COCCULUS

Indian cockle

Remedy picture as described in traditional homoeopathic texts.

This remedy resonates with symptoms that come on from a combination of physical and emotional stress, especially following loss of sleep or the stress of looking after loved ones. All ailments are worse with moving surroundings such as riding in a car, plane, train or boats. A characteristic symptom for this remedy is a sensation of hollowness or emptiness in the head or other parts with a sense of lightness in the body.

Mental/Emotional symptoms

There is sensitivity to fear, anger, grief and all mental disturbances. They may have an aversion to being disturbed and can get angry when interrupted or contradicted. The mind feels heavy and comprehension is slow; feels as if time passes too quickly. There can be a profound sense of sadness or anxiousness about the health of others and may have fears of death or impending danger.

Physical symptoms

Head: Vertigo, nausea especially when in a moving vehicle or on sitting up. Headache in the occiput and nape made worse from lying on the back part of the head.

Face: Cramp like pains in the masseter muscle of the jaw, worse for opening mouth; metallic taste in mouth.

Eyes: Pain as if ‘eyes torn out of head’.

Stomach: Distended and windy and may say it feels as if ‘full of sharp stones when moving’; motion sickness; Spasmodic; flatulent colic about midnight without relief after passing wind. Nausea at the smell or thought or sight of food.

Back: Cracking sound from cervical vertebrae when moving head; paralysing pain in small of back; pain in shoulders and arms ‘as if bruised’ with stiffness when moving shoulders. Vertigo and weakness of nape of neck.

Female: All symptoms are worse on day 1-2 of menses; menses too early, clotted and spasmodic colicky pains. The person feels very weak during menstruation and can scarcely stand up.

Extremities: Lower limbs feel very weak; trembling pains in limbs; knees crack on movement; muscles feel weak or lax in general.

Temperature: Chilliness with perspiration and heat of skin; chills with flatulent colic, nausea, vertigo and sweat in general.

Vertigo: Vertigo and nausea especially when moving in a car or train.

Keywords

• Very chilly and worse in open air
• Nausea, empty hollow feeling
• Vertigo, weakness and trembling
• Profuse salivation and thirst
• Exhausted and must lay down

Exciting causes

·         Loss of sleep from nursing the sick

·         Cares and worries

·         Anxiety about someone else’s health

·         Air, sea or car sickness

·         Jetlag

Modalities

Better:         Lying down quietly; warm room; sleep

Worse:         Travel and passive motion; loss of sleep; smell or thought of food

Desires:       Beer; cold drinks; mustard; tonics

Aversions:   Food despite hunger; smell of food; acids; beer; cheese

Compare to: Petroleum, Pulsatilla, Ignatia

Cocculus, dizziness, empty feeling, exhausted by worry, homeopathic books, homeopathy remedy first aid, Homoeopathy, materia medica, mental strain, motion sickness, nausea, organic, oversensitive, physical strain, sleeplessness, stress, travel, vertigo, vomiting, worry