# Avena Sativa

## Remedy Classification
- **Type:** Herbal Remedy
- **Miasm:** Emotional Miasm
- **Temperament:** Neutral
- **Aggravation Time:** Neutral/Anytime

## Keynote Indications
Selective action on brain and nervous system, favorably influencing their nutritive function. 
Leading indications are nervous exhaustion, sexual debility, and general weakness. Sleeplessness with 
nervous exhaustion and weakness. Chronic insomnia. Delirium tremens. 
Drug addictions. Bad effects of morphine or heroin addiction.  Addicted to cocaine, marijuana, nervines, 
tranquilizers or sedatives. Alcoholism. Insomnia due to drugs or alcohol.  Post-diphtheria paralysis. 
Rheumatism of heart. 
Colds and coryza.  Nervous palpitations. It is useful in nervous exhaustion, sexual debility, debility after 
exhausting diseases. Weakness of the mind when due to masturbation or sexual irregularities. 
Nervous states of the female and male sexual systems. Nervo us tremors of the aged. Parkinson's disease, 
chorea and epilepsy.

## Symptoms by System

### Mind
- Prostration of mind, mental exhaus tion, brain fag, with sleeplessness.
- Symptoms from mental or 
physical overwork.
- Mental exertion aggravates.
- Dullness, sluggishness.
- Difficulty of th inking and 
comprehending.
- Inability to keep mind on any one subject.
- Nervous exhaustion in brain workers, or from worry and anxiety.
- Difficult concentration from masturbation.
- Brain fatigue with sleeplessness.
- Morphine or heroin addiction.
- Alcoholism, dipsomania to help withdrawal.
- Hypochondriasis.
- Constitutions - Nervous constitution.
- Prostration of mind, mental exhaus tion, brain fag, with sleeplessness.
- Symptoms from mental or 
physical overwork.
- Mental exertion aggravates.
- Dullness, sluggishness.
- Difficulty of th inking and 
comprehending.
- Inability to keep mind on any one subject.
- Nervous exhaustion in brain workers, or from worry and anxiety.
- Difficult concentration from masturbation.
- Brain fatigue with sleeplessness.
- Morphine or heroin addiction.
- Alcoholism, dipsomania to help withdrawal.
- Hypochondriasis.
- Constitutions - Nervous constitution.

### Head
- Nervous headache at menstrual period with burning at top of head.
- Occipital headache with phosphatic 
urine.
- Aching deep in brain.
- Vertex headache during menses.
- Nervous headache at menstrual period with burning at top of head.
- Occipital headache with phosphatic 
urine.
- Aching deep in brain.
- Vertex headache during menses.

### Chest
- Inflammation of heart, carditis.
- Endocarditis.
- Rheumatic heart.
- Palpitations.

### Urinary & Genital
- Disposition to masturbation.
- Troublesome erections, wanting.
- Seminal emissions  aggravates.
- Seminal emissions without erection.
- Spermatorrhea.
- Impo- tency after sexual excesses.
- Diminished sexual desire.
- Nose - Coryza.
- Acute colds.
- Watery discharge.
- Rhinitis.
- Amenorrhea.
- Dysmenorrhea with weak circulation.

### Extremities
- Numbness, as if paralyzed.
- Weak ness, twitching, trembling of hands.
- Strength of hand diminished.
- Numbness, insensibility.
- Paralytic weakness.
- Rheumatic pains.

### Sleep
- Chronic insomnia, worse during convalescence.
- Sleeplessness after worry, mental exertion, after 
influenza, from weakness.
- Insomnia, aggravated by exh austion, alcohol.
- Sleeplessness in alcoholics, with 
delirium tremens.
- Urine - Sediment, phosphates increased.
- COMMENTS - Aven, is pre-eminently an anti-neurotic, quieting the nervous system to a remarkable degree.
- Its special sphere of action seems to be u pon the male sexual organs, regulating the functional irregulari ties 
of these parts perhaps as much as any remedy can.
- Aven, is indicated in the sleeplessness of the weak and elderly.
- Also for children who are nervous and weak.
- It is a most useful remedy in all cases of nervous exhaustion, general debility, nervous palpitation of the heart 
insomnia inability to keep the mind fixed upon any one subject.
- More especially when any or all of these 
troubles is apparently due to nocturnal emissions, masturbation, or sexual over activity.
- This is a specific remedy for drug addiction, mainly heroin and morphine, but also tobacco, cocaine, marijuana 
and valium.
- Boericke noted it for alcohol addiction.
- It is one of the most valuable means for overcoming morphine addiction.
- In most cases in which the habit has 
not used more than four grains daily the opiate may be abruptly discontinued and even substituted without any 
serious results.
- If a larger quantity than this amount has been taken for some time, it is better to g radually reduce the daily 
dose of morphine in the usual manner, simply prescribing the Avena in addition.
- The latter should be given in 
the same dose, as a rule, regardless of the amount of morphine taken.
- In other words, it is not necessary to in crease the Avena as the opiate is withdrawn.
- When the quantity of 
morphine has not exceeded four grains daily it should be stopped at once, as stated above and Avena given 
in its stead in fifteen-drop doses, four times a day in wine glassful of hot water.
- By this method the disagreeable aftereffects will be much less than though the dose of morphine is gradually 
reduced and the patient will find life quite bearable, as a rule, at the end of a week.
- Avena sativa should always be given in appreciable doses of the tincture.
- Fifteen drops three or four times a 
day, well diluted, will usually meet the case.
- It may be given in doses of from five to sixty drops in rare instances.
- It should, however, never be given in larger quantities than twenty minims un less the pati ent is thoroughly 
accustomed to the remedy and has found the usual dose insufficient.
- Otherwise, there is danger of getting the physiological effect of the drug, which is pain at the base of the brain.
- When this symptom makes its appearance the medicine sh ould be discontinued for a day or two and then 
given in reduced doses.
- There seems to be no danger whatever of forming the habit of taking this remedy, as it can be suddenly 
abandoned at any time without evil consequences, even when given in large quantiti es.
- In one case it was 
prescribed in sixty drop doses, night and morning, for one year and then abruptly stopped.
- Nothing was 
substituted, without bad effects.
- Whenever a quick action is desired and in all cases where Avena is given to overcome the morphin e habit, it 
should be prepared in hot water.
- It is also a good plan to prescribe it in this fashion wherever indigestion 
complicates the case.
- Anshutz employed this drug in his private practice for a number of years with the most gratifying results.
- He 
has very rarely found it to fail when indicated and on account of his high opinioii of the remedy he has taken 
great pleasure in thus bringing it prominently to the attention of the medical profession.