Cardiospermum halicacabum

- schwabe, drug proving, 

Cardiospermum is a recently introduced drug in to homoeopathy. It is an official drug of German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia where the mother tincture is made of flowering tops.  Most of clinical work on it has been done by DHU – Germany, which has found it highly efficacious medicine for psoriasis for external use.  Studies reveal that it can substitute corticosteroid group of compounds. These findings are in line with earlier work and reports.  Short proving studies indicate that it has potential for use in oedemas and kidney related problems. Recently a book ‘Materia Medica of New and Old Homoeopathic Medicines’ by David Riley was published with proving details of this drug. The proving was conducted in 12C potency with 44 provers, 32 females and 12 males. The abstract of the proving details are given below. This drug is available with Schwabe India in mother tincture, 6CH, 12CH, 30CH, 200CH and 1M.

Important proving symptoms and themes noted by the investigators

Irritability, forgetfulness and anxiety predominate. Vertigo, especially with exertion. Head pain that is dull, pulsating and localized to the forehead. Sinus pain. Fluctuation in appetite, with a desire for meat. The nature of pain is cutting and sharp, especially in the abdomen and extremities. Flatus and diarrhea with watery stools. Deep sleep with difficulty in waking. 

Mind

Mental dullness accompanied by weakness of memory and increased forgetfulness, particularly for things related to work. Absent-minded, difficulty concentrating. Weeping without knowing why or what they are crying about. Restless mind with irritability toward his family, especially in the afternoon, and from noise. Mental confusion especially about location. Difficulty in concentrating. Anxiety especially in the afternoon or about household  matters. Aversion to company. Many vivid and remembered dreams, some pleasant and some unpleasant. Dreams that continue after going to sleep, of friends or parents. Restlessness before steep or during sleep. Impatience. Sensitive to noise. 

Head 

Pulsating pain throughout the head in various locations, particularly noticeable in the forehead. Dull head pain. Heaviness and constricted feeling in the head, worse in the forehead but also present in the temples, vertex, or occiput. Cutting head pain in the occiput or temple. Pressing head pain worse when the head is warm, better from pressure, and located at the vertex. Constricted as if there were a band or hoop around the head. Heavy sensation of the head. Tension and stiffness in the occiput. Head pain worse on waking or ameliorated by heat. Head pain on waking or ameliorated by heat.

Eyes

Increased lacrimation. Irritation and itchy sensation in the eyes. Dryness of the eyes. Burning pain in the eyes, worse at night. Blurry vision.

Ear

Buzzing noises in the ears. Ear pain that is throbbing. Stitching pain behind the ears and extending to the jaw.

Nose

Congestion and obstruction of both nostrils and congestion in the sinuses. Copious discharge from the nose. Sometimes clear, sometimes gray, sometimes bloody, sometimes thick and yellow. Epistaxis. Sneezing. Sinus pain worse in the area of the frontal sinuses. 

Face

Flushes of heat in the face. Jaw pain. Swelling of the jaw. Tension in the jaw. Red flaky eruptions on the face.

Mouth

Aphthae in the mouth. Increased salivation or dryness of mouth. Constricted painful sensation in the mouth or tongue. Soreness inside the cheek from biting the cheek when talking. White discoloration of the tongue. Cutting pain or tension of the tongue with teeth marks on it. 

Throat

Sore throat accompanied by dryness and scratching sensation. Dryness, worse in the morning irritation of the throat with a burning or heat sensation. Sensation of a plug in the throat causes difficulty in swallowing. Sore pain on waking in the morning. Swelling of the cervical glands.

Chest

Chest constriction. Constriction ameliorated when lying down. Sharp chest pain, aggravated by motion and bending forward. Dull pain under the right breast.

Respiration

Difficult respiration after midnight or exertion. Wheezing, worse at night.

Cough

Cough, worse at night. Must sit up at night. Dry and persistent cough.

Stomach

Nausea, worse after eating, or better walking in open air, or accompanied with anxiety, or on waking in the morning. Decreased or increased appetite. Unquenched thirst. Rumbling. Heart burn accompanied by eructation, worse at night. 

Abdomen

Severe, cramping abdominal pain. Worse after eating, worse in the evening and at night. Worse before stool. Rumbling and gurgling in the abdomen. Sharp cutting in the morning before diarrhea or sharp, stitching pain before diarrhea. Soreness in the left lower abdomen or iliac region. Flatulence. Rumbling before diarrhea. Distention better from passing flatus. Pressing pain during flatus. 

Rectum/Stool

Constipation. Diarrhea, worse on waking in the morning. Flatus, improves or is offensive. Ineffectual urging or incomplete evacuation. Rectal pain, worse during stool. Sore rectal pain improves. Hemorrhoids with rectal bleeding.

Bladder 

Sensation of prolapse. Pain that is stitching, cramping, or burning. Increased urging to urinate, worse in the evening. Spasmodic pain.

Genitalia, Female 

Itching of the vagina and vulva. Alteration of the menstrual flow. Altered sexual desire. Improvement of vaginal and burning vaginal pain with coition. Brown leucorrhea. Dysmenorrheal improves. Difficulty with orgasm.

Back 

Back pain, especially aching back pain. Back stiffness in the cervical or thoracic region. Aching pain in the right scapula. Pinching or cutting pain in the lumbar region. Stitching pain in the cervical region.

Extremities

Arthritis pain. Swelling and pain of the extremities. Swelling of the joints. Swelling in the fingers, knees, and feet.pain accompanied by sciatica. Stitching pain in the fingers and hips. Cramping in the legs.

Sleep 

Restless sleep with frequent waking. Sleeplessness.

Skin 

Eruptions that are allergic in nature. Eczema. Urticaria, redness, goose flesh.

Generalities

Exhaustion, torpor, and listlessness. Excessive physical irritability accompanied by painful, sore muscles. Heat sensations, either flushes or chilliness. Fasting ameliorates, or weakness after eating is ameliorated. Improved or weak sensation after eating. Excess physical energy. 

Reference: David S. Riley, Materia Medica of New and Old Homoeopathic Medicines, Springer-Verlag GmbH, 2012.