Helleborus niger
Remedy for serious brain conditions with stupefaction and dullness. The mind is dull, slow, answers slowly. Muscles do not obey the will. Meningitis. Hydrocephalus. Rolling of head on pillow. Vacant stare.
Source
Tincture of the root of Helleborus niger (Ranunculaceae), gathered before flowering.
Available Potencies
Get Personalized Safety Info
Sign in and complete your health profile to see safety warnings personalized to your age, sex, medications, conditions, and allergies for this remedy.
Keynote Symptoms
Mental dullness and stupefaction — answers slowly, stares vacantly. Rolling of head from side to side on pillow. Muscles do not obey the will — drops things involuntarily. Meningitis with effusion. Hydrocephalus. Automatic motion of one arm and leg. Forehead wrinkled in folds. Blank, expressionless face.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Stupefaction. Complete apathy. Answers slowly or not at all. Stares vacantly. Does not want to be disturbed. Picks at lips and clothes. Complete insensibility. Melancholy, silent. Dullness approaching coma.
General Symptoms
Profound cerebral depression. Brain conditions with effusion. Muscles refuse to obey — drops things. Automatic movements. Convulsions with extreme coldness. Desperate thirst. Suppressed urine. Dropsical conditions. Worse from 4-8 PM.
Physical Symptoms
Head
Rolling head from side to side on pillow. Boring into pillow. Forehead wrinkled in folds. Meningitis with effusion. Hydrocephalus. Head hot.
Eyes
Vacant stare. Dilated pupils. Squinting.
Face
Expressionless, blank. Pale, earthy. Chewing motions of jaw.
Mouth
Terrible smell from mouth. Chewing motions. Grinding of teeth.
Stomach
Desperate thirst. Craves food but cannot eat. Vomiting.
Urinary
Suppressed urine. Scanty, dark, coffee-ground-like urine.
Extremities
Automatic movements of one arm and one leg. Drops things involuntarily. Fingers do not obey. Convulsions.
Skin
Pale, waxy, cold, edematous. Anasarca. Sudden edema.
Modalities
Better From
Attention. Quiet. Warmth.
Worse From
Evening (4-8 PM). Cold air. Uncovering. Dentition. Suppressed eruptions. Exertion.
Constitutional Type
Not strongly constitutional. Used in acute brain conditions. Children with meningitis or hydrocephalus. Those with progressive mental dullness and muscular incoordination.
Clinical Indications
Meningitis. Hydrocephalus. Encephalitis. Post-concussion syndrome. Dropsy. Renal failure. Brain damage. Stupor. Coma vigil.
Comparative Materia Medica
Compare Apis (meningitis with sharp cries, cerebral edema), Zincum (meningitis with restless feet, weakness too great for eruption), Tuberculinum (meningitis with head sweating). Helleborus is distinguished by the profound stupor, vacant stare, and rolling of head.
Safety Information
Camphor. China. Nux vomica.
Helleborus niger contains cardiotoxic glycosides (hellebrin) and protoanemonin. All parts are toxic. Ingestion causes violent purging, convulsions, delirium, and cardiac arrest. Mother tincture is dangerous in material doses.
Find the Right Remedy
Not sure if Helleborus niger is the best match? Our Remedy Finder can help you compare remedies based on your specific symptoms, modalities, and constitutional type.