Stomach And Gastro-Intestinal Ailments

Gastro-intestinal disorders can sometimes be relieved by simple kitchen cupboard methods.

Indigestion, for example, can be quickly eliminated with a teaspoon or more of baking soda in 4 ounces of water to which the juice of 1/2 lemon is added.

Often raw vinegar can be the catalyst for relief when a splash of it is added to 4 ounces of water.

When using homeopathics it is useful to know that the remedy doesn’t have to be digested to be effective; it just needs to be dissolved in the mouth.

Three Leading Remedies for Gastro-Intestinal Complaints

1.) Arsenicum album

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal pain

• Exhausted by illness

• Restless, changing position

• Anxious about illness and being alone

• Fears illness could be fatal

• Very thirsty

• May be fever

• Often chilly and craves being under blankets

• Worse at night

• Drinking even a little causes vomiting

• Cramping in abdomen

• External warmth is soothing

• Burning in rectum from diarrhea

• Good for food poisoning

2.) Nux vomica

• Use when illness brought on by stress or over-indulgence

• Heartburn

• Nausea

• Dry retching

• Headache

• Irritability

• Worse in morning

• Bloating

• Gassiness

• Desires vomiting for relief

• Urge for bowel movement with little excretion

3.) Sulphur

• Complete loss of, or excessive, appetite

• Food tastes too salty

• Drinks much, eats little

• Desire for sweets

• Weak and faint about 11 AM

• Water fills patient

• Abdomen sensitive to pressure

• Internal feeling of rawness or soreness

• Abdominal movements as of something alive

• Morning diarrhea drives patient out of bed

Other Remedies to Learn and Consider for Further Study:

1.) Veratrum album

• Violent and voluminous diarrhea with vomiting, may be simultaneously

• Watery stools with greenish color

• Cramps in abdomen relieved by diarrhea

• Motion aggravates

• Chilly

• Very weak

• Very thirsty for cold water

2.) Aloe

• Aversion to meat

• Flatulence after eating

• Nausea with headache

• Pain around navel, worse with pressure

• Abdomen is full and heavy, hot and bloated

• Weak feeling as if diarrhea will come on

• Stool passes without effort

• Constipation pressure in lower abdomen

3.) China

• Vomiting of undigested food

• Slow digestion

• Hungry and longing for food which stays undigested

• Flatulence

• Belching of bitter fluid with no relief

• Worse eating fruit

• Internal coldness of stomach and abdomen

4.) Phosphorus

• Much vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Restlessness

• Thirsty for cold drinks

• Better to use Arsenicum first unless vomiting triggered by smallest amount of liquid

• Warm water immediately aggravates

• Weakness in abdomen

• Feels hungry

• Involuntary stools

5.) Pulsatilla

• Symptoms from poor diet or excess of rich foods

• Look also for general symptoms of remedy

• Symptoms not too severe

• Heartburn

• Heaviness after eating

• Coated tongue

• Cold drinks relieve

6.) Ipecac

• Extreme nausea possibly with no diarrhea

• After vomiting, still no relief

• Not that ill, but maybe a fever and weakness

• May be caused by excessive eating

• Vomiting can be almost nonstop

• Pains in abdomen

• Lots of gas

• Green stool

7.) Bryonia

• Digestive symptoms are aggravated by motion

• Small amounts of liquid may cause vomiting

• Pressure on abdomen helps

• Diarrhea worse after waking

• Desires to be still

8.) Podophyllum – this remedy is not commonly found in remedy kits and is of immeasurable value during a bout of severe diarrhea. It would be prudent to purchase it separately to keep in your stock.

• Common for diarrhea

• Frequent and voluminous diarrhea

• Completely liquid stools

• Sometimes with headache

• Vomiting seldom accompanies the diarrhea