The cousin to Nux Moschata is Nux Vomica. It is such a vast remedy. There are a lot of cases where I noticed people are not using Nux as much as they could or should. One of the main things is in people when the case is confused either by allopathic or homeopathic treatment and what you get out of that confusion is irritability or an irritable state and no clear picture. That, in and of itself, is enough to give Nux. Of course, most of the time in the chronic states, you are going to want to see some problems with the GI tract. Most of the time. Bloating, belching, ulcers, diarrhea, or diarrhea alternating with constipation or just constipation itself. Diarrhea after eating. Lots of cramps that are ameliorated by the stool and especially with this idea of the sort of the perverse nature of the remedy where it won’t allow things out easily. So, with the constipation, you know, the stool recedes. The same thing with the vomit. If they have to vomit, they have to retch a long time before even small amount comes out. The same thing with the urinary tract infections, which is one of the main remedies. A lot of urging for small amounts. When you hear that, smooth muscle contractions are very intense, but very little is propelled out by it. Nux is going to be one of the first things to think of. It is also used in lots of other pathology, but especially in hay fevers and in headaches.

The keynotes, the confirmations: They are worse cold, and especially cold dry and worse for drafts, worse from dry winds. They wake up at night 3:00 to 4:00 A.M. and of course, if they are men, it is with thoughts of business. Or, if they are women, it is usually with jealousy. They wake with thoughts of business. They don’t just wake up and can’t go back to sleep. No, they wake up with thoughts about their business: what am I going to do tomorrow and this guy I’m going to meet, etc. It is that specific thing but not always. They may wake up with no thoughts, but 3:00 to 4:00 A. M. is a frequent time for them to wake. They have great sensitivity to noise, to light and to odors. Even to the point of fainting from odors. I would say Nux, Sulphur and Phosphorus are all about the same in terms of sensitivity to orders.

They have an aversion to tight clothes and to any kind of restrictions or constrictions. Of course, tremendous irritability, even to the point of violence at some time. Impatience, where they hate to wait in lines, can’t stand a bank line, grocery store line. Driving in traffic is cursing and that sort of thing. Now, sometimes they will hold all of this inside. They won’t let it out at all. So, you have to be a little bit cagey to find out about these things. So, instead of asking, "Are you impatient?" If you ask, "Are you impatient?" They say, "No. " You say, "Can you wait in a bank line. " "Not at all. " "But, I thought you said you weren’t impatient?" "Yeah, I just don’t want to waste my time,"

There is the fastidiousness of Nux. It can be tremendous, even to the point of turning around all the cans on the shelf, so that the labels face forward and that sort of thing.

Fear of marriage. If you just take it as fear of getting married, even more than Lycopodium, you will think of Nux Vomica. I don’t know the reasoning behind it, but if you hear somebody that has an actual fear of marriage.

The cravings are for what? Fat, spicy, and booze. Yes, stimulants in general, although that’s a little bit different. It’s not that they crave the taste of, but they crave the rush from the coffee, from the nicotine. It seems to me that it is the remedy that we use for hangovers and definitely for people who aggravate from alcohol. Also, the stomach pains are worse from coffee and that sort of thing even though they crave them. People that say, "I just like the taste of coffee. " I haven’t noticed Nux to be so much that way. It seems that they want the stimulation. They need it to keep themselves going. They are the people with so many pans in the fire. I think there are only one or two remedies with palpitations from coffee and Nux is a three. I haven’t seen aversion to Coffee so much. I have seen Calcarea for aversion to coffee, but I haven’t seen Nux. I have seen it with just the taste of the coffee they have an aversion to. Bitterness and just the whole thing. Is it Colocynthis that has stomach pains ameliorated by coffee? Maybe it’s Chamomilla. Colocynthis. Always go with your first impression.

Of course, they are chilly. They like heat, but not only they like heat, they are ameliorated by heat. It is probably one of the main remedies or the main remedy for stomach pains ameliorated by heat, also Arsenicum, also Magnesium Phosphoricum, but Nux Vomica very strongly and the bladder symptoms are better from heat, even to the extent that they can have an inability to urinate. They have strong tenesmus of the bladder and they go a little bit, and then it stops and they go a little bit and it stops, but if they get in a hot tub, then they can go fully and they don’t have trouble, so the hot bathing does it. Nux Vomica is one of the main remedies for urinary tract infections.

Of course, migraines with photophobia. The hay fever has a definite aggravation in the morning on awakening. It’s listed for better outside. Whereas Pulsatilla is also listed as usually better in the open air, but in the allergies and the coryza, it can be either better or worse going outside. If you get anything with irritability, then you can think of Nux Vomica, whatever the pathology. Especially if it is sneezing, strong sneezing, strong sneezing or coryza in the morning on awakening. Most of those cases Nux will work. Also coryza while they are eating. Otitis and cough in little kids with extreme irritability will be Nux. Of course, gastritis. It’s one of the big remedies for gastritis, especially alcoholic gastritis.

They can be obese. Usually thin, but they can be obese. I wouldn’t even think twice and say, "Oh, they are obese. I had better not give it. " But not the kind of obesity like huge obesity like Graphites. That would make me pause because I would want to consider other remedies, Ferrum or Causticum or Calcarea or Graphites.

1. Dark, sallow, spare subjects of passionate temperament; sedentary brain workers; chronic dyspeptics addicted to stimulants; victims of drug habits, drastic medicines, excesses, etc.

2. Hypochondriasis with irascibility and impatience; spiteful and malicious or sullen and surly, thinks everyone is against him; melancholy > alone especially from relatives; "spasmodic" homicidal or suicidal impulses; precise, ardent but overbearing; dread of, and incapacity for literary work.

3. Mental and physical hypersensitiveness (even fainting) to external stimuli; also to pain, trifling ailments, etc.

4. Gastric disorders from atony; hunger yet no desire for food, distension and discomfort an hour or so after meals with nausea; taste, eructations, vomit, etc., all sour or bitter; ''if only could vomit would be better''; assoc. "bilious" morning headaches; craving for condiments and sour or bitter things; likes fat.

5. Habitual constipation; frequent but ineffectual desire for stool, or small quantities passed at each attempt (from spasmodic peristalsis); blind or bleeding piles; stool temporarily >.

6. Menstrual period premature, profuse, protracted with bearing-down pains, nausea in a.m., chilliness and attacks of faintness.

7. Drowsiness during evening, wakeful at 3-4 a.m., but later falls into heavy, unrefreshing sleep; awakes late tired and worn out. Always > undisturbed sleep.

8. Convulsions with consciousness; tetanic rigidity < external stimuli especially touch; also violent local muscular contractions.

9. In fevers patient must be covered in every stage - chill, heat and sweat; cannot move or uncover without being chilly.

10. Patient very chilly, < winter, open air, draughts, dry weather, mental exertion, anger, mornings, after eating; > warmth; mild, damp weather.

Notes: Nux acts best during repose of mind and body; dose a few hours before retiring.

Sepia often its chronic.

Zincum is inimical.

Keynote: irritable tension.