A blog on homeopathy -- Ruminating on Remedies

Gobble Gobble

11/23/2022

It’s turkey time!

If it were only the turkey, overeating probably wouldn’t be much of a thing. Add in the mashed potatoes and the stuffing (the name alone says it all!), the sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows (I’ve never tried it, but it doesn’t sound like my thing) and all the pies… now, we’re getting somewhere that ends up in overeating!

There’s not much sense in suggesting to go easy at the Thanksgiving table, but let’s see what we can do to mitigate the damage, shall we?

Before we get to homeopathy, let’s start with some Bach Flowers and see what we can do to pre-empt the debauch.

Cherry Plum to help control your behavior (both food-wise AND inter-relationally!)

Elm, especially if you’re the one cooking and preparing and hosting the big day -- there's a lot to do!

Honeysuckle if you find yourself stuck in memories of the past and having a hard time being present.

Olive if you’ve been over-doing it in the pie-making department and need a little more oomph to get you through.

OK, we’ve made it through the meal prep and the food itself and you didn’t have your Cherry Plum handy to help keep your appetite in check. What now?

Nux vomica for too much. Too much food. Too much football. Too much familial politics. All that too much has left you irritable!

Carbo veg is full of gas. Lots of burping, and that helps but, it’s not enough. Stepping outside for some fresh air helps, too.

Pulsatilla if you’re overdoing it was focused on ice cream, whipped cream, dairy and fats.

Nat phos for indigestion.

Arsenicum album if the indulgence has left you with burning pains. Or, if you find yourself suffering from food poisoning.

Lycopodium for bloating and gas. Better out than in!

Let’s take these last two remedies one step further and use the Banerji protocol of Lyco/Ars. Lycopodium 200c mixed with Arsenicum album 3c. It does wonders!

I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

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Overwhelmed

2/28/2022

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A friend texted the other day asking for a remedy suggestion “for work stress and ready to cry — not sad crying, but overwhelmed.”

My general go-to for stress and feelings of overwhelm is Ignatia, but that remedy wasn’t quite right here. I suggested Nux vomica to her.

Surprisingly, these two homeopathic remedies have a lot in common in the mental and emotional realm. It’s not really this simple (because there is a lot of nuance to homeopathic remedies), but to me, the difference comes down to this: Ignatia is a bit sadder and Nux vomica is a bit angrier.

In the homeopathic repertory (the big, marvelous book of symptoms), the remedies are listed on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the strongest association of the remedy to the symptom. Here is how Ignatia and Nux vomica stack up in a few mental/emotional symptoms:

Nervous excitement: Ignatia 3 & Nux 2
Grief & sorrow: Ignatia 4 & Nux 2
Inconsolable: Ignatia 4 & Nux 3
Sulky behavior: Ignatia 4 & Nux 2
Sadness: Ignatia 3 & Nux 2
Feeling dispirited: Ignatia 3 & Nux 2
Brooding behaviour: Ignatia 4 & Nux 1

Where is Nux vomica more highly indicated? Funny you should ask… I have that info right here:

Feelings of hatred: Nux 4 & Ignatia 1
Apathy & indifference: Nux 3 & Ignatia 2
Easily irritated: Nux 3 & Ignatia 2
Easily offended: Nux 4 & Ignatia 3
Disposition to quarrel: Nux 4 & Ignatia 1
Tendency to scold others: Nux 3 & Ignatia 1
Oversensitive… to noise: Nux 4 & Ignatia 3; to voices: Nux 3, Ignatia 1

See what I mean? These two remedies are very similar but just ever so slightly different (in the mental & emotional arena, anyway).

Homeopathic Nux vomica has a reputation of being a good remedy for “the businessman.” Picture the old stereotype of the stressed out, overworked, chain smoking, hard drinking, stressed out, short-tempered business man … the characters from Man in the Grey Flannel Suit* or Mad Men, or, heck, even Darren Stevens from Bewitched!

We’re now in a world where the smoking and heavy daytime drinking may have been dropped away from being societally acceptable, but the stress and the resulting grumpiness remains for all the desk jockies (not just the men in the grey flannel suits).

Homeopathic Nux vomica also addresses issues that stem from work, otherwise known in the repertory as the rubric, “ailments from being overworked".

Indigestion from the stress of being overworked.
Angst and problems stemming from business failures
Worries about business matters
Business matters infiltrating your dreams while you sleep
Headaches with irritability
Just plain worn out from work

All of this stress and worry can then lead to sleep problems which can be addressed nicely by Nux vomica:

Disturbed sleep
Stupefaction, after sleep or just generally feeling worse when you wake up
Falling asleep while sitting
Insomnia, especially if as a result of business worries

Just because the homeopathic literature speaks of the benefits of Nux vomica to businessmen does not mean it only benefits men or only benefits ailments from work related issues… but, it’s a helpful way to remember the remedy.**

Keep calm and carry a tube of Nux vomica…

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

*Aucoin (2015) has a nice overview of The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit.

**For more information on Nux vomica, see these previous articles: Calming the Cold, My Little Bag of Wellness, The Eagle has Landed!, Too Much!

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Gobble Gobble

Overwhelmed

Julia Coyte, CHom

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