The Hot Flush.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 Nov / Dec Vol III No 6.
Padam P.
Therapeutics.
` Acon / Glon / Cactus / Coca / Melil / Cact.
Menopause as most doctors call it or change of life as most women call it, is as certain as tomorrow, for all women who live through their forties and into their fifties. Yet most young women never give a second thought to this entity. "It is just something that will happen one day, but not yet." Perhaps the fact that it heralds middle age and ends childbearing makes the average young woman push the whole subject under the carpet until she reaches forty.
Menopause comes at, what is in any case, a difficult time for women. Her children are growing up and becoming more independent, her husband is well settled in his job and beginning to think of retirement. Life is settled into a routine. She has to face the fact that youth has passed away and there is a decline in physical energy. all the things that she had taken for granted like - a good eyesight and hearing, sound teeth, black hair, smooth skin etc. are failing her. She is forced to realize that she must now walk when once she could have run. The change of life may seem to have set a seal on all these things so that she blames it for everything.
The hot flushes and associated symptoms may occur infrequently and may significantly affect a womans lifestyle. They may occur spontaneously or may be provoked by factors like stress, alcohol or hot weather. They tend to be more severe in women who have undergone sudden and early loss of ovarian function. The hot flushes and night sweats, post-menopause, in a majority the frequency and severity of these will diminish with time and eventually disappear. The number of women who suffer symptoms of depression, anxiety, forgetfulness and panic attacks increases in or around at menopause. Certainly the increase in physiological symptoms suggests that this leads to chronic fatigue, depressed mood and the inability to cope. Other symptoms like breast tenderness, abdominal bloating, paresthesia, leg cramps and worsening headaches may exist during menopause but may not come into any strict category.
Notwithstanding the totality of symptoms and the constitutional factor, hot flushes finds an able control and treatment in Amyl-nitrosum, Nitrate of Amyl - C5H11NO2 was introduced as a remedy for angina pectoris as it decreases arterial tension. Homoeopathic proving in a number of cases had shown AMyl-nitrosum has a specific action - the most prominent being a facial flushing and pulsation all over the body.
Flushing of face, head and neck with perspiration, accompanied with cold hands and feet is the greatest keynote for use of Amyl-nitrosum.
A direct and powerful dilator of the arteries and capillaries which causes flushes of the upper part of the body with a rapid tumultuous action of the heart. It gives immediate relief in throbbing headaches after the cessation of menses at climacteric. It can be given empirically in women with symptoms of hot flushes along with the constitutional treatment.
Amyl-nitrosum compares favorably with a few other drugs in the list.
Aconite heads the list - feeling of band about; fullness and flushing of face with agony; acute sudden attacks; cannot lie on the right side or back.
Glonoine - Surging of blood to head and face. Cannot recognize localities; cannot bear heat around the head. Cannot walk in the sun. Its action is more lasting than that of Amyl-nit at the peripheral vasomotor nerves.
Cactus - particularly a heart remedy. Symptoms due to cardiac cause. Periodic attacks of suffocation with cold sweats. Pain along the left arm.
Lachesis - Universal distress which increases in sleep and wakes up suffering in agony and fright. Symptoms out of proportion to the severity of the disease. It affects the left side.
Melilotus - Surging of blood to head and face. Better in open air, walking and change of position.
Coca - Great vigor and endurance inspite of light nourishments and light sleep. Deafness with ringing in ears. Lightness when climbing without respiratory troubles. Violent congestive and nervous headaches. Epistaxis.
Reference
- Susanne Beedell - Questions & Answers - Menopause
- Whitehead, Whitcroft and Hillard - Atlas of the Menopause.
Dr. PADAM PRAKASH BHATNAGAR
Deep Ashray
143, 32 Main, 5th Cross
Phase I, J.P. Nagar,
Bangalore - 78.
