Bryonia alba
The great 'do not disturb' remedy. All symptoms worse from any motion, even breathing. Stitching pains. Great thirst for large quantities at long intervals. Dryness of all mucous membranes. Irritable, wants to be left alone.
Source
Prepared from the fresh root of Bryonia alba (Cucurbitaceae), collected before flowering.
Available Potencies
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Keynote Symptoms
All complaints worse from any motion, even breathing or moving the eyes. Stitching, tearing pains. Dryness everywhere — lips, mouth, stomach, bowels. Great thirst for large quantities at long intervals. Irritable, wants to be left alone, wants to go home. Lies on painful side for pressure.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Extremely irritable, wants to be alone, averse to being disturbed. Talks of business matters. Wants something but does not know what. Wants to go home when at home. Delirium about business. Fear of poverty.
General Symptoms
Worse from any motion, exertion, warmth, morning, eating, touch. Better from rest, pressure, lying on painful side, cool open air, drawing knees up. Slow onset of symptoms. Right-sided complaints. Dryness of mucous membranes throughout.
Physical Symptoms
Head
Bursting, splitting headache. Frontal headache extending to occiput. Worse from stooping, motion, opening eyes, coughing. Better from pressure, closing eyes.
Eyes
Sore, aching, pressing pain. Worse from motion of eyes. Glaucoma.
Nose
Frequent sneezing. Swelling of tip of nose. Nosebleed in place of menses.
Mouth
Lips dry, parched, cracked. Tongue coated dark or white. Great dryness. Bitter taste.
Throat
Dry, raw, scraped. Tough mucus loosened by hawking. Stitches in throat on swallowing.
Stomach
Nausea from raising up. Stomach sensitive to touch. Thirst for large draughts at long intervals. Pressure as from a stone. Vomiting of bile and water immediately after eating.
Abdomen
Stitching pains on motion, breathing. Peritonitis. Liver region sore. Appendicitis symptoms.
Rectum
Constipation: stool large, hard, dry, dark, as if burnt. No desire. Diarrhea from cold drinks in hot weather, from fruit. Morning diarrhea on moving.
Respiratory
Dry, hard, painful cough with stitches in chest, must hold chest. Worse from entering warm room, after eating. Cough shakes the whole body.
Chest
Stitching pains worse from motion and deep breathing. Pleurisy. Must sit up, worse lying on painless side.
Back
Stitching, stiff. Painful stiffness in nape. Lumbago worse from motion.
Extremities
Joints red, swollen, hot with stitching. Knees stiff. Every spot is painful on pressure. Worse from motion.
Fever / Chill / Perspiration
Internal heat. Chill with external coldness. Bitter taste. Copious sour sweat after slight exertion. Pulse full, hard, tense, quick.
Modalities
Better From
Rest, lying on painful side, pressure, cool open air, quiet, drawing knees up, cold things
Worse From
Any motion (even breathing, moving eyes), warmth, morning, eating, exertion, touch, warm room, becoming hot
Constitutional Type
Dark complexion, robust, firm fibre. Bilious temperament. Irritable, easily angered. Busy, materialistic, talks of business.
Clinical Indications
Pleurisy, pneumonia, arthritis, headache, constipation, mastitis, appendicitis, influenza, dry cough, lumbago
Comparative Materia Medica
Rhus tox is the opposite — better from motion, worse from rest. Both have joint pains. Nux vomica also is irritable but more driven and has spasmodic pains. Colocynthis has colicky pains better from pressure but with restlessness.
Safety Information
Aconitum, Alumina, Chamomilla, Chelidonium, Coffea, Ignatia, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox.
The fresh root of Bryonia is toxic, causing severe gastrointestinal inflammation, bloody diarrhea, and collapse. Potentised forms are safe.
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