{"id":13632,"remedy_name":"Digitalis (HMT)","remedy_type":"Remedy","alternative_names":[""],"miasm":"Tubercular Miasm","temperament":"Neutral","aggravation_time":"Neutral\/Anytime","keynote_indications":"Digitalis is a renowned form of treatment used frequently in the\ndiseases of the heart.  In allopathy, it is used to control rapid heartbeat\n(tachychardia), as well as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).  It slows\ndown the pulse rate and controls its irregularity.  However, it has to be\nused for longer periods with incr easing dosage, but its beneficial\neffects last only for a s hort period.  Since it needs to be given in more\nand more amounts, it can accumulate in the body and cause an\ninjurious effect.  Under these circum stances, all allopathic doctors are\ncompelled to stop this medication.  As soon as it is stopped, the\nbeating of the heart becomes extremel y fast and uncontrollable again.\nThe power of the heart muscles be comes like an ineffective flutter\nafter which the heart starts to fail.  In fact, the slowing of the heart is a\ntemporary effect.  It does not incr ease the strength of the muscles of\nthe heart.  It only restricts the heartbeat to a certain limit.  The result is\nthat these muscles, gradually, fail completely.  Fluid starts\naccumulating in the lungs due to the backlog of blood that cannot be\nsatisfactorily pumped through the valv es of the heart.  The obvious\nresult is that the person cannot  breathe (cardiac dyspnoea). The\nhomoeopathic use of Digitalis, howev er, is without these dangers.  In\nfact, it is a very useful and good cardiac tonic.\n\nThe homoeopathic form of Digitalis works in every heart patient in\nwhom the liver function has also been deranged and the pulse has\nbecome light and weak.  It also ha s a beneficial effect on the function\nof the liver, spleen, as well as the lungs.  Homoeopathic use of\nDigitalis should not be abandoned for the reason that its allopathic use\nis not completely successful.  It must always be remembered in the\ntreatment of heart diseases .  According to Dr. Kent, who has been\npractising allopathy for a long time , the misuse of Digitalis has\nresulted in more deaths than savi ng lives.  Its action is very short-\nlived.  It deteriorates the heart muscles and knocks out the conducting\nsystem of the heart.  This comme nt of his does not apply to the\nhomoeopathic use of Digitalis but unfortunately, some homoeopathic\ndoctors are still very fearful of using it.\n\nOne thing to remember is that in Digitalis, the patient does not have a\nfever, except occasionally.  The pulse is slow; the liver is enlarged and\ntender to touch.  Once the liver dysfunction has set in, the stools\n\nbecome either light-coloured or cl ay-coloured.  The patient may have\njaundice.  There is a feeling of emptiness and a sinking sensation over\nthe stomach.  This particular symptom is noted only in a few\nremedies. The patient of Sulphur also feels weakness however, he will\nfind relief on taking food.  But in Digitalis, food does not relieve the\nsymptoms.  This particular sensation is not due to a stomach upset, but\nit is due to the weakness of the hear t (sinking of the heart).  It is an\nestablished fact that sometimes the pain due to the heart is perceived\nover the stomach or in the left, upper part of the abdomen, so much so\nthat even the expert cardiologist may not be able to diagnose it in\ntime.  Similarly, some stomach problems may be referred to the heart\nand will not respond to treatment with cardiac medication.\n\nIf the food increases rather than  decreases the discomfort at the\nstomach and the blood pressure rise s, this is a symptom of a heart\nproblem and of Digitalis.\n\nIn Digitalis, the patient is very restless during his sleep .  He\nexperiences nightmares in which he  observes many frightful scenes, a\nsensation of falling down and a desi re to run.  He dreams of falling\nfrom heights.  In fact, it is the sinking of the heart that results in the\ndreams of falling down.  During his sleep, the patient may feel jolted\ndue to the weakness of his heart an d nervous system.  As soon as he\ngoes to sleep, sudden jolting wakes him up (similar to Grindelia).\n\nIn Digitalis, there is bluish di scoloration on the face due to the\ndisturbance of the blood circulation.  The hands and feet also become\ncyanotic, while in Grindelia, there is no such symptom.  However,\nblue coloration is found in Cuprum also, which is due to the other\nailments rather than due to the weakness of the heart.\n\nIn Digitalis, the pulse is slow at  the onset of disease, but later on\nbecomes fast.  If the basic symptoms of Digitalis are present it will be\nthe most appropriate medication, even if the pulse is very rapid to start\nwith.  Its use should not be discarded due to the rapidity of the pulse.\nIn general, the pulse is weak in Di gitalis, yet it may be fast at times.\nIn Arsenic, the pulse is rapid but thready and tense.\n\nDigitalis is also useful in the treatment of heart problems arising out of\ngrief.  The heart flutters or may even  be felt to be stopping altogether.\nThere is intense restlessness.  The feeling that the heart is going to\n\nstop is typical of Digitalis. Digitalis would cure the cough due to heart\nfailure (cardiac dyspnoea).  It doe s not work on the cough arising\nprimarily from lung diseases.  Some times, the patient wakes up from\nsleep due to the feeling of su ffocation even without any obvious\njerking.  This means that the sensat ion of the breathing being about to\nstop was due to the disturbance of the automatic system of breathing\n(Herring Breaur reflex).  When the respiration rate starts decreasing\nprogressively, the patient must be awakened periodically or he may\ndie in the state of sleep.  A progres sive slowing down of the breathing\nis also a sign of the gastric patient.  This is due to the build-up of\npressure in the stomach, pressing on the diaphragm.  The difference is\nthat in a heart patient this conditio n is constant, while in a gastric\npatient the condition is occasional and noticed during gastric upset.  A\nfeeling of suffocation or choking is also seen in Lachesis, Phosphorus\nand Carbo Vegetabilis.\n\nUnfortunately, the use of Digitalis has been attached to heart disease\nonly, so most physicians do not consid er using it for any other kind of\nailment.  Yet, it is a strong and effective treatment for an enlarged\nprostate in older age.  The enlargement of the prostate at any age has\nbeen found to respond well to Saba l Serrulata and Chimaphila in\nMother Tincture form.  However, this form of treatment should be\ncontinued for a long period.  Also , Belladonna, Arseni c and Thuja in\nhigh potency have also proved to be useful.  However, if the prostatic\nproblem is associated with a heart ailment then Digitalis should be the\nfirst choice.  It makes the prostate  gland gradually shrink back to\nnormal size.  In fact, very few medicines have the capability of\nreducing the size of enlarged glands.  So, Digitalis should be used in\nlow potency of 30 over a long period.  Such conditions that establish\nand progress gradually will not re spond to the high potency but will\nrespond well to lower potency used over a longer period.  The potency\nmay, however, be increased later o n.  In my practice, I have used\nDigitalis in potency 30.  I have not  found it necessary to use a higher\npotency.  But, if the original relief offered by Digitalis 30 has stopped,\nit should be tried in higher potency.\n\nLoss of appetite and intense thirst  are peculiar to Digitalis.\nSometimes, as in Colchicum, even the smell of food may suppress the\nappetite altogether, yet in Digitali s, unlike Colchicum, there is no\nvomiting or tendency to become unc onscious.  The thirst flares up\nwhile the appetite gradually disappears.  This symptom is common in\n\nthe liver diseases and jaundice.  If the constitutional symptoms of\nDigitalis are found in the patient, Digitalis alone may be curative.\n\nThe restlessness of Digita lis is even worse than that of Arsenic.  The\nrestlessness of Arsenic intensifies on lying down or remaining still in\none position, while the restlessness of Digitalis is constant.  It does not\ndecrease by taking rest  or by physical movement .  If restlessness is\ndue to the progressive weakness of the heart muscles, Digitalis alone\nshould be administered.  I am of the opinion that the deleterious\neffects on the heart resulting from excessive prolonged allopathic use\nof Digitalis may be treatable w ith high potency like Digitalis CM,\nalthough I have not experimented this in my practice.  I suggest that if\nat all a homoeopathic doctor wants to try this, he may do so only on a\npatient in moribund state with no apparent hope of  survival, and that\ntoo, after getting permission from the patient and his relatives.\n\nItching is also found in Digitalis.   Red spots appear on the back.\nSymptoms are made worse on sitting tiptoes after food or listening\nto music , whereas the open air and empty stomach ameliorate the\nsymptoms.  Camphor relieves the ill effects of Digitalis.  China is not\ncompatible with Digitalis.  So China and Digitalis should only be used\none after the other with utmost ca re.  Crataegus happens to be an\nimportant adjuvant medicine.\n\nPotency: 30","modalities":"","symptoms_by_system":[],"schema_version":"1.0","api_provider":"Allahshafi"}