# Belladonna (HMT)

## Remedy Classification
- **Type:** Remedy
- **Alternative Names:** Deadly Night Shade
- **Miasm:** Tubercular Miasm
- **Temperament:** Neutral
- **Aggravation Time:** Neutral/Anytime

## Keynote Indications
The Belladonna plant grows in dense, shady areas, in most of Europe.
It blossoms in July and by Septem ber bears a red-coloured fruit.
Belladonna is a very poisonous plan t.  Herbalists use it in the
treatment of many diseases.   The ointment made out of it is applied to
wounds.  During its full bloom season, the extract is made out of the
whole plant for Homoeopathic use.

Belladonna acts on the circulatory system  as well as on the heart,
lungs, brain and nervous system.  Like Aconite, a sudden onset of the
disease typifies Belladonna, though the disease process is more
prolonged.  The salient feature of  Belladonna is the inflammation
especially affecting the brain, lungs, heart and intestines.

Although the acuteness of the symptoms  is like that of Aconite, there
is no associated fear.  The patient expresses his suffering in the form
of a groan or remains silent.  He do es not like to talk much except for
crying out on having a nightmare du ring sleep.  He usually remains
quiet with the body covered.  The slightest sound of somebody
walking, and light also, intensify his suffering.  His skin is so sensitive
that even the touch of a cloth at th e site of pain is unbearable.  The
afflicted part is red, with a severe burning sensation.  Due to the rise
of blood pressure, the patient may experience spasms or convulsions.
Jerky movements of the body duri ng sleep, secondary to stomach
upset or disorder of the nervous  system, are very responsive to
Grindelia.  In Grindelia, the jer ky movements do not affect the whole
body, though may be perceived as the je rking sensation at the heart.
In Belladonna, the whole body gets jolted  waking the person up.
This happens repeatedly and the patient is unable to sleep.  A single
dose of Belladonna may relieve the symptoms in no time.
Photophobia associated with the diseases of the eye or headache, is
also a Belladonna symptom.

When Belladonna symptoms and the symptoms of the patient match
exactly, Belladonna works instantane ously.  In fact, the patient is
amazed with the prompt efficacy of the treatment rendered.

In Belladonna, the symptoms pertaining to the nervous system  are
much more pronounced than in Acon ite. Belladonna affects the mind
and may even cause severe frenzy.  When an insane person gets too
excited and is ready to kill somebo dy or himself, if he is extremely
enraged and starts hitting even his carer, then Belladonna should be
administered at once.  If the condition becomes chronic, then
Belladonna will not work. Belladonna is  certainly effective in sudden
cases of insanity such as in Meningitis and other delirious states, but
Sulphur and Stramonium are more e ffective in chronic insanity.  A
severe state of frenzy requiring th e patient to be chained typifies
Belladonna.  After Belladonna has reli eved the acute problem, one
should look for an appropriate, long-acting constitutional remedy to
prevent recurrence of insanity.  Aconite and Belladonna are not long-
acting remedies.  Sometimes, the attack of madness is only short-
lived.  However, a chronic form of  madness, despite having subsided
temporarily, can recur again and again.  Stramonium works for a
much longer period than Belladonna.

In typhoid too, sometimes the symptoms may be similar to those of
Belladonna.  High fever affects the mind causing delirium.
Belladonna may temporarily relieve the symptoms, but its effect will
not be long lasting because typhoi d and Belladonna are not alike in
their characteristics.  Stramonium is relatively more similar to typhoid
and it works for a rela tively longer duration.  Thus, it may not only
control the delirium of typhoid, but it will also cure the typhoid.
Stramonium and Sulphur are very beneficial in mental patients,
whether the madness is due to typhoid or something else.  Sometimes
an insane person is not only aggres sive but may also talk obscenely.
This is due to inflammation of the internal reproductive organs, and
will also need to be attended to.  Some people may become insane due
to an old calamity affecting their mind, while others become insane
due to intense grief or a big financial loss.  Proper diagnosis of
insanity needs an in-depth study of the case.  Unfortunately,
physicians do not always have enough time to go into details and thus
make use of the everyday prescriptio n of Stramonium and Sulphur to
some benefit at least.

One peculiar feature of Belladonna is  that its fever is a continuous
one.  Once it is down, it does not recur.  On the contrary, the typhoid
fever is high at night and relatively  low in the morning.  It returns the
following day higher than on the previous day. Sometimes it is so high

that it may even kill the patient. The Belladonna fever typically comes
down suddenly.  A fever that is suppressed by some strong medication
and then recurs suddenly may very well be controlled by Belladonna.
However, Belladonna is not the remedy for fevers which come on
slowly.

In Belladonna patients, pimples and affected lymph glands show
visible sign of inflammation.  The throat gets swollen  suddenly due
to severe inflammation causing di fficulty in swallowing. Belladonna
is very useful for this condition.  A nother characteristic feature is that
red spots form over the surface of inflamed glands.  The redness lasts
a while, and then becomes discoloured.  The joint pains are associated
with redness and swelling.  The red spots also appear on the joints,
which later discolour, but do not lead to pus formation.

Belladonna can also offer inst ant relief from a severe, acute pain of
the gall bladder, if the pain gets worse by application of heat.  After
that, Sulphur, Natrum Sulph, Lyco podium and Chelidonium can be
used for permanent cure.

Belladonna is also very useful in the colicky pain of the kidneys  in
addition to gall bladder colic (Bi liary colic). Be lladonna along with
Aconite will work better still.  Both Belladonna and Aconite 1000
should be given together every ten to  fifteen minutes for two to three
doses.  If still ineffective and the pain seems to be getting better by
heat, Colocynthis CM or Mag Phos  6X mixed in water should be
administered repeatedly.  The spasmodicity of the pain may
apparently be the same, but the constitutional difference dictates the
type of remedy required.

Swelling is a manifestation of  Belladonna.  When Belladonna is
combined with Arnica for the treatment of injuries, it enhances its
effect.  In the case of an injury, the blood is rushed to the affected part
for which doctors usually prescrib e cold packs. Belladonna is more
effective than cold packs and also  fast acting. Belladonna given with
Arnica is the best initial treatment for any kind of injury. Belladonna
ailments get worse with heat but cold compresses, applied locally,
offer relief.  If liver and the gut are inflamed, the body becomes cold.
In this condition, even if the patient  is of Belladonna nature, external
application of heat offers relief.

In Belladonna, each affected part of the body pulsates.  Sometimes the
whole body throbs. Belladonna will relieve any acute pain of a
spasmodic nature with associated throbbi ng, which gets worse with
jolting and noise, and is associated with the sensation of warmth.

Belladonna acts on the small circular fi bres in the walls of the blood
vessels (veins and arteries).  Whenev er these fibres contract violently
due to heat, Belladonna will relieve this spas m.  Belladonna works
instantaneously in  spasmodic tightness of the mouth of the uterus
at the time of labour,  provided other symptoms of Belladonna are
also present. Otherwise, Colophylum has the capability of relieving
this severe spasm.  Calcaria Ca rb is the long-term remedy for the
diseases of children who have in itially responded well to Belladonna.
Any convulsions which get worse on the movement of the body or
jolting, will respond to Belladonna.

One strange feature of Belladonna is that during the illness, the patient
feels better by taking food.  Even if  the patient is in a state of
madness, he will calm down if fed.  This symptom is also found in
Phosphorus and Psorinum.  An insane person feels hungry but he does
not ask for food.  If he is provided with some food his desire to eat,
and the anguish will subside while the Phosphorus patie nt is usually
very hungry and feels hungry soon after having food.

When the blood circulation towards the brain increases, the patient
will envision demons and ghosts.  Nightmares where objects are on
fire disturb the patient  during sleep.  If such a patient is given
Belladonna, he will stop dreaming about  fire.  In Belladonna, there is
a tendency of deep unconsciousness .  One pupil of the eye gets
dilated.  This particular symptom makes it similar to Opium, however
Opium is different from Belladonna in other symptoms.

Belladonna should be th e first medicine to be given when a child has
high fever affecting mostly his head, but his feet are ice cold. It is a
dangerous situation when, during a fever, the body becomes cold but
the head is very hot.  The mother s may believe that the fever has
subsided but actually, it is the fever caused by the severity of the
disease.  If a proper homoeopathic remedy is administered, the body
will start warming up.  Otherwise, da ngerous illnesses like meningitis
and epilepsy can develop.  In such conditions, Belladonna is one of

those remedies which will work promptly.  If the proper remedy is not
provided, the child may die.

Belladonna will offer immediate re lief when the patient has severe
vertigo and is restless.  This symptom is also present in Phosphorus.
When there is a headache, the scalp starts hurting.  Combing the hair
or even touching it with the hand is very bothersome.  The
hypersensitivity of the scalp  is also found in Hepar Sulph, which is
so saliently present that some women may actually become
unconscious.  When there is lack of sleep due to preoccupation of
thoughts and restlessness, Belladonna,  Coffea and Phosphorus are all
useful.  When the sleeplessness is due to the mental perturbance, any
slight noise or bump against the bed becomes unbearable and the
ailment becomes aggravated at once.  In Nux Vomica also, noise
makes the symptoms worse. Many symptoms of Nux Vomica
resemble those of Belladonna because Belladonna is a natural element
of Nux Vomica.

Some patients react to the treatment very slowly and will likewise
respond to slow acting remedies, but the patients whose symptoms
progress rapidly will find the faster acting remedies work better.
Some patients are very sensitive in reacting to the treatment. In such
patients, instead of improvi ng the patient’s condition, the
Homoeopathic remedies can actually produce the poisonous effects of
the substance from which they ar e derived. Whatever medicine is
given, it will produce corresponding symptoms.  For this reason, one
should prescribe the medicine with great care and should give it in low
potency.  At the same time, it is im portant that the hypersensitivity of
the patient should also be treated.

There are three possible remedies  to decrease hypersensitivity:
Belladonna, Nux Vomica and Zincum Metallicum.  Zincum
Metallicum is the most sensitive t ype of medication.  It can be so
sensitive that the patient may not even tolerate a low potency.  For this
reason, such a patient should first be given Zinc which will then make
the body react to other medicines in a proper way.  Zinc should be
started in a low potency of 30.

One symptom of Belladonna is similar to Gelsemium.  The headache
becomes better when the head is tilted backwards but if the head is
tilted forwards, it makes the headache worse, (there are certain

exceptions however).  Such a patient should be treated with
Belladonna or Gelsemium.  Many a tim e when discharges accumulate
in the nose or in the sinuses, the headache becomes worse when the
head is tilted forwards.

Generally, Belladonna is a treatment of sudden short-lived illnesses.
An ailment which comes on suddenly will also disappear suddenly.
But sometimes, when the headache  disappears, it  may leave a
heaviness of the head for many days along with the sensation of being
tired.  In Belladonna, having the hair cut or getting the beard
shaved can provoke headache.

In Belladonna ailments, rest brings about relief, but movement
exaggerates the symptoms.   Most of the ailments of Belladonna start
in the upper part of the body and migrate downwards.  When the
headache becomes better, the joints  and the muscles start hurting
starting from the upper part of the body to the lower part.  Ledum is
famous for the treatment of diseases that start in the lower part of the
body and migrate upwards.

Belladonna is also very useful in the diseases of the eye. The eyes are
unusually red, and the eyelids are swollen.  The patient experiences
flashes of light before their eyes.  One peculiar sign is that the eyes
remain completely dry while in Euphrasia, the eyes water in addition
to the redness.  In Belladonna and Euphrasia, the symptoms of redness
and the intensity are similar.  In  Euphrasia, the redness is not that
pronounced, but the eyes water a lot.

Belladonna is very useful in glaucoma (the rise of pressure inside the
eye).  There was a patient who had severe glaucoma who the doctors
had labelled as incurable.  The patient was told that due to the high
pressure in the eye, the interior of the eye could burst open which
might result in permanent blindness.  The prescription that I gave to
the patient mainly contained Belladonna.  Surprisingly, within a week,
the pressure inside the eye started returning to normal and the patient
completely recovered.  Gelsemium is also useful in decreasing the
intra-ocular pressure in glaucoma.  It is better to give Calcaria Phos
6X also.

Nux Vomica and Belladonna both have  the element of Cuprum and
Cuprum is one of the best remedies for convulsive states.

When the body becomes tremulous or blood pressure rises due to
mental irritability , Belladonna will lower the pressure very
effectively and quickly.  The thirst associated with Belladonna
ailment resembles that of Bryonia.  The thirst is intense but is not
relieved by drinking wa ter.  Sometimes the patient’s mouth is dry as
in Arsenic and the patien t frequently sips water to quench his thirst.
Arsenic and Bryonia have different  symptoms of their own, but
regarding the dryness of the mouth, all three, i.e. Bryonia, Arsenic and
Belladonna are similar.

The women of the Belladonna type love to eat sour things.  Diarrhoea
of Belladonna is characterized by frequent, scanty stools.

In Belladonna, the patient also develops piles. Belladonna is very
useful in frequent urination if it is  due to the infection of kidneys or
the bladder.  Otherwise, frequent urination is not a typical symptom of
Belladonna.

If the urethra is injured by the pa ssage of broken stones due to some
medication, Belladonna will relieve th e inflammation of the urinary
passage. Belladonna will also offer immediate relief of the spasms of
the uterus, especially if the condition worsens by heat.

At the time of delivery, Belladonna is a very good treatment if the
bleeding becomes severe.  The trouble is mostly on the right side, and
gets worse by heat. Belladonna can be  very useful in preventing an
abortion or miscarriage in thos e pregnant wome n who are very
sensitive in nature, to the extent that they cannot tolerate noise or even
the sound of footsteps.  The sound of cough of the Belladonna patient
is usually very forceful. Belladonna is a temporary initial treatment
but if administered at the outse t of making a proper diagnosis, it
prevents further complications.

One of the symptoms of Belladonna is cramping of the calf muscles.
During a convulsion, the head is push ed backwards.  In Apis, like
Belladonna, there is an element of excessive heat and swelling.  The
difference between Belladonna and Apis is that in Belladonna, the
body is cold except for the affected pa rt.  Therefore, the patient wants
to be kept warm and likes to wrap himself in warm clothing.  In Apis,
the entire body feels burning hot, and no external heat can be

tolerated.  In fact, if such a patient is made to sit close to fire, he may
go into a state of convulsion.

In Belladonna and Apis both, the pa tient develops urticaria due to
exposure to heat.  This also happens in Pulsatilla.  In such a condition,
Pulsatilla and Belladonna given togeth er are useful.  Sometimes, the
urticaria can be due to gastric ups et.  For this, Pulsatilla and Nux
Vomica are more useful.

In Belladonna, red spots  and pustules develop on the skin.  There is
also inflammation, as in Apis.  The appearance of pimples and
blisters on the skin can help in diagnosis, though the presence of other
additional symptoms is also helpful.   Aurum Triphyllum is also very
useful in the treatment for urticar ia.  In Aurum Triphyllum however,
the itching is at the nose and around the lips.

Belladonna is also related to Calcar ia Carb, especially in sub-acute
diseases.  Calcaria Carb proves very useful where Belladonna has
failed.  Sometimes the symptoms of Belladonna transform into those
of Sulphur, which in turn produces the symptom complex of Calcaria
Carb.  Calcaria Carb is a mee ting point of many Homoeopathic
remedies but Sulphur should not be  administered after having given
Calcaria Carb.  If so desired, Lycopodium will have to be given in
between.  However, Calcaria Carb can  be given directly after having
used Sulphur.

Belladonna symptoms get worse on touch, jolting, noise and the
passing of wind (emitting gas).  The patient feels better when lying
half-stretched.

Adjuncts: Calcaria Carb, Aconite, Sulphur
Antidotes: Camphor, Coffea, Opium, Aconite
Potency: 30 to CM

## Symptoms by System