Tarentula Hispanica: Homeopathic Medicine – Its Use, Indications and Dosage

Tarentula Hispanica is a great remedy having profound action on nerves and mind. Extreme restlessness is one of the top most indication for its use. It is a leading homeopathic medicine for managing cases of restlessness, twitching, jerking, chorea (movement disorder in which there is involuntary, unpredictable muscle movement) and hysteria (an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear characterized by laughing, weeping, fits of rage or anxiety). Oversensitivity to music is another key indication for its use.

The ‘Tarentula Hispanica’ Constitution

This medicine is well suited to nervous, hysterical persons prone to involuntary muscle movements (chorea) and destructive impulses.

Drug Action

This medicine’s sphere of action is most marked on nervous system and mind. It also acts well on female and male genitals. Its action is also seen on limbs, back, urinary organs and skin.

Clinical Indications

Nervous disorders, restlessness, ADHD twitching, chorea, restless legs, hysteria, mania, kleptomania, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, pruritis vulvae, nymphomania, sexual mania, dysmenorrhoea, leucorrhoea, fibroids, uterine displacements, coccygodynia, cystitis, boils

Scope As A Homeopathic Remedy

1.Mind Complaints (Restlessness, Mood Changes, Music Sensitivity, Hysteria, Mania)

The foremost action of this medicine is seen on the mind. The most important indication to use this medicine is intense restlessness that compels the sufferer to walk. They have to be in constant motion even if walking worsens the problem. The persons needing it are very impatient, anxious and impulsive. They may have impulses to cause destruction, they may strike themselves or others. It is one of the most prominent medicine to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) with extreme restlessness and compulsion to hurry. There may occur sudden mood changes with lack of emotional control. The person may indulge in intense laughter followed by screaming. Cheerfulness may alternate with anger and irritability.

Another top listed indication guiding feature to use Tarentula is sensitivity to music. Music causes great excitement and the person dances up and down, laughs, runs and makes gestures on listening music. They may also roll on ground from side to side, strike with feet or roll the head and rub it. It is also well indicated for cases of kleptomania (a recurrent urge to steal). It is a highly valuable medicine for hysteria (an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear characterized by laughing, weeping, fits of rage or anxiety) and mania (abnormally elevated changes in mood, emotions and activity levels).

Key Indicating Features

Intense restlessness compelling the sufferer to walk

Impatience, hurriedness and impulses to cause destruction

Hypersensitivity to music

Sudden mood changes, intense laughter followed by screaming, cheerfulness alternating with anger and irritability

Mania (abnormally elevated changes in mood, emotions and activity levels)

2. Limbs (Chorea, Restless Legs, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease)

Tarentula has a well-marked action on the limbs. It is of great help in cases of chorea. In cases needing it, there may occur irresistible movement of left hand and foot or right arm and leg. Another characteristic symptom to use this medicine is the trembling of body and great agitation in all the limbs. It is relieved by listening to music. Tarentula is also a valuable medicine for managing cases of Sydenham’s chorea earlier known as St Vitus’ dance. There is rapid jerking movement of face, hands and face in a person who suffers from this disease.

It is highly suited for cases of twitching and jerking. It proves highly effective for restless legs. There is excessive restlessness of lower limbs with need to change position frequently. Its use is also considered in epilepsy (tendency to fits). The person falls down unconsciously with rigidity of body, teeth grinding, squinting of eyes, tongue biting followed by dizziness. It is also an important medicine for cases of Parkinson’s disease (a nervous system disorder that starts with tremors at rest in one hand followed by other symptoms including slowness of movements, rigid muscles, impaired posture, balance issues and changes in speech). This medicine is indicated when there is marked trembling of left leg that extends to head and tongue. Pricking is felt in fingers and toes, memory is diminished and there is inability to do any fine work. It has shown great clinical improvements in numbness and weakness of legs too.

Key Indicating Features

Chorea – irresistible movement of left hand and foot or right arm and leg

St Vitus’ dance with rapid jerking movements of face, hands and face

Restless legs with a need to change position frequently

Trembling of body and great agitation of all the limbs, gets better from music

Parkinson’s disease with trembling of left leg extending to head and tongue, pricking in fingers, toes, diminished memory and inability to do any fine work

3. Female Problems (Pruritis Vulvae, Nymphomania, Painful Menses, Leucorrhoea, Fibroids, Uterine Displacements)

It has a marked action on female genitals. Tarentula is a very beneficial medicine for managing itching of vulva (pruritis vulva) felt after menses. There is dryness, heat and rawness in vulva and vagina along with itching. The itching increases at night. Scratching makes the itching worse. It is well indicated for managing cases of nymphomania (excessive, uncontrollable sexual desire in women). The females needing it are unable to suppress sexual desire. Its use is highly effective in managing painful menses (dysmenorrhoea). During menses, there is marked sensitivity in the ovaries. Females needing it mainly have painful menses more during cold weather and less in warm weather. This medicine can be given in cases of vaginal discharge (leucorrhoea). The discharge is of clear, sticky lumps alternating with bloody discharge. Another complaint where it can be used is uterine fibroids (non-cancerous growths in uterus). The guiding features for its use is fibroids with bearing down pains. It is further useful for early and copious menses with pain in uterus and extreme sexual excitement. Use of Tarentula can also be considered for cases of displacement of uterus attended with urine retention and difficulty in passing stool.

Key Indicating Features

Itching of vulva and vagina after menses

Nymphomania (excessive, uncontrollable sexual desire in women)

Vaginal discharge of clear, sticky lumps alternating with bloody discharge

Uterine fibroids with bearing down pains

Displacement of uterus attended with urine retention and difficulty in passing stool

4. Male Problems (Extreme Sexual Excitement, Gonorrhoea, Pain)

This medicine can be helpful in managing some male problems as well. It is a highly recommended medicine to manage extreme sexual excitement in males. Males needing it have unrestrained sexual behavior amounting almost to madness. The genitals are highly sensitive. Next it can be used in gonorrhoea (a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae). There is irritation in urethra with smarting (sharp) pain while urinating. This medicine can also be given to manage pain in testes mainly on touching and pain in groin. Lastly, it is indicated for heat sensation in penis during emission of semen. Semen may contain some blood.

Key Indicating Features

Extreme sexual excitement and unrestrained sexual behaviour in males almost to madness

Gonorrhoea with irritation in urethra with smarting while urinating

Heat sensation in penis during emission of semen

5. Back Concerns (Tail Bone Pain, Sensitive Spine)

If we talk of back complaints, Tarentula mainly acts well on the coccyx (tail bone that lies at the bottom portion of spine). It is a very suitable medicine to manage pain in coccyx (coccygodynia). Persons needing it have worsening of this pain from little movement and touch. It gets better by standing. It is a prominent medicine when pain in tailbone occur in a woman specifically after delivery of child. It is accompanied with burning smarting vaginal discharges. The pain worsens by movement, sitting, lying and from the least pressure. It feels better while standing. Second indication for using this medicine is increased sensitivity of spine to touch. A slightest touch on spine cause pain in chest and heart.

Key Indicating Features

Tailbone pain worse from little movement and touch, better by standing

Pain in tailbone in women after delivery of child

Tailbone pain in women accompanied with burning, smarting vaginal discharges

Increased sensitivity of spine to touch

6. Urinary Issues (Urinary Incontinence, Cystitis)

Tarentula acts wonderfully on urinary organs. Here it is effective in managing complaint of urinary incontinence (involuntary escape of urine). The guiding feature to use it is involuntary urination while coughing or laughing. It is beneficial for cases of cystitis (inflammation or infection or urinary bladder). The bladder feels hard, painful and swollen. There is frequent urination along with pain which worsens at night. Urine smells foul, it may contain sandy particles. Fever may attend cystitis.

Key Indicating Features

Involuntary urination while coughing or laughing

Cystitis with hard, painful and swollen bladder, frequent urination with pain

7. Skin Complaints (Boils, Abscess, And Carbuncles, Itching)

Lastly, it has magnificent action on the skin. The first indication for its use is boils (pus- filled lumps under the skin). It works well when boils are painful with burning sensation. It is also indicated for other skin complaints where pus formation occurs including carbuncles (cluster of multiple boils) and abscess (pus-filled pocket in tissues of the body or organs) that are deep. This medicine aids pus expulsion from all kind of skin lumps. Secondly, this medicine shows good results in case of itching in the skin along with sensation of insects crawling on skin.

Key Indicating Features

Boils with pain and burning

Deep abscess and carbuncles

Skin itching with sensation of insects crawling on skin

Modalities

Worsening factors: Complaints get worse from rest, touch, noises, damp, cold, after menses, periodically

Relieving factors: Complaints get better from music, open air, pressure, bright colours, in sun and from warm water

Dosage

It works well in both low and high potency. Its potency needs to be selected as per the individual case presentation. The low potencies can be taken often, but high potency should be taken in infrequent doses.

Relationship With Other Remedies

Antidoted by: Pulsatilla, Magnesia Carb, Moschus, Cuprum Met, Gelsemium, and Carbo Veg

It antidotes: Lachesis

It can be compared with other medicines including Agaricus, Arsenic Album and Magnesium Phosphorica