# Opium ## Remedy Classification - **Type:** Homeopathic Remedy - **Miasm:** Psoric Miasm - **Temperament:** Hot - **Aggravation Time:** Morning ## Keynote Indications Source: Derived from the dried latex of the opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum ), prepared for. homeopathic use through trituration and serial dilution to enhance therapeutic action while. eliminating material toxicity, in accordance with homeopathic pharmacopeia standards. Traditional Context: Historically employed in homeopathy for neurological, psychological,. gastrointestinal, respiratory, and systemic disorders, particularly those involving stupor,. insensitivity to pain, and constipation. It is noted for symptoms such as drowsiness, delirium,. obstinate constipation, and respiratory depression, often aggravated by heat, excitement, or. emotional shock, and ameliorated by cold, quiet environments, or rest. Modern Context : Indicated for neurological conditions (e.g., delirium, narcolepsy),. psychological conditions (e.g., dissociative disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder),. gastrointestinal conditions (e.g., opioid-induced constipation, ileus), respiratory conditions (e.g.,. sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and systemic conditions (e.g., shock, chronic. fatigue syndrome). It suits patients with acute or chronic symptoms characterized by stupor,. insensitivity to pain, constipation, respiratory depression, or delirium, typically exacerbated by. heat, excitement, or emotional shock, and often seen in individuals with torpid, oversensitive. constitutions. The remedy is particularly relevant for those with neurological or psychological. conditions, often presenting with symptoms like drowsiness or dissociation, commonly observed in. patients with delirium, dissociative disorders, or opioid-induced constipation triggered by stress,. trauma, or substance exposure. ## Modalities (Aggravations / Ameliorations) Worse from: Heat (weather, rooms, drinks), excitement, emotional shock, night, rich. foods, alcohol, lying down, morning, exertion, noise, trauma, solitude, talking. ## Symptoms by System ### Mind - Apoplectic (stroke) state. - Coma from drug overdose, fright, stroke or injury. - Loss of consciousness. - Dreamy. - Sluggish. - Dull. - Stupid. - No will power. - Placid. - Wants nothing, says nothing ails him. - Unable to understand or appreciate his sufferings. - Indifferent to pain or pleasure. - Nervous, irritable, tendency to start. - Frightful fancies, visions of mice, scorpions. - Fears after fright, which remains. - Delirium tremens with terror. - Delirious talking with wide-open eyes. - Exaltation of the mind, vivid imaginations. - Gaiety. - Talkative. - Rash. - Bold, increased courage. - Tendency to lie. - Deceptive, vision, taste touch, perversion of all senses. - Imagines parts of his body are very large. - Thinks he is not at home. - Carphology. - Apoplectic (stroke) state. - Coma from drug overdose, fright, stroke or injury. - Loss of consciousness. - Dreamy. - Sluggish. - Dull. - Stupid. - No will power. - Placid. - Wants nothing, says nothing ails him. - Unable to understand or appreciate his sufferings. - Indifferent to pain or pleasure. - Nervous, irritable, tendency to start. - Frightful fancies, visions of mice, scorpions. - Fears after fright, which remains. - Delirium tremens with terror. - Delirious talking with wide-open eyes. - Exaltation of the mind, vivid imaginations. - Gaiety. - Talkative. - Rash. - Bold, increased courage. - Tendency to lie. - Deceptive, vision, taste touch, perversion of all senses. - Imagines parts of his body are very large. - Thinks he is not at home. - Carphology. ### Vertigo - Vertigo after fright. - Lightness of the head in the elderly from injuries to head. - COMMENTS - Complaints brought on by fear, fright, anger, shame, shock. - Ailments from excessive joy (Aeon., Coff.). - Also from alcohol, lead, charcoal fumes. - For fright where the image reoccurs. - Fright leading to an excited state, hypersensitive, sleepless. - Mentals similar to those of drug addicts. - May lie and steal, lack of conscience. - Pa thologically courageous people. - State of confusion or delirium. - May go in and out of a stupor. - Time seems to move too slowly. - Frightened terror (Aeon.). - Fear of being murdered, of impending death. - Visions and nightmares, wakes in a panic. - Visions of fire a nd ghosts. - Visions of great beauty and misery, similar to manic-depression. - Astral visions. - Exhilaration. - Ecstasy (Aeon., Phos.). - Shock, total painlessness (Arn., Resc -b.), improbable lack of pain. - More rarely, shock with unbearable headaches. - Deception in their symptoms and behavior, their senses can be deceptive. - State of desirelessness. - Stupor. - Pinpoint, frozen pupils, irregular pupils. - Polarizing narcosis. - In crude doses it causes insensibility, numbness. - Total re laxation, calmness, tranquility. - Can a lso cause hypersensitivity, insomnia, heightened senses. - Sensitivity to light and noises (Coff.). - Hyperacute hearing (Lach.). - Grimmer noted that “this is a remedy of many phases and opposite extremes and alternating states, and of symptoms such as diarrhea with burning pains and violent tenesmus, and involuntary stools. - Or there may be an inveterate constipation, often ending in complete bowel obstruction and paralysis of the bowels, cancers and gangrenous ulcerations are most often painless.” Hahnemann described a “deathly paleness, coldness of the limbs and whole body, cold perspiration, timorous anxiety, trembling and despair, mucus stools, transient vomiting and short cough and very rarely certain kinds of pain.” He noted that it was a rare and transien t effect in excitable subjects, occurring as a reflection of the secondary state. - Keynote abnormal painlessness, but there are also acute pains. - Hahnemann recorded one example, “horrible labor-like pains in uterus, which compelled her to bend the abdomen d ouble with anxious, almost inef fectual urging to stool.” Characteristic drowsiness. - Inertia, torpor. - Absence of sensation, absence of reaction. - Great stupor, painlessness, complains of nothing, wants nothing. - “Want of susceptibility, trembling.” Lack of vital reaction. - Exalted sensitiveness and timidity, sensi tiveness to fright and other emotions. - Sleepy but cannot sleep, sleepless with acuteness of hearing disturbed by sounds ordinarily not heard at all. - Nervous and irritable, tendency to start. - Twitching, trembling of head, hands and arms. - Spasms in children at the approach of strangers, from nursing after the mother has had a fright, from crying, eyes half open and upturned. - Screaming before and during a spasm. - Tetanus, the spasms are ushered in with a loud shriek. - Epileptic attacks occur during sleep. - Epi lepsy after a fright. - Deep sleep after attacks. - Deep, rapid breathing, stertorous breathing while sleeping. - Children sleep deeply and snore, as if in a coma. - Coma, near death -like states (Carb-v., Ant-t.). - Coma from uremia, kidney failure. - Comatose-like states with high fevers. - Fever, the skin is hot and damp. - Secretions are generally checked except that of the skin. - Sweat is a characteristic concomitant. - “Very hot, sweltering perspiration.” Guernsey n oted that the “patient may not feel cold all day, but may have only a little chill and at night, when in bed, complain that the sheets feel so very hot.” T. - F. - Allen remarked that the Op. - fever may be closely allied to that of Aeon, because the Ranunculaceae are not far removed from the Papaveracee. - May have a high temperature without a distinct inflammatory process. - Intense thirst and great sleepiness, without the anguish, fear and restlessness of the Aeon, fever. - Fever is similar to Gels., but with thirst. - May be periodic, intermittent or remittent. - Happy with a high fever. - Brain damage from high fevers, lack of oxygen or drugs, particularly in children (Hell.). - Delirium with great loquacity, visions of animals starting out of various parts of the room. - Feels well in delirium. - Delirium tremens, very little drink is sufficient to bring on an attack. - The bed feels too hot. - Better cool, fresh air, worse warmth (Apis.). - Besotted face, dusky, mottled (Bapt.). - Can be bloated, purplish with dark blue color. - Emaciation, wrinkled skin, sunken eyes. - Dry skin. - Wasting infants who look aged, jerking and twisting of the body. - Constant expression of fright. - Pinpoint pupils, unequal, fixed. - Glassy eyed children, especially with an arched back and high fever. - Childhood meningitis, arched backs, high fever, may have convulsions. - Dreamy, sleepy state in meningitis (Gels.). - Stroke with dizziness and paralysis (Arn., Plb.). - Deep red face. - Strokes with labored breathing, a dusky, dark color on the face, fixed pupils . - Stroke, with insensibility and partial or complete paralysis, resulting from charcoal vapor, inhaling gas, alcohol, fright, the fear still remaining. - After a stroke, dropped jaw, paralyzed bowels, and dry skin. - Multiple sclerosis with paralysis. - Paralysis of sphincters. - Severe constipa tion (Plb.), painless, after a shock or fright. - Impacted bowels, particularly in babies. - Complete constipation with no desire for stool (Alum.). - Lack of sensation, cannot strain. - Retention of urine due to lack of sensation. - Constipation with round stool, hard, black balls that look like sheep dung. - Involuntary and unconscious passage of urine and feces. - Reversed peristalsis and fe cal vomiting. - Ileus and strangulated hernia. - Inertia of the intestines results in constipa tion of the bladder, retention of the uterus, suspension of the menses. - Threatened abortion or miscarriage from fear. - Uterine inertia during labor. - Excessive fetal movements. - Birth trauma. - Asphyxia of the newborn (Aeon.), the child is unaware. - Puerperal convu lsions. - Drug overdoses. - Stupor and slurred speech from overdose (Gels.). - Nausea or constipa tion from drugs. - Antidotes the effects of morphine (Nux -v.). - Side effects of chemo therapy (Ip.). - Antidote for lead poisoning, especially where there is constipation, colic, cramps in the colon. - J. - P. - Willard repeatedly gave permanent relief in cases of suffering with Op. - 2x without producing any narcotic effect. - J. - B. - S. - King noticed that in seven opium eaters, there was marked arching of the back, especially of the upper part of the back. - In as many morphine takers he had not met with a single case of arched back. - Villers cured with Op. - 200c a case of hystero -epilepsy in which the attack was preceded by a sensation of swelling of body. - Veins protruded, face bluish red. - Complete unconsciousness. - In one of the worst cases of painful men struation Clarke ever treated, Op. - 30c gave greater and more lasting relief than any other remedy. - In one patient he gave Op. - 30c for constipation. - With the onset of the next period, Op. - caused a “sharp pain which caused vomiting and a desire to sit doubled up and keep warm.” C. - N. - Payne related the case of a little girl, aged two, who had never slept properly since birth. - She went to sleep at the usual time and slept until 10p.m., when she woke moaning, crying and tossing about. - Seemed frightened, almost fell asleep again but woke with a start. - She screamed and kept one arm and one leg in motion after waking. - Seemed sleepy but could not sleep. - Usually napped during the day. - Nux-v., Bell., Cham, were given in succession in vain. - It then transpired that before the baby was twelve hours old it had four different medicines put into its stomach. - One of them was paregoric, and had been given since, as well as a “quieting medicine.” During the early months the baby had colic with constipation, stools in dark, hard, round balls. - Clearly, it was a proving of opium. - Op. - 200c was given. - The first night she slept much better, rapid improvement and cure followed. ### Head - Heavy occiput. - Pain in back of head, great weight there (Gels.). - Bursting feel ing. - Head hot with hot sweat. - Paralysis of brain. - Confusion in head. - Dull, heavy, stupid. - Complete insensibility, no mental grasp for anything. - Heavy occiput. - Pain in back of head, great weight there (Gels.). - Bursting feel ing. - Head hot with hot sweat. - Paralysis of brain. - Confusion in head. - Dull, heavy, stupid. - Complete insensibility, no mental grasp for anything. ### Eyes - Red, bulging eyes. - Staring, glassy. - Pupilsfixed, contracted, dilated, nonreactive to light. - Embolism of central artery of retina. - Visual hallucinations. - Cloudiness of sight. - Sensation as if eyeballs were too large, or of dust in eyes. - Quivering of eyes and lids. - Eyes half open and are turned upwards. - Eyelids hanging, as if paralyzed. - Ptosis (Gels., Caust.). - Swelling of lower lids. ### Ears - Acuteness of hearing, clocks striking at a great distance keep her awake. - Tin nitus like sea roaring. - Buzzing, tinkling in ears. ### Face - Red, bloated, swollen, dark suffused, hot. - Looks intoxicated, besotted (Bapt., Lach.). - Distorted. - Trembling, spasmodic facial twitching, especially corners of mouth. - Veins of face distended. - Lips swollen, protruding. - Lower jaw hangs down. - Lockjaw. - Old look after cholera infantum. ### Mouth - Dry. - Intense thirst. - Copious saliva tion. - Bloody froth. - Hemoptysis. - Ulcers in mouth and on tongue. - Difficult speech and swallowing. - Blubbering of lips. - Looseness of teeth. - Nose - Loss of smell. - Pulse - Pulse is full, slow, quick, hard, irregular, imperceptible. ### Throat - Dryness of throa t. - Inability to swal low. - On swallowing food either goes the wrong way or returns through the nose. - Bitter or sour taste in throat. - Aphonia from fright. - Voice weak with inability to speak loudly without great exertion. - Tongue - Tongue purple, white, black. - Tongue protrudes to right side, dry. - Paraly sis of tongue and difficult speech. ### Chest - Slow breathing or respiratory depression, with a sensation of oppression or. - suffocation, resembling sleep apnea, worse with heat, lying down, night, or. - emotional shock, often with snoring or pauses in breathing. - Opium (Dried Latex of the Poppy) 1481. - Wheezing or dyspnea, with a tendency to tightness, resembling chronic obstructive. - pulmonary disease, aggravated by heat, exertion, or night. - Dry cough or throat constriction, with a sensation of irritation or heaviness,. - resembling upper respiratory tract infection, worse with heat or talking. - Tendency to respiratory torpor, with aggravation in heated or recumbent states. - Systemic:. - Shock-like states or collapse, with a sensation of prostration or coldness, resembling. - shock, worse with heat, emotional shock, exertion, or morning, often with cold sweat. - or pallor. - Chronic fatigue or weakness, with a tendency to lethargy or exhaustion, resembling. - chronic fatigue syndrome, aggravated by heat, emotional stress, or night. - Chilliness or hypersensitivity to heat, with a sensation of sluggishness, resembling. - hypothermia-like states, worse with heat or poor diet. - Tendency to systemic torpor, with aggravation in heated or shocked states. ### Stomach & Abdomen - Painful sensitiveness and infla tion of stomach and epigastrium. - Heavi ness and pressure in stomach. - Incarcerated hernia. - Nausea with vomiting and retching. - Retching from emotions. - Vomiting with colic and convulsions. - Vomiting of blood or of greenish matter. - Vomiting in peritonitis of fecal matter, of urine. - Temperature - General low temperature with inclination to stupor. - H ot, sweaty and drowsy with cold limbs. - Heat extending over body. - Hot perspiration. - Sweats without relief. - Puise full and slow. - Fever characterized by stupor, snoring respiration, twitching of limbs intense thirst and sleepiness. - Hard, bloated, tympanitic. - As if a weight in the abdomen. - Lead colic. - Colic with urging to stool and discharge of hard feces. - Intestinal spasms, child cries day and night. - Incarcerated umbili cal or inguinal hernia. - Difficult emission of flatus. - Bowels feel completely ob structed. - Paralytic atony of bowels after laparotomy. - Hungry, but no desire to eat. - At tacks of bulimia with want of appetite and repugnance to all food. - Slowness and weakness of digestion. - Burning thirst, especially for beer. ### Urinary & Genital - Increased sexual desire with frequent e rections and pollutions. - Diminished sexual desire and impotence. - Spasmodic stricture from drinking poorly fermented liquor and in alcoholics. - Dysmenorrhea, forcing her to bend double with urging to stool. - Suppressed menses from fright. - Prolapse from fright. - Softness of uterus. - Horrible labor -like pains in uterus. - Hiccough during pregnancy .Livelyorviolentfetal motion. - Threatened miscarriage from fright with sopor. - Puerperal convulsions, drowsiness or coma between paroxysms. - Convulsions from stoppage of labor pains. - Suppression of lochia from fright. ### Extremities - Trembling of the limbs after frig ht. - Twitching of limbs. - Jerks as if flexors were overacting. - Convulsions, worse from glare of light, coldness of limbs. - One or other arm moves convulsively to and fro. - Shuffling and trembling gait. - Feels as if lower limbs were severed and belong to someone else. - Numbness, weakness. - Painless paralysis (Olean.). - Veins of hands distended. ### Neck & Back - Pulsating arteries and swollen veins on neck. - Opisthotonos. - Causations - Ill effects of fear, fright, anger, shame, rape, sudden joy. - Charcoal fumes, alcohol, lead, drug overdose, sun. ### Skin - Shock-like states or collapse, with a sensation of prostration or coldness, resembling. - shock, worse with heat, emotional shock, exertion, or morning, often with cold sweat. - or pallor. - Chronic fatigue or weakness, with a tendency to lethargy or exhaustion, resembling. - chronic fatigue syndrome, aggravated by heat, emotional stress, or night. - Chilliness or hypersensitivity to heat, with a sensation of sluggishness, resembling. - hypothermia-like states, worse with heat or poor diet. - Tendency to systemic torpor, with aggravation in heated or shocked states. ### Sleep - Great drowsiness (Gels., Nux- m.). - Falls into a heavy, deep sleep. - Profound coma. - Suffocates on falling asleep (Grind.). - Sleepy, but cannot go to sleep. - Sleeplessness from acuteness of hearing, distant noises keep him awake. - Bed feels so hot ca nnot lie on it. - Pick ing at bedclothes. - Dreams of cats, dogs, black forms. - Pleasant, fantastic, amorous dreams. - Coma vigil. ### Generalities - As if from smoke on the brain. - As if flying or hovering in air. - As if drunk. - Asif eyes too large for orbits, as if sand or dust in eyes. - As if eyelids paralyzed. - As of a band around chest. - As if something was forced through a narrow space in abdomen. - Rolling, as of a hard body in right hypochondrium. - As if intestines would be cut to pieces, as of a stone in abdomen. - As though anus closed. - As if lower limbs severed from body.