corners of the mouth is another striking feature for its use.

Key indicating features

1. Thick milky white coating on the tongue

2. Excessive salty salivation

3. Cracks in mouth corners

8. Head (gastric headache)

Antimonium crudum can be used in cases of headache. It is suitable when the headache occurs from stomach derangements. This may be triggered by eating acidic food, fatty food, fruits or alcoholic drinks. Another striking feature is a headache after bathing with cold water, along with nausea.

Key indicating features

1. Headache with stomach derangement, worse from fatty food, acidic food, fruits,

2. Headache from a cold bath

9. Throat (post-nasal discharge, inflamed larynx)

Antimonium also has its action on the throat where it offers help to manage thick yellow mucus discharge dripping from the back of the nose into the throat. It is also beneficial for people having a sensation of something being lodged in their throat with constant desire to swallow. It acts on the larynx and helps to reduce its inflammation. It can be given for managing cases of harsh, rough voice along with a bad pitch. Another characteristic to use it is loss of voice (aphonia) from overheating.

Key indicating features

1. Thick yellow posterior nasal discharge

2. Rough, harsh voice with a bad pitch

3. Loss of voice from being overheated

Modalities

Worsening factors: Antimonium crudum is used when there is worsening of the complaints from heat, eating acidic food, washing and having alcoholic drinks.

Relieving factors: Complaints may get better by rest and also in open air in cases where this medicine is required.

Dosage

Antimonium can be administered in low or high potency depending on the case. In acute cases, it can be repeated often in low potency. But when using in high potencies, one should avoid its frequent repetition.

Relationship with Other Remedies

Antidoted by: Hepar Sulph

Followed well by: Calcarea Carb, Lachesis, Merc Sol, Pulsatilla, Sepia, Sulphur