BELLADONNA

 Belladonna is a common homoeopathic remedy mostly useful for acute diseases with sudden and violent onset of symptomes. It has several actions over human organism and used for treatment of multiple conditions. Its scientific name is ‘Atropa belladonna’ and introduced in homoeopathy by Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann. Most of the Belladonna’s actions are over the nervous and circulatory system.

       ***The key feature of Belladonna is heat, redness, burning, sensitiveness. These conditions are must be present with any complaints. For example; a patient complaint for fever, on examination it founds that the head is very much hot and the examiner must be withdrawn his hand over the head due to excessive intensity of heat. But another peculiar condition is that the head is hot but the feet is icy cold. The entire face is red as its congested with blood. Patient is very much sensitive during disease state like, cannot bear to talk, desire instant relief, cannot bear to touch the painful area even the touch of clothing is painful.

***All the symptoms of Belladonna suddenly and violently appear. E.g. a boy is remained well in previous day but on next day he experiences any health problem, that means any disease may appear within a night or within a day. All the symptoms of Belladonna develop within few hours and the disease attacks is severe.

***The pain symptoms of Belladonna appear suddenly and goes suddenly and stay indefinitely (magnesium phosphoricum). Pain are going from above downward (in Gelsemium pain goes along back).

***Usually Belladonna patients are well behaved, social, jolly, frivolous (carefree and superficial), credulous (too great to readiness to believe things). They discuss their problem with others easily without forethinking. Feigning sick to draw attention to doctor due to extreme sensitiveness of symptoms.

***Belladonna symptoms are appearing in right side like, lung conditions appear first in right lung, right side of the throat, migraine pains are affected on right side of the head, right side of the abdomen etc.

***Headache symptoms: Belladonna is useful for congestive type of headache. Headache is developed due to exposure to sunlight or exposure to cold, after haircut, working on sunlight. Headache usually feel over the forehead and spread over the eyes. Violent throbbing of carotids. Stabbing pain with Sensation as if brain is pushed out through the temple. The face of the patient is red due to excessive blood circulation on the head with redness of eyes. Pain may extend over the eyes with pushing sensation. Headache generally relief by sitting erect, by tight bandings.

***Fever symptoms: Belladonna is useful for intermittent fever. The body temperature during fever raise up to 104-105°F associated with redness of face. The head is extremely hot cannot touch with the fingers but feet is icy cold is the characteristic symptoms of Belladonna. During fever states, patient may go into delirium. In delirium he picks up the bed cloths and torn it, wants to bite, kills or strikes the person. He wants to escape out from the window. Patient may also see the imaginary things like ghost, monster, dogs, insects etc. (visual hallucination) during delirium. Patient wants to get ride from his sufferings and feeling of great fear. The delirium stage of Belladonna is so severe that representing the absolute picture of insanity [The delirium symptoms of Belladonna is also similar to the symptoms of Hyoscyamus but the Hyoscyamus patients are more violent and obscene]. During fever state there is great dryness of tongue with absolute thirst lessness. Loss of appetite with pungent taste in mouth due to fever affection. Fever symptoms usually aggravates in 3 p.m. and reduce after 3 a.m.

***Digestive complaints: Belladonna is useful for the treatment of acute bacillary dysentery. Scanty stool is passing in each time with frequent urging. Stool may mix with fresh blood. Violent tenesmus after defecation. The anus is burning with sensitive to touch even with rubbing with cloth.

***Belladonna is used for treating right sided acute tonsilitis. The symptoms are; the tonsil and uvula become swollen and inflamed, patient cannot bear to eating anything either solid or liquid due to extreme sensitiveness and burning. The area of throat become red and hot.

***Respiratory condition: Belladonna is useful for any respiratory conditions of acute origin; the cough symptoms of Belladonna are hoarse barking cough with spasmodic and dryness of respiratory passage.

***Brain complaints: Belladonna is useful for acute meningitis. In this condition patient may complaint frequent and stupefying headache with throbbing and pulsating pain; cannot bear external impression like light, pressure, touch, talking, odor even walking. Patient also feeling congestion and burning in head. Bending backwards relieves the condition.

***Eye complaints: In case of acute conjunctivitis and simple glaucoma Belladonna is useful. In case of conjunctivitis the eye become red with dryness of conjunctiva. Feeling of burning inside the eyes. Euphrasia is another Homoeopathic remedy mostly useful for eye complaints. But the Euphrasia’s eye are red and waters all the time, congested and smarting pain may extend to head. In where Belladonna’s eyes are always dry that differentiating the Belladonna with Euphrasia in eye problem. In case of glaucoma the extreme rise on intra-ocular pressure is reduce by applying Belladonna if symptoms are agreed.

***Skin complaints: Belladonna is useful for the treatment of first stage of boils and carbuncle when the pus is not form. The area become extremely swollen, red and congested, become throbbing and sensitive to touch. Pain aggravates on touch and relief by heat. Belladonna is also using for the treatment of rapid spreading erysipelas when key symptoms are present.

***Female disorder: Belladonna is mostly useful for dysmenorrhea, first stage of prolapsed uteri, prolong labor.

          During menstruation there is passing excessive red blood from uterus. Bloods are feeling hot with violent sharp cutting pain is extended from hip to hip (dysmenorrhea). Abdomen is very much sensitive to touch during period. Usually application of heat relief the complaints.

          In prolapsed uteri; patient may feel that the uterus coming out from vagina and avoid to walking in big steps.

          Belladonna also progress labor pain in case of prolong labor. Here the symptoms are, patient is in delirium states with flashes of face, pain comes and go quickly without any progress.

***Abdominal problems: Belladonna is useful for acute gastritis and cholelithiasis. The symptoms of cholelithiasis are extreme sensitiveness and pain in liver region, cannot bear least motion or jerk, relief by sitting erect. During gastritis, feeling constriction in abdomen with flatulency. Nausea and vomiting after eating.

***General modalities: All the symptoms of Belladonna are aggravated in least motion, on touch, pressure, lying down, on right side, after 3 p.m., summer season, uncovering.

          Generally, complaints are relief by rest, standing, seating erect, in warm application.

***Calcarea carbonica is complementary to Belladonna, used for chronic cases of Belladonna.

___Amatul Zami Aditi

Student (final year B.H.M.S.)

Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.