Nux Vomica - The Homeopathic Remedy

General description and domicile:
Native to India the poison nut tree is a fair sized tree with a thick trunk. The timber from the tree is very hard and durable and does not contain strychnine. It is an evergreen tree with smooth, deep green oval leaves about four inches long.
Leaves, bark and seeds contain strychnine, a virulent poison. Strychnine is mostly extracted from the disc-like seeds after drying.
Strychnine acts on the nervous system causing violent convulsions of the face (fixed in a rigid death-grin), severe non relaxing spasms of the abdominal (and other) which arrests breathing with death following soon.

Warning: Extreme care must be taken when handling this plant as very little contact with Strychnine can be fatal.

Part used and extraction:
The dried seeds are used.

Remedy preparation:
Chopped and steeped in alcohol to obtain mother tincture

History:
The poison nut tree was introduced into Europe in the 15th century and it was not long before its poisonous properties were used but it took a further 200 years before the stimulating and digestive properties of small doses were discovered. However this was soon discontinued as far too many died from this practice.

The homeopathic remedy was proved by Hahnemann.

How to use these pages:
What follows below is a profile of the homeopathic remedy. This profile must be compared with the profile of the person to be treated in great detail before treatment can be commenced. See How to Use these Pages

Remedy profile:
Nux Vomica people a driven, ambitious and aggressive. They are often ruthless and tend to head towards managerial or commercial roles. They do not accept criticism but are quick to criticize others. They work hard, play hard and typically have a high sex drive. They are impatient and impulsive with excessive appetites for everything.
When ill they are totally intolerant of others, demanding, tense and self-pitying, feeling that life is leaving them behind.
They hate being out in the cold and are very susceptible to colds and flu's. Their indulgent nature when it comes to all substances leaves little room for being sick seeing that their bodies are already struggling to cope.

Key Symptoms:
Irritable, always right, dismissive of others, ambitious, workaholics, susceptible to colds, indulges in food and drink, dislike for cold places.

Used for treatment of:

Stress

Insomnia

Colds

Influenza

Fevers

Coughs

Catarrh

Sore throat

Cystitis

Painful menstruation

PMS

Incontinence (urinal)

Colic

Constipation

Indigestion

Nausea

Vomiting

Abdominal pains

Flatulence

Headaches (due to tension)

Migraines

General Symptoms Worse for: Factors/Conditions that make the symptoms worse
Cold rooms
Cold weather
Outdoors at night
Stress
Mornings
Smoking
Alcohol
Coffee
 

General Symptoms Better for: Factors/Conditions that improve symptoms
Warmth
Rest
Sleep
Evenings
Being left alone

See also our Herbal page on Nux Vomica.