Remedy Spotlight: Belladonna

It's November in Minnesota, which means my kids have already been through a round (or two) of acute illnesses. My kids are under regular constitutional care with a homeopath, so acute illnesses move fairly quickly through our home. However, on occasion I do reach for an acute remedy. This fall, I found myself using Belladonna for their symptoms, so I thought I would share some information on this remedy.

Acute tip: In homeopathy, we match a homeopathic remedy to a person's symptoms NOT their diagnosis. So, a remedy might be used for a whole host of acute illnesses if the symptoms are similar (cold, flu, other respiratory illnesses).

With Belladonna, you want to think sudden and intense. Symptoms will come on suddenly or out of nowhere (for example, my son woke in the middle of the night with a pounding headache -- highly unusual for him). Symptoms will also be intense when Belladonna is called for; they will not come on gradually.

Fever: Fever will come on suddenly and be a fairly high temperature (remember: intense!). Their head and face will feel hot to the touch and their cheeks can be flushed red.

Head: Headaches with illness that are bursting, throbbing (this, along with the fever, is the symptom that my kids recently experienced). Head pain can be aggravated by light, noise, and movement. They feel better by lying in the dark, possibly with a cold compress and pressure on their head.

Other signs: They might be irritable and have hallucinations (this is what my son woke with in the middle of the night!). They can be thirstless or crave lemonade. Their eyes can be glistening, their pupils dilated, and their hands and feet can be cold to the touch.

Dosing: In acute illness, Belladonna 30c can be given every 3 - 4 hours.

If you need help finding a remedy for an acute illness, you can book an acute appointment with me.