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?allergic reaction to Gelsemium

Hi there
I wonder if you can help. I recently purchased some Gelsemium 30c granules on the advice of a colleague, as I had a very nasty chesty cough that wasn't shifting. I took one granule about 4pm on Wednesday 2 weeks ago - and I think my symptoms did feel improved after a while, although I felt a bit speeded up. I took another granule about 3am the following morning as my cough was stopping me sleep. I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, I developed some tight pain in my right chest wall (but no other symptoms of a heart attack!) and the following morning I had quite a widespread red, itchy rash particularly on my arms, legs, hands and feet. In the night I had also had some stiffness / tenderness in the back of my neck on the right side. The other symptoms have settled down, but the rash has persisted for almost a week or more (although fluctuating in intensity and towards the end mainly just on the back of my right hand). 3 days after taking Gel I took an antihistamine which seemed to settle it for the day but then returned the following day.

I asked a doctor and we don't think the rash could be attributed to my cough, as it is not a classic viral rash, but more obviously like an allergic reaction. Nor have I put myself in touch with any new potential irritants - my washing powder, clothes, hair/shower gel etc. all the same. I have not taken any other medicines other than paracetamol and ibuprofen - and a one off dose of antihistamine - all of which I have taken many times before.

So the only thing I can think of is that this is related to the Gelsemium remedy.
1) either it is an allergy - possibly to the base ingredients, but as this I think consists of medicated sugar, I can't see that being likely.
2) I am new to homeopathy but perhaps the other explanation is that this is a reaction to the Gelsemium itself - or that I have 'proved' the remed!? Lots of the symptoms seem to be at least similar to that described in some of the Materia Medica under Gelsemium. I also think it is possible I am very sensitive to such remedies. I once took a generic Hayfever homepathic remedy, which seemed helpful, but too powerful and I couldn't take it for a more than day. If this is correct - what dose should I use in future - something like the 6x potency? I have for a long time (since an unresolved grief and trauma many many years ago) been incredibly sensitive to all kinds of drug including caffeine and alcohol and my sense of self since the trauma/grief been fragile. I may post about this in future for advice but i would really value
a) thoughts about my reaction to Gelsemium
b) thoughts about an appropriate potency for any remedies i try in the future (i realise 6c is another step down, but i should i go really low to the x-range)

Funny - even writing about this - has started to make me feel itchy again!

Kind regards
 
  simplesimon on 2013-04-21
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
Seems you are very sensitive. And that you
overdosed bc it did improve you but you had a second
dose.

I suggest that you take one pellet of the 30c put
it in a glass of water and semi - dissolve it and
take a tsp. out of that glass and see if it stops
the aggravation.

From now on when you take remedies you should
probably do split dosing or take the remedy in
water to minimize aggravations.

Read more on this- actually on the forum today
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/17622

Try this method out even if you have to go thru a few
glasses.
 
simone717 last decade
Many thanks Simone717. I think actually the reaction to Gelsemium is pretty much over now - but is helpful to think about how i might take future remedies and what to do if i get another reaction. I may well try and take another hayfever remedy and perhaps Nat Mur which i really identify with for grief/trauma work. If I had a 30c granule of Nat Mur, what would you suggest as a good starting dose - dissolve it in water and just take a teaspoon again? Or perhaps even the sniffing method originally.

I was interested by the article although somewhat confusing for those new to homeopathy. It would seem to me that diluting a remedy makes it more potent and therefore that it would be even more likely to aggravate, but it seems it may not work like that... Could you explain this to me?

Best wishes
 
simplesimon last decade
Everything depends on what your current symptoms
are now.

There is a difference between acute and chronic
prescribing. You took the Gelsemium for an acute
cough. Acute is a sudden short term thing, like
a cold, cough, headache, flu, etc. In acute
you are matching the remedy to the symptoms of what
is going on. Usually you can get relief in a day or
a few days or even hours.

If you have chronic allergies, that is a chronic condition,
and so other things have to be looked at and your
full case taken. You would add in your mental states,
like grief, your general emotional states, food you
like and hate, weather likes and dislikes and also
what was going on with each problem when it began.

I had very bad allergies to pollen, and it took a year
and about 3 different remedies to cure them.

If I were you, I would see a local homeopath who has
5 years at least experience to supervise you and
suggest the potency. I would explain your sensitivity,
and I would take only one dose in water or a
split dose which is put the remedy in a bottle of water
and then take a cap out and put it in another bottle
of water and use a cap from that.

When a remedy has action, you stop taking it- good
or bad. You wait and let it finish and never take
more unless your symptoms come back. I can't
explain all of this on here, bc it would take a book
to do that.Good to know your aggravation is over.
 
simone717 last decade
Hi - i posted on here about an unrelated topic mentioning my sensitivity to homeopathy. I would now like advice about my main significant difficulty.

I have not seen a homeopath as I feel uncomfortable talking about these issues but I think I have finally found a treatment that suits me - Anarcadium Orientals - after trying Nat Mur and Phosphorous as recommended by a site on the use of homeopathy for dissociative disorders - I can't post the URL here apparently but it is easy to find on the internet by searching for 'homeopathy for dissociation' - let me know if any more pointers wanted.

In case people don't know dissociation refers to a lack of psychic integration so that even what people come to think of as 'the self' can't be taken for granted. Although i can get very anxious at times, there would be no point in me seeing a homepath for anxiety, because at other times i am quite the opposite - i.e. numbed to anxiety even in situations where i should be anxious!

Sex addiction has become my coping mechanism of choice over the years. Sometimes I call it my equivalent to self-harm, because i think it has a similar effect. It brings some kind of emotional and physical release that temporarily makes me feel connected (although not always) followed by feelings of disgust and self-loathing, and an inability to relate to others because of how I feel about myself (note I have no repulsion to sex, but this is sex used in a destructive way).

As far as I know I have never been abused, but I have been through quite a lot of personal trauma, much of it probably self-induced.

Because of my sensitivity as previously described I have started at a potency of Anarcardium Orientals of just 6X (I previously tried the split dosing method with Nat Mur and Phosphorous but didn't really know what I was doing and am not sure if these remedies were right for me).

Anarcadium seems to me to help what I have been trying to do for a long time - in terms of will power (Materia Medicas talk about the Anarcadium patient being characterised by an extreme conflict of wills) and reconnecting parts of my self in a constructive rather than destructive manner. But I don't really know how to proceed with dosing - and I am sorry, I know I should, but I just am not sure I am ready to see a homeopath directly just yet (I know all about confidentiality but that does not change how I feel here).

I think the 6x dose is really just lasting about an hour but seems effective when I repeat, but this has been a longstanding difficulty and I can't really dose every hour indefinitely. So how should I proceed with potencies? Proceed up the chain of potencies incrementally - e.g. 6X, 12X, 3C, 6C, 9C, 12C, 30C, 200C - and then even into the M doses..? Or given this seems to suit me and is lasting such a short time should i jump from my 6X dose to say 3 or 6 C and see how i get on?

Any advice would be much welcomed.

Many thanks
Simon
 
simplesimon last decade
You should try a mid range. 30c.

Dissolve 2 pellets in 2 tablespoons of water. 30c can act for 4 hours,
and also much, much longer- weeks- if it is right.

You may have a bit of aggravation- old things returning, and then
starting to feel mentally better. See how long it lasts for.

This can vary a lot- which is why you should be supervised. I don't
know why you think you should know dosing and potencies yourself-
as it takes some years of study and working with real people.

Some people may need the remedy every day for awhile, some may
need one dose of 30c only for a few months, some may find
the 30c takes them up to a level and they don't quite get to where they
need to be and then need a 200c.

Once you get into the middle of reactions, when you treat yourself,
you are not objective enough. Rules are when you react- stop the remedy.
Let it work. Once you go up in a potency- don't go down in potency
with the same remedy. There has to be a gap and you have to get
advice from a pro if you ever want to do that.

It would be better to put your case on here-than do this yourself.
 
simone717 last decade
Thanks Simone. I don't feel i should know these things but too awkward to see someone. Are you a homeopath? Could i pay you for a full online private consultation?
 
simplesimon last decade
PS post dosing I am now feeling exhausted!
 
simplesimon last decade
Exhausted after post dosing of what?

Tons of the 6x ? If you want, you can click my poster name and email me for
suggestions of who to go to online for private. I am studying homeopathy and
not a homeopath yet.

Best,

Simone 717
 
simone717 last decade
Yes - a few 6x's - to try and boost my will power! I guess it doesn't work like that! I'll be in touch. Thank you.
 
simplesimon last decade
PS - I have now seen a local homeopath face to face. Thanks for your encouragement. I'll let you know if it doesn't work out and I want to continue with idea of online consultation.
 
simplesimon last decade
Very good. Glad you finally made
that decision. In person is always better.

Best regards,

Simone717
 
simone717 last decade

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