Nux vomica
Made from the strychnine seed — the poison of old crime novels that locks the muscles into spasm; source of one of pharmacology's clearest toxins.
The whole picture, in one breath
Think of the driven, irritable, sedentary person — desk, deadlines, coffee, spicy food, late nights — whose digestion has finally rebelled: nausea in the morning, retching, constipation with ineffectual urging, chilliness, oversensitivity to noise, smells and light, and a short temper with it all. The over-stimulated, under-exercised, type-A stomach is Nux vomica.
The substance, in plain words
The strychnine tree of India and Southeast Asia carries flat seeds loaded with strychnine and brucine. Strychnine blocks the spinal cord's inhibitory (glycine) receptors, so every stimulus triggers exaggerated reflex spasms — the tetanic convulsions, arched back and fixed grin of strychnine poisoning, which the classical authors documented.
The traditional picture Classical sources
The inner state
- Hypersensitive irritability. Noise, light, smells, conversation — everything jars; the temper is short and the nerves feel raw.
- The driven constitution. The classical 'type' is ambitious, competitive, work-bound, living on stimulants, rich food and too little sleep.
- Anger and frustration. Anger from contradiction, spitefulness, and a peculiar anxiety about health and business.
The body
- Morning nausea with retching. Nausea on waking, retching that brings little up; often better after a belch or a small stool.
- Spasmodic digestion. Heartburn, hiccups, cramps, bloating hours after eating; the stomach feels like a slow fermenting drum.
- Ineffectual urging. Frequent desire for stool with small results; constipation with unfinished sensation; ineffectual urging to urinate.
- Chilliness. Feels cold easily, hands and feet cold, yet dislikes stuffy heat.
- Headaches. Occipital headaches after mental work and stimulants, with intolerance of light and noise.
- Drug and stimulant ailments. The old books used it for the after-effects of coffee, alcohol, tobacco, opiates and over-medication.
Modalities (worse and better factors)
| Worse from ⬇ | Better from ⬇ |
|---|---|
| morning; mental exertion; spicy and rich food; coffee and alcohol; cold open air; noise and light. | evening; rest; warmth; a short nap; hot drinks. |
Where it acts (organ affinities)
Stomach and bowel (the 'portal' system), nervous system, liver and metabolism.
Where the classical picture comes from
Strychnine poisoning is one of medicine's most dramatic toxicologies: exaggerated startle, tetanic spasms, opisthotonos (arched back), risus sardonicus and clear consciousness throughout. The classical picture of spasm, irritability and over-stimulation is the mild mirror of that poisoning.
The substance in real medicine Pharmacology
What this section is: the pharmacology and toxicology of the source substance. It is not clinical evidence that a homeopathic preparation of it treats any condition. What controlled trials do and do not show is set out on the Evidence page.
Strychnine is pharmacology's textbook glycine-receptor antagonist — still used in research to study spinal reflexes. It has no modern therapeutic role; its safe legacy is that understanding its mechanism taught medicine how inhibitory signalling works. Modern stimulant-exhaustion, reflux and constipation are of course managed with lifestyle and conventional care.
Look-alikes (how the classical authors told it apart)
| Remedy | Looks similar because… | Tells it apart because… |
|---|---|---|
| Sepia | Irritability, digestive sluggishness | Sepia is worn-out, indifferent to loved ones and sagging; Nux is fiery, driven and chilly. |
| Lycopodium | Bloating, irritability | Lycopodium's wind and anger peak between 4 and 8 p.m.; Nux's nausea peaks in the morning. |
| Pulsatilla | Digestive upset, mild temperament | Pulsatilla is tearful, gentle and thirstless; Nux is cross and thirsty. |
| Chamomilla | Anger, oversensitivity | Chamomilla's rage is hot, damp and demanding with teething or colic; Nux's is chilly, dry and stimulant-born. |