Belladonna

Belladonna is a remedy frequently thought of to help with childhood fevers. The fever comes on suddenly, like Aconite, the temperature can be very high. The fever is often associated with exposure to cold. There is great intensity of symptoms. The face will be very hot and flushed with both cheeks bright red with bright eyes. The whole body, especially the head, will radiate heat but the hands and feet feel cold to the touch. The skin will feel dry. In a baby, there may be the symptom of stool like chopped green spinach.

Intense emotions accompany the fever with hallucinations, vivid imaginations, talking in the sleep and irritability. Sudden flares of temperature may be noticed which is opposite to what the patient is like when they are well, even to destructive behaviour and the desire to bite. Also grinding of the teeth.

Cold applications ameliorate the symptoms with desire for cold lemonade, lemon juice and sour things. There is a desire to lie down quietly in a darkened room as light and noise aggravates.

The pains of Belladonna are characterized by throbbing. This makes the remedy useful for headaches and migraines providing the modalities match the symptom picture (see keynotes). Any jerk or jar makes the pains worse.

The throbbing redness indicates this remedy for mastitis. I used this remedy successfully myself when first breastfeeding my new born. My breasts were hot, painful with red streaks. I was frightened that the engorgement may lead to mastitis and I would be coerced into taking antibiotics. This is not something a new breast feeding mother ought to take as the drugs pass through the milk to the baby. Belladonna taken frequently for 24 hours helped to ease my engorgement and allow comfortable breast feeding to continue.

Other instances where throbbing redness may present include sore throats, boils and sunstroke. Sunstroke is usually accompanied by dry heat.