ALUMINA GENERALITIES

-GEORGE VITHOULKAS
Alumina has a general aggravation in the morning upon waking. This aggravation may take the form of anxiety, as previously mentioned, or it may consist of irritability, aversion to company, sadness or confusion. There is an amelioration in the evening and night; there may also be an amelioration or aggravation at 4 PM or from 4 to 8 PM, as in Lycopodium. Alumina patients are generally warm, and there is often an aggravation from heat or from the heat of the bed. (Some cases can be aggravated from cold.) This warm-bloodedness, together with the marked dryness of the skin, explains the amelioration from snow that can be seen in Alumina. Alumina is one of the driest remedies in all of the Materia Medica, which explains the aggravation from dry weather of this remedy. There can also be an aggravation from both walking and talking. On the other hand, there is a general amelioration from eating. There is also an amelioration from lying down and a strong desire to lie down. Alumina can display a marked periodicity with symptoms recurring on alternate days; the intervals can be longer however.
Alumina suffers lassitude from talking (Calc-p., Stann., Sulph.) and from coition, strenuous exertion for Alumina. Worse during full and new moon. Intolerance to starches, especially potatoes, and a general aggravation from salt, pepper, wine, and vinegar.
Alumina states can sometimes follow such causative factors as: a long history of allopathic drug treatment, long use of aluminium utensils, intense anger, a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), and extended over-exertion of the mind. The time required to witness positive results of homeopathic prescribing in Alumina patients can be prolonged (Calc. p., Sil. ).
Vertigo
Alumina can produce a true vertigo in which objects whirl around; it can also produce a sense of faintness, especially from standing (Bry, Dig , Nux m, Sulph, Zinc ) and also from talking, and from opening and closing the eyes.
Thus, Alumina can be seen in cases of compromised proprioception causing a positive Rhomberg's sign -- a tendency to fall when standing with the eyes closed. (Alumina is indicated in neurological disorders of the peripheral nerves and posterior columns of the spinal cord.) Vertigo in old, weak and fragile people, with stiffness of the neck.
Head
Alumina has periodical headaches, especially headaches every other day. The headaches frequently occur from 10 AM until 2 PM. The pain is aggravated from walking and by talking. The symptoms are ameliorated when the patient lies down.
Headache in forehead as if a hat is pressing hard against it.
Headache after an upper respiratory infection.
Headache, as if one is pulled by the hair.
Frontal sinusitis coming after a cold, when a thick, crusty discharge from the nose is suppressed.
Alumina also produces falling of the hair. There can be great itching of the scalp with numbness, but without eruptions. As in all of the skin conditions, the itching drives the patient to scratch until the skin bleeds and then forms crusts.
Eyes
Falling of the eyelashes.
There is dryness of the eyes (Acon., Ars., Bell., Lyc., Mez., Nux m., Op., Puls., Sulph.,Verat., Zinc ), as well as inflammation of the conjunctiva.
Alumina produces a thickening of the eyelids (Arg-m., Arg-n., Merc., Tell. ) and also a paralysis of the lids.
Chalazion.
Granular formations on the margin of the eyelids.
Inflammation of the conjunctiva.
Sees a yellow halo around lights; white stars before the eyes with vertigo.
Dimness of vision as if in a fog.
Weak and changeable vision. W
eak muscles of the eyeball.
Strabismus in teething children.
Diplopia looking sideways.
Eyes feel cold.
Ears
The symptoms of the ears are rather sparse. In some cases a purulent otorrhea is encountered, also tinnitus.
One ear hot and red.
Noises in the ears on swallowing.
Nose
Alumina is one of the main remedies for frequently recurring colds. This tendency seems to be due to sluggish neural and circulatory reaction in the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. In these infections the patient often responds to Bryonia, which is considered the acute complementary to Alumina. Also, catarrh in elderly patients with red discoloration of the tip of the nose is seen in Alumina.
A diminished sense of smell.
Cracks or fissures on the tip of the nose can be seen (Carb-an.).
Red discoloration of the nose (Chin., Phos., Sulph. ).
Dryness of the mucous membranes with crusts or tenacious mucus in the nostrils.
Face
Usually there is a strong whitish, pale color of the face, as if the skin resists the sun's rays and does not tan easily.
The skin is easily wrinkled with very fine lines, and the person looks tired and older than his chronological age.
There can be itching of the face, again without an eruption.
Sensation of tightness of the skin of the face or a sensation as if eggwhite had dried on the face.
Throat
Frequently lingering colds settle in the throat, indicating weakness of the immune system. The upper respiratory infections usually settle in the pharynx and larynx giving rise to a persistent dry, constant cough, worse in the morning after waking. These morning coughs are ameliorated only after finally expectorating a little tenacious sputum.
Great dryness of the pharynx, in the evening only (Bar-c., Zinc. ). There can be dryness of the esophagus with choking, which is worse in the morning on waking or worse with swallowing. As he swallows, the patient feels the esophagus throughout its whole length.
Partial paralysis of the esophagus such that the patient has to force down his food.
Offensive ulcers with a yellow-brown discharge.
Tonsils hard, indurated.
Tickling in the throat as if skin is hanging there.
Sensation as if the uvula is elongated and touches the ticklish spot.
The voice becomes weak and feeble, as if from paralysis of the vocal cords.
Stomach
Alumina has an unusual desire for dry food; such as, dry rice, starch, etc.. This is all the more strange considering the general dryness of the Alumina constitution. Also, a desire for indigestible things, such as dirt, lime and
chalk, is seen. There may be an aversion to beer, meat and potatoes. One of the best confirmatory keynotes of Alumina is a marked aggravation from potatoes. Cold drinks and cold food may aggravate the patient while warm drinks ameliorate. There may also be an aggravation from wine, excess salt and pepper.
Nausea may occur from vertigo; nausea is especially prone to occur at 4 AM or upon waking in the morning. Nausea from standing is also found in Alumina. Bitter eructations and indigestion, especially after milk or potatoes.
Rectum
As mentioned, Alumina is famous for constipation. Usually the rectum is totally passive and dry (Hep., Nux m., Sep. ), and the patient sweats and strains in the effort to pass a stool, finally being forced to use his fingers to dig out the stool even though the stool is usually soft. Despite this effort the bowel movement is unsatisfactory. It is almost as if the rectum is paralyzed. Sometimes the stool is hard and knotty, like sheep dung.
One must be careful to note that although most cases of Alumina constipation are without urging, some cases manifest urging without effect. Often the Alumina patient can go as long as ten or fifteen days without stool. In some cases the movement is facilitated if the patient tries to evacuate during urination.
Also, there can be great dryness of the mucous membranes of the rectum. Alumina is indicated for constipation of pregnancy when accompanied by great dryness of the rectum.
Burning pain during stool (Ars., Con., Iris., Op., Sulph. ).
Urinary organs
The same tendency for retention occurs in the urinary system. Often the stream of urine is feeble in the morning on waking.
In some cases the patient must press for a long time before he can initiate urination.
Urinary frequency in the night or during menses can be seen.
Alumina can be indicated for painless, chronic urethral discharges of yellow color.
Genitalia - male
Alumina males can have either increased or diminished sexual desire. In some cases frequent sexual fantasies lead to masturbation.
Alumina can cause relaxation of the genitalia and impotence, especially after sexual excesses.
Also, hypertrophy of the prostate is seen, accompanied by delayed urination. In these conditions one may see pain in the prostate from sneezing or from blowing the nose.
Involuntary emissions on straining for stool, especially when the organism has been weakened. Emissions during sleep.
Hardness of the testes.
Genitalia - female
This patient may have great difficulty discussing her sexual life. She will usually say that her sex drive is "normal;" however, she may often have an active sexual imagination with but little expression of her desires. She likes to engage in foreplay but seldom allows herself to experience orgasm. As one patient stated, "I want the foreplay in slow motion but not the orgasm."
There are scanty menses of a pale color, frequently lasting for only one day (Sepia ).
The patient may complain of an acrid leucorrhea with a yellow or white albuminous discharge which can be ropy, viscid.
Alumina patients often have prolapse of the uterus.
Great mental and physical exhaustion after menses (Carb-an., Cocc. ). Small ulcers of the vagina like aphthae or indurated ulcers.
Hardening or even scirrhus cancer of the entrance of the uterus.
One may see one group of symptoms relating to the sexual organs disappear after cessation of menses, only to be supplanted by another group of symptoms; such as, difficult digestion with sour eructations, flushes of heat to the face, redness of the tip of the nose, and a feeling of dyspnea. A tendency for alternation of symptoms in a periodical fashion is quite strong in Alumina.
Chest
Alumina produces an almost constant dry cough (Caust., Chin., Lyco., Rumx., Spong. ), worse in the morning on waking and worse from talking.
Also, there can be urinary incontinence from coughing.
Vomiting from coughing.
There may be constriction of the heart, aggravated by eating.
Back
In the back one finds a weakness in the lumbar region similar to that of Calcarea.
Also, there may be tearing pain in the lumbar region which is worse at night in bed. Burning pain along the spinal cord. Burning pains as if a hot iron were piercing the dorsal region, scapulae, and left superior angle of the scapula, ameliorated by massage.
Sensation of bandages in different places in back and extremities.
Extremities
As mentioned, Alumina is a very important remedy in paralysis of the extremities, as in hemiplegias or degenerative neurological conditions.
There can be painful paralysis of the lower limbs.
Ataxia is a common pathological condition of Alumina.
In other cases the patient may merely complain of a sensation as if the limbs were paralyzed.
Multiple sclerosis cases when the disease steadily progresses toward paralysis without remission -- a slow, steadily increasing paralysis.
Generally these conditions evolve slowly with, first, a sensation of heaviness and tingling, especially in the legs when sitting, later, incoordination or ataxic gait, and possibly a final progression to complete paralysis.
A variety of sensory disturbances is also seen. There can be delayed conduction of sensory neural impulses to the brain; hence, a delayed reaction to a pinprick can be seen (Cocc., Plb. ). There is sometimes numbness of the soles or heels. There can be tingling in both the upper and lower limbs. In the upper limbs one sees tingling in the hands and fingers and, especially, the left forearm, which is worse while sitting. Trembling of the limbs, especially of the knees. Lower limbs go to sleep while sitting.
Arthritic nodules. Coldness of the extremities, especially the back of the hands. Brittle nails.
Sleep
The Alumina patient is often troubled by frequent waking from sleep at night, especially before menses in women. The sleep is filled with anxious dreams and often dreams of robbers (Mag-c., Nat-m. ). Dreams of being confused.
As mentioned previously, the sleep is unrefreshing, and the patient may wake with anxiety, fear, palpitation or irritability.
Fever
The fever pattern in Alumina is consistent with the weak reaction of the remedy and the tendency to retention. Alumina patients seldom produce high fever. Its fevers are of a lower grade with mild chills. Very little sweating occurs.
Skin
There is great dryness of the skin, and often fissures and cracks develop, especially in the winter.
No sweating at all, even when very hot.
There can be many types of eruptions, but, most characteristically, the patient has itching without any eruption. It is as if, consistent with the theme of Alumina, the eruption is retained, not brought forth; the itching, however, can be quite intense, especially from the warmth of the bed. Often the patient is forced to scratch himself even to the point of bleeding before he finds relief. He may have scabs in certain areas as evidence of this habit.
Sometimes eruptions are seen which are consistent with the idea of dryness and hardness; e.g. , indurations, cracks, ulcerations that look dry, thickening of the skin which looks dry and withered.
Clinical
MENTAL CONDITIONS
Anxiety states, mental confusion, phobic states. Arteriosclerotic behavior. Effects of disappointments. Dementia. Alzheimer's disease.
NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Diffused encephalomyelitis, benign myalgic encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Locomotor ataxia. Neurological conditions arising from arteriosclerosis. Paretic conditions.
INTESTINAL TROUBLES
Affections of the anus. Fissures. Constipation. Constipation of nursing infants. Constipation of pregnancy. Gastritis.
EYES
Dryness of eyes. Chalazion. Strabismus. Induration of lids.
SKIN
Itching without eruption. Eczema. Fissures. Boils. Fistula. Indurations. Tetters, moist and itching. Lupus erythematosus.
GENITALIA
Causative factors
Anger. Disappointments. Physical exertion. Long use of aluminium utensils. Long use of allopathic drugs.
Relationships
Complementary to Bryonia and Ferrum.
Remedies that follow well: Argentum metallicum, Bryonia, Lachesis and
Sulphur.
Antidotes
Antidotes: Bryonia, Ipecac, Camphor, Chamomilla, Coffee.
Inimical: Alcoholic drink, wine, tobacco, cold drink, cold food, milk, potatoes, salt, green vegetables, warm food.
Dosage
From very low (3x]) to very high (CM) can be prescribed. In the Homeopathic Medical Center of Athens we usually prescribe from 12c upwards.