The homeopathic remedy Ipeca comes from a Brazilian shrub belonging to the Rubiaceae family called Cephaelis ipecacuanha. In Homeopathy is a widely used remedy for the prevention of nausea and in case of dry cough accompanied by a feeling of suffocation, nausea and vomiting.
Ipeca : the plant cephaelis ipecacuanha
Cephaelis ipecacuanha is a shrub native to India, also cultivated in South America and Malaysia. Belonging to the Rubiaceae family.
The plant has a bitter, sour and nauseating smell and taste. Ipecacuanha contains several alkaloids among which stand out:
- cephalin
- psychotrine
- emetin
The latter substance has the effect of inducing vomiting as it performs an irritating action on the gastric mucosa.
The plant is also known in Phytotherapy for its antidiarrheal, anti-vomiting and expectorant properties. It is also used as a hypnotic, cardiotonic, antirheumatic and to stimulate diuresis.
Ipeca: Homeopathic remedy
The Ipeca remedy acts, as it happens in Homeopathy, according to the principle of similarity: the remedy is derived from a plant, which if ingested in quantity would cause symptoms that normally cure administered in small doses.
In fact, as we have seen previously, this plant in the individual induces an intoxication that generates vomiting and spasms both at the level of the digestive system and at the respiratory level. As a result, the homeopathic remedy is mainly used for the treatment of:
- dry cough that is accompanied by a sense of suffocation with laryngospasm, nausea and vomiting
- pertussis
- continuous nausea with vomiting even while fasting
- tongue without patina or with little hardening
- indigestion with nausea and severe abdominal pain
- hemorrhages of bright red blood, especially from the nose, with the concomitance of nausea and vomiting
The homeopathic remedy ipeca for nausea and vomiting
Nausea, a word that comes from the Greek and that means seasickness, is a non-specific symptom associated with many conditions or diseases.
Nausea can arise or in case of suffering in the stomach (gastritis heartburn), for example, as a side effect of a drug, or appear after indigestion, in other cases nausea can arise after very intense physical exercise or be related to states of anxiety or depression. In short, the causes of nausea can be different and it is good to immediately identify the origin before undertaking any countermeasure.
Vomiting can often occur nausea and, when the latter is prolonged, it can cause dehydration and a dangerous electrolyte imbalance in the individual.
For the treatment of these disorders, Homeopathy can represent a valid solution, bearing in mind that homeopathic therapy will have to take into account, in addition to the organic origin of the disorder, also the dynamics and deep psychic suffering that the patient expresses through the symptoms.
In Homeopathy Ipeca is the main remedy to treat especially episodes of nausea and vomiting. This is the remedy of choice for persistent nausea, with abundant salivation, clean tongue, absence of thirst, weakness and tendency to faint. Vomiting usually appears during headaches and coughing.
The person who needs Ipeca is irritable and often has an attitude of rejection; has disgust for food and odors, suffers from violent colic and diarrhea (bloody and greenish).
Ipeca : constitutional type
The constitutional type Ipeca is usually a pale-colored subject who has a weak constitution. On a mental level he is capricious, anxious, sulky and dissatisfied. He also feels contempt for everything and everyone.
It is therefore a “closed” and absolutely unsociable subject; he hates the noise and is hypersensitive to noise.
As for its symptoms:
- at the respiratory level: the patient requiring Ipeca has a spasmodic cough with chest tightness, dyspnoea, cyanosis and nausea, often followed by vomiting or hemoptysis of bright red blood.
- at the digestive level: presents continuous, violent nausea, associated with vomiting and disgust for food.
Typically these symptoms worsen with movement, in the fresh air and with humid heat, while they improve with rest and in the heat.
