Nux Vomica - Over Indulgence, Alcoholics and Debauchees

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Nux vomica is a remedy related to high living as in over indulgence. It is a remedy that very much relates to our modern times and pre-eminently to do with many conditions of modern life.  Nux vomica is also related to people, most likely men who like to burn out the candle at both ends.

The typical Nux patient is rather thin, spare, quick, active, nervous, and irritable. The patient leads a sedentary life, has mental strains and does a great amount of mental work as we find in prolonged office work, over study, and close application to business, with its worries and anxieties. This kind of  indoor life and mental stress looks for stimulants, such as coffee, wine, possibly and frequently in excess in the hope to quiet his excitement or by indulging in the sedative effects of tobacco and if  he is not really a victim of tobacco then  to the seductive drugs, like opium, etc.

These substances are then associated with other indulgences; for instance at mealtimes, he prefers rich and stimulating food and to make him forget the business of the day, he seeks wine and women.


Therefore late hours for bedtime are a consequence of his habits and dyspepsia, heavy/thick head and irritable temper are the next day's result which is followed by him taking some  cathartic, liver pills, or mineral water, and soon he gets into the habit of taking these things every day, which consequently  further complicate matters. Since these indispositions are more yielded to by men than women, Nux vomica is pre-eminently a male remedy. However, we  also see women engaging in this type of behaviour nowadays and therefore badly in need of this remedy.

These conditions and way of living leads to an irritable, nervous system, hypersensitive and over impressionable, which Nux vomica will do much to calm and soothe the constitution and the mind. Someone is a Nux vomica state is over the top in the temperament department, over-active, over sensitive, over-doing.  Nux vomica is especially adapted to digestive disturbances, portal congestion, and hypochondriacal states depending thereon. Its other modalities are: Convulsions, with consciousness; worse, touch, moving. Zealous fiery temperament. Nux patients are easily chilled, avoid open air, etc. Nux always seems to be out of tune; inharmonious spasmodic action.

Of course, when one takes the case of any patient, one is producing an overall image of the individual’s own experience of their life and their problems and as such, the individual will not always produce all the symptoms here presented, or he/she may present some of it and plus other symptoms pertaining to Nux vomica and not mentioned in this article.
However, the common  dominant threads will be found in the case when one steps back and looks at the recurring threads running through the case or the tapestry of that person's life.

As stated before, Nux vomica  is preeminently a male remedy, though women can also benefit extremely from this remedy. It is one of the acute remedies of Sepia and Sepia is a pre-eminently female remedy.

Concise History of Nux vomica

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Nux vomica made from the seeds of the strychnos Nux vomica tree. It is also known as poison nut or vomiting nut. It is a tree indigenous to East India, Thailand, China and Northern Australia. The main alkaloids present in the nut are strychnine and brucine. As many people know, strychnine is very poisonous.  History tells us that Alexander The Great was assassinated by drinking wine poisoned with strychnine.

High amounts of strychnine cause produces a loss of appetite, hypersensitivity, depression, anxiety , and rigidity and stiffness of arms and legs and toxic doses lead to convulsions and death.


Its  medicinal use goes back to the middle of 16th century. The German physician Valerius Cordus wrote extensively about this substance and back then this nut was used a lot by the Germans to treat  worms, rabies, hysteria, rheumatism, gout , and as an antidote for the plague.

Nux vomica is a polychrest,  that is, it is a remedy whose provings and clinical applications show that it has many widespread uses, covering a wide variety of mental, emotional and physical symptomatology. So I would need to write pages and pages about the application of this remedy  which is not really the scope of the short article.

It is the first choice remedy for  symptoms that arise from over indulgence in food, alcohol and hangover as at end of year and Christmas' parties.

The description above should suffice to give an idea of Nux vomica to a lay person.

CAVEAT: Only for self-help in acute situation.
Repeat dose once or twice  more  ONLY and if necessary, that is, if remedy has helped symptoms but they have returned slightly or need a little push again. Never attempt to treat chronic conditions  with homeopathy by yourself.