Iris Versicolor – Homeopathic Medicine: Its Use, Indications And Dosage

Iris Versicolor is a natural homeopathic medicine prepared from fresh roots of plant commonly known as ‘blue flag’. It belongs to iridaceae family. The fresh roots of this plant collected in early spring or autumn undergoes potentization process that extracts and intensifies its medicinal properties and give us a very important homeopathic medicine Iris Versicolor. It is one of the best homeopathic medicines for managing cases of acidity, acid reflux, heartburn, gastric headache and migraine.

The ‘Iris Versicolor’ Constitution

It especially suits patients suffering from gastric issues mainly acidity, heartburn. Other than this it is suitable for persons prone to get gastric headache, migraine.

Drug Action

This medicine shows its principal action on gastro-intestinal mucous membrane, intestinal glands, salivary glands and head. It also acts well on pancreas and liver. Besides, its action on mouth, eyes, ears, throat, limbs and skin is also wonderful.

Clinical Indications

Acid reflux, GERD, acidity, heartburn, vomiting, loose motion, morning sickness, pancreas disorder, gastric headache, migraine, headache, tinea capitis, stomatitis, excessive salivation, eyelid inflammation, noises in ears, throat burning, tonsil pain, goitre, sciatica, joint pain, psoriasis, itching, eczema, herpes zoster.

Scope As A Homeopathic Remedy

1. Gastric issues (acid reflux, acidity, heartburn, vomiting, loose motion)

The foremost action of this medicine is seen on gastric system. It is a leading homeopathic medicine for managing cases of acidity, acid reflux (GERD – gastroespohageal reflux disease in which stomach acid back flows in the food pipe). In such cases there is heartburn (burning in food pipe felt behind the sternum). Constant nausea is present. With this sour, bitter burps may occur and one may vomit. The vomit could be watery, sour, bitter or sweet. Vomiting causes burning sensation in throat, fauces, food pipe, stomach. This medicine is of great help to manage burning sensation felt in a part of gastric tract or the entire gastric tract. Those who need this medicine may not feel better even after taking cold drinks. This medicine can be used for burning in epigastric region accompanied by  tenderness and vomiting.

Burning sensation in stomach or pancreas is witnessed and is accompanied by loose motion and weakness. Another reason for using it is abdomen pain from gas (flatulent colic). The pain is relieved by bending forward. Breaking wind (referred to as passing gas) also gives relief. Sometimes there is cutting, gripping pain in the abdomen. This medicine also works well to manage loose stool. Stool is watery, profuse, green-colored, and foul smelling,  may be mushy and may contain undigested food particles. Offensive gas may pass with stool. Sometimes stool is fatty/greasy. It is accompanied with excessive burning in intestines and anus. It is a very suitable medicine for managing diarrhea that occurs in summers. This remedy is well indicated for cases of cholera, enteritis (inflammation of small intestine). In general loss of appetite may be present. This medicine is also indicated for cases of nausea, vomiting during pregnancy (morning sickness). Besides, it can also manage cases of soreness of liver, liver pain worsened due to frequent motion.

Key indicating features

1. Acid reflux, acidity with heartburn and vomiting of sour or bitter fluid

2. Burning in any part or entire gastrointestinal tract

3. Abdomen pain relieved by bending forward and breaking wind (passing-out gas)

4. Liver pain worse from motion

2. Head (headache, gastric headache, migraine, tinea capitis)

This medicine has given great clinical results in cases of headache and migraine due to gastric problem. It successfully treats headache, nausea and vomiting, all of them being a result of acidity. Pain may occur in the temples and over the eyes. It is effective in cases of migraine when one feels pain over left eye accompanied with nausea. The scalp may feel constricted and sensation of band-around-head can be felt. Profuse salivation may accompany headache. In some cases, a ringing or buzzing noise in the ear is present. It also works well in cases where there is temporary blurring of vision followed by headache. Another type of headache it can treat wonderfully is the one that arises from mental exhaustion, like after studying. Headache may worsen in open air and some gentle motion may give relief. It is also relieved in cases of frontal headache along with constant nausea and vomiting. Such pain also causes sleeplessness. It can also result in excessive weakness and there could also be loss of appetite. Apart from the above mentioned pain, it is used to manage pain on the right side of the forehead that may be throbbing or shooting type. It worsens from rest, and cold air. Motion decreases its intensity. Lastly supraorbital headache located over eyes on one side can be handled with this medicine. This medicine is also of great value to heal cases of tinea capitis (fungal infection of scalp). In such cases, scalp is covered with scabs with oozing of yellow fluid from under the crust. The hair is matted together. In some cases, multiple yellow-coloured pus-filled (pustular) eruptions occur on scalp.

Key indicating features

1. Gastric or migraine headache attended with acidity, nausea, vomiting

2. Headache beginning with blurred vision

3. Headache worsens due to mental exhaustion like after studying

3. Mouth (stomatitis, excessive salivation)

It treats very well cases of stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth). A marked burning in mouth is felt. Ulcers may occur inside the cheeks. With this, there may be sweetish, greasy taste in mouth or even loss of taste can occur. Besides these, it is helpful in cases of excessive salivation (ptyalism). There is ropy saliva that may be slimy or greasy. It drops when talking.

Key indicating features

1. Stomatitis with excessive burning in mouth

2. Excessive salivation that may be greasy, slimy, ropy

4. Eyes (eyelid inflammation, red eyes, blue rings, visual troubles with headache)

This medicine helps in cases of inflammation of the eyelids which gets worse due to cold. It is also helpful in treating redness of the eyes, excessive tearing, and burning in the inner canthus. This medicine also helps in cases of blue rings around the iris in the eye. Visual disturbance (like blindness),  occurs with headache that comes and goes at regular intervals.

Key indicating features

1.  Inflammation of eyelids worse from cold

2. Blue rings around eyes

3. Periodical visual disturbance with headache

5. Ears (noises in ear)

This medicine also acts well on ears, particularly in case there are noises in the ears (tinnitus). The noises can be differentiated on the following bases: roaring, ringing or buzzing. It can also be used in cases of hearing difficulties. Even in cases of vertigo along with noises in ear this medicine is helpful.

Key indicating features

1. Roaring, ringing or buzzing noises in ears with hearing difficulty

2. Vertigo with noises in ear

6. Throat (burning in throat, tonsil pain, thyroid disorder, goitre)

This medicine is helpful if there is burning sensation in the throat, thyroid disorders and goitre (swelling that occurs in the front of neck from an enlarged thyroid gland). Burning or smarting pain is felt in throat, fauces that may extend upto the stomach. It is relieved by drinking cold water or even by breathing cool air. It also has a tendency to check tonsil pain that is shooting and spreads to the ears.

Key indicating features

1. Burning in throat, fauces extending upto the stomach

2. Pain in tonsils, shooting pain that spreads to the ears

7. Limbs (sciatica, joint pain)

For limbs this medicine is of utmost importance, particularly, for managing sciatica cases on the left side. Shooting or burning pain is felt in left lower limb. It worsens from motion. Other than this, it is an excellent medicine for managing joint pain in the right shoulder. The pain worsens from any type of motion or if one raises the arm. Additionally, it is also beneficial in cases of wandering pain in the small joints. It is mostly a tearing or shooting pain.

Key indicating features

1. Sciatica on the left side gets worse on movement

2. Right shoulder pain which gets worse due to motion or raising of the arm

3. Tearing shooting pain in small joints

8. Skin (psoriasis, itching, eczema, herpes zoster)

Lastly this medicine can settle some of the skin complaints. Firstly, it is beneficial for patients who suffer from psoriasis (an autoimmune skin disease with inflamed patches on skin covered with silvery scales). It especially helps manage psoriasis of the knees and elbows. There are irregular skin patches covered with shiny scales and little raised margins. Secondly, it helps if there itching that gets worse at night. Eczema cases with itching at night can be managed effectively with this medicine. In such cases, tiny eruptions present themselves on the skin which after scratching show black points. This medicine can also be given for cases of herpes zoster (skin disorder characterised by painful blisters causes by varicella zoster virus) especially, affecting the  right side of the body.

Key indicating features

1. Psoriasis of the knees and elbows

2. Itching at night

3. Herpes zoster of right side

Modalities

Worsening factors: The pain gets worse in the evenings, nights, hot weather, at rest or after mental exhaustion

Relieving factors: Complaints get better due to frequent movement

Dosage

This medicine works well in both low and high potencies. The potency is selected individually varying from case to case and low potencies can be repeated frequently. But frequent repetition of high potencies should be avoided.

Relationship with Other Remedies

Antidoted by: Nux Vomica

It antidotes: Merc Sol