Sulphur is listed under "desire for alcohol" in bold type. Can Sulphur cure alcoholism?
Coulter says that Nux vomica has diminished the amount of alcohol intake again and again and Sulphur has acted well for the ill effects of alcohol. But it doesn't state that Sulphur has cured the desire for alcohol itself.

My friend (male, Japanese, piano tuner, 36) drinks at least one-third bottle of whisky every evening. He asked me if homeopathy can stop this habit. He fears of getting liver disease or some other, but he can't stop drinking. He says, "because I want to sleep well." or "because I have no other thing to do." To kill time. The disappointment in life seems to be implicated. He came to Europe with a great ambition, but the life in Graz isn't just what he imagined...

He took Nux vomica 200c in June 2000 for his sciatica. The pain subsided within three days and after the remedy he became less impatient, less irritable, less fearful about cancer. Before taking Nux vomica, when he had any pain somewhere, he was haunted by the thought that he might have cancer and he got into panic. But since then I've never seen him so panicked. Before, he drank 2 or 3 litres beer daily and was developing the desire for whisky. After Nux-v, the desire for beer disappeared, instead, he began to drink much whisky. Nux-v didn't well work on this aspect.

In October 2000, he complained that his hearing became less acute, maybe due to alcohol. He is piano tuner and has very acute hearing. Sometimes slight twitching in hand. He often had to re-tune the piano. But he wasn't sure if it's due to hearing or hand. He was anxious about it: he said, possibly he will be unable to carry out his profession. I gave him Sulphur 30c. He said that first a few days he thought that he didn't need whisky, but drank as his habitude(!), then it was the same as before. For a few weeks he complained that he had unusually hunger. And after a month, he became emotionally more balanced. Much less impatient, less nervous, less irritable, his face looked healthier (he had had dirty looking face before), less critical, his haughty attitude has almost disappeared. He said that he had never difficulty in tuning up since. As Coulter says, Sulphur seems to have cured the ill effects of whisky. But he keeps on drinking. No change concerning the amount.

My question is : Can Sulphur reduce the desire for alcohol, if this arises from Sulphur pathology? Or must Sulphur patients stop the habits with their own will, while Nux vomica can help to do so? Or maybe isn't Sulphur the closest remedy?

I'm puzzling my brain...:What is the difference between Sulphur's alcoholism and Nux-v's? Can Nux-v easily reduce the desire for alcohol, because strychnine affects nerves directly? I mean, both alcohol and strychnine affect neurotransmitters in the synapses, but their actions are opposite: strychnine increases the nervous excitability, while alcohol decreases. Does Nux-v constitution drink alcohol simply in order to soothe his troublesome nervous excitability, while for Sulphur constitution alcohol is his necessary fuel?

Does anyone have any experience with Sulphur in the case of alcoholism? Any idea, info. and advice are welcome!

Chihiro

Many remedies share symptoms, just as both Nux V and Sulphur share the symptom of the alcohol craving. In order to choose between any number of remedies which share symptoms, you must understand what it is that needs to be cured.

Sulphur does have an alcohol craving--but the remedy sulphur has this symptom because it generally craves sugar, in all forms. If we look at the symptom picture of sulphur, we can see that there is a tendency to hypoglycemia in these patients (11am headache, with irritability--that is a hypoglycemic symptom). Low blood sugar levels create the need for more sugar--hence the craving we see here. Alcohol cravings in the repertory often reflect a sugar craving in general.

Things are a little different for Nux Vomica patients, who crave not so much sugar but the activity of overindulgence, on all levels. There is often a great deal of stimulant overuse seen--overuse of coffee, which is particularly rough on Nux V. patients; overuse of rich foods, alcoholic beverages, overindulgence in sex, drug use in recreational substances, such as cocaine and amphetimines...The craving for alcohol here is part of the remedy's "need" to always have more--and better--of anything--it is part of an extremely driven and competitive nature often seen in patients who need Nux.V. Stimulant use often fuels their competitive drive.

So the "craving" is actually quite different in each of the remedies.

As for whether either of these two remedies will "cure" alcoholism, well you have to determine whether or not alcohol dependency is really not one of the two different things listed above--a physiological need for sugar in any form, or a competitive nature willing to keep itself going using any stimulant available.

Sulphur will address the hypoglycemic tendencies in the patient, which may stabilize blood sugar levels and allow the patient to live without craving so much sugar. The patient may stop or reduce drinking then.

Nux V. will address the competitive, aggressive nature in the patient so that the perceived need to use such substances (to enhance performance in competition) no longer exists. The patient may reduce drinking then.


Divina

[ 26 June 2001: Message edited by: Divina ]

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...and deliverance has many faces<br />but grace<br />is an aquaintance of mine

What's most peculiar here is his fear of cancer, and since carc. is listed as a 2 for alcoholism, it might work.

Also, it's true that Sulph. 30C might not have been strong enough; also, Sulphuric Acid is the remedy I've heard the most about in alcoholism.

Snoopy

My alcoholic patient is much better after a dose of carcinosin then Sulphur and back to carc. all in 10M potencies!!! She is off alcohol also because I put Quercus tincture in with the Avena Sativa tincture to stops tha trembles!!! The Quercus makes the alcohol taste horrid I think. At she says she doesn;t like the taste of the red wine she was drinking. Seriously you need higher potencies than a 30 to really strike home in a case like this. Naturallythe remedies have to fit the person as well.

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RSHom - Registered Homeopath

Thank you very much for all responses, Divina, Ricky and Snoopy!
The link between hypoglicemia and alcohol dependance is interesting. Sulphur "drinks much eats little". My friend is doing so. Whisky seems to nourish him. But in Sulphur the desire for alcohol appears along with depression. How does it relate? Often the persons who love alcohol don't eat much sweets. (At least it is known and said in Japan.) Does alcohol substitute sweets due to its high calorie? My friend wasn't drinker until he came to Austria at the age of 30. Before he ate much and drank much soft drinks. But he doesn't like Austrian food, as it is common in Japanese who have been living in Europe for years. He has history of undernourishment, because he ate too little and he lived mostly on beer. It was interesting, after the second dose of Sulphur, he began to cook oftener, as well as to clean his room. I think that he is doing well with Sulphur at the momemt.

One question to Ricky. How long did it take for your alcoholic patient to quit drinking? Certainly 30c is too low. In Austria it is only up to 200c that can be purchased over the counter.

Snoopy, thank you for your advice. I will study Calc. and Sulph-ac.

Chihiro

If your friend is considering taking a higher dose than 30 he really should be seeing a professional homeopath. Re my patient - I would want to wait and see if there are any relapses first. From the first dose there was any improvement from drinking 2 bottles of red wine a day to a couple of glasses. She needs to realise NO alcohol at all is the order of the day. When I last saw her she had been given a couple of glasses by her step father - I make no comment. She hasn't yet learnt to refuse but if it is not in sight and not there she doesn't go looking for it.

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RSHom - Registered Homeopath

Simple answer, NO!
Homeopathy can't make the decision for a person, its not a hypnotic, or a miracle cure that takes one's will away.
The decision is the person's alone. Homeopathy will aid in curing the effects of alcohol abuse, and the diseases there of.

Well having said that, I do believe that
specific remedies will reduce cravings.

Kali Bi has a longing for beer.
Ledum P takes away the craving for whisky.
Iodum and selenium desire spirituous liquors.
Coca has a longing for alcoholic liquors.
Phorsphorus takes away the desire for drinking liquor by removing irritation of stomach which casues abnormal appetite for liguor. (May be hypoglycemia here too.)

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Anti-aging
Carole Franske

I was able to complete eliminate the craving for alcohol in a woman with a serious problem with a single dose of Nat-mur 200. I have frequently found Nat-mur people to be heavy drinkers, sometimes they will drink on the sly. They drink to numb the pain or to make themselves feel happy, to forget about the past. They usually drink on their own, at home, and seem to prefer it that way.

The desire to drink is not usually a physical problem, it is a way of escape. What they are escaping from will often lead you to the remedy, even if that remedy is not included in the rubric "Alcoholism".

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David Kempson.<br />Dip.Homoeopathic Medicine.<br />Lecturer Australian College of Natural Therapies (Brisbane Campus)<br />Member AHA, AROH, HMA<br />Member Australian Homoeopathic Association. Member#0442.

Thank you for many posting! I really appreciate that you all took time to think about my question.

The cure of alcoholism by Nat-m is remarkable. In the case of my friend, I tend to believe that the cause is rather psychological. He says that he drinks because he wants to sleep well. But his girlfriend said that he sleeps well even without alcohol. And concerning hypoglycaemia, the actual problem is: because he is too lazy to make his food, he eats little and drinks. So, I think what drives him to drink is rather psychological problem.

He often says, "Ah, I should not live all my life in such a way. I must do something..." a kind of midlife crisis. While his colleagues in Japan are beginning to have their success in business, he is still a moderate employee. In the evening, while his Japanese colleagues are in business meeting or in dinner with their family, he is alone and has nothing special to do... He says that because he has no other thing to do, he drinks. In reality, it's to forget the disappointment in his life. Sulphur is acting favourably on his emotional plane. But he still keeps drinking. I wonder: Would another remedy have acted more closely, or simply will it take more time?

Chihiro

Following your thread with interest Chihiro.

Want to ask Ricky why her patient needs to realise 'no alcohol is the order of the day' as opposed to the state of moderation which she has reached?

See alot of damage from alcohol, but also from the methods of AA; people living in terrible fear that if they touch one drop, they're done for! What is worse, the drink or the fear? (have seen Lac-c used for AA ex-drinkers who are in a state of terror lest they drink).

Agree that most drug habits are about escape, in a high percentage of cases, from pain of some sort.