Nux vomica

The three "i"s irritability, impatience, indigestion

Irritability and Impatience

The Nux-v personality occurs in a person who is very quick and perceptive by nature. They can do things quicker than others so are impatient when they see a task being done slowly or improperly. They desire that the job to be done perfectly and have the proverbial “short straw” unable to tolerate the behaviour of others.

This perfectionist streak may lead them to work to exhaustion thus seeking stimulants to be able to keep the pace going, the quintessential workaholic. They are quick to anger, easily fly off the handle, slam doors, etc. This anger may surface when they have been under a lot of work pressure, they may be exhausted but are driven to continue working. Stomach ulcer is a frequent pathology arising from this type of behaviour.

This may lead to sleeplessness as ideas run around the head at night and the person cannot switch off, creating the vicious cycle of irritability as a result of lack of sleep. So this may be a useful remedy for insomnia, especially when this is associated with increased stress such as work pressure. The person wakes at 2, 3, 4 in the morning and cannot go back to sleep until it is time to wake up and then they feel miserable until that first cup of coffee.

Indigestion

When there are symptoms following any dietary indiscretion think of Nux vomica. It is known as the ‘hangover remedy’ and may help with symptoms following a night of celebration. It is a good remedy for indigestion or following a food poisoning episode. This may result in vomiting and diarrhoea.

Constipation may also be treated with Nux-v, there is frequent urging to stool (irritable bowel) but nothing passes, if it does the stool is often dry hard balls like sheep dung. The same will be seen with an irritable bladder with constant urging but only able to pass a few drops each time.

When I used to keep goats, I used this remedy successfully to combat the effects of lantana poisoning (dietary indiscretion). The symptom that guided me to its use was photophobia, the goat would stay at the back of the shed in the shadow while the rest of the herd went out to graze in the paddock. This is totally out of character for a goat as they will rarely be separated from the herd. After a dose of Nux vomica, the goat would be back with the herd and eating normally again. This was most beneficial if I picked up the anomaly within the first 24 hours. Once the poisoning of the lantana had fully taken hold of the goat, this remedy no longer helped.

Other uses

I have used this remedy for upper respiratory tract infections. The person is sensitive to light, noise, cold, they feel chilly, want to be wrapped up warmly and cannot tolerate any exposure to cold. There is fatigue, with the person not willing to move around much, they just want to lie down quietly. The throat is sore, raspy and painful when swallowing. They desire warm drinks. There may be lots of sneezing and a runny nose with one nostril blocked and then the other, depending on which side they lie on. There may be itchiness inside the ear or nose.

Keynotes

• Irritability

• Impatience

• Indigestion

• Sensitivity – noise, light, cold

• Chilly cannot tolerate cold

• Desires stimulants, warm drinks

• Fastidiousness, desires perfect performance

Disclaimer: This information is supplied for educational purposes only. Sources include published literature and anecdotal experiences of myself and other men, women and animals. The information is not intended for the treatment of any particular individual person or disease. If you are suffering any particular complaint please consult professional help.