Scutellaria laterifolia
The nervous sedative remedy. Nervous exhaustion and restlessness. Night terrors. Twitching, trembling, and jerking. Headache from mental exertion. Hiccough. Sleeplessness from nervous excitement.
Source
Prepared from the whole fresh plant of Scutellaria laterifolia (Lamiaceae) at flowering.
Available Potencies
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Keynote Symptoms
Nervous exhaustion and irritability. Restlessness, twitching, trembling. Night terrors in children. Cannot concentrate — dull, confused. Hiccough. Headache from overwork or eye strain. Fear of some terrible disease. Global nervous sedative without strong organ affinity.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Nervous, restless, cannot sit still. Fear of terrible disease. Confused thinking. Irritable. Dull. Night terrors — wakes screaming. Nervous exhaustion from overwork.
General Symptoms
Nervous system primarily. Worse from excitement, noise, overwork, cold. Better from rest, quiet.
Physical Symptoms
Head
Dull frontal headache from overwork. Pressure. Migraine. Eye-strain headache.
Stomach
Hiccough — persistent. Nausea. Flatulence.
Extremities
Twitching, trembling, jerking of muscles. Restless legs. Weakness.
Sleep & Dreams
Sleeplessness from nervous excitement. Night terrors in children. Restless, light sleep. Talks during sleep.
Modalities
Better From
Rest, quiet, lying down
Worse From
Excitement, noise, overwork, cold, emotions
Constitutional Type
Nervous, exhausted individuals. Children with night terrors. Those burned out from mental overwork.
Clinical Indications
Nervous exhaustion, insomnia, night terrors, twitching, hiccough, headache from overwork, restless legs
Comparative Materia Medica
Passiflora has similar nervous sedative action. Valeriana has nervous restlessness with changeable pains. Coffea has sleeplessness from mental excitement but more euphoric. Kali phosphoricum has nervous exhaustion but with more specific nerve weakness.
Safety Information
Not well established.
Skullcap is widely used as an herbal nervine. Very low toxicity. Occasional reports of liver irritation with large doses of adulterated products. Safe in all potencies and mother tincture.
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