Hello,
Recently I was prescribed nux vomica for IBS treatment. I was prescribed a 3 week course of 30x ( 3 pills, 3 times a day), followed by a week of 200x (4 pills once every other day). I was wondering if Nux Vomica should be taken for curative measures or only palliative - i.e. only when an episode of IBS occurs. I ask this because I am wary of taking such a strong medicine for so long - I seem to be having very sever headaches for the duration of my treatment. Any suggestions/advice much appreciated.

I'm a fellow patient, plus treater of my pets, plus learner. IMO this is not right prescribing. , BTW do you mean 30C and 200C?

Prescribing should be based on a "watch and wait" after first dose (or maybe first very few doses), and based on what happens then decide where to go from there, not routine prescribing like you describe. And generally as soon as either improvement or problems (like headache) is felt it is time to stop and wait. Sometimes to change course. I *know* all this and I still got caught listening and following a professional homeopath's advice to take too much for too many days. I should have stopped on day 3 when I was feeling better... There is a great desire to try to feel even better, and also to listen to someone who is a "professional".

Also there is usually no reason to take 3 pills or 4 pills at once. Also it is probably better to use medicinal solutions rather than dry dosing in such situations. I would be "proving" Nux Vomica if I took anywhere close that much of the same dose over and over like that--I think I started to prove what I was taking on even less than that. "Proving" may be what your headaches are--or alternatively "accessory symptoms" or "aggravations". I wrote a post about antidotes with issues like this in mind, but no one replied as yet.

Ideally all homeopathy should be taken for curative measures, not merely for palliative unless the latter is the best that can be achieved. But whether it is curative or palliative may not be determined by whether it is taken at the time of an episode or at other times. That may have more to do with whether the problem is deemed acute or chronic and whether there are issues regarding aggravations (for example I have heard sometimes not to take a dose during a headache because it can aggravate the headache--a fact that I can attest to personally--that it is better to wait till the headache is gone, and that a dose taken then will tend to lessen the severity or return of another headache--which however I cannot personally attest to.)

How far through this program of dosing are you at this point? And has there been any change in the IBS? And how about how you are feeling over all (energy, mood, etc.)?

If I were in your situation I would stop in any case and see if things seemed better after a couple of days or so. But we'll see what the professionas here have to say.

Teagan,
Thanks for your thorough reply. I've been thinking along the same lines. I read up some details of Nux Vomica in Nash's book and thought the symptoms verily matched what I've been experiencing with IBS. I took a 30C dose (thanks for correcting that) and within a day I felt better. In the hopes of completely eradicating myself of it I've continued with the dose. However, I feel like the symptoms are re-appearing and now accompanied by a sever frontal headache in the mornings - which, if I remember right, is another telltale symptom for Nux Vomica. I think I'm going to stop taking the doses and see. Hopefully it will settle down. I've been struggling with IBS for 2 years now and when I read up on Nash's description and suggestion of Nux Vomica I thought I'd found my cure. I'm still hoping it will fix the situation long term. Thanks once again for your insights. Much appreciated.

Dang, I know, that watch and wait business is tough! Have to retune brains to idea that more is not better. Or slow and steady wins the race or some such.

If it was right you will prob. settle down after a couple days and start feeling better once you stop, at which point, in my very junior opinion mind you, don't take more unless you feel worse again. ...or alternative would be don't take more unless you seem to have hit a plateau of not feeling on an upward course for several days

And try in meantime to read up on medicinal doses and how to slightly change the potency each time by succussing so as not to do so much proving and aggravating etc. . (David Little's site www.simillimum.com I think is good on this...)

If you don't settle back down again it was probably close--since it did seem to give some relief at first-- but not quite right in which case the goal (I think) is to look at things that are similar to Nux... and unless I've advanced a great deal in next few days, someone else is going to have to take it from there!

Meanwhile, since I am looking for what books would be good for me to get, particularly in re Materia Medica info, what can you tell me about Nash's?

This might be the Nash reference:

http://www.geocities.com/parthadeb/homeo/nash.htm

Incidentally, both C and X are different potency scalles....so it could have been either one.

__________________
"The significance of a fact is measured by the capacity of the observer."
Carroll Dunham

Interestingly everything here is an IMPROVING BRAIN SYNDROME.

Hello 'thekind78'
Would suggest that along with hom remedies you (or your practitioner) consider nutrition + gut function (absorbtion + flora)potential allergens / intolerances. This will speed up your recovery!
Good luck

Thanks for everyone's input. The book I happened to peruse was Leaders in Homeopathic Therapeutics by E.B.Nash. I was very much surprised in reading the first chapter, which detailed Nux Vomica, that the symptoms of IBS were detailed to the letter. I am still unsure has to how to go about treating with Nux. It seems to be suggested that higher potencies but at lower frequencies is recommended. But am not sure how many grains, whether they should be dissolved in water etc. I find the description on Nux to be so very consistent with the symptoms - something allopathic medicines have never done - that I am ever so eager for the treatment! Like I mentioned in my initial posting, I was on 30x, 3 grains, 3 times a day for 2 weeks. I think this may have been too much as I was 'proving' some of the other symptoms - i.e. headache, restless sleep after midnight, twitching of the eyes. I'm thinking of reducing the frequency of the dose, but maybe upping the potency - perhaps 200x once a week. Any suggestions? I'm very new to it all, and have been trying to get as much information from as many sources as I can. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Dragging in E.B.Nash later in the discussion. And bringing him to disrepute. Irritated Brain Syndrome?