Nausea and vomiting, before or during spasm.
Child spasmodically drawn in some direction.
Frightful spasms, affecting whole of left side.
Clonic and tonic spasms of children and hysterical women. Rigidity of body with flushed, red, face, then spasmodic jerking of arms. Jerks arms towards each other.
From indigestible food ( Nux vomica, Pulsatilla), or suppressed eruptions ( Cuprum, Zincum met.).
“All the complaints in Ipecac. are attended more or less with nausea.”.
Pulsatilla [Puls]
One of the effective medicines in epilepsy; but in the Pulsatilla patient-mild, irritable, changeable; easy weeping-and smiling: jealous; loves and craves fuss and affection.
Convulsions with violent tossings of limbs followed by relaxation; with disposition to vomit ( Ipecac.) and eructations.
(Later on, from suppressed menses.).
Silica [Sil]
Nocturnal convulsions, especially about the time of the new moon.
Before attack, coldness of left side, shaking and twisting of left arm. (Chronic of Pulsatilla).
Sulphur [Sulph]
Great medicine for epilepsy-in a Sulphur child.
Rough hair that will not lie down.
Hates a bath-even fear it.
Hungry: craves fat. Kicks off the clothes.
Spasms start with twitching of hands ( Cuprum), then general convulsed movements of body and limbs, with sensitiveness of abdomen.
Spasms after suppressed eruptions: often removes tendency to convulsions.
Aura in arms: like a mouse running. ( Belladonna, Calcarea).
Calcarea [Calc]
Teething convulsions. When after Belladonna, the convulsions persist.
Convulsions in large-headed children whose heads sweat profusely: esp. in sleep; fat, lethargic, of “plus quantity minus quality”.
Calcarea ars. [Calc-ar]
Epilepsies proceeding from valvular heart disease.
Attacks begin with pain in heart, or constriction (even without organic disease).
Rush of blood to head before attack.
(Hering found it very useful in epilepsy.).
Viscum alb [Visc]
Convulsions with heart disturbance.
With constant vertigo, even in bed.
Feeling whole vault of skull would be raised up.
Muscles of face in constant agitation.
Tarentula [Tarent-h]
Falls unconsciously without warning.
Rigidity: grinds teeth: bites tongue.
Eyes remain open, squinting (Hyoscyamus).
Dizziness before fit: then convulsions with precordial anguish.
Great chorea medicine.
Music soothes.
Glonoine [Glon]
Convulsions. Great congestion to head and heart. Heart violent and irregular.
Glowing redness of face (Belladonna), but more dusky.
During attack spreads fingers and toes apart. (Opp. to Cuprum)
Convulsions from exposure to sun (Belladonna).
Contracted pupils (Opium; rev. of Belladonna).
Platinum [Plat]
Convulsions of teething children: pale, anaemic.
Jaws locked (Nux vomica, Oena., Strych.).
Lies on back with flexed legs and knees widely separated.
Spasms without loss of consciousness (Nux.)
Veratrum alb. Convulsions of children with face pale or blue, and cold sweat on forehead.
Cough before or after the attack.
Actea (Cimicifuga) [Cimic]
Children wake, frightened and trembling.
Periodic convulsions. Hysteric spasms.
During the menses, epileptic spasms.
Sadness and gloom: comes over like a cloud.
Causticum [Caust]
Convulsions at puberty: from fright (Belladonna, Opium, etc.) with screams, gnashing of teeth, violent movements of limbs, jerking.
Convulsions from being chilled (Belladonna)
Convulsions during sleep, with disturbed eyes, and icy coldness of body.
Right-sided convulsions.
Urine flows copiously and involuntarily during convulsions. (Bufo., Hyoscyamus, Oena., Plumb., Zincum met.).
Plumbum [Plb]
Legs heavy and numb before attack. Swollen tongue.
Consciousness returns slowly, and symptoms of paralysis remain.
Plumbum is emaciated: boat-shaped abdomen, with “string from navel to back” sensation.
Great hyperaesthesia with loss of power.
Arsenicum [Ars]
“The child lies as if dead; pale but warm; breathless for sometime; finally it twists its mouth, first to one side then to the other; a violent jerk passes through body, and respiration and consciousness gradually return.”.
Argentum nit. [Arg-n]
Cerebral epilepsy. Pupils permanently dilated hours or days before fit (Bufo).
Convulsions at night.
Convulsions preceded by great restlessness. (Cuprum has great restlessness between attacks.)
The Argentum nit. patient feels the heat: craves salt and sweets.
Has all sorts of queer fears and ideas, as closing in of walls, or ceilings, etc.
For full lists of the remedies known to cause and cure convulsions one must, of course, to go to a big Repertory, and, for their full indications, to Materia Medica. But the above are probably the most generally helpful, with suggestive differentiation. And here, again, there is always the final court of appeal-Materia Medica.
